by Jasmine | Jun 9, 2014 | Gift Baskets
Here’s a some history on how Father’s Day got started from History.com. We also have our list of the Top 8 Best Gifts for Dad.
On July 19, 1910, the governor of the U.S. state of Washington proclaimed the nation’s first “Father’s Day.” However, it was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official, that the day became a nationwide holiday in the United States.
- Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in the United States and various parts of the world.
- Memorial Day, observed the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the American military.
- The Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
- The last major holiday of summer, Labor Day celebrates the American worker.
Did You Know?
There are more than 70 million fathers in the United States. Click here to see our Top 8 Best Gifts for Dad.
Mother’s Day: Inspiration for Father’s Day
The “Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post-Civil War era. During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers. In 1870, the activist Julia Ward Howe issued a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling on a “general congress of women” to “promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, & the great & general interests of peace.”
Mother’s Day did not become a commercial holiday until 1908, when– inspired by Jarvis’s daughter Anna, who wanted to honor her own mother by making Mother’s Day a national holiday– the John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia sponsored a service dedicated to mothers in its auditorium. Thanks in large part to this association with retailers, who saw great potential for profit in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America.”
Origins of Father’s Day.
The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm– perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The next year, a Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910.
In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day.
Father’s Day: Controversy and Commercialism.
During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park– a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.” Paradoxically, however, the Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.
In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.
by Jasmine | May 17, 2013 | Anniversary Gift Ideas, Gift Baskets
I’ll admit it…Scott and I saved the top tier of our wedding cake and had some around the time of our one-year anniversary. But we did something else on the actual day that was way better. (As for the cake, it wasn’t awful, but it definitely wasn’t as tasty as it was on our wedding night—when I took an extra spoonful of the sweet stuff after Scott fed me one!).
Unique Ways To Celebrate
To properly celebrate our big milestone, Scott and I made reservations at the restaurant that’s connected to our wedding hall. It was surreal driving on the winding road that led to the place where we exchanged vows (and proceeded to dance our butts off). In an ideal world, I would have ordered the Southern Comfort station foods that I didn’t get to eat because I just wasn’t hungry during my cocktail hour, but alas, they weren’t on the menu. I also hoped we’d get to roam the grounds and take photos in the outdoor ceremony area and the ballroom. We should have guessed that there’d be another couple getting married on that popular last Saturday night in June!
Still, I was so glad we went. Just being there brought back a lot of the wonderful-ness of our wedding day, and shouldn’t your anniversary do that? If your wedding hall doesn’t have a restaurant you can visit on your anniversary (or you can’t return to it because you live hours and hours away or it burned down or something), try one of these other ideas:
Best Anniversary Gifts – Order a Small Cake from your Wedding Bakery.
If you choose the same flavors as your wedding cake, you’ll get the same nostalgic feeling (minus the queasy feeling!) that eating a cake that fills your freezer for 12 months would give you. Live far away? See if they’ll ship it or if there’s a local bakery that offers the same flavors.
Return To The Site Of Your First Date.
On our five-year dating anniversary, Scott and I went back to the South Philly Island ice-skating rink where we ventured out in public as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time (at the ripe old age of 15). It was Scott’s idea to take me there, and it was the best surprise (maybe not as big as Laura’s engagement surprise, but still great).
Throw A Party
With any luck, your bank account will rebound by the time your one-year anniversary rolls around and you can host a big, fancy bash. Or you can do what Scott and I have done for our last two dating anniversaries (that’s right, 15 years later and we still celebrate it!): We invite all of our best freinds to our apartment and set up a Rock Band station and a Wii station. It’s my favorite night of the year!
Watch Your Wedding Video.
You may know about this tradition already (heck, it may be the only reason you splurged on a wedding video in the first place), but it really is a great time to relive that day. If you’ve seen the video way too many times by that point, give this a try: Turn off the sound during the speeches and put words into the mouths of your best man, maid of honor, and whoever else toasted you. Invite the speakers over for a real laugh!
How would you want to celebrate your first wedding anniversary? Would you try any of my ideas? Will you eat your wedding cake despite the warnings?
For more ideas on the best anniversary gifts, click here.
by Jasmine | May 11, 2013 | Gift Baskets, Romantic Date Ideas
I was thinking about buying a gift for a girlfriend for her birthday then I considered the social, ecological and environmental effect that my option would make. I might just buy it with FTD, which is a flower delivery services that work with delivering flowers to all the florists in the nation that belong to the FTD system.
Buying Organic Flowers
Purchasing organic produce such as fruits and vegetables has been gaining more significance and you learn through stars who always try to eat gluten-free or organic so what is the effect of buying organic flowers when thinking of gifts for a girlfriend?
Buying Organic Mean Choosing Health For Yourself
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of buying organic you are having an influence on so many levels. The first level is on your own wellness. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that buying vegetables and fruits sprayed with pesticides can have on your stressed, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory
Anniversary Presents That Affects The Environment
systems. They have actually been proven to bring about higher levels of all kinds of illness but the most remarkable one is cancer.
Buying Organic Means Choosing Health For Workers
Since it has actually become the mainstream farming practice for industrial farms to spray their production with chemicals, there has been a doubling of cases of cancer and various other sickness and illness. It not just is unhealthy for the person who is eating the fruit or veggie but also for the workers who select and grow the production and who have much greater exposure levels. Normally, the employees are undocmented migrants which means they don’t get any health perks and have no choice if they get sick or hurt on their task. The lot of cases of illness, illness and even death from these workers is hugely unknown due to the reduced reporting of these cases.
Saving the Environment
When you purchase sprayed flowers for gifts for a girlfriend from a grower is the damage it does to the dirt and water, the various other element to think about is that. Pesticides often remain in the dirt for a minimum of fifty years and they can seep into the groundwater also. When the water is affected this can also impact the livestock such as cows or pigs that are often on close-by farms. When you eat beef or pork that has been tainted from pesticides in the water then you end up eating more unsafe chemicals.
There also is an influence on healthy bugs such as ladybugs, honeybees and butterflies which have a massive positive influence on the entire environment. Without the pollination of honeybees, there would be less almonds, fruit and flowers. There is currently an upsurge of honeybees disappearing which is having a really unfavorable affect for all the flower and almond growers in numerous regions in America.
Buying Organic Means Fair Trade
When you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide financial trade policy that you are impacting with your acquisition, frequently. Typically, sprayed flowers and produce mean that the industrial ranch is simply considering producing in the cheapest possible method with the least regard for their worker’s wellness or income. When you buy organic that commonly translates to fair trade policy for little farmers.
Finals Thoughts
When you are thinking of buying your following present of flowers for your girlfriend for a birthday or anniversary, think about the health, social, environmental, eco-friendly and international effect that your pocketbook has on all of these things.
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of buying organic you are having an impact on many levels. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that purchasing fruits and vegetables sprayed with pesticides can have on your nervous, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
For more information on a romantic gift for girlfriend, click here.
by Jasmine | May 8, 2013 | Gift Baskets
I was considering buying a gift for a girlfriend for her birthday then I considered the social, eco-friendly and environmental effect that my selection would make. I might just buy it with FTD, which is a flower shipment services that work with providing flowers to all the flower shops in the country that belong to the FTD system.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Flowers
Purchasing organic produce such as vegetables and fruits has been gaining even more relevance and you learn through stars who constantly try to eat gluten-free or organic so what is the effect of purchasing organic flowers when thinking about presents for a girlfriend?
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Mean Choosing Health For Yourself
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking about buying organic you are having an affect on numerous levels. The first level is on your very own health. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that purchasing vegetables and fruits sprayed with pesticides can have on your stressed, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. They have actually been shown to result in greater levels of all kinds of illness but the most noteworthy one is cancer.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Means Choosing Health For Workers
Ever since it has become the mainstream farming practice for industrial ranches to spray their production with chemicals, there has actually been a doubling of cases of cancer cells and various other illness and illness. It not only is unhealthy for the person who is consuming the fruit or vegetable however likewise for the workers who choose and plant the production and who have much greater exposure levels.
Typically, the employees are undocomented immigrants meanings they do not receive any wellness perks and have no choice if they get sick or wounded on their task. The number of cases of sickness, disease as well as death from these employees is extremely unidentified due to the reduced reporting of these cases.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Saving the Environment
When you buy sprayed flowers for the gift for a girlfriend from a grower is the damages it does to the dirt and water, the various other aspect to consider is that. Pesticides often stay in the soil for
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Flowers
at least fifty years and they can permeate into the groundwater too. When the water is influenced this can also influence the livestock such as cows or pigs that are typically on close-by ranches. When you eat beef or pork that has been polluted from pestices in the water then you end up eating more dangerous chemicals.
There likewise is an impact on healthy bugs such as ladybugs, honeybees and butterflies which have a huge positive affect on the whole environment. Without the pollination of honeybees, there would be less almonds, fruit and flowers. There is presently an upsurge of honeybees dissapearing which is having a really adverse have an effect on for all the flower and almond raisers in lots of regions in America.
Present For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Means Fair Trade
When you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide economic trade policy that you are impacting with your investment, typically. Typically, sprayed flowers and produce suggest that the industrial farm is simply considering producing in the cheapest possible means with the least regard for their worker’s wellness or income. When you buy organic that frequently translates to fair trade policy for small planters.
Gift For Girlfriend – Finals Thoughts
When you are thinking of purchasing your following present of flowers for your girlfriend for a birthday or anniversary, consider the wellness, social, environmenal, ecological and global effect that your pocketbook has on all of these things.
When you buy gifts for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of purchasing organic you are having an impact on so lots of levels. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the illness and illness that purchasing fruits and veggies sprayed with pesticides can have on your nervous, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The various other element to consider is that when you purchase sprayed flowers for gifts for a girlfriend from a grower is the damages it does to the soil and water.
Frequently when you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide financial trade laws that you are influencing with your acquisition. When you purchase organic that typically translates to fair trade policy for small planters.
For more information on a romantic gift for girlfriend, click here.
by Jasmine | May 3, 2013 | Gift Baskets, Romantic Date Ideas
Who are they?
Organic Bouquet is a mission-based business that cares about environmental, economic and social sustainability that strives to have a positive affect on the world. With a goal to make a positive impact on the world and to inspire customers to make responsible choices, Organic Bouquet wants to influence corporations of all sizes to make an easy step to becoming more eco-friendly and socially responsible.
Organic Bouquet flowers are sustainably raised and have actually been accredited by third-party firms, such as USDA, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance. Their product packaging is gentle on the earth, safeguards ecology, and is made with sustainable and naturally degradable products.
Organic Bouquet – What You Need To Know.
Organic Bouquet is included in several neighborhood tasks around the globe and holds over 48 partnerships with charitable organizations. Organic Bouquet has the chance to make a distinction while boosting their value for sustainability and expanding to new heights financially and ecologically.
In 2009, Organic Bouquet included an outreach program intended at helping the planters in the Andean Highlands of Ecuador finance the investment of flower seeds. Organic Bouquet funded 100 % of the seeds empowering these farmers to grow an exportable crop and make a reasonable livable return, all while preserving the regional ecological community.
Organic Bouquet Review – What’s Good About Them
Organic Bouquet wants to influence corporations of all sizes to make a basic action to becoming more eco-friendly and socially accountable. The Corporations For Good program provides a low and easy cost platform for doing just that. An employer can declare Organic Bouquet as their official eco-friendly floral source for business presents.
With this collaboration, the company will get a unique reduced rate and each time an investment is made online at www.organicbouquet.com through the corporations account, a percentage of the profits will be donated to a charity chosen by the business.
Offered by Organic Bouquet— which provides earth-friendly flowers and presents– when you buy these roses, you’re not just eliminating hazardous chemicals from our environment, you’re likewise helping farm workers in developing countries support their households. Each investment helps provide education, healthcare and tasks with livable earnings for raisers and craftsmen. In addition, certified sustainable ranches use over 60 % female workers-providing task chances where there as soon as was none.
OrganicBouquet.com selections make a favorable impact even when they’re in transportation; a contribution is made to a fund that’s recovering forests in Central America to offset the carbon released during transport. That commitment extends right down to the packaging– printed with soy- and water-based ink on recycled or recyclable materials. Being socially accountable has never ever been easier, more affordable or more stunning.
With a mission to make a favorable effect on the world and to influence consumers to make responsible choices, Organic Bouquet is reaching out to stars for assistance. A celebrity lends their name to a selection of licensed sustainable flowers and every time those flowers are bought online at www.organicbouquet.com, a percentage of the profits will be contributed to the charity picked by the celebrity.
Organic Bouquet – What I Didn’t Like
Organic Bouquet doesn’t have the cheapest flowers on the market, so if price and not being ecologically, globally and socially responsible is your top priority then you are better off using another company such as FTD or just a local flower shop that may or may not have a commitment to pesticide free products and sustainability.
Organic Bouquet – Final Thoughts
With every buy from OrganicBouquet.com, you are enhancing the life of a small flower farmer or professional and safeguarding the environment for generations to come.
To find out more about buying flowers from Organic Bouquet, click here.
