Gift Ideas for your Favorite People

Say `Thank You’, `Merry Christmas’ or just send a greeting that says `Happy Holidays’… we aim to please and impress your friends, family and business associates.  Don’t have the time to shop or to wrap? Just visit our website or call us and we can help.

Below are some of our customer favorites for great gift ideas.   One call or click is all you need to do to take care of your holiday gift giving.

For the gang at the office

For the Executive

For the Home Owner

For the Diva

For the Gadget Guru

For the Devoted Grandparent

For the Adventurer

For the Movie Fan

For the Travel Enthusiast

For the Sports Fan

Holiday Gifts for businesses big or small

Convey  your gratitude with decadent gifts and leave a lasting impression. 

Choose from our extensive collection or have us customize to suit your budget.

Indians from around the world celebrate Diwali, also known as Festival of lights. It is the biggest celebration of all Hindu festivals. The date is set by the Hindu calendar and generally falls in either October or ovember.Diwali is not only celebrated by Hindus, but also Jains and Sikhs.

Diwali celebrates victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Light, is the symbol of hope and positive energy. On this night people decorate their homes with diyas (earthen lamps with cotton wicks dipped in ghee or oil) thus spreading light in every corner of their homes. The significance of lighting the diyas is to destroy the reign of darkness and to help Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity and wealth to find her way into their homes.

Preparation for Diwali includes the cleaning and redecorating homes, and purchasing new clothing. It is also a time when family and friends gather to celebrate with the exchange of traditional sweets and fruit. And of course celebrating includes fireworks. Fireworks are a big part of the Diwali celebrations.

This Diwali, indulge in decorating your homes with traditional lamps and diyas, usher in prosperity and celebrate victory over evil and light over darkness. Add a dash of social responsibility to your celebrations by lighting the traditional diyas rather electric bulbs.

Happy Diwali!

While the earlier settlers celebrated Thanksgiving for a successful harvest, today we celebrate to give thanks for all the blessings we enjoy. It brings to our awareness something that can relieve stress and bring greater contentment: gratitude.

Here are a few ideas on How to Give Thanks this Thanksgiving.

   1.     Be thankful for the food you’re eating. Appreciate the feast that has been put together with time, effort and money. Even if you’re the one who’s put the meal together, be grateful for the ability to put such good food on the table for your loved ones.

2.     Be grateful for the company you’re with. Be thankful you’re not spending Thanksgiving alone. No matter how much your family or close friends drive you crazy, you know that nobody knows you better or loves you more.

3.     Show your love and appreciation for each other by giving thanks to them. Make the most of your Thanksgiving meal by having everyone share with each other why they’re grateful for each other.

4.     Think about all the things you’ve learned and earned this year. What experiences have you been through? Have you overcome any adversity? Have you learned things that you’re grateful for? Give thanks for the knowledge you’ve gained and each special moment or experience you’ve had.

5.     Think of the less fortunate. Consider the true spirit of Thanksgiving and think of those who have less than you. Consider the poor, the needy, or those who have truly struggled financially in these difficult times. Then think of all that you still have and all that you can still give to others. Consider helping out at a nearby soup kitchen, or adopting a family by sending them a meal basket.

Give thanks for your life, your health, your loved ones and your luxuries, no matter how little they may be.  Pass some of your generous spirit on to those less fortunate than you this Thanksgiving by donating your time or money to the less fortunate - it’s the best way to show you’re thankful for the life you have this holiday season.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Croquet – a fun summer activity

The game of Backyard Croquet has maintained its popularity in North America for more than a hundred years as the ideal complement of garden parties, family gatherings, outdoor fund-raisers, and social events.

The object of the game, whether you are playing singles or doubles is to make both of your balls to run through all the hoops in the order shown here and to hit the winning stake before your opponent(s).

The court in its full size is 105′ X 84′ with the hoops 1,2,3 & 4 being set in 21′ from each boundary. Hoops 5 & 6 are set in the center (east to west) and 31-1/2′ from north & south boundaries. A single winning stake is positioned in the center. The boundary is marked with a white string and the corners marked with flags in the colors shown. If space doesn’t permit a full size court, any size can be laid out so long as the 5:4 ratio is maintained.

Croquet is played with the blue & black balls competing against the red & yellow balls. In singles, each of two players uses two balls. Doubles is played with each of 4 players hitting one ball each. Each player hits the same ball throughout the game. The game continues until either, one team scores all the hoops in the order shown including the winning stake with both balls, or, has scored the most points within a time limited game.

When the player’s ball passes through a hoop in the required direction, a point is counted and a single continuation shot is earned. Each successive wicket passed through earns an additional point and earns one additional continuation shot.

If the striker’s ball hits a ball it is alive on, that is, a ball that has not been hit by the striker since its last hoop was scored, it becomes “ball in hand”. At this point the striker’s ball is placed next to the “roqueted” ball for the first of two earned shots. The first, the “croquet” shot is taken by hitting the striker’s ball causing both balls to move, hopefully to their desired location. The second, “continuation” shot, is taken by hitting the striker’s ball from where it came to rest after the croquet shot.

Deadness is a condition of a ball that has croqueted another ball during the course of its turn. A striker can hit any ball it is alive on during their turn. Deadness is cleared on all other balls when the striker scores its next hoop. A team can also clear the deadness on any one ball of its choice each time the opposing team scores the “1 Back” hoop.

When a ball has scored the “rover” hoop, it is considered a rover ball and is alive on all the balls on the court. It can clear its deadness by running through any hoop in either direction but can only hit each ball on the court once during a turn. The purpose of remaining in the game is to assist its partner ball in scoring more hoops.

Extreme Croquet Set

History of Croquet

The game of hitting balls through hoops can be traced back to 13th century France. There, peasants fashioned hoops from willow branches and used shepherds crooks to hit the balls. It showed up again in 17th century Ireland where a British sports equipment maker, John Jaques first saw it. Taking the idea home with him, equipment was produced and it quickly became the sport of the elite class. A governing body was established around 1870 in England. By mid the 1880’s, its popularity waned as its luster was tarnished by gambling and other questionable social concerns in the Victorian era. Even the first known club at Wimbledon, The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, ejected the sport and dropped its context from the club’s name. Croquet’s survival was in the immense popularity as a backyard game and, with the influence of the British Empire, croquet was found in most of the Commonwealth countries.

The English players, not to be banished to their gardens forever, formed the beginnings of the Croquet Association (CA) in 1897. On the other side of the Atlantic, popularity grew in the 1930’s and 40’s. It was taken to especially by the rich and famous of the United States. Many of Hollywood stars found croquet the sport to be playing. This short resurgence in the United States was short lived until the mid-sixties when a group of players on Long Island and another in Florida started playing again. From these beginnings, the USCA was formed, and along with it, formal rules and regulations governing play, American-style. 

The 80’s saw explosive growth in the sport, which continues today with over 350 clubs in Canada, and the USA. With the formation of the World Croquet Federation recently has joined the national associations of more than a dozen countries around the world. It is responsible for unifying the sport and promoting international competition. Many of the world’s  top players now target the world championships as their sport’s pinnacle.

Cyclists Wanted!

The Rotary Club of Vancouver is organizing a Bike-A-Thon again this summer, July 12th, 2009, for the benefit of the Hearing-Impaired in British Columbia.

This year’s 120-km ride begins at the Brentwood Mall in Burnaby and ends at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. You can do this as an individual participant, or as part of a relay team, with each member cycling a certain stage of the total distance.

The event ends with a relaxing afternoon the Harrison Hot Springs spas and a celebration banquet.

The Bike-A-Thon hopes to attract 200 cyclists. Do your part for charity this summer – send me an email or call if you have questions or would like to sign up.

The Rotary Bike-A-Thon Committee visited the Cochlear Implant Services at B.C. Children’s Hospital on April 22, 2009. During this visit the committee was given a tour of the Cochlear Implant Clinic. We learned that there is now a Provincial Early Hearing Program that screens all newborn babies. This initiative helps identify and diagnose hearing loss by the time babies are 3 months old, allowing for early intervention which is essential for their communication success. We were shown the soundproof booth and clinic offices with all the equipment needed to test infants/children. There was a demonstration of how to program a cochlear implant.  In addition, we got to see a demo kit of what an internal cochlear implant and external speech processor looked like and how it worked.

The Cochlear Implant team consists of a pediatric otolaryngologist, clinical coordinator, three audiologists, a social worker, a psychologist and an administrative assistant. Any infant or child identified as having a severe to profound hearing in both ears can be referred to Cochlear Implant Services for a multidisciplinary team candidacy evaluation. This investigation is a very thorough procedure. The team looks at many aspects of the child’s audiological (hearing), medical, and educational history, as well as current family situation. Furthermore, at any time the family may withdraw from the program if they feel a cochlear implant is no longer an option they wish to pursue.

What is a cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is a device which directly stimulates the hearing nerve.  It can provide sound for children who have a severe to profound hearing loss and/or receive little or no benefit from conventional hearing aids. Cochlear implant surgery is usually done after a child is at least one year of age. 

What is the difference between a hearing aid and a cochlear implant?

Hearing aids make sounds louder. However, for children who have a severe to profound hearing loss, hearing aids may not be adequate in providing consistent access to sound for understanding of speech. Cochlear implants may be a good option for these children.

 What are the parts of a cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is a device that is implanted into the inner ear. A tiny electrode is surgically inserted into the cochlea, and a receiver is implanted behind the ear.  

A child with a cochlear implant wears the sound processor on the body, or behind the ear. The sound processor is attached to the transmitter coil, which is held on behind the ear by a magnet.

How does a cochlear implant work?

1. Sound is picked up by the microphone in the sound processor.

2. The sound is converted into a digital signal, and processed.

3. The processed digital information is sent to the transmitter coil.

4. The transmitter sends the information by radio waves to the receiver below the skin.

5. The receiver sends the information to the electrode array in the inner ear.

6. The electrodes send signals to the hearing nerve, which is processed by the brain.

Come join this ride as your donations will go to support the BC Children’s Hospital Otology/Cochlear Implant Program.  The Funds will be used to purchase urgently needed equipment including:

1) A Video Visual Response Audiometer which will allow an improved assessment of children when they are being tested for hearing loss.

2) A Verifit Hearing Analyzer which will allow testing of hearing aids of children to ensure all is working well as well as verifying levels.

3) Operating Room Cochlear Implant Templates, Micro Surgical Otologic Ear Set Instruments and Fine and Course Burrs.

4) An outpatient ENT clinic Otologic Telescope and Pneumatic Otoscopy device.

5) A Camera for Outpatient Microscope so patients and parents can see what the doctors re seeing in the ear.

For more information click here.

To Register for the Ride click here or join my team Go Dog Go

To access Your Web Page click here. You can view the Pledges you have raised, your list of Supporters and Edit your Web Page.

To Support a Rider click here and enter the Riders name in the Participants Name window

To View the Status of All On-line Donations click here

For more Details on Registration and Sponsoring a Rider click here

Inukshuk - An Inukshuk (plural inuksuit) is a stone landmark used as a milestone or directional marker by the Inuit of the Canadian Artic. The Arctic Circle, dominated by permafrost, has few natural landmarks and thus the Inukshuk was central to navigation across the barren tundra.

Inukshuk Circle of Friends

Inuksuit vary in shape and size, and perform a diverse array of tasks. It is a symbol with deep roots in the Inuit culture, a directional marker that signifies safety, hope and friendship. The Inukshuk has been adopted today as a symbol of our dependence on each other and the value of strong relationships. 

Today the Inukshuk is presented in various forms and is made with a variety of materials such as glass, soapstone, jade (British Columbia’s provincial stone), pewter and other materials.

Rosewood Inukshuk Trivet

Jade Inukshuk

The Inukshuk makes an idea gift for any occasion.

Splendid baskets cater to any taste

By Mia Stainsby, Vancouver Sun May 9, 2009

Mindy Tulsi-Ingram with a Green & Green gift basket.

Photograph by: Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Sun, May

Mindy Tulsi-Ingram is a basket case, if ever there was one. Wrapping and giving gifts is like a calling to her, so she made a business of her passion and called it Green & Green: the Creative Gift Co.

“I love it. I just love doing gifts and always did,” she says.

She makes up unique gift baskets, sometimes large enough to require a truck for delivery.

“I like to make sure every gift has mileage for my clients,” she says. “I try to make them memorable, something of a keepsake.”

Those in the OMG stage of Mother’s Day neglect can go online (www.greenngreen.com) to see what’s on offer or ask her to customize a gourmet basket. The business operates 24/7, she says.

“I think my most special [recipient] was the Dalai Lama. Here’s a man who is so holy. I was touched.”

She made up a gift basket for his hotel room on two of his visits. By the second time, she’d learned he likes mangos, so he got lots of them, mixed in with other edibles.

Desmond Tutu was another special customer, she says. “I do a lot of movie stars, too — directors, actors.

“The biggest basket I ever created was for [horror-film director/screenwriter] John Carpenter. I had to have a truck deliver it. It was almost $2,500,” she says.

It included an Xbox, a Sony PlayStation, his favourite “modern comics,” organic apples, chocolate and his favourite American candies.

Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito received Green & Green welcomes in their hotel rooms, too.

Tulsi-Ingram keeps unique items on hand to make up ultra-special baskets. A $355 Dualit toaster (toasts 65 slices an hour, keeps toast warm until ready to eat — a favourite of the Queen) might be packaged up with some artisan breads and jams, for example.

A big no-no, she says, is to mix bath items with food. “The last thing I want is for chocolates to smell of soap.”

Quality is a yes-yes. “Quality and locally made things make them unique.”

Green & Green’s showroom/ warehouse is at 1576 Rand Ave., Vancouver. It’s open 9 to 5, Monday to Friday (604-689-5027). 

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

If you love chocolates, especially Baci, the story behind the love notes in each chocolate will intrigue you. So this Valentine’s send your secret love message with Baci.

True to the romantic spirit of Perugina, this phenomenal success began with… a kiss. In Italian, one kiss is a “bacio,” more than one kiss is “baci.”

Many, many years ago, the young heir to Perugina, Giovanni Buitoni, and Luisa Spagnoli, wife of Perugina’s co-founder fell in love. A confectioner in her own right, Luisa created many of Perugina delicacies. In 1922, she created Baci, whipped milk chocolate blended with chopped hazelnuts, topped with a whole hazelnut and enrobed in silky bittersweet chocolate.

Because their love was to remain secret, Luisa wrote love notes and wrapped them around the chocolates she sent to Giovanni for his inspection. Her affection inspired a tradition. Today, all Baci kisses come wrapped with love notes written in English and Italian. Unique and delicious, Baci has been the key to Perugina’s success throughout the world.

This Valentines send some “Baci”

Probably the most important celebration in the Chinese culture is Chinese New Year. Known also as the Spring Festival, it is celebrated for a total of fifteen days. This noisy, colorful and fun occasion marks the beginning of a brand new year for the Chinese. It is a time for loud well wishes, amiable chatter and fantastic food.

Chinese New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm. However the Chinese do observe strict traditions and various taboos to ensure luck and prosperity in the home.

The color red plays an important role during Chinese New Year. Red signifies good fortune and luck. A popular custom is the giving of `Hong Baos’ or red packets. These are little red paper envelopes stuffed with money. Married adults and the elderly give these hong baos to children and unmarried young people as an act of well wishing and blessing.  If you are single, you may find red packets pressed gently into your hand after a friendly handshake. Don’t wave your hand and say no, for this is the way the giver is wishing you a happy New Year.

Homes are decorated with platters of mandarin oranges or tangerines, and circular candy trays. These trays, filled with dried fruit and candy, represent togetherness. Tangerines are symbols of good luck, and oranges, of wealth. These fruits are often presented as part of a gift to families and friends.  Other decorations in the home include poetic couplets on walls and doors, good luck wishes such as longevity or prosperity written on red paper. Flowers such as plum blossoms, pussy willow, azaleas and peonies bring the beauty and color of Spring into the home.

On the day of the Chinese New Year, lion dances are performed to usher in good luck and red fire crackers are lighted to scare away the evil spirits. It is a loud and joyous celebration, filled with fun. The dance signifies the end of the year and welcoming a new start, driving away evil spirits, bringing good luck and fortune to the people.

Be part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Look out for a Chinese New Year parade in a Chinatown near you, and join the Chinese in ushering good luck, happiness and wealth.