Gift Basket Heaven

I love receiving gifts, and let's face it...who on earth doesn't. Getting flowers from my husband always makes me feel special. The cards I get from the kids on my birthday and the holidays are precious to me. Still, there is one gift I look forward to more than any other. I have an aunt who I have always been very close to and who sends me a gift basket every year for Christmas. In over ten years of receiving gift baskets from her, I have never had the same basket twice and I have never felt anything less than sheer joy over what she sends. I have had gourmet gift baskets of meats, cheeses and crackers, chocolate gift baskets, wine gift baskets, home spa products baskets and many others. I guess I just really enjoy the fact that it's so many gifts in one. There's something incredibly special about opening a gift and being presented with a wonderful array of products to choose from.

No matter what the theme is, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Each year, the hardest thing for me to decide is what to try first. Over the years, I have come to look forward to and enjoy the gift baskets more than any other gift I receive. Last Christmas, my aunt ordered the basket late and it arrived a few days after the holiday. Despite all the wonderful gifts I received from friends and family, I really missed having a gift basket. It felt as though something I enjoyed so much for so long was absent. When it finally arrived, it was like Christmas all over again for me. Since my aunt started sending me gift baskets over a decade ago, I have sent her one each year as well. We always talk after the holidays about what we enjoyed the most. I think we're both addicted to them. In recent years, I started sending them to other friends and family. Never before have I felt so sure that my gifts were well received as I do now.

Everyone seems to love them and I get a lot praise over my choices. I think people enjoy sampling items that they might not think to buy or that are unavailable is a real treat. Personally, one of my all time-favorites was a selection of Swiss chocolates that were better than anything I'd ever tasted here in the States. I still think that if I had never tasted them, I wouldn't know just how delicious chocolate could be.

The next time you are wondering what to send for a gift, I recommend a gift basket. You'll be surprised at how much it will be appreciated and enjoyed.