Gift Idea For Christmas

My daughter has be to the most pampered little four year old in the world. The reason being, she is a girl. That’s not a reason for anyone to go nuts over a child but in my family, being a girl is a really unique thing. There are more boys in my family than in thee are in the army. I have no aunts, just uncles and they all have sons. Two or three each. The women in my family come from marriage. Except for me and my daughter. I was the only girl in my generation and history is undoubtedly repeating itself with my daughter. She has ten little boy cousins and no one to play dolls with. So anything and everything that my little girl wants, her Uncles get it for her. They don’t even ask if I approve of the gift or not, which is why she has three easy bake ovens. She got the first when she was ten months old.

This year as she continued to expand her vocabulary and learn new things about the world she realized we didn’t have a proper chimney. How would Santa come deliver the Christmas gifts if there wasn’t a chimney? We live in a modern style home, with electric heating; we don’t really need a chimney. But of course, since she wanted it, her uncles would get it for her. So while I planned my Christmas shopping and organized my gifts for Christmas, my cousins began building an outdoor chimney beside my house. My daughter would sit outside and watch her uncles build. She told them it had to be made of red brick and the cement had to be white.

I tried to talk them out of it but they were convinced this was the ultimate in unique Christmas gifts for a child. I have learned never to argue with a self proclaimed contractor. When the chimney was finally ready my daughter announced that Santa had cavities. Since he had to go to houses all over the world in one night, he didn’t time to brush his teeth after eating the milk and cookies. I tried suggesting we leave a granola bar and soda but no, Santa would catch a cold. On top of all my Christmas shopping, I now had to find a healthy gift for Santa aka my fat cousin who would play the part on Christmas Eve.

I suggested more health food, but my daughter wouldn’t let Santa eat something that she didn’t like. She personally taste tested everything. We couldn’t agree on anything until one day she walked in on my online Christmas shopping and saw me looking for some nice Christmas gift baskets. She declared that fruit for Christmas would be perfect for Santa and also added she needed to taste it herself to make sure. I searched around and found some nice fruit baskets for Christmas with the fruit arranged like a floral bouquet. I ordered one for Santa, my daughter and then ten more for people at work. It looked wonderful and would easily pass as a very heartfelt Christmas gift. It was a real break for my long Christmas shopping list.

Healthy Fresh Fruit

Fruit is one of the oldest forms of food known to man. Natural Fresh fruits are Healthy food for human body. It contains substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion. They are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Fruits are easily digested and exercise a cleaning effect on the blood and the digestive tract.

God made lots of fruits for us which are health, effective and beneficial for improving health. These fruits provide you calories, Calcium and Vitamins which is really essential for good health. The fruits like Apple, Orange, Banana, Mango, Pineapple and Guava act are really admirable in improving health.

Eating fruits is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. Eating plenty of fruits can help you avoid heart disease and strokes, control blood pressure, prevent several types of cancer, painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration.

Fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is more important than quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need enjoy good health. The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat.

Fruits are edible portion of trees and wood plants, and that encases or contains seeds. Nuts are botanically classed as fruits but rightfully deserve their own category, perhaps “nut-fruits” because the edible parts are actually the seeds themselves.

It would be much better if fruits are arranged beautifully, this way they will become more attractive and adorable.

Tariq Farid Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner 2008

Tariq Farid is an American entrepreneur and self made business man and the president and CEO of Edible Arrangements International, which specializes in creating exquisite, hand-sculpted, fresh fruit "bouquets”, composed of strawberries, pineapple, grapes, oranges, cantaloupe and honeydew. He is responsible for setting the company's strategic direction and for the licensing of new franchises across the U.S. and internationally. And finally Edible Arrangements President and CEO Tariq Farid will be honored by the International Franchise Association as its Entrepreneur of the Year during its 49th annual convention being held in San Diego at Feb. 16.

1: Early Life
Mr. Farid's entrepreneurial experience began in the late 1980s, when with a $5,000 cash advance from his parents; he purchased a local flower shop at age 17. Within two years, Mr. Farid was operating four highly successful stores. As a teenager, Mr. Farid worked in a local McDonald's for several years and learned the power of business systemization.

2: EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS
Mr. Farid launched the first Edible Arrangements store in 1999 in East Haven, Conn., inspired by the convergence of three trends: Americans' growing consumption of fresh fruit, the robust growth in the specialty food market and the increasing dollars Americans were spending on gifts. A self-taught computer whiz, Mr. Farid designed all the systems that would be rolled out to franchisees, including their computer systems, training manuals, production and profitability tracking, supply chain management, etc. He has two U.S. patents pending for proprietary fruit-cutting machines and one patent for a fruit skewer that he designed.

3: ACHIEVEMENTS
The first Edible Arrangements franchise opened in 2001; the current total is now over 850 stores. Growth continues unabated, with an average of 25 franchise signings a month. Mr. Tariq Farid's involvement with franchisees has been very hands on, including laying floors and helping with the painting of stores. He still spends about two hours daily in the corporate store in Hamden, Conn., to stay in regular contact with customers, the day-to-day realities of running a retail store and the marketplace's changing demands.

3.1: Uniqueness
Mr. Farid projected a unique idea of displaying fruits arrangements in a beautiful manner. Edible Arrangements stores specialize in designing fresh fruit bouquets overflowing with juicy strawberries, pineapple, grapes, oranges, and cantaloupe and honeydew hand sculpted to look like flowers. Arrangements are guaranteed fresh and are available in a variety of styles and sizes. They are perfect for any occasion from happy birthday, thank you, congratulations and sympathy to business events, client gifts and employee appreciation.

3.2: Developments
Mr. Farid continues to expand all over the world like United State, Canada, United kingdom, Puerto Rico and United Arab Emirates etc.


3.2.1: Growth in United States
Mr. Farid launched in Connecticut in 1999 and has been blossoming ever since. Stores continue to expand throughout the United States opening about five stores a week. The demand for creative gift-giving and unique bouquets for special occasions has led to store presence in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

3.2.2 Growth in Canada
Canada continues to see the growth of Edible Arrangements in three provinces; Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. That number is continuing to grow especially as the Edible Arrangements French website was launched in late 2006, allowing Edible Arrangements to accommodate many French-Canadian customers.

3.2.3 Growth in United Kingdom
With the entire country’s focus on the importance of fitness and healthy eating Edible Arrangements couldn’t have entered the United Kingdom at a better time. In early 2006 Edible Arrangements went overseas to Nottingham, UK and two more stores signed on in 2006 in Manchester, UK and Birmingham, West Midlands. With the gift-giving trend on the rise and the emphasis on a healthy lifestyle, Edible Arrangements stores will continue to expand, and continue to make customers smile.

3.2.4 Growth in United Arab Emirates
The steady growth of the U.A.E. has been identified by its ambitious real estate projects, world class sporting events, and a lucrative tourism industry. With fresh ideas and products, Edible Arrangements is a perfect complement to the growth and prosperity seen in this part of the world, and the ideal way to cool down the desert heat. The first Edible Arrangements locations opened in Dubai in December of 2007.

3.2.5 Growth in Puerto Rico
In a culture that values the importance of family and great food the Edible Arrangements concept has been accepted with open arms in Puerto Rico. After the San Juan, Puerto Rico location opened their doors in 2005, residents of the island have been spotting the fruit arrangements everywhere; from local festivals and family gatherings to holiday tables and quinceaneras. With the launch of the Spanish website, a second store open in Caguas and a third coming soon to Bayamon, Edible Arrangements is taking off.

4: NEWBRAND
In 2006 Mr. Farid launched Frutation®, a new concept that will take fresh fruit products to the next level. Frutation® is an all natural fruit station with a product collection that targets consumer who wants a fresh and delicious treat on the go. The menu includes a variety of items such as Fruithy™ (all natural fresh fruit smoothies), fresh juices, fruit salads, spiced fruit salads, fruit sundaes and dipped fruit. The concept provides a unique and healthy option and is built upon the reputation of Edible Arrangements which is known for product quality, novelty and excellent service.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate bouquets resemble bouquets of flowers in blossom. Edible Arrangements tasty fruit baskets inspired fruit bouquets are a treat for everyone on your gift list. They make sweet gifts or great treats for all occasions from a birthday, anniversary or Valentines Day gift bouquet, to a wedding, company event or even a kid’s party! Our creations allow you to combine a gourmet food basket with a flower bouquet all in one delivery. Edible Arrangements delights in providing incredible Chocolate Covered Strawberries bouquets that taste as delicious as they look, you can even add chocolate covered fruit to any arrangement for the perfect edible gift!
Edible Arrangements has a fresh fruit bouquet to make any occasion special - from birthdays, anniversaries and congratulations to business events and client gifts. Our bouquets are made fresh with premium fruit arranged in a variety of stunning displays. Customers can visit one of our 857 stores worldwide, order online or via phone. Each bouquet can be complemented with chocolate dipped fruit including dipped strawberries, dipped pineapple daisies, and dipped banana slices, dipped Granny Smith apple wedges and more! Make every occasion special with Edible Arrangements.