Learn To Go With The Slow



What can you do for a friend who’s always on the go? Lessons of a Turtle by Sandy Gingras (Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC.) is the perfect gift to help someone slow down, enjoy more, and go with the slow.

Lessons of a Turtle is about enjoying what’s around you now and finding your own path. Gingras teaches that life is about the beauty of the journey more than the achievement of the finish line. So be like the turtle . . . notice, savor, bask, risk, and grow.

Through an engaging mix of words and illustrations, Gingras enlightens readers with chariming “turtlisms.” She teaches us about life’s little lessons with funt reats such as, “You can’t moe forward until you stick your neck out” and “The slower you go, the more you see.”

The author’s creative observations make a big difference on the journey through life and this book is the perfect gift for any busy-body.

On a personal note, I LOVE this little book! Combine it with tea, gardening or spa gifts -- or maybe a warm fireside relaxation theme with hot cocoa, popcorn, coffee and snacks. It is a small book and that makes it perfect for tucking into a more modest sized gift baskets.

Available through Andrews McMeel Publishing; 800-851-8923

What better way to beat the heat of summer than to think about the cool cash you will be bringing in this holiday season? Summer is prime time for putting together holiday plans, inventory strategies, brochures and catalogs. With a recession-tinged holiday coming up, it might be wise to think about inventory along more resourceful lines.

Keeping a majority of inventory in non-seasonal packaging means you can keep selling it through expiration dates, even if those dates go far beyond the Christmas season. However -- and this is a BIG however -- putting a segment of stock into seasonal packaging is VERY SMART.

Coffee is a common stock that can be used in virtually every gift basket theme. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to stock up on coffee in holiday packaging. Add a solid red mug (that can cross over into Valentine’s Day), and a touch of holiday-themed enhancements, and a year-round gift basket becomes an instant HOLIDAY best seller -- with just ONE specific holiday item.

There are not many products that I have personally endorsed through my 25 years as an editor in the gift field. But Don Francisco coffee is a gift item that has consistently earned my vote as an inventory “must-have”. The packaging is classy, and the taste is so good I personally buy it every week as the coffee of choice for our home.

You can’t go wrong with this brand on your holiday inventory list.

Debra Paulk, editor
Gift Basket Review Online

Don Francisco’s Holiday Bags Increase sales this season with this festive collection of favorite flavors and holiday blends from Don Francisco’s Coffee! Customers will share the joy with nostalgic Cranberry Créme, cool winter Dark Chocolate Mint, sumptuous Pumpkin Spice, and a special edition Holiday Blend – all ground, in 12 oz. bags. Available October through January. Suggested retail: $7.99.
F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc., 2700 Fruitland Avenue, Vernon, CA  90058 (800) 428-4627 tel, (888) 428-4621 fax sales.support@gavina.com www.gavina.com

Hello friends!

It was an adventure traveling around China but I’m back to the blog once again! Thanks for your patience as I set my brain gauge to “inspiration” in the land of gumdrop mountains and rice patties.

My husband, daughter (pictured above) and I took advantage of super travel discounts (aren’t they GREAT?!) to splurge on a once-in-lifetime vacation. Sure, we had to sell our RV to pay for the trip, but who cares? We couldn’t afford the gas for it anymore anyway! While I’m calling the trip a “vacation”, we were moving around from one city to another so quickly that we didn’t rest or relax very much. Instead, we jammed our souls with the sounds, scents, scenes, and experiences that are unique to the rapidly changing nation.

China is a nation with two systems on a collision course: communism and capitolism. On one hand, the country is desperately attempting to maintain control through a communist government policies. But this system seems to be on the slide as capitolism explodes, uplifting the standard of living for a growing segment of the population. It is hard for the government to argue with the success, and, as a result, China continues to open doors that would have been unthinkable 15 years ago. Entrepreneurs are leaping into the market, building retail on every level. Glittering malls with a lavish array of goods are available for the burgeoning class of Chinese families with extra cash in their pockets.

Let’s just hope that China can cling to a few of the pure traditions of their ancient culture in the midst of Western influences. Ideals like respect, honor, honesty, work ethics, and the pursuit of scholastic excellence. With these ideals firmly rooted, capitolism works to the benefit of everyone.

If you have never been to China, you might be surprised by the people and how much they honor Americans. One afternoon in a park, people were celebrating with a band and dancers. When they saw a group of Americans, they made a welcoming announcement and pulled our tour group into the center of their stage. The band struck up “Jingle Bells” and moved to “Old Suzannah” (apparently popular American tunes in China), and the Chinese people took us by the hand, drawing us into a conga line, giving us flags and flowers to wave. It was almost like something from a dream.

Enough about my “vacation” for now, but the inspiration will linger. You’ll see the Asian gift influences in the upcoming Gift Basket Review Online corporate issue.

Tomorrow I’ll post a group of new products coming out this season and shift gears back to a work routine. But for a few more hours, I think I’ll indulge in a few more China memories.

Debra Paulk