Country Berry Farm

BBQ season is so wonderful. Actually at our house we BBQ all year long. The snow could be 2 feet high on our deck but there my husband is shoveling a path to the BBQ so we can have the perfect steak, makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I don’t order steak when we go to a restaurant because it always fails in comparison to my wonderful husband’s grilling perfection. One thing that goes really well on the BBQ is to use a spice rub on your meat of choice and then grill it to perfection, try one of our Ocean Crate Food Company spice rub with Honey Garlic or Cajun Chicken, YUM! Another favorite product of mine is Gourmet Village Beer Barbeque sauce, it puts that little extra zing on the perfect steak or ribs. If dad loves to BBQ, send him a King of the Grill Father’s Day gift basket  so he can get his grill on too!

When deciding on what to give your mother for Her special day, it’s important to consider many factors. What mom likes is a good starting point, but it’s even more important to remember what mom doesn’t like. When selecting from Mother’s Day gift ideas, know beforehand what her favourite sweets and treats are because there are usually many choices available.  The variety and selection of ideas are only limited by your imagination. Hundreds of websites offer great gift baskets for Mother’s Day and with a little bit of patience, you’re sure to find the perfect one!

I know what you might be thinking…why would you send Easter gift baskets if not for Easter? There are many reasons to use the holiday for other purposes. Easter baskets might be holiday themed, but they all contain the most important ingredient for sending good wishes - CHOCOLATE! Consider sending ‘Easter Wishes’ for a sick colleague, or combine a birthday with the Easter holiday. It would be considered a ‘timely’ gift, and definitely appreciated.  Check out this article on Easter gift baskets!

Spring is just around the corner and everyone is thinking of Mother’s Day. It’s a great time to express to her how much you appreciate all that she has done for you. One great way is to give her a gift basket. Spa gift baskets can be a wonderfully thoughtfully gift if selected right. Ensure the scent chosen is favoured by her, and the price point should not be too low or too high. Decide based on the recipient’s desires!

Another great holiday is Easter. It happens at one of the best times of year - in spring, when everyone is happy to be rid of the snow. It’s a taste of things to come. Great weather, barbeques, family fun. Easter gifts are always colourful and fun. Chocolate is usually a primary item to include, to everyone’s delight! Pastel colours are usually the main design theme. Regardless of the contents or theme, the gift must come from the heart. Send it to a family member or good friend. Thank them for being there in your difficult times and good times. Easter gift ideas are available everywhere!

Toronto, Canada’s largest city by population, has the distinction of having a ton of corporations. During this holiday time of year, corporations send holiday gift baskets. Often times, recipients aren’t just located in Toronto itself, but spread throughout the country. A gift basket company with a reliable track record for shipping gifts coast to coast is an absolute necessity.  You can’t assume the gifts will arrive in great condition unless an experience company is handling the task. Always make sure that the company hired has a track record and experience. Knowing how a box is handled by major couriers/delivery services can avoid big mistakes in the gifting process.  If all you are doing is shipping gifts in Toronto, then the task couldn’t be simpler!

In this economic climate, it might be important to boost employee morale. People may be afraid of losing their jobs, even if you as their employer know that isn’t happening. This psychological problem can affect productivity. A happy workforce is a productive workforce. Cheer up your employees by having a holiday office party. It could require a lot of planning depending on the size of your staff, so prepare to plan ahead and get help from some volunteers. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, celebrate early with a Halloween office party. It will re-energize the employees for the lead up to the slower December timeframe.

Food gift baskets are very popular gifting choices. Recipients love the delicious treats they contain. The containers themselves are often practical and can be re-used or kept as general use containers. There is more variety with food gifts then just using traditional wicker gift baskets. Tin planters and unique tin containers are just two other options available. Gourmet food gift baskets have come a long way since the dawn of the internet and gift companies are having to come up with creative ways to stand out among the competition.

I visited the local burger joint yesterday and saw a notice posted regarding tomatoes being banned for now due to illnesses around the US.  Apparently there was a pattern to salmonella poisoning that could be traced to the tomatoes they consummed.  Hopefully the exact source of the problem is found soon.  It’s amazing how you don’t realize what part of your burger is essential, until it’s missing!

I took my daughter to a berry farm last weekend.  It’s amazing how their eyes light up at fruit outside, but not fruit on the kitchen countertop!  This farm was specifically for kids and babies who wanted to spend more time playing with the fruit rather than eating it.  There were blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and frank-n-berries…ok, this last one I made up (remember the cereal?).  The best time to go is when it’s overcast outside. If it’s too hot, that’s a distraction.  If it’s raining, you get wet.  Makes sense?