Valentine's Day Gift Basket Ideas

What to do, what to do? It's the romantic holiday of the year but it can be sort of casual for some, and for others it barely exists.

Whether this day is romantic or not for you or the person on your mind, it's still a good day for gift giving and receiving. Why? Because it's fun.

Valentine Gift baskets are perfect for any occasion big or small, romantic and casual. And they fit just about anybody's budget. So combine the versatility with the quality and variety available, and you're looking at the near perfect gift.

Look at some of the different varieties of arrangements:

• Total spa care
• Imported French foods and goods
• Imported Italian foods and goods
• Wine
• Chocolate and sweets
• Coffee and chocolate
• Gourmet breakfast
• Cocktail baskets
• Microbrews
• Flowers
• Tea and cookies
• Sushi kits
• Kosher foods
• Organic foods
• Cured meats
• Romantic
• Health food
• Champagne
• Barefoot contessa
• Gardening
• Gourmet pizza
• Gourmet popcorn
• Potpourri and candles
• Seafood
• Tex mex

There are many other types of baskets available through family owned gift companies like GourmetGiftBaskets. They boast the cheapest delivery prices and these are handmade valentine gift that have won national awards and critical acclaim over the last few years. You can even put together your own custom arrangement for those you truly know.

All you have to do is specify the delivery date and location which can be a church, school, hospital, business, or home residence. You can order months ahead of time and some Valentine's varieties are already selling out. So even if Valentine's Day isn't a big deal for you, it's still the perfect day for surprising someone with a great gift.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Curiel

Get Complete Details of Chinese New Year 2010 and Get Free Weekly Horoscopes

For the Chinese, this 2010 is the Year of the tiger, which effectively starts on the Saturday of February 14. This is the time when millions of overseas Chinese will go back home to their families to spend the holiday and have a wonderful dinner together. This is a time when every China town all over the globe will be filled with much merrymaking, dramatic fireworks, dancing dragons, singing gongs, and happy smiles.

No doubt, the Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in history for Chinese calendar, with the celebration taking as long as 15 days. Even people who don't have Chinese blood in them have come to celebrate and respect this holiday. Every year, Chinese spend lavishly on these performance arts in the hopes of bringing good luck and prosperity.

The Spring Festival is the most important and traditional festival for Chinese, because it starts from the beginning of spring. People will hold this festival at the last day of every year which is called New Years Eve. People will keep vigil, and all the members of a family will hold together to have a big dinner on that night. It means the old year has already past and after people make a conclusion for the year, they hope to have a new and different year next.

And just as the New Year is a time when they spend thousands on food and fireworks and gifts, it is also a high time consulting their fate in Chinese horoscopes and astrology. Chinese people, after all, are among the most superstitious people in the world. Superstitions, in fact, abound during the Chinese New Year itself, both before and during the holiday. On the days before the celebration, Chinese families spend their time cleaning their houses to sweep away the bad luck for the coming New Year. On the holiday eve, buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck, since according to them the word "shoes" is a homophone for the word "rough" in Cantonese. Eating candy, on the other hand, brings good luck in a way that their coming year will become sweet.

The Chinese Horoscope cycle is enhanced with the divisions of the twelve Chinese horoscope signs that are represented by twelve carefully chosen animals. These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The animals where not selected by luck, but each one of them is highly associated with the human culture and way of life. There's also a legend that explains in detail how the 12 animals where selected. According to the scriptures, the Chinese god of earth conducted a race between all the animals on planet earth. The first twelve animals would represent the twelve astrological signs. The twelve Chinese Horoscope signs shape the twelve-year cycle. When the year-cycle ends, a new one begins by repeating itself.

In the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do. Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year hamper is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year hamper to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1293933_51.html

Rose Color Meaning and Why You Shouldn't Be Sending That Red Rose!

Rose Color Meaning and other tidbits about the worlds most famous flower.

Roses have had a colorful and very long history. We believe the species is over 35-40 million years old based on fossil evidence from Colorado, North America, Europe and Asia. It is thought that these early flowers, which resembled the wild Sweetbrier, were used for food and medicine. They had five petals and were usually either pink or white in color.

From these humble beginnings, it is now the most complicated family tree of all known flowers with over 30,000 varieties. The cultivation of this flower we think started in Asia 5000 years ago and they've been a part of our experience ever since.

Cultivated roses from China were introduced to Europe in the late eighteenth century. These were a repeat blooming variety. From here experts began to split old roses (before 1800) and modern roses (those cultivated and hybridized in England and France during the 19th century). Until that time, old roses were only shades of pink or white (in Europe). Where as the red roses from China came on the scene in Europe after 1800. The Chinese kept written records of their roses. Confucius (500 BC) recorded the growing and cultivation of roses in the Imperial Rose Garden of the Chinese Emperor.

Yellow roses appeared after a Frenchman Joseph Permet-Ducher found a mutant yellow flower. He'd been breeding them for 20 years trying to create one on his own prior to its discovery. Wouldn't you know it, mother nature always knows best! At this point, only a true blue or true black rose have not been found or created, but both are very close!

Roses have been used as an aphrodisiac, medicinal purposes, cosmetics, perfumes, aromatherapy and even worshiped! We purchase over 1.2 billion cut roses in the U.S. a year! Valentines day being 1st then Mothers day a close 2nd. There are thousands of Rose Societies. (talk about clubbing!)They have inspired musicians, poets, authors and even artists! Did you know the rose became so popular, it became legal tender?

Rose Color Meaning:

Now to the good stuff. Did you know that the color of a rose has a very specific meaning.

What color rose do you send a friend? What color would you send a lover? No, they are not the same, and you could be sending a very wrong message! For instance, on Mothers Day, you send your wife the red roses and you send your Mum (British for Mom) the Pink rose! And your neighbor's wife that just busted her ankle helping coach your kids T-ball game? It had better be yellow, or your in real trouble!

Here's a listing with the colors of roses we have today. There is the red, white, yellow, orange/peach, lavender/purple, and pinks. We even have red and white, yellow and red tips, red and yellow. There's even a red rose so deeply dark red that unless viewed under bright lights, it appears black, however, only special collectors have this as it requires special care.

Now here's the list. It is a basic list that will explain just the basic and broad meaning.

* White Rose - Purity, Innocence, Sympathy, Spirituality

* Red Rose - Love and Passion, the Lovers Rose!

* Lavender or Purple Rose - Enchantment, Majesty, Love at First Sight

* Pink Rose - Love, Gratitude, Appreciation

* Orange Rose - Desire, Enthusiasm and Passion

* Yellow Rose - Friendship, Joy, Get Well

* Yellow with Red Tip Friendship - Falling in Love

* Red and White Given together - these signify unity

* Red and Yellow Celebration - Jovial and Happy Feelings

* Black - Death, Farewell

* Blue - The unattainable, the impossible

* A Single Rose in any color - Simplicity, Gratitude

* Red Rosebud - Symbolic of purity and loveliness

* White Rosebud - Symbolic of girlhood

So! What is the significance of sending a single rosebud?

Why do we send 12 and not 6 or 8 roses?

And what's so hot about those orange roses?

Better check out my website for the answers to those questions before you place that order!

Now that you've been schooled on Rose Color Meaning, you'll know the best color rose to give that special someone you're thinking about!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Delmus_Phelps