HOW TO FIND THE ULTIMATE BIRTHDAY PACKAGE

Some people just have that special touch when it comes to finding the perfect gift.  Despite the fact that you’ve spent AGES scouring the shops for the perfect gift, theirs just seems nicer somehow.  Yours may get the thumbs up, but theirs gets the shriek of unbridled delight and joy.  

Here’s a thought.  For an amazing package that demonstrates the depth of your feelings, what about a beautiful combination of lingerie and fresh flowers?   Why not match certain varieties of stunning fresh flowers that carry a special meaning with gorgeous lingerie that’s perfect for the special person in your life?.

Flowers have had meanings attached to them since ancient times and were used to send secret messages to loved ones via posies or bouquets- and there’s nothing stopping you from continuing that practice today.

Here are some ideas for a unique floral gift that contains a special message to the person in your life matched with stunning item of underwear that matches their personality.  By taking two of a woman’s most treasured gift items and combining them in a unique package, you are creating the perfect gift.

For a partner who is confident and fun-loving, white camellias are the flowers to choose.  These flowers carry the message ‘You’re adorable’, so combine that with a cute satin teddy or exotic corset, and you’ll have a gorgeous gift.

For a person who is a little more reserved, consider white hyacinths which mean loveliness, white lilies (purity), white zinnias (goodness) or lily of the valley (sweetness).  Match a bunch of fresh daisies and white zinnias with a demure cotton bra and panty set, and you have the picture of perfection .  Gardenias which mean ‘you’re lovely’ or hibiscus (delicate beauty) would also be perfect companions for a gift box of modest lingerie.

And if you’re looking for a gift for your long-time partner where the relationship is comfortable and established, some gorgeous nighties or sleepwear could be just the ticket.  After all, sleepwear doesn’t always mean shut-eye!  Match a silky pyjama set with a bouquet of  ivy (wedded love, fidelity), cattleya orchids (mature charm), peony (happy life) or pink roses (perfect happiness) to create a magical gift.  Snapdragons are another good match as they mean ‘gracious lady’.

And if love is in the air, roses will do it …especially when matched with some alluring and sexy lingerie.  Other ‘love’ blooms include forget-me-nots (true love), daisies (loyal love), lilies of the valley (you’ve made my life complete), orchid (love) and smilax (loveliness).  Red tulips are also a declaration of love, so a little package of a sexy lacy bra or tantalising teddy will get the temperature up.  

Chat to a Perth online florist or lingerie store for their ideas on how to combine the two for that perfect pressie.

And if it’s about friendship, the choices are vast.  Tea roses mean ‘I’ll remember always’, red poppies mean ‘pleasure’, daffodils signify respect, and chrysanthemums mean wonderful friendship.  Indulgent lingerie combined with stunning fresh flowers is the perfect gift to celebrate friendship.

And when it’s time to say goodbye – sweetpeas say ‘thank you for a lovely time’.  A bunch of these with a little gift of lovely lingerie will surely be enough to tempt them to return?

Whatever you want to say, a flower and lingerie combination can say it all.  Ask your local florist in Perth or lingerie store for their help on putting the perfect package together.

Giving In Shape: Ideal Gift for the Gym Woman or Man

We all know someone that when you pass by the vitamin store in the mall, we’re not surprised to see them browsing the shelves.  They are the health freak; that friend of ours who is always trying out the latest diet or newest exercise fad.  Or, perhaps they’re new to the whole health scene.  For the third year in a row, they’ve made it their new year’s resolution to lose those holiday pounds, but this time they’re actually going to go through with it.  No matter what, we all know someone who is “carb conscious.”  So, when their birthday comes around, it can be challenging to get them a gift that meets their healthy living. In fact, this give you a good starting point in deciding upon a gift.  Get your friend something that they’ll actually use and appreciate, or support your newly dieting friend by helping them along their way to a healthier and leaner lifestyle.

One unique gift idea, especially for new comers to the fitness world, might be to get them an introductory membership to a health club or athletic club.  They’ll be among others with the same goals, and plenty of equipment to help them take on their challenges.  Some of the equipment can be intimidating or tricky looking, and the staff is always willing to demonstrate how to work them.  They might find that getting a personal trainer can keep them going beyond the point where, in past efforts, they may have simply quit.    If your friend is already a health nut, chances are they already have a membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a free month or two at their club of choice.

If a gift of a club membership is a bit more than you planned to spend, there are other gifts that can provide the same message of support.  A stop at your local sports shop is always a great place to find loads of gift ideas for your health conscious friend.  Health stores offer loads of ideas that can suit almost anyone’s interests.  You might get them a health guide on the latest exercise trend.  

Just because they want to lose weight doesn’t mean they can’t eat.  Many sports shops will have cook books for the health conscious.    In the same locations, you can also find useful gadgets such as pedometers that can be worn throughout the day to encourage walking instead of riding or the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you’re looking for a more personal gift, one of the best healthy gift ideas you can get is a fruit basket. A fruit gift basket is a great gift idea for anyone who is health conscious and watching their weight.  Think of the food pyramid that you may have first glimpsed when you were in grade school.  Fruit is healthy.  Fruit is one of the healthiest foods around; it is totally cholesterol-free and provides many of the essential vitamins that we all require.  There’s no question that a fruit basket would be loved by your health conscious friend.  There are all sorts of fruit baskets from which to choose, one of which will fit your budget as well as delighting your health-conscious friend.  One exception to keep in mind, however, often people who are just beginning a low carb diet are not permitted fruit.

So whether they’re just getting into fitness or have been exercising for years, showing your support for their efforts to drop some weight by getting them a healthy gift is a great way to wish them a happy birthday.

My Favorite Present to Give: Truly Good Food

I am not a great shopping enthusiast! Except around the winter holidays, I hate the parking problems, I don’t enjoy browsing aisle after aisle looking for something that would be just perfect for Grandma or Uncle Arthur. I certainly do not like standing in line with frustrated people waiting for the lone employee to handle yet another exchange. During the holidays, I enjoy strolling through stores simply people watching, without being burdened with packages. The experience for whatever reason gets me into a holiday emotional state, but I do my actual shopping and buying almost entirely online. That’s a practice I developed in the very early years of the Web.

Online shopping didn’t save my life all by itself. Just because I started using the Web before any of my friends, I still had to make the decisions. And then, around five years ago, or so, I discovered food.

That wasn’t very honestly phrased, because I discovered food when I was still an infant. But I didn’t discover food as a gift idea until recently. You see, at that time I received a gift basket full of hardly edible sausages, processed cheese spreads (mostly chemicals I think) and crackers that were about as crunchy as a rock. However, the poor quality of what passed as food in that gift turned out to be my inspiration. “What,” I thought, “If I had received genuinely good food?” How different that would have been, and how much I would have enjoyed it.

Since that moment of momentous insight on my part, I have been a dedicated sampler of a variety of food gifts that I buy for myself on the Internet. (It’s a tough job, but I am up to the challenge as long as I carefully pace myself!) I have found that the online gift food stores handle everything from shipping to the accompanying gift cards. Yes, I actually send myself a gift card to test the store’s dedication to detail. The Internet boutiques are now the sources for all of my gifts, except those gifts of my loved ones who happen to live very nearby.

The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a gourmet fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.

I do keep gift foods around the house, beautifully or cleverly arranged, for my guests who come to my house or for those whom I visit in person during those gift giving times. The Internet provides assistance to me even in these cases, because it is packed full of great ideas for arranging and wrapping gift food.

If you happen to see me strolling a store aisle with a smile on my face when everybody else seems frantic, you will now know my secret. But let’s keep it a secret from my Uncle Arthur.