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!

D Is For Dark Chocolate

The health benefits of dark chocolate have long been lauded - of course we love chocolate in all shapes and forms but if something so delicious is also supposed to be so healthy then we are totally on board.

Dark Chocolate May Lower The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

The compounds in chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, seems to be protective against the oxidation of LDL. In a study of approximately 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to decrease the risk of cardiovascular death by 50% over a 15 year period. And in a 9 year study of more than 31,000 in Sweden, those who ate a couple of servings of dark chocolate every week reduced their risk of heart failure by as much as a third.

Dark Chocolate Is Full Of Antioxidants

Dark chocolate is full of wonderful antioxidants including flavanols, polyphenols and catchins. One recent study revealed that both cocoa and chocolate consisted of more polyphenols and flavanols over fruits they trialled such as blueberries and acai berries.

Dark Chocolate May Reduce Blood Pressure and Boost Insulin Sensitivity

Researchers recently fed 15 healthy people either 3 ounces of dark chocolate or white chocolate, which contains no flavanol or phytochemicals, for a period of 15 days. This Italian study discovered that insulin resistance was significantly reduced in those who ate the dark chocolate - great news for diabetics.

Dark Chocolate Seemingly Creates Happy Children

Women who ate chocolate on a daily basis while pregnant reported they were able to handle stress easier than women who had no chocolate at all.  Also a Finnish study found that babies of mums who did eat chocolate were overall much happier and smiled more.

Dark Chocolate May Help People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

In a recent study in England, 1.5 ounces of 85% dark chocolate was given to a number of adults who suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. They were fed dark chocolate every day for a period of eight weeks. In the study, the individuals reported feeling less tired after consuming the dark chocolate.

Note that these studies are just a handful of those undertaken by the scientific communities and there are many more other health benefits reported by eating dark chocolate. I must confess I am seriously liking the sound of these chocolate health studies, I wonder how I can find myself on the receiving end of one of these!

C Is For Christmas

C is for...I was torn.  C could stand for chocolate, or Christmas, or even corporate gifts. But Christmas won out - really is there a Christmas that doesn't actually contain chocolate? Not in this house!

I love to give gifts - so this season suits me down to the ground. That is one of the reasons I started Rainbow Designs in the first place. Seeing someone smile really makes my day!

Did you know we have only have 9 Mondays until Christmas (not including today)? Does that thought send shivers down your spine? The last day to place orders is actually 22 December 2014 so in reality that only gives you about two months to decide and order. Panic mode! Not if you are organised. I truly think the key to having a great Christmas is to be organised and get the shopping done and dusted so you aren't worrying the week or even the day before.

I love Christmas. It is a time to relax and unwind because once I send out the last Christmas order I shut up shop and take some time out for me. Selfish, yes but extremely necessary.  

It's a time to watch those Christmas reruns and dine on Turkey and other festive trimmings.  The beer and wine flows freely and so does the love that accompanies the holiday season.

I love shopping for Christmas stock to add to the store because each year I try to find gifts which outdo the year before. Two of my favourites this year are the Reindeer Sweet Tooth Gift and the Yay Christmas Gift - both featuring 900g of mixed yummy chocolates and lollies. And for the ultimate in ultimate we offer a Four Seasons Luxury Hamper which includes champagne, wine, olives, chocolate, coffee and other goodies to tempt those taste buds.

Tis the season to be jolly - fa la la la la la la la la - but only if you are organised otherwise Mr Scrooge may inadvertently pop in for a visit. But we are pretty sure even our gifts would put a smile on his face too!

B Is For Birthdays

It's your {insert relationship:  father, mother, best friend, sister, aunt, etc}'s birthday and you are looking for a delicious, affordable and quirky gift to celebrate their getting older - well you have come to the right place.  We have plenty to choose from with hampers and treats for all ages.  We just love birthdays and are always looking for fun ideas to share with our loved ones.

Here are some fun birthday facts we recently discovered.

*The well known Happy Birthday song actually originated in 1893 - Mildred Hall came up with the tune while Mildred's sister Patty thought up the words.  The original title of the son was Good Morning To All until it grew in popularity and became the song we know today.

*Landmark birthday messages have been sent out by the queen since 1917.  In 1917, 24 birthday messages were posted to celebrate 100th birthdays and in 2011, an amazing 917 celebratory cards were delivered honouring 105th birthdays and above.

*Marilyn Monroe's Happy Birthday Mr President is the most famous birthday song rendition ever.

*August is the most popular birthday month accounting for about 9% of the birthdays all over the world.

*According to Chinese tradition, they count age disregarding the zero.  A newborn baby is one, a 12 month old child is two, etc.

*A golden birthday is when your age of date of birth share the same number.

See; told you we love birthdays - it happens to be our most favourite topic to talk about, second to chocolate of course.

And if you need a birthday song to go with your gift, then have a quick look at this site.  It features (at last count) 19,019 names to choose from and all for free.  You might want to bookmark this one for me later!

Happy birthday to me...

"All you need is love.  But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

- Charles M. Schulz

A Is For Advertising

As any business owner knows, whether online or off, advertising is necessary to showcase your brand and get yourself noticed.  And for the team at Rainbow Designs, it is a major challenge; you need to identify opportunities for advertising which will garner successful results.  Pay too much and there may be no return on your investment, pay too little and your advertising campaign may fail to get noticed at all.  It is definitely a fine balance.

Our blog of course is one way to get noticed and we have developed Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter pages to connect with our online fans.

Knowing who your customers are can also help pinpoint your options.  As most of our shoppers are female, then a spot on Femail works in our favour.

The ability to leave online reviews makes shopping easier for people and is another positive form of advertising.  We have review pages set up on WOMO, Product Review and Google+.  It is also important to register on sites such as TrueLocal in order that people become familiar with your business and it gives you another website where customers can leave feedback.

We have a monthly newsletter which we send out at the beginning of the month which features our gorgeous gifts and other tidbits.  Repetition is a great way for people to see and recognise your brand and it keeps it at the forefront of your customers' minds.  Not too much, mind you, as you want to avoid what is known as consumer fatigue where they tune out or ignore you altogether.

Over the last 10 years we have learnt a lot about advertising but we are no expert by any stretch of the imagination.  We would love to hear any tips you can provide.

If you have a business, what do you find works for you in terms of advertising?

Happiness In A Lolly Tin

If our new Happiness In A Lolly Tin had a soundtrack it would go something like this:

"Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do"

Of course I can't take credit for these lyrics - that credit would go to the extremely talented Pharrell Williams but you get what I am saying. I can imagine this tin dancing around to the tune - lollies jumping up and down in the excitement of being featured in such a wonderful gift.

The happy flower tin seems to have a jolly personality all of its own - the goodies inside seem to be just an added bonus.

If you have not heard the song recently, know that once you start singing it, it is one of those tunes that can get stuck in your head for days. Much like our gifts. One lolly is never enough and you will soon find yourself reaching out for another and another...but you aren't alone. We admit to having the same problem with all of our delicious chocolate and lolly gifts.

And just because I am feeling happy I am going to share the fun soundtrack with you. Hope you have a happy (and lolly filled) day.

Doctor Feelgood To The Rescue

There is nothing worse than being laid up in bed unable to move especially when you are feeling sorry for yourself.  And if he has the man flu well - look out.  You know that means that he will be unable to move at all and you will have to nurse him back to health.  A broken leg, a bout of the flu - Rainbow Designs knows just the man for the job.

We have someone who can help cure all ails - Doctor Feelgood is his name and when he pays a visit to your door he leaves his doctor's kit behind and brings his trusty box of lollies instead.  His funky white noodle box filled with a half kilo of yummy M&Ms, clinkers, jelly babies, race cars, caramel buds, chocolate bullets and more will soothe and satisfy.  Forget those aches and pains - this gift hamper will make you feel better in no time at all.

Sometimes the doctor is unable to make house calls so the nurse comes on his behalf.  Nurse Bear is just as capable of tending to your needs and she follows Doctor Feelgood's methodology by bringing along her box of mixed lollies and chocolates.

Both Doctor Feelgood and Nurse Bear are securely packed in a cardbox box with tissue paper and gift wrapped in colourful Australian made wrapping paper.  They also come complete with a hand written gift tag with your personal message.  $50 including postage and handling and your gift of choice will be on your recipient's doorstop at no time at all.

Sugar Free Lollies At Rainbow Design

Don't get me wrong - we like our sugar.  A little bit in moderation or a lot depending on our mood, but we understand that not everyone can partake in lollies with sugar; so for those who can't, we have a new gift to share.

It's called Just Sugar Free Lollies and contains 500g of mixed sugar free lollies.  And we wouldn't want you to associate sugar free with dull because this delicious gift features Gummi Bears; Licorice, Mint and Chocolate Toffees; and Mango, Melon and Passionfruit wrapped lollies. Nothing dull in this lot at all!  Yes you heard me right - soft lollies, toffees and wrapped lollies all in the same box and all sugar free.

This sugar free lolly treat make a great addition to our store and partners nicely with our Just Gluten Free Lollies pack.  So sugar free or gluten free, we've got your back.

For only $27 you can have either of these gifts ordered and shipped direct to your door.  That $27 includes gift wrap and delivery by Toll Express Couriers (DX Track and Trace) and if ordered before 2.30pm (Monday to Friday) can be even shipped out the same day.

Customer service is important to us - you asked and we responded.  So we really hope you enjoy these new additions to the Rainbow Designs store.  And if you like what you see, please don't hesitate to share it with your family and friends.  We love to share the lolly love - sugar free or otherwise.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Australian blokes out there who just happen to be a dad as well.  We know that being a dad is not easy and today is your day to let us show you how much we appreciate all the wonderful things you do for us.

Dads - have you ever given a thought to what your child would say about you when you are not in the room.  Here is a little clip I found in which a bunch of kids share their points of view on their dad - he may sing badly, his jokes may be terrible but it seems he is loved, a lot.



So whatever your plans are today - we hope you enjoy your special day.  And we hope that it involves a little (or a lot) of chocolate to ensure your day is even sweeter.

So from Rainbow Designs to you - Happy Father's Day.

Seven Deadly Sins

Our Seven Deadly Sins gift box is one of the new kids on the block in terms of our gifts; but let's be clear about this - we aren't selling a mixed box of wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony.  Our Seven Deadly Sins gift box refers to seven individual round containers, each filled with lollies or chocolates of your choice.  While our boxes may create a little bit of pride or envy, we like to think that overall they create feelings of happiness, well-being and a willingness to share with loved ones if necessary.

Choose your 7 selections from 31 delicious choices - what will you choose; that's always the hardest part in my opinion.  Gummi Bears, Chicos, Freckles, Jaffas, Raspberries, Smarties, F1 Race Cars...just a few of our delicious options.

If dad has a sweet tooth then this might be a good choice for him for Father's Day.  He can choose a box for each day of the week as a treat after work, or save them all for a weekend celebration to accompany his favourite ale or beer.

I like the fact that our chocolate and lolly gifts are a little bit naughty and a lot nice, don't you?

If you specifically like to pick your own mix we have a variety of gifts under this category.  In addition to the Seven Deadly Sins Gift Hamper mentioned above, we also carry a 1kg or a half kilo mix of lollies and chocolates in a reusable gift box, as well as a Cravings Overdrive mix (1.8kg) presented in a reusable pink Sweetie Tin (pictured above).

Choose the size of the gift you want, pick your favourites and order.  As easy as 1, 2 and 3.

Dear Dad

 

Only a dad but he gives his all,

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing with courage stern and grim,

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen:

Only a dad, but the best of men.

This is the last verse of the poem "Only A Dad" by Edgar Guest.  Only a dad he may be but dads can do so much for us no matter how old we are.

Father's Day is coming up for those located in Australia - Sunday 7 September to be exact.  We have some great gifts that he will adore, not as much as you obviously, but almost!

Big Lolly Gift Box

If your dad has a sweet tooth, 1kg of our mouthwatering lollies may just do the trick.  The noodle box is chock full of Allens jellybabies, snakes, raspberries, F1 race cars, pineapples, milk bottles, strawberry & creams, chicos, jellybeans, red frogs, green frogs, bananas, sherbies and more.  Surely the big man deserves a big lolly box?

Boutique Beer and Savoury Snacks

Dad will love this boutique beer gift comprising of 12 craft beers, salsa, corn chips, peanuts and beer nuts.  Make sure you schedule your arrival to tie in with the arrival of this gift so he can share at least one of the beers with you.

 

Big Chocolate Box

Or if chocolate is more his style, how about our 1kg chocolate box.  You definitely can't stop at one with this box and he just might deny that this gift ever arrived, if it means he has to share.  M&Ms, chocolate freckles, clinkers, chocolate bullets, chocolate buds, white chocolate freckles, Allens Cobbers, Allens Fantales and Allens Jaffas.  Yes please!

Have a browse through the other gifts on our site as we also have licorice, fudge and even ales on offer - something to suit every dad, particularly chosen to make his day super memorable.

We recommend not leaving your shopping to the last minute as we certainly wouldn't want to see dad miss out.  Here's to your dad - Happy Father's Day to you all!

10 Years And Still Going Strong

Did you know that Rainbow Designs has been delivering delicious chocolate and lolly gifts for 10 years - over 10 years in fact!  When you think about it, 10 years is actually quite a long time.

Think of a child who has grown from a baby to a child of 10 - a lot of changes occur along the way.  And Rainbow Designs could be considered my child of sorts; we have grown together, seen a lot of things along the way and had some awesome moments together - and we have probably experienced a few tantrums and tears when things haven't quite gone our way.  But that's the way it is when you have your own business to run - there will always be something sent to test you.

They say it takes 10 years to become an expert.  Not sure what I could be considered an expert in - chocolate perhaps.  I could tell you the best loved gifts of all time and the chocolate everyone turns to when they are trying to cheer someone up.  In fact I know quite a few things about chocolate that just might surprise you. 

If I ever did decide to move on from Rainbow Designs, I am not even sure what I would do.  Chocolate and lollies have been my "thing" for quite a while now.  My customer service and management skills are, luckily for me, quite transferable so I guess I am marketable in many aspects.  But what other career choices are there which involve taste testing and quality management of something as delicious as chocolate.  That would be one of the perks that I would miss for sure.

In fact I might just go and do a bit of quality management right now!  I hear those M&Ms calling my name!

Gratitude

My Facebook feed is covered with friends sharing their gratitude about life and love.  What a lovely thing to see and it is wonderful to see that gratitude can be so contagious - similar to happiness I guess.  Smile at someone and watch the result.

I found this song online - Grateful: A Love Song To The World - and thought I would share it with you all.  It may not be about chocolate or gift giving but it is definitely relevant in today's world.  It is so easy to become caught up in the negative things that occur in our lives.  I am guilty of it, as no doubt you are too. 

Today is a great day to think about all the awesome things that we have in our lives at the moment.  Granted, not everything can go our way all of the time, but when we focus on all the good things surrounding us, amazing things can happen.

Think about what you are grateful for today.  Friends?  A warm bed?  A pet?  Chocolate?  It doesn't have to be anything big - the smallest things can make a huge difference.

Share this post and spread the word.  Today we are going to be grateful for all that we have and all that is yet to come.

10% Off Our Gift Hampers Until Sunday 10th August

Know someone with a birthday in August?  Thinking of sending someone a gift hamper?  Well now is a great time, as from today until Sunday 10th August, we are offering 10% discount on all of our traditional gift hampers.

And while the gift hampers are traditional, they are far from dull.

Take the Chocoholic Gift Hamper as an example.  It includes an Ogilvie Chocoholics Quad Sauce Pack with Cherry Choc Ripe, Chocolate Liqueur, Rich Chocolate Mocha and Chocolate Marshmallow.  The recipes you could enhance with those are endless.

And the Sweet Celebration Hamper features 15 - yes fifteen - noodle boxes of lollies including chocolate honeycomb, jelly beans, raspberries, party mix, liquorice allsorts, Cadbury fruit rings, chocolate bullets, coconut rough, fruity frogs, choc freckles, smarties and more.

I love a traditional afternoon tea and the Afternoon Tea Hamper includes chamomile tea and delicious manuka honey meringue moments.  There is also a bottle of Veuve Ambal Brut to really celebrate the event in style.

We even have one just for him.  His Favourite Hamper comes with chunky salsa, corn chips and beer.  Hmm that might almost be my favourite hamper.

Although I would be hard pressed to pass up the Sweet Sensation Gift Hamper with the rum and raisin fudge and the chocolate coated macadamias.

The discount on all these hampers and more will show up once you add the gift to your cart - no special code necessary.  So order up before Sunday 10th August and make someone's day special.  Please note that next day delivery is not available on these items so please make sure you allow enough time for these gifts to get to their destination (2-7 days depending on the address).

The hardest decision in my opinion, is which one to choose!

Once They're Gone - They're Gone

We have a number of gifts which are selling fast and once they are gone, we won't be getting them back in (at least not for a while anyway).

So what gifts am I talking about?

Rocky Road

400g of Australian made Freckleberry Rocky Road - milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate (raspberries, marshmallows, salted cashews & caramel fudge) and 'fun' mix (bananas, raspberries, neopolitan marshmallows, mini M&M's).  8 Pryde soft centre chocolates are also included and it is presented in a fabulous, reusable round tin.

English Sweetie Mix

This gift includes a 1kg mix of delicious English sweets including Fruit Pastilles, Pear Drops, Wine Gums and Fruit Salad Gums.  And what's more it comes in a reusable Emma Bridgewater designed Polka Dot tin.

Old Blighty Chocolates

We love this one!  A delicious mix of yummy English Chocolates includes Ashbury Caramel Cups, Peppermint Creams, Strawberry Creams and Turkish Delight (15 of each) in a reusable round tin.

Licorice Lovers

Contents may vary but will generally include a 1kg mix of licorice.  How does licorice allsorts, milk chocolate licorice bullets, dark chocolate licorice bullets, white chocolate raspberry bullets, licorice pieces, licorice torpedoes and licorice cream rocks sound?

Fudge It

 

Three stunning keepsake tins featuring 220g of delicious English made fudge in each tin.  The three flavours represented are vanilla, chocolate and rum & raisin.

Other gifts that won't be repeated include English Sweets All Wrapped Up, the Nestle Chocolate Selection and the UK Sweetie Tin.

 

So make sure you pick up your favourites before they are all sold out.  Going, going...

When Life Gets In The Way

Okay, I admit it, today is a tough day; the last week overall being tougher than most.  Personal responsibilities have had to take preference over the business world and for that reason I have had to close the doors on Rainbow Designs for a few days here and there.

And that makes me especially sad as I really love what I do.  Every business has its frustrating moments, of that there is no doubt, but overall being able to do what I do each and every day is a blessing.

I love being able to help make people happy.  If I could, I would be a fly on the wall every time a recipient opened one of my gifts just to share in their happiness, but alas I just have to be content with the wonderful emails and reviews that get sent in thanking me for the gift.

But of course it isn't really me.  It's you guys!  You are the ones with the big hearts sending out gifts all over Australia making people happy, allowing people to fall in love with you and helping the sick recover just that little bit quicker because you care.  We all care.  And that's what makes this world a wonderful place.

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking

 

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

 

By Emily Dickinson

Where Did The Year Go?

Tomorrow marks the new financial year.  I don't know about you but I can't believe how quickly the year has flown by.  But then I think about all the things I crammed into the year and realise I was just too busy to see how quickly the days were disappearing.  My days are sometimes marked from one special holiday to the next:  Christmas then Valentine's Day then Easter, etc.  And even though I managed to sneak in a few breaks here and there, it still seems to have vanished without a trace.

One golden rule I have learnt about being in business for the past 10 years however is never to wish for a quiet moment because as a small business owner, you don't ever want the rush to end regardless of how tired you are at the end of the day.  Thank goodness for chocolate (and coffee) to help get me through on the busiest of days.  And thank you to our wonderful customers for creating those busy moments.

Mini Noodle Boxes (Corporate) - $12 per box

If you are feeling the wear and tear from the end of the financial year and the move into the next, why not treat yourself to a gift or two?  Or if you have a few dollars left over in the corporate kitty, order your staff a box of goodies as a well-earned reward.  We have some wonderful corporate gifts to choose from to keep your staff motivated and to thank them for their effort for the past year.

As always our new financial year goal is to try to improve on the previous year.  We aim to better our customer service and our products to ensure that the quality and service you receive from Rainbow Designs is second to none.

Do you have a particular goal in mind for the new financial year?

Sweets For My Sweet

"Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey

Your first sweet kiss thrilled me so

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey

I'll never ever let you go"

- Sweets For My Sweet, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman

When it comes to your sweetheart, it is always a great time to buy them a little something.  It doesn't need to be a particular occasion - when was the last time you got them a "just because" gift?

We have lots of great gift ideas for that special someone - don't wait for Valentine's Day or their birthday, today is a great day to show them how wonderful or respected they are.  Or you could order a gift and keep it hidden until the day deserves a little pick-me-up; we all definitely need those from time to time.

What do I recommend?  Well that's a tough question, however I am happy to share some of my particular favourites which have created many a special moment for our customers.

Love You More Than Chocolate

There is no denying how you feel with our Love You More Than Chocolate gift.  Choose from your choice of lollies or chocolates to accompany our cute teddy bear.

Big Chocolate Box

Our Big Chocolate Box is one of the most popular gifts we have on offer and is perfect for cuddling up on the sofa and watching your favourite sports game or a movie on a Friday evening. 

Because You're Sweet

The name says it all!  A scrumptious mix of chocolates, fudge, rocky road, gems and party mix all housed in a practical cake tin which you can use over and over again.

These are of course just some of our suggestions.  Browse our extensive list of lolly and chocolate gifts that will suit that special someone.  We have licorice, fudge, rocky road, gluten free and many others to choose from.

Our sweet range from Rainbow Designs is just another way to show "I Love You".

World Cup Snacks

World Cup fever is everywhere. Has it taken over your household or even divided your household? Amazing how one sport can have that much effect, much like the AFL does when individual family members support opposing teams.

No guessing what my snack of choice is when I sit down to watch a game (hint: it involves chocolate or lollies) however I have spotted many articles recently which are giving some great inspirational ideas on what to serve with a particular game.

How does Chilean barbecue chicken sound for the Chilean match (admittedly it sounds pretty good!)? Or fried spicy potatoes in support of Spain? Bring out the hot dogs or bratwursts for Germany vs the US and for Italy vs England, you could choose between fresh bread, meat and cheese or the great British staple, fish and chips.

This is really a fun way to make an event out of the game. Do some research to find out a popular dish from a particular country, preferably something you don't eat regularly and serve it up to friends and family.  You are really only limited by your imagination and your search engine.  

Depending on how good your culinary skills are, you can really experiment and amaze your friends and family with your international cuisine.

And for dessert, why that's where our chocolate and lollies come in handy!

Facebook Fun

We have been having a lot of fun on our Facebook page over the last week or so trying to determine which candy is the preferred favourite over another; you might just be surprised by the results. 

M&M's vs Jaffas

Winner:  M&M's

M&M's vs Smarties

Winner:  M&M's

Licorice Bullets vs Freckles

Winner:  Licorice Bullets

Licorice Bullets vs Fantales

Winner:  Votes are still coming in but it looks like Licorice Bullets will be the overall winner

Some lollies seem to be extremely popular regardless of which other lolly they are up against.  M&M's and Licorice Bullets are two of my favourites and it seems I am not alone in this opinion.

If you do have a preferred favourite candy whether it be Licorice Bullets, M&Ms or some other delicious choice, we have a Craving - Pick Your Mix gift allowing you to select only your personal favourites, one kilo of them to be exact.  You can choose from 46 different candy selections and it will come packaged in a reusable gift box just for you or a friend (or both if you plan to share).

Perfect for the fussiest of individuals and for those who crave a particular lolly over another.  You can imagine their surprise when they open this gift - whether it be 1kg of Red and Green Frogs or 1kg of Chicos and Milk Bottles - you know it will definitely be appreciated.

What would go in your Pick Your Mix selection?