Sunday, August 2, is National Friendship Day. But every day  is a good day to acknowledge and celebrate our friends. In today’s hectic world we may not get to see our friends as often as we would like. There is work, often overtime, family responsibilities, Household chores, errands and much more. Before you know it months may have flown by and you haven’t gotton together with some of your best friends. There are health benefits to a visit with a friend or even chatting on the phone. In fact research has shown that people with strong social support systems have stronger imune systems! It is well worth the extra effort to work more time with friends in to our weekly routines!

            A friend can:

• Help you to more easily deal with stress.
• Laugh and find humor in life. (Laughter has many health benefits!)
• Help you to relax.
• Rid you of negative emotions.
• Lift your spirits and lower your blood pressure
• Make you feel cared for and supported.
• Help you to enjoy the present moment.
• Inspire you to achieve your goals
• Support you in your business endeavors

There are also those old friends that we have lost contact with. Perhaps they moved, changed jobs,  got divorced or for whatever reason you lost touch. Take a moment and look for them today. You can search on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Most likely they have been thinking of you as well and hearing from you would really make their day!

For the current friends, why not get out your calendar right now and schedule some regular friend time  over the next several months to do  the folowing:

• Schedule ten or fifteen minutes per day to call one friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile and catch up. (Make a list) You can schedule the call during your morning coffee, lunch time, afternoon break or in the evening.
• Call your best friends today and tell them Happy Friendship Day! Tell them what they mean to you.
• Send an unexpected card to a friend at least a couple times per month.
• Invite a friend over for dinner or to meet at a restaurant.
• Invite a friend to meet for coffee before work or for lunch.
• Plan a picnic or fun outing with a friend.
• Catch a movie with a friend
• Go walking or jogging
• Attend one of the free summer concerts in the park together.

When you need a special gift for a friend, (whether it is a birthday, get well, thank you or just because, ) we can custom design the perfect gift to match any personality. Visit us at www.thebesttoyou.com.

Win A Hundred Dollar Gift Basket Or Other Raffle Prizes!

We would like to hear your stories of old friends found, what your best friend means to you, fun things you do with friends, How a friend changed your life, etc. The winner will be anounced by August 15th and will win a beautiful gift basket valued at $100. The runners up will be entered in a raffle drawing . Winners of the raffle will receive small gift baskets, gift items or confections.

Just click on make a comment to enter your Friendship Story.

Vote For Us!

The Best To You is honored to be nominated on the Best Of 10 News A-List and competing for the category of best gift shop in San Diego. Every year Channel 10 in San Diego has a contest to discover the best local businesses in 113 different categories. The winners will be announced the week of September 4th on 10News.com.

The Best To You is known for unsurpassed presentations, unique gifts and elegant gift baskets. However we think it is our company philosophy that has been responsible for our success and the award winning design team’s dedication, creativity, excellent customer service and attention to detail. You see we do not just deliver gift baskets, we deliver an experience and create memories.

While many companies have been competing for several weeks already, The Best To You has only been on the list since July 24th and very grateful to our wonderful fans, clients and friends who are voting immediately and  pushing us up in the contest standings.

Please take a moment to vote for The Best To You. Voting is easy. You can vote for us  and recommend us at

http://kgtv.cityvoter.com/the-best-to-you/biz/390393.

To thank you for your time when you vote for us and post a testimonial, we will offer a 15% discount off any gift basket ordered. This offer will be valid through November 2009. Just mention 10 News A-List when ordering. Your support means a lot to us!

It is fun to go through the list and vote for your favorites in different categories. Just a few of the other categories include:

• Best hamburger
• Best restaurant
• Best wine bar
• Best coffee shop
• Best hair salon
• Best sport bar
• Best day spa
• Most romantic restaurant

Who are some of your favorite local companies in the other categories?

The Gardener Gift Basket

Whether you are in the building industry or have a friend or family member moving to a new home, there are many types of housewarming gifts to choose from.   To design the perfect gift we would first ask some questions.

• Is this their very first home or their second, third or fourth?
• Will you be giving the gift the day they move in or a few weeks later?
• Is the home a fixer upper, a mansion, or something in between? Is it near the ocean, on a golf course,  out in the country, or  is it a modern condo downtown?
• What are they most excited about? Is it the area and attractions, hosting back yard barbeque parties, having a beatiful garden, relaxing by the fireplace, creating dinners in the modern new kitchen, having parties and entertaining, or spending time in the roman tub or spa?

The Best To You also thinks “outside the basket”. For example the container can be a picnic bag  if they are excited about being near the beach. The bag has a compartment for wine or sparkling cider, cutting board, cheese knife, silverware, glasses, linen napkins, bottle opener, plates and an insulated compartment for the picnic. They can even be embroidered.

A garden hose filled with gardening gloves, flower seeds, gardening book, garden tools and gardener’s hand cream is a great gift for the gardening enthusiast.

If their home has an Italian theme or they are near Little Italy, an elegant stainless steel colander and pasta serving plate makes a great container and can be filled with pasta, breadsticks, pasta sauce, olive oil, cappucino, and chocolates. candles and a musical CD like “A Taste of Italy” add nice finishing touches.

A few other suggestions: (We have dozens more!)

• A tall vase with elegant gifts  and gourmet goodies coming up out of the top makes a striking gift.
• A “Move In Survival Bucket” filled with hand soap, dish soap, Windex, picture hanging kit, dish towel,  coffee, and snacks.
• A detailed, hand painted bird house in the shape of a  home (adorable)
• Hand painted, blown glass candle vase with scented candle inside in a satin keepsake box.
• Elegant leatherette wine caddy or martini case (only if you know they drink)
• Swivel cutting board.  Looks fantastic on the counter as a cutting board, doubles as a party server on the buffet table swiveled open with cheeses and sausage on top. Includes four stainless steel cheese tools that store inside.

Housewarming is just one of our many themes we offer and is a specialty. We also do Birthday, get well, condolence, Anniversary, Wedding and new baby gift baskets. For more information please visit our website at www.thebesttoyou.com.  Please comment and let us know which type of gift you would prefer if you were moving in to a new home. We would love to hear from you.

Just ask everyone to bring some meat, chicken or fish and at least  one of  the other  items:

• guacamole
• chopped onions
• shredded cabbage, lettuce, chopped salad etc.
• salsa
• sour cream
• shredded cheeses
• black beans
• black olives
• corn
• chile peppers 
• fish fillets (taco portions)
• steak (taco portions)
• Chicken breast strips
• Corn and flour tortillas
• paper plates, plastic ware, napkins, garbage bags
• Beverages

All the meat, chicken and fish can be thrown on the barbeque  while everyone  fills up their taco shell with the bountiful buffet of  yummy fillings and then adds their choice of meat chicken or fish to their taco masterpiece.

If you are having the party indoors or do not want to barbeque, you can ask the guests to bring the meat chicken or fish already cooked and cut in taco sized strips.

For Dessert spread whipping cream on a bundt cake and top with  sliced strawberries and blueberries for a delicious and patriotic red, white and blue finish.  The French Gourmet in Pacific Beach also makes festive patriotic cookies and cakes in their wonderful bakery.

All of us at The Best To You wish you a wonderful Fourth Of July weekend.

One of the things I became really aware of through that experience is that when you are traveling out of the country, it is important to learn the customs of the people you will be visiting. Not being aware of certain customs can often create unintended misunderstandings.

For example, for a wedding gift here in San Diego, I would create a gorgeous white and gold or white and silver gift basket creation like the one pictured here. But this would be a terrible choice for a bride in China, since the color white is the color of death  there.

So, instead, for a bride in China I would make the gift basket red and gold, which signifies prosperity and good luck.

Here are a few more interesting international gift giving etiquette facts:

• In Brazil, black or purple is the color of mourning.
• In Mexico, yellow flowers indicate death.
• In many Latin American countries, a letter opener or fancy set of steak knives is not the nice gift you may mean it to be. Giving a knife means you want to cut off the relationship!
• In the Philippines, it is not customary to  open the gift in front of the giver. It will be opened later when the giver is no longer present.
• In Spain, if you are given a gift, open it immediately.
• In Italy, do not give gifts that promote your logo or company name.
• Muslim Indonesians consider dogs unclean. Do not give a toy or plush dog as a gift.
• In China, gifts are always reciprocated. It is bad etiquette not to reciprocate.
• In Saudi Arabia, gifts are only given to very close friends.
• In Japan, present and receive gifts with both hands.

Do you have any interesting etiquette trivia you have picked up in your world travels? Please click on the comment button and share.

Also please let us know if you find this topic interesting.

The message can match the theme of the card, be humorous, or heartfelt. Kids like to make up poems for their Dads too.

It is easy to create these warm family memories by helping the kids make personalized cards for their dads. Although they can make a card just with a piece of plain paper and some crayons or colored markers, just a few extra art supplies (many may already be found at home) can make it a bit more of an event. Here are some suggestions:

• Scissors
• Glue or glue stick
• Colored paper to fold in half like a greeting card
• Colored markers
• A ruler to write the heart felt message nicely inside
• Assorted magazines to cut out colorful pictures & headlines for the front of the card
• Enhancements to decorate the edge of the card

Why not make the kids a little card kit? Get a nice little gift box and keep these items inside for future card making!

To start, first discuss what  they would like the theme to be. Does dad have a hobby like golf or gardening? Does he love to watch TV? Has he been eyeing a certain car that is on his wish list? Does he love to barbeque or cook? Make the card fun and custom designed to match his personality, interests or hobbies.

Once a theme is decided, the child can begin cutting out pictures from magazines. Some headlines may match the theme perfectly as well and even add a touch of humor. The pictures can be glued to the front and inside left panel of the card. The right panel is for the message. On the front of the card above the picture they can write “Happy Father’s Day” or an original greeting of their choice. They also can feature pictures and messages on the back of the card. Older computer savvy kids may wish to print pictures from the internet for the card, like Dad’s favorite baseball team, vacation spot, singer, etc.

Finally add some enhancements to decorate the left edge (or all around) the front of the card to frame the picture. Just add some glue and add the Enhancement that best ties in with the card  theme. Here are just a few ideas for enhancements:

• Sparkles
• Sea shells (great for beach theme)
• a piece of rope (The child can draw an anchor at the end if  it is a boat loving dad!)
• a nice twig (If dad is a hiker this makes  a nice rustic, nature theme card)
• colorful themed stickers (found in stationary or party isle of most stores)
• golf tees (for golf loving dad)
• nails (for handyman dad)

Last of all plan the perfect time for the presentation of the final work of art. Maybe right before Father’s Day breakfast or brunch! It’s nice to do it at the start of Dad’s Day! 

Now my daughter works at our San Diego gift basket company, The Best To You. She makes gorgeous, unique, custom designed gift baskets that are delivered all over San Diego or shipped nation wide. Her creativity started with hand made cards and blossomed.

We would love to hear some of the themes your kids came up with for their hand made Father’s Day cards! Please enter your comments and also feel free to give us a call at 858-578-2740.

Because of this, we decided to post a round-up of some golf-themed gifts and gift basket creations. But remember that any gift basket can be personalized to include Dad’s favorite gourmet items, snacks, cookies, chocolates or fruit. The golf gift baskets can also include a golf course guide, golf balls, golf tees, a golf book, a CD or a golfer bobble head with “Ruler of the Course” written on it.

One of our most popular golf gift basket creations is the Golf Nut Deluxe basket. Included in the gift basket is a golf book, a 19th hole snack mix, golf tees and the Golfer Bobble Head.

For any of your dads who are “on-the-go,” the Executive Putter Set is the perfect gift. Complete with a handsome vintage wooden travel case, two balls and a cup, this set is ideal for practicing golf at home, the office or on a trip. This is one of our most popular golf gifts both for Father’s Day and for corporate gifts.

If your dad loves golf and has a sweet tooth, the Dad’s Golf Theme Cookie Bouquet is for him. On those days that he has to miss out on a day of putting, he can remember the good times simply by taking a tasty bite out of a golf bag, golf ball or flagstick cookie.

The Best To You also thinks “outside the basket” and offers some wonderful stand-alone gifts for the golfer. These include an “The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf” and a beautiful coffee table book featuring the best golf courses in the world.

Of course, any of these gifts and gift basket creations would be a addition to a day on the greens with dad. Before you head out, be sure to find out how to improve your game. And for some ideas of where you might want to go hit some balls, check out the San Diego Golf Reservations website.

And remember, whether for Father’s Day, a birthday or a gift of thanks, The Best To You creates hundreds of unique, themed gift baskets that are custom designed to match any personality or budget.

Stay tuned to learn more about other themes that are consistent best-sellers for Father’s Day. And if you’d like to see ideas for Father’s Day that we’ve discussed in the past, take a look at our past posting, “Celebrate Your Dad on Father’s Day (and Make Some Memories Too)”.

Of course, he enriched my life in many other ways, as well. When with him he imparted granules of his wisdom, core values and love for people of all nationalities. He and I shared a love of musicals. The evening he took me to dinner, the premier of “The Sound of Music” and then a fancy  ice cream parlor was magical.

As each Father’s Day rolls around, I cherish these memories, but how I wish  I  could spend just one more Father’s Day with him. If I had the chance, I would spend the entire day with him just talking, laughing, sharing memories and telling him I love him.

Which is why I like to gently remind my friends and colleagues that — if you are able to — this Father’s Day is a great opportunity to spend time with your dad! Whether it’s just reminiscing on the phone or going on an all-out excursion, time together now will become precious memories later.

And when it comes to sending him a gift, why not make it something that is meaningful and special to him? We have a wonderful selection of gifts and gift baskets that can be designed to match his hobbies or interests, and  can be arranged to arrive as a memorable surprise by Father’s Day. We hand deliver in San Diego and ship gifts nation wide. 

Here are a few ideas for how you might want to celebrate your father this Father’s Day:

• If you are lucky enough to have your dad nearby, take him to brunch overlooking the ocean (try Azul La Jolla for delicious food and breathtaking views of beautiful La Jolla Cove), and gift him a Picnic on the Go shoulder pack for future picnics on the beach. Complete with its own removable liner, it’s the perfect way to carry  your favorite wine and food.

• If your father is a gardener, take him on a shopping spree to a beautiful nursery like Anderson Nursery  which is the best  in San Diego, and gift him The Gardener Deluxe, which includes a basket made from a garden hose, gardening gloves, tool, book, flower seeds, and a scrumptious assortment of goodies.

• If he is a movie buff, bring our Movie Night Popcorn Bowl filled with popcorn, cokes, and snacks, along with some good movies to watch with him while you share the treats.

• If dad loves to golf, spend the day at the golf course and give him our Executive Golf Putter that he can use at home or office, which includes two balls, a practice cup, and a four-piece putter.

• If he loves to barbecue, bring over some steaks to throw on the barbecue and give him the gift of a basket with a barbecue apron, a chef hat, and a barbecue tool set.

• If he’s a photography fan, give him a beautiful photo album made in Bali out of leaves, wood, twigs, and rope, along with a certificate from Nelson Photo Supplies. They not only have great deals on cameras & supplies, but also have classes on photography.

• Or, send an invitation to spend Father’s Day with you at the beach, along with our basket filled with everything you need for a fun day at the beach, including fruit and nut mix, salsa, chips, a towel, a Frisbee, and sun tan lotion.

The ideas are endless. If none of these seem exactly right for you, just give us a call and we’ll custom design one that fits your dad perfectly — no matter what hobbies or interests he might have. You can reach us at 858-578-2740.

You're A Star From The Best To You

It is said the largest desire shared by most people is the desire to feel appreciated! In these fast paced, hectic times, we may not be acknowledging each hard working member of our team as much as we should. How happy and loyal an employee is, may often be directly related to how appreciated he or she feels! There are many different ways to show appreciation. Here are a few.

Frequent verbal acknowledgments. There should be frequent words of encouragement such as: “Great job on that last project!”  “You sounded great on that sales call just now!”  “Our client just commented on your great customer service!” or just “Have I told you how much I appreciate you and what a great job you are doing?”

A written acknowledgment.

• A thank you card that greets them in the morning after completion of a project that was well done is a nice gesture.
• Surprising them with an occasional gift card to Starbucks is fun and the message could say “You sure deserve a break! Have a cup of coffee on me.”
• A memo of appreciation to an employee who just went the extra mile and didn’t think it was noticed.

Frequent celebrations! Celebrate the whole team when the company gets a large new client, a new product is launched, A client gives a raving testimonial, The company is featured in a news story, a group project is completed, a challenge was met, etc.

• Surprise them with a breakfast basket filled with muffins, cheese and fruit danish, croissants, apple strudels , to start off their day if it is a morning celebration.
• Or an Office Party basket filled with a sweet and savory assortment for an impromptu afternoon celebration.
• Another idea would be fresh baked cookies or a tray of decadent chocolate truffles.
• It builds morale and a team spirit to celebrate wins together! These celebrations are often a great way to start a staff meeting, also.

Employee Gifts. It is customary to give a valued employee a gift  during certain occasions. The most popular occasions are:

• The employee’s birthday,
• to celebrate a company anniversary,
• new baby,
• get well,
• sympathy  if the employee has a death in the family,
• Holiday time,
• and Administrative Professional’s week (April 20 to 24th).

Many people feel The best gifts are the ones that are customized to match the hobbies or interests of the employee. Examples would be a baseball themed basket for the baseball fan, A leatherette wine caddy for the wine enthusiast, A beach themed picnic bag for the surfer, and so on.   Others prefer to give each employee a smaller token of appreciation and include a gift certificate inside. Examples of this would be a large latte mug filled with biscotti, coffee, chocolates, cookies and a Starbucks card, or a Movie Themed popcorn bowl filled with cokes, snacks, microwave popcorn and a Blockbuster certificate.

Other popular employee gifts include: A cool lunch tote filled with goodies, stacking boxes filled with surprises, a coffee tote with thermous, mugs and accessories, cookie bouquets, fresh fruit, a  relaxation CD, coffee table books, pampering bath products, snacks they can share and chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate!

The Garden Basket

Once you have chosen a theme, a unique  container,  and the perfect ingredients to be elegantly presented, the next step is creating a masterpiece.  Each item should be strategically placed in the basket or container. Decorative colored sizzle can be added between the products. Silk leaves or flowers can be added. The gift can be cello wrapped or shrink wrapped. It can be topped off with a beautiful hand made bow or decorative floral accent.

The presentation is very important. Keep in mind the goal of your gift. You want your gift to create A Memorable Experience!

A  gorgeous, custom gift basket delivered to a friend or relative who is alone for the Holiday,  can change what may have felt  like a difficult, sad and very lonely time to one that feels full of  warmth, surprise, comfort, excitement and love.  An unexpected knock at the door, an elegantly presented gift that brightens the day, A message that says “you are loved and missed!” Favorite goodies, a humorous book to deliver daily smiles, and Holiday goodies to enjoy. Could that lift spirits and deliver joy? Will it be remembered?

Imagine if you had been working hard and had a rough week when you answer a knock at the door. There, before your eyes is a Pamper Yourself basket from your office. You light the scented candle, put on the multi-sensory guided meditation CD, make yourself a cup of the delicious caramel peach herbal tea, and fill the tub with the aromatic foaming bubble bath. The experience has just begun! You still have all the wonderful hand and body creams to smooth on, a soft plush robe to slip into and a melt in your mouth chocolate truffle to devour! Are you ever going to forget this experience? No!

Let’s say your Mom mentioned that she wants to find more time to spend in the garden. Imagine her delight when she receives a Garden Caddy overflowing with gardening tools, a watering can, flower seeds, pretty gardening gloves and assorted gifts that will make her gardening hobby even more pleasurable each time. She loves to garden and you have just created a wonderful gardening experience for her to enjoy daily if she chooses. This is why we love what we do! It is about spreading good will, lifting spirits and creating memorable experiences! For more information visit The Best ToYou.

The gift can  deliver comfort, cheer, celebration, appreciation and love! The experience of  receiving a beautiful  gift, opening all the surprises in the gift, realizing the gift was custom designed especially for you, and using and experiencing all the goodies inside creates lasting memories!