The holidays are right around the corner, so now is the best time to begin thinking about those all important gift ideas.
It has become hard to stay in touch with loved ones, as friends and family move all over the country and across the world, making it more difficult every year to show the ones you care for how much they mean to you.
So what can you do this holiday season to show how much you care for them? What are some holiday gift ideas you can send to friends and family to truly show your affection?
The key with every holiday gift you send is to have your own personal touch added to it. Consider what kind of people they are, and what they would love to have during the holiday season.
As families grow every year, the best idea might be to send a gift that they would all enjoy instead of searching for those individual gifts. This will definitely save you time and money.
One idea is to arrange for friends and family to have a personal photo shoot. It is not hard to arrange a sitting with a professional photographer in the area, and all it takes is for them to arrange to best time for them to attend the sitting.
This is a great idea especially for loved ones that you do not often get the chance to see, as they can send you a copy so you can admire how much they have grown since the last time you met.
For people who love following traditions during the holiday season, a fantastic holiday gift to consider is an ornament box.
This wooden storage box would look perfect during the holiday season and is a great way to keep a family’s holiday ornaments safe and sound when not in use, and every year you have send different ornaments to fill the box and so they will have the perfect gift every time they are decking the halls.
But the best idea to ensure that every single family member truly enjoy your holiday gift is to send to them a holiday gift basket.
There is a wide range of holiday gift baskets that can be professionally prepared and sent right to their door. So now the only question you need to ask is what type of gift basket should you send?
Gift baskets can cater the whim of every single family member, from the chocolate-lovers to the nut aficionados and everyone in-between. Gift baskets are the ideal way to say Season Greetings to the people you care for.
The best part about gift baskets is that you can make sure everyone can enjoy their own personal part of the gift without you having to spend much time and money purchasing individual gifts.
But the most important thing about holiday gifts to remember is that they are designed to come from the heart.
Seriously consider what the people you care for would really love this holiday season, and with a little time and effort it will not be long until you can find the perfect gift that they will love and remember year round.

Viviana Andris is the owner of Amor Gift Baskets, which features numerous gift ideas including holiday gift baskets. Find out more by visiting http://www.amorgiftbaskets.com

Source by Groshan Fabiola

In our harried and hectic lives, it’s sometimes hard to justify taking time and spending money to treat ourselves to a little pampering. And that’s exactly why giving a gift of stress reducing self-indulgence is a perfect gift option for almost any occasion.

Of the millions of gift baskets given each year, spa gift baskets top the list as the most popular of all. It’s easy to see why. It’s hard to go wrong when offering complimentary R & R to someone special who deserves a little indulgent pampering.

Spa gift baskets can be general in nature, or may focus on a particular type of pampering. Use any of the five spa gift basket ideas below as options that will be sure to please:

Pampered Hands Spa Basket – Pretty much everyone uses and abuses their hands on a daily basis. To make those hands “pampered hands,” consider a gift basket that features an array of softening and soothing hand care items. Include items like moisturizing gloves, a nail brush, nail buffer, cuticle cream, and hand moisturizer. For an added touch, include a gift certificate for a professional manicure.

Bathe in Luxury Spa Basket – Turn an ordinary bath into a luxurious and relaxing experience. Include French milled soap, a loofah sponge, scrubbing mitten, Dead Sea bath salts, inflatable bath pillow, and spa quality bath towel. Add a body candle for ambiance while soaking and to use for moisturizing the body after a relaxing bath.

Grace Your Face Spa Basket – Bring a smile to any face with this pampering gift. Include a relaxing hot / cold eye mask, mud mask facial treatment, exfoliating scrub, day and night moisturizing cream, a terrycloth head band, and natural lip balm.

Treat Your Feet Spa Basket – Treat the tootsies to luxurious spa pampering. Possible inclusions could be a pumice stone, toe separator, nail polish, pedicure file, foot roller, moisturizing socks, and foot massage cream. A gift certificate for a pedicure would be an added treat.

Body Bliss Spa Basket – Give a special somebody a gift that anybody would love. Include exquisite French milled soap, a bath brush and massager, relaxing hot / cold eye mask, bubble bath, pumice stone, moisturizing body massage candle, and spa quality Egyptian cotton robe and towel.

Where do you find such baskets? Check local gift basket services or search for spa gift baskets online. You’ll find a wide variety of excellent options. Even better, make the basket uniquely your own by creating it yourself. Shop for bath and body items locally, or visit online retailers.

To make your spa gift basket extra special, select items that are slightly unusual. Select products that are hand-made, or those that are found in specialty boutiques. Hand selecting your gift basket contents with your recipient in mind will make your gift truly unique and especially appreciated.

Regardless of whether you select a ready-made spa gift basket, or one you create yourself, you will be giving a gift that is sure to please. May both you and your recipient enjoy less stress . . . and more pampering!

© 2007 Karen Loye Porter. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint rights: You are welcome to reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author credit, and include the resource and bio information in its entirety.

Source by Karen Loye Porter

The joy that Christmas time brings is never more evident than when discovered through the eyes of a child. Supposing you are a mother or father, then you maybe acknowledge how much this holiday signifies to the children in your life. To bring this experience to the next level, it is simply natural to choose to admit your children in more sides of the holiday.

A natural manner to begin your holiday decorating is with the Christmas tree. Almost every home has one and it quickly becomes the center point for your holiday festivities. You can try a few hand-crafted decorations created by you and your kids. It is very simple to get started; ornaments can be made out of any material that you have at home. If you wish an easier means to begin, then consider searching for a premade decoration that simply requires a bit decoration.  Add shiny items and some markers and you have pleasant handmade decorations that will make your house lovelier than ever.

Another popular decorating method in many houses are Christmas themed photos and signs. Your children can simply draw several Christmas themed pictures such as reindeer, Santa Claus or only a precious wintertime landscape. These photos add personality and warmth to your Christmas decor. If your children are older, let them explore their ingenuity with paint while the younger ones will have a lot of good time with washable markers or crayons. You can take those images and put it anyplace in your house or go for the tried and true location on the icebox. This project is great because it won’t cost you a lot, if anything, because all of these products are mainly already at home.

Because there will be man Christmas activities near the dining-room table, you can create a splendid centerpiece for the table with your kids. You can buy silk flowers and a basket and miniature Christmas tree decorations and ribbons. Have your children’s inventive juices flow and discover what they come up with. Whenever you have many hands to keep busy, try mini-decorations that can sit at each table setting. A silk flower, some ribbon and a Christmas decoration or poem are all it takes to produce handsome place settings. The ideas are infinite.

Decorating for the holidays can well turn into a family custom.

Source by Holly Day

Copyright (c) 2010 Albert Street LLC

Why is soy candle making popular? More and more people are choosing them over paraffin candles as they don’t emit Carbon Dioxide and is generally safe for the environment. Soy candles are the healthiest types of candles you can make — they burn smoke-free, they are hypoallergenic, and best of all they are great for the planet! Needless to say, soy wax is a cheaper and all-natural alternative, which is said to be easier to work with than paraffin.

Soy Wax – its key component – is a recent discovery. In the early 1990s, a man named Michael Richards was on a quest for a cost-effective alternative for beeswax. This prompted him to create soy wax. During the early 90’s there was a big inflow of demand for natural wax candles, but beeswax was significantly more expensive (10x more) than paraffin. Michael began testing different natural waxes from plants and finally ended up with a vegetable type which had partially hydrogenated soy oil, coconut oil and palm oil as key components. Finally, Michael became successful in replacing beeswax and paraffin with soy in 1996. Ideally, these kinds of candles are created by mixing wax with fragrance and dye. These candles have certain advantages over Paraffin Candles

Here are the 3 main reasons why you should go for soy candle making supplies:

1. Soy wax candles are inexpensive

It’s a natural wax – Soy have a longer lifespan – Wax spills are easy to remove with soap and water – It gives out less soot – Scented soy gives out more flavor

2. Making soy candles can be a very fulfilling hobby.

As you establish your own candle making business, you will soon discover how simple it is to create candles using soy wax. Soy candle making supplies are readily available online or in the hobby shops in your area. We will explore the step – by – step process in making this type of candles.

3. They make awesome gifts.

Let your creative side go wild! You can choose to pair some soy candles along with other candle making supplies, wrap it with a few soaps and towels placed in a basket — and you have a fantastic-looking gift!

For the materials, the following listed below are what you will need:

1. A pound of soy wax 2. 1 mason jar 3. An ounce of fragrance oil 4. Wax dye 5. 1 Cotton wick (e.g. HTP – 105) 6. Candle Thermometer

Here are the Top 5 Tips in Making Soy Candles

1. Choosing your soy wax – This wax generally comes in two varieties: Block and flake form. Choose the flake form.

2. Get to know soy candle fragrances better – The secret to making a good soy candle is to use your own special batch/mix of fragrances. The fragrance of your choice needs to be compatible with soy wax. On an estimated scale, you will need an ounce of fragrance oil per 16 ounces of soy wax.

3. Understanding Wax – Dyes Dyes come in various types. You can choose to use dye blocks which will easily blend with soy. The other ones are concentrated liquids and dye chips.

4. Choosing the appropriate soy wax candle wicks – Of course, your wick must be thicker as the candle’s diameter increases.

5. Choosing the right soy wax candle containers – The container to be used for making these candles depends on the appearance/look one wants to achieve. If you want country look, you can choose/use a Jason jar. Use dry, germ free containers for your soy candles, and place it at room temperature.

The process:

In a pan put the soy wax and slowly heat on medium temperature until completely melted. Remove from heat. – Add the fragrance oil and mix it thoroughly until such time everything settles in with the soy wax. As a good option, you can choose to blend in wax dye – Put in the melted wax inside the container and place the wick at the center. A clothespin or pencil is ideal in making sure that your wick stays in the center. – Upon turning solid you can trim the wick by or to 1/2 inch – Enjoy your soy candle!

Source by bigalclub

There’s been an ongoing battle of wits between you and a friendly rival.  And now there’s an opportunity to give a 50th birthday gag gift to that certain someone.  What to do? 

Well, you know full well that it’s now your turn to take the offensive.  This is a chance on a silver platter to gain points on the battle of humor scorecard.  It’s a time to take an innocent yet clever jab at that person.  A poke that’s harmless – yet has a dash of good natured ribbing.  

So you must think about getting a 50th birthday gag gift somewhere between two extremes.  And that’s in the middle of a cruel cheap shot … and the typical limp, pansy-worded greeting card.  What could be the solution that would send a message with your own unique brand of comedy? 

There are available “Over the Hill” Birthday Gift Baskets out there that would say it all without you saying a thing.  Yes, these weapons of comicality can be your strategy to fulfill your mission to get the advantage in the competitive game of roasting among friends or family. 

They are the happy middle-ground that you are seeking between the weak and downright mean alternatives.  And they contain items that all have the theme of jesting about the big “Five-O” event.  That means that all of the shopping for these components has been done for you.  The tasty treats and souvenirs are all in one classy container ready to go! 

Another great thing about these 50th birthday gag gifts is that they are so easy to shop for, purchase, and have delivered to anywhere within the continental USA.  How so? 

The internet is the way to go through our friends known as Search Engines.  They can lead us to a wide selection of ideas to consider in our quest to get the right “Over the Hill” Gift Basket that’s within budget.  And we can also direct our choice of gift to be delivered to a certain place and at a certain time.  That includes overnight delivery, if needed. 

Now anyone can be well-armed in their mission to get the upper hand in the duel between two joker contestants.  An “Over the Hill” Gift Basket could be the 50th birthday gag gift that would rank at the top among everyone else’s.  And it could be set up for delivery online in the next 10 to 15 minutes.  How can you beat that scenario of effectiveness and efficiency? 

So take advantage of this opportunity while you still have the chance.  That’s because you know that the target of your aim would surely do the same if given half a chance!   

Source by Brian Connors

Spring has sprung, Easter is just around the corner. One of the most celebrated holidays is Easter and part of the reason why this holiday is loved is the food associated with it. If you are hosting an Easter dinner with your friends or family this year, here are some good tips for some delicious Easter recipes.

Maple Syrup Ham and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

One of the most requested types of food to eat at Easter is ham and you can sweeten up the taste of it by adding some tasty maple syrup. While your store bought maple syrup should work, try to purchase maple syrup that is 100% pure and not made from corn syrup. Adding pure maple syrup will add a sweet, delicious taste that your friends and family will love.

You can easily accompany your maple syrup ham with some tasty sweet potatoes smothered in miniature marshmallows. Sweet potatoes will be your maple syrup ham’s best friend. For an extra treat, add miniature marshmallows and you will definetly get some smiles from children and adults alike.

Easter Bunny Cookies

Even though chocolate bunnies are pivotal to Easter, cookies can also be an excellent treat. Just like Christmas cookies are fun to make and yummy to eat, so are Easter Bunny cookies. Most grocery stores, discount stores, and craft stores sell Easter Bunny cookie cutters to make your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookie into some fantastic Easter Bunny shapes.

Easter Egg Cup Cakes

Easter Egg cup cakes are an awesome way to add enthusiasm to the holidays for your children. Easter Egg Cupcakes are an easy and fun way to bring color to any Easter dinner dessert. Instead of using cup cake holders, try to use small waffle cones to hold your cup cake mixture. Once baked, add coloring, sprinkles, candy, etc. to your creation.

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake

Easter Bunny carrot cake is an awesome way to add color and excitement for the whole family. What goes better with bunny rabbits than carrots and a yummy carrot cake goes with any Easter dinner. You can easily purchase a carrot cake and decorate the top by hand. Many people create their own frosting adding food coloring to color the carrot cake to look like an Easter egg.

Easter Cocktails

For those adults that like to top off their dinner with a delicious alcoholic beverage, there are many colorful cocktails that compliment the mood of any Easter dinner. For example, certain liquors come in various colors such as grenadine for rose, blue Curacao for cerulean and mixing clear liquor with assorted fruit juices for multicolored Easter drinks. For those that prefer a cocktail sans the alcohol, it’s easy to add color to your event with a host of fresh fruit smoothies, just by adding fresh fruit with cream or milk. Some people even add some yogurt to the mix.

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy your Easter this year, follow the above Easter recipes.

Source by Christine Steendahl

There is nothing more frustrating than attending a silent auction fundraiser where auction items have been haphazardly displayed. Visually pleasing auction tables are a high priority! You want bidders to get excited about the
items you are displaying. Your goal is to encourage people to bid on items – not pass them by.

How you set up auction tables depends on the actual number of auction items and the amount of space you have to work with. Go out to your venue and physically pre-determine where you are going to set up silent auction tables. Do a configuration of how you want to place the tables and make sure you allow plenty of “elbow room.”

It is wise to set up “mock” tables before the day of the event to show how you want the auction items arranged. When arranging mock tables, remember to place a bid sheet beside or in front of each item. Bid sheets are printed on 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper and take up a fair chunk of space on the table.

Collect or cut out 8 1/2″ x 11″ pieces of cardboard in case you need to “mount” a bid sheet, e.g., when displaying a picture on a wall, hang the bid sheet with a cardboard backing from the picture itself. The cardboard backing gives bidders a hard surface to write on. Use ribbon, raffia, or twine to attach the bid sheet to auction items. (Use a foldback clip to attach the bid sheet to the cardboard.)

Tables are normally 6 or 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. You can use both sides of a 4-foot-wide table to display items, as long as the tables are not pushed up against a wall. Use tulle, painted cardboard scenes, fabric, stars, shapes, etc., as dividers down the center of tables, to utilize both sides of the length of the tables.

If tables are pushed up against a wall, use easels, stands, etc., behind the tables or use the wall itself to display items, e.g., pictures and sculptures.

Depending on the number of items you have collected, you can either place items sporadically or sort them into specific categories such as food/dining, jewelry, spa/health/fitness, sports, travel, children, etc.

Drape fabric over your auction tables to make them look more appealing. Fabric stores will often lend you a bolt or two of material in exchange for a mention in your evening’s program.
“Skirting” the silent auction tables is an alternative to using fabric. Hotels, restaurants, and golf clubs normally have an abundance of skirting and table linens on hand. Make sure you pre-arrange skirting and linens with the venue coordinator.

If you cannot get your hands on fabric, skirting, or table linens, use a roll of newsprint from the art room at the local school. Get students (or parent volunteers) to paint a theme on the paper and tape it around the tables. You can get creative with artwork, it all depends on your theme! (This idea is great when doing a school fundraiser. Get the kids involved!)

If using fabric or table linens, place small-to-medium sized boxes UNDER the fabric to make “display stands” for auction items. For example: a set of earrings would be more noticeable displayed higher than other items. It is also wise to keep “original” gift certificates with the event cashier(s) and display “mock” certificates in plexi-frames on the silent auction tables.

By using fabric, skirting, and/or newsprint, you not only make your tables more appealing, you create space under the tables for hiding boxes, bags, packaging, etc. (This space comes in very handy for volunteers’ purses, water bottles and shoes from sore feet!)

People like to SEE and FEEL what they are bidding on! Never display items in their original packaging, e.g., take the toaster out of the box and put a couple slices of bread in it!

Auction items don’t necessarily have to be placed on tables – utilize floor space, easels, room dividers, etc., when planning your layout. Get creative and arrange plants, furniture and other large auction items in groupings. (Make sure you have individual bid sheets attached to the items so bidders know they are part of the auction!) When displaying lamps, try to locate them near a plug – they look so much more appealing lit up.

Cello-wrapped wine, food, and spa baskets are great in auctions, although you don’t want an overabundance of them. If it is difficult to see what is inside a particular basket, list the contents so that guests know what they are bidding on.

It is also important to ensure auction items are in good shape, clean, and in proper working order, e.g., batteries in the flashlight!

As a final touch place tea lights, sparkles or colored glitter on auction tables to help create a theme or enhance the ambiance.

After ensuring the auction tables are properly set up, it is a good idea to have volunteers man the tables. They will keep an eye on the bid sheets, ensure the bid increments are being placed correctly and answer any questions the bidders may have. In essence, the volunteers become the “salespeople” of the visually pleasing auction tables you have taken so much time and effort to set up!

Source by Karen Pearson

More and more, people in Australia are choosing gift baskets as the present of choice for many different occasions. If you are one of them, then you undoubtedly would like to find a hampers business that you can rely on. There are definite things to look for in such cases; read on to learn more.

Do They Offer A Wide Selection?

Although birthdays are very popular events for giving hampers, the company that you choose to order one from should offer a wide array of hampers for many different occasions including Fathers Day baskets. In addition to birthday hampers, they should offer things as diverse as get well hampers, baby gift baskets – and everything in between. You’ll discover that having a gift basket for practically any occasion can come quite in handy, and you’ll be glad to have a reliable business from which to buy one.

Can They Come Through For Major Events?

Whether you’re planning a huge social gathering for a friend or family member, or if you are going to be holding a major work event, hampers can make excellent door or raffle prizes. The company that you choose to work with should be willing and able to come up with a unique array of baskets to suit your specific needs, regardless of what type of event you’ll be throwing. Ordering your gift baskets for such occasions should be helpful – not stressful.

Are They Passionate About Gift Baskets?

Always look for a hampers business that is run by people with a genuine love for the craft. Such people will be brimming with enthusiasm about creating just the right gift for any given occasion, and they will be more than happy to brainstorm ideas with you as necessary. In other words, hampers should be more than a paycheck for them – they should be a means of creative expression and an opportunity to provide something elegant and attractive for their clientele.

Do They Feature New Ideas All The Time?

Rather than displaying the same old gift hampers week after week, the hampers business that you hire on should demonstrate the ability to come up with unique new concepts on a regular basis. This shows that they have creativity to spare, and signifies that they are most likely happy to think outside the box for their customers.

Is Giving Back To The Community Important To Them?

A professional, well run hampers business will always keep the importance of their surrounding community in mind. As such, they will happily donate baskets on a regular basis to community organizations and for special events as well. Look for companies that do this, and you will be on the right track indeed.

Source by David S Judge

It’s that time of year again, Christmas. You are probably trying to figure out what to give your friends and loved ones as presents this year, especially the writer in the family. I think that choosing just the right gift for a writer or budding writer can be a little mind-boggling. After all, how much more that paper, pen and a computer does a writer need? Well, you would be surprised.

First of all, almost all writers are avid readers, so a good book is always appreciated. Secondly, depending on what type of writing, the writer you know does, can trigger many creative gifts that you can give them. For instance, if you know a copywriter, maybe a little gift basket containing the latest book by an accomplished copywriter plus an assortment of other goodies to include colored markers, a great pen and a small pocket notebook. I know as a copywriter myself, that would be a great gift.

However, if you have a writer whose focus is on writing novels such as mystery novels, you may want to consider putting together a gift basket that contains several new mystery novels by various writers in addition to other writing related implements. The point is that when shopping for the writer in your family, skip the fru, fru, and lacy things and give them something related to their type of writing that can be used and will be cherished for a long time to come. Keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be a big elaborate gift basket. Just make sure to include items that will not only stimulate their imaginations, provide them with new knowledge about a particular style of writing and also helps make the writing easier.

It takes just a little planning and a list of items for the gift basket. You can even visit your local bookstore for ideas and suggestions for filling the basket. It will definitely be worth the trip and will most certainly put a smile on the face of the writer receiving the gift. You can bet that it will be one of their most cherished gifts. Who knows, they may even write you a touching thank you note that you will cherish.

Source by Lorraine Cote

As far as the packing of the fruit basket is concerned, the main concern while making the packing of the fruit basket is the types of fruits. There are several kinds of fruits like organic fruits, tropical fruits; citrus fruits are available in the market. Therefore, by considering the order, the packing process is carried out.

In the online browse department of various fruit shops and the fruits delivery outlets, we get the details about the price range of the exotic fruit baskets. The minimum range of the price of the exotic fruit shops starts from 50 dollars to 80 dollars approximately. While making the exotic fruit baskets, the fruit shops consider the themes like picnic, spa and pampering and many more.

The main ingredients of such exotic fruit baskets are the fresh fruits, candies, gourmets and many more. While providing these exotic fruit baskets, the nutritious products are mainly involved in its preparation. The type of the exotic fruit gift basket is available in spa and perfume type. These exotic fruit baskets are available in the stores and sitemap of the various kinds of gift baskets.

If you want to order an exotic fruit basket from the online sitemap of the store, then firstly you have to select a product and then chose the delivery date and timing of the fruit basket according to your convenience.

The exotic fruit basket contains the following fruits like three types of Fuji apples, two Comice Pears, the red pears which are cherry Moon. These exotic fruit basket also contain the dry fruit like almonds, Jelly beans which come in quantities of 6 oz. accompanied by the sparking cider of 750ml approximately that is the main exotic ingredient of the exotic fruit baskets. Such type of exotic fruit baskets are the typical choice of elegant gourmet contentment. The blends of the Fuji Apples which are exotic and tasty Comice Pears place these gift baskets on top of the standards. On the other side, the fresh dry fruit like Almonds, Jelly Beans and festive Sparkling Cider put in a feeling of class to this seasonal exotic fruit gift. These exotic fruit baskets are incorporated with many varieties of gifts for various special occasions. The gift items which are involved in the exotic fruit baskets are gourmet chocolates, spa gift baskets, wine gifts, gourmet sweets and many more.
   
In the exotic fruit baskets, we get the mixture of the traditional exotic fruits, salty snacks, as well as other gourmet delicacies. Also this type of exotic fruit basket contains bottles of lemonade which gives a luminous appeal to it. Such types of exotic fruit baskets are useful to overwhelm our eyes and satisfy the taste buds. The main constituents of such eye-catching exotic fruit baskets are consist of  two pieces of pears, 2 pieces of oranges, two Fuji apples, one piece of Granny Smith Apples, three pieces of Kiwi, one Mango, cherries which are covered with chocolates and sparking Lemonade bottles. Such fruit baskets can also contains dry fruits like almonds, Cashews, olive oil crackers, Blueberry Jelly, White Cheddar and much more. All such ingredients are used in such exotic fruit baskets with proper quantity.

Source by Muna wa Wanjiru