I love Easter.  I think it is one of my favorite holidays.  I think it is because my birthday is around this time of year, and also it is when spring is starting to bud.  Today was actually sunny, and the birds were breaking out in song.  Hallajueh, I think that Springis here, which means Easter is on it’s way. 

I wanted to share some ideas for Easter,  so you can think ahead, and place your orders for crazy Easter Bunny ideas.  That is let FAO Baskets be the Easter Bunny for you.  What a thought! 

Easter Treasures

Here is a peek at one of idea of your traditional Easter Basket filled with goodies, socks, bubbles, and treasures.  Each plastic egg is filled, and embellished.  How cool is that?  If you are looking to spend around $40-$50 this would be a delightful basket for you.

Now think about how much you spend putting everything in a basket?  If you are like me,  it usually is between $25-30 when I am all done.  I try to put useful items in the basket, not just candy.  I love to look around and find clever little things to jazz it up.  If you are one to purchase a premade basket from the store, remember you don’t get much in those.  I am amazed every year that those premade, assembly-line baskets seem to disappear year after year.  Someone is paying  a lot of money for nothing.  I priced those out between $10 for a few packs of candy, to $40 for a huge basket with the outside filled with candy and 1 large items taking up the center space.  I am sure it is all for the convenience factor.

Here are some clever new ideas for your little bunnies, and big bunnies.

Easter Candy Bar Bouquet- Comes in a small, $35, Medium $35 and Large $40.  You can choose your colors and theme.

We have our Custom Altered paint cans.  You can purchase one of these for $25 and fill it yourself, or you can purchase one filled for $35, and I will fill it for you.  You can customize these cans to be your favorite team,  (Hint March Madness is going on now) or I can decorate them to be a in a theme of your choice.   I think that is well worth the deal.

Take a look at these cans under our Custom paint can tab-  in Categories! 

Pictured below is our Favorite Pet Lover Can-  I usually fill this one with Scooby Snack Crackers (Bone Shaped) and the ends are dipped in chocolate.  It is for Human Consumption only.

The other can is the Man Can-Tool theme paper, and finished off with a duck tape bow.  You can fill it with anything.

These cans are wonderful to use after.  We keep them for on “On the Go” activities.  I always need something for my little ones to during errands to the doctor, or for appointments, or even at church.  I fill it with crayons, and small coloring books, and little note pads, and a few cool other accessories, and Voila’.  It is a Car Can.  Which give you another idea to request to fill your can with.  Just request an “On the Go Can” and I will fill it with all my favorites.  Still the Same $25- empty, $35 filled.  I will customize your child’s can with their Name on it.

You need to get on the ball and order now, so you can get your pick of the lot,  and if you are needing to ship- Wednesday is the last day for shipping.  These ideas are for all budgets,  from $25-$50. We are still trying to come up with the last little bit of money for Tanner’s Trip coming up in a couple of weeks to Washington DC-  100% of your order will go to Tanner’s TSA Ambassador Fund!  We still need $300.

Pay it forward!  For Tanner!

Tanner 1 year old

Happy Birthday! Tanner!

on this day February 21, 1995 we had spent 21 hours in labor waiting for your arrival.  You graced us with your presence eyes wide open and with a loud scream.  You were taking it all in the second you could hear and see.  Here is to an incredible journey with you over the last 15 years.  You are an amazing kid! Full of determination and perserverance.

We are continuing our fundraising drive until March 30th.  If you would like to make a cash donation, we would be happy to accept those through your pay pal account.  You can open them up for free.  Just use the option to “SEND” money to orders@faobaskets.com We would be happy to send you a receipt for your donation. 

We have reached the 1/2 way mark on our goal of $1400.  We are currently at $700.  Thank you to all the businesses and friends who have donated to help us on our journey.  Tanner has been working hard selling our slider candy bars at school also.   He is really looking forward to making a difference in this cause.

There are only a few more days to make your choices for gifts for your Valentine.  If you need to ship the gift,  the last day to ship to get it there on time would be Thursday.  We ship 2-3 day priority mail, and the average shipping cost is $15 per package, depending on the size.

I thought it would be fun to come up with some Guy Valentine gift ideas.  It is fitting since I do have 4 sons, out of my brood of 5 kids.   I think it is just as important to show the men in your life how much you love them instead of expecting that Valentines Day is the day for them to express to you their love.  I actually like to think of Valentines day as the Day that my husband will Profess his undying love for me.  LOL.  After   17 years of marriage,  I do appreciate ANY attention he may give me.  We laugh that you know it is true love that he still loves me when I am fat, and I still love to rub his bald head.  There’s nothing better! 

So when I found this paper this year,  I had to make something fun out of it and profess my love for my man that is turning 40 this year.  Here is an example of a Paint Can gift, made out of “Old Guys Rule” paper.  Done in classic cars, and with fun classic comments about how “Old Guys rule”  Old School, and Being a classic.  What a great Compliment I think!  (We seem to be okay getting old, and growing old together.)  The empty paint can, ready for you to fill is $25.  If you would like to have gourmet cookies added to fill it, $35.    This theme can also be used in a Candy bouquets, Small $30, Medium $35, Large $40.  It will be embellished with the classic car brads, of a odometer, stick shift and other classic guy stuff.  

If the cans are a bit out of your price range,  you take a look at our Gourmet Cookie Take out Boxes for $15.00-  they are filled with 6 gourmet chocolate chip cookies.    Pictured is a brocade design, however, remember we can customize to be any style you like, fancy or simple.

Still looking for something more budget conscience,  we have our Individually wrapped slider Candy bars, for $4.00 each.  Pictured is a sports theme for Milford High School,  however, we have made these individually for every holiday so far this year.  We will stick a secret message

inside the slider, for you,  they slide the bar open and Voila’ ~ “Happy Valentines Day!

I think we have covered all of our bases in budget limits.  There is something for everyone.  Don’t forget we Deliver also.  If you place your order now, we will offer you free delivery for Valentines, up until Saturday, February 13.  We will not be making deliveries on Sunday.

Don’t forget that all of the profits, from your Valentine orders will go directly to Tanner’s TSA Youth Ambassador fund.  We are 1/2 way to our goal.  We need to raise about $700 more.

And just for Posterity’s sake,  here is my Valentine, then and now!

Singing and music are 2 of my favorite outlets for my Tourette’s Syndrome.  I don’t know if there is really thing that it has to do with my Tourette’s, but I have found it is a good way to calm down, and relax.  My mom teases me that when I was a baby, they would turn on “Enya” to make me go to sleep.  I could be screaming my head off, and as soon as they would turn on”Enya”  I would stop, BAM! I would go to sleep, if they could wrap be up in a blanket tight enough too. It was one of only a couple of CD’s they owned at the time.  I can say I have a good variety of music I love.  Especially Classic Rock, or stuff like that but I also like to listen to Classical music too,   just for the break and relaxation, and just for the record Enya isn’t my favorite anymore. 

I felt really honored last year in 8th grade to be apart of the Honors Choir at Milford Junior High School, with Mrs. Carpenter.  This year when I tried out for Honor’s choir I was certain I wasn’t going to make it since I was a lowly Freshman, but I did, and the fact that my voice is still a tenor was to my advantage,  everyone else is Bass this year.  (HA)  I made it as part of the District 14 Honors choir. It was great to work with Mrs. Blake, and also to spend a very long and productive day, with the rest of the district practicing amazingly difficult songs, and working with incredibly talented conductors, and accompanist.  (And it is just because I decided to write about this that I can’t find my CD, or remember the names of them.  I will have to add that later.)

One of the reasons that I love music is because I don’t tic as much when I am singing.  I tic before, and I tic afterwards, an maybe a little one in the middle but it is like I switch to a different mode and it doesn’t bug me, and I don’t notice my tics when I sing.  It is great!  I am currently singing at Milford High School Choir, but I also sing in the Youth Choir for my stake at church.  It is wonderful to be a part of a group, that can take control of a room just by the power of their voices.

Speaking of the power of one voice, I saw a cool story about a guy named, David Pittman.  He is a contestant on Americal Idol.  You can see David Pittmann Audition by clicking on his name.  I can totally relate to his story.  He is 27 years old and from Mountain Home Arkanas.  He has Tourette’s Syndrome.  He talks about it in his video about before the audition.  The great thing to look forward to is that most kids like me will out grow most of their tics as they get older.  The tics don’t go away completely but they certainly aren’t as bad as they are when you are in the heat of adolescences.  David handled things so well, in his audition when, Neil Patrick Harris, one of the judges, noticed the symptoms right away, and addressed it.  It will be really interesting to watch how things unfold.  I think I will keep up on what happens,  and I have never been and American Idol fan before.  But this guy, David Pittman really does have a good voice.  And he is right!

 It feels good to go in the ZONE!  Music to my soul for sure!

On a closing note,  Orders are coming in for baskets, and I am excited that we have almost reach 1/2 way for my goal to raise $1000 towards my familys travel expenses to go with me to Virginia for a week.  I really appreciate everyone’s generosity.  I know there are a few who want to remain nameless and anonomious so I will do that.  Thank you so much for helping me “Pay it forward” and continue to work towards making my dream come true and talking about Tourettes Syndrome.  Thanks y’all!  You can order still from the website here,  for your Valentines sweetheart.  FAO Baskets is donating 100% of their profits to help me go to Virginia.  Any order helps.

Hi, I am Tanner Hutchison.  I appreciate all of the response I have received to help my family come up with money for our trip to Virginia for the Tourette’s Convention and my training as the Tourette’s Syndrome Youth Ambassador of Ohio.  I am really excited to help other kids with TS, and most importantly educate others about Tourette’s Syndrome, and what it is like to have it.  I think people have the wrong idea of what Tourette’s Syndrome is,  thanks to all the crazy hype by Hollywood to portrey it long ago like everyone who had it was crazy, and swore.  This is not at all what it is.  Not everyone who has Tourette’s Syndrome has Copralia, or the swearing, tic.  I don’t,  but I do have a lot of other tics, that can be annoying. 

Some of my tics are, clearing my throat, cracking my wrists, grinding my shoulder blade, pushing on my eyes, rolling my stomach, nodding my head, clinking my tongue, and blinking my eyes.

I was diagnosed with Tourette’s when Iwas 9.  I was in 4th grade.  It was kind of hard to accept but I got over it in a couple of months.  My family was very good at helping me through those hard months.  We decided that it would be my best friend since I had to take it with me where ever I go.   To help me feel for comfortable with my tics, help us laugh, and also be able to talk about them privately,  we have special names for each one.  There is Screech, R.O.U.S’, Buns of steel, just to name a few.  It helps me laugh, when I get frustrated that I can’t control my body or stop ticing.

See how cute I was when I was diagnosised, 

My family gives me a bad time about my “slickty-Do’s” I would do with my hair when I was little.  I loved to have it plastered to my head.  I guess it was a kid thing. 

I am so glad that my parents had the courage to take me to a Neuro-Psychologist Dr. Steven Guy, in Columbus, Ohio to have me evaluated.   After a lot of years asking questions to my “Quirky” habits. Someone finally had it right, and was able to tell my parents within 10 minutes what was wrong.  It was the beginning of a new life of understanding for me, my family.  Tomorrow I will tell you what it was like when we told my teacher at school. 

It’s been 6 years since I was diagnosised, and this is me as a Freshman at Milford High School.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, autumn time.  I love the midwest crisp air, and the leaves as they flutter through the wind currents.  I love to watch the colors change, and love to celebrate the fun of Halloween, Pumpkin Patches, hay rides, and all of the glorious fun.  I just love it! 

I have some great seasonal gifts and kits coming alive!  You will love the change of season and all the fun that comes with the month of October.    Keep looking checking in on our blog, and we post the soon to come pictures of all our Autumn fun.

We are continually adding each day to our site, and inventory, for your ordering.  Thanks for your patience as we complete this endeavor. If you would like to make and order and you don’t see your item listed,  send me an email, and I will email you photos, and ideas for your gift.

Happy Fall, Y’all!

Affordable office gifts are hard to come by especially when you are having to buy for multiple people. It is the thought that counts, and you want to make sure you leave the impression you were thoughtful and made it count.

Here are affordable gifts for the office, or business for $15.00 or less
These would be great for new clients, referrals, thank you, hostess gifts, just to give you a few ideas.

Gift wrapped by the pound- $6.00
Chocolate 1 lb candy bar- Stitched, wrapped in any type of paper you request, holiday or company colors- birthday etc. Tag has a pocket sewn on it to accomodate your business cards or a note slipped in it.

Jeweler’s Box-Worth it’s weight in Gold- $8.00
Opening this box is a real treat, especially since it is filled with gold. Hershey’s Gold Nuggets that is. All neatly lined up for their personal treasure.

Cookie Take Out- $15.00

This box is filled with 6 Gourmet cookies individually wrapped. This particular box is done in the company’s colors, to leave a definate signature, and rememberance of who sent it. It also has the tag with a pocket ready for the business card of the individual who is sending it. What a great way to create a lasting impression of your company.

Cookie Take Out-$15.00 Cookie Basket (12-15 Cookies) $35-$40

This box is also done in company colors ready for delivery to a valued customer.

Remember I specialize in customizing your gifts for your business or corporation. You can request any color box, or color scheme that would suit your business needs.

You can place your orders or call for a consulation at 513-569-2982 ask for Cari or email at

thehutchbunch@fuse.net.

Fall Frolic-$135-$140
This basket was done as a Thank you for a client, filled with Gift cards, and items that a family would love, games, goodies, movies, and a little of this and that. It was embellished with Silk leaves in autumn colors.

Cookie Basket-$35 12 Cookies

Cookie Take out Box- $15- 6 Cookies

Gourmet Cookies are baked fresh every order by “My Personal Gourmet” chefs.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chunk, and Oatmeal Raisen cookies are available.

This basket is filled with 12 “My Personal Gourmet” cookies, individually wrapped, and embellished with flowers, and decorative paper. This basket was a thank you gift for a client who gave a wonderful referral. Wouldn’t you love to be the recipient of this? YUM! You could also use this for new clients, or even office gifts for your co workers.