AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for December, 2010

Many times you want to offer a gift to someone who is ill. But you don’t want to show up with a basket of fruit or perishable foods. The recipient may not have an appetite and the food would be wasted. Or perhaps you’d just rather not send food because you have to ship it across country. Whatever the reason you’d like to, you can make or purchase a gift basket as a get well present that does not include any food.

Once you start your search for a get well gift basket, you will find that most come loaded with food. That’s not a bad thing, and most of the foods are gourmet, fresh, and delicious. But if you want to avoid sending food, it can be hard to find anything appropriate. One thing you can do is change your concept of the gift basket. We tend to think of a gift basket as one overflowing with upscale products or fresh-baked cookies and luscious fruits. But what if a gift basket were a total departure from the usual?

Depending on the situation and the severity of the illness, you will need to use your judgment as to what to send. But here are some ideas to get you started:

• A Book Gift Basket: For a person who has broken their leg or has a non-life threatening illness, you can fill a basket with lots of fun reading material to help pass the time. Include books you know they will like such as light romances or comic books. You can include the latest issues of magazines as well.
• The Puzzle Basket: For the person who’s up to some brain-twisting fun, send a basket that includes Sudoku and crossword puzzle books. Include a good pen and some sharpened pencils, too.
• The Pick Me Up Basket: For someone who is going through chemotherapy, you can put together a spa gift basket filled with beautifying spa products. Chemotherapy can cause a person’s hair to fall out, so provide her with some products that will pamper herself. Include powders, shower gels, and even a lipstick. Write a nice note that tells her how beautiful a person she is. Your gift will be perfect.
• The Child’s Gift Basket: If you know a sick child, ask her parents what she really loves and then go find it and create a Get Well Basket for Kids. Make it a sort of a wish basket. Put in things that she has been wishing for like those popular rubber band bracelets or another hard to find, but inexpensive, child’s toy. She will love that you thought enough to find exactly what she wanted. A sick child will also love soft stuffed animals and a fleece blanket in a pretty color. Think comfort. Anything that can reassure a child in the hospital that she is loved will be most welcomed. Her parents are the best guides as to what would make her really smile.

When you need to send a gift basket that conveys a get well message, appropriately consider how sick the person is. It’s not appropriate to send a terminally ill person the same things you might send someone who had their appendix out. So do some thinking and then send a heartfelt note with your beautiful basket. Your gift will make someone smile, for sure.

It’s that time of year again. New Year’s Day is right around the corner. Everyone is going to be making resolutions to start the year off right. Whether you dread resolutions or love the challenge, you’re in good company. Most people make some form of resolution and many people dread the thought of keeping their promises to themselves.

What do most people resolve to do in the New Year that they didn’t quite get around to last year? Take a look at the most common New Year’s Resolutions.

• I will lose all the weight I need to lose, fast.

This is perhaps the most common resolution of all. With Americans now more obese than they ever were in history, it’s no wonder that losing weight becomes the resolution of choice. People want to better themselves at the turn of the year, and one way they hope to do that is by losing extra weight. While this can be an excellent resolution, it should be one undertaken with the mindset that fast weight loss means rapid weight gain. Those who vow to go on a crash diet on January 2^nd often end up burnt out with their hand in a bag of Oreos come February 1^st. So, if you’re going to resolve, like so many, to lose weight this year, do it in manageable doses with healthy eating and extra activity.

• I will stop smoking tomorrow.

Many people await January 1^st with both dread and excited anticipation. They view a new page on the calendar and a new year as the perfect chance to stop smoking.  They also know it’s coming up fast, so they have a few extra packs before their self-imposed smoking ban is on. Unfortunately, like the people making weight loss resolutions, setting the bar too high at the start will lead to quick failure. Instead, plan to cut down by wearing a nicotine patch or other doctor-recommended remedy that will let you step down slowly from your craving for nicotine. Set small and realistic goals and you will find yourself smoke-free come next January.

• I’ll exercise more every day.

Again, making this resolution is common, but keeping it isn’t. Instead of making an unrealistic goal for yourself—like going from sedentary to marathon runner in one afternoon—set smaller goals. Start by telling yourself you’ll walk around the block two nights each week. Then add a Saturday morning walk at the park with the dog, and build from there. Many well-intentioned people start out of the gate strong and fizzle in a few weeks because they took on too much. Plan to find a walking buddy or get a new puppy so that you have to show up each time to exercise. Also, don’t think of it as exercise. Just move your body more each day and you will burn calories.

It’s fun to make resolutions, but not always fun to keep them. This year write your resolutions down and check on yourself every month. If you find you’re not where you wanted to be, you can always correct your course before too much time has passed.  Go easy on yourself. No one ever made permanent, lasting progress without a few false starts.

If someone has just sent over a new client to your business, chances are you’re thrilled. You want to thank your business associate for the referral, but may not know how to do it. What’s appropriate? Should you send just a note? Is that too little?

It’s never a bad idea to say thank you in a number of ways. You may have thanked your colleague on the phone or in person, but another good way is to send a gift basket along with a note.

You need not go overboard. Depending on the situation, you’ll want to decide just how much to spend. If you can afford to do more, do it. But if you are just a start-up business with little working cash, it’s ok to go small and elegant.

What do you put in a thank you gift basket to a business associate? Think about the recipient. How do you know him or her? Is it purely business, or do you also know them from socializing outside of work?

If you know the recipient’s personal interests, tailor the basket contents to them. If he’s an avid golfer, include golf balls, a new set of golf gloves, tees and maybe a gift certificate to a meal at his country club. If she’s a high-level executive, give her a spa basket to relax with. Include a gift certificate to a spa for a manicure and massage. Include a terrycloth headband, face mask or nice soaps. You can include high-end items, but be sure not to get too personal. It’s all in the way you present it. If it looks like you just flung some items together, it may seem inappropriate. But if your gift looks like it came from another business, then it’s perfectly acceptable.

Remember, business people have personal lives too. So they love to receive items that are fun and perhaps they can share with their families. That’s when a tin of popcorn and some of the latest DVDs or a coupon for rentals is fine. If you know they have young children, tailor the gift to what they might enjoy doing as well like passes to a zoo. It will show you care about their family life as well as your work relationship.

Err on the side of caution. Anything liquor related should be left out as well as cigars or anything that could be considered in poor taste. This is not the time for gag gifts or off-color humor. Think high-end. If you’re at all uncertain, ask a store clerk to help you select items that are appropriate for business people and have her make the basket for you.

Order baskets premade online to be sure that you are selecting items that are meant to go together. Online gift basket sites have already done the work of collecting all the items for you. Select by category like coffee, candy, etc. It’s much easier to narrow your choice down and then just hit send than to run around looking for the contents yourself.

Be sure to include a sincere thank you note on nice stationery in your own handwriting. This is not the time to use a printer. Be short and sweet about it.

When someone has been exceptionally kind to you or gone out of their way to help you, a traditional thank you gift just won’t do. You need something extraordinary to show them how thankful you really are. Be sure to get your thank you gift out as soon as possible and include a note detailing just how thankful you are for your recipient’s kindness.

Here are some ideas that are far above the ordinary dozen roses.

1. Tickets to a sell-out event
   Your recipient will flip when they find out they’ve got seats to the hottest event in town. The one that’s sold out for every date. Try to check with a personal assistant or secretary before purchasing tickets to see if your recipient’s schedule is clear on that date.
2. A dinner cruise
   Send your friend on a lovely dinner cruise. Just about every city that’s near water has them. It’s a fun-filled night that your friend won’t soon forget.
3. Dinner at a fabulous restaurant with a wait list
   Get your friends on the list at a hot new restaurant and they’ll be thanking you.
4. A culinary walking tour
   If your friend is a foodie, give them a tour that hits all the culinary hot spots in town. If you’re lucky enough to live near New York, you can hit Little Italy, Chinatown, and many more neighborhoods known for their culinary greatness.
5. A flight lesson
   For the adventurer who has everything, give a flight lesson. Your friend can be copilot for a few hours along with a trained pilot. He will see the world from a whole new perspective.
6. Race car driving lessons
   For the hot shot who likes to drive fast, a race car driving lesson is the thing. You can gift your friend with a few hours of lessons on a real race track. Many tracks around the country will be able to handle your request.
7. A fishing excursion
   An avid fisherman will need no excuse to get away from it all. Give him a fly fishing day trip or rent a cabin for him so he can spend his down time doing something he loves.
8. An elite spa day
   For the lady who has always been there, treat her to a spa day at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon or another prestigious locale. Get her a full day’s worth of pampering so she can relax away her cares.
9. A personal shopper for the day
   A style maven will love having a personal shopper on hand to help her select the trendiest outfits. Treat her to a day in the city with a shopper all her own.
10. A song all their own
    For someone too special for just a gift basket or a gift card, have a song written. A songwriter will write and record a song just for your recipient. This service is available through companies on the web and will surprise your recipient like nothing ever has before.

If these gifts are too extravagant for your tastes, you can still be thoughtful without breaking the bank. Send over a wine gift basket filled with an assortment of fine cheeses. Or offer to babysit your friend’s children for the weekend. That’s worth its weight in gold.

It’s the holiday season, and you’re not sure what to do about corporate gifts. Maybe you’re new to the company or the industry. Or maybe you’re just not sure what’s appropriate. It’s good to get advice before you send any gifts, so here are some things you should think about.

Before a single gift goes out your doors, make sure to check with each recipient’s company policy. Are they allowed to accept gifts? If gifts are under a certain dollar value (such as $25) is it okay? Each company is different, so assign an employee the task of calling each company to find out. It may take someone all day to call every company on the list, but it will save you embarrassment in the end. Even if you’ve got the greatest gift in mind and can’t wait to send it, you’ll find it’s returned to you if the recipient is prohibited from receiving it.

Do you have to give gifts? No. No one is expecting, or has a right to expect, a gift from your company. The reason you’d want to give a gift is purely because you value the relationship with the recipient. Have they been a good client all year? Have they helped you with rush orders? Have they been an indispensable part of your supply chain? Then by all means, recognize their good work with a gift.

This is the only good reason to send business holiday gifts. Any gift sent with the intention of “buying” a client’s allegiance is wasted. You’d be better off taking that account to lunch instead to talk business. People will see through your less than honest intentions if you send an expensive gift as a way of wooing them.

So, you’re sure you want to give gifts, now what should you give? This all depends on your unique situation. Are you a new company with little cash flow? Then you’re not going to be able to do the same sort of gifts a large corporation could. Nor should you have to. A simple, thoughtful gift is fine. Send a fruit basket the entire office at the recipient’s end can enjoy. Make sure the card includes  all those who are owed a thank you. A sentiment such as, “For everyone at XYZ Company, Thank you for making this our best year ever. Enjoy!” is perfect. In fact, even if your company has tons of reserve cash, you may still want to send food. Office workers love an unexpected treat like long stem cookies, gourmet brownies or exotic coffees. Splurge a little and recognize each department that’s helped you out.

Include a hand written note. Never print out a note. It may come off as impersonal. Take a few minutes to hand write on nice card stock a heartfelt note. It may make all the difference in whether you’re still in business with the recipient when the next budget cuts come around.

While giving a business gift won’t ensure that you retain clients or accounts, it will help others to see you as generous and grateful for their relationship with your company. If you can’t send something nice, don’t send anything at all. It’s better to just send a thoughtful card than a shoddy gift.

Holiday season is the time of year when we’re especially thankful for our family, friends and all that we have. Many times we take for granted our homes, health, warm clothes, clean water, and lots more. But what about those who are less fortunate? They’d be thankful just to have one of those things mentioned above. As we thought about this, we came to a wonderful conclusion on how we can help them out this holiday season. Here's what we've come up with.

For every fan that ‘likes’ us on Facebook (from now until December 31st, 2010) we’ll donate $1 to Millennium Promise. This is a charity that provides clean water, food, and health care to those living in extreme poverty. We are ready to donate up to $10,000  to this charity, so now it's up to you!

Want to help? Become a fan and you'll have $1 donated in your honor.

‘Like’ us on Facebook and help the cause!