“Getting a burp out of your little thing is probably the greatest satisfaction I’ve come across. It’s truly one of life’s most satisfying moments.”
Brad Pitt (On his new child)

“Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.”
Bill Cosby

“A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.”
Author Unknown

“It sometimes happens, even in the best of families, that a baby is born. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. The important thing is to keep your wits about you and borrow some money.”
Elinor Goulding Smith

“People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.”
Leo J. Burke

“Babies don’t need a vacation but I still see them at the beach. I’ll go over to them and say, “What are you doing here, you’ve never worked a day in your life!”
Stephen Wright

One of our most popular gifts that people send to families that have a new baby is our ‘Baby Cakes’ Diaper Cake.  Available in pink, blue or a neutral colour, this gift is full of diapers and other baby items.  You can find it in our Baby Gift Baskets page.  Although the diapers never last long enough (especially if the family had twins or triplets), they are a welcome gift to any family with a newborn.

Rich

During my childhood, my grandparents owned a farm and I spent as much time as possible there. I had a lot of friends who would come over to play, but the most memorable visitors were my “boyfriends.” There was one boy in particular who I have fond memories of. When we were 8 years old, we would climb up into my Grandpa’s John Deere tractor and he would pretend to drive me around the fields. We sure put a lot of “miles” on that tractor!  Those memories were the inspiration for the basket Born to Farm. When he has a child, I think it would be the perfect gift for his Little Farmer!

But that basket design may not be for everybody. Some people may remember “driving” their father’s motorcycle, feeling cool and grown-up as they “hit the open road!” In that case, Born To Ride would more suitable.

What was your baby born to do?  Grenville Station features a wide variety of baby gift basket designs but if you have an idea for a new design inspired by your baby or child drop us a line and let us know.  We’re always on the look out for great ideas and inspiration!

Tanya

Before I started working here, I never really knew what to do for someone when they had lost a loved one.  Sure you show up at the funeral home, maybe give a donation, or send flowers, but I never got any response from any of the recipients, so I never knew whether or not it was an appropriate gift for the occasion.  You go to a funeral and there are so many flowers, sometimes they can’t even fit them all.  So just after I started working here, I began sending sympathy gift baskets anytime there was the need for it.  I not only started to get feedback from my recipients, but most, if not all said that it actually brightened their day, if only for a few moments in their time of mourning.  Some even told me that they were so impressed with the gift, they waited a week or two after the funeral, that way they could enjoy it that much more.  Any one of our gourmet gift baskets are suitable to send to someone who has lost someone special in their life, but my favourite to send it the Golden Moments gift basket.  I have received the best feedback from this gift and hopefully have been able to spread a bit of cheer to those I have sent it to.

Rich

A thoughtful card or handwritten letter would surely bring a warm feeling to a teacher’s heart, as would a small token, but personal, gift.  As a former teacher myself, I can honestly say that a gift need not cost a lot of money to be appreciated.  Most teachers that I know talk a lot and they need to stay hydrated throughout the day!  Skip the mugs mentioned above but consider what the teacher may enjoy drinking instead.  Gourmet coffee or herbal teas make a fine choice, as would reusable water bottles or lidded travel mugs.  Another suggestion would be some fine chocolate, cookies or other sweets for days when their flagging energy could really use a sugar boost! A small gift basket may be ideal.

Non-food items could include a stash of stickers or rubber stamps for primary grade teachers; books for classroom libraries; or gift certificates to local book stores, teaching supply, craft or office supply stores.  You would be surprised how much money an elementary school teacher spends out-of-pocket on motivational and educational items for their classroom to supplement what the school boards provide.  Any gift that enhances what they do in the classroom will be sure to be appreciated! 

If you happen to be lucky enough to know some of the teacher’s personal interests (such as gardening, crafting, involvement in a particular sport) then by all means tailor your gift along those lines!  As long as a gift is well thought out and useful or personal in nature you’re sure to receive an A+ for your efforts!

Laurie

James…

Here we go again. Mother’s Day is fast approaching and I have to do the impossible: buy my Mother a gift. Seriously, someone page Tom Cruise because it truly is Mission: Impossible - Mother’s Day style!

Making matters worse is the fact that I work in a seasonal retail type of business. What happens is that I get so busy making gifts for other people’s mothers that I forget to brainstorm about my own mother. That makes for a last minute decision. Smooth, right?

So I go through the list of typical presents…do I get her another unicorn knick-knack? No, her curio cabinet is absolutely full. What about another plant? No, her living room already looks like a jungle! Clothes? No, she’s extremely picky…gee I wonder which of her children got that gene?! Spa gift certificates? No, they’ll just go unused. See what I mean? This woman is impossible to buy for!

Finally I remember the way into her heart: chocolate! So simple.

So I’ll wrap up my favourite Mother’s Day gift basket, full of chocolates and other goodies, and tie on a beautiful bow. I will be sure to put some scratch tickets into the envelope as well – they are almost as important as the chocolate!

On May 11th, when I present the gift basket to my Mother, along with a hug, I’ll say to myself those two precious words: Mission Accomplished!

“So, what about his interests?”, you might be thinking.  Well, his main interests involve technical IT kind of stuff that I know nothing about, and improving and growing our business.  So he’s constantly educating himself by reading, researching, networking and “tinkering” on the computer.  Buying him anything electronic or related to technology of any kind is out of the question - I simply wouldn’t know where to begin!  Music is out - he listens to talk radio in the van and seminars, lectures or other educational type of things on his ipod while exercising.  Books or other resource media are out too for obvious reasons.

So what does that leave me with?  You would think that someone whose business is ”gifting” wouldn’t have a problem coming up with a gift for their own spouse, but I do.  I certainly can’t give him a gift basket after being in the basket business together for eight years!  I have access to a wide range of gourmet & specialty foods and giftware but it just doesn’t feel like a genuine gift when you handle these products on a daily basis.  He’s not a plant or flower type of guy and gift cards seem impersonal to me.  I could make him a nice meal but let’s face it, I’m not much of a cook!  What is a girl to do?

James, if you’re reading this, our daughter and I will have a lovely store bought cake and a heartfelt birthday card or two waiting for you when you get home.  The rest of it will be a surprise because I obviously haven’t a clue what to give you for a present!

As I was researching this fine non-holiday, I stumbled upon a website that made reference to other non-holiday celebrations.  In fact, today is also Cherry Cheesecake Day, Shakespeare’s birthday, St. George’s Day and World Book & Copyright Day.  It’s amazing that I never heard of any of these before.  Rounding out the week, tomorrow we have Ambivalence Day, Pigs in a Blanket Day and Plumbers Day and on Friday, just to name a few more, it’s Anzac Day in Australia & New Zealand, Zucchini Bread Day, Orthodox Holy Friday and my all time favourite, Don’t step in the Dog Poop Day.

As you can see, there are many reasons to celebrate daily and many reasons to send someone a gift.  I think I’ll send my brother our Koffee Kafe gift basket for Don’t step in the Dog Poop day…just for fun.  Have a great day!

Rich

Established in 1952 as “National Secretaries Week,” it was created in order to acknowledge the effort and dedication such staff put forth, as well as to promote the Administrative industry in general. Here we are 56 years later and the occasion has evolved into an annual event celebrated in workplaces worldwide The official web site of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) has a wealth of information regarding the history of Administrative Professionals Week as well as recommendations for how employers can acknowledge their administrative staff, a listing of APW events and resources for administrative professionals.  It’s well worth the visit for employers and administrative staff alike!

Many companies hold seminars, set up educational events or fun activities. It is also a wonderful opportunity to present your staff with some treats, such as individual gift baskets containing their favourite treats or larger gift hampers to be shared amongst the entire administrative staff.

Don’t forget that Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day. How will you show your administrative staff how much they are valued?