Where in the USA are the Surfing Turtles today??

Have you been following the Surfing Turtles on their tour across the U.S.A?? 

Our product is packed in the U.S.A - and in honor of the U.S.A the Surfing Turtles have decided to go out on tour! Every day they will be in a new city somewhere in the country. Keep an eye out, they may be visiting a location near you! So far this week they've visited the Space Needle in Seattle, WA, Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, and the Grand Canyon in AZ - where will they be today? Stay updated on the tour on Facebook and Twitter, and if you are the first guess where the Turtles are you could be mentioned on Twitter.

Keep checking back to track their progress!

Holiday Contest!

Attention to all of you gift basket entrepreneurs out there! (Or any creative person for that matter!)

Because our last contest was such a success we're having a new contest especially for the holidays!!! On December 12 we will feature the top three gift baskets that highlight our product, so people can see your baskets right before the Holidays and remember to purchase them from you!

Here's the project: Take our candy bags and incorporate them into your basket designs. Feel free to use already existing designs of yours, or create entirely new ideas. All we are looking for is the perfect merging of our bags and your product. For the best entries, we encourage you to include pictures of our product in your basket. To purchase, visit us at www.surfingturtles.com or give us a call at 1.866.398.7103.

We know how busy you are, so we will be accepting entries until December 9. Winners baskets will be featured on our blog with an image of your basket, along with your company name and links to your website/online store, and a little blurb about your company.

To enter, send the following information to surfingturtlesgourmet@gmail.com:

Company/Artist Name:
Basket's Title:
Your Website/Online Store/Locations where people can purchase your basket
Featured Item from our line:
A Photograph of your basket
Any other notable information that you feel we should know about your baskets.

Also! You are not limited to one entry! Enter as many times as you like, as long as each basket is a new idea!

So hurry! You have a little less than a month :) Can't wait to see what all of you have up your sleeves!

....

If you aren't able to order at this time, let us know and send your basket idea along anyway!

Our Bows are like Snowflakes!

Here in Maryland we had an early sneak peak of some snowflakes before Halloween! But finally it's November, the time for snow....and Christmas Candy! Our candy bags are like snowflakes... No two are exactly alike. This is because when we receive your order your candy has to be packed, sealed, and hand tied before we can send your order.

So let’s talk about the bows. Have you received a shipment of our candy and seen our bows? For the past few weeks the elves have been feverishly tying bows, each elf doing several hundred a day! 

Some of our bows are pre-tied and simply need to be knotted on, but many of them are hand crafted, that is why every bow is a little different than the last. All our bow tyers have their own styles and their methods of tying.


Needless to say, Christmas has been quite an adventure with thousands and thousands of Christmas bows to tie – not to mention bows for Dog Treats, Everyday, Team Spirit and Animal Fun orders which are constantly coming in......Business is great, thanks to all of you!

Now, we’d like to offer you a limited time special! Place your Valentine’s Day and/or Easter order before December 30 and we will give you 5% off of your entire order, just make sure you put somewhere on your order the promo code: VE2012.




Thank you all for a great holiday season! Just a reminder, we are still taking re-orders for Christmas up until the second week of December!

Hilarious Candy Remedies!

Last night I was at the mall with a friend, and we stopped in the Hallmark store. If you are a fan of Hallmark, you'll understand how it is such a fun shopping experience. You never know quite what you will come across in the gift area. We looked through the Ornaments (which yes, Hallmark's Christmas ornaments are up already!) and made our way through the gifts. As we explored, I noticed out of the corner of my eye an area FULL of our products, and on the top of the shelf, low and behold, was our new Candy Remedy and Animal Poop Spinner. 

Shopper Stoppers
One of 20 designs!

I didn't say anything as my friend walked up to the spinner and started looking at them. Her immediate reaction was hysterical laughter. "PMS Pills! That's great!" She pointed and laughed. Then she pointed at Shopper Stoppers and said, "I need this one!" So true, as we'd spent the evening on a purse and accessories hunt. After she told me what she thought about them I got to add in...."Guess what! My company makes those, and I'm the graphic designer!" Sometimes it's fun to brag! She thought it was great. The best part is when they love your product and they don't know it's yours.


I have to say this is not the first reaction I've seen like this, people LOVE our candy remedies. They are inexpensive little gifts and most importantly they are hysterical. Right now we have 20 different designs, if you want to see pictures of all of them you can log-on to Surfing Turtles.com and look under our "Candy Remedies" section. We sell to a lot of gift shops, but they do well in gift baskets too (we've sold a few of them as well!)


So, is there an ailment you're looking to solve with a little bit of candy? You know what Mary Poppins always said...."Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!" Sure helps if the medicine is sugar :)


Have a great weekend! Make life sweet!! :)

Wedding Favors

It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be getting married. If you haven’t been to a wedding yet this summer, then you probably have marked on your calendar to attend one of those gorgeous fall weddings in September or October – be you a guest or a bride!


For those of you getting ready for your fall wedding, you might be asking yourself, “What will I do for a favor?” and there are so many ideas out there, you wonder where to begin. Nowadays people are making their own favors, some do mix-CDs with the couples favorite songs, some have their names printed on shot glasses, pens, and other novelty items, a lot of people make paper crafts to give out...but it seems to hold true that the most common types of favors are sweets. Sometimes they’re homemade, sometimes the couples names are printed on candy or wrappers, and sometimes it’s Jordan Almonds wrapped in tulle.


Did you know that candy and sweets go back to the earliest of wedding favors with the European aristocrats? They would give out gifts known as bomboniere, which is Italian for favors. The bomboniere were usually small boxes made of precious materials (such as crystal or porcelain) and inside they would put something sweet. Back in those days, sugar was expensive and represented wealth and royalty.


Candy, if packaged the right way, is a very classy favor at weddings - and of course, your guests will love the sweet treat! We put a spin on the traditional tulle and candy favor. Several couples have used us for their wedding favors - including a fourth of July wedding, and this fall we’re doing a 9.10.11 wedding! We change our usual packaging to a much more classy design which is perfect for weddings. 


So why not give your guests your own bomboniere? Contact us, and we’ll take care of the rest!


Read about our custom labels here and for more wedding favor specific information, give us a call. With everything you have to worry about when getting ready for your wedding, why not let us take your mind off of the favors?

Last weeks contest was a hit!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to put together their baskets, we're sorry we could not feature more of you - but such a great job to all of our entrants last week - take a look at some of our honorable mentions below, and keep an eye out for new contests that may be popping up in the next few weeks!

Pacific Basket Company ~ http://www.pacificbasketco.com/

"Be My Co-Pilot" with VAL2-3C

M.R. Designs and Gifts ~ http://www.MRDesignsandGifts.com

"Thinking of You" Puppy themed with DOG26

Baskets and Beyond ~ www.baskets-n-beyond.com

"Congratulations" with ED23-82C

And our Final Friday Winner...

for the basket appreciation week is in....

This last minute submission was such a treat we couldn't pass it up!

And the Winner is.....

The "You're a Star" gift basket 

submitted by Flavia from 

The Pacific Basket Company

They would feature our "You're a shining star" (ED8-21C) with Hershey Kisses! 

Get a look at this basket.....The chocolates in this look delicious - and the little Oscar is just too cute! And what is a movie without popcorn? Not only is this basket appealing and a great presentation - the story behind it is so intriguing. 

"This gift was originally created for a Film Festival many, many years ago. A few years later, the same concept was used a few times for one of our clients. A NY advertising agency for Vanity Fair magazine contracted us to make the gifts, part of a marketing campaign to recognize all their advertisers during the magazine's Academy Awards special edition."

Congratulations to the Pacific Basket Company!

Their "goal is to bring joy to those who receive our gift baskets and peace of mind and satisfaction to our clientele. Product quality and freshness; reasonable pricing; one-of-a-kind gift designs and superior customer service are just a few phrases that represent what we are, what we offer and what makes us so proud."

You should check out their website: www.pacificbasketco.com to see the great products they have to offer - and follow them on twitter: @pacificbasket for updates!

Stay tuned for some honorable mentions!

Thursday's Winner

Are you ready for Thursday's winner? It's sure to put a smile on anyone's face!


Today's winner is the....


"Many Smiles!" basket
Submitted by Remembering You, Hallmark.
Featuring our "Smile" candy bag (ED25-5BG).

Congratulations!!!!
Remembering You, located in Maryland, sells a wide selection of our candy, dog treats and lollipops. You can purchase all of the items in this basket at their store as well. 

Here is the winning basket.....

This basket was created to highlight some of their products that brighten someone's day! It includes a Hallmark book entitled Life's Little Instruction Book, a Ganz teddy bear with a smile sweatshirt that reads "Have a Nice Day!," a Tervis Tumbler with a smiley face, a plaque that reads "Celebrate Each New Day" and encouraging smiley face stickers - And, of course, the most important item *wink wink* A bag of our Smile Gum!!! All of it is packed into a small heart-shaped basket and garnished with ribbons, paper shred and faux flowers. 


They do not currently have a website, but if you live in the Baltimore/DC metro area you can visit their store in the Columbia Mall in Columbia Maryland! 

Wednesday's Winner!

Are you ready?! 


We received several doggie baskets - on Friday we will show some of our honorable mentions (so check back to see those!), but today we are going to feature one of our favorites...because they took a picture with our product in their basket! Props!!!!


This basket features our Doggie Treats.....(with the Golden Retriever breed....we also offer 30 other styles! check us out on http://www.surfingturtles.com to see what other breeds we offer!)

And now, to unveil the winner...



The Doggie Lover's Basket! 
Submitted by Cheryl

She creates custom gift baskets out of her home based on the needs of her friends and other customers. This basket is a miniature pet bed, with soft paw print fabric! It features products from Hatley, Ty, Lang, and J&D Designs among others. Some of the items include a book, socks, a doggie bowl, an address book, and a refrigerator notepad - designed for a dog lover! Congratulations Cheryl!!!!

And now...for the second winner in our week long contest...

Are you ready? It's a great one....!!!

And the winner is...

The Father's Day Fisherman Box!

Submitted by Jenifer of M.R. Designs & Gifts

Congratulations!

The idea would include "Fish Eggs" (AF22-24BG) from the Animal Fun line! OR another suggestion would be "Early to bed, Early to Rise, Fish All Day, Make Up Lies!" (ED52-22C) *see below*

This custom fishing-themed gift basket was created for Father's Day, but it would be perfect any day for your dad or any other fishing enthusiast. 

Some of the items included in this gift basket are a fishing hat, marinade and grilling sauce, a gift certificate, plus a few other essential fishing accessories! Everything is perfectly packed in a tackle box - it's not only a creative presentation - but useful as well! The faux river grass is the perfect finishing touch. We love your arrangement, Jenifer!

M.R. Designs and Gifts specializes “in the design and creation of one-of-a-kind gifts and gift baskets, made specifically for the individual recipient upon order.” Visit their website at www.MRDesignsandGifts.com to see the other amazing designs they have to offer - and follow them on twitter @azgiftbaskets ! Thanks again for your amazing submission!

We can’t wait to see what else you guys have in store this week! If you haven’t entered yet, get your ideas in by tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 11:59 pm for consideration! For details click here: Contest Details and don't forget to check back to see who tomorrow's winner is! It could be you!!! 

Monday's Winner is.....

And the first winner in our Basket Appreciation Week contest is.....

Drum roll please....

The Cow Basket!

Submitted by Michele of Baskets-n-Beyond

Michele sent in an ADORABLE cow basket - which would feature our Cow Poop!

If you haven't seen our Animal Poop line yet, then you've been missing out! As one of our best selling lines, Animal fun includes Poops, Eggs, and other cute animal themed items. Check it out on Surfing Turtles.com. 

Alright....and now it's time to unveil the cow basket, basking in all of it's cuteness!

The designer, Michele, is the owner/designer of Baskets-n-Beyond.

Her baskets include all sorts of themes, just to name a few are new babies, get well, congratulations, birthdays, pampering - there's so many to choose from! 

See what else she has to offer at www.baskets-n-beyond.com. 

You can follow her on twitter @basketcase1993 for more information.

Congratulations Michele! We love your cow basket!

Gift Basket Appreciation Contest!

**UPDATE*** We will accept submissions until Friday Morning!!!!!!!!!! The winner will be chosen at noon EST - WHAT HAVE YOU GOT UP YOUR SLEEVE?! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE!!!!


Attention to all of you gift basket entrepreneurs out there!

As a kick-off for our new blog we are having our first Gift-Basket Appreciation week!!!!

Each day next week (June 27-July 1) we will be featuring a differently themed gift basket that showcases how well our candy fits in with your product.

What we need from you is your ideas.

The project: Take our candy bags and incorporate them into your basket designs. Feel free to use already existing designs of yours, or create entirely new ideas. All we are looking for is the merging of our bags and your product.

We will take the top 5 basket ideas and each day we will feature a new basket. An image of your basket, along with your company name and links to your website/online store, and a little blurb about your company, will be included in the blog as well.

We’ll be accepting submissions until Sunday June 26! So hurry up and get your ideas in this weekend. We’re psyched to see what you guys can come up with!

How to participate:

1) Check out our website ( http://www.surfingturtles.com ) to find what bags work best with your designs.

2) E-mail us at surfingturtlesgourmet@gmail.com or, you can tweet us a picture of your design, or send us a message via twitter with your design (if we are not following you, tweet us and we’ll follow you back so you will be able to message us).

3) Include in your e-mail your name, your website, your twitter name (if you would like us to include that too) and most importantly - your idea! Feel free to send pictures of your designs – but pictures are not required. If you send us an image of your basket that could include our candy, don’t worry if our candy isn’t physically in your basket – we’ll show the candy you’d like to include alongside your design.

Hurry and send us your ideas. The top five most creative designs will be featured on our blog next week! Good luck!

Make life sweet!

Super Special Secret Sneak Peak!

Get ready because we are unveiling our newest line at the Atlanta Gift show in July. You’ve seen our lollipop spinners (which are already a huge hit in stores!) but get ready for this...

Your favorite “Animal Poops” are

now available in mini snack packs! 

We’re offering 20 of our best label designs with various candies, on a cute rotating spinner. Ideal for a store counter top! 

But that’s not it! We’re introducing something completely NEW!!!! 

When you turn the spinner around...Poof!

Comical candy remedies in snack packs! 

• Beer gut too big?
• Want to become an instant babe without any of the primping or working out?
• Stress got you down? 
• Want an extra bit of luck for that big test?
• Need to take a chill pill?
• Feel like a sip from the Fountain of Youth??

We’ll take care of all that and much, much more! 

With just a little bit of candy and a smile our pills are the most perfect pick me up – pick-up item out there! 

Candy is also available for purchase in boxes of 12. Our product is just right for the candy section near your register area – inexpensive and hilarious!

For pricing and to see all of our snack pack designs in person, visit our booth in Atlanta. 

We are located in the Gourmet section in the west wing of building 2, on floor 2.

Our booth number is 629. 

Can’t wait to see you there!!

Disclaimer: Our remedies are just for entertainment purposes, they are not actual cures. 

We're Starting a Blog!

Hello there! The Surfing Turtles are moving into the technological age... Welcome to our blog :)

Things here are getting exciting.....We are just about finished with all of our changes. Our new catalog is now out in circulation. There have been many changes! Last season we found that our "Animal Poops" were a huge success - so we've introduced several new designs, including seagulls, coyotes, deer, foxes, and many more!

In addition to that, we've done an overhaul on our website! When you visit, you will notice several new features. Now, if you haven’t already, then you will have to make an account before you can view most of it, but that only takes a couple minutes.

Once you are in, you’ll notice that our “Doggie Treats” are now available for purchase online. We currently have 30 dog breeds, and one generic dog for the dogs we missed. We’ve also added Team Spirit. But the newest addition is - our Lollipop line.

We currently have two Lollipop categories. First we have our Personalized Name Lollipops; featuring 40 of the most popular boys’ names, and 40 girls’ names. These lollipops are already doing very well in our customers' stores! Second is our Celebration Lollipop line. These lollipops feature sayings ranging from Birthday and Over-the-Hill (people get a kick out of our '50 sucks' lollipop), to special people and all things kids.

We've also added higher quality pictures for all of our products! 

Thanks for reading! We hope you have a great time looking around - until next time....

Make Life Sweet!!!