Gift Baskets for All!

Dear Web Wanderer,

Have you ever received a gift basket? I have, and I felt very special. Gift Baskets allow the giver to choose a theme that you can customize to your recipient's liking. You might say this this is one gift that shows you truly care.

Being the creative type, I have attempted to assemble a few gift baskets on my own. This is much more challenging than one might expect. First you need to consider your recipient. What kinds of things does she or he enjoy? (By the way, males like gift baskets too.) What kinds of foods does he or she really, really like? What are his/her hobbies? Gift basket themes are endless. You can go with a holiday theme, such as Mother's Day Gift Baskets (just another couple of months, come to think of it). Or, you can opt for hobbies such as gardening, reading, golf, or candles; favorite foods like TexMex, chocolate, cheesecake, popcorn, or coffee; or even specialty items like spa, love and romance, or pet treats. Once I made a "powder room" gift basket for my sister. Okay, it was really just some cute, color-coordinated soapy smelling stuff for her bathroom, but she seemed to like it very much. (Or at least the thought, right?)

Next, you need to find an appropriate basket or other gift-like receptacle. It can't be too small, but it can't be too large either or it'll look skimpy if you can't fill it up. Then you need to determine your budget, which will in turn determine where you will shop (gourmet food shop vs. dollar store). Once you have everything, then you need to figure out how to place it all in the basket so that nothing is hidden or slips to the bottom, and so that it is appealing to the eye. You might also want to add a bow or some cello or raffi or whatever to make it look more "gifty," and of course a personal note or card.

I got a flier before Christmas from my book club that advertised theme-based ready-made book baskets and that got me to thinking. Wouldn't it be fun to create a custom gift book basket for someone who loves to read? Take a look at my weblog, Off The Toppa My Head (see the link in the side bar on the home page), and check out my post "Great Ideas for Book Lovers (Like Me)" for exactly how to do it. (You'll love this.)

Of course, most parents have been assembling gift baskets for their children for ions; and right around this time of the year too. Say what? Easter Gift Baskets, silly! Maybe this is the year to leave that up to the experts, and forget about the cheap colored baskets, drug store candy, messy cellophane grass, and gross little marshmallow Peeps.

Just a thought.

Here's another: did you know you can make money blogging? There are companies that will pay you to include their links in the content of your blog. It's easy, it's fun, and it's lucrative, especially if you have lots of blogs. By the way, I have written this post as an example of how to do it.

Cheers!

S. Link Lover (and now you know why!)