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From taking that trip in a lifetime to visiting family and friends our summer vacations are always events to look forward to.  When we visit and stay with friends and family it’s always appropriate to thank them for their hospitality.  Doing this can always be an enjoyable occasion as it can be done as shared time together or a gift to arrive after your departure. 

Saying thank you as a shared time together can be as simple as treating your host family out to dinner at a nice restaurant in their neighborhood or nearby.  By enjoying their company in these final hours of your vacation it is great to relive your experiences with them and to say thank you for putting you and your family up for the stay.  To say thank you with a gift you can make your selection prior to your vacation and have the thank you gift shipped to deliver after you leave or place your order when you arrive home.  A beautiful gift basket thanking for their hospitality is always acceptable very much appreciated.  The toughest part of thanking is deciding what kind of gift to send!

With BisketBaskets.com we offer beautiful gourmet thank you gift baskets, candy gifts and cookie gifts that are suitable for the whole family, plus we even have pet lover gifts which have treats for both the owner and the pet!  Let BisketBaskets.com help you send your thank you gifts this summer!

Some of our clients’ favorites this year are:

Barbeque Grill Master Gourmet Gift Basket , M & M Madness Candy Bouquet, Life’s a Beach and our Two Good Gourmet Dog & Owner Gift.  How will you be saying thank you?  Let BisketBaskets.com help!

Each milestone of graduation in our lives is marked in celebration whether it be a large gathering or just a few family members gathered in your honor.  A time of celebration and rejoicing is required to acknowledge the hard work done to reach this next level.  Unfortunately there may be times we simply cannot make these festive occasions so sending your thoughts and best wishes is easy with a graduation gift from BisketBaskets.com. 

We offer an assortment of gifts that are perfect for each graduation in one’s life.  For our youngsters graduating Nursery School we have our Sunshine Surprise Gift for Kids; from Kindergarten to 1^st Grade they love cookies and sweets so how about Dinomite Cookie Gift Bouquet for him or Kitty Cookie Bouquet for her.  Graduation to Middle school/Junior high try one of our candy bouquets for a huge hit and when they graduate from high school, we have a graduation cookie bouquet complete with mortarboard or a candy bouquet with their favorite candies like Reese’s or M&M’s.  When graduating from college almost anything goes!  We have beautiful gourmet gift baskets for her or gifts for him, cookie bouquets, candy bouquets or candy baskets and even beautiful floral arrangements delivered right to their door.  So many choices to choose from and you can shop online 24/7.  With ground shipping as low as $9.99 there is no need to break the bank and we’ve got you covered for all those out of state graduation gifts you need to purchase.  So stop on by and give us a visit and check out our gifts for your graduation gifting needs.

There is just something “special” about celebrating a birthday.  As a youngster it was the anticipation of gifts, in high school it was all about the party on Friday night, in college we started to mark the occasion with weeklong festivities and in adult life it really isn’t about the cake in the break room, it’s time spent with great friends and family; okay maybe a little about the cake!  Then as seniors; it’s about the gathering of family and the sharing of great stories and time spent together.

At BisketBaskets.com we’re all about sending great birthday gifts.  We have birthday gift ideas for all ages and will share those with you in the end but first here is a little breakdown to guide you thru some ideas that may help.

Toddlers:  Toddlers love push and pull toys, strollers, wagons things of this nature.  Little girls enjoy getting their first kitchen set with all those fun plastic foods and kitchen utensils.  Boys love those big cars and dump trucks that make all that noise.  Other ideas include thinking toys like puzzles and books, coloring books and crayons, ball to kick around outside or even a splash pool and sandbox for summer fun.

Kids:  Kids are easy to please, color books, Barbie and accessories, My Little Pony are some favorites for girls while boys enjoy playing with their favorite cartoon characters like Spiderman toys.  Finding toys that enhance the learning experience while playing are always a hit with the parents.

Sweet 16:  Her first milestone birthday.  This year it’s all about the party (sorry Mom and Dad).  So much at school is centered on “who” you are and this party is the biggest event in her life.  This birthday usually brings forth her first real “adult like” gifts such as a good piece of jewelry like a necklace, ring, bracelet or earrings.  That first piece of real gold that says you’ve come of age!  (PS Save that car for college graduation!)

Adults:  Adult birthday parties are much more fun when there is a theme involved.  If you’re heading to a party be sure to check out the theme and find something that is appropriately matched.  For instance if the guest of honor is turning 50, and the theme is over the hill, go find one of those cute walking canes with the mirror and horn on it as a gag gift or wrap up a box of Metamucil!  Normally adult birthday parties are don’t bring a gift, but the majority of those gifts that do arrive; are gag gifts!

Seniors:  Seniors love puzzles, books (large print if needed), those personalized colorings by the grandchildren, crossword puzzle books, new family picture, a selection of their favorite teas or coffee; but most of all they love company!  Be sure if you are living local that you stop by for a visit as nothing beats a face to face visit with the ones you love.  Stay long enough to play a game or two of scrabble with them; time invested with our seniors is always a cherished moment.

If the above birthday gift ideas are not up to what you were thinking, or you don’t want to shop and ship a gift, BisketBaskets.com is up to the task of providing a more personal and customized gift just for you.  We have some fantastic cookie gifts for those turning Sweet 16,  or Over the Hill at 40 or 50, a wide selection of floral gifts to be delivered to their door like the Ultimate Birthday Bundle that has a teddy bear, chocolates, mylar balloon and a floral birthday cake!  Be sure to check out our entire Birthday collection online as we have something for everyone.

How did the Easter Bunny and all those Easter eggs make it into the Easter picture?  This was really an interesting question because we all know that rabbits don’t lay eggs!  For this we needed to do a bit of research just so that you can answer all those tough questions from your youngster.  

The very beginning of the Easter Bunny goes back to Germany in the early 1600’s as that is when the first writings began that talked of this mysterious bunny.  Germans among many other nationalities made their pilgrimage to America in the 1700’s and like others brought their beliefs and traditions with them.  The Germans settled in large numbers in what is now known as the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and the German children all believed that if they were good a magical rabbit (Osterhase) would leave them a nest filled with beautiful colored eggs on Easter morning.  This magical rabbit was very similar to the stories of Kriist Kindle (Kris Kringle) where good boys and girls were given gifts on the night before the holiday. 

As with any tradition, the beginning of that tradition usually begins because of a celebration or the need of a celebration.  In this particular case both the Church and the season blends together to combine both the celebration of Christ and the resurrection and the celebration of new life with spring’s arrival.  These two very different occasions actually cross paths and have merely blended over history. 

According to the Catholic Church, the 40 days prior to Easter is known as Lent and during this time of Lent back in the 600’s Pope Gregory the Great forbade the consumption of eggs.  Therefore upon Easter day, eggs were again able to be consumed and it made for a special treat.  European cultures have expanded on the egg theme where they began to color the eggs in vibrant colors and gave them as gifts. 

The children however made nests out of their brightly colored bonnets and hats so that the magical rabbit (Easter Bunny) would lay the eggs inside if they were good girls and boys.  Then as time passes the Easter Basket was designed to hold these precious eggs and the legend continues as the Easter Bunny now hides the Easter eggs for good children to find. 

The symbolic bunny along with the chick was chosen to represent this holiday.  Once again reverting back to a reason to celebrate, spring was in the air; a changing of seasons and the renewal of life.  With both rabbits and birds being prolific breeders they represented symbols of fertility. 

Today, children and adults love to share Easter Bunny stories along with their views and beliefs of Christianity and the tradition still continues.  It’s always interesting to learn just what triggered a specific holiday but when you have Christian values combined with an Easter Bunny somehow it appeared that something went terribly wrong!  In actuality the two occasions blended into one and our Easter holiday now combines both Christian beliefs along with secular traditions. 

To help in celebrating Easter with your family and friends, be sure to stop by our retail website BisketBaskets.com where you can find Easter Gift Baskets for kids of all ages!  We’ve come a long way since those edible Easter Bunnies that were made of pastry and sugar back in the 1800’s to some fabulous Easter Baskets filled with Reese’s candy or Ghirardelli Easter Baskets or even a dog Easter Basket!  Shop early and we can deliver in time for Easter.

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in a company?  You can always view our gifts we offer online but never know how that particular product came to be.  Well let’s take a peek at how we select the great products that you will find in our gift baskets.   

Throughout the year there are many trade shows that travel across our country and promote everything from new gourmet foods to containers, china, stationary and so much more.  These trade shows are great for gathering new ideas so we send some staff members to select trade shows to find new products.  They love to taste new products and if it is a hit with them they bring home samples for our staff.  Upon their arrival back to the office, they have suitcases filled with goodies and are ready to sit down and just about explode with their new found products.  We then hold a meeting to explore all they found and then set up another meeting with the entire staff. 

This second meeting is all about tasting the new products.  We literally mix, stir, bake up these new products and give them the once over by our entire staff.  We eat, talk, compare notes and when we finally have everyone’s input, we make a decision of which product best fits the criteria we need then purchase those favorites and bring them in so we may begin using them in our designs.  Our products really are taste tested and approved by our staff here at BisketBaskets.com. 

One of our greatest finds was the Wine Glace’.  Not a personal fan of wine I was hesitant to even try the product.  At the trade show this item was poured into small bathroom size paper cups so reluctantly I selected a cup with not much in it and drank it.  WOW!  That was not like any wine I had had in the past.  I spoke in length with their staff and learned exactly what this product was and was immediately impressed.  I believe I drank three cups full before I left that day and returned the following day for another sample!  This product was a huge success for us as it is a staple item in our wine themed gift baskets.  Once we sell a gift with this item in it; the recipient usually returns looking for more and we are happy to accommodate them by adding it to our Gourmet Foods page.  This item went on to win the prestigious “Best New Drink at National Gourmet Food Show” in both 2005 and 2006.

Presently this week we are working on new Easter Gift Basket Designs.  Fluffy rabbits, chocolates and the pastel Easter baskets are all around our design studio.  If you’re looking to start doing your Easter shopping early, come on over and check out our Easter Gift Baskets.  We have new gifts arriving online almost every day!  We even include the family dog as we have Easter Baskets for pets .

Now that you know all about who St. Patrick was, we’ve discussed the date of March 17th, uncovered the “green” mystery, the shamrock, the celebration and the green beer.  Now we will discover the remaining folklore of the Blarney Stone, the pot of gold and the leprechaun. 

The leprechaun is an Irish fairy.  He is said to stand only 2 feet tall and is dressed somewhat like a shoemaker.  He is rather old looking and is said to be aloof and unfriendly as he lives alone and makes shoes.  Leprechauns are noted for having a hidden pot of gold and you can track it down by listening carefully to the sound of a shoemakers hammering.  If you can catch the feisty leprechaun you can force him into telling you where the pot of gold is.  But be very careful, he uses trickery and if he gets you to look away he vanishes and so does your hope of finding the pot of gold!

Travel to the Irish village of Blarney and you can visit the Blarney Castle where the famous Blarney stone can be found.  They say the Blarney Stone holds magical properties but exactly what they are no one knows.  One legend claims that an old woman cast a spell on this stone to reward the King who saved her from drowning.  It is said that when the King kissed the Blarney Stone it gave him the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.  This stone is visited my thousands of tourists each year and for those who wish to have the same spell of speech they must climb the tower, stretch both backwards and downwards and if you’re lucky enough you can Kiss the Blarney.

Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.  Should you need to bring a St. Patrick’s Day hostess gift be sure to check out our Irish gifts for St. Patrick’s Day gifting.  We offer Irish gift baskets, Kiss Me I’m Irish cookie bouquet and we even have the family dog covered with our St. Patrick’s Day Good Dog gift basket.

Valentine’s Day is the only holiday that is best celebrated in pairs!  You can’t mention February without thinking of the day that falls right in the middle; Valentine’s Day.  So as I sat down to write this blog today, I thought how did this day of love begin?  Who were the key players and why is it all about love?

As history states Valentine’s Day was named after St. Valentine and unless you do some research all you will know is the TV commercial version of a cupid and an arrow.  History claims several versions of this romantic holiday and here’s my favorite.  Valentine was a priest who served in Rome during the third century.  The Emperor Claudius II loved to send his soldiers out into war for very long stretches of time.  This made for soldiers who were married very unhappy as they missed their wives and young families.  With unhappy soldiers, they became lonely and homesick and therefore did not do their jobs well.  This just wasn’t going to do for Emperor Claudius II so he then made the law that no solider could be married.  To the Emperor, this made sense; they couldn’t miss something that they didn’t have.  Valentine noticed the very injustice that the Emperor was doing so he decided to try and bring happiness to the soldiers and in secret began to marry young lovers.  Of course it didn’t take too long for the Emperor to hear of Valentine’s deeds and ordered that Valentine be put to death.  As any great love story goes Valentine does find his one true love as well.  For during his time spent in the Emperor’s prison he fell deeply in love with the prison keeper’s daughter.  She came to visit him many times and his love for her grew deeply.  Valentine was put to death on “Valentine’s Day” February 14 around 270 AD and just prior to his death he passed a love letter to her which he signed “From your Valentine”.  And the rest they say is history.  

How will history be written in your romance novel?  BisketBaskets.com is here to help you with our beautiful edible Valentine’s Day gifts, Valentine’s Day floral arrangements and even Valentines Gift Baskets for dogs!  We even offer the very best in Valentine’s Day Candy Baskets  and Valentine’s Day Cookie baskets as well.  The Beatles sang it best with “Love is all you need”, but will it get you in the door?  Stop by for a visit; we can still ship via ground if you order by this weekend. 

Valentine’s Day for some means stress and worry while others seem to always know what to do.  Here are some thoughts on how to select the proper Valentine gift for your sweetheart and ideas on what to do on this day of love and romance.

 New Couples:

You’ve just started to date someone new and here it is Valentine’s Day already, what do you do now?  You first should acknowledge the fact that yes, it’s Valentine’s Day.  You don’t need to go wild over a day that is slated for “love” if you’re really not “in love” but you probably still should acknowledge the day with her.  Here are a few thoughts and ideas to get you started. 

 THE GIFT: 

Many times a simple “funny” Valentine card is nice, no mushy stuff just a mere acknowledgement of the holiday.  If you would like to give her a little more, they always have those small token boxes of chocolates.  Don’t go with the heart shaped ones yet if you’re not comfortable with that just a simple square or rectangle box of chocolates.  Perhaps you have already learned of her favorite sweet and if so you could always get a big box of those if you would like.  I personally love Twizzlers and it would be perfectly acceptable to receive those with a funny card from someone I just started to date.  There is nothing “love” about either item, just an acknowledgment of the date on the calendar. 

THE DATE:  

This is an opportunity for you to keep it on the “DL” or to even push the envelope forward a tad.  Keep your  “date” activity lively.  Pick up some tickets to your local big league basketball or hockey team and if you’re not in the area for professional sports, grab a local college game or even a reservation at the local comedy club.  You’re among “people” not couples and therefore a great time can be had.  Not into sport watching, try your skills at perhaps a night at the roller skating rink or bowling.  Select an opportunity to be surrounded by groups of people and not be pressured by trying to be a “couple”.  Perhaps you want to step up the mood, feel free to start the night off by dinner at a local restaurant and head out to an evening of fun activity.  Before you know it you’ll be laughing and enjoying each other’s company and perhaps even sharing a few kisses before the evening ends. 

LONG TERM COUPLES:

You’ve been dating for months and for some it has actually turned into year(s).  For these couples we describe them as long term couples.  These groups of sweethearts probably have the most pressure on them for delivering the goods on Valentine’s Day; and by using the word “goods” some girls are expecting just that!  If you are feeling the urge by all means go forward and pop the question but if you’re not, don’t fall to the pressure of the moment.  Stick to plans that are comfortable with your relationship and add the element of romance.  

THE GIFT:

In this relationship, it will be necessary to bring on the Valentine’s Day card, the bouquet of roses or flowers and yes don’t forget the Heart Shaped box of chocolates!  We’re talking long term relationship here and this is where you really need to acknowledge the holiday.    If you’re really into making this a perfect night, don’t forget the bottle of your favorite wine. 

THE DATE:

Make this date more than a quick dinner and a trip back home, think it over and choose a real restaurant; one that has a real waiter and cotton tablecloths!  Perhaps it’s both of your favorites or one that you love to go to but because of the cost you rarely do.  Make reservations early; then begin pouring over the movies coming to your local theater.  Do you like romance comedies, dramas or wide open action filled movies?  (She would most likely prefer the romance chick-flick types – sorry!)   If you’d like to go back home and relax a bit after dinner, be sure you bring along a couple of DVD’s to choose from so you can sit back, light the fireplace and enjoy that bottle of wine you so thoughtfully brought to her at the beginning of the date.  

MARRIED COUPLES:

Many times the “punch” is gone and we tend to trivialize Valentine’s Day.  You are constantly running the kids here and there and just the thought of getting dressed up to go out to dinner and to fight the crowds just makes you dizzy.  This is the perfect time to make it an opportunity to spend time together and make it special.  Get a babysitter or drop the kids off at the grandparents because this night is just for you two. 

THE GIFT: 

This year guys Valentine’s Day is on Sunday which actually gives you every opportunity to get it right.  What DOES SHE WANT?  As a female, married and has kids…  I would LOVE a day for myself and preferably spent at the spa.  What a great gift!  Check out your local spas and pick-up a gift certificate or better yet book her an appointment.  We love massages, facials, pedicures, manicures any cures!  You can even present her your  Valentine Card early, make it romantic; make it funny we love them both and enclose inside your gift of a spa certificate or the time and place of her treatment.  If she’s not a go to the spa kind of girl, why not check out a beautiful Spa Gift Basket?  She can pamper herself at home with all the delicious treats to go with it.  We also love jewelry; a beautiful new necklace (it doesn’t need to be expensive) would be nice.  You can always be traditional as well with a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a bouquet of our favorite Valentine flowers. 

THE DATE:

After a luxurious day at the spa on Saturday, Sunday will be a breeze!  You can decide to spend the day with the kids and share Valentines all the way around or grab that sitter and head out on the town for a beautiful dinner and perhaps a trip to the theater or movies.  There should be lots of good “date movies” out there so decide early so you are sure to get a seat.  Not feeling the out on the town thing this year; that’s certainly not a problem either.  Pick up or go hunt up those all-time favorite chick-flicks that she’s bought over the years.  Just to name a few I know you own at least one of these favorites; Sleepless in Seattle, Casablanca,  Love Story, Titanic, When Harry met Sally, 50 First Dates, Ghost, An Affair to Remember or my favorite The Notebook.  Grab a warm blanket and snuggle together with a bottle of wine and enjoy your quiet evening together.

We were reading an article from our friends at ThisNext.com where Mateo Gutierrez, their Social Marketing Director, noted “Offline is really going online! We were both surprised and pleased to see that our users were sticking around longer, turning more pages and just generally shopping more thoughtfully on our site during this economic recession.”

That got us thinking – all of us at BisketBaskets.com know that unique gift baskets make great presents that are sure to impress the recipient. But what about those “hard-to-buy-for’s” on your gift list, who seem to have everything? We brainstormed and came up with some great gift ideas for our “hard-to-buy-for” friends, and wanted to help out the online world’s stumped gift buyers. Check out our brand new press release at “BisketBaskets.com Reports Holiday Gift Ideas For The ‘Hard-To-Buy-For’s’ On Gift Lists Worldwide”.

We’re always here to help with gift ideas, feel free to leave a comment about your gift dilemma, and we’ll rack our brains to find that wonderful gift for you!