A Merry Christmas From Rainbow Designs

Well this will be the last blog post for the year as we close our doors on Friday 19th December.  So if you intend to purchase your Christmas gifts from us, I implore you to order before then, otherwise they will not be sent until we reopen in February 2015.

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year for all involved, we are working super hard to fulfill all the orders and our couriers are working overtime to deliver them all.  For this reason we ask that you order as soon as possible to avoid as much stress as possible.

If you have still not placed an order, we recommend you do so now - today - to guarantee your choice of gift.  Many of our Christmas gifts have sold out already.

How has your year been?  Was it as good as you had hoped?  Are you taking any time off over the festive season?

Ours, as always, has been full of ups and downs but that is all part and parcel of life.  Thank goodness for chocolate, right?

So from all the staff at Rainbow Designs, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and the most awesome New Year that you can possibly imagine.

Here is a great thought to keep you going through Christmas and beyond...

"I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens

May all your dreams come true, and more!

J Is For Jacqui

Hi, I'm Jacqui.

I am the owner of Rainbow Designs - the online chocolate and lolly online gift store based in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia.

I love the water and enjoy living in this beautiful seaside town and I also confess to enjoying the odd cruise or two.  There is something about being able to totally relax in your surroundings on the open water...and of course I admit to being a complete chocoholic as well.  Not a day goes by when I don't consume a chocolate or two; just one of the perks of being in the chocolate business I guess.

I have been managing Rainbow Designs for over 10 years and I really enjoy being able to help people send wonderful, delicious and affordable gifts to their friends, family and colleagues.  Of course flowers are good but in our opinion, chocolates are better.  Making people happy is a job I take very seriously.

A day in the life of a chocolate and lolly gift store owner is fairly predictable but I wouldn't have it any other way.  My day goes something like this:

1. Start up the computer and printer.
2. Turn on the kettle - I couldn't survive without my coffee.
3. Print orders, sort them, confirm payment has been received, write out gift tags (yes we hand write each one) then update order status online.  Customer service is important and it is necessary to keep the customer informed on the progress of their order.
4. Make a list of gifts needed for the day.
5. Go through emails and reply to the urgent ones first saving the others for later in the day.
6. Pay any bills.
7. Make another cup of coffee.
8. Unpack any deliveries and check everything is there and follow up if anything is missing.
9. Process any new orders.
10. Check and reply to emails.
11. Prepare box and satchel orders.
12. Update customer order status.
13. Enter orders into MYOB and file.
14. Send orders out by courier.
15. Answer any final emails.

Of course there is a bit of taste testing going on throughout the day but that is done sporadically depending on my mood. Speaking of which, I best get on as there are some M&Ms here somewhere calling my name!

So that's me - Jacqui.

I would love it if you could take a moment to share something about yourself even if it's just sharing the name of your favourite lolly or chocolate.  Until next time...

I is for I

Welcome to December - it is here - whether you like it or not. The countdown is on to Christmas and many people spend a lot of time running around, purchasing gifts for others and running themselves ragged.

If you missed converting November into Me-vember, where you spend each day doing something just for you, then now is the time to spoil yourself and make you feel special. There's no point sitting around waiting until December 25 when someone may or may not surprise you; you can do it yourself, today.

Whether it is buying one of our delicious and decadent boxes of chocolate or lollies, or sending yourself one of our gift hampers, we encourage it. Whether it is going to get that much needed haircut or going to a coffee shop (alone or with friends), we say do it. Whether it is buying that outfit you have your eye on or picking up a few of your favourite DVDs in preparation for an awesome tv-fueled weekend, we recommend it wholeheartedly!

You deserve it - you totally do. It's around this time of year when we our to-do list increases and if we don't watch it, we can really let the stress and business of the festive season get to us.

So find some time for you. Think about something that you want to do; maybe it's something you haven't done in ages, or maybe it's something you want to try for the first time. Sometimes we put things off because we don't want to appear selfish but truly, when was the last time you said no to everyone else around you and did something just for you.

So buy yourself those flowers, take that walk, purchase those earrings or go for that cocktail with your girlfriend, what's the harm? Those chores will still be waiting for you when you are done.  Trust me!

H Is For Hampers

And you know we have them - in abundance.

What I love about gift hampers is that you can give them as a gift for any occasion.

I love you - here's a hamper.  Happy anniversary - here's a hamper.  Merry Christmas - here's a hamper.  Get well soon - here's a hamper.  Haven't seen you for ages - here's a hamper.  New baby - here's a hamper.

There doesn't seem to be an occasion where a hamper is not suitable.  Breaking up with your boyfriend - here's a hamper.  Bon voyage - here's a hamper.  Happy birthday - here's a hamper.  You broke your knee - here's a hamper.  See, what I mean?

We have stocked up on Traditional Gift Hampers (TGH for short) for the festive season and if it is your intention to get them to your recipient in plenty of time, we recommend you order them by mid December so you don't miss the boat.

And gift hampers don't have to break the bank - here are 5 hampers all less than $100 including postage.  Now that would put a smile on anyone's face.

Christmas Tea & Bikkies - $79

Tea, biscuits, honeycorn, bon bons, lollies, toffees and nougat bars.  A mix to suit all tastes.

Gourmet Delight Xmas Hamper - $89

This is a great festive purchase and includes plum pudding, shortbread, beernuts, wafers and cashews.

Happy Holly Hamper - $80

Shortbread, gingerbread, cookies, jam and brandy glaze will put anyone in the Christmas spirit.

Festive Treats Gift Hamper - $90

Brandy glaze, rosemary lavash, plum pudding, crispbread and orange chocolate - all things to tempt and tantalize.

Christmas Bubbles Gift Hamper - $50

It's not Christmas without some bubbles in sight; this gift includes bubbles, chocolate and a plum pudding

There truly is a gift hamper for every occasion.  So starting from $50 - you can purchase a gorgeous gift hamper without breaking the bank.  Surprise someone today - they will thank you for it.

G Is For Gluten Free

We have recently expanded our Gluten Free section which is great for those looking for gluten free gifts.  Why should you/they have to miss out on delicious gifts just because you/they cannot eat gluten?

So here we have it - 4 gorgeous gluten free gifts just for you/them.

1.  Delicious Gluten Free Christmas Hamper

Just in time for Christmas, this gluten free hamper contains pumpkin fettuccine, tomato and basil pasta sauce, beer nuts, corn chips and Christmas thyme which contains packet of seeds, plant labels and instructions.  It all comes festively presented in a recyclable corrugated cardboard box, wrapped with ribbon and finished with a handmade bow and your gift card message.

2.  G For Gorgeously Gluten Free

Who doesn't want to be told they are gorgeous with a capital "G"?  We certainly don't mind hearing it from time to time.  This cheerful little gift includes a lip-smackingly lovely mug along with gluten free fudge and coconut ice, all presented in a white gift bag.

3.  Gluten Free Goodies

This little gift will brighten anyone's day and includes a mix of gluten free goodies such as blueberry clouds, strawberry clouds, cola bottles, gummi bears, lollipops, fudge and coconut ice.  100g of gluten free goodness are presented in this cute plastic gift bag with handle.  Love it!

4.  Just Gluten Free

The piece de resistance is our 500g mix of gluten free lollies - you can choose to share or keep them all to yourself.  Either way works for us.  Presented in a white noodle box, the contents include blueberry clouds, strawberry clouds, cola bottles, sour ears and piglets.

Get shopping now and make sure you order in time for Christmas.  We can't guarantee that they will be in stock closer to Christmas Day and we certainly wouldn't want you to miss out.

F Is For Facebook

Facebook is such a big part of our daily lives these days and while I am not big on the networking site in my personal life, it makes it so much easier to connect with the followers and customers of Rainbow Designs.

I love logging on to Facebook and seeing the comments that our amazing fans leave:

I just placed my first order. :) You have such beautiful gifts to pick from, it was difficult to select! I think my mum is going to be very pleased with her birthday gift. :)

Gluten-free fudge, coconut ice and mug. I have to tell you Jacqui, you've done it again. The mug is an elegant shape with beautiful writing on it. The fudge is smoooooooth and oh so tasty.

Woohooo, ooh it's on my desk...thanks - made my day.

Facebook allows us to share and connect with our fans in a more intimate way than say a blog post or newsletter does. We can share exactly what is going on behind the scenes -  like this picture for example. Hardly an explanation is needed when we post an update like this...

or this...

We can showcase our latest lolly and chocolate gifts with one just one click of a button and people are able to leave us a review without too much difficulty at all.

We appreciate our customers more than you know and pride ourselves on our quality customer service and will do our utmost to help you with your gift buying dilemmas.

So if you love what you see on our Facebook page, we would appreciate if you could like or even share our posts particularly if you know someone who may appreciate them like you do. And while we love making you guys happy, your acknowledgement about our posts and our gifts, puts a little smile on our face too.

Are you a fan of Facebook?  What do you like most about it?

E Is For Executive

Rainbow Designs might not be the store that comes to mind when you are thinking executive gifts, but don't let the name fool you.  We love to give the executive treatment and receive it too on the odd occasion.  I mean, who doesn't?

The best place to start when viewing our executive gifts would be under what we love to refer to as TGH (traditional gift hampers).  And there is quite a mix of them to view.

Our Executive Gift Hamper (pictured above) is a mix of style and decadence which our executive types love to receive.  The gift includes your choice of Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, hot 'n spicy peanuts, organic Anzacs, orange chocolate, chocolate coated fruit, rosemary lavvash, traditional plum pudding and chili and lime Soya Stixs.

We think that our Maggie Beer Gift Hamper would be great for those executives who love to wine and dine.  The gift, as the name suggests, features all Maggie Beer products, namely verjuice, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, cabernet paste, quince paste, sparkling ruby Cabernet, kalamata olives and sauce.

Our Wine and Treats Gift Hamper is also extremely popular among the executive set, no surprise there!  It features wine of your choice, rosemary lavash, beetroot relish, a chocolate assortment, rum balls, quince paste and plums in port.  Definitely a handful of the finer things in life.

Or perhaps our Scotch On The Rocks would be more in keeping with their executive lifestyle?  This decadent gift features a 700ml bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Whiskey, milk chocolates, stainless steel ice bucket and stainless steel ice tongs.

What do you think?  Surprised?  Many are!  So if you are looking for some executive style gifts in amongst our staple gifts of lollies or chocolates, then you might just find what you are seeking here. Happy browsing!