Gift baskets are out of date! Or is it that they’re just boring? Actually, I hope the correct response is neither. You see, I make my living by selling gift baskets (among other food gifts). Granted, it may be less significant that solving the global warming problem or removing a pesky mouse from under your kitchen cabinet, but it’s an honest way to pay for the roof over my family’s head.

I can read your mind: “All of his gift problems are solved; year in and year out everybody on his list gets stuck with another gift basket.” I want to disabuse you of your smug attitude! In fact, I face the same dilemmas that you face during any gift giving, decision making crisis.

I don’t give only baskets of joy to my loved ones. Even if I did just give gift baskets to everyone, my choice would be only marginally easier than yours. My company alone offers scores of fruit baskets, wine gift baskets, gourmet food options and far more. (I can hear you right now, begging me to tell you where this wonderful store is. A little patience is called for on your part.)

Before you coerce me into giving away my store location, I want to share my own decision making strategy with you.

First, I decide on an appropriate category of gift. If Uncle Milton really has managed to eliminate his drinking problem after a decade of trying, then the wine gift baskets are out of the running. Instead, I’ll opt for a fruit basket with something seasonal. After years of ignoring the nutritional value of what he consumed, he could use a few extra servings of fruit in solid form.

Aunt Millie, on the other hand, is a great wine sipper. Frankly, I don’t know if she really enjoys the wine, but she sure enjoys talking about it. She thrills to have a new member of her audience so that she can explain what makes a good vintage year, the varieties of grapes that are used in her favorite blends and, especially, how much she paid for each bottle (as well as how much she paid for the carpeting you just ruined by spilling your glass). She’ll get a simple wine gift basket, but I’m not going to spring for the champagne!

My nephew, Alfred, recently married his long time girlfriend. To tell you the truth, even I agree that it’s about time. Alfred spent the last eight years trying to decide if she was worth the cost of a diamond ring. (I suspect that he eventually settled on crystal, which, considering Alfred, would be thought of as generous.) Alfred always loves to receive cash as a gift. Well, he’s not getting that from me. Instead, they’re getting a meal of live lobsters and the trimmings from me. Actually two, of course. My thinking is that this is the only way to get his bride out of the kitchen. Alfred would never pay for a restaurant meal, so, in a sense, I’m sending the restaurant to them.

My second step, after choosing a category is to select a price range that I’m willing to spend on these people. Then my wife makes me double that amount.

My perfect grandson isn’t getting a food gift. I’m getting him the latest cell phone system, complete with an unlimited calling plan. I would get him a sports car if only you would buy a lot more gift baskets!

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Please stop giving my favorite gift category a bad name. Join the revolution by refusing to ship those obnoxious collections of unidentifiable cylinders claimed to be sausage and the awkward containers of processed cheese spreads. Extend the protest to include those tree killing enormous boxes that contain a couple apples or pears. I can find apples and pears that are just as good in my local super market.

Despite my heretical words, above, I love good food gifts. I enjoy giving them, but I enjoy receiving them even more. However, when you send me something, please make it the same quality I give those on my gift list. There is a difference, you know, between true quality and the convenience of buying from one of those ugly mall kiosks. Food gifts deserve at least as much careful thought as that after-shave you bought your dad year after year in your childhood–oops, not a good example, perhaps.

Instead of the mostly chemical box from the mall stand, think about a assortment of gourmet cheese from some cheesemaker who actually understands what cheese is and what it can be. Let’s keep the goats and cows happily employed instead of just putting more chemicals in our food. I would love even a small gift such as that more than the biggest box of the fake stuff that your mall displays.

A beautiful wine gift basket makes a delightful gift for the right person. Do remember though that this gift is not suited for everyone. You see, I haven’t had a drink in years, because I’m an alcoholic. I prefer not to be tempted, especially during the holidays, but my sister would be an ideal recipient. She knows how to sip and savor; I remember only how to gulp and refill.

In our mobile society, we all have a beloved relative or a dear friend who has moved to some distant location. Consider a gift of live lobsters or a couple complete lobster dinners. Indeed, after you read this article, I hope you feel friendly toward me, because that is a gift that I would enjoy!

I made light of fruit gift baskets a while ago, but, if you take the time, you can find a basket of gourmet fruit–fruit that does not grown in my back yard. This can be a truly thoughtful gift for someone who is into fitness or who has started the sort of logical diet that allows the consumption of fruit.

See? If you give a food gift the thought that it deserves, you can avoid the line at the mall kiosk and save the heavy fruitcakes and fake cheese boxes for other shoppers. Join me at home some evening, shopping from the Internet. I share my real cheese with you, but you’ll have to bring the wine for yourself.

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Many of us are faced with a time in which some of our close friends and family are enduring tough economic times. Especially in those types of cases, we want to be sure that the gifts we give them for special occasions are put to good use, needed and enjoyed. I have a few suggestions:

A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.

A unique meal is another way to remember a special occasion. One alternative might be to take the friend to a special restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to suggest some of the pricier entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering whatever they prefer. For example, you could say something like, “The crab legs are perfect here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.) Or you might send a gift certificate to a special place in their town.

A final recommendation is a scrumptious dessert. Now, lets face it, nobody should indluge in too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves a chance to feel a little pampered. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a delicious pie or a New York cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You’ll notice a common feature in these suggestions. They all involve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, so much the better.

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We all know people that when you pass by the vitamin store in the mall, were not surprised to see them browsing the shelves. They are the health conscious one in the neighborhood, the one we all unsuccessfully aspire to be. Or, perhaps theyre new to the whole health scene. For the third year in a row, theyve made it their new years resolution to lose those holiday pounds, but this time theyre actually going to go through with it. So, when their birthday comes around, it can be challenging to get them a gift that meets their healthy living. But, at least you have a good starting point. Get your friend something that theyll actually use and appreciate, or support your newly dieting friend by helping them along their way to a healthier and leaner lifestyle.

One great gift idea is to get them a membership to a local health club or gym. They’ll be among others with the same goals, and plenty of equipment to help them take on their challenges. They’ll also find a supportive and well trained staff. Many health clubs will also offer trainers to guide customers in a work out regime that best suits them. Getting a friend a membership is a great way to motivate someone to get out of the house and get started on shedding the pounds. Even if your friend already has a membership to such a club, you can still give them a free month, or even a gift certificate to be used at the club for additional services or products.

If a club membership is too expensive, you might think about getting them something else that will aid them in their quest for a healthier life. A stop at your local sports shop is always a great place to find loads of gift ideas for your health conscious friend. Health stores offer loads of ideas that can suit almost anyones interests. You might find a video guide on a popular exercise routine or an inspirational book.

Just because they want to lose weight doesnt mean they cant eat. Many sports shops will have cook books for the health conscious. The sports shop has new ideas at every turn including pedometers and heart rate monitors making your gift hunt much easier.

If youre looking for a more personal gift, one of the best healthy gift ideas you can get is a fruit basket. A fruit gift basket is a great gift idea for anyone who is health conscious and watching their weight. Weve been learning it since grade school when we first saw the food pyramid. Fruit is just plain healthy; it is totally cholesterol-free and provides many of the essential vitamins that we all require. Theres no question that a fruit basket would be loved by your health conscious friend. Fruit baskets can come in several different assortments that will provide your friend with his favorite treats. However, if your friend has just begun a low carb diet, he or she will not be permitted fruit until later in the diet’s progression.

So regardless of whether your friend is a newcomer to the health and fitness world or has been active for many years, be certain your gift is supportive of their choice to get healthy or stay healthy.

Deciding on a gift purchase can make me anxious: what can I get for Andy on his fortieth birthday? What should I give my wonderful father for his retirement? How can I surprise my hubby with something sweet on our anniversary?

Ill admit that Im not very good at buying gifts. When it falls to me to decide on a gift for someone, I am a complete wreck: what should I get Aunt Ann for her last day of work? What would my parents like for their thirty-seventh wedding anniversary? How would I surprise my husband on his birthday? And what can I possibly choose to congratulate my son, the young man who has everything, on the finally finishing his college career?

And suppose I do find the perfect gift for each one of my loved ones, how would I send a gift affordably to my father, who just moved to Florida?

Can I surprise my pop with a gift at his volunteer job? And could I send George a terrific birthday surprise without driving to Fort Worth? How can I get a gift to my husband at work on Veterans Day? And could I send my parents a meaningful wedding anniversary gift without driving all the way to Baltimore

Fruit giftbaskets turn out to be the magic solution, the answer to my woes and a wonderful way to say that “You are in my thoughts.”

Given the wide choice of gift baskets available, it has been easy for me to select the appropriate present for everyone I have in mind. But the really great thing about purchasing gift baskets online is the perk of not having to become concerned about sending anything through the mailmyself or even worsemaking a long trip! And, if I really want to surprise my husband on our anniversary, I can fill his day with hearts and flowers before he even comes home from work.

Since discovering gift baskets, choosing the best presents for my friends and family is no longer difficult. If youre finding yourself overwhelmed when selecting gifts, I recommend you give gift baskets a try.

Maybe you think I am taking the easy way out, but for me gift baskets are heavenly sent. If I can find something that pleases my daughter, I know youll find a great gift for anyone you have in mind!