Posts Tagged ‘food’

1-800-Baskets

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

About a month ago, I was invited to go to 1-800-Baskets. Now, I had heard of 1-800-Flowers before, but never 1-800-Baskets. I was in for an eye opening experience.

Now, when you look at a gift basket or tower, do you ever think about how much work goes into it? I’ll be honest, I never did. It was just something I looked at on their website and ordered. What I never knew was how much time and effort goes into making just one of these baskets. I have to say I was impressed. All of the employees that we met with had such enthusiasm for their jobs. The CEO actually went with us all day. We got to taste test the chocolate and the cheese that they use in their baskets.

This is their design center.  It was huge and impressive:

One of the coolest things we got to do (besides all the learning) was to make our own gift baskets:

I can honestly say that I will be ordering from 1-800-Baskets in the future (I’ve actually got an ordered placed for a Christmas present!). After seeing the quality and workmanship that happens at 1-800-Baskets, I’ll be using them for years to come.

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Please Help Our Soldiers

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

My son’s teacher heads up this great cause and I wanted to make you all aware of it. This is the letter she sends home at the beginning of her classes:

My name is Jacky and I am an early education instructor with the Oak Lawn Park District.  I started mailing boxes when one of my student’s only parent was sent to Iraq.  Now, boxes go out weekly to each soldier on my list who shares the boxes with their units.  I know first hand from the soldiers who return stateside that these boxes mean so much more than their contents;  they mean people care.  The families back home also appreciate the moral booster their loved ons are receiving each time a box arrives.  These boxes may be small, but they are mighty with support and positive thinking to bring our soldiers safely home.  All my soldiers have relatives, friends who live in Oak Lawn, or are residents of Oak Lawn.  It is a local support of our community.  Below are item lists of some of the things that have been sent out since March 2003:

Shampoo

Baby Wipes

Soap

Toothpaste

Hard Candy

Juice boxes

Snack food

Lip Balm

Combs

Sunscreen

Gum

Tylenol

Food Bars

Toilet Paper

Foot Powder

Small botthle of hand “no water” soap sanitizier

Band Aides

Canisters of presweetened Kool-Aid, Tea, and Lemonade

Mouthwash

User Paperback books

Toothpaste samples or floss

Sunday Comics

Extra condiment packets (sugar, ketchup)

Toothbrushes

Children’s drawings

Extra item in a pack (example:  6th gum free in a 5 pack)

Encouraging letters

Hotel shoe shine kits

Hotel small shampoo

Hotel small soap

Hotel small lotion

Hotel sewing kits

Hotel small conditioner

Hotel small mouth wash

As you can see, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to help the soldiers out.  We donate things every week and it doesn’t cost me a cent extra from what we already do.  Also, she will take ANY leftover Halloween candy you have!!!

They will also take any donated stamps or funds for stamps.  Items and postage can be dropped off at (or mailed to) Oak View Center, 4625 West 110th St., Oak Lawn IL 60453.  I’d just put a little note on there that it’s for the soldiers.

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Drink Milk

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

I can definitely stand behind this commercial to drink milk. It’s awesome!

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Bad, Bad, Bad Sunday

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

I hate when your day starts off so well and then quickly goes downhill from there.  Sunday morning was one of those days.  Sunday started with the kids sleeping in till ten.  Yes, ten.  I was just as surprised.  I also decided that we were going to go to church.  I swear my husband is sometimes worse than the kids because he whined more than they did.  My kids have not gone to church very often which I know is my fault.  However, since Madison might go to Catholic school next year, I felt we should definitely go to mass.  Mass was at 11:30 AM, so we had plenty of time to get ready and go.  We made it to church with plenty of time to spare.  Will made it about three fourths of the way through the mass before I had to take him out.  Madison lasted till about five minutes left.  However, she had to go to the bathroom, so she had a good excuse.  we liked the church.  Madison told us she loved it and wanted to go back.  After that, Madison wanted to go to Denny’s and get alien pancakes.  That is her favorite food.  Since she was good in church, we decided to go there and eat dinner.  lunch took forever but it was good.  After that, we decided to go get Bill, Will, and Madison’s hair cut.  That also went well.  We came home, and Bill noticed that Madison seem to have gone to the bathroom quite a bit while we were out.  After being home for about 30 minutes, Madison was in the bathroom about four times.  I asked her if it hurt, and she told me she had “hot pee”.  as a woman, this definitely sounded like an urinary tract infection.  I personally have had a ton of them.  Now, it is Sunday afternoon, so there was not a whole lot of places we could go.  I first tried CVS minute clinic, but they would not treat her because she was under 12.  I took her to the local urgent care.  We got there one minute before they closed.  However, at CVS, Madison had went to the bathroom.  She did not have to go when we got to urgent care.  She also was refusing to drink any water.  While we were there she went four times, each time she only went about four drops.  the ended up giving us an antibiotic and sent us home.  However, Bill and I had a dinner downtown at Navy Pier for his work.  It started at six.  I got out of the doctor’s office at six.  Downtown is over a half hour for us to get there.  Seriously.  in my area, I went to the only Walgreen that was still open.  I hate that Walgreens, because they have horribly slow service.  They told me two hours, I told him I would be back in a half hour.  I went home and got ready in about 20 minutes.  While we were gone, Bill had packed the kids bags to spend the night at grandmas.  we packed the kids in the car and headed back to our brains.  Of course, her prescription was not built yet.  Also, while we were waiting in the car, Madison had to go to back them.  I then had to take both kids out of the car and go into Walgreens.  In the meantime, Bill had gotten her prescription and could not figure out where we went.  we finally caught up to him, and we were on our way.  Bill and I ended up being around an hour and a half wait for his dinner.  However, they had just sat down to dinner when we got there, so our timing was great.  The party was actually pretty fun.  All in all, I guess it was not that bad of a day — the afternoon just stunk.  Madison is doing well now.   I swear, my kids never get sick during the week — the only get sick after hours or on the weekends.

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Epson/Sparkplugging Event

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

I am sooo far behind, but I went to this awesome event last Thursday.  Wendy Piersall was so kind to invite me, and I met so many awesome Chicago women.  It was a great girls night out.  The drinks and food were awesome (note to self:  don’t drink the drink above and expect to go to bed.  It was 2 am before I remembered that that drink had Red Bull in it).  I’d like to give a shout out to all the wonderful women I met (now, if I don’t mention you and you were there, I didn’t get your card!  Just let me know, so I can add you to this list):  Barbara, Beth, Kim, Kim, Karen, Arianne, Jessica, Amber, Jayne, and Sima.  It is nice to exchange ideas with fellow women who understand social media and the uses of Twitter.  I hope to meet these incredible women again.