Back to School

Just can't  believe that school is almost beginning since August has already came. Summer goes quick. Youngsters are back in college and for me it is hardest to say goodbye to the young adults who are my family members who are going back to college. It was so cool to see them all summer and now some are packing up getting ready to go to college. Most of the kids I know go to Colorado State University in Fort Collins or Colorado University in Boulder. Two are going to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Actually there are two of my cousins kids who are coming to schools in Colorado. My friend is making up little gift bags for each kid with cookies and goodies from the supermarket to assist get them stocked up for dorm life. She has bought chips, dip, candy, nuts, and snacks and put them into a bucket. They turned out quite cute. When I asked her how much it cost she said she had no idea. I had a tough time finding a bucket and filling it with stuff to look good. It just did not appear to be enough. Then I started adding up the cost because I knew I needed to go purchase more stuff to make it look good. I just that wow factor for college students when they get to school. I know they may be a bit homesick and this is the nicest thing I can do for them and probably more for their parents. Shoving the products in the bucket is alright and it gets the task done. After making two of the buckets best friend suggested I look at Colorado Gift Baskets. She told me this after she was surprised at how much I had spent on each gift. Her business uses Baskets by Rita for all the gift baskets they send to visiting clients. There are great wooden crates with mountains and the word Colorado on them stuffed with products from Colorado. After checking out the website of Baskets by Rita I do not dare tell my husband that I actually could very well have sent a Colorado crate for the same price or even cheaper than I spent on my own. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Gracias, A way of saying, "Thank you!"

It is difficult to come across unusual and sincere and special ways of saying thank you to someone you value or endorse. To pay honor to their skills and work by commending them for support. You want them to know of your gratitude what they have achieved for you or for others or for the agency. To recognize that is the first step. To let the person realize you sincerely and truly appreciate them and acknowledge them is extremely important. Delivering thanks is not just for Thanksgiving anymore. You must offer and endorse the behaviors you want to see continue. So the first phase is to be aware of showing appreciation and acknowledging it. That does not mean going overboard all the time and having to give lots of gifts or money for every little thing. Research have found that people respond to acknowledgements of even the slightest kind such as a nod or look of approval or an actual pat on the back. Even a smile and a look of facial gratitute might be ways of endorsing self esteem and showing you just like and recognize what has been done or said. These words of appreciation and acknowledgment display tribute to the person and show that you value them. Saying thank you works. Now if you overdo it for every little thing it thanks and appreciation lose their value. It has to fit your personal way and must be real. Sincere gratitude and the word here is sincere is enormous. For a business applause of any kind is good but eventually and periodically you need to put your money where your mouth is and deliver something as appreciation of services and recognition of gratitute. That token of appreciation could be money such as a raise or cash with a thank you note. And you have to mix it up a little bit too. If you know the person shops at a certain store or enjoys a particular coffee house or restaurant you could give gift certificates. They are always appreciated. This works if you also do not want to make a big deal or applaud out loud for everyone to see or hear. Sometimes you do and you want others to step up so they too will get those monetary awards. So the looks, the thank you words, the notes and the occasional gift cards work. If you feel you want something with more of a wow factor then consider an actual gift that wows. The problem with money or gift cards is that they are definitely appreciated but have an exact value and the amount given one employee can be perceived by others as a rating scale by what they get. My business has small gift cards that are consistent for certain things then we started going to get plaques engraved and people displayed them for a while but are now gone and seem to be old hat to everyone. The secretaries said it is taking too much time to go out and shop for these prizes and that employees compare how much we spend on one compared to another. One of our secretaries found an Aurora based gift basket company that she now calls and has a gift basket or pail made up and delivered to us. It is so simple. Sometimes she just orders one of the baskets online from Baskets by Rita and tells them what to put on the card. More often recently she has been writing a note on the order or even calling and asking that the basket be unique. She just gives the price we want to pay and they put together a different gift basket crate box or pail every time. That way employees have no idea what amount we spent and theirs is unique. It is great way to say, "Thank You!- A Thank You Gift Basket." http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Gracias, A way of saying, "Thank you!"

It is difficult to come across unusual and sincere and special ways of saying thank you to someone you value or endorse. To pay honor to their skills and work by commending them for support. You want them to know of your gratitude what they have achieved for you or for others or for the agency. To recognize that is the first step. To let the person realize you sincerely and truly appreciate them and acknowledge them is extremely important. Delivering thanks is not just for Thanksgiving anymore. You must offer and endorse the behaviors you want to see continue. So the first phase is to be aware of showing appreciation and acknowledging it. That does not mean going overboard all the time and having to give lots of gifts or money for every little thing. Research have found that people respond to acknowledgements of even the slightest kind such as a nod or look of approval or an actual pat on the back. Even a smile and a look of facial gratitute might be ways of endorsing self esteem and showing you just like and recognize what has been done or said. These words of appreciation and acknowledgment display tribute to the person and show that you value them. Saying thank you works. Now if you overdo it for every little thing it thanks and appreciation lose their value. It has to fit your personal way and must be real. Sincere gratitude and the word here is sincere is enormous. For a business applause of any kind is good but eventually and periodically you need to put your money where your mouth is and deliver something as appreciation of services and recognition of gratitute. That token of appreciation could be money such as a raise or cash with a thank you note. And you have to mix it up a little bit too. If you know the person shops at a certain store or enjoys a particular coffee house or restaurant you could give gift certificates. They are always appreciated. This works if you also do not want to make a big deal or applaud out loud for everyone to see or hear. Sometimes you do and you want others to step up so they too will get those monetary awards. So the looks, the thank you words, the notes and the occasional gift cards work. If you feel you want something with more of a wow factor then consider an actual gift that wows. The problem with money or gift cards is that they are definitely appreciated but have an exact value and the amount given one employee can be perceived by others as a rating scale by what they get. My business has small gift cards that are consistent for certain things then we started going to get plaques engraved and people displayed them for a while but are now gone and seem to be old hat to everyone. The secretaries said it is taking too much time to go out and shop for these prizes and that employees compare how much we spend on one compared to another. One of our secretaries found an Aurora based gift basket company that she now calls and has a gift basket or pail made up and delivered to us. It is so simple. Sometimes she just orders one of the baskets online from Baskets by Rita and tells them what to put on the card. More often recently she has been writing a note on the order or even calling and asking that the basket be unique. She just gives the price we want to pay and they put together a different gift basket crate box or pail every time. That way employees have no idea what amount we spent and theirs is unique. It is great way to say, "Thank You!- A Thank You Gift Basket." http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Wedding Gift Baskets

We went to a wedding Thinking I'd just go to their wedding registry but they chose not to register anywhere. That meant just putting money into an envelope. Does anybody else feel a bit bizarre about that sometimes? First of all, I'm always second-guessing how much money and secondly, I know what I do when I get cash as a gift item. I just put it in my pocketbook and end up spending it at the grocery store or the parking garage. True--maybe they could use it to buy gas for the car. I don't want to do that any more. I have a couple wedding presents I still use and think of the people who gave them every single time I use them. But I don't know the tastes of this couple well enough--I called her mom and found out they love to go to the local park for picnics with a basket of wine and cheese. Problem solved! I found a great wine basket at Baskets by Rita and called to ask if they'd help me personalize a couple items. They were so nice and helpful. No, I talked to the real person, not somebody in a foreign country, who was going to put the basket together for me. The baskets are not mass produced and sitting on a shelf. They make them individually after they get the order. The wedding invitation was covered with sunflowers and the wedding was at a site with a sunflower background. I requested the basket contents and ribbon include the bright sunflower yellow color. I had it delivered to my house and I was so excited! It was cool--when we arrived at the wedding, there were only plain enveloped on the gift table--the Wine Basket made a huge impression did I ever get a huge bling for my money. It definitely made an impression. From now on, I'm walking into birthday parties, anniversaries, etc. with a basket. http://www.basketsbyrita.com 

A Good Old Fashioned Thanks

It appears as if the craft of giving thanks has become lost over time. Mailing a personalized thank you note was at one time habitual for both personal and business situations, but now many people believe it's enough to quickly shoot off an email with a quick "thanks" before getting back to their chaotic day to day lives. Now don't take this the wrong way. I know that the world is much more fast paced than it was previously and the majority of people barely have a second to sit back and catch a break, but thinking about it, that only gives you all the more reason to send a sincere thank you. Given that we've become less used to getting an official thank you, it makes a much greater impression when we do get one. It certainly is a lovely surprise to see that someone bothered to say "thanks." I haven't even mentioned the impact it can have on your business. By simply taking a second to write a personalized thank you, you are able to express to your customer how important their business is to you. By establishing personal connections with your clients, you are guaranteeing their confidence and giving them a reason to conduct business with you as opposed to your competitors. If I haven't yet convinced you that sending a thank you gift or note is worth the effort it takes, why not think about doing something that takes virtually no time at all? Sending flowers or a gift basket from an online site takes about as much time as sending an email, yet leaves a much greater impression. Gift like Thanks A Million Gift Box When you want to say thank you in a big way and still stay within your budget we have just the thing. Here is our thanks a million budget box filled with caramel corn, pretzels, fruit snacks, raspberry filled cookies, tea, cookies and a Chocolove chocolate bar. This assortment of gourmet treats will make a great impression as well as communicate your appreciation. Great for employee and customer appreciation or anytime you want to say thank you. Forget all objections and exercise some old fashioned courtesy the next time you have the opportunity to say thank you. Baskets By Rita is one online business that has a fantastic selection of gift baskets for all occasions. (Insert database). Thanks for listening! To give someone the hint or pass on this excellent advice, repost this blog on Facebook or Twitter! http://www.facebook.com/basketsbyrita http://twitter.com/#!/basketsbyrita

Baskets By Rita, a Colorado Gift Basket Company, Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

Ten years after being laid off from Agilent Technologies, Marge Van Woerkom and her business, Baskets By Rita, are still going strong. As a previous Reporter Herald article outlined, Van Woerkom was one of many Loveland residents who found themselves unemployed in 2002 when HP and Agilent downsized. After 19 years of working for HP and Agilent, Van Woerkom refused to be a victim of her situation. She pulled herself together after the lay off and bought an existing business in Aurora, Colorado. She chose not to change the company's existing name, Baskets By Rita, which already had a strong reputation in the Denver metro area and this choice has served her well. "We've built our business on the philosophy that the customer come first" says Van Woerkom.

Since Van Woerkom took ownership of the company, she has managed to grow sales despite the economic recession of the past few years. In addition, she has grown the company's clientele and web presence year over year with the help of her staff and dedicated members of her family. As a sign of its ongoing growth, Baskets By Rita began plans several months ago to create a sister company, Gift Agent. Gift Agent will offer customers a slightly more specialized product line packaged in specialty boxes which will allow the company to be more eco-friendly and create more of a recognized brand identity. The hope is that receiving a gift from Gift Agent will be comparable in recipients' minds to receiving a box of Godiva chocolates. While Gift Agent gives cause for much excitement at Baskets By Rita, that is not the only exciting news for the company.

This year, Baskets By Rita is celebrating it's 20th year of business. While many other gift basket companies have gone out of business, Van Woerkom and her staff have managed to maintain steady growth despite the public's growing need to economize. To show their gratitude for the continued support of their customers and celebrate their 20 years of success, Baskets By Rita has planned a series of sales promotions for each month of the year. These promotions include deals such as 15% off when you spend $50 or more and a gift of a free basket for the winner of a video commercial contest. For every dollar saved by their customers through these ongoing promotions, Baskets By Rita will donate a dollar to a local charity. Each month, the company will choose two local charities to support and they will match the savings of their customers to determine the donation amount. The best part of this campaign is that customers are encouraged to vote for their favorite charities so that everyone can be involved. As a local business, Baskets By Rita does its best to support local programs and Van Woerkom is excited to have an excuse to give back even more than her usual holiday charitable donations. Like us on Facebook and vote for your local charity. When doing so we will send you a coupon code for 20% off your next purchase.

A Story Of Easter's Origin

Easter Origins Have you ever asked yourself where the legend of the Easter Bunny came from? I mean really, do rabbits and colorful eggs really say anything about Jesus' resurrection? The response is no. The tradition of the Easter Bunny was created in the 13th century and comes from pre-Christian Germany. The pagan people of that time period worshipped numerous gods and goddesses. The goddess of spring and fertility was known as Eostra, which is where the name Easter came from. As you may know, spring is the time for rebirth. Because of this, Eostra's sign was the rabbit. The rabbit signified regeneration since rabbits are well renowned for their significant rate of reproduction. With time, this representation of Eostra result in other myths and in the 1500s, the earliest fable of the Easter Bunny was published. Now since you know where the Easter Bunny came from you are likely asking yourself to know about the eggs. Eggs have been a symbol of fertility for years and were likely included in early pagan festivities of spring. As Christianity became more widespread in Europe and in Germany, previous pagan customs began to mesh with modern Christian celebrations. Nowadays, we know that Easter eggs signify Jesus' resurrection. Over time the Easter Bunny myth developed still further and turned into what we know it as today. Comparable to the myth of Santa Clause, German families would convince their children that if they were well behaved the Easter Bunny would arrive and bring eggs that they could trade for sweets and various other treats. People began the tradition of creating nests for the eggs and these nests ultimately morphed into the cheerful colorful Easter baskets which we have today. The fable of the Easter Bunny first found its way to the US in the 1700s when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania. These days, this Easter belief is a widespread part of our traditions as are tons of other norms which come from the homes of our immigrant forefathers. If you'd like to play the Bunny this Easter, purchase a basket such as our Girls Easter Basket for somebody you love. Baskets By Rita provides numerous Easter baskets to choose between and is offering 10% off all Easter gift baskets for the month of March. Girls Easter Basket filled with special goodies for Easter giving. This small Easter basket is the perfect combination of toys and goodies for a child. We filled our white willow basket with a butterfly coloring sketch pad activity book and 4 pack of crayons, plastic Easter eggs filled with candy, M& M's, Starburst candy, Disney fun straw, Jelly Belly sour jelly beans, Gold Fish crackers, Plush Easter Bunny and a silk butterfly. Follow is on Twitter or find us on Facebook. http://www.basketsbyrita.com