Instead of sending her to the spa, send the spa to her!

This gift basket was inspired by a customer who wanted to thank her Spiritual Counselor for all the mind and soul healing that she did. The customer and I brainstormed about what kind of gift would be most suitable for the counselor. My customer said she wanted it to be meaningful and memorable. So, we came up with a “body care” gift basket with a note saying that “Someone who takes care of other people’s problems deserves some pampering herself.”

This Natural and Organic Spa Gift Basket contains all you need to feel like you took a trip to the spa! It includes a variety of Bath & Body products of the highest quality such as purifying bath salts; creams and lotions with Dead  Sea minerals and an array of essential vitamins to promote healthier and younger looking skin, Organic moisturizer with sunscreen, Organic Avocado hair mask plus a set of luxurious towels and a candle.

All of the products are Natural or Organic, Not animal-tested.

We offer an option to personalize this gift by selecting the Monogram option for the towels. It makes a memorable gift for any occasion, especially if it’s for a Wedding, Anniversary, Graduation or Birthday.

Baby Shower

This past Saturday I have hosted a Baby Shower party for a very good friend of mine, Ella. It was the first time for me organizing this kind of event, but since there is so much help online and so many ideas available, it wasn’t hard at all.

First of all, I used Evite for invitations. Setting up the account was easy. They have many invitations templates to choose from according to the theme. They also make it easy to track RSVPs, make edits and additions to your invitation, etc.

Second, I planned a few Baby Shower games for the guests. One of the games we played was trying to estimate the size of mommy-to-be’s belly. All of us grossly overestimated her size! But Ella had a good sense of humor about it.  She was actually much smaller that we’ve estimated. Another game we played was “Pin the pacifier on the baby” where we’ve used a postboard with a drawing of a crying baby, and blindfolded guests had to draw a pacifier as close to the baby’s mouth as possible. It was definitely a fun to play and entertaining to watch game.

Lovable Teddy Bear Bookmark

Third, I had several Baby Shower party favors and gifts for the guests. I wanted the favors to be memorable and useful, so I chose silver metal bookmarks shaped as a teddy bear. They are very cute and can be used as book marks, can be attached to the ceiling lights cord, can be hung on a car’s rear view mirror, etc.

Pink Heart Design Picture Frame

Another gift that I offered as a prize was adorable silver metal picture frame with

a heart pendant. It can be used during a Christening party or a girl’s Birthday party, too, as a place card.

Pink & White Bath Confetti

A third giveaway prize was this Pink & White bath confetti set decorated with a pacifier charm. Such a cute gift for a mom-to-be and for guests. it also comes in other colors in case you don’t know the baby’s gender yet.

http://www.bonvivantbaskets.com/pf1057.htmlPink &

St. Patrick’s Day Gifts – Think out of the Pot (of gold)

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s day used to be a quiet religious holiday that has been observed for centuries. It took the United States to turn St. Patrick’s Day into a showy celebration. Now St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by those of Irish descent and increasingly by people of other ethnicity as well.

The holiday itself stands for  more than just a celebration of the Irish saint. If you are in business, think out of the box and use St. Patrick’s day as a Marketing tool – it is a great chance to thank your customers, and vendors,  and business associates for their business. “We are so lucky to have you as a customer!” or “Please accept this Pot of Gold as a token of my appreciation for your …” Possibilities are endless!

Missed your chance to give gift to someone special on Valentine’s Day – use St. Patrick’s Day to let them know How Lucky You Are to have someone’s love or friendship. Send a “Pot of Gold” filled with golden chocolate coins and assorted candy. Or give them a gift basket filled with Irish coffee, sausage, cheese, cookies, and snacks.

Add a greeting to your gift such as:

“You are my lucky charm”

“No Pot of Gold can ever be as Special as You are!”

“I’m so lucky to have you as my wife!”

“You Are My Good Fortune!”

etc…

Would you like to win this “Pot of Gold”?

Connect with us on Facebook and make a comment about the gift.

Giveaway ends on Mar 10, 2010

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Bon Vivant Baskets on Facebook

DIY Valentine’s Day

Whether you are a couple, a single or in a new relationship, with the Valentine’s Day less than a month away, the anxiety level goes up. The most prevalent question on people’s mind is what to give on Valentine’s Day, followed by what will he or she give me…
I feel that the Valentine’s Day gift is a complex subject. It’s not just a gift, like a birthday gift might be. Valentine’s Day gift exemplifies some deeper meaning.

Is it cute as in “We are just friends, but I like you.”?

Is it sweet and neutral, as in “We’ve just started dating, so I don’t want it to look like I’m trying too hard, even though I spent days and days agonizing over what to give you.”?

Is it passionate with “I love You” written all over the gift?

Or is it a cookie-cutter gift off the CVS shelf that says “I don’t really care…”?

The pressure for the right kind of gift affects both the giver and the receiver. While the giver feels he or she needs only to impress one person, the receiver thinks broadly in terms of how impressed will everyone else be with the gift he or she received.  I believe it’s more true for women. If the guy sends flowers or a gift to his girl’s office, he’ll score major points with her because women want others to see that “Yes, I have a man. I am loved. I am desired.”  If you don’t send the gift to her office, the next day when she goes to work, people will be asking her: “What did he give you?”.  There is no way to avoid public scrutiny.

So what can you do to make a good impression on your Valentine, (as well as her or his friends and coworkers)? It’s not as hard as you think. First of all, forget about the mass produced Valentine’s Day cards and make your own instead. Believe me, it will not matter how it looks like, instead it will be appreciated just because you put some effort into it.
Flowers are always a nice gesture if you can afford the outrageously marked up Valentine’s Day bouquets. You can buy a generic bouquet from a grocery store and re-wrap it yourself, making it more personal. Tie a ribbon around it, add a pretty bow, enhance it with a small plush toy. Again, the idea is to make it look like you put some thought and effort into the gift, not just grabbed it off the shelf. Consider giving a bouquet of Chocolate Roses as an alternative. It’s original and kills both birds with the same stone.)

Love Affair - Chocolate Roses

Do not go out for dinner on Valentine’s Day because again, it would mean being scrutinized by others, plus your date will be comparing you to other couples.  Instead, consider staying in and making it a romantic evening for just the two of you. Melt some chocolate and feed each other chocolate dipped strawberries. Chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac, and so are bananas, honey, almonds. Yummy! (Bon Vivant Baskets has chocolate fondue gifts that are perfect  for the occasion)

Wild About You Valentine's Gift Box

It’s good to have a playful game for two on hand, like  a fun and romantic board game, dice for lovers,  Couples Trivia or card game. The games can be can be as “beginner” or as risque as you want them, the idea is to have fun together.

Enchanted Evening - Game for Couples

Watch a romantic comedy together. The Ugly Truth is a good one as it will spark some discussion between you two. Notebook is another good one. I’ve heard that watching a scary movie together is a bonding experience that increases your adrenaline and acts as aphrodisiac. Twilight seems like a perfect combination of romantic and thrilling. Make a Valentine’s Day movie gift basket, or as us to give you a hand with that.

Instead of giving your Sweetheart a gift certificate to a Spa, set up a spa experience on your own. It’s easy – just dim the lights, add candles all over the room, light incense, put on a soft exotic music and have some massage oil on hand (baby oil works just as fine). Use the Bed of Roses gift set to enhance your spa experience.

Bed of Roses - Romantic Gift Set

The idea is to create your own unique experience on Valentine’s Day. Out with the store bought things, in with the handmade gifts and thoughtful ideas. If I can help you with any gift ideas or offer some gift components for your Valentine’s Day gift, please let me know.

Lana Vivant

Bon Vivant Baskets

CS@BonVivantBaskets.com

Make Some Noise. Wear Red. Have a Happy New Year!

As we say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new one, we all are hoping that the New Year will bring happiness, love, success, prosperity. On behalf of Bon Vivant Baskets, I wish you a Happy New Year and would like to share some around-the-globe traditions with you to help you make the year 2010 the best one yet!

One of the traditions that comes from the South is having black eyed peas to evoke luck and prosperity. To increase your chances of prosperity for the whole year, you should eat 365 black eyed peas on New Year’s Day.

People in China and Japan eat noodles to ensure a smooth transition to the New Year.

Now, to practice this Spanish tradition you need at least 12 wishes and 12 grapes, each grape representing a wish. You have to be quick for this to work:  at midnight, when the clock starts to chime, you have to eat one grape for each chime while mentally reciting your wish.

Fish symbolizes wealth and prosperity in many countries, such as China, Scandinavia, Poland. Have at least a bite of fish on New Year’s Eve or Day to guarantee a bountiful year ahead.

New Year’s Eve traditions are not only about food. It’s also important what you wear and how you decorate your place. Many cultures use color red to increase vitality and luck.  In China, families exchange a few money bills in the red envelope to bring wealth to the family. In some Latin cultures, red underwear is worn for romance in the new year!

Also, make sure you have a set of firecrackers  or sparklers on hand. Not only it looks festive when you use the, but is also wards off evil in the New Year.  If you don’t have any firecrackers, making noise will do the trick – just use some cooking pots and utensils, and it surely will scare away bad spirits.

To have a clean start in the New Year, make sure you clean your living quarters and settle your debts. According to a Chinese tradition, one should not be sweeping and cleaning on the New Year’s Day because you might sweep out the good luck! If you absolutely must swipe the floors on the New Year’s Day, keep the dirt inside, in the corner, for example. You might think this is too silly, but in some cultures it’s not even advised to wash your hair on New Year’s Day so not to wash away your luck.

If you dream of traveling in the New Year, put the suitcase outside your front door, or take a walk with it around the block. According to a Spanish tradition, this will bring you new traveling opportunities in the New Year.

So, have fun celebrating the New Year, surround yourself with people you love, make some noise, wear red and be ready for a better,  happier and more prosperous New Year 2010!

For you, Bulldog fans!

Here is an array of gift basket for all the Bulldog fans out there.  Also, if you need a Welcome gift for someone who just moved to the Athens area, whether it’s a potential customer or a friend, we have a perfect basket for them, too.

Make an Impression!

Our goal is to make you look good whether you need to impress  potential customers, thank your current clients for their business, or show appreciation to your employees for their dedication.

Gifts with logo imprinting is a way to go! It generates brand recognition and distinguishes your company from the competitors. Check out a few gift ideas below, and contact us for more designs and options.

Chocolate Dreams

Fresh & creamy chocolate truffles, assorted flavor chocolate candy, mouthwatering pecan clusters – who wouldn’t appreciate a delicious gift like this? When you want to spoil your employees or customers, these chocolates will do the trick!

Christmas Gifts Preview

At Bon Vivant Baskets we offer gifts for any budget and any situation. Whether you need a gift for one person,  for the whole family or to share in the office, we’ve got you covered!

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Below are some ideas for smaller gifts suitable for coworkers, assistants, receptionists, teachers as well as friends and family members…

Time to Give Thanks

As we come to the end of the year and Thanksgiving approaches, there is no better time to show your clients how much you appreciate their business than now. It’s important, though, to say thanks the right way; paper weights, pictures of you hard at work and documents showing ROI are not going to cut it this year. Struggling to think beyond these ideas?

Thanksgiving Gift Basket Ideas

Luckily, Bon Vivant has you covered with our Bountiful Harvest Thanksgiving Basket filled to the edges with treats to share and coffee mugs to leave a lasting impression. Want to make sure all the big dogs at the office get a keepsake? This basket offers the option of adding or removing coffee mugs to meet your gift-giving needs.

Feeling like taking your basket to another level of personalization? Bon Vivant will customize a basket to meet the recipients chocolate dreams or health-conscious waistline. Also, we offer heart healthy gift basket with Low Sodium products for those family members of customers who are on a special diet.

If you are looking for  a wine gift basket, we can make it happen – all you have to do is provide us with a bottle of wine of your choice, and we will incorporate it into a gift basket (See BYOB basket above as an example)

Don’t forget to add a personalized ribbon to seal the deal!