Selecting the best unique containers is a good place to begin when planning to make gift baskets. Choose a container that is suitable for the number and type of items you plan on placing in the container. Keep in mind that the ideal gift basket appears to be overflowing with gift items and other goodies.

Get your creative juices flowing and choose a container that fits with your theme or the special occasion the gift basket is intended for. You may also want to use all one color such as the recipient’s favorite color. Or, if you are making a spa gift basket all one fragrance. For example; use a lavender or white container for a gift basket full of lavender soaps, candles, and other personal items.

Pails, tubs, and basins work well for themes such as barbecue, fishing, sports, or for a housewarming gift basket. These containers are rugged and the larger sizes can hold several cans or bottles of beer, soda, or other beverages. Later on, the recipient can use these unbreakable containers to chill beverages.

A planter, decorative pail, watering can, or a miniature wagon would each make a great container for a gardener or anyone who enjoys plants. This could be as a birthday gift, hostess gift, get well gift, as well as for any holiday or other special occasion. Great idea for grandparents who share the enjoyment of gardening.

Sand pails, dump trucks, lunch boxes, toy wagons, or small doll furniture pieces (cribs, carriages, strollers, etc.) are all suitable containers for young children.

Serving bowls, mixing bowls, colanders, casserole dishes, bundt cake pans, and similar items are wonderful containers for food gift baskets such as pasta, baking, and other cooking themes. These gift baskets make nice gifts for bridal showers, anniversaries, weddings, holidays, and many other special occasions.

For business related gift baskets a letter tray or other organizer would be useful containers. It’s nice to use shredded pages of the business section for filler materials to hold the gift items in place.

Popcorn containers work well for movie theme gift baskets or for anyone who loves popcorn. This is a great gift idea for teenagers or students going off to college. A pizza pan is another nice container for younger people; simply place a kitchen towel on the pan and place pizza making ingredients on the towel; wrap it in cello paper or other heavy gift wrap tied with lots of curly ribbon.

And then there are baskets: wicker, chrome, wire, and rattan. Some have no handles, others have two small handles, and some have one large handle centered above the basket (which can be stationary or moveable). Trays made of wicker with sides and handles at each end are yet another option. Think about how you will place the items and then choose the empty basket that best suits your needs and your budget.

If you have a limited budget, refresh a nearly-new wicker basket by swishing it in warm, soapy water; then rinse and allow to thoroughly dry. Another frugal idea is to keep your eyes open for wooden slat-type of crates. Some fruits, such as grapes, are shipped in wooden slat oval baskets with a wire handle; you might get one at no charge from a person who handles fresh fruits and vegetables.

Let’s talk a little about filler products as they go hand-in-hand with containers. There are two functions for fillers. One is inexpensive (floral foam or crumpled paper) and is used as a base to hold your gift items in place. This is necessary when your container is deep and your gift items will not be visible. The other filler will give your gift basket a decorate look. Purchased shred, straw, peanuts or mixed nuts in the shell, small silk flowers, and colorful wrapped candy are all good choices. Simply place small amounts between the items in your finished gift baskets.

TIPS:

If you plan to include heavy items, make sure the container has a sturdy bottom.

Use a paper shredder to make your own decorative filler materials by shredding brown paper, bags, old maps, sheet music, comics, etc.

Choose a container with a handle when including a bottle of wine or other beverage. Anchor the bottle by attaching twine, ribbon, or raffia to neck of the bottle and also to the basket handle.

• Graceful canopy, pretty pleated skirt, sheet, and mattress pad.
• Canopy has a wide frame at the top so the fabric drapes smoothly over the crib
• Handsome spindles
• Designed for dolls up to 22 inches
• Smooth rolling casters

Product Description
Badger Basket Pink Gingham Round Doll Crib with CanopyPerfect for all dolls up to 22 inches, this doll crib by Badger Basket features a graceful canopy, pretty pleated skirt, sheet, and mattress pad. The canopy has a wide frame at the top so the fabric drapes smoothly over the crib. The spindles all around add a charming, upscale feel. It’s smooth rolling casters allow for the doll crib to easily move from room to room. This round doll crib is great for any little “… More >>

Badger Basket RoundDoll Crib-Pink Gingham Bedding

Product Description
Badger Basket 01728 Fun above and below! Tuck your Dolly into the crib on top, and safely store her prized possessions in the baskets below. Complete bedding set includes padded, removable bumper / liner, and a blanket and pillow. Mobile attaches to either side of the crib and can be detached if you don’t want to use it. Features: -Doll crib with baskets and mobile. -Color: Pink and White. -Material: Engineered Wood, Fabric, Metal, Plastic, Cardboard. -Also includes… More >>

Badger Basket 01728 Doll Crib with Baskets and Mobile

As a natural, on-going part of our work as parents, teachers, early childhood specialists and others involved with children at home or elsewhere we observe children at play. This includes selecting the right products to enhance play and learning.

We can depend on the durability and versatility of such items as blocks, construction toys, games, puppets, and transportation toys. They stimulate the imagination, engage the player, have value and hold up over time.

“There. Did you see that?” a worried mother asked her friend after observing her gifted daughter stand up and walk away from two other little girls who were playing a card game.

What some parents conclude after watching their gifted children at play can be very far from the reality of the situation. Some parents, like the one from above, believe that their child isn’t being social when she doesn’t play with the other children. In fact, the issue might not be with the playmates; rather, it might be the choice of games, because gifted children learn and grow from play. Of course there are important social issues for gifted children that parents need to consider; however, since the gifted child can process at a higher level, he or she might gravitate to older children or to other children who have the same interests and abilities rather than to the boys and girls of the same age.

Children are little sponges when it comes to learning, and they are perfectly capable of doing that without toys that are described specifically as educational toys. Children’s toys are supposed to be fun, and most educational toys that children love will combine learning with having a great time.

The old classic children’s toys like Lego or Playdoh are great for stimulating child development and creative tendencies. Young children can start with the basic sets that don’t come with any complicated extras and work their way up.

Children’s educational toys are an essential component to every child’s playroom. Life would be much easier if we could just accept the fact that kids have always, and will always, spend most their time playing with toys. In the last few years, parents started getting more and more interested in choosing all sorts of educational toys for their children.

Playing with educational toys is one of the means that help children to establish contact with the world they live in, especially during the infancy stage. During the infancy stage, toys serve as educational materials to stimulate the child’s sense of sight, hearing, and touch. A rule of buying educational toys is to keep in touch with the child’s interests.

Once your kid has graduated infancy, the learning process becomes a little more complex. A year ago, they were learning how to eat solid food by chewing on a pillow. They were learning what would eventually allow them to read by staring at the mobile above their crib going around and around. Now it’s time to start thinking about reading, mathematics, basic building and organizational skills, further social development… the list goes on.

The wrong way to go about teaching these skills, and certainly you know one or two parents like this, is to treat the educative process too much like… well, academics. You don’t want to turn learning into something boring, with worksheets and assignments and so on. Learning should be fun, and if you teach that at a young age, it will remain with your child through their whole life.

But how does a parent know how much is too much to give? The dilemma is persistent though perilous when parenting pre-teen and teenage daughters when stuff and idols have their most tenacious grip.

What could be more innocent, more harmless than toys? If we were the toymakers, our products would no doubt reflect our love for children, our love for God, and our desire for holiness and purity. Unfortunately, the shelves of most toy stores are filled with toys made by those who are definitely of another mindset entirely.

Do children need toys? I would answer yes. Less affluent children have, for centuries, created their own: a piece of wood wrapped in a scrap of cloth became a doll; other bits of wood became animals, houses, tools, or weapons. Children seem to need to play almost as much as they need food, shelter, and love. Toys are the necessary props.

Round Doll Crib w/Canopy & Bedding

• Crib measures approximately 25.5 inches long x 11.5 inches wide x 24 inches high.
• Interior dimensions of the sleeping area are approximately 21 inches long x 10 inches wide x 10 inches high.
• Sturdy construction with thick crib slats and posts.
• Area underneath can be used for storage.
• Can be played with from all sides, so children can easily play together.

Product Description
Badger Basket Sleigh Style Doll Crib with Mobile This nicely-sized and well-appointed Sleigh Style Doll Crib from Badger Basketoffers a comfortable bed for Dolly and extra play value for your child. Includes a musical mobile and bedding. For dolls up to 20. This item is a toy only and is never to be used with real infants or pets…. More >>

Sleigh-Style Doll Crib with Mobile

Now I was online, chatting with this really, really, really HOT Hispanic on Facebook (God bless you Facebook) when I came across a very harsh and passionate article. It went on and on about how the articler; pardon the English, was not impressed with how the fattest pockets in Nigeria were dispensing their cash. According to him or her, schools still needed to be built, roads still needed to be fixed, houses still needed to be developed and all that. I am guessing that this article is not so recent but I’m not gonna lie to you, it set me thinking and from thinking, I did some digging and from digging, I did some eating and from eating, I did some more eating before settling down to practice that one ancient and noblest of traditions which our wise fathers and their fathers before them practiced. That’s right… I spread like fool for infront television from all that food and snored my way to sleep… but after that, I got involved in a discussion with a few friends and associates concerning the wealth of this here country or… to put it in a more realistic way, the wealth of some of the men and women of this here country.

Now before I begin with my findings, I have to ask the writer(s) of the above article this crucial question and I would like him or her to answer me truthfully and honestly. If you were the one who started out with nothing, probably flunked school and was abandoned or maybe even sold off by your parents to some one-eyed, bad breath, tattooed, devil worshipping, toothless, broke-ass mechanic in a village, outside the outskirts of Lagos who tried to trade your kidney for a bottle of beer at the last town’s fight and somehow, providence smiled down on you after so many years of enduring such horror and today you were Africa’s leading entrepreneur after years of sweat, hard work, people manipulating and feeding off your ideas and the little contact you struggled to get. Now there are billions in your account for your great-grand children to never have to work a day in their lives. Will you, in all honesty begin to put right, the society and the system that did you wrong with your own resources? Really… honestly. It’s not that simple mate.

So here I was, chatting with this really hot Hispanic on facebook flirting my way into this wonderful resort in my mind when I foolishly stumbled on to the above article that stabbed at my conscience. So I took the liberty of searching a few websites to acquaint myself with the wealth of the land. Do you know how many other billionaires are laying low in Lagos state alone, not to mention the country? I watched a review on CNN a few years back about the debt alleviation the then head of States, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had proposed and this finance guru (oyinbo) said, ‘the tyrant and former Head of States of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha and his subordinates had siphoned so much money out of that country that if they wanted, they could cover the nation’s debt and still ask for change’.

Further digging led me to this more exclusive and more recent list compiled by a local reputable newspaper. On this list, we have a bit of the old players, the new set and even the women who have set up businesses that have provided jobs for thousands of people. We are talking of entrepreneurs who started with simply nothing, but today sit atop huge fortunes. We are talking of owners and C.E.Os who run their own shows, who have actualized their dreams in the different sectors of the economy.

Now for your amusement and envy, I have decided to put the spot light on the deepest and fattest pockets in Nigeria. I am hoping that when they see all the trouble I went through to hype them, they will use their church or mosque mind to spread the love.

In today’s edition, we will be focusing on a man who has been listed and declared the fore runner of the wealthiest men and women in Nigeria. Valued at $6 billion, this entrepreneur has his hands in Telecommunications, of which his company is of the most successful, most celebrated and most patronized in its field, Banking and Oil and Gas. Ladies and Gents, I speak of Naija’s finest and let’s not forget… richest, the most pre dominant name in everyone’s list; glo-ing with pride, our very own Chief Dr. Micheal Adenuga (CEO Globacom, etb Bank, Conoil).

Born on April 29, 1953, Michael Adeniyi Isola Adenuga had his secondary school education at the Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State, before proceeding to the North-Western University in Oklahoma and Pace University, New York, both in the United States where he studied business administration. While in America, he worked as a taxi driver and security guard to sustain himself in school. At age 26, Adenuga had already become a millionaire with connections in high places. With his unique flair for risks and sheer tenacity of purpose, in no time he started reaping profits in billions. He owns Equitorial Trust Bank (etb) and Consolidated Oil (Conoil), which carries out crude oil drilling, refining and marketing.

Dr Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Isola Adenuga’s foray into the risky world of business is a stuff of fable and fiction. He’s a very daring and adventurous man, and he has his fingers in many pies. He keeps his business strategy to his chest, and like the true disciple of Machiavelli that he is, the man believes the world is a battle field and you must prepare to win not some of the time but all the time. He’s a mountain climber, like the Tibetan Monk, who believes you must survive all odds to get to the top. He started his major business with imported commodities, and moved on heavily into investing in real estates, which today traverses many world capitals.

His first shot into the consciousness of Nigerians was when his company, Consolidated Oil (Conoil) became the first indigenous company to strike crude in December 1991. He recently made foray into the telecommunications sector. With his Communications Investment Limited, CIL, he was issued a conditional license in 1999 and frequencies to operate the Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM). The license was later revoked. Again, when in 2002, the government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), organized new auction for the GSM license, the CIL participated and was one of the four that won the bid. He paid the $20 million mandatory deposit.

However, in the process of effecting the release of the balance payment of $265 million, the company was adjudged to have failed to pay within stipulated time. CIL lost both the license and $20 million deposit but that never weakened his will of iron. After a controversial bid, he got his fingers burnt, and lost about $20M in the process of attaining a Telecomm license, enough to render most people bankrupt, and possibly render them nuts. Rather than go home quietly to lick his wounds, Adenuga soon returned for another bid, never minding that his main competitors were already way ahead of him. He later went on to bid for the Second National Operator (SNO) license, and deposited another $20 million. This time, he was lucky. He ignored the distractions, and his detractors, and marched on like the old Roman soldier. According to a report I read in a local magazine around 1992, unknown to his critics, even his mum had warned him against investing in oil exploration which she felt was a senseless gamble. But Adenuga was ready for the Russian roulette. Like the bull (his zodiac sign is Taurus) Adenuga was relentless.

Incredible tales have been told about his amazing capacity for work. He’s known to personally interview his multitude of staff, and he pays critical attention to the day to day running of his businesses. Many wonder when he finds time to sleep, and how he manages to enjoy a tiny fragment of his stupendous wealth. He’s said to be generous to a fault, and ruthless towards incompetent officers of his vast business empire. Many have complained about his inaccessibility, and insist that he over-relies on his personal staff some of whom may not be able to tell him the truth always, nor give him the actual picture of events when crucial.

There is no question about Globacom chief, Dr. Mike Adenuga, being in the billionaires’ league. Indeed, some say with the telecommunications firm, it could have become so even within one month. It was a bit of an uphill task discovering this Ijebu man’s worth, especially as he rarely discusses his wealth or grants press interviews.

When banking was becoming the vogue in Nigeria, and most investors did not know what to do with one license, Adenuga alone grabbed two, and started Devcom Merchant Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank. Many years down the line, as even the biggest banks struggled to raise the mandatory N25Billion recapitalization, Adenuga effortlessly stunned the industry when he simply merged his two banks and fulfilled all righteousness as demanded by our Central Bank, and his two banks became one Equitorial Trust Bank.

Also, when Nigerians were allowed to bid for oil wells, Adenuga was bold enough to go for both on-shore and off-shore licenses. Characteristic of some of our people, they alleged that he had cashed in on his powerful contacts within the ruling military elite to win the best sites, and that while the voice belonged to Jacob, the hand clearly was that of Esau, as if they would have rejected such opportunities if indeed it came their way. No one was willing to consider his capabilities, or his propensity for hard work. He confounded his traducers when Consolidated Oil became one of the foremost indigenous firms to discover oil in commercial quantities; and he has maintained the lead many years after his so-called sponsors left power. We must learn to give honor to whom it is due, and seek to encourage hard work. Given the same opportunities, many would have found it difficult to excel like Adenuga.

As an entrepreneur who dared where others feared, Adenuga’s wealth increases by GSM calls. His estate business and company shares traverse several countries in Western Europe, North America and the Middle-East. Son of an astute trader, the late Ma Oyinkansola Adenuga, 54-year-old Adenuga is an astute businessman, who dabbled into telecommunications at a time the industry was going through teething problems. Having gone through the thick and thin of the industry to emerge the second national carrier, his Globacom is ruling Nigeria, and perhaps the world, as its name goes, just as its owner smiles to the bank.

He won the bid in August 2002 through his Globacom Limited. The SNO has a wider range of operations as Globacom has the right to operate as a national carrier, operate digital mobile lines, serve as international gateway for telecommunications in the country and operate fixed wireless access phones.

Adenuga will certainly continue to rule in years to come, especially with his Conoil, Equatorial Trust Bank Plc (ETB), GLOBACOM and other investments at home and abroad.

I need to thank y’all for your questions and comments, they continue to be appreciated. Keep ‘em coming on graye@goodlife.com.ng

Till the next Edition… catch ya online. Toodles!

• 3-points harness back opening
• Fits baby doll strollers, car-seats, high chairs
• Detachable zippered top, convertible hood
• Ultra soft and light fibers insulation
• Machine wash

Product Description
BABY DOLL SLEEPING BUNTING FOR STROLLER OR CAR SEAT
PINK AND ORANGE
FLEECE LINED… More >>

7 A.M. Enfant Toy Doll’s Stroller Mini Sac Igloo Replica, Pink/Orange

• This Hungry Baby Accessory Set is perfect for 12″, 14″, or 18″ dolls
• Includes a pacifier, bottle, bib, plate, bowl spoon and sippy cup with tote
• The cute pink fabric tote with hearts matches other accessories in the line
• Carry it anywhere!
• These accessories enhance the pretend play experience

Product Description
Part of the Sweet Baby Nursery segment of the Play Alexander line of dolls by Madame Alexander, the Hungry Baby Accessory Set will encourage hours of imaginative role-play. Eighty five years ago, the Alexander Doll Company was founded on the belief that dolls should engage the imagination and help in the child’s psychological and educational development. Today, Alexander Dolls extends the same vision to additional generations of children with a collection of adorabl… More >>

Madame Alexander Hungry Baby Accessory Set

Product Description
Beautiful 17″ white wooden crib, makes a precious baby shower centerpiece by simply adding some gifts for the baby and the mommy-to-be. After the shower this white wooden crib will make a great little bed for babys first doll. Crib can also be used as a fun, neat place to put the cards and gifts from your guests.Wooden Crib Measures: 10.5″ x 17.5″ x 10.5″ (Please note, some assembly required… Contains 8 screws that will require a phillips screwdriver and 5 minutes… More >>

White 17″ Doll Crib Centerpiece & Gift Basket Idea