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The gift of planning ahead

By Times Staff Writer
Published November 20, 2004

Thursday's the day! Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season. Quick ideas to get you up and running: Send plants and gifts for the home early so the recipients have the whole season to enjoy poinsettias and other flowers, wreaths, items for entertaining (wine glasses, cocktail napkins, gourmet foods). Stock up on small but nice gifts for spontaneous giving, quick presents for your hosts, instant thank-yous: chocolate truffles, ornaments, candles. For those with a long gift list, make your life easier by coming up with a signature gift you give year after year. Your friends and family know you're the one who always gives calendars, or a split of champagne, or the mail-order gourmet treat they look forward to each year.

Short campaign for basket

Longaberger Baskets introduces its newest Inaugural Basket, all stars and stripes and American eagle, part of a series it has offered every four years since 1989. The Inaugural Basket is available only during December for $59 for the basket, liner and protector; the wooden lid is $23, the medallion $8. Local consultant Kathy Painter will have the basket available for order, along with other Longaberger products, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Heritage United Methodist Church Craft Show, at Landmark Drive and State Road 580 in Clearwater.

Okay, you've got to scrub things like the toilet and the tub, or do chores that are hard on the hands. Bring on the rubber gloves, but do they have to make you look like the detectives at a crime scene on Law and Order? New from Spontex: Color Brite disposable latex gloves in pink, purple and blue, or in vinyl in pink, blue and green. Suggested retail is $1.99 for a dozen pairs; they're at Albertsons and Kash n' Karry. Cleaning tips, quizzes and coloring pages for the kids are at www.spontexusa.com

Change your voice mail daily so people know whether you're really there. Skip the tired expression, "I'm either on my phone or away from my desk." And change the office receptionist's title to Director of First Impressions. Which reputation would you rather have, sales trainer Daniel Abramson asked his audience at the National Association of Realtors convention in Orlando this month: that of L.L. Bean and FedEx, or the Department of Motor Vehicles? Said Abramson: "Great service is free and worth a fortune."

[Last modified November 19, 2004, 10:23:09]