And to all a great gift!

For Your Favorite Elf - Santa's got a brand new bag.... and we filled it with all of our favorite cookies and treats!

This clever felt gift bag adds a new twist to the standard cookies and milk left by the fireplace or tree.

A Delightful Santa Buffet

Let It Snow!

The weather outside will soon be frightful,
And we have baskets that are so delightful,
Visit our website for great gifts on the go,
Shop from home and Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Let it Snow...man!

When it begins to snow,

the Frosty Brigade is bound to show!

This cute Snowman Tower is four layers of treats to help melt away the winter blues:

• Top Hat is filled with Peppermint Candies
• His head is full of Mini-Chocolate Bars
• Middle layer is filled with instant hot drinks
• Bottom layer contains snacks to munch & dunk

This gift will dress up any fireplace, table or tree.

Sweets for Your Sweetie

Sweetest Day

The "Sweetest" of Gifts

Treat that special someone with a token of your affection on Saturday, October 15, otherwise known as "Sweetest Day." Sweetest Day was created by Herbert Birch Kingston in Cleveland in 1922 to bring happiness to the lives of orphans, shut-ins and others that were normally forgotten. Over the years, Sweetest Day has turned into a time to express love and to show appreciation to friends and family. Baskets by Bonnie has you covered with a nice variety of gifts for all your treasured relationships.

Book Reviews

Books for the Occasion Romantic Holidays tend to put relationships under a magnifying glass. The scrutiny can either push a romance to the next level or cause a breakup. A good book can help a friend navigate through the various stages of dating and can make a nice addition to a gift basket.  For the Romance that is heating up:    Are You made for Each Other?  By Barbara & Allan Pease about Are You Made for Each Other After more than thirty years of research into how relationships work and where they often go wrong, Allan and Barbara Pease devised this clever quiz book to help you determine how compatible you and your partner are.

To console a friend in the throes of a breakup: It's Called a Break Up Because It's Broken By Greg Behrendt & Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt about It's Called a Break Up... It's called a breakup because it's broken, and starting right here, right now, it's time to dry your tears, put down that pint of ice cream, log out of his e-mail, and open this book to Chapter One-and start turning your breakup into a breakover. For a friend who needs to move on but doesn't know how:     How to Dump a Guy   By Kate Fillion & Ellen Ladowsky about How to Dump a Guy Irreverent yet practical, supportive, knowing, and very, very funny, How to Dump a Guy is a wise, refreshing book about how to end relationships. It is a coward's manual that takes the reader's hand from the first sign that it's over to the aftershocks. There are the Dumping Do's and Don'ts.

The Value of FaceBook

After questioning the value of having a FaceBook page for Baskets by Bonnie, we finally took the plunge a few months ago.

The tipping point was when we were testing new cheeses for our shop. I was really excited about a few of the choices and posted a photo on my personal FaceBook account. I was amazed at the number of friends that were interested and had an epiphany.  FaceBook is perfect to post pictures and short updates that don't warrant a blog post or newsletter.

It was relatively simple to set up. What to post, how often and if our customers would  find this useful were some of my concerns. I was also worried about redundancy with our website and blog. We were reluctant to beg friends and customers to become "Fans" & "Like" us. However, we remained open-minded.

A little over a week ago, on a whim, I posted a quick photo of Matt wrapping a basket for a custom order.

After posting and "tweeting", we had a good laugh and forgot about it.

Yesterday while taking a phone order from a new customer, I asked how she had found us.

After the usual response of "I found you from the web", she added that she had looked at a couple of websites.

Aside from being impressed with our assortment, she was sold from our FaceBook page; specifically "Matt in Motion". The picture conveyed the idea that we made each basket to order and could customize.

I couldn't wait to tell my staff. After a few chuckles at Matt's expense, I had a shift in my attitude. A simple phone call had turned me from skeptic to advocate.

Status Update: I'm a "Born-Again FaceBook Fan"

How to Be A Good Mother and Avoid a Lawsuit

I came across this article today about two children, ages 23 and 20 who slapped their mother with a $50,000 lawsuit claiming she caused them "emotional" distress. Among the accusations were that the mom, Kimberly Garrity didn't send her son care packages at college and didn't send money in birthday cards.

If only the mom knew about Baskets by Bonnie. This whole sordid matter could have been avoided with a few well-placed gifts as shown in our Student Care Package section on our website.

one of the many options of Student Care packages
available from Baskets by Bonnie's website

Fortunately the lawsuit was dismissed.

Perhaps the children should consider sending Mom a peace offering. Might we suggest the "Happy Housewife"?

July Newsletter Highlights: Say Cheese!

The Cheese Extravaganza

A fresh shipment of cheese and gourmet snacks has recently arrived!

Espresso BellaVitano

As a tasty snack for breakfast, dessert or just about any time at all, this freshly roasted, espresso-coated cheese blends the sweet and sugary flavors into a creamy perfection.

Goes best with:

• Wines - Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sherry

• Foods - Sweet Pastries, Bagels, Chocolate, Nuts, and Dried Apricots

Black Pepper BellaVitano

To bring a little extra "buzz" to your next cheese platter, add the natural zest of this rich, nutty, creamy BellaVitano. Enhanced with the subtle zing of cracked black peppercorns, BellaVitano imparts a buttery richness that blends the flavors of both a premium Cheddar balanced by a full-flavored Parmesan.

• Wines - Chianti, Chardonnay, and Light Red

• Foods - Dried Nuts, Roast Beef, and Crusty Artisan Bread

Sole GranQueso

A gourmet, Spanish-Styled mini cheese with a distinctive bite and sweet finish.

Grand Cru Gruyère

Cured over four months for quality and versatility, smooth and mellow with light floral notes, melts easily, a cook's best friend.

Pita Crisps

Naturally Baked Pita Crackers with Sea Salt. These tasty Pita Bites taste great and make for a sensible snack. Nine crackers are only a 120 calories w/four grams of protein and zero trans fat! As a bonus, they are even kosher!

Veggie Chips

Garden Veggie Chips with Sea Salt.About 38 chips per serving and only 130 calories! They are kosher, no trans fat, all natural, and best of all....they taste great!

The Deluxe Wine and Cheese
It's time to party...wine and cheese style! Whether it's a picnic, wedding or anything in between, this Wine & Cheese Party is the quintessential gift for the wine and cheese lover or as a token of appreciation for the host or hostess with the mostest!

We've loaded up on all our favorite cheeses as well as tasty crackers and 2 awesome wines from Chile, the EcoBalance Chardonnay and Carmenère, to liven up any party.

June Newsletter

Just like the weather, the season for weddings and graduations is hot! It's the time of year to celebrate that special occasion between two people, as well as showing support for that recent graduate. Let's not forget Dad! On June 19th, it's time to thank dad for all he's done for you. What better time to celebrate all these special occasions than with the first day of summer, June 21st, approaching? At Baskets By Bonnie, we have that special "something" for each and every special occasion!

Wedding | A Most Memorable Matrimony

It can't be overstated that a wedding day is a highly marked occasion. No other event will require so much planning than the day the bride and groom begin sharing their lives together.

To make the most out of every moment, the newlyweds can explore new adventures together with their own Wedding "Picnic for Two" Backpack. In addition, you will have the option to include a bottle of wine of your choosing.

Keep that "spark" alive with a special gift for both the bride and the groom.

Father's Day | R & R for Dad!

It's Dad's turn for a time-out! On Sunday, June 19th, let this Father's Day be a way to show Dad what he means to you. With the Time-Out Basket, you can pay your father back for all the tough love with some sweet-tooth goodies, a great novel, and even some hand-picked items that are fit for a king!

Dad can stand in the corner and think about what he's done with a wide arrangement of snacks, including Peanut Brittle, Butter Cookies, a BBQ nut mix and Espresso Candies just to name a few. Also to keep his mind fresh, this gift includes Magic Metal Puzzles and our featured novel The Appeal.

For the coolest pop, or even the ones striving to be, this basket is sure to be a hit. With salt, spice and some sweets to be nice, this basket is for putting up with you for all these years.

Graduation | Best Wishes & Good Luck (You're Gonna Need it)!

Good luck on your future endeavors graduates! You need all the help you can get, because it is time to start paying for the student loans! Parents, show your support one last time before cutting the apron strings with the "Bite the Bullet" basket.

Along with a few snacks to help you on your way, this basket helps you "Bite the Bullet" both figuratively and literally. In order to keep the kid inside alive, we've included a colorful box of Swedish Fish. For those tough times ahead, don't forget your Bite the Bullet Mints for when things just aren't going your way. Don't fret! Alas, Saint Homobonus, the Patron saint of Business and Good Fortune, will assist in your quest for upward mobility.

Lastly, in order to jump-start payment for those student loans, "How'd You Score That Gig" is a guide to the coolest jobs and how to get them. Growing up won't be so bad after all.