Colorado: A Pretty Place With Bold Taste

As a native of Colorado, it really baffles me just how much the state has grown up in the last several years. During my time in France everyone would ask me where I was from. When I told them I came from Colorado, they would all snicker and say "Oh, like Doctor Quinn!" I can tell you that the Colorado of today is extremely different from the world of Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman. Since the millennium the state's population has increased by over 750,000. Once recognized for our vast expanses of land, these are rapidly becoming a sight of the past, but I suppose we can only blame ourselves for this. Colorado has become a highly captivating place to start a life. Louisville, Colorado was labeled the best place to live in Money Magazine's top 100 list for 2011. Apart from Louisville, four other Colorado towns made the list. Quite remarkable, huh? I imagine if we would stop becoming recognized for these types of things we wouldn't have so many newcomers from far and wide. But who wouldn't love looking outside to a spectacular rocky mountain backdrop every single morning? Not only are our towns gaining acknowledgement for the quality of life they provide to their inhabitants, but Colorado is home to many respected businesses. One industry that we are particularly fond of here at Baskets By Rita is the gourmet food industry. Not only is Colorado acknowledged for big restaurants including Old Chicago, Chipotle, Noodles & Company, Quizno's, and Good Times, but Colorado is also home to various premium food producers as well. At Baskets By Rita we carry products from Colorado companies such as Bhakti Chai, Bobo's Oat Bars, Celestial Seasonings, Chocolove, and Boulder Natural Foods, all of which are based in Boulder, Colorado. It seems as though there's something about Boulder that compels people to create health inspired, irresistible foods. If you are not acquainted with all of these companies, you may be familiar with other Colorado names including Hammond's Candies, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Larabar, and Too Haute Cowgirls. Perhaps I'm a bit of a foodie, but if the mountains don't draw new citizens in, I would imagine that companies similar to these would entice people to relocate to Colorado. Oh, and did I include that there are over 120 breweries in the state? Colorado has been referred to as the Napa Valley of the beer world. What more can I say? our state is wonderful! If I have succeeded in wetting your appetite and you're now itching for Colorado made food and beer why not purchase a Eco Gift Bag Colorado from us and try some for yourself. Save the environment with our Colorado Eco-Friendly Green Gift Bags. Eco-bags come in a variety of price ranges. Choose a gift that isn't in a basket or a box but instead a 100% recycled reusable non-woven bag with our own Colorado logo design. Perhaps if you try one of our baskets and love the food enough, you too will possibly consider moving to the centennial state. Like this blog? Share it on Facebook or Twitter.  http://www.basketsbyrita.com/Eco-Gift-Bag-Colorado_p_7.html

Sugar and Spice, My Holiday Vice

Is it just me, or are Americans infatuated with seasonal flavors? Consider pumpkin spice for example. Towards the end of summer cafes start to offer their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cheesecake returns to the dessert menus at diners, and full-bodied beers are released on tap and in liquor stores. I guess there is something about these flavors that moves us into the holiday mood. Other tastes that become more fashionable are apple, caramel, cinnamon, peppermint, and gingerbread, to name a few. Perhaps there is something special about saving these vibrant, pleasant flavors for this season. It gives us something to count on as the weather gets colder and we begin to spend more time at home. Have you ever considered where these flavors came from? Consider cinnamon for example... Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon and can be linked back to 2800 B.C. Through history, this spice was so strongly cherished that wars have been fought over it! Used as a sort of money, medicine, for embalming (peculiar, eh?), and an aphrodisiac, cinnamon has been highly valued all over the earth throughout human history. That will give you something to consider the next time you bite into a cinnamon roll! At the beginning of each holiday season I cannot wait to stuff myself full of some seasonal treats for instance a peppermint mocha (though I prefer mine with white chocolate) or a bite of apple crumble. Another of my favorites is gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM! I am salivating just writing about this! What if this holiday season you could deliver someone the perfect gift of all of these flavors? If you know someone who might need a little holiday cheer, mail them a Chocolate Christmas Gift Basket from Baskets By Rita. A Chocolate Christmas Gift Basket for the chocolate lover. This beautiful brown faux leather reusable and collapsible file box with a lid is overflowing with chocolaty goodness. A six pack of milk chocolate and dark chocolate assorted truffles, Ghirardelli chocolates, Chocolove chocolate bar, Godiva bar, chocolate covered fruit candies, fresh baked brownie, triple chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate caramel bar, chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate pecan Turtles, chocolate dipped biscotti, and more. Take it easy on yourself this year with your holiday shopping and leave the hard part up to us. While you're at it, why not order a little something for yourself? At the end of the day, the holidays are meant to be enjoyable! If you found this blog interesting, why not share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter? Thanks for the repost!  http://www.basketsbyrita.com/Chocolate-Christmas-Gift-Basket-_p_141.html

Thanksgiving Truth In Gifts

Ever since the 19th century, US citizens have commemorated Thanksgiving by duplicating the concept of the pilgrims and the Indians sitting down together for a pleasant feast. As lovely as this concept of friendship might be, it is not true. The record of pilgrims and Indians was one of unwelcome amity. while the Indians furnished the pilgrims with food and expertise to stay alive their first winter the pilgrims gave thanks to them by declaring war and striking them. Even though this is not what we want to picture as we get together to celebrate with our loved ones, maybe it creates a new perspective to the holiday. The pilgrims were greedy and immoral. They took from the Indians and repaid them in the most severe ways possible. Perhaps instead of imitating the idealistic idea of the pilgrims and Indians as companions each Thanksgiving, we should contemplate on the disloyalty the Indians encountered at the hands of their "friends" the pilgrims. Now I don't mean to imply that Thanksgiving should be a formal day of reproach and retrospection, but perhaps we should take the occasion to consider our own relationships. Of all the things we offer thanks for on Thanksgiving, the many people we cherish should be at the very top. Thanksgiving is not only a chance for us to share our many blessings with our loved ones, but to show our gratitude for their sincere friendship. This Thanksgiving you might contemplate offering a little something extra to express thanks. Why not thank your loved ones for their love and support by delivering them a Fall Harvest Gift Basket from Baskets By Rita? We've harvested some great fall goodies for our Fall Harvest Gift Basket. Our bushel style basket is filled with apple cider, cranberry cheddar cheese, crackers, pumpkin cookies, sausage, candy corn, an apple flavored fruit and nut bar, apple crispy-crunchy-chewy-chocolaty snack mix in a tube, chips and salsa, maple crunch coffee, and chocolate candy coated coffee beans. What a fall feast to send for an office celebration, thank you, get well or welcome gift!

Interesting Fun Get Well Gift Basket

Fun Get Well Gift Basket Every Get well condition is unique. Sometimes the person was absolutely fine one day and terribly ill the next. This might be from an accident or surgery to correct a problem or even an illness that has taken it's grip. Understanding this is very important when deciding upon a gift to say get well soon we miss you. If the person has had surgery then there might be dietary restrictions to consider. On the other hand it might be a sport injury and they will be well again in no time. I want to talk about the lighter side of get well where your present, words and actions all give joy, laughter and relaxation. There is lots of work being done with music therapy to help promote healing. Laughter has also been credited withlowering blood pressure and lowering stress levels. With all this in mind we should mainly think sending gifts to the ailing that have a fun get well theme. Funny get well gifts come in all types. Some take the word fun to the extreme without considering to the fact that fun or funny means entirely different things to different people. People can have a little laugh about a giant white chocolate aspirin. Most people will find a clean joke book humorous too. Even a deck of cards can be enjoyable since most everyone knows some type of card game. As for the food in this fun get well gift basket, well it is enjoyable too. We suggest easy to eat snack type food items that aren't very sweet or fatty. We've kept in mind that the person is perhaps stuck inside a good part of the day. We also appreciate that someone is probably there taking care of them and they could use a little snack too sometimes. So telling the jokes will help time pass as the healing process takes it's course. Check us out on Facebook and follow us on twitter. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Luxury for The Ladies

Send a Pamper Package Month after month I waste a significant amount of money on salon and relaxation services. Every time I turn around I'm in need of another manicure, day at the salon, laser hair removal appointment, or waxing appointment. In addition to these forms of beauty remedies, everyday stress pushes me to splurge for bimonthly massage therapy and chiropractor visits and the occasional hot bath. Without doubt the cost of makeup and various other pamper products raise the expense as well. At month's end I've spent the contents of my checking account simply to maintain myself. Speak of stress! Several months ago I started to consider ways to reduce these payments without making too many sacrifices. I now purchase waxing strips, paint my own fingernails (most of the time), and have signed my boyfriend up for massage lessons. If you know someone like me or you wind up in my situation, you can probably guess what the very best present would be for this person. Now needless to say, a day at the spa would be best, but if your budget is a little littler than that why can't you deliver the spa to them? Baskets By Rita offers a great collection of bath and beauty gifts which are filled to the brim with top quality products including products by Body Eclipse, the exclusive supplier of spa products for the Brown Palace hotel in Denver. When you need a gift for a deserving woman, save her a couple of bucks off her general routine and give her an evening of enjoyment with the Luxury Spa Gift Basket. This spa bath gift basket of relaxation comes in a beautiful metal tub filled with luxury bath gifts for a woman. Our luxury spa bath gift basket is filled with a great variety of soaps, lotions, scrubs a terry bath pillow all to help her relax.. Trust me, she will thank you!!! http://www.basketsbyrita.com/Luxury-Spa-Gift-Basket_p_143.html

Give the Gift of Gourmet Bliss

In most cultures around the globe, Christmas is an occasion to indulge. Nations around the globe enjoy Christmas as an occasion for luxurious indulgence. As the principal commercial holiday of the year, stores start distributing Christmas products and playing the Jingle Bell songs as soon as Thanksgiving is over and sometimes earlier! Major department stores for example Sachs Fifth Avenue and Macy's put up brilliant window displays illustrating signs of Christmas in a fantastic display of glitter, snow, and red and green striped candy canes. Even countries like Japan, which is not accepted as a Christian country, take on the holiday spirit and load up on gifts for the Christmas season. I guess the spirit of giving is irresistible even when separated from its religious origins. The spirit of indulgence which Christmas brings upon us is not only extended to the gifts we give, but it branches out to encompass the décor we see all around town and best of all, the food we love! Have you ever driven through neighborhoods at night just to gaze at all of the Christmas lights on front lawns and roof tops? And how many times have you given yourself a stomach ache with all the Christmas sweets you ate at the holiday cookie exchange? These Christmas traditions are developed over the years in order to give us something to look forward to in the dead of winter. Christmas is a time to commemorate life. In a religious context, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of God's son on Earth, Jesus Christ. Even individuals who are not Christian have adopted Christmas for the spirit of togetherness it conveys to friends and families. Christmas is a time for gourmet living as I have said before. Everything from the dishes you eat to the decorations you put up to the presents you give reflects the essence of the holiday, but they are not cheap. In hard economic times, we find individuals cutting back on their Christmas spending and making crucial sacrifices to save money. Some people choose to get a fake tree to save themselves the price of buying a new one year after year. Others buy energy efficient Christmas lights so they will have a smaller energy bill at the end of the season. And some people choose to relinquish buying the ready made honey baked ham and to roast a chicken at home instead. No matter how your family prefers to save money this Christmas, there is no reason why you should have to cut down on your gift giving just to make ends meet. At Baskets By Rita, we are committed to giving you the most for your money. Not only do our baskets ship worldwide, but they have the lavish appearance you want to communicate your wishes for a gourmet Christmas. Filled with gourmet treats of all sorts varying from wine to chocolate to cheese and crackers, our baskets invite their recipients to indulge. Our Gourmet Holiday Gift Basket comes in several different price ranges to fulfill your precise gift giving specifications. A beautiful rectangular willow basket with a festive red and gold poinsettia bow.This Gourmet Holiday food basket is packed with treats that are sure to please everyone on your list. Sesame crackers, cheddar cheese, beef sausage, holiday chocolate cookies, mixed nuts, five piece boxed chocolates, fruity star candy, pita chips, raspberry short bread cookies, Turtles, three cheese snack mix, and caramel corn. As you say Merry Christmas this holiday season, remember us as an economical solution to your gift giving needs.

Let's Give Thanks

As the leaves begin to turn and slip from the branches and the air chills warning of the coming of winter, we put aside our shorts and tank tops and get out our scarves and boots. While the cold drop in temperature may be a welcome change from the sizzle of summer, it also reminds us that the days are becoming shorter and we will be spending much more time indoors hibernating. Some folks consider fall their favorite season and it does present many opportunities for celebration and a chance for us to spend time with friends and family as we seek shelter indoors and find ways to occupy ourselves and keep our spirits high. When we think of fall we think of pumpkins, turkeys, red, orange, and yellow leaves, and harvest festivals. As the organic world dies for the months of cold ahead, we cherish life in hopes that we may continue to be blessed in the days to come. We celebrate the gifts of the harvest and give thanks for our many blessings. Putting aside the holidays and weekend excursions of summer, we ready ourselves for a drearier onset of winter by making joy in a time when it is more difficult to find in our surroundings. The winter months are known as the 'holidays,' but the holidays really begin with Halloween and Thanksgiving, traditions which have been around for hundreds of years which allow us to gather with friends and find joy in life. This fall, show gratitude for those you are thankful for by sending them a fall themed gift basket such as Boss's Day Gift Basket . Your recipient will truly feel appreciated with this guilt free way to indulge. Our Boss's Day Healthy Gift Basket is good for you and is generously filled with yogurt covered pretzels, banana nut granola, almond trail mix, whole grain snack bar, PowerBar, all natural Boulder chips, Sunkist fat free fruit gems candy, assorted Green Organic Teas, Madhava honey sticks, fat free caramel corn and a dark chocolate bar. You can feel good giving this good for you basket. It's a great way to say Happy Bosss day and to your health. Thank your business clients, distant family, or a special friend for the part they take in your life with a basket packed with apple cider mix, caramel apple popcorn, maple shortbread cookies, smoked sausage, wheat crackers, and any of the rest of our delicious, fall appropriate snacks with such a wide variety of gifts to choose from, all of which are customizable to your specific specifications, you are sure to find the ideal basket to deliver to any church event, harvest festival, or even birthday party, offering a great selection of edibles to share with the whole crew. As we prepare for the future fall, we are thankful to our customers like you who allow us to satisfy their gift giving needs. Who are you thankful for and how can we help you show them you care? If you enjoyed this blog or want to express your thanks, please repost this of Facebook or Tweet about it to share with all of your friends!