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As a business owner interested in keeping my customers happy, the following are my top 10 suggestions on how to smoothly manage your gift returns:

1. Keep the item in its original packaging including box, plastic sleeve and information cardboard.

2. Go to the company's website and follow the company's return policy. If it says return with 10 days of purchase and you're not sure when it was paid for, write the company that this was a Christmas gift. Most companies will give you the benefit of the doubt.

3. Before shipping, take a photo of the item in it's original packaging so you have a record of the condition of the item before it was shipped. In our case, we photograph all items before they are shipped from our end so we know the condition of the item before it leaves here.

4. Include your name, address, email and phone number on a slip of paper inside the box asking for either a credit or exchange for the item.

5. Ship the item with a tracking number so you can confirm the item was safely received.

6. Some companies require a "return authorization" number prior to you sending the item back. Again, check the company's return policy and if you need to call them for the return authorization number before you ship, please do so. I also keep a record of the number and the date when I ship the item.

7. After you confirm receipt of the item, call the company to finalize how you want the return processed. Some companies only credit the original credit card; others will only give you merchandise credit so check their return policy before calling.

8. If this was a gift from a family member, send a written thank you note and explain if the size was off, etc. If you just didn't like it, thank them anyway and don't say anything else. In this case, it is the thought that counts.

9. Please don't "temporarily use" an item, return it after the return period and then demand a full credit. Most items show wear and most companies, especially small businesses, want to keep a good relationship with customers but this approach is basically fraud.

10. As you make your purchases, if you're not sure the gift will fit or may otherwise need to be traded, ask about the return policy and add that to the gift card. That way the return can be managed smoothly!

If you're looking for a healthy, and easy, treat, don't look any farther than watermelons.

Although we often associate watermelons  with light summer deserts, watermelons also make healthy, and delicious, juice.

Watermelons come close to being a perfect fruit; high in vitamins and antioxidants.

I usually use a melon baler to remove watermelon pieces so they can easily be tossed into desert dishes.

During that process, a good 16 oz of juice, along with left over smaller watermelon pieces, gets generated. 

Remembering the wonderful juice stands in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring watermelon juice, I decided to make my own.

I pour watermelon juice, and some left over pieces, into a container and give it a spin in my blender.

You can add a touch of lemon and  ice to give it an extra cold texture; drink.

Not only will you be getting a lot of nutrients, but watermelon juice will quench your thirst, too!

Ever since my grandmother gave me a copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit" as my first English language book, I was hooked.

Well, she had help from Mom and Dad.

I can remember carrying my first baby toy everywhere; not a teddy bear but a stuffed pink-eyed nappy rabbit with a wind-up musical key on the back.

Misplaced it during our Pan Am flight moving to Lima, Peru.

In case you didn't know, even toy rabbits like to hop around from seat to seat, especially in a plane going through noisy turbulence.

Bad weather, too.


So I was charmed when I saw this bluebird blue cardboard box of "Annie's Homegrown All Wheat Crackers".

The packaging is a lot fun.

They have "no icky additives or pesky preservatives."

On one side they suggest things you can do with the box besides recycling - make into bookmarks, arts and crafts collages, color on the inside.

For cereal box reading aficionados, there's a "name that grain" game on the back.

And you don't open the box top, you "gently tug ears to open."

A cute gray and white rabbit in a yellow circle is the "rabbit of approval" they're totally natural.

There's a lot to recommend but the best part is how perfectly formed these bunny wheat crackers are!

Now I don't recommend adding them to soups so they can float, I found that a little disconcerting.

I have used them as cupcake and muffin garnishes, packed them in tiny bags for lunch treats, and given my best friend Annie, who also loves bunnies, her very own un-opened box.

Well, I was tempted, I was saving my very own box for later.

When I called to see if she had found the surprise with a note extolling how perfect the bunny crackers were, I fully expected to hear "thanks but you really need to get out more."

Instead she said "thanks, they were delicious, I've already eaten the whole box."

Can you think of a better recommendation?

Every time I stand in line buying an Amaryllis bulb, someone will ask how to grow these wonderful, South American tropical bulbs.

If there's an easier plant to grow, or one that gives so much back for so little effort, I don't know what it would be.

Amaryllis store all they need to grow in a large bulb.

When you buy an Amaryllis, you can get either the plain bulb or a kit that will include a pot, potting medium and  instructions.

Frankly you can save money by just getting the Amaryllis bulb and using a regular potting soil and adding half a cup of a light medium.

Place the Amaryllis bulb literally on top of a pot of soil.

Allow for an inch around the bulb in the pot, and settle the bulb maybe half an inch into the soil and add a support stick next to it.

Once Amaryllis start growing, you'll almost think you're watching them grow before your eyes. Growth can be as much as an inch a day, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

Water with 1/4 cup of water every 2-3 days and place near but not in direct sunlight.

Once you see flower buds popping up, you may need to tie the stem to the support stick.
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Once flowers are blooming, they'll definitely need to be supported because this ugly bulb turns into stunning flowers.

Bamboo sticks, or something out of your garden will work well as support.

As flowers fade, green leaves will unfold from the bulb.

Cut off dead flowers.

Let leaves grow and develop until they turn yellow.

Leave the Amaryllis bulb without water or light, for a couple of months.

You can re-pot the bulb, or just water for another wonderful blooming round.

Healthy Amaryllis bulbs will produce bulblets growing out of their sides; if you let those little bulbs grow leaves through a couple of seasons, you'll soon have new Amaryllis.

I pot my Amaryllis into summer pots wintering inside and let them grow with other plants.

They usually bloom late January and February, a welcome surprise in the middle of winter gloom.

For a quick update to any home decor, and a wonderful gift for any occasion, pot an Amaryllis bulb with a card with these instructions.

Amaryllis will bring beauty, and interest, to any room or special occasion!

Charlotte

Bluebird Gardens: custom quilts, gifts, gardening
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There's a lot in a name, especially if it's embroidered and added to a gift.

Even after 13 years of running a custom gift business, I'm periodically surprised at how adding a name to a quilt and gift can make a gift that much more special.

Making special personal gifts is the foundation of Bluebird Gardens.

The concept has evolved over the years to include personalized baby quilts, such as Applique ABCs Baby Quilt (left) and New Noah's Ark Baby Quilt (right)  including monogramming ready made and custom baby quilts, as well as making personal matching gift tags for easy inclusion in baby scrapbooks.

This spring, we've also seen an increase in Bluebird Gardens customer requests for our embroidered patches services, a reflection, one customer said, of the down economy.

Adding embroidered patches can be a great inexpensive way to personalize quilts.

After giving one of our personalized baby quilts as a baby shower gift last year,  Sarah said her family went "wild with the idea" of having the baby's name, birth date and other information on their baby quilts.

Sarah said now "the pressure's on"  to personalize all her future baby quilts!

No pressure, Sarah.

Our embroidered patches can be made in a variety of sizes, font styles and colors, and come with an embroidered stitched border to make it easier to applique, or sew them, on a quilt.

Embroidered patches can be sewn either on the front, or back.

Although it may be tempting to put embroidered patches on front,  consider the request of a 7-yr old customer who asked me to change the location of an embroidered patch  last year so he could pull up the quilt and look at his name on the back before he went to sleep at night.

Yes, it's ALL in the name...

Happy dreams, Harold!



Charlotte

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Every once in awhile, a Bluebird Gardens customer makes a mistake with their personalized embroidery order when they're making a personalized quilt into a personalized gift.

Shirley - we're not giving her last name to protect the guilty - ordered a personalized double wedding ring throw as a wedding anniversary gift early December.

We shipped the quilt to her and shortly after Christmas, got the following email:

"I've made a big mistake.

Didn't realize until my husband went up to put it up that the anniversary date is July 20, 1989 instead of July 30, 1989.

Can you make another one...My husband will never let me forget this mistake.

PS Do you have discounts for redo for dummies?"

Luckily for Shirley, once she shipped the quilt back to us we were able to take out the 3 and substitute a 2 so all she paid was a minimal embroidery fee and shipping.

We can't always easily fix a personalized embroidery mistake but, considering the grief Shirley was probably getting from her husband, we were glad we could!

Charlotte

Bluebird Gardens: custom quilts, gifts, gardening
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First, let's get something clear.

Whoever "declared" at the beginning of 2011 cupcakes were "out"  is well - crazy. Cupcakes are still in, and I'll show you how!

Cupcakes are a busy person's best kept secret, especially if you're busy and still want to easily make treats for special occasions, or just want to make someone feel special.

I discovered the joy of cupcakes years ago when I sometimes had 8 kids dropped off at my house for the weekend.

To better be prepared, I started making muffins, brownies and cakes in cupcake papers and pans, then freezing them so I could easily defrost them later.

Cupcakes are the perfect serving size; can easily be eaten by hand and transported so they make great school event treats, and with a little magic, can be amazingly delicious.

And healthy. Yes, stay with me on that one.

1. Start with picking good cake mixes.

Some of my favorites include Krusteaz cranberry orange for a breakfast muffin or as a cupcake to keep a salad company.

Jiffy has a great little line of basic cake recipes you can use to quickly make only half a dozen cupcakes.

I'll show you how to easily beef them up in a second.

And speaking of amazingly delicious and healthy for you, Duncan Hines has a Triple Dark Chocolate Whole Grain Muffins that floors everyone I've served. Right - here's the direct link to Triple Dark Chocolate Whole Grain Muffins.

They're moist and taste like a brownie but are whole grain. Yes, I should have said heavenly, shouldn't I have...

2. To easily make a boxed cake mix better, substitute water for a fruit juice.
For example, mix Jiffy's White Cake Mix with pear juice from canned pears, canned peaches or canned pineapple, and a few tiny fruit pieces, makes great fruit flavored cupcakes.
 

Jiffy's Yellow Cake Mix with cranberry juice or lemonade is great for a refreshing summer picnic.

If you add a few nuts, they become a nice Thanksgiving treat.

3. Skip icing and think garnish.

Add a little lemon or lime zest, or a piece of fruit.

Kids love animal crackers.

Heck, I love animal crackers, especially these Annie's wheat cracker bunnies. Aren't they adorable?

If you insist on having an icing, make it a glaze by adding extra liquid and apply it thinly.

For a decadent chocolate taste without the calories, drizzle chocolate icing in a thin stream. Cupcake papers will keep it from dripping.

I've also dusted the top of warm cupcakes with confectioner's sugar, and used brown sugar on cupcakes with apple pieces and cupcakes with blueberries  when I wanted a little extra sweetness.

4.Dress up your cupcakes with theme cupcake papers. They're available in all sorts of themes and colors, including shiny silver and favorite childrens story characters. You can also spray your cupcake pans with baking spray to prevent them from sticking. I do that when I'm making lots of cupcakes destined to be devoured before they almost leave the pan.

5. If you're making a low cost or older cake mix - its ok, I know you still have one of those in your pantry, so do I - reduce the water amount called in recipe by about 1/3, or use a complimentary fruit juice, and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to make the batter moist.

6. Freeze separately on a cookie sheet for half an hour. When hard to touch, store in freezer bag. Defrost. Add garnish - birthday candles count - and serve!

Cupcakes can easily become breakfast on the run, delicious companions to salads and packed lunches, and handy dandy deserts to make any occasion special.

I say cupcakes are still "in" in 2011!

Charlotte

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No need to throw away that favorite, torn up old quilt; you can easily recycle - well, the new term is repurpose - the old quilt into handmade throw pillows.

Because many quilts are geometric in design, their quilt blocks easily can be cut and turned into throw pillows.

Even if there's a little wear in the quilt block, you can make a pillow and the wear will not take away from the overall design.

Sometimes an old quilt has different versions of a quilt block design.

I personally prefer having different quilt blocks that compliment each other, like the throw pillows we made out of an old applique floral quilt in photo.

Once you cut out pillow shapes you want, leaving 1/4" extra for a seam, cut another matching piece for the backing, either a complimentary fabric or use another quilt block as the backing.

Sew three sides and most of the fourth side. Leave about half of the fourth side open so you can reverse the pillow; add a pillow form and hand stitch closed.

If you know your way around a zipper, you can also add a zipper along the edge seam line, then fill with a pillow form.

These repurposed quilts into throw pillows make wonderful personalized gifts year around.

Charlotte