SpongeBob Square Pants!

SpongeBob Square Pants has entered almost everyone’s home in the United States and numerous other countries. Something about his obviously peculiar shaped pants and his high pitched voice has gotten people excited. As he navigates his ocean bottom surroundings with his friends: Patrick, Mr. Crab, Plankton, Gary and many more, he encounters adventure after adventure.

SpongeBob has become a party and celebration favorite as well. He shows up at Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and birthdays throughout the year. We at BalloonsByMail.com wanted to let you know of all the fun balloons and gifts we have to celebrate this dynamic character. Whether you want to say get well soon, I love you, or happy birthday (in Spanish too!), SpongeBob will be there to help with his balloons. My personal favorite SpongeBob balloon is a square shape of his smiling face. Don’t forget to add gifts to the bottom of your loud and smiley SpongeBob balloon bouquet such as SpongeBob and his friends various sized plush and thrilling SpongeBob shaped playing cards.

And in the words of SpongeBob himself, “This is the BEST DAY EVER!”

The Luck of the Irish

We are often surrounded by idioms, expressions in language, day after day. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday celebration, St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I would share the origins and meanings behind one such idiom: “The luck of the Irish.”

There is no cohesive agreement on where this phrase came from but there are two widely accepted origins. One of the suggested origins is that the Irish are just inherently lucky. Despite the hard circumstances we see in history, the Irish have had to deal with they still seem to be able to land back on their feet, (i.e. The Potato Famine). Another suggested origin of “The luck of the Irish” came from the California Gold Rush in the 1800s. Many of the most successful gold diggers were Irish. When it got out that the Irish people got lucky finding large quantities of gold they were talked about in the terms of “The luck of the Irish.” Often times the Irish would refer to their good fortune as their “pot o’ gold.”

With all this luck floating around for the Irish, why don’t we send some good luck to out friends and family to brighten their day? Take a look through BalloonsByMail.com and find those St. Partick’s Day or good luck balloons to send. Don’t forget to add a small gift or good luck charm to the bottom to ensure the luck lasts forever!


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Grandparents

Grandparents are often hard to buy for… They often times have everything that they need and if they do come across a need they are more than willing to go out and buy it for themselves. My grandma’s birthday is coming up soon and it always seems to be the same story for me. I am at a lost of what to buy.

In years past I have purchased some of her favorite foods, small trinkets for her china cabinet, and cards. This year I thought about what would really make her smile when she opened it. BALLOONS!

Balloons floating out of a box, from BalloonsByMail.com, is a great way to make my grandma and so many other grandparents smile. They bring along with them a joy that only watching balloons can bring and are sure to create conversation when there are guests.

When making a balloon bouquet for a grandparent remember to include a balloon for the occasion, let them know you love them, and don’t forget to add in a smile or solid fun shaped balloon for extra appeal. Weigh your balloon bouquet down with a grandparent specific item from our “Gifts for Grandma” and “Gifts for Grandpa” selections.


Great Grandparent Gift Giving Occasions:
New grandbaby
Happy Anniversary
Birthday from the Grandkids
Thinking of you/ To Cheer you
Retirement
Smiles galore
Get well soon

The Love of Coffee

As I thought about writing on the newest coffee that we have available at BalloonsByMail.com I was stumped. “The Love of Coffee” is a tricky thing to write about because coffee is a ritual part of most Americans’ lives. We wake up and before we do anything else, even open our eyes all the way, we go for the coffee. So to inspire my writing I went out and got one of my favorite specialty coffees, a non-fat French vanilla cappuccino. Yummm... As I slowly drank it on my drive to work I remembered what the “Love of Coffee” is all about.

Plain coffee is great for the jolt in the morning to get us moving after we wake up or take a shower, but really good gourmet coffee is what can set to tone for our day and be enjoyed throughout. Starting the day with a warm flavored coffee, weather its cinnamon chocolate, hazelnut mocha, or butter rum, we can get in the mood of the season.

BalloonsByMail.com’s newest product is a gift box of eight different instant flavored coffees that are designed to sooth the pallet and invigorate the senses. This great gift box of coffee contains creamy single serving packets of Cinnamon Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Covered Cherry, Coconut Creme, Butter Rum, Vanilla Nut Fudge and Hazelnut Mocha.

But don’t feel left out if you are a gourmet tea or chai tea drinker, BalloonsByMail.com also has gift sets for you as well that include equally inviting drinks. So next time you want to send someone warmth and flavor pair your coffee themed balloon or any other balloon bouquet with one of these gourmet drink gifts sets.

The History of BalloonsByMail.com

Often times we are asked how we came up with the idea for BalloonsByMail.com. It is a valid question… Who else would think of putting helium filled balloons in boxes?

The idea started when I was away at college. My mom and little brother’s birthdays (only one day apart) were coming up right around the time final papers, projects, and exams were due. I was too bogged down and didn’t have time to come home for a birthday visit. Bummed out that I wouldn’t be there I wanted to make sure they had a great day.

I headed off to the local party store and bought a boyish birthday balloon, a girlie birthday balloon, and an “I love you” balloon. On my way to the post office I stopped at the small retail shop I worked at to find a box big enough to fit my three balloons. Sure enough I found a beat up old box in the back that would fit the balloons just perfectly. In the parking lot of the post office I struggled to keep the balloons from flying away as I placed them in the box. Finally I taped the box closed and took it inside to send on its way. I am pretty sure the lady behind the counter was confused as to what I was sending because the box didn’t weigh much at all, but she took my money and I was on my way.

Two days later my mom called to tell me how much they loved their balloons. About two months after that she called again to tell me she wanted to market this idea of balloons being sent in boxes. She thought it was such a great gift and exclaimed, “Everyone should have the chance to send it!” A few more months passed that involved lots of research on opening a business, creating a website, and picking out a variety of gifts and balloons. In October 2005, BalloonsByMail.com was launched.

Over the last four and half years we have added three more employees and thousands of new items. Today we love to see the loved passed on through balloons and are always excited to hear back from the happy customers.

Refresh and Reuse Your Balloons!

Now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone, we have these wonderful balloons in our homes and the homes of our loved ones. We are going be able to enjoy our balloon bouquets fully for at least 21 days, way longer than flowers! However as time passes and the temperature changes the balloons can seem to crinkle slightly and lose their splendor. While they are still fun and a reminder of those that love us, we know that the balloons looked best when they were filled tight with air.

Don’t worry! You can refresh your balloons in three easy steps!

1. Find a regular straw (non-flexible works best).
2. Carefully insert the straw into the air hole at the base of your balloon (where the string is attached) leaving just enough of the straw out to the balloon to blow through.
3.Once you have blown up the balloon as much as you desired, remove the straw and admire your fresh looking, still floating bouquet

Once you are finished admiring your balloons don’t be tempted to throw them away!! Again, insert the straw into the balloon (as directed above) and lightly press on the balloon to allow excess air to escape. Once your balloon is flat you may lightly fold it for storage. The next time you would like to celebrate, pull out the balloons and have them filled with helium for an additional 21 days of enjoyment! Once again another great way to enjoy BalloonsByMail.com!

The Wintertime Blues...

Here we are in the dead of winter, the snow crunching under our feet, our skin feels dry and cracks from the lack of humidity, and the sun barely shines on our faces. Our bodies are craving vitamin D and heat from the sun. We are in the middle of what I like to call “The Wintertime Blues,” a time that is filled with depressed days and grumpy attitudes.

How can we keep ourselves from this blues? One way to get the vitamin D from the sun is an all-inclusive vacation to a Caribbean island. If that is a little out of your price range, try a tanning bed to give you skin a healthy glow and the much needed feel of warmth. However, don’t forget to use lotion and balms before and after to keep you skin hydrated. Another way to avoid this wintertime blues is to eat warm and comforting foods. Try out a new recipe book, some hot soup or gourmet coffee. As you fill your frozen body with this warmth you are sure to feel better about the temperatures outside. These are both great ideas, however, I feel the best way to overcome “The Wintertime Blues” is to put a smile on your face. Studies have shown that smiles are contagious and automatically send endorphins through our bodies!

So, how do we evoke these smiles? My answer is balloons! Balloons bounce around with happy pictures and messages. BalloonsByMail.com has a great selection of balloons that will definitely make a person smile. Look through the To Cheer/ Thinking of You balloons as well as the many different smile face and flower balloons. Add special items, like lotions, cookbooks, and comfy foods, to the bottom of the bouquet and help your friends, family, co-workers, and even yourself through “The Winter Blues.”