For this Valentine’s Day I want to get a gift basket full of sweets treats and a champagne bottle for my wife. The idea is to use the basket and spend a romantic day.

Today I will show you some of my favorite Valentine’s Day Gift Baskets. Before showing you my favorites I have a quick tip get a basket with chocolate, sweets treats, wine or champagne and a teddy bear (if she likes plush toys – most women do) for her and get a basket with a stronger drink like whisky, gin or vodka and sweets combined with gourmand treats for him.

My favorite Valentine’s Day gift baskets for her

#1. Valentine’s Extravaganza

This gift basket is a great Valentine’s day present for her because all women like chocolate. It has all the most wanted goodies but I would recommend getting a bottle of champagne to go along with this basket.

#2. Valentines Spa Basket

In our days women like to be spoiled from time to time. A special treat is a day at spa. And you can offer her a spa day along with this gift baskets which has the best spa products.

#3. Beary Sweet Basket

If she likes teddy bears you should het her this gift baskets which contains a lovely bear and a selection of delicious sweets.

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Chose fine chesses and sweets to go along with good drinks – champagne, wine, beer, gin and whisky are the most popular choices.  

To help you decide I’ve put together a top with the Best Gourmet Christmas Gift Baskets. I hope you will like it.

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Knowing that our home would not be fit for guests just yet, we opted to spend Christmas with interstate relatives. A great move if I say so myself.

Each year I try to take the stress out of Christmas by shopping for presents months in advance. Thankfully, this year was no exception. With two weeks until Christmas, I had all my purchases for Christmas day ready and waiting. Needless to say, I felt good.

One thing that I had left to the last minute was the gifts for our new neighbours. We had visited the neighbourhood a few times over the course of buying the property and on every occasion we saw how tight knit it was. The previous owners had lived in the home for approximately twenty years and were well-liked and pivotal members in the neighbourhood. Whenever we spoke to the neighbours there was an underlying sentiment of disappointment and sadness that they had left. They really appeared to be the ‘glue’ of the community.

We were much younger than our other neighbours, but building a good relationship with them was really important to us. There is a general sentiment that you either love or hate your neighbours and we wanted to fit into the first category. We thought that a great way to make a good first impression would be to give them all a small but thoughtful Christmas present.

I had been brainstorming for a couple of weeks and, being in public relations, I knew it couldn’t be anything overly commercial or flashy – it just didn’t suit the people in our neighbourhood and I knew that they would respond much better to something that was wholesome and homely.

Being an avid savoury cook, I thought I would set myself a little challenge and dip my hand into baking to make them something sweet and tempting. I searched high and low for a recipe that I was comfortable with and in the lead-up to the big cook-off I changed my mind at the last minute. My partner thought that my chosen recipe wasn’t “Christmassy enough”. This spelt the beginning of the end.

He assured me that gingerbread men would be a much easier and better idea. He had made them before and offered to help me. With an assistant in hand, I set about buying the ingredients for our new idea, gingerbread men. We started making the gingerbread men at 1pm on Sunday afternoon and at 6pm we were still working hard on them. Working hard to save them I should say. It turns out that our new oven express cooks everything so our baked delights emerged from the oven looking anything but ginger. Let’s face it, they were black and hard. Despite that, we pressed on and decorated the black delicacies. Turns out – icing is pretty tricky and not at all as easy as my partner remembered as a wee child.

Six hours later, every spare surface in our kitchen and loungeroom was filled with trays and trays of burnt gingerbread men with fluorescent icing that looked like it had been applied by a distracted two year old.

In denial we hung onto the gingerbread men for a few days. I am happy to say that they eventually made their way into the bin because I think our neighbours would have thought they were a sick joke.

Next year I won’t be baking. I will be organising the household business card printing in the days leading up to Christmas so that I can attach them to the gift basket or charity hamper to make up for that first year when the gingerbread men didn’t quite make it to their door.

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Something Comfortable

Your granny is probably over trying to spruce up her surroundings, even if some of the things she owns have been with her for 50 years. There are some household items that she probably won’t buy herself, but could really help to improve her comfort at home. For example new bed linen, a comfortable armchair or railings in the bathtub are things that she will like because they are practical and she will use them every day.

Beauty Products

Although she may no longer be interested in most beauty products, there are still nice smelling creams, lotions and soaps that will add nice touch to her morning routine. Gift baskets filled with an assortment of nice smelling things will spruce up her day and help her feel beautiful.

Something Sentimental

If you want to really show your granny that you are thinking of her why not give her the gift of great memories. For her birthday, go online or to the library and print out a copy of the newspaper that was released on the day she was born. You can do this with any other day where she reached a milestone in her life, such as her wedding day or the arrival day of her first child. She will have a nice time reminiscing and will truly appreciate the thoughtful gift.

Something Personal

Grannies who live far away from their families often feel like they are missing out on all the action, especially when it comes to the growth of their grandchildren. Make sure your granny doesn’t feel left out by sending her photographs of yourself and the rest of your family that she can admire every day and show to her friends.

A Fun Day Out

If your granny has limited mobility, the gift of an excursion will really help her to feel like she is getting the most out of life. If there is an event that you think she would like, such as theatre or the ballet, make a point to take her so that she can enjoy a night out on the town. It doesn’t even have to be a big event, sometimes just getting out for dinner or to the beauty parlour can make her feel energized. Spending time with you will be a huge bonus for her as well, something she can tell all her girlfriends about!

Food

Now here is a super practical and tasty idea! For the granny who has everything, the gift of something delicious to eat will really make her happy. Find out her favourite spices, jams, biscuits, tea or whatever else you can think of and she will be very pleased.

Buying for your granny doesn’t have to be super difficult. Just try to think of something that is practical and useful and she will appreciate the gesture!

Gift Baskets

We have all been in the situation before: you are in the shopping mall trying to get inspiration for buying a gift that has to fall within a specific price range, must be suitable for any age and gender and must also cater to a variety of tastes and preferences. This is a gift-buying situation that is seemingly impossible and can really add stress to an already stressful time of year. In this situation, a good choice is usually a gift basket, especially a gift basket with a variety of foodstuffs in it. Gift baskets are a timeless option, a gift that generally has something for everyone and can come in any shape, size and price range. Although they are a great option for any occasion, they can be particularly useful especially around the holiday time when you can easily find specialty Christmas hampers with items that are more suitable for this special season. Anyone at the office would be happy to take home one of these and share with his or her friends and family.

Gift Cards

Buying gift cards to give as Christmas gifts is a great way to be creative while still giving the person who is receiving the gift more freedom over getting what they actually want this year. If you are working within a specific price range, there is no end to the choices you have when choosing a gift. Gift cards can cover a very broad range of tastes and interests such as those for department stores, movie theatres and recreational facilities. You can also make the gift more specific and give a gift card for restaurants or even online music stores. In the end, the person receiving the gift will get exactly what they were wanting for Christmas this year, and you will be one step closer to a stress-free holiday season.

Homemade Gifts

If you are the creative type, then why not save some money and make something yourself? This is a good opportunity to show off your culinary skills by baking some chocolate brownies or, if you are particularly savvy with the knitting needles, you can make a scarf or beanie. Not only will this please the hard to buy for people who seem to have everything, but is a sure way to impress whoever is receiving the gift as everyone loves presents that are thoughtful and unique.

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So why just follow the trend and do the norm? Why go simple, and plain? Why just talk at your guests instead of getting them involved and initiating that feeling that people who work with your company are truly treated as part of the team?
Making your event something spectacular yet personal, interesting yet informative and useful yet unique is a great challenge. It’s stepping outside the realm of fancy dinners to win new clients, sending gifts to build relationships and call after call to get an appointment. It’s giving people a chance to see your company in its glory and win followers!
So how can you pull off such an event?

1. The Invitation

So you could send a beautiful invitation in an envelope or a gift basket with the time and date of your event. You can even call them personally or you could make your invitation stand out. These days technology is amazing, so make the most of it. We love our Skype and face to face, so why not create your own spectacular video invitation and have it hand delivered on a branded thumb drive, to the potential guest. If they don’t come, likely they will still keep and use the USB so recall will be a great bi-product of this initiative.

2. Align with Something That Promotes Recall

If your product or service aligns with a big event or well-known initiative don’t ignore it – take advantage of it so that you also align the recall of your brand with this popular, renowned occurrence. If your company specialises in baby toy manufacture, align your event with Christmas, and give away toys for guests to give at Christmas. If you produce gifts or fine gourmet products, align the event with something like Father’s Day, and give away special Father’s Day Gift Baskets.

3. Information

Presentations are presentations are presentations. Make your information segment within the event interesting and unique. Make it a production. Move away from PowerPoint and old men with droning voices, and include audio visual, lights, and colour to make your information stand out and be remembered.

4. Interaction

Don’t let your information be the entire event, throw in something that requires interaction from your guests. This could be something traditional like a gala dinner, but why go traditional, why not stand out? Invite your guests to be part of the event by getting involved. Make your presentations interactive, set up test stands, and deliver a range of experiences along with your show.

Gift Basket

A gift basket makes a great gift for a twenty-first because you can fill it with whatever you like and you can also buy them already made up online, which makes choosing a gift simple.  Gift baskets can include all sorts of lovely items like candles, aromatherapy products, wine, chocolates, skincare and beauty products, CDs and books and you can even include a special gift voucher for an experience that you know they will love as the main part of the present.

Jewellery

Jewellery is a popular twenty-first present for girls, with anything being appropriate, from rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, brooches, earrings or anklets.  Diamonds are popular, as well as: emeralds, rubies, sapphires or pearls.  Watches make a great twenty-first gift for boys.

Crystal Wine Glasses

Some good quality crystal wine glasses make a lovely gift for a twenty-first as they are something that they can keep forever and use for special occasions.

Leather Goods

Good quality leather goods make lovely twenty-first birthday gifts that the recipient can treasure for many years to come.  For a girl you could give her a purse, a new handbag, make up case or overnight bag.  There are plenty of great leather items to choose for a boy including wallets, belts and bags.

Entertainment System

Having several people going in for a gift gives you more buying power and a good idea for a twenty-first gift is an up to date entertainment system.  Buy them the latest in stereo appliances complete with surround sound speakers and throw in some great new CDs as well.

Camera

Help them capture all the fun and excitement of the evening by giving them a brand new camera.  There are some fantastic digital cameras available that take professional quality photos by simply pointing and shooting.  For someone who may take their photography more seriously you can get them a SLR camera with a variety of different lenses, which would make a great gift for several people to pool in for.

Adventure

For a bit of fun why not book them in for an adventure or thrill seeking experience, like white water rafting, bungee jumping, sky diving, hot air ballooning or give them a gift voucher for a high speed lap in a race car.

Cash

A birthday card with some cash in it may not seem like an exciting present but twenty-one is that time of life where everyone is just starting out and needs cash to get their dreams started.  Cash will really be appreciated.

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Gift baskets

Gift baskets are great to order and have delivered to someone. Whether they come packaged in a box or basket, the items inside are kept safely together and it is always lovely to receive a gift basket. They are easy to order and you can choose from baskets made up specifically for women, for men, for Mother’s day, for new mum’s or new babies. You could make up a basket yourself but it would work out cheaper to order one already made up. The shipping would also work out cheaper.

Gift hampers

Gift hampers are easy to have shipped interstate too. Gift hampers are great because they are good for any occasion, especially for the festive season. Christmas gift hampers can contain food items like Christmas puddings, fruit cake, ham, glace fruit, nuts, chocolate, shortbread and candy canes. For Easter you can send hampers full of chocolate or a gift hamper can be sent for any occasion, such as a birthday or Valentine’s Day. Choose from hampers that have cheese, crackers and wine, chocolate and coffee, jams, chutney and marinades or any other decadent item of food.

Gift vouchers

Gift vouchers are one of the easiest gifts to send interstate because they will fit into an envelope and only cost you a postage stamp for shipping. There are so many larger department stores and chain stores that have franchises in other states, so you will have no trouble finding the right gift voucher to send to a friend or family member interstate. Check whether the store you are planning on buying your voucher from has an outlet near where the gift recipient lives to make it easier for them to use it. Gift vouchers often have use by dates so don’t give them a voucher that is from a store that is too far away or somewhere that they only visit every so often.

Clothes

Items of clothing are easy to send interstate. If you know the person’s size and taste then half the job is done. If you are unsure of size then get something like a scarf, a shawl or a pashmina which is a one size fits all accessory. The other way to get around not knowing a person’s clothing size is to speak to the person’s partner or mother and find out through them.

Books

Books are another easy gift to send interstate as they are flat and are easy to package up. Big hard cover books are not such a good idea if you want to keep the cost of postage down, but paperbacks are light enough. Otherwise send them a gift voucher to a book store.

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Gift basket

A great gift is either a gift basket you have made up yourself or you can buy beautiful gift baskets that are filled with all sorts of products. Choose something that is a bit indulgent, such as chocolates, gourmet foods, cheeses or wine. The other option is pampering bath products or skincare products like body butter, moisturiser, bath oil, soap and body wash. You could also choose fun items or things like CDs, books or DVDs. Buy to suit your budget.

Journal or diary

Give your child’s teacher a pretty journal or a new diary for the coming year ahead. There are lots of designs to choose from or you could cover a plain one yourself with material or paper for an individual design. You could have your child write a special message of thanks in the front cover.

Pen

Buy her a special pen that she can use both at work or at home. You could have it engraved with her name and also give her some refills. She can use it for correcting homework and writing good reports.

Home made goodies

A great gift, which will also not cost you too much, is to make some home made biscuits, chocolates or fudge. Buy a nice jar or decorative tin and fill it with your home made goodies. Tie a ribbon around it and decorate with Christmas baubles, stars and bells.

Movie tickets

Give your child’s teacher a night out by giving her movie tickets or movie vouchers which can be redeemed for whatever movies she likes. If giving her tickets make sure you give her two so she can take her partner or a friend.

Chocolates

For a fail safe present chocolates make a great Christmas gift. Buy her something a little different and indulgent or why not have your children make chocolates to give her. You can buy chocolate making moulds, colourings and the chocolate buds online or from some craft stores or speciality food stores. Your children will have a lot of fun and if they don’t eat them all before, their teacher will appreciate the effort.

Tea set

For something a little more old fashioned buy her a sweet tea set. You can buy sets for two or a tea set for one. If she is a big tea drinker she might like to have proper tea made from tea leaves at school instead of the usual tea bags. Make her tea drinking experience something to enjoy with a cup and saucer that matches the pot.

Candles

There are beautiful candles available and you can buy her candle holders or vases to go with them. There are scented candles, natural beeswax candles or you could get some festive, especially for her Christmas table.

Movie tickets

Two movie tickets always make a great gift. Not to see a particular movie, but a movie voucher they can use to purchase two tickets to a movie of their choice. If you want to spoil them just a little more, why not make the voucher for two gold class tickets?

Gift voucher

If you don’t know what they’d like, why not give them a voucher for their nearest shopping mall? This means that they can thoroughly enjoy buying something they want. It’s also a great gift that can easily be put in a thank you card. If you don’t know them too well, this is a great gift idea.

A bunch of flowers

To say thank you to that elderly neighbour that has collected your mail and watered your garden while you were away, a bunch of flowers is ideal. Flowers are a thoughtful gift they are guaranteed to enjoy.

Chocolates

It’s rare to find a person who doesn’t appreciate a nice box of chocolates. They don’t have to be expensive, there are heaps of great chocolates you can buy now for a reasonable price in the supermarket. For a smaller thank you gift, a box of chocolates makes the perfect present.

A 6 pack of beer or bottle of wine

So your neighbour keeps mowing your lawn for you when he does his and prunes the bushes for you when he’s doing his own gardening. It’s only natural you want to give him something to let him know you appreciate his help. Why not buy him a 6 pack of his favourite beer? If he’s not the beer drinking type, a nice bottle of wine is just the thing.

A gift basket

A beautifully wrapped gift basket or one of those Christmas hampers with all the trimmings during the festive season is a great way to say thanks. Hampers and gift baskets are perfect because you know that they will use what’s in it. A hamper with cheese and wine is a great idea, or even a pampering hamper with bubble bath and chocolates is sure to be a winning gift.

No matter who you want to say thanks to, we have the perfect gift idea they are sure to love. So when you are feeling like a simple ‘thank you’ just won’t do, consider some of our ideas above. Whoever you want to show gratitude to by giving them a gift of thanks is sure to appreciate the sentiment.

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