Archive for June 2009
Growing up, one of my favorite play-acting personae was the pirate. As a five-year-old, I dressed up as a pirate for Halloween, brandishing my imaginary sword. The pirates were the arrgh-growling rebels, charting their own course. Parents dare not tell a pirate “No” or “Put that down” or “Time for bed.” But I do remember a rule against pirate sword sticks in the house.
So when my young nephew said I had pirates lurking in my backyard, I was pleased. For his fifth birthday, I chose pirate-themed gifts from toymaker Melissa & Doug:
- Melissa & Doug wooden pirate chest
with skull latch, bandanna, eye patch, loot bag and doubloons.
- Melissa & Doug 100-piece Pirate’s Bounty floor puzzle
.
I like the heirloom quality and durability of Melissa & Doug toys. And I hope my nephew doesn’t mind a few pirates in his backyard.
Tags: birthday, for kids, gift ideas, toys
This past weekend, Cuba came to our patio. My wife and I teamed up with her three sisters to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday with a vintage Havana surprise party. None of us are Cuban, but the party theme gave a good excuse to serve mojitos. (And I got to wear a guayabera shirt
When I think Cuba, I think cigars. We opted for milk chocolate cigars
The second gift favor doubled as a table arrangement and a favor: lucky bamboo. Bamboo is plentiful in Cuba, used for furniture, fences and handicrafts for centuries. My sister-in-law bought live bamboo shoots, and she wrapped them in burlap and jute string. We set the lucky bamboo plants in wooden cigar boxes, lined with gray pebbles. Each leafy bamboo arrangement included a small scroll explaining care and how some value bamboo for its luck in bringing wealth.
I didn’t realize that bamboo is an indoor plant that should stay out of sunlight. Simply change the one inch of water once a month and watch as fortune shines upon you. Happy birthday, Dad!
Tags: birthday, chocolate+candy, flowers, for dad, for guests, gift ideas, personalized gifts
I love Trader’s Joes. For the uninitiated, this grocery store chain offers its own private-label products with high quality, low prices and great service. The store is practically a tourist destination. My wife’s uncle and aunt drive almost 100 miles into another state to reach the nearest Trader Joe’s.
If you know another Trader Joe’s fan, assemble a TJ’s gift bag. (See if a store is near you.) Start with the colorful, reusable Trader Joe’s tote bag (ranging from 99 cents to $4). Then fill the bag with your TJ favorites. Or try choosing products based on themes like breakfast time, just snacks, taste of Italy, south of the border, Asian favorites, or chocolate lover.
My Trader Joe’s dream gift bag would overflow with my favorite non-perishable products:
- Spicy and Tangy Almonds
- A bottle of Charles Shaw Chardonnay (a.k.a. “Two Buck Chuck”)
- Pita Bite Crackers
- Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
- Truffle Brownie Mix
- Olive Tapenade Spread
- Triple Ginger Snaps
- Baked Jalapeño Cheese Crunchies
As a bonus gift bag item, visit Amazon.com and buy Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s
Tags: books, chocolate+candy, everyday gifts, food, gift baskets, gift ideas
Earlier today, I spent an hour removing UPC labels stuck on serving bowls. And not just one tag per bowl. The manufacturer added three other essential stickers: “Made in the Philippines,” “Not dishwasher safe,” and “Hand-crafted from monkey pods.”
Why do companies indelibly tattoo these tags on their products? Several left sticky glue residue on the underside of the bowls. eHow offers six suggestions for removing this sticker gunk. Plus, eHow offers advice for removing labels that involves Q-tips, rubbing alcohol and razor blades. So I need to become MacGyver or a field surgeon to rid these stickers.
That’s just the tags. Some manufacturers humanproof their stuff in hard-plastic clamshell cases, requiring heavy-duty scissors or the Zibra Open It Universal Package Opener
Thankfully, Amazon.com began a “frustration-free” package initiative in 2008, spanning several years. Amazon’s first easy-to-open product, which I gave my nephew for his birthday, is the Fisher-Price Imaginext Adventures Pirate Ship
Tags: customer service, gift sites, giftology, packaging, toys
Tomorrow my wife and I are hosting a surprise birthday party with 20 guests attending. Unfortunately, the seating math didn’t add up. Our patio set seats six. Add in a small table with four chairs, and we would have half our guests standing. Fortunately, our next-door neighbors balanced the seating equation, lending two of their patio table sets. To thank them, we are sending a gift basket from igourmet.com.
The Gourmet Thank You Gift Basket features many epicurean goodies:
- Asiago Pressato Cheese
- Black Kassel Sliced Salami
- Mini Toasts for the cheese and salami
- Beemster Gouda Cheese with Mustard Seeds
- Grab an “O” Olives
- Dolmas (Greek stuffed grape leaves)
- Trouvillais by Biscuiterie de l’Abbaye (French shortbread cookies)
- A Dancing Deer Brownie
Tags: food, for hosts, gift baskets, gift ideas, thank you
