Gift baskets are great gift choices to express your feelings for one another. Because a gift basket can contain virtually anything, it is a very easy gift to decide on and shop for. Of course, the easiest way to give a romantic gift basket is to choose one from one of the hundreds of websites that specialize in all types of gift baskets for any occasion.

Maybe because gift baskets have the word, “basket” in it, many people may think that it is a gift choice mainly for women. That is just not true. What man who enjoys golf or any sport for that matter would turn down a tin box of chocolates, assorted snacks, and different golf or sports paraphernalia? Or a gift of their favorite colognes and aftershave with other daily grooming gadgets? How about a wicker hamper full of bottles of wine, different types of meats and cheeses and crackers? The possibilities are endless and it isn’t a gift that is only for women.

Rather than getting each other separate gifts, you could splurge on one large gift basket of decadent chocolates, champagne, along with countless other treats. Next, take your large basket or hamper and check into a luxurious downtown hotel for the night and enjoy romantic picnic for two on the large king sized bed as you gaze out at the city lights.

Another idea is to get his and hers spa treatment gift baskets and take time to relax with each other and treat yourselves to a day of pampering. Choose a day when there are no children in the house and postpone any household chores to another day. Start the day out by cooking a beautiful breakfast together and taking that breakfast back to bed with each of you. Soak in a bathtub together. Feed each other strawberries and champagne. View a movie that has special meaning to both of you and thoroughly enjoy the day and each other’s company.

Pack a gift backpack of nutritious treats and a nice lunch and take a hike in a nearby state park or nature trails. Find a secluded spot to have your lunch and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature all around you.

Some romantic gift baskets are geared for very specific romantic times. Many gift basket retailers offer a gift basket called Wedding Supper. This basket includes a quick and easy pasta meal to prepare, some wine and bread and a romantic scented candle and decadent chocolate truffles. This would be a wonderful gift basket that one of the couple could get the other or that the parents could chip in together. This would be a perfect choice for the happy couple’s first night in their home or apartment.

Another romantic gift basket idea for either him or her is to include an “I love you” jar. This is a jar that has 365 personal messages of love. Everyday the couple can pull one message from the jar and relive their romance daily. This is a good gift to give each other an empty jar first and for the first year of marriage write a reason why you love the other person, read it aloud and put in the jar. The day after your first anniversary begin taking one from your spouse’s jar every day and read one of the reasons why they love you and reminisce about the memories that these words evoke.

One romantic idea is to give your love the world. You can do this by visiting sites that sell items such as an acre of the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean, or an acre of the moon or your own star. Another clever enterprise sells 1 square inch of land in every state and bundles it up in a package deal, which includes a deed to the United States. Show him or her that you not only would give them the world, but that you have!

There are many gift baskets that revolve around adult beverages. Of course, there are wine packages, but that is not all. You could give a romantic gift basket that includes everything needed to make your own sangrias or margaritas. Both of these gift baskets include a hand painted pitcher and 2 glasses along with some snacks. This is a truly romantic and fun gift.

Another option for newly married couples is a gift basket that includes items for the novice cook including simple cookbooks and 2 enrollments to a basic culinary art cooking school. These are classes that the couple can take together and learn some basic techniques, which will allow them to create and learn elementary skills and find a new hobby that they can do together.

For the couple that loves the outdoors and loves to play games, there are gift baskets that include games like croquet and bocce ball or volleyball. This gift basket has the romantic couple out in the sunshine spending time with one another as they enjoy a competitive sport or two. This is a very appropriate gift for a fun couple.

Sticking with the outdoors, give a hammock filled with wind chimes, birdhouses and hummingbird feeders, along with some snacks and treats. It may not sound very romantic, but just you wait until you are both snuggling on the hammock in the shade with a cool breeze as you watch the birds feeding and the hummingbirds flitting nearby. So, so romantic.

Still another decadent and romantic gift basket is to place two spoons, some water and as many different pints of deluxe, “designer” ice cream you can fit in a soft-sided cooler pack. Meet at a local park or nature view and share tastes.

There are so many romantic gift basket ideas. You can purchase one ready made or create one of your own. Either way, the gift baskets are a simple way to keep the romance spark kindled and keep you as loving as newlyweds. So, at the next opportunity or “just because”, use one of these ideas or come up with even better ones and give a romantic gift basket.

Source by Jacoba Fenny

Imagine the countryside canvass of red, yellow and brown that entertains our senses during the Fall season. This cool breeze and changing leaves time of year is precious for many of us and will soon be in full glory. Know someone who revels in this type of setting? There are gift baskets that will speak in their language now available for you to send out today!

Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of the hot and sticky Summer weather. It has always drained me of energy and forced me outdoors to do work around the yard as needed. The air-conditioning bills also drained the checking account as well. But right around the corner I knew that there was a more peaceful time that would spark a renewal of sorts within me. That’s why Fall Gift Baskets might be the perfect way to spread the joy of the season to someone that you know who shares this sentiment.

There are seven new Fall Gift Baskets that you may wish to consider. The first option is “Fall Festival” that arrives in a 9 inch Harvest tin filled to overflowing with bread, coffee, dip, pretzels, cookies, salami and more! All your favorite Fall treats abound in this celebration of Autumn! Send that special someone a gift of great taste this season with the Fall Festival Gift Basket!

The next gift basket choice is “Fall Snacks”. There’s everything here to chase away the chill of Autumn and will warm the heart of the receiver when this lovely Autumn pattern gift box arrives overflowing with sweet and savory snacks. Your good wishes will arrive in beautiful style with this special gift basket.

Get ready for the “Grateful Harvest” Gift Basket. It’s a 12 inch hand painted Harvest bowl that carries a harvest of snacks including mixed fruit, cheeses, Focaccia crisps, caramel corn and fudge topped off with Alaska Smoked Salmon fillets to make a feast of Fall treats! Give the “Grateful Harvest” Gift Basket to friends and family this harvest season. They won’t forget it!

The “Thanksgiving Gourmet” option is next. This honey willow basket brings sparkling apple cider, cheese, summer sausage, rye bread and sweets treats to satisfy the most discriminating palate. This gift will please your friends and family this Thanksgiving season without a doubt.

There’s also a precious choice known as “Fall Harvest” that’s filled to overflowing with all the delicious tastes of Autumn season. This whimsical Fall basket will spread joy and fun wherever it is delivered. The festive Fall Scarecrow included is happy to send your heartfelt sentiments along with a delicious assortment of tasty treats.

Want another idea? “Fall Splendor” is created with an upscale Fall presentation. This delicious gift will leave them remembering how thoughtful you were. All the splendor of the season along with a scrumptious assortment of delectable treats are encompassed by a hunter green basket.

Finally, there’s “Harvest Blessings” to show them how much you care with this exclusive gourmet Fall Gift Basket. The unique “Thankful” Fall candy corn mix says it all with its festive little pilgrims and decorative “Thankful” message. Encompassed in a Fall market basket the delicious treats will delight and please all whom receive it.

Give your best to someone today in the style that makes them whole after the hot and muggy Summer months are finally over. Have aGiftBasketParadise.com deliver it to their doorstep and save yourself a lot of aggravation at the same time!

by Brian Connors

When it comes to special occasions, there is nothing as special as something you handmade yourself. Regardless of the age or gender of the recipient, a well thought out present is sure to be a huge hit. Mexican gift baskets are gaining in popularity for many a reasons, but knowing what to add into the package is not always easy.

Take a look at how you too can make great Mexican gift baskets appreciated by anyone!

Gather all of your ingredients…

Cellophane, a basket, a bow, scissors, an authentic cloth napkin of an appropriate color, a tall item, 3 shorter items, a 5-8 short items, a gift tag, and string are all going to be a good example of the ingredients you will want for your Mexican gift baskets.

For tall items, you can use salsa, picante sauce, or even a margarita glass. For shorter items, you can use chocolate fiesta bars or mixes. For short items, try using tequila glasses, kitchen gadgets, jalapeno magnets for the refrigerator, or candies.

Arrange your Mexican gift baskets…

Cut out the appropriate sized cellophane. The right size will be large enough to cover the basket when complete and even have an extra few inches for decoration. Remember, you can remove extra easier than you can add more.

Place the basket you chose into the middle of the cellophane.

Start with your tall item. Place the tall item into the center of the basket. Arrange the shorter items around the tall item, and then place the shortest or smallest items at the edge.

Tie the basket off…

Start with the middle the flat side of the cellophane- not the corners – and lift the sides up meeting in the middle. Then, you will want to pull the corner up over the edges. If you are unsure of the stability, try using clear tape to tape the flat edges together. You can use the corners for the decorations.

Either making your own bow or using a store bought bow, tie the bow around the lowest possible point where the items end and the cellophane begins.

Add a gift tag, and you are done!

Tips to get the most out of your Mexican gift baskets.

If you use fragile ingredients, add something soft and protective on the inside of the item. This will lend support to your present.

Cellophane comes in many colors and designs. You will find this at a local store, and you will generally have a lot of choices to choose from. Choose one that is strong and accents your color scheme.

Try arranging the order of the items with the tallest in the back and the shortest in the front for another great look.

There it is! Now you have a simple, yet elegant and fun, way to make your very own Mexican gift baskets. These are extremely popular and fun. You can theme your basket to margaritas or tortilla makers. You can even do a Mexican coffee theme. Of course, if you find that you do not have the time, you can find premade gifts filled with fresh tortilla, homemade salsas, or more!

Source by Annie Dubois

A gift is a great way to thank a wonderful hostess for going through the trouble of feeding and entertaining a troupe of guests, but the average hostess gifts can get a little dull year after year, so here’s some updated hostess gift ideas!

Instead of wine, wrap up a different bottle!

Try a bottle of excellent olive oil in a decorative wine bag to put a twist on things! It’s definitely not what you’re host will be expecting, but it’s sure to be appreciated. Another alternative to a wine gift would be to give a nice wine decanter instead! Not only is it something that can be used through out the year, it’s sure to make those other dull wine gifts taste that much better! Or you can try some fancy sparkling lemonade in your favorite flavor as a wine alternative as well!

Instead of sweets, try spices!

Prepacked spice sets with various spices are a great twist on a traditional gift. Normally packaged in it’s own chic container, all you’ll need to add is the bow! Sets come in all sorts of themes from Moroccan spices to those that come with their own pinch bowls, or you can pick our your favorites that coordinate with Christmas colors! And as a general rule, the more exotic the spice, the better the gift!

Don’t give her kitchen appliances!!

Give her something for HER! From jewelry cases to relaxation kits, giving her the gift of pampering is a far better gift than anything she would use in the kitchen or in the home. Things like jewelry and beauty products are gifts that treat her like a queen, instead of a housekeeper.

Cheese instead of chocolate!

Everyone has already had their fill of Christmas cookies and candies, so go the savory route instead.Add some gourmet crackers for a homemade Christmas Gift Basket.

Instead of Flowers…Bring Herbs

Flowers are always a welcome gift on any occasion, but for this Christmas try giving the gift of herbs! Herbs are just as fragrant and beautiful as flowers, but they’re also useful too! Try gifting something like a Bay Leaf Wreath. It will look great as decoration and as it dries naturally throughout the year, your hostess can add it to soups and stews and a variety of other dishes – it’s truly a gift that keeps on giving! Rosemary is a great idea for gifting too. In a nice terra cotta pot, the muted green and neutral color of the pot will fit right in with any Christmas decor! For an added bonus, give your hostess a gift that will keep their herbs fresher longer, like the Prepara Herb Savor – it helps keep herbs fresh and fits conveniently in your refrigerator door. It also has a refillable water base that keeps herbs fresh. Oprah actually included it in her favorite things this year, so you know it’s good!

Do better than notecards this year, help your hostess keep track of her Christmas tasks and items by gifting her a beautiful leather bound notebook or some fun and pretty sticky notes and to-do lists! Natural-fiber journals are a big hit as well, the covers and pages are made by hand with mulberry paper and they’re bound together with mulberry paper rope, a truly unique gift for a truly unique host!

Whatever hostess gifts you’re looking at giving this year, remember that truly unique hostess gift ideas originate with truly unique hostesses, so make it special!

Source by Betty Jo

Farouk Systems Group, the maker of the infamous CHI flat iron straightener, proudly announced that it is bringing back the styling tool manufacturing plant to the US. Farouk is taking the lead in bringing business back to the US whereas others are exporting manufacturing work to other countries. After 8 years of manufacturing in Korea and China, Farouk Systems announced in a company press release “effective immediately, all overseas manufacturing of company products has ceased” (August 2008).

The decision to open a manufacturing plant adjacent to the Farouk Systems headquarter office in Houston, TX comes after toys made in China were found to contain lead in the paint. With the world’s eye questioning the quality of products made in China, companies are reevaluating their product’s integrity in the hands of overseas manufacturing.

Customers can now breathe a sigh of relief that their favorite Farouk products are now “Made in the USA”. Whereas manufacturing overseas in China would have required an increase of nearly doubled the retail cost for the Farouk styling tools because of the increased costs of shipping due to hiking gas and air shipping prices. Not to mention, manufacturing in the US will save time and money compared to the Korean manufacturing plant that would 70 people and take up to 20 minutes to build a Farouk curling iron, whereas the US assembly of the same item will only require 5 people 5 minutes.

Now that the Farouk styling tools will be manufactured in the US, founder Farouk Shami said in an interview with channel 39 news team, he will be able to closely monitor product quality (August 2008). Additionally, Made in the USA products will prevent Asian companies from counterfeiting Farouk products. Customers wanting a true Farouk CHI product can now look for the “Made in the USA” label.

Source by Happy7

How much time do you take to choose a gift? How much thought process is involved when you are looking for that perfect gift? If you are one of those people who don’t like thinking too much about gifts leave alone gift baskets and settle down for tried and test formula like flowers and jewelry for ladies and watches and gizmos for men then may be you don’t understand the importance of sending a gift basket.

Gifting is a special skill which can be seen in very few people. It is true that very few individuals are good enough to pick up the right gift. Many people believe that expensive gifts are adored more than less expensive ones. In reality, it all depends on the individual that you are gifting. If the bond of love between the individuals is strong then the market value of the gift will never matter. A gift should reflect your love, warmth and care for the other person which can not be bought with money, spend some time thinking about their likes and dislikes and choose a gift basket accordingly.

There are different types of Gift Baskets that you can choose from. Some of them are:

Cheese gift basket
Cheese gift basket as the name suggest will be filled with cheese. You can present this to someone who is a cheese freak. Fill your basket with different flavors of cheese, cheese bread, cheese cakes etc. Remember that such gift baskets should be packed fresh and the delivery should be immediate.

Sports gift basket
Sports gift basket is an ideal choice for kids. Fill in the basket with all the sporty stuff from their favorite sport. For example, it can be a baseball bat with baseball ball, a nice t-shirt with the favorite players name on it, a cap etc.

Chocolate gift basket
This is an option that goes with almost every one, kids and women. Chocolate is loved by one and all, so filling such a basket won’t be that difficult. However, one do have personal favorite, so pick up lost and lots of different and colorful chocolates and fill it in your basket and your chocolate gift basket is ready to go.

Source by Jatin Chawla

Easter is a time of fun and celebration in many places all over the world. It is also a time for giving the perfect gift baskets to special people in your life.

There is great fun in receiving such Easter gift baskets. But, who’s saying there can’t be fun in preparing these Easter gifts? This brief guide will walk you through five fun steps for assembling the best gift basket to give away this Easter.

Before buying your materials, you need to find out whom to give these baskets to. That way, you can estimate how many items or how much material to buy. You can also innovate and be creative. Doing so will not only make the steps fun for you but will also help you save on expenses.

As a bonus suggestion, why not involve your kids and other family members in making these Easter baskets? After all, the common custom all over the world is for families to give such gifts to other families. Although, in many other places, it is also acceptable for individuals to give Easter gift baskets to other individuals.

Read through the following steps first before buying your materials. This tutorial is not meant to be an absolute instruction manual. Instead, treat it as a guide to get you started.

Step 1 – Finding a Suitable Basket to Hold Your Easter Gifts

Your first destination is the basket to hold your gifts. Depending on the weight of the gift items you’ll be putting into it, the gift basket must be of adequate size and depth. It must be able to hold the weight of the gift items. The color is up to you. You can go for one-color baskets, or you can go for the fancier, multicolored ones. One-color baskets, however, tend to make your colorful gift items stand out. That’s why I prefer to use them than the multicolored ones.

Giving Easter gift baskets goes a long way back to ancient times, and the tradition wasn’t always about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead, the tradition centered on spring.

The earliest record of such gift offerings are etched in stone—literally—on the walls of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis (ca. 550-330 BCE). Ancient Persians brought gifts to their king as offerings for the coming of spring, which also marks their New Year. Although the ancient Persians also offered colored eggs, they didn’t limit their gifts to eggs.

Several centuries later, Germanic peoples began the custom of offering gift baskets to one another in honor of the spring and dawn goddess known as Eostre or Ostara, from whose name we get our modern-day Easter. The practice of hunting for eggs and the myth of the Easter Hare (or Easter Rabbit), both of which were symbols of fertility and new life, also began during this time.

As the original ancient spring rituals began to spread, different people also adapted their own ways of celebrating spring. For instance, apart from painted eggs, people gave such Easter gifts as seedlings and live animals. In fact, in Christian history, several early churches started the tradition of bringing food (including eggs, of course), livestock, and seedlings to church on Easter day so that the priest could bless them. The belief was an ancient one: they needed the blessing for a bountiful harvest.

Thus, today, Easter gifts are usually placed in Easter gift baskets. The size of the basket doesn’t matter. The material doesn’t matter much either. The basket is just the container. But, if you prefer to give an Easter gift whose container can be used long after Easter, try to find a durable and multipurpose basket.

Step 2 – Stuffing the Easter Basket with Real or Artificial Grass

The idea here is to make your Easter gifts look as if they are sitting on a nest—particularly a hare’s nest (technically called a form). This notion comes from the old tradition of hunting for Easter eggs, the real purpose of which was to find the Easter Hare or Rabbit. According to tales and myths, the Easter Hare is the spring goddess’ precious animal and is supposed to lay colored eggs.

In reality, hares or rabbits don’t lay eggs at all. But, through some historical twist, the myth of the Easter Rabbit gives the animal egg-laying abilities—and colorful eggs at that!

If you want your Easter gift basket to be in keeping with the ancient traditions, stuff it with grass, preferably freshly cut crass. Although that might be a little bit messy, don’t you think so? And, real grass dries up quickly. So, the next best thing would be to use material that resembles grass. I’ve tried using shredded paper, which I colored with green dye. You can even go beyond green by using multicolored grass equivalents. Make sure you arrange the grass into some kind of nest or hare’s form.

Step 3 – Filling the Easter Gift Basket with Gift Items

The traditional items for an Easter basket are Easter bunnies and Easter eggs. You can go for the real thing, if you like—but you can’t expect the bunny to sit still until the basket is delivered to the recipient. There are many bunny- and egg-themed gift items that you can fill your basket with.

One really amusing thing that I’ve seen many of my friends do is to buy plastic Easter eggs, the kind that comes in assorted colors. Each plastic egg is hollow inside and can be opened at the middle. My friends would place small gift items—usually sweets or candy (especially chocolate, jelly beans, gummy bears, and gummy worms), food (e.g., biscuits, snack bars, and the like), small toys, and trinkets—inside the plastic eggs. They’d usually include a dozen eggs (in different colors) per basket and add a bunny to the mix. The bunny would look like it’s protecting the eggs inside the basket. (Although, if you are familiar with the custom’s roots, you’d know that the hare lays those eggs.) Most of my friends use stuffed bunnies, especially for Easter gift baskets for kids.

Or, you can go the unconventional route by filling the basket with other non-bunny, non-egg gifts. If you follow this route, you have two options: whether to stick to the traditional themes of Easter (i.e., spring time, abundance, and new life) or to give gift items that you believe might be meaningful and significant to the recipient. I have a handful of friends who fill their Easter gift baskets with fruits and food instead of inedible items. Another group of my friends fill their gift baskets with clothes—especially shirts, one for each member of the recipient family. My whole point in mentioning this is that you don’t need to restrict your Easter gifts to what is traditional or customary.

Step 4 – Wrapping the Basket in Transparent Plastic and/or Tying a Colored Ribbon

This is completely optional. The transparent plastic will protect your gift items from dust and dirt. The colored ribbon is just an additional decorative piece. Avoid overly flashy ribbons that will steal the scene; the gifts inside the basket are the focus, not the ribbon.

Step 5 – Attaching a Gift Tag or Greeting Card

Again, this step is completely optional, although I strongly recommend it. The gift tag will identify whom the Easter gift basket is for. Usually, writing the recipient’s name on the tag, along with a short greeting, will work just fine. Or, you could include a greeting card instead of a simple gift tag. You can use the greeting card to pour out all your Easter-related sentiments for the recipient.

Finally, if you really are at a loss for ideas, or if you are unsure about what gift to give to your loved ones this Easter, you can always resort to Easter gift cards. These are handy and practical gifts. You can give denominations as low as 15 cents to as high as $5,000. You can then email them, send them via Facebook, print them at home, or send them by postal mail to your recipients. Quite a time-saver, huh? If you prefer to give your gift recipients the flexibility and freedom to choose their own gifts, then gift cards may be the perfect gift for them this Easter.

Source by Elmer M.

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