Happy Monday my friends! I hope you are staying warm and well this cold winter! My family has had its share of illnesses already this winter. Stomach bugs, flu bugs, colds, etc. My husband was sick again last week and a kind family friend sent him a get well gift basket. So thoughtful and what a great idea!
One of our sweet friends sent a get well basket to my husband last week. It came from 1-800-baskets.com. The basket arrived in a larger box and was nicely packed for safe keeping during shipping. The basket itself was an oblong white, metal basket with handles. It was packed with comfort food goodies such as chicken noodle soup mix, crackers, oyster crackers, cookies, hot tea and a wooden spoon. My favorite part of the basket was a large soup mug that says “Soup de Jour”. Of course it also came with a nice card from our friend. Isn’t this such a thoughtful gift?
Personally I love soup year round and especially when it’s cold out or I’m not feeling well. Another sweet friend brought some delicious homemade butternut squash soup to me a few months ago when I was under the weather. (Thanks, Jenn!) It really is such a thoughtful gesture and the gift basket gave me an idea for the future! The next time someone I love is sick (or needs a little TLC) I’m going to make them a soup gift basket. Here’s my husband’s new soup mug and the soup mix that came in the basket…
I love making gift baskets for the holidays and this is just an extension of that idea. Baskets are relatively inexpensive and most people probably have several on hand. I always keep baskets that we receive as gifts (shocker) and I like to use those to re-gift. (Shhhh.) I mean, the baskets are always pretty and have only been used once so it’s perfectly fine! Doesn’t everyone love soup?
Otherwise you can buy gift baskets kits at places like Cost Plus World Market for under $10. They include a basket, shredded packing paper, a cellophane bag and tie. They also sell assorted baskets, colored shredded paper, etc so you can customize your own basket.
I like to add my own ribbon and note card. It looks prettier I think. This is a gift basket I gave someone last year for Christmas.
One of my favorite things to look for at thrift stores is soup mugs and glassware containers. I bought these two cute little mugs at a consignment store for $1 each and are our favorite soup mugs. I love their shape and they hold the perfect amount of soup for one. Conveniently they stack, but don’t have lids.
I love this tomato based vegetable beef soup!
Another favorite soup container is this 18 ounce container with a lid by Good Cook. I bought these at my grocery store for about $4.99 each and they have been worth every penny. Each time I make a large pot of soup, I pour the leftovers in these mugs. The snap tight lids keeps the soup fresh in the refrigerator and they stack on top of one another making them easier to store. And they are dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. They come in different colors, too in case you want to get a different color for each family member.
These containers also make great “welcome to your new home” gifts as well. I like to take these filled with soup to friends when they move into a new house. When you have young children to feed and are unpacking boxes, what could be better than a quick dinner? (that you don’t have to cook!) This would also make a great gift basket. A moving day surprise! And they can keep the containers as an extra little house “warming” present.
All of this to say that any of these containers would be perfect for a future soup basket. I plan to keep an eye out for fun soup mugs and the next time I make someone some soup, I’ll whip up a cute little gift basket for them. I’m thinking a mason jar filled with homemade soup or chili would be a nice way to incorporate the soup into a basket without being messy. Maybe add some crackers, cough lozenges and some chocolates? Doesn’t chocolate make everyone feel better too? 1-800-baskets has a chocolate first aid kit as well! Cute.
I hope you all stay well the rest of the winter. It is only January 8th and we have a lot of cold weather left. But, just in case someone you love gets sick, this is a way to help them feel better in some small way. At least it will warm their soul! Check out 1-800-baskets. com or put on your creative hat and make one of your own! Thank you for stopping by! Stay safe and warm! xoxo Dell & Lacey