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Back to School at GrenvilleStation.com [ September 2nd, 2008 ] Posted in » Observances & Events, Words and Then Some... by James

This morning the kids were skipping off to school past our offices, the first day of the year. Many were excited while many disappointed. It was hot and sunny, like the middle of July. I think the weather wasn’t informed that it’s time to cool down and starting turning the leaves. The first day of school is the unofficial start of our holiday prepping. It actually begins in late June, but we never *feel* like it’s the start of holiday prep time until now.  Even though many tasks are accomplished beforehand, it’s hard to think of Halloween and Christmas until school is back in session.

And now the real fun begins…stay tuned!

New Designs/Cart Features Coming Soon…

The holiday season is fast upon us and our visit to the CGTA trade show was very fruitful. We saw great new products that will definitely be available in our Christmas 2008 designs. We also try to make the user experience as easy as possible. A couple of months ago we added delivery time estimates to our existing real-time rate quotes from FedEx. This allowed visitors to see not only the cost of shipping but the estimated transit times as well.

We’re hoping soon to implement a ShipEstimator feature to our cart so that you will be able to see the cost of shipping on the shopping cart rather than after you log into your account or create an account.  Other great ideas are planned…but those will have to wait for another day.

August 18th, 2008 | Posted in » Words and Then Some... by James
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Food Gift Baskets - Updating Tradition

At GrenvilleStation.com, we try to design unique and attractive food gift baskets. The process extends beyond just the contents. The container can sometimes be the most important part of the design. It can be a keepsake that the recipient keeps for months, maybe years. It’s important to remember that the recipient always be kept in mind when selecting unique gourmet food baskets. Their likes and dislikes can definitely help in deciding exactly which gift would best suit them for their special event or holiday.

August 9th, 2008 | Posted in » Gift Baskets, Gift Giving by James
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Get well my friends, winter flu season is coming…

Most people (in North America at least) are enjoying the beautiful weather. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the days are longer and kids are playing ball hockey in the streets. Flu season is as far away as possible. I pity those who catch colds and the flu in the middle of summer. It’s bad enough to get it when it’s cold and dreary out but when everyone is at the beach enjoying the sand and surf, these people are sick in bed trying to get better…before winter! If you have a special friend or family member like this, check out our get well gift baskets category page for great gifting ideas. There are great ideas for any type of recipient - the kind who thinks it’s the end of the world and needs a bit of cheering up and the kind who are enjoying the time off from a difficult job that they don’t like to think still exists. Few individuals will ever expect to receive a gift basket in the middle of the summer. Unique get well gifts can have a much bigger impact during the recipient’s weak moments than a gift at Christmas time or even their birthday!

August 2nd, 2008 | Posted in » Observances & Events by James
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Designing Inexpensive Holiday Gifts

A very popular price point for Christmas gifts is the lower end price range. These gifts are great choices whether your budget is tight or your relationship with the recipient is not extremely close. A supplier who may not be instrumental to running your business but makes it a bit easier to operate. An aunt who you don’t see very often but like to remind you’re still thinking of her. A friend from college you see only every few years but enjoy that experience all the same. Inexpensive holiday gifts are great also if you need to send multiple corporate holiday thank you gifts.

July 29th, 2008 | Posted in » Christmas and Hanukkah by James
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Remaining 5 Reasons…

[continued from previous post]

5. Increased business. After Father’s Day we experience a bit of a lull for the summer. We make use of this time by completing other necessary tasks, such as taking inventory and redesigning existing baskets. Once autumn arrives, we have several holidays that we need to prepare for. We also find that the amount of orders we receive increase, largely due to the travelling season ending. Our customers are less likely to be able to visit their distant loved ones for occasions such as birthdays. That’s where we come in!

4. Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is one of my favourite holidays! I enjoy the family dinners, my Grandmother’s pumpkin pie and, most importantly, the Statutory Holiday! This is the time when most of our orders are for our fall designs. The baskets are usually sent as a “Thank you” for someone who has hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner, or sent between loved ones who unfortunately are not able to be together during the holidays.

3. Halloween. Arguably, one of the most exciting days of the year for kids! But for us, Halloween is a season, not just one day of fun. Designing our Halloween baskets is certainly some of the most fun we have here. We are literally kids in a candy story when the sweets start pouring into our design studio! Among the goodies are gummy tarantulas, candy mice and bloody eyeball gumballs. When it comes to candy, the grosser the better!

2. Christmas. You can’t help but be jolly when preparing for the holidays! Once the stock arrives and the new designs are online, we get to work pre-making the holiday orders. We need to start as early as possible to keep up with the hundreds of orders that pour in almost immediately. The Christmas season easily occupies about 4 or 5 months of the year for all of us here at Grenville Station. It may still be beautiful autumn weather outside, but we will be like busy little elves in Santa’s workshop! Ho ho ho!

1. Chocolate! Need we say more? Due to the aforementioned summer temperatures, we have to stop using chocolate in our designs by (usually) late spring. Normally we use a fair amount of chocolate, so we have to remove quite a few designs from the website. Instead we use chips, crackers, coffee/tea, and other such products that will be unaffected by the heat. Sure they’re tasty treats… but nothing as exciting as chocolate!

And there you have it, our Top Ten Reasons We Love Autumn!

July 22nd, 2008 | Posted in » Words and Then Some... by Tanya
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Top Ten Things to Look Forward to After Summer…

The summer season has officially begun! Sunny days, scorching temperatures and humid air. Ahh summertime in southern Ontario – it doesn’t last long, but it sure is beautiful! While everyone else is enjoying the weather, here at Grenville Station we’re doing what we do best: looking and planning ahead. Autumn is on the horizon and we have a lot of work to do before it gets here.

In anticipation of the season, we have put together a list of what we are looking forward to the most. There were a lot of excellent ideas and suggestions put forth from the staff and it was difficult to narrow it down to just ten!

10. New Fall Products. We are very excited when we receive our new fall stock. The products are usually new and exciting items that our Buyer has discovered. But they are always red, orange, yellow and brown! We then mix and match products and colours to make new designs. With such beautiful colours, the design possibilities are endless!

9. Fall Enhancements. In addition to our colourful new products, we also receive a wide array of fall enhancements, such as leaves, acorns and pine cones. The designers feel like kids again, when searching through the leaves for the perfect colours to use. These seasonal enhancements create a polished look in our new designs.

8. The First Snowfall. I can’t believe I just wrote that! There is something so peaceful and therapeutic about seeing the first flakes floating to the ground. It’s almost magical. As beautiful and peaceful as the first snowfall is, a week later I’m ready for spring! We all know what the first snowfall leads to right? Well we’ll get to that later…

7. Back To School. You know all you parents out there have been waiting for this one! After a long and frustrating summer, doing everything you can to keep the kids occupied and NOT fighting, it’s time for you to grow back all the hair you’ve pulled out! After dropping off the kids on the first day, you can see smiles form and happy dances begin! The Moms and Dads here in the office are certainly much happier and more relaxed.

6. Trade Shows. For the most part, this is where our new seasonal products are discovered. Our Buyer’s attend a handful of the largest shows in our area, on the hunt for tasty new treats with appealing packaging. Packaging is one of the top reasons we will carry a certain product. Since each product can actually be seen in the photograph when a customer is purchasing a gift basket, if the products don’t look appealing then neither do we. At the Trade Shows, there are literally hundreds of booths to visit, so it is a time consuming project. Their hard work pays off when they see how excited the design team gets over the new stock and the wonderful new designs that are quickly created!

The top 5…well, you’ll just have to wait until next time!

July 19th, 2008 | Posted in » Words and Then Some... by Tanya
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Christmas in July?

It’s Christmas in July! Okay it’s not… but it should be! In fact it’s a tradition that I think I’ll start in my household. I’ll get one of those blow-up palm trees and decorate it with leis and other flowers. The gifts will be much different than Christmas. There will be bathing suits, pool toys and water guns. There will be no poinsettias or mistletoe. In their place will be bouquets of vibrant coloured flowers. Dinner will be glazed ham and pineapples. Instead of setting out milk and cookies for Santa before the kids head to bed, we’ll set out fresh fruit and a pitcher (or two!) of margaritas! Hmm…I’m going to have to think of a way to keep the kids occupied while Mommy and Daddy sleep in!

July 14th, 2008 | Posted in » Observances & Events by Tanya
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Halloween…just around the corner?

Here it is, the 6th of July, and it’s a beautiful sunny 29 degree day (that’s 84 degrees for our American friends). I’m trying desperately to focus on business but the sound of my young daughter playing with one of her friends is providing a major distraction. One might be tempted to give up trying to work on such a fine day and simply join the kids for a popsicle, but I can’t. Halloween is a mere three months away and I’ve got plenty of planning to do!

July 6th, 2008 | Posted in » Observances & Events by Laurie
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A Baby Gift to Remember…

So many gifts these days are throwaways.  By throwaway, I mean the items in the basket are consummed or refuse.  The food is eaten, but the packaging and enhancements are tossed once the gift is ripped apart for it’s primary intention (e.g. chocolate for the tummy).  With baby baskets, it’s nice that a large percentage of these gifts contain items that are retained.  Keepsakes that can be cherished years later.  A rattle that sits on the bookshelf for display purposes - babies often get more than 1 so some can be stolen away for their remembrance value.  Another item that can kept away is plush animals.  A soft plush pig (Pretty in Pink baby gift basket) or a colourful plush puppy (Little Boy Blue baby basket) are two examples of designs that not only can provide immediate visual satisfaction but they can also provide lasting memories…if Mom can keep baby away from the pig and puppy!

July 2nd, 2008 | Posted in » Baby Gift Baskets, Gift Giving by James
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