Father's Day Gift Hampers From Rainbow Designs

Let's face it, dear ol' dad can get a bit sick of packs of socks and jocks, no matter how much he needs them. However, a gift hamper from Rainbow Designs is another thing altogether. You can never tire from one our gifts, especially with the variety that we offer. And of course, you can't go past the fact that our hampers are stunning to look at and even more delicious to eat (or drink!)

With Father's Day creeping up very quickly, it is time you placed your order. This year Father's Day falls on 3 September - just 11 sleeps away. And if you want your gift to arrive on time, then you had best get your order in fast.

While it is nice to take dad out for a nice meal or for a beer down at his favorite local, a gift will commemorate the occasion and celebrate the dad you know and love.

Here are some of our great gifts on offer.

Big Lolly Box: A yummy 1 kg box of lollies.

Boutique Beer and Savoury Snacks Gift:  Twelve craft beers, corn chips, olives, peanuts, pretzels, a beer glass and coasters.

Homemade Pizza Gift Hamper: Pizza stone with rack, pizza cutter, 1 kg of flour, a jar of tomato paste, one box of instant yeast, and a bottle of wine.

Red Wine Delight: Wooden wine box, bar set and one bottle of Baileys of Glenrowan Shiraz.

Sweet Selection Hamper: Just shy of 2 kg of lollies in an assortment of groovy containers.

Vivani Chocolate: 6 blocks of Vivani Chocolate including dark chocolate, dark chocolate with chilli, chocolate orange, chocolate peppermint, chocolate praline and almond chocolate.

Happy Father's Day to all the awesome dads out there - may you get your Father's Day wish and a Father's Day gift.

Memories Of Those Near and Dear

Do you have a favourite memory of you and your dad? With Father's Day just around the corner, it is nice to reminisce about the good 'ol days.

Michelle Tupy, a writer and dear friend of mine, wrote this about her dad many years ago. It resonated with me then, as it still does now.

"As a young girl, I remember the excitement felt whenever I had the chance to spend time with my father on the farm. Whilst he was probably not doing anything more than just going about his regular duties, being with him was what mattered most to me. I can remember my father whistling commands to the dogs as they corralled the sheep into the pens. I held tightly onto his rough and calloused hands as we crossed the paddock to close the gate behind the last of the sheep.

I watched with wide-eyed fascination as my dad wrestled sheep after sheep to get them into just the right position for shearing. I remember the sweat pouring down his forehead as he worked tirelessly shearing one sheep after another pausing occasionally to have a drink of water and give me a smile.

Later we would go back to the house in our old battered ute. I rode in the front, feeling like a princess, with my dad next to me and the dogs barking in the back."

It wasn't a particularly special moment. As a country girl growing up in New South Wales back in the late 70s and 80s, riding around in the ute was probably a daily, if not a weekly, occurrence. But the thing that struck me the most was the fact that such a simple moment could be captured and frozen in time.

We all have those special moments - with our dads, our mums, our siblings, or our friends, and we hold onto them for as long as we can. It is those moments that get us through the tough times. It is those moments that we hold close to our chests as we lie in our beds willing sleep to come. It is those moments we escape to when we are tired, stressed or angry. 

They are the moments that we live for; they are the moments that make life worth living. 

Do you have a special memory that makes your heart sing?

Popular Australian Lollies

Australians love their lollies!

We recently did a mini-survey on our Rainbow Designs Facebook page asking people to list their favourite lollies, and we weren't too surprised by what we saw.

Chocolate Aniseed Rings, Chicos, Snakes, Green Frogs, Raspberries, Cobbers, Minties and Freckles were listed as some of our fan's favourites. We agree wholeheartedly - they all sound pretty yummy to us!

Australians have always had their favourites - Fantales, Jaffas, Redskins, Freddo Frogs, Caramello Koalas - and there is always a loud uproar when our favourites are taken off the shelves. Remember when Nestle discontinued the Spearmint Leaves and Green Frogs from our shelves. Aussies were not happy. While they did bring them back for a limited edition in late November to Christmas Eve in 2016, Nestle said that their customers will have to 'watch this space' to see if they will ever return. We personally are still in mourning over the disappearance of our beloved green frogs, a firm favourite on the Rainbow Designs' shelves.

And then there are our beloved chocolate bars. Foreigners may not understand our love for the Pollywaffle, Mint Patties or the Cherry Ripe - but we cannot get enough! Images of musk sticks, jersey caramels and chocolate bullets inhabit our childhood dreams. And no weekend was complete without a trip to the milk bar to sample the Milko Chews and Sherbies.

Aah the memories. What was your favourite?

Did Someone Say Coffee?

Coffee hampers and gifts are well received for any occasion. They work perfectly for those over the coffee drinking age, are great for either men or women and are suitable as Christmas gifts, Australia Day gifts, Father's Day presents, birthday presents or thank you gifts. They are decadent, yet practical; classic, but trendy! All in all, they are a win-win - well, unless your recipient likes to drink tea.

Coffee has been around since it was accidentally discovered in Ethiopia. Most of the world's coffee currently comes from Brazil, followed by Colombia and Vietnam. While it has been banned and lauded many times over, there is no denying its popularity.

While Australians go through their fair share of coffee every year, they are actually ranked number 42 on the coffee consumption list at 3kg per capita. The top ten countries for consumption of coffee are:

1. Finland: 9.6 kg per capita (consumption of 2.64 cups/day)

2. Norway: 7.2 kg (1.98 cups/day)

3. Netherlands: 6.7 kg (1.84 cups/day)

4. Slovenia: 6.1 kg (1.68 cups/day)

5. Austria: 5.5 kg (1.51 cups/day)

6. Serbia: 5.4 kg (1.49 cups/day)

7. Denmark: 5.3 kg (1.46 cups/day)

8. Germany: 5.2 kg (1.43 cups/day)

9. Belgium: 4.9 kg (1.35 cups/day)
10. Brazil: 4.8kg (1.32 cups/day)

Now, that's a lot of coffee!

Let's run through the coffee gifts we currently have on the Rainbow Designs' shelves.

Barista Coffee Hamper

This impressive coffee hamper features a Bodum French-press 'Brazil' three cup coffee maker for true taste extraction. It also comes with three packs of quality Arabica ground coffee, packed and sealed in vacuum bags for freshness. Pair with two Bodum double walled coffee mugs and a box of HK Anderson Honey Wheat Braids and you have a gift that all coffee lovers would love to receive.

Coffee and Cookies Hamper

The delightful Coffee and Cookies Hampers includes a classic French press coffee plunger, one bag of Gourmet Explorer Coffee and two glass walled coffee mugs. And, of course, let's not the forget a decadent pack of cookies. Delicious!