Buzzabasket

Let me tell you about a terrific surprise my aunt sent to me.  I was attending Band Camp in late summer.  Band Camp consists of a week of uninterrupted sessions where performances are choreographed, music is memorized, and logistics are fine-tuned for the half-time performances for the upcoming fall football season.  Shows for band competitions are also learned during this time.  It is a week of structured activity and, frankly, hard work.

The location of Band Camp is at a rather isolated, rural setting.  Comfort is non-existent.  The cabins in which we stayed are old, dilapidated structures which house spider-ridden, musty-smelling cots.  They are arranged side-by-side and in bunks, accommodating as many campers as possible.  Talk about living in “close quarters”.  There is no other furniture in the cabin.  Not only did we have to adjust to sharing personal space with fellow band members and their annoying habits, we had to sleep on lumpy, musty mattresses.  Even though sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable, exhaustion from each day’s activity made these conditions a welcome respite.

Meals were shared in a cafeteria setting.  The food, although filling, consisted of high-calorie, bland-tasting fare.  Nothing was fresh; everything tasted like it came from a can…and it probably did.  We were so hungry that we really didn’t care what we ate, as long as it was filling.

The week I attended Band Camp, the weather was uncomfortably hot and humid.  Seasonal allergies prevailed as pollen counts elevated.  Being at Band Camp was both stressful and strenuous.  Practices were brutal and the pressure of living in this kind of environment, as well as the mental and physical demands, made me miss the ordinary comforts of home. 

One day, about mid-week, I was particularly frustrated.  The rigorous activity and the living conditions were getting to me.  I was hot and tired.  My muscles were sore and I was probably slightly dehydrated.  During a short rest break, my fellow campers and I heard the roar of a UPS truck coming down the lane.  “Oh great”, I said.  “Probably some more of that fattening food being delivered”, added my friend.  Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the Band Director called out my name with his megaphone to inform me that it was I who had the delivery.

As I hurriedly tore the heavy box open, while fellow campers stood around and watched, I found a hand-written note from my sweet aunt, whose own daughter attended Band Camp a few years before.  “I know how you need to keep up your energy.  Enjoy!” 

Inside the huge box was a beautiful bushel basket brimming with a variety of delicious, fresh fruit.  Sweet and juicy peaches, plums, and nectarines were abundant.  There was an assortment of McIntosh and Granny Smith apples; Bartlett and Bosc pears; red and green seedless grapes.  Colorful oranges and tangy tangerines were also attractively placed to make an enticing arrangement.  Best of all, was a gigantic, ripe watermelon.  Sealed packages of dried cherries, banana chips, and boxes of raisins were thrown in; to be enjoyed after the fresh assortment was gone.

My aunt’s note said to share; so share, I did.  There was enough fruit for everyone to enjoy.  In fact, the colorful assortment was so tempting, we began enjoying it immediately…watermelon juice running down our chins…peach nectar making our fingers sticky.  This basket of fresh fruit was the healthiest we had eaten all week.  We savored each nutritious bite.  It gave us the energy we needed to make it through the week.  It refreshed us enough to calm our nerves.  It gave us the nutrition we were lacking so we could focus and concentrate on what we needed to learn.

Because of my aunt’s thoughtfulness, I look back at my Band Camp experience with fondness.  Sending me the Fruit Basket turned out to be the encouragement I needed to keep me going…to keep me focused…to see me through to the end.  It was such a great idea; I will never forget how much I appreciated it.  In fact, I plan to send a deliciously fresh Fruit Basket to other band campers in years to come.

A few days ago, I talked with a family friend who recently learned that his huge manufacturing company was closing his plant. He is actually luckier than most of the people working for that company. He very recently reached the age at which he qualifies for early retirement, so he will continue to have a steady (although much smaller) income. Those who did not reach that milestone of the specified number of years with the company will get a small severance package and be left to search for a job in that difficult market. That got me thinking about giving gifts for special occasions to those people who are experiencing difficult economic situations. I came up with a few ideas that make more sense than a piece of home decor or a new tie. Here are some of them:

A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.

A special meal is another way to remember a special occasion or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)

You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You may observe that all my recommendationinvolve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, that’s just a bonus. To make it even most festive, invite yourself to share in the delights with them!

In recent years, why you needed to give a gift to a loved one or friend, you first thought of sending a bunch of flowers. Flowers are beautiful but they are not very functional. They are very nice to look at for a few days but will eventually begin to wither away and end up in the trash bin. There is another choice that more and more people are turning to these days, the fruit basket.

Another really great option for giving a gift is the fruit gift basket. These baskets are a unique way to show someone that you care. They are easily personalized with fruits that are favorites for the recipient of the basket as well as their family members and friends. If you are aware that the person really likes a particular type of fruit, the basket can be made of those things with ease.

To make it even more unique, you can add in strips of ribbon in their favorite
colors. You can even have it topped off with a giant bow that says happy birthday or congratulations. There are many bows that have messages. There is sure to be one for the occasion that you are looking for.

To get a fruit basket as a gift is an exciting moment. They will surely tell everyone that they know about the gift and will want to show it to anyone that is close. If the person that received the fruit basket is in a sharing mood, they may even open it up and offer it to their coworkers or family. That way everyone in the building could get a piece of the happiness.

If you are chosen to pick up a gift for someone that you do not particularly know that well, why not give them a fruit basket? A fruit basket can be a great gift, especially if you are not sure what their likes and dislikes are.

By purchasing wine or clothing, you are assuming that you know their preferences in those things. That can be a bad assumption if you let a group of people down that were counting on you to find and purchase the perfect gift. If the recipient does not like the choice that you made, it can be slightly embarrassing.

A fruit basket is the perfect gift for anyone that you are wanting to surprise. They are usually less expensive when compared to the soaring prices of a flower pot and they can just as easily be made into a basket filled with things that the person loves. Try it today. The person that you are gifting to will surely be surprised and happy.

There are times when we walk past the vitamin store in the mall, we recognize a friend browsing the shelves with their basket already half full of supplements.  They are the health conscious one in the neighborhood, the one we all unsuccessfully aspire to be.  Or, perhaps they’re new to the whole health scene.  Or maybe they represent those among us who are trying to lose those extra pounds…for the third year in a row.  No matter what, we all know someone who is “carb conscious.”  When it comes time for their birthday or any gift giving occasion, you know you have to find something that fits their lifestyle, whether that lifestyle is a reality yet or still in the aspirational stage. In fact, this give you a good starting point in deciding upon a gift.  You can take this information and turn it into a gift that will inspire them.

A good gift idea, especially for new comers to the fitness world, is to get them a membership to a local health club or gym.  They’ll be among others with the same goals, and plenty of equipment to help them take on their challenges.  Some of the equipment can be intimidating or tricky looking, and the staff is always willing to demonstrate how to work them.  They might find that getting a personal trainer can keep them going beyond the point where, in past efforts, they may have simply quit.    If your friend is already a health nut, chances are they already have a membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a free month or two at their club of choice.

If a club membership is too pricey, you might think about getting them something else that will aid them in their quest for a healthier life.  A stop at your local sports shop is always a great place to find loads of gift ideas for your health conscious friend.  Health stores can give you plenty of gift ideas, too.  You might find a video guide on a popular exercise routine or an inspirational book.  

Being healthy does not mean giving up food entirely!  There are a lot of books that can be found in sports shops or even health clubs with recipe guides and nutritional information.    In the same locations, you can also find useful gadgets such as pedometers that can be worn throughout the day to encourage walking instead of riding or the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you’re looking for a more personal gift, one of the best healthy gift ideas you can get is a fruit basket. A fruit gift basket is a great gift idea for anyone who is health conscious and watching their weight.  We’ve been learning it since grade school when we first saw the food pyramid.  Fruit is just plain healthy; it provides essential vitamins and energy not to mention is cholesterol-free.    There are all sorts of fruit baskets from which to choose, one of which will fit your budget as well as delighting your health-conscious friend.  One exception to keep in mind, however, often people who are just beginning a low carb diet are not permitted fruit.

So whether they’re just getting into fitness or have been exercising for years, make sure your gift is supportive of their choice to get healthy or stay healthy.

Fighting my way through a crowded store with my arms full of packages is not my first choice of hobbies. My mother loves to shop, but I did not inherit those genes. The part that I despise the most, however, is trying to guess what presents everyone would actually appreciate. I used to have this haunting fear that all of my shopping efforts usually resulted in a rushed trip back to the store or, worse, out to the trash receptacle. I could never feel confident about what to get my Grandma or Uncle Arthur. Now, I can enjoy the stores, especially during the holidays, because I can walk through empty handed, unhurried, with all of my shopping already long finished. I do all my shopping online, now. Well practically all of it.

Online shopping didn’t save my life all by itself. Just because I started using the Web before any of my friends, I still had to make the decisions. And then, around five years ago, or so, I discovered food.

Of course, I actually discovered food when I was still an infant, but it didn’t occur to me as a great gift until I had suffered through many rounds of birthdays, baby showers, and countless other events that seem to always pop up. I received a gift basket of little sausages, spreadable cheeses and plain crackers. It was terrible! At the same time, though, I thought what a great gift this could have been. All they had to change in the gift was the quality of the contents!

Since that moment of momentous insight on my part, I have been a dedicated sampler of a variety of food gifts that I buy for myself on the Internet. (It’s a tough job, but I am up to the challenge as long as I carefully pace myself!) I have found that the online gift food stores handle everything from shipping to the accompanying gift cards. Yes, I actually send myself a gift card to test the store’s dedication to detail. The Internet boutiques are now the sources for all of my gifts, except those gifts of my loved ones who happen to live very nearby.

The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a fresh fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.

I do keep gift foods around the house, beautifully or cleverly arranged, for my guests who come to my house or for those whom I visit in person during those gift giving times. The Internet provides assistance to me even in these cases, because it is packed full of great ideas for arranging and wrapping gift food.

If you see me walking down a store aisle with a huge smile on my face when everybody else seems frantic, you will now know my secret. But don’t tell my Uncle Arthur.

New neighbors have finally arrived next door. We’re very excited to meet them. They look to be about our age and our kids are looking forward to playing with theirs. Close friendships develop quickly on our street so we’re certain our new neighbors will become our friends. What better way to greet these new neighbors than with a festive fruit bouquet?

Fruit baskets are the memorable gift to give for his occasion. They exude friendliness and well-being. There are many variations of containers from which to choose and the choice of different beautiful fruits can be as creative as your imagination allows.

One of the simplest gift baskets would be a few red apples, a couple of green pears, and a bright yellow banana or two presented on a wooden cutting board. Add a bunch of red grapes and this lovely combination of color speaks for itself. Wrap pastel-colored cellophane around it and tie a bow to the handle of the board to finish.

A bigger fruit giftbasket could consist of a sturdy box, which can be used for storing other items later, filled with individually wrapped choices of ripe fruit. Just visualize juicy oranges, sweet plums, fragrant raspberries, and tangy grapefruit. The flavorful selection of these fruits stimulate any appetite.

Using a wicker basket is another way of presenting the fruit. Select a white or natural-colored basket. Healthy fruits of fragrant pineapple and distinctive coconut are surrounded by exotic kiwi. Add citrus selections of oranges, lemons and limes with aromatic bananas carefully positioned among them. This makes a fun, tropical fruit basket choice, which is appetizing, healthy, and eye-pleasing. Top it with a lime-green ribbon tied in a large bow.

Fruit baskets can be personalized, depending on your preference. We noticed a beautiful, walnut wine rack being moved into their home, so a bottle of wine could easily be added to the selections of fruit. In order to tie in the fruit theme, a citrus peeler or a paring knife could also be included. Hard tack or chocolate candies, shortbread cookies, or even nut selections of almonds and pecans would add an extra touch to the fruit basket gift.

Fruit gift baskets can be given in a variety of containers filled with every kind of delicious fruit imaginable. No matter which container you select to hold the fruit and no matter which fruits you choose to fill the container, it is a colorful, flavorful, and healthy option. What a wonderful “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift fruit baskets are!

A fruit giftbasket is filled to the brim with the delicious taste of luscious fruit and is sure to greatly improve the day of anyone who receives it. Giving it to a friend who is not feeling well will be a wonderful thing!

Fruit giftbaskets are typically made with various fruits organized with ribbons and  bows to decorate them. Customizing a fruit basket can be easy! Make the gift of a  fruit basket mean more by decorating it with things they like and the fruit they love!

If the person that you are going to give the fruit basket to loves strawberries and kiwi, fill it up with those two fruits and they are sure to love it. What is their favorite color? Chose ribbons in their favorite colors or pick some ornaments that fit the theme that you are going for to decorate the basket.

While other people are receiving the normal gift of flowers, you can give the gift of  a fruit giftbasket and really surprise them! Flowers are nice to look at but they are  not as nice as a fruit basket. The fruit basket is an original gift.

As a gift for someone recovering from an illness, fruit can not only make them feel better by lifting their spirits. Fruit is full of essential vitamins that can aid them in feeling better and recovering more quickly from their illness.

The office setting is a wonderful place to give a fruit giftbasket. There are so many  options when you give a fruit basket. The person that you give it to can share it with  the office coworkers or take it home to share with their families. They could also  leave it on their desk and enjoy it whenever the need for a snack arises.

Getting a gift for a male boss can be a very tricky thing to do. If you don’t know for  sure what sports team he routes for or what he collects or likes a lot, what do you  get him? A fruit basket is a great idea! He is sure to like it and will appreciate it  a lot more than a nice flower arrangement.

Why not give that special someone a unique gift such as a fruit basket. Personalize it or just get a random bunch of fruit. Either way, they are sure to enjoy the fruit basket that you chose for them. It is sure to be a hit!

Giftbaskets are soooo last year!  Or is it last century?  Actually, I hope the correct response is neither.  You see, I make my living by selling gift baskets (among other food gifts).  Granted, it may be less significant that solving the global warming problem or removing a pesky mouse from under your kitchen cabinet, but it’s an honest way to pay for the roof over my family’s head.

I can read your mind: “All of his gift problems are solved; he just gives the same boring baskets year after year to everyone.”  How dare you think about me in that way!  In fact, I face the same dilemmas that you face during any gift giving, decision making crisis.

I don’t give only baskets of joy to my loved ones.  However, even if I did, the choice would still not be easy.  My company alone offers scores of fruit baskets, wine gift baskets, gourmet food options and far more.  (I know what you’re thinking right now, “Please, oh please, just tell me where this wonderful paradise is located so that I can go there to buy your most expensive offerings for everyone on my gift list!”  A little patience is called for on your part.)

Before you bribe me (or threaten me) to share my store location with you, I want to tell you about my own decision making approach.

First, I decide on an appropriate category of gift.  If Uncle Milton really has managed to eliminate his drinking problem after a decade of trying, then the wine gift baskets are out of the running.  Instead, I think I’ll send him an assortment of gourmet cheeses and a fresh fruit basket.

Aunt Millie, on the other hand, is a great wine sipper.  Frankly, I don’t know if she really enjoys the wine, but she sure enjoys talking about it.  She loves to let everyone know the best vintage years, the kinds of grapes that are used in various blends and, most of all, how much she spent on the wine you just spilled all over her new carpeting ( a square yard).  She’ll get a simple wine gift basket, but I’m not going to spring for the champagne!  (I’m also not going to pay for the carpet cleaning; not after what that cat of hers did to my new coat.)

Everyone in our family, except me, says that my nephew Alfred finally made his girlfriend an honest woman.  I, on the other hand, never doubted his girlfriend’s honesty, but I have some reasons to suspect Alfred.  In any case, they finally got married.  To tell you the truth, even I agree that it’s about time.  Alfred spent the last eight years trying to decide if she was worth the cost of a diamond ring.  (I suspect that he eventually settled on crystal, which, considering Alfred, would be thought of as generous.)  Alfred always loves to receive cash as a gift.  Well, he’s not getting that from me.  Instead, they’re getting a meal of live lobsters and the trimmings from me.  Actually two, of course.  My thinking is that this is the only way to get his bride out of the kitchen.  Alfred would never pay for a restaurant meal, so, in a sense, I’m sending the restaurant to them.

My second step, after choosing a category is to select a price range that I’m willing to spend on these people.  Then my wife makes me double that amount.

My perfect grandson isn’t getting a food gift.  I’m getting him the latest cell phone system, complete with an unlimited calling plan.  I would get him a sports car if only you would buy a lot more gift baskets!

The fruit basket is a gift that can be given to just about everyone and one that is perfect for absolutely any occasion. This is great for the party host, teachers, neighbors, for the holidays, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc. It is easy to create if you just follow the following steps.

There are just a few simple supplies you will need to put together your git of fruit. You will want to have the container, scissors, colored shredded paper, heat-sealable plastic wrap, a blow dryer, ribbons and bows and yes, the fruit.

When you are picking your fruit for the basket look for the most perfect pieces you can find with no dents, dings or bad spots. Try to find colorful fruit and besides the usually things like apples, oranges, bananas and pears you might add things like kiwi, mangoes and pineapple.

The container does not have to be wicker but that is traditional and some colored paper that is shredded will make a nice bed for the fruit to rest in the container. When building your basket put the biggest pieces on the bottom so you can add the other fruit in around it and build layers.

The gift is now put together and in order to present it and preserve the fruit until you give the gift you can use the heat-sealable plastic. This should be wrapping paper that says it is good or using with things that are edible. Cut the paper to be about three time greater than the size of the container.

Lay out the gift wrapping and put the basket in the middle of the wrapping. Then you ease the sides up to the center and at the top secure the plastic wrapping. When the paper is sealed you have created a gift bag.

Now it is time to decorate your gift with anything you think the person receiving the gift will enjoy. You can add candies, flowers, bows, ribbons, or anything that is decorative. Gift baskets with fruit a yummy and healthy and always something that lights up the face of the person who receives the gift. In fact, it is so good that giving the same gift to the same person more than once is a good thing. The will actually begin to anticipate your special gift of fruit which is always an enjoyable thing.

If you do decide to give this gift often you will want to change it up some. You can use nuts, flowers or even a special item as the center of the basket that the person who get the present will enjoy. The special item can be surrounded with nuts and fruits and maybe some flowers or chocolates. There are really any number of variations that will work well with this kind of gift.