AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for the ‘Thank You’ Category

Aromatherapy has been around for a long time. It’s simply the use of scents to target benefits like relaxation, sleep, well-being, headache relief, etc. If you want to give an aromatherapy gift basket, it’s really easy to make one yourself.

The first thing you should do is choose a scent. If you’re not sure what scent your friend would like, do some thinking. Have you smelled candles burning in her home? What scent and color were they? Does she wear a certain perfume? What does it smell like? These are some clues into some of the scents she may like. If you still don’t have a clue, go with something like vanilla or buttercream which just about everyone likes.

Once you have chosen your scent, choose a vessel to put it all in. Often times inexpensive baskets work well, but you can also place everything in a decorative hat box or other display box that she can use again. If you want to make her a travel basket, put it all in a large cosmetics pouch that zips so she can take it with her on the road.

Aromatherapy baskets can include just about anything. Most include relaxing elements designed to help the recipient de-stress and unwind. Candles with strong but pleasant scents are nice as is incense. You do have to be careful to choose a scent that is meant to relax, like lavender, if you intend it for stress relief. If you give a basket full of peppermint or spearmint scents, the opposite effect will occur. Your friend will be much more alert instead of relaxed. Peppermint makes a great gift to give as an aromatherapy pick-me-up basket for someone at work who always hits that 3:00pm slump.

Arrange all your items on some sort of packing material. This can be shredded paper, recycled Easter basket grass, or even just tissue paper. The idea is to make each product stand alone in its own little spot so the basket doesn’t look thrown together. Include a simmering pot for spices or a candle warmer, which allows wax to be heated without a flame. Great for the office or around kids.

You might want to include soap and a soap dish, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, a neck pillow, or an herbal pillow filled with buckwheat that can be used hot or cold for neck pain relief. There are hundreds of scents and thousands of products to choose from. So your options are limitless when putting together an aromatherapy gift basket. Include natural bamboo towels and face cloths, slippers, or a robe.

Tie it all up with a big ribbon and present it. Your friend will absolutely love getting a basket filled with products she can use right away to change her mood and her day. Whether it’s relaxation or alertness you are going for, research the different scents and what each one is thought to enhance. There are so many out there that you will definitely find one for the lady in your life. Don’t settle for the first one you find. Do some sensory research. You’ll have fun doing it and just may relax yourself, too.

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.

With families and friends spread out across the globe these days, chances are some of your wedding guests will be traveling to come to your wedding. When they arrive, they will be tired and in need of some pampering. Why not leave gift baskets at their hotels so they can freshen up or treat themselves to something tasty? Filling a gift basket for guests shows you really thought about the effort it took them to travel to see you get married. Even if you’ve never met your fiancé’s Uncle Bob and Aunt Helen from Michigan, you can still make them a gift basket that feels personal and well thought out.

Your gift basket container doesn’t actually have to be a basket. If your guests have to get back on a plane after the wedding, they won’t want to carry a hefty basket with them. And they won’t want to discard it either. So, what to do? Instead, pack your goodies in a sturdy disposable bag or cloth tote. That way, they can easily carry it or tuck it in their suitcase to take home.

Include local delicacies. If you live in Vermont, you’ll want to include maple syrup candies and perhaps Vermont cheddar cheese with some crackers. A California gift basket could include oranges and other citrus. Is your town known for its barbecue? Put a couple of bottles of barbecue sauce in.

Don’t feel you have to stick to only one thing. If you want to include fruit and snacks for the room, you can also include sunblock for the beach, extra sunglasses, or a foldable beach hat. You can also put in bath beads, a candle with matches for a relaxing bath, or travel size toiletries in case they forgot some of their own. Include bottles of water for your guests’ convenience.

The best thing you can do is put yourself in your guests’ shoes. Have they ever been to your area? Include maps to the area with coupons or gift certificates to restaurants or theatres. Make sure you include phone numbers of people they can contact if they get lost or have last minute questions. Include lists of things to do in the area and recommendations for the best sushi, barbecue, or whatever your area is known for.

If your guest are going to bring their children, you’ll want to include age-appropriate things to occupy them at the hotel. Inflatable float wings for swimming or a soft teddy bear are always welcome for little ones. Bigger kids will like travel games that they can play in the car or on the plane as well as puzzle books and markers. Include drinks and snacks they can enjoy in the room.

Think like a foreigner. What would you need if you just arrived in town? Is the weather vastly different than the climate your guests are coming from? Offer t-shirts or flip flops in case your guests didn’t know it would be so warm. Or offer a cozy flannel blanket with your hometown team’s logo on it for winter travelers.

You can get as creative as you like with your wedding guest gift baskets. Think about their needs while they are staying and you’ll be able to come up with some great ideas.

The art of the thank you note has fallen by the wayside. It used to be years ago that every literate person knew just how to write a beautiful thank you note. It was expected that a note would be sent for every gift received. People wrote their notes on lovely stationery and the recipient often kept their note in a special box to look at again and treasure.

Today, emails and texts have replaced the formal thank you note. It is still, however, necessary to send a more formal note through the mail when you have received a gift or kind gesture.

Select the very best note card or stationery you can find. Use a black or blue pen as older people often cannot read notes written in pink or light green or purple. They are lovely colors but not legible all the time.

Now, what to say? There are so many occasions where a thank you note is needed. Here are a few to get you started.

The Wedding Gift Thank You

Dear Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob,

We were so delighted to receive the set of cast iron cooking pans for our wedding. We love to cook and will think of you both every time we use them. We will have to have you over once things settle down to enjoy a meal with us that we prepared using your pans. Again, thank you for the wonderful gift.

Love, Alice and Brian

Always try to mention the gift by name and tell how you will use it. Offer an invitation in the future if the gift-giver is close to you. Be sincere and don’t feel you have to go overboard with flowery thanks. A simple note is best. If you can’t remember what a person gave you (but you know they gave a gift) because the gift card was lost, you still need to write a thank you. Never skip it and pretend you didn’t get the gift. The person who gave it to you may ask you about it and then you’ll be embarrassed.

Here’s what you can say in that case:

Dear Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob,

It was so lovely to have you both at our wedding. We loved seeing you there to share our special day. And thank you for the generous gift. Your kindness is much appreciated. We hope to see you again soon.

Love, Alice and Brian

Here, you’ve thanked them properly but eliminated the awkwardness of not knowing exactly which gift was theirs.

A Kind Gesture

Often someone will do something nice for you or go out of their way to help you. A thank you note is in order. Here’s an example of what you could say:

Dear Theresa,

It was so kind of you to help me clean out my mom’s house last weekend. I know you took time out of your busy schedule to help us sort through mom’s things. Having you there was such a comfort. I hope I can repay the favor someday soon.

Love, Mark

Thank the person for exactly what they did or gave. If it was their time, be sure they know how much it meant to you. Be specific and sincere, and never let a good deed go unnoticed.

No matter what the season or occasion, we all have times when we need to show our appreciation and say "Thank You" to a friend, client or family member. Sending a thank you gift with a hand-written note is a great way to show just how much you appreciate them and their efforts.  I've also found in this new technology age that sending a simple thank you e-card can be fun.  I personally love the Hoops & YoYo characters at Hallmark and now you can send those funny characters via e-mail to express your sentiments.

Over the years, I've seen people send thank you gifts and cards for many reasons, but the top 10 seem to be those listed below:

1. To Say Thank You For A Gift (e.g. you've received a new baby, holiday or bridal shower gift)
2. To Thank Party Attendees (e.g. retirement, graduation and birthday party attendees)
3. To Thank A Host or For The Hospitality(e.g. you been an overnight guest in someone's home)
4. To Thank Customers or Clients (e.g. some sent you a referral)
5. To Say Thanks to a Good Samaritan (e.g. someone returned your lost wallet or helped you change a flat tire)
6. To Thank A Friend - (e.g. someone had you over for dinner or house sat while you were on vacation)
7. To Thank A Professional (e.g. a great nurse for cared for your elderly parent)
8. To Thank Your Employer (e.g. you got an big bonus, promotion or raise)
9. To Thank Your Employees (e.g. they did an all-star job & worked long hours on a big project)
10. To Thank Charity Volunteers (e.g. during Volunteer Appreciation Week)

Last year, I organized a charity event to benefit our local food shelf.  I sent hand-written thank you notes to each of the volunteers that helped man the booth and sell raffle tickets.  We raised over $4000 for the food shelf and hopefully those people will help out again this year.  If you've got reason to be appreciative, don't forget to say thanks...it makes everyone feel good!

Photograph: Thanks A Million Care Package (priced today at just $37)