Baskets Baskets Everywhere!

Baskets baskets everywhere!  Being in the gift basket business I accumulate baskets out the wazoo!  Here are some great ideas in re-purposing those extra baskets I am sure you have lying around your house.  Now the perks of having baskets around is they are a fab way to add character to any room of any style.  Since baskets come is such a huge variety of shapes and sizes, colors and textures you can incorporate them anywhere.

 

Baskets are a nice way of keeping those extra do-dads that are homeless laying around on your coffee tables and kitchen islands a home and tidy.  Bookcases are great spots to add baskets and line them up generally on the bottom shelves, that and entertainment centers like you see in the photo here.

Clutter in the kitchen?  Yeah, me too!  From utensils to gadgets and gizmos and even some produce items like onions, potatoes and what not baskets are a fantastic way of adding extra storage with style!  It’s crazy what you can do with baskets!

Let’s move on to the bathroom ::::rolls eyes:::: yep another clutter zone!  Here is a nifty idea in re-using a basket as a towel holder.  Now you have to admit this is pretty neat!  Baskets are ideal in keeping your toiletries neat and orderly as well as keeping them out of sight but not out of mind.  A few well placed baskets in the bathroom create a spa like affect which is calming.

Do you have a home office?  Shoo out the old ugly metal filing cabinet and replace them with…..yep, you guessed it BASKETS!  See that gorgeous wicker basket to the left on the floor?  That my friends has been converted into a “filing cabinet” …. much nicer than cold gray metal filing cabinets right?

So when I am not filling gift baskets I am finding way to use them again.  I hope you are basket inspired!

What ways to use you baskets around your home or office?  Inquiring minds want to know!

 

 

For The Love Of Cinnamon

 

Does the scent of cinnamon wafting through the air bring back some wonderful childhood memories of mom or grandma baking in the kitchen make you all warm and fuzzy inside?  It does to me.  I am drawn to the delightful aroma cinnamon gives.  Doesn’t matter what it’s in….food, candles you name it oh, for the love of cinnamon!  All I knew about cinnamon was that it makes things taste divine used correctly in baking and cooking.

What I did NOT know was the essential benefits it has directly for our bodies.  I’ve found out it’s an amazing super food!  Here are some mind boggling benefits this lovely spice holds for our health.

1.  Cinnamon can regulate a bodies blood sugar counts.  This is especially helpful to those with diabetes and those who have issues with hypoglycemia.   It is also a natural mood stabilizer and helps with natural energy boosts.

2.  Naturally reduces the bad cholesterol levels in our bodies known as LDL levels.  Adding some cinnamon to your tea or coffee daily can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

3.  I suffer with ulcers and learned that Cinnamon has been effective against ulcer causing H pylori bacteria and other nasty little pathogens.  Cinnamon is a natural anti-infectious compound.

4.  Help with Arthritis by reducing cytokines lined to arthritic pain.

5.  Published journal Nutrition and Cancer shows that cinnamon may aid in reducing the proliferation of cancer cells, holding promise for cancer prevention and sufferers of the disease.

6.  Did you know cinnamon is a natural food preservative?  I had NO clue!

9.  Cinnamon contains fiber, calcium, iron and manganese.  Granted small amounts for the typical dose of ground cinnamon but non-the-less it carries those benefits.

10.  It is been proven effective for menstrual pain and infertility.  Cinnamon contains a natural chemical called cinnamaldehyde  which studies show increases the hormone progesterone and decreases testosterone production in women, helping to balance hormones naturally.  If I sounded super smart here, trust me I had no clue and learned right along with you!

11.  This next benefit holds a lot of meaning for me.  Cinnamon holds promise for various neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Tumor and Meningitis according to research at the Cytokine Research Lab at the University of Texas.  Their research shows that cinnamon reduces chronic inflammation linked with these and other neurological disorders.

12.  Okay while this one is not really a health benefit it’s a great way to love cinnamon due to it’s versatility.  It works with sweet and savory dishes when cooking.  Cinnamon is very well known in Moroccan dishes….cinnamon, it’s not just for apples anymore!

Talk about an eye opener that a spice that we all love and use has much more purpose than smelling great!  I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

 

My Best As Always,

 

 

 

 

Gift Baskets & More – www.RedRoosterBaskets.com

Do You Bake?  – www.DoYouBake.com/JJVolner

Easter Surprises Bunny Bucket

 

New Arrival for Easter 2014 is our Easter Surprises Bunny Bucket!  Just as cute as it is tasty and don’t you just love all the Spring pastel colors?!?  I just adore the colors and of course I adore Spring!

Perfect for your Easter egg hunt this year, our pastel perfection tin is a fresh and fun way to surprise your favorite little bunny or chick.  This beautiful pail is filled with sweet delights and soft washes of color.  Popping out of the top are pink marshmallow bunny peeps, chocolate foil covered eggs ( a fav of mine) a chick Easter egg sugar cookie with royal icing, a bag of chocolate Easter eggs and 2 not 1 but 2 chocolate bunnies with a bag of classic chocolate Peepsters.  So sweet!

Hoppy Easter (I know it’s cheese but still fun to say it)

 

 

 

 

Hippity Hoppity Easter’s On The Way

 

I loved Easter as a little girl.  I fell in love with Spring, the smell in the air and birds singing from every tree branch.  I remember one year with my brother Gavin I got up early, woke him up (after all I needed an accomplice) to go scope the house out for what the Easter Bunny left.  We searched and searched and could not find an Easter Basket full of fun goodies!  Then, I remembered, THE GARAGE!

Yep, you guessed it we found the Easter Baskets and as we were shoveling hoards of chocolates in our mouth’s Dad came out and put on hand on his hip and asked what we were doing….keep in mind we had chocolate all over our faces and of course I piped up and said “Nothing Daddy”.  He couldn’t be mad and so we took our treasures of goodies into the house to investigate more.

I love bringing in Easter Baskets into our store and we have many for the choosing.  Christian Gift Baskets, Easter Baskets for Adults and Children a like.  Why we are even gearing up our spring garden baskets as well.  Now, I know you can get your Easter Baskets at a Wal-Mart or Target but you just don’t get the full effect of someone designing one just special for that special child or adult as you can with Red Rooster Baskets & Gifts.

We start to sale them on March 21st and Easter Sunday is April 20th, 2014 this year.  You can Shop Now – Ship Later which means pre-order them and I will have them sent out on the correct date.  I’d love to play the Easter Bunny for you and  your family this year!  I will be adding even more baskets to the shop today so bookmark us and check back often.

Hippity Hoppity Easter’s On It’s Way!

 

 

 

Men Love Their Man Cave

I don’t know about you but when it comes to my husbands birthday or Father’s Day I draw a blank.  He has a woodworking shed with every tool a man could ask for, he has ton’s of sports memorabilia and of course wolf and John Wayne goodies.  One thing I do know is that men love their man cave!

When I started a gift basket business it dawned on me that we needed to create a men’s line of gift baskets, something that wasn’t fufu frilly and full of things guy’s would love.  The first time I sent my husband one he was so excited!  He loved his.  So, when you ask him what he want’s and gives you a “I dunno” head on over to my place and take a look around!  He proudly displays his Man Cave plaque in his cave.

Have a great day!

 

 

 

 

Do You Remember When?

Do you remember when Valentine’s Day was one of the most fun and exciting holiday’s as a kid?  When in elementary school you’d beg your Mom to take you to the store to get some of those pasty tasting heart candies Sweethearts with the really cool sayings on them like Be Mine, True Love and all that jazz?  Oh, oh and we can’t forget the box of Valentine Cards.  Remember those?  They came in every theme you could think of and you had to have your favorite whether it was Ninja Turtles or Peanuts.  Whatever you were “in to” those were the ones you begged Mom for!

Ahhh the joys of being a kid.  I love Valentine’s Day.  Now, it’s still fun just more “grown up” I guess is a way to put it?  Now it’s out to dinner at a nice restaurant, maybe a movie, some roses and boxes of chocolates and if you’re lucky maybe some jewelry for him or her!  So, Red Rooster Baskets & Gifts has some unique Valentines’ Day gift ideas for you and your sweetie.

We are offering a 14% off Sale on everything in our online store.  I thought it would be a cute play on February 14th with the 14% off sale.  I’m just quirkly like that.  We have a whole section devoted to Valentine’s Day Gifts and Gift Baskets or you can pick out anything that catches your eye like maybe a gift basket full of Godiva or Ghirardelli chocolates.

What was or is your favorite thing about Valentine’s Day?

Oh My Aching Phobia!

Is there anyone else out there that is so terrified of the Dentist that the mere thought of going just makes you sicker than the toothache?  I tell you, I am the biggest Bawk Bawk Chicken out there.  I finally broke down and went to the dentist yesterday and  had to have a couple of extractions.  Turns out my Sjogren’s Syndrome is now wrecking havoc with my precious toofems!

I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to make myself go.  I’ve had major body surgeries and I do just fine but mess with my mouth, come at me with a needle going into my mouth OMG :::shudder::: and tears flow.  Lucky for me I found an awesome Dental Practice that catered to my aching phobia.  A few sedatives, some nitrous oxide, bing bang, boom and he was done.  I’ll have to one day tell you how I became so deathly afraid of the dentist in the first place in another post.

Please someone comment and tell me if you too have this almost irrational fear of the dentist.  It sure would make me feel better not to be the only chicken out there!  I still have to go back once I am healed for a crown UGH….

Someone you know not feeling well?  We have the solution with our Get Well gift baskets.