Hey There, Designer Cakes!

Ever imagined about the cake-o-story? Well, in ancient times cakes, mostly used to be just breads sweetened with honey. From then, to now, we have moved on with so many advances that we see a whole lot of designer confectioneries, these days. We can photo imprint it. Design it to give a desired shape or even turn it into an absolutely wacky form, by giving it the most absurd shape.

Like/No like this one?

Now, if I tell you, it’s a birthday cake and not a bunch of quirky toilet papers and toiletries!

Coming back to binge of cake-o-story, its decoration dates back to 17^th century, when it initially began. There are also rumors that when a French baker wanted to earn more profit out of baking confectioneries, he thought of decorating it.

History also speaks of the ritual called bridal crowning that involved the usage of these. Romans used to prepare exquisite designer cakes, that filled with dry fruits and nuts and everything good to offer it to the Gods during the wedding ceremony. Later it was crushed on the bride’s head with a belief that God will bestow the bride with prosperity. This popular ritual was named as bridal crowing.

Moving on, these delicacies are an absolute treat. From a number shaped cake to a beautiful designer cake, you cannot hate any of it. The sugar rush, wrapped in a fancy cover mesmerizes all across.

The idea of decorating it into numerous designs is embraced worldwide. Confectioneries across the globe, design and style out exclusive ones in what not flavors and shapes.

The sugary wonder adds happiness to every occasion. Surprise your near and dear ones with photo imprinted ones, on their special day. At the convenience of online ordering and midnight delivery you can get a variety of it only on Sendmygift.com

Go cake-o-crazy, this big day.

Author- Soumi Mukherjee

Who Is "She"

It is a social and political movement that desires to bring a change in terms of equality in every field such as education, political, economic, cultural, personal and social rights for women. It has only one thing in mind, all creature should be treated equally whether male, female or others. And why do we need it??

There are various reasons for this association. Women have been suppressed by society since long ago. Here are some facts why it essential.

Female Foeticide: It is the act of killing the female foetus. This causes abnormal sex ratio. Forget about sex ratio. Isn’t it a crime to kill the innocent? Just because it’s a girl? After that, it is really shameful to blame mother for having a girl child.

Education: Many of them don’t allow them for higher education. Their belief about a girl is that she is meant only for house hold work, then why should she pursue her studies?  They don’t understand schooling is every human being’s right.

Aspiration : It is a frowned upon if a woman is a little bit different. For example, if she doesn’t want to wear girly clothes, wants to fulfil her dreams, doesn’t know how to cook, roams with boys, parties etc. then people will point finger at her character. If a boy does this then why he wouldn’t be wrong? 

Marriage: Is that any rule, women should get married before 25? Aren’t they should give liberty to her choice. It should be her decision, right? Whether she wants to or not, when and to whom. Ok fine, let’s say she gets married. After domestic violence, why she has to stay with her husband? Why doesn’t society take any responsibility for her condition? You are only one who opposes her qualification, life goal, and career. Think once before doing this to your daughter.

Don’t you think everyone should take stand for them? Stop being mean to them. They are human beings just like you. Try to place yourself in her position and feel this discrimination.

5 MUST HAVE VALENTINE DECORATIONS this V-DAY

The ‘You are’ cards:

Mark your territory on an empty wall and fill it with heart shaped cards made of paper where you write about the positive qualities of your partner. Consider all the good qualities of your partner and put them in writing.

The Love Bridge:

Love can cross any barriers. It simply depends on the people who are involved in creating a bridge that can cross any obstacles. Design this gem to show your partner that you would do anything to be with them.

The Ribbon Inception:

Usually, a ribbon is only used for a shining effect on the beauty of decoration. But when it comes to being creative, there is no limit. Use ribbons to create a heart shape and wow your loved ones with your ‘out of the box’ thinking.

Heart on Fire:

For those who don’t care for fancy items, a simple heart shape, designed with candles can blow their partner’s mind away. Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s not appealing.

Fight Club:

Okay, we are kidding. No fight on the big day. But this set of cushions definitely is an amazing gift because most couples have a discussion on this topic almost every day.

For staggering Valentine's Day gifts and ideas, visit www.sendmygift.com

Top Valentine's Day Gifts

GO THE EXTRA MILE AND MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

Valentine’s Day is around the corner,now is the time to plan and make the day special. Are you among the ones who want something exhilarating, fun and adventures to spice up the special day? This list is for you! In this blog, we have listed out some unique ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Go the extra mile and please your special one.

1  Write a letter. Yes, go old school and write a letter. That is a gesture which is very sweet indeed. We live in a digital age where everything happens at the touch of a button. But it simply doesn’t have the same mojo as going back in time. 

1  Weekend Getaways. Plan a romantic weekend getaway at the hills, away from the nuisance of technology and those you see every day.

1   Activities for Couples. Do you want to feel the same adrenalin rush, sweaty-palm and heart-pounding feeling when you first fell in love? Participate in an adventure with your special one. A lot of activities are available for couples who don’t mind the adrenaline rush. From skydiving to bungee jumping to wall climbing, these activities are not only fun to do but also an exhilarating experience.

1  Trekking. A tiresome activity that has its rewards. Experience nature as it tries to take a toll on you. Spend the night on top of a hill and sleep under the stars for the perfect moment.

1  Long drives. A lot of drives in India offer a greater spectrum of experience. “Couples who travel together are more likely to stay together and feel more connected”. So pack your bags and go for a long trip.

1  Cycle high. Make it a point to show commitment to each other and go on a long cycle ride. Mind you that this is for those who don’t mind a little sweat. Cycle to a certain point and show your commitment.

 P. S. Don’t forget to bring flowers though. 

For exclusive collection of flowers, bouquet, Valentine’s Day gifts and special gift combo’s ,login to Sendmygift.com 

Makar Sankranti- The Festival of Many Names

Makar Sankranti is celebrated every year on January 14^th, one of the most auspicious festivals of Hindus. This is the only festival which is known by so many different names and is celebrated in different ways across the country.

Most commonly known as MakarSankranti, In Uttar Pradesh, it is called ‘Khichiri’. A one-month long ‘Magha-Mela’ begins at Prayag (Allahabad) on this occasion and people take a dip in the holy rivers. In Tamil Nadu and southern India Sankranti is called ‘Pongal’ which derives its name from a delicacy prepared by boiling rice with pulses in Ghee and milk that is offered to the family deity after worshiping sun. 

This festival holds a lot of relevance for farmers and is even bigger than Diwali. In Assam, the festival is called ‘Bihu’. They celebrate the festival by dancing and praying to Sun god. In Punjab, it is called ‘Lohari’ and is celebrated by getting together dancing Bhangra and throwing sweets, sugarcane and rice in the bonfires. In Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat people exchange sweets made from sesame seeds and sugar and also til-laddus made from sesame seeds and jaggery. They have a tradition of flying kites. On this very occasion you have the opportunity to witness different colors of celebration and taste of cultural mix as you go to different geographies across the country. 

So now getting to know so many names and the way it is celebrated across country, one might feel a beet inquisitive about why this festival is celebrated? Below are few insights on why Sankranti is celebrated in a grand manner across the country.

It is a solar event that marks ascending of Sun and entering into Northern Hemisphere making days longer and nights shorter.  The significance of festival can be derived from the faith, Hindus place in Sun. The movement of Sun in different hemispheres is regarded as a heavenly event which is responsible for seasons, rains, vegetation and prosperity on planet earth. The festival is a thankful gesture to up above for the natural treasures we have been bestowed with.

Besides the astral significance the festival is also associated with a lot of astrological significance.

Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti means transition. There is a sankranti each month when sun passes from one zodiac sign to the next. There are 12 Sakranti in a year; however Makar Sakranti is the most important.  According to Purana, on this day Sun visits house of his son Shani, who is considered swami of Makar Rashi. Also it is believed that it was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended rising terror of the Asuras. So this occasion also signifies the end of the evil and mark new beginnings. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, when all the auspicious events like marriages, purchases, inaugurations, house warming ceremonies take place.

The festival is celebrated by exchanging gifts and passing good wishes. The most common gifts include some traditional artwork, sweets made of sesame seeds, idol of god, good luck plants etc. If you are looking forward to send across wishes in form of gifts to your loved ones, do visit sendmygifts.com for a happy gifting. Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous Makar Sakranti!!

Art of Gifting

Gifting is a wonderful gesture of love and appreciation. The very thought of gifting is noble. It invigorates the sense of our existence, reinstate humanness. Gifting is selfless, and its only objective is to make the recipient delighted. Gifting is unconditional in nature. It encourages thinking about others without expecting anything in return.

Gifting is not an act, it is not a purchase but it is a wish for happiness. Gifting is not a mechanical process, but more a craft through which magic is created in the minds of the receiver. The objective is to create a lasting impression. This is achieved through a series of well thought out actions from choosing a gift, wrapping it with no leakage of emotions and delivering it with utmost care.At every stage it requires care and skill. 

Gifting is an art!It requires visualization to know the receiver’s likes and dislikes, patience to find the right one and time to be certain about the gift.

While the focus is on the giver, the recipient gets less credit. Accepting a gesture graciously is also an art. In this case, accepting a person’s gift is allowing the giver to express his feelings. Accepting the gift courteously will make the giver happy which is the ultimate return gift you can give. “You take away all the other luxuries in life, and if you can make someone smile and laugh, you have given the most special gift: Happiness”. Giving and receiving is all about spreading happiness. Happiness is contagious, it leaves a positive impact on self and everyone who are associated.

On the contrary, if gifting becomes an act, it will transpire to be routine or careless which will do more harm than good.

For the largest collection of gifts and ideas login to www.sendmygift.com 

Types of Bouquet

There are a lot of confused folks out there, who literally scratch their head while choosing a right bouquet to gift. Here are few tips. Hope it helps!

Check flower assortment at http://bit.ly/1VPVTCa

Weird New Year Celebrations Across The World

New Year is celebrated across the world. People come together to bid farewell to bygones and hope for a wonderful year ahead. This is the time to reflect upon past and remember those special people who have made life special. Let’s come together and celebrate this wonderful phenomenon and make this world a better place to live. Remember your loved ones, send a gift and cherish them.

As we enter 2016, sendmygift.com brings you some weird traditions across the world that will make you dumbfound. 

Relevance of Gifting During Christmas

Long awaited Christmas is finally round the corner and everyone is eagerly waiting to be treated with gifts and surprises from their friends and family. Christmas is all about giving; It is a great time to bond. For long, gift giving on Christmas has become a norm and we follow it with joy and exhilaration as it is a time of happiness and cheerfulness for everyone, but do we know where and why this tradition of giving started, why giving holds so much of relevance on Christmas?

 As known to everyone Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus as Christmas every year, but the lesser known fact is that when Jesus was born, he was treated with gifts by 3 wise men- Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh. As per Christian belief, these three gifts symbolized Jesus life. Frankincense, a perfume used in Jewish worship, depicted that people would worship Jesus, Gold was associated with Kings and according to Christians; Jesus is the King of Kings, Myrrh was a perfume that was put on dead bodies depicted that Jesus would suffer and die. Each of the gifts was reflection of Jesus’s life and relates to some part of his existence from his birth till the time he was crucified.

During the 2nd Century, this tradition was further taken forward by Saint called Saint Nicholas. St. Nicholas was considered to be a Nobel man, who had a special affection towards poor children. Legends has it that St. Nicholas used to present gifts to less fortunate kids during this month, this noble gesture earned him the name ’Santa Claus’. Since then, small children have heard stories and believe that Santa Claus would come and treat them with gifts every Christmas. So to keep the belief and the magic of the festival alive, the young ones in the family tie socks and stockings on X-MAS tree hoping that Santa would come on Christmas night and drop a gift in that stocking or just keep the gift under the X-MAS tree. The friends and family members become that ‘Secret Santa’, buy gifts and secretly keep them under the Christmas tree, writing name of person for whom the gift is bought.

In good old days perfume and gold coins were passed on as a token of love and affection. Perfume was to spread the goodness of Jesus and gold was meant for prosperity. Over the time the concept of gifting has transformed with so many gift ideas in place. There are so many things one can present as an ideal gift to his or her loved ones to make them happy. Right from buying the most exotic Christmas delicacies like Plum cake and Chocolates complemented with flowers, soft toys and candles to more sophisticated gifts like jewelry, decorations, apparels and furnishings. One has the option to visit so many marketplaces offline and online to get the best gift for their special ones.

One such online marketplace is Send My Gift where you can find the largest assortment of Christmas gifts at reasonable prices. There are some really great Christmas combos available to choose from combining fresh flowers, cakes, toys and decorations, candles, cake and flowers, X-MAS tree, nativity figurines, decorations and magic mugs and chocolates. The marketplace gives you the option of same day delivery and midnight delivery so that your surprise reaches just in time at the doorstep of your loved ones. Do send out your emotions aloud with Send My Gifts and be the secret Santa for your friends and family. We will help you deliver emotions in the best way possible.

Infographic-Journey of The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree has a long history. It came into existence during the 2nd century and as years passed by spread across the world. This infographic is an illustration of the history and the journey of the tree. 

Infographic-Unfurling The History Of Chocolate Cake

Did you ever know the discovery of your favourite ‘Chocolate’ dates back to 1000 BC. Are you not curious to know the history behind this antiquity. Send My Gift has taken an effort to understand the journey of this special delicacy and bring to you this interesting flashback. We would love to hear from you on this post and also the kind of chocolate assortments you would love to see on sendmygift.com. Delivering emotions as sweet as ‘Chocolate’

Flowers & Printed Mug

Flowers & Printed Mug

Flowers & Printed Mug with teddy is a combo from Sendmygift.com with hand wrapped, beautiful fresh Flowers with a printed mug and teddy and a great gifting idea to your loved ones. Handpicked, hand wrapped, beautiful fresh Flowers with a printed mug. 

The Crème de la Crème of Corporate Gifts

Corporategift giving is serious business. As part of a well-considered program, it can help establish or enhance critical relationships and become a cost-effective means of recognizing activities that benefit the business. It is dismal to know how much money and energy is wasted on gifts that go unnoticed, unused, or are simply discarded altogether.

What a lot of corporate managers fail to grasp is that greeting cards are nothing more than marketing campaigns disguised in brightly colored envelopes and glitter. It allows you to stay on top of the client’s mind in a positive way. It shows your appreciation for them, and allows you to connect on a personal level by showing that you know what they’re passionate about.

Here are some of the main categories in Corporate Gifting:

1)    Personal:   This is the kind of gift that you would give to clients that you know on a personal basis. This could also be the gift for clients that you would like to improve relations with. You would need to know some level of basic personal interests and gift an item that would help them live out their passion.

2)    Inspirational:   a work of art, framed posters or mugs with motivational quotes, something that would help your client do better at work. Books are a thoughtful way to show your coworkers, boss, or customers that you care.

3)    Useful:  The ultimate advantage in any business is art of getting to know people. Connect well and find out what your clients passions are. For tech-savvy clients, you could gift whimsical USB drives, phone covers etc. For the quintessential music lover you could always go with a pair of earphones. There are inexpensive gifts like handcrafted, personalized bottle openers, mug holders, phone stands etc.

4)    Local /Regional:  Often we are faced with situations where the client is visiting your city, state or country for the first time. In such cases, a gift that’s unique from your locality or a memorabilia from their visit would make for ideal gifts. Often corporate managers gift sweets or local bonne bouche which is appreciated but is momentary. Sweets would, however, act as great add-ons to your actual present.

If you're tasked with finding the perfect holiday gifts for your business clients, you know it's not that difficult to achieve that perfect mix of thoughtful, unique and affordable. Always remember that a successful gift will elicit warm and happy thoughts about you, your business and how you’ve served the client over time.Check sendmygift.com for more corporate gifting options.

Relevance of Thanksgiving Day

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” – Cicero

Every year on the last Thursday of November, people in Canada and US gather for a day of feasting, football and family. While this age’s Thanksgiving celebrations would be a far cry from the original harvest meal of 1621, it continues to be a day for Americans to come together around the table—albeit with some updates to Pilgrim’s menu.

The original occupants of the ship ‘Mayflower’ left Plymouth in September 1620 with 102 passengers. After travelling for 66 days they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod. They stayed aboard the ship to survive the brutal winter despite facing exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious diseases. Finally they got off the ship and were welcomed by the Native Americans. Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe taught the travelers (Mayflower settlers) how to cultivate corn, extract sap, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants.

In November 1621, a feast was organized to celebrate the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest. Governor William Bradford invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. This is now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”!

In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday. Thereafter, each state celebrated it on a different day. In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale advocated Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Hale was the noted magazine editor and prolific writer credited with the words for “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. In 1863, after 36 years of strife, Abraham Lincoln finally gave in to Hale’s request in the midst of the Civil War. It was a proclamation beseeching all Americans to ask God to take care of all those who had become widows or orphans. It was a plea to aid the mourners and the people who had suffered in the civil war so that they could unite under a common banner and treat the wounds of the nation.

And now, after almost four hundred years, this day is gradually becoming a day for families to get together to feast. The whole family gathers at the meal and start by saying grace. The meal usually consists of roasted turkey, pumkin pie, cranberries, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet corn, etc.

Thanksgiving Day in India signifies a bountiful harvest and flourishing of wealth. Though not celebrated with the same fervor as our western counterparts, it is a holiday that we do understand. We ought to embrace it as we as Indians have a lot to be thankful for. We are a part of a family oriented society. Thankfulness is a blessed attitude expressed towards others. Thanksgiving Day is a day to take a moment and reflect on what actions can be taken in the next year to fully express the meaning of appreciation.

As we sit down to dinner this Thanksgiving, spend a few moments giving thanks. Also, lets share with our family and friends what actions we will take in the next year to fully express the meaning of Thanksgiving. Let us learn to appreciate what we have in life!

Hospitality and Gifting Go Hand in Hand

Until a decade ago, travelling a few hundred kilometres was considered a demanding task. Now though, a new breed has taken over for whom travelling has become a way of life and hotels – cosier than home. On the one hand, hotels are competing with each other to win customers through superior customer service and giving personalized experience. Due to the high level of competition hotels are forced to be on their toes by going out of their way and making guests feel at home.

Luxury hotels probably in this regard aren’t hesitant to go above and beyond for customers if they suspect it could result in free press. While great customer service stories can be a dime a dozen if you’re looking for them, you can’t help but think that some of these tales seem especially calculated. It makes good business sense to treat customers well, doesn’t it? A good, well thought present goes a long way in customer service and provide the hotels two main advantages. Firstly, it pleases the customer and makes sure they return again and secondly it provides word of mouth advertisement which makes a whole lot of difference.

Consider Christina McMenemy’s experience. Every year that she attended a blogging conference in Nashville, she would stay at the Gaylord Opryland hotel. One thing that she absolutely loved about her room was the radio clock that played serene music that relaxed her as if she were actually getting a massage at a high end spa every time it played. Christina was hooked and she wanted to experience the same serenity at home since it allowed her to sleep like a baby. Christina tweeted the folks at the hotel where she could purchase one. The one they suggested online however, lacked the spa music feature that Christina loved so much. Disappointed, she thanked them for the effort anyway. Next time she was at the room, she found that there was a noise machine sitting on her bed along with a thank you note.

You can see how this is one situation where the gift is a memory for life and the hospitality is endorsed by the story as well as the recipient. Personal touch such as this will give the guest an unforgettable experience and at the same time make them an ambassador for the brand. The biggest takeaway from the above story is that the gifts don’t have to be expensive, it can be trivial for many but the investment you make with it can be invaluable and it can win a customer for a lifetime.

The Need to Pamper Employees for Better Productivity

There was a time when people would be employed by a company after their education and they would work with that company until they retired.  It was as sanctimonious as a marriage. It became their profession. It also gave employers the belief that employees were replaceable which lead to employer tyranny.

But that age has now passed giving birth to a new generation that is facing a paradox of choice. There are so many jobs available and oh, so many better employer elsewhere. If loyalty is defined as being faithful to a cause, sticking to an ideal, custom, institution or product then it is quite common for employees to be engaged in infidelity.

Add to that, multiple recessions, during which companies laid off huge sections of their employees with little regard for loyalty or length of service. This ensured depleted benefits and measly promotions for those who remained.  This led to the entry of a generation of youngsters, aged between 20 and 30, who have a different set of expectations about their careers or employers. The trend set in, the necessity of a professional to create his own brand on the shoulders of his work and experience.

Recent research shows that one of the major reasons why employees lack motivation is that they feel insecure about their job or feel mistreated by the employer. They always feel that the grass is greener on the other side. According to a study by Nobel Laureate George Akerlof, a forerunner in the field of economics claims that act of kindness by employer elicit more effort from employees towards their job and tasks. Further studies on this subject by a group of German and Swiss researcher’s throws more light on this subject and reiterate that exchanging gifts in workplace produces greater outcome than when offered monetary benefits such as cash bonus or incentive's. 

Thus we move to the age of employing wooing and pampering. Many leading companies have adopted some over-the-top perks to attract and retain talents, perks such as being a pet-friendly office, providing sabbatical leaves for employees, sponsored vacations, baby shower programs and many more.

                                                                     

                                                              

More than perks or monetary benefits, it is the sense of meaning in work that you hope to motivate employees with. Employees need constant reassurance about their worth in the progress of the company, any small gestures in the form of  thoughtful gift  that shows that they are a part of an organization will lead to job satisfaction.

Gifts That Are Engraved In History That Reverberate The Need Of Gifting

If people stopped gifting, we would not have seen “The Taj Mahal” or read “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Two inspiring stories of gifting, the former an epitome of love, where Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife build one of the most spectacular monument in the history, which took almost 22 years and 22,000 workers and the latter, a token of care which demonstrates how a thoughtful gift could produce one of America’s bestselling books, here is how the Harper Lee story goes…

Harper lee was working as a ticket agent for a British Airline. Even though she was passionate about writing she didn’t have the liberty of time or financial freedom to pursue her passion. She once shared her passion and concern with her friends Michael and Joy Brown, a couple who Harper Lee was very close to but least did she expect that these two people would change her life for ever.

During Christmas in 1956, Lee woke up to a surprise; she found an envelope which was hung to a Christmas tree, with the natural curiosity of a writer she opened the envelop, to her astonishment it had a hand written note from Michael and Joy Brown, the note read like this” 'You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas” The couple sponsored Lee for an entire year and rest is history. Every day we stumble upon thousands of stories which echo ‘why gifting is important’.

Gifting has a special place in our everyday lives. When you feel words aren’t just enough to show how much you care, respect or love then a gift can express all this. So why wait? Show your loved ones how much you care, love and cherish them. Happy Gifting!