During the holidays you may become overwhelmed by the list of people you need gifts for. When trying to find gifts it can be difficult to get cute presents at inexpensive prices. The more people on your list however, the more important cheap gifts are however. When trying to put together inexpensive gifts for people like teachers, neighbors, or church members, you should consider using coffee mugs. Coffee mugs are great because there are several different ways of giving them as gifts, depending on who you are giving to. Use these fun and inexpensive ideas to help your holiday gift list become a little shorter.

Candy

If the person on your list loves sweets, then consider taking a lovely coffee mug and filling it with his or her favorites. You can fill the large coffee mug with candy, wrap tissue paper or cellophane wrap around it, secure it with a bow, and be finished. This is an adorable idea for teachers or church members. It is inexpensive and you can even choose mugs that depict the recipient’s favorite hobby or color. Besides, everyone loves a little candy during the holidays. For an extra special treat, consider making your own homemade candy for the gift.

Coffee

As ironic as it may sound, sometimes coffee is the best gift to give within a coffee mug. For a friend who can’t resist gourmet coffee, this can be a quick and easy gift idea. Simply fill an oversized coffee mug with a small bag or two of specialty gourmet coffee. This is an adorable way to give an inexpensive, yet personal gift. Consider adding a specialty spoon along for extra flair as well.

Gift Cards

If you are giving a gift card this season and want to find a way to make it a little more interesting, consider putting it inside a coffee mug. You can fill the mug with a little tissue at the bottom and then place the gift card inside. You can also use shredded confetti tissue for filler. This is a great way to give your gift card as well as a cool coffee mug to the recipient. This is perfect for the coffee or tea drinker as well. You can fill coffee mugs with a gift card for a local coffee shop, a restaurant, or anything else. It is also a good way to avoid losing the gift card under the tree. When it is wrapped into a coffee mug, there is less of a chance it will be accidentally tossed.

Soaps

If you need a feminine gift that does not cost a lot, consider filling a pretty coffee mug with little soaps or lotions. You can usually get these for very inexpensive prices at your local bath or beauty store. These are perfect for young girls as well who love to experiment with things like lip gloss and other makeup. Just fill the mug and wrap a little tulle around it along with a ribbon for a feminine look.

by Octavio Valenzuela

Instead of buying hanging baskets from a garden centre or nursery, making them up yourself is a satisfying activity for gardeners who are looking to create their own unique display of plants and flowers.

Making up hanging baskets is not too challenging and requires a selection of plants, a hanging basket frame, compost, fertiliser, water retaining gel and a liner.

However, the amateur gardener is faced with a wide range of different hanging basket liners to choose from. Many are pre-shaped and sized although some can be cut to shape. Some use natural materials such as moss or coco whilst some are wholly synthetic using polypropylene or recycled materials.

This guide looks at the different kinds of hanging basket liner and the benefits and disadvantages of each kind.

Sphagnum moss

Sphagnum moss is the traditional material for making up hanging baskets and remains and popular choice for “professional” users. As a material it certainly looks good and blends in nicely with the plants even when they have just been planted. Moss tends to be expensive however to other alternatives and can be hard for beginners to handle – particularly for any baskets with large spaces between the frame. As a natural material it also has a limited lifespan and is not reusable for the next season.

Wool moss

Wool moss liners are easy to plant up and offer a natural alternative to traditional sphagnum moss. The appearance is attractive although, as a natural material, their lifespan is only one season and the material can also be used to birds for nesting.

Coco fibre

Coco fibre is a very popular material and is used commonly for sale with the original basket frames. Refills are also sold in preformed sizes and shapes which can make them ideal for unusual frames such as jardiniere, fountains and troughs. Coco offers a nice appearance and is re-usable next season with care. Coco liners can be attractive to birds and are relatively expensive compared to man-made alternatives.

Pre-formed wood fibre

Wood fibre hanging basket liners provide a reasonable appearance and are pre-formed which makes them easy to use. As a result, they tend to hold compost well and can be re-usable if care is taken when disposing of plants at the end of the season. One of the downsides of these liners is that they can be difficult to plant through if you want plants emerging from the sides to create a ball effect hanging basket.

Foam rubber

Foam rubber is a cheap man-made liner which holds compost quite well and is very easy to use and plant on top, sides not so easy. They are durable and as a result can be reused. The disadvantage is that the man-made material means the appearance is not quite as appealing as a traditional moss or other liner.

Supermoss

Supermoss is a man-made alternative to natural Sphagnum moss. This material is durable and holds compost well. It is also easy to fill and plant on top although side planting will require cuts through the material. It was a nice appearance although can also be used by birds as nesting material.

Alternative liners

Alternative hanging basket liners, such as the Amateur’s Answer liner, use new materials which can be handled easily and are good for both top and side planting. There materials are typically not attractive for birds and are also reusable. These liners can be used with most frames although require some cutting to shape compared to a preformed liner.

In summary, your choice of liner depends on the type of basket you are making, the visual effect you’re wanting to achieve, your skills and how much you want to spend. The sheer range on sale at garden centres and on the internet means every gardener – whether professional or amateur – can easily make up their own hanging baskets each year.

Source by John A. Nesbitt

The date of June 15th will be here before you know it. It’s time now to get crackin’ on a strategy that will provide you with a selection of cool Father’s Day gifts to consider. So what’s a smart solution to meet the challenge of providing Dad with a token of your affection and appreciation for putting up with you all of these years? 

Father’s Day Gift Baskets is an excellent idea to consider. Why? First, there is an abundance of themes with this type of gift – one of which Pop might find most pleasing to receive. Secondly, they can be shopped for and purchased in an extremely efficient and time saving manner. Let’s now examine the first reason.

What kind of hobbies and interests do typical Dad’s find interesting? How about ideas such as golf, NASCAR, motorcycles, sports, trucks, gourmet food, cigars, handyman stuff, movies, casinos, coffee, junk food or general “guy stuff”? Well, there are cool Father’s Day gifts in a basket that have all of these mentioned themes and more. 

You can capture a theme that dear ol’ Dad finds appealing and focus on that alone when you buy a gift basket. All of the contents within the basket or creative container are related to that specific idea alone to peak his level of interest. Imagine his eyes when he opens the package and discovers items that are related to his passion. He will know that you did your homework! 

Ok, so there is a high probability that there is a gift basket that specializes in something that will make Dad a happy camper. But how do you find the one that you know will make his day and get it into his hands by June 15th? 

Just go online and let technology make your life easier. Use your favorite search engine whether it is Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc and type in the specific type of gift basket that you are looking for. It might take only a few minutes, if that, to find the cool Father’s Day gifts idea that will make Dad forget the challenges and grey hairs that you gave him so generously over the years.

The next step after finding the best gift within your budget is to fill out the shipping, billing and safe credit card information. You can also type in a personal message to show that you wish Pop only the best. Your thoughts can be expressed from a perspective of love and respect to some good-natured ribbing that he would find uniquely your own. The gift can be shipped anywhere including Dad’s own doorstep. How’s that for efficiency and convenience?  

Take the advice of aGiftBasketParadise.com and get a Father’s Day Gift Basket with a theme that Dad would identify with. Stand out from your other siblings and be Dad’s favorite among the cast of characters in your family!

Source by Brian Connors

It is the fear of every parent to be called with some bad news about their child. I received such call when my five year old daughter, while playing on the school monkey bars had fallen and broken her leg. Since the bone was broken in more than one place, she needed to have a short hospital stay. The news of her hospitalization spread through the school and loving messages from friends, schoolmates and family poured in.

Many were kind enough to send flowers and cards. Many sent letters and a few send comics and magazines. A couple of her friends with the help of the parents sent a gift basket with a few snacks. While we appreciated every kind word and cards, the hospital room was rapidly getting too small to house the flowers, balloons and snacks. Since I was not sure eating all the sugary and salty treats would be a good idea for my daughter, I passed them onto the nurses’ station and their break room.

The day before Magen was discharged; we received a Disney get well soon gift basket from my elderly aunt who lives in Michigan. I must say we were all most impressed with her choice and thoughtfulness.

My aunt had spent two weeks with us for the birth if my youngest last summer and knew of Magen’s favorite Disney television shows. She had ordered a get well gift with a unique gift basket of Dora the Explorer. Magen who had spent a few difficult and uncomfortable days in the hospital had the greatest smile we had seen in days, as she pulled out the ribbons and the card. Her face was brighter with every piece she extracted from the Dora tin bin. I had already started planning in my mind a way to diplomatically take away the junk food and treats. To my and my husband’s surprise, there was none. I should have known aunt Rachael better than that and I should have given her more credit than to send treats to a hospital. Oh well, I was tired and hadn’t slept in a few days!

That day Magen insisted to play with her Dora stickers and create a story in her Dora journal. The next day, when we were packing to leave, I noticed how cleverly the get well gift was designed. All the pieces nicely fitted into the storage bin which Magen insisted on carrying with her on the wheel chair.

Once we were home, to my relief, Magen found hours of fun with the playing Dora playing cards, and activity books. Even when her friends visited, she insisted on playing with the Dora puzzles and games. I was grateful that there were no plush toys in there to aggravate her allergies and create additional complications. When Magen was happily busy with her favorite character, I had a chance to tend to my younger one and household chores.

While I appreciated every thought and kind gesture, I must admit I was completely partial to my aunt’s gift. That gave me one more reason to adore and admire her. I had learned many things from her all through my life. And now, I learned the next time I need a get well gift idea for kids, I am calling her to get the name of her contacts.

Source by Fay K.

Your darling little flower girl needs a special basket for carrying rose petals down the aisle on your wedding day. Something out of a fairytale to match the tone of the day is the perfect pick for this important accessory-something pretty as well as comfortable to carry for your tiniest attendant.  The choices are practically endless.

The DB Exclusive Beaded Lace Flower Girl Basket is one lovely choice to consider. White or Ivory fabric is covered with sequins and pearls to give it that sweet shimmer that befits the occasion. Ribbons adorn the handles where they meet the basket-proper, flowing gaily as your flower girl skips up the aisle. She’ll be delighted by this pretty basket, dipping her tiny hand inside it to grasp fragrant rose petals before scattering them along the path ahead of you.

A similar basket is the Pearl Sequin Flower Girl Basket, but this one has a charm all its own. White or ivory cloth is adorned with pearls, sequins and crystals. Ribbons and a sweet bow accent one side of this cute basket, along with a small white flower. It doesn’t matter what kind of petals she carries inside-your little attendant will be a well-behaved little miss as she scatters them along the aisle.

If you’re looking for something a little different in a flower girl basket, consider the Social Butterfly Flower Girl Basket. This one comes in black and ivory for a bold statement. The handle is wound with black fabric and slender black ribbons anchor both ends where they meet the basket’s bowl. Deep red rose petals will look luscious inside this basket, or choose ivory or white roses to complement the ivory in the cloth. Whatever color scheme you choose for your wedding, this flower basket will add a touch of the unique.

Coordinate the flower girl basket with other items needed for the ceremony when you choose the Love Note Collection Gift Set. This set includes not only the basket, but a garter set, a guest book and pen, plus a ring pillow. The style is unique, featuring white and gold satin cloth in a tailored, ruffled style. This set will look wonderful whether the wedding is formal or casual.

Fairytale weddings can go contemporary too, and the flower girl basket can reflect that style as well. Choose the Silhouettes in Bloom Flower Girl Basket in deep Cabernet Red with a black floral accent or Jet Black with a white accent. Either one will give your wedding scheme an elegant and dramatic flair that will impress even your little flower girl.

When ribbons and lace are the order of the day, don’t forget to include them on all the details. The Lovely Lace Flower Girl Basket is wrapped asymmetrically with white Chantilly Lace and topped with a matching organza bow for that romantic touch. The bow is topped with a satin ribbon in your choice of color to coordinate with the rest of your wedding color scheme. This is a lovely choice that your flower girl will carry with pride.

Set the tone for a wedding in paradise by building your wedding theme around a lovely and unusual basket. The Paradise Flower Girl Basket is available in a variety of colors-Clover, Cornflower, Jade, Lapis, Marine, and Truffle-but each choice includes a black band and button as well as a dramatic peacock feather. This basket is elegant and fun, and your flower girl will love it as much as you will.

Another fun choice that your groom will appreciate is the Military Collection Gift Set. This features a pretty flower girl basket in white satin that is accented in either blue or tan digital camouflage print. You can adorn the basket-and the matching ring pillow, guest book, pen and garter-with the insignia of his branch of the service. Or maybe you’re the one who’s in the military. Either way, this is a great choice for a wedding that will have everyone standing up and saluting your flower girl as she marches down the aisle.

A summer wedding calls for a summery flower girl basket, and what’s more summery than the beach? The Seaside Allure Flower Girl Basket is a delight in white, blue and silver. Embroidered seashells and starfish details add to the allure of this basket and its matching ring pillow. Ribbons add the final touch of whimsy to this delightful duo that will charm everyone who sees them.

You and your groom won’t be the only love birds at the ceremony when your smallest attendant carries the Love Bird Flower Girl Basket. This is another charming choice that is perfect for a wedding at any time of the year. Love birds are embroidered on the side of the basket, which is covered in a soft two-tone cloth. It’s a sweet and charming choice that any little flower girl will be happy to carry.

No matter what theme you choose for your wedding, include the flower girl basket in your plans. Your littlest attendant will appreciate it as much as you do.

Source by Tyler Patterson

If you love lobster, then you know it is the star of the show on your plate. So, what do you serve with this main star? What side dishes for lobster are the best?

To keep the lobster as the main event, you need to have very simple side dishes. Very colorful vegetables in the yellow, reds and greens work very well with Lobster dishes.

Here is one example:

Cucumber and tomato salad. This makes a great side dish for lobster. It is simple to make and very colorful.

Here is what you will need:

cucumbers (as many as you think you will need for your guests, you will have to gauge this yourself)

nice red ripe tomatoes

Greek style bottled dressing

Peel your cucumber and then slice in 1/2 lengthwise, and then again, and then slice the wedges about 1/2 inch think.

Wash and cut the tomatoes into pieces a similar size to the cucumber chunks.

Put these in a bowl, and then pour some dressing (I found the Kraft Greek style dressing with feta worked the best for me)

Then let it sit for about 15 minutes before you serve it, to absorb the Greek dressing. Then sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese.

Put on the table with a large spoon, and let your guests help themselves to this delicious side dish for the lobster.

Add a basket of crusty rolls, and lots of whipped butter, and you will have a fine lobster lunch or dinner.

You don’t need to spend too long on the side dishes for lobster, they should be simple, colorful and delicious. Your guests will be more interested in the lobster than anything else really anyways. Potato dishes may be a bit heavy a side dish for lobster, so stick to lighter fare, such as fresh vegetables and fresh bread or rolls.

Don’t forget the napkins or maybe bibs!

Source by Diane Palmer

The importance of corporate gift baskets cannot be underestimated because they have been effective in building the business relationship between the employees and the clients of the Company. The gift baskets represent a means of gifting items to express certain appreciation, gratitude, rewards or even compensation towards the other parties. This mutual benefit of maintaining a strong customer or supplier relationship has been recognized and well accepted by many bosses and managers in the course of their day-to-day management.

There are a great variety of corporate gift baskets that are available at a great bargain ranging from deluxe and palatable food and refreshment choices, pleasant office items as well as lavish items that may include engraved trophies or golf set in simple or differentiated wrappings. Either intended for the employees or clients of the Company, there are innovative ways of sending these gift baskets for their most-valued clients and two of these innovative gift baskets are baby corporate gift baskets and maternity corporate gift baskets.

The reason behind selecting a baby gift basket as the corporate gift is that it touches the heart of the parents who are overwhelmed by the birth of their new baby to this world. With irrepressible joy and happiness, the collection of baby gift items best complement not only the content of the feeling but it greatly enhances the appreciation of the parents for the meaningful gift and the blessing attached to it for their child.

When it comes to deciding for and sending of a baby basket corporate gift to your intended recipient of the Company or most-valued customers and suppliers, it is imperative that careful selection is made on the basis that it must convey congratulatory and welcoming message to the parents for the birth of the new soul. The consideration that a baby deserves the most delicate care and comfort can propel the choice among the huge arrays of baby gift baskets.

As with the theme of items marking and coordinating each gift basket, there are themes (commonly colour theme of blue and pink) that synchronise the baby gift items in the baby basket corporate gift. Hence, the choice can be made easy by selecting pink colour for baby girl and blue colour for the baby boy.

A special greeting card attached to the gift can help to reiterate the greatness of the new birth. If your budget allows, you may additionally send personal gifts such as dresses to the new mum.

Most baby gift baskets aim at coordinating and bundling together baby items of the highest quality and great comfort for the baby. The bundling may cover items such as baby oil and powders, cuddly towels, baby wipes and little toys, baby shower and shampoo and many other collections of basic necessities. There are also great gift baskets ideas that incorporate a whole range of delicate baby garments such as hats, dresses, socks in addition to other outing stuffs including diaper bag, feeding bottles, stroller and so forth. Other variation of baby gift baskets such as the toy baskets can be value adding for connecting the child with the parents through games of joy and enjoyment.

Baby basket corporate gifts have not been limited for gifting to new born babies and have moved away from this traditional view of gifting to a new era of gifting for different celebrations for little kids and children such as birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other occasions involving children. Therefore, baby corporate baskets have now innovated and created to suit all festive seasons and various celebrations.

Should you feel limited by the choices of the baby gift items offered by the local retailers and stores or would like to purchase something of uniqueness which is different to the locally available gift baskets, the online gift baskets merchants presents a wider choice and diversity of baby gift baskets. These gift baskets can be subject to customization and personalization and the provision of these value-adding services aim to maximize the senders experience so that the recipient is able to feel the message that is sending across to him or her through the gift baskets.

You can also be creative for your choices of gifts. In India, jewelleries are often treated as baby gifts. There is no harm if you would adopt this culture. However, you can go on to the extent of using gift certificates, gift cards and other means of sending gifts with preloaded value. These would provide much freedom n the parents to choose what they want for their daughter or son.

Age appropriateness consideration is deemed important during shopping for the right baby basket corporate gifts because of the different needs that may arise at different stage of the growing cycle of the babies. An infant may require more products fit for newborns while an older kid or child may be more responsive to fun games or toys that correspond to children of the particular age group.

by Thomas Bronson

Whether it’s the Christmas holiday season or the middle of summer, the necessity of having to shop for a birthday or anniversary present is inevitable. While it’s always a thrill to find just the right gift for a friend or associate, sometimes issues such as lack of time or the difficulty of trying to find a unique gift: how many ties can you buy your brother in law, make the buying experience stressful and a hassle. Unique gourmet gifts: salmon, lobster, crab and steak There’s really no need to buy yet another tie because what your brother in law really wants is a unique food gift such as an assorted steak box featuring specialty cuts of premium beef. This is a gift that he can take outdoors and grill on a nice summer evening or enjoy dining indoors. If you have a seafood lover to please, you can send them anything from smoked salmon gift baskets to a crab bake, lobster bake, or lobster gram. The last two are really fun because your lobster gifts come with live lobster, a pot, lobster bib and other items for a delightful lobster dinner. Crab bakes are generally the same idea only with live crab. Gifts for the dessert lover With so many choices in gourmet chocolates: in boxes, themed gifts baskets and more, you can send anything from romantic, fine chocolates to elegant, hand made chocolates to a colleague. Another popular idea for the confection lover is tower gifts: chocolate tower gifts and cookie tower gifts. These gifts are delivered in the mail and can make quite a presentation. Cookie bouquets are also fun gifts and great if you weren’t planning to spend a lot. Gifts for the food lover If you have a gourmand, and they’re hungry to sample different kinds of wine, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and such look for a good food of the month club online. These clubs tend to include interesting choices and include information for your recipient to learn more about different kinds of cheeses, for example if it’s a cheese of the month club (see http://www.a1-food-gifts.com/unique-gifts.htm ). Also, with a monthly food gift plan your recipient is not likely to forget you as there is a reminder each month.

Whether it’s the Christmas holiday season or the middle of summer, the necessity of having to shop for a birthday or anniversary present is inevitable. While it’s always a thrill to find just the right gift for a friend or associate, sometimes issues such as lack of time or the difficulty of trying to find a unique gift: how many ties can you buy your brother in law, make the buying experience stressful and a hassle.

Unique gourmet gifts: salmon, lobster, crab and steak

There’s really no need to buy yet another tie because what your brother in law really wants is a unique food gift such as an assorted steak box featuring specialty cuts of premium beef. This is a gift that he can take outdoors and grill on a nice summer evening or enjoy dining indoors. If you have a seafood lover to please, you can send them anything from smoked salmon gift baskets to a crab bake, lobster bake, or lobster gram. The last two are really fun because your lobster gifts come with live lobster, a pot, lobster bib and other items for a delightful lobster dinner. Crab bakes are generally the same idea only with live crab.

Gifts for the dessert lover

With so many choices in gourmet chocolates: in boxes, themed gifts baskets and more, you can send anything from romantic, fine chocolates to elegant, hand made chocolates to a colleague. Another popular idea for the confection lover is tower gifts: chocolate tower gifts and cookie tower gifts. These gifts are delivered in the mail and can make quite a presentation. Cookie bouquets are also fun gifts and great if you weren’t planning to spend a lot.

Gifts for the food lover

If you have a gourmand, and they’re hungry to sample different kinds of wine, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and such look for a good food of the month club online. These clubs tend to include interesting choices and include information for your recipient to learn more about different kinds of cheeses, for example if it’s a cheese of the month club (see http://www.a1-food-gifts.com/unique-gifts.htm ). Also, with a monthly food gift plan your recipient is not likely to forget you as there is a reminder each month.

Source by Jitesh