1-800-Flowers.com Partners With the Cancer Research Institute to Help Conquer Cancer

White Daisies From the 1-800-Flowers.com Fight With White Collection It’s time to stand up and join the fight against cancer: June is Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month!

Every day, new advances are being made in a revolutionary new treatment called cancer immunotherapy: a type of therapy that strengthens the immune system’s ability to overcome the disease. To show our support and increase awareness of this research, 1-800-Flowers.com has teamed up with the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) to raise funds for their ongoing efforts to put an end to cancer.

As one of the many events this month that help the public learn more about cancer immunotherapy and help save the lives of more cancer victims, 1-800-Flowers.com team members participated in Wear White for a Cure Day on June 7th and donated their funds to CRI. Check out a few photos of us sharing some smiles and proudly showing our support at the office:

The 1-800-Flowers.com Team Showing Their Support for Wear White for a Cure Day

The 1-800-Flowers.com Team Showing Their Support for Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month

The 1-800-Flowers.com Team Wearing White to Show Support for Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month

And now you can join forces with us too! As a proud partner of the Cancer Fight With White Classic All-White ArrangementResearch Institute, 1-800-Flowers.com has created the Fight With White collection of white-themed flowers and gifts to deliver smiles of hope to everyone. Every time you make a purchase for yourself or a loved one, 10 percent of net proceeds will be donated to CRI! So show your support for Cancer Awareness Month and dress up your home or office with a beautiful white bouquet. With your help, we’ll get one step closer to finding a cure for cancer!

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The History of the Money Tree Bonsai

Learn all about the Pachira Plant!

Money TreeThe lore surrounding the history of the Money Tree (or the Pachira plant) dates back many centuries. Legend has it that a poor Taiwanese farmer found a small Pachira plant growing in his field one day. He was struck by its beauty and, realizing that he might be able to use this tree to escape poverty, he decided to grow and sell these mysterious plants that were growing in his field. He soon became one of the wealthiest people in Taiwan and, attributing his wealth to the Pachira plant, he dubbed it the Money Tree.
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Score a Hole in One on Father’s Day With These Golf Gift Ideas for Dad!

Fore! Father’s Day 2013 is headed straight for us in just a few days, so now is the best time to look ahead and find the perfect gift for Dad. If playing a round at the local golf course is your pop’s idea of a day in paradise, then make his holiday extra-special with something that reminds him of his favorite sport. Need some inspiration? Tee off your Father’s Day festivities with these truly original golf gift ideas for Dad!

Taste of the Tour Golf Gift Basket With SnacksFather’s Day Gift Idea #1: Golf Gift Basket

Fuel your dad’s swing with some delicious bite-sized snacks! The Taste of the Tour Golf Gift Basket is filled with sweet and savory nibbles to satisfy any golf dad’s craving: peanut butter bars, caramel medallions, Tee Time kettle popcorn, 19th Hole pub snack mix, Back Nine lemon cookies, and more. They’re even packed in a reusable golf bag cooler so Pops can carry his snacks with ease as he conquers all 18 holes. But that’s not all Dad gets: The bag also comes with three pro golf balls and a set of 15 golf tees. Just the right way to tell that special man in your life that he’s not only a great golf player, but the world’s best dad too!

Father’s Day Gift Idea #2: Mini Golf Cupcakes

Mini Father's Day Golf CupcakesAfter a great Father’s Day out on the golf course, nothing lets Dad savor his sweet victory quite like a freshly baked batch of golf-themed cupcakes. Follow these directions to really spoil his sweet tooth:

Supplies for Mini Father’s Day Golf Cupcakes

Box of cake mix
Vanilla frosting
Green food coloring
Green Sprinkles
Chocolate chips
Toothpicks
Cardstock or construction paper
Glue
Small, round white candy
Vanilla cookies

How to Make Father’s Day Golf Cupcakes

Mini Father's Day Golf Cupcakes Frosted With Green Icing

  1. Bake a batch of Dad’s favorite mini cupcakes using boxed cupcake mix. In a bowl, mix vanilla frosting with green food coloring. The amount of food coloring you use depends on how dark you want the color to be. The more food coloring you use, the darker the frosting color will be.Mini Father's Day Golf Cupcakes Topped With Green Sprinkles
  2. To create the grass for your golf cupcakes, frost each cupcake with the green icing. To make the grass look even more lifelike, dip the top of the iced cupcakes into green sprinkles.Mini Father's Day Golf Cupcake With Toothpick Flag Stick and Chocolate Chip Putt
  3. For half the cupcakes, stick a single chocolate chip point-down into the icing of each cupcake to make a putt. Then, cut a small flag out of cardstock and glue it to the top of a toothpick. Stick the bottom of the toothpick into the cupcake directly behind the putt, just like a real flag stick. Finish the cupcakes off by decorating each of them with a small white candy ball right near the flag.Mini Father's Day Cupcake With Cookie Crumb Sand Bunker
  4. For the other half of the cupcakes, crush a small bag of vanilla cookies in the blender. Spoon the cookie crumbs onto the top of each remaining cupcake to create a sand bunker.Father's Day Golf Cupcakes
  5. Place one of each cupcake side by side and you’ve got an irresistibly scrumptious dessert fit for a golfing pro!

Father’s Day Gift Idea #3: DIY Golf Planter

DIY Father's Day Planter in Golf Ball Ceramic ContainerA few vibrant green plants displayed in a fun golf ball-shaped flower pot lets Dad bring a piece of his favorite golf course into his office or man cave. Check out our Petal Talk blog post on how to make a Father’s Day planter to read the full step-by-step tutorial.

Father’s Day Gift Idea #4: DIY Golf Card

Golf Father's Day CardAt the end of the day, it’s not the game that matters to Dad; feeling the love of his family is what he really wants on Father’s Day! Tell the special father in your life how much he’s appreciated with a beautiful handmade and heartfelt golf card, straight from you. (Bonus: This is a great Father’s Day kids craft too!) Here’s how to make one:

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Getting to Know the 1800Flowers.com Dads: A Father’s Day 2013 Celebration

These hardworking superdads deliver smiles at work and at home! We’d like to introduce you to the 1800Flowers.com dads, whom we have the pleasure of working with every day. Here’s what they love best about being a father … and which truly original gifts would brighten their Father’s Day this year!

Marc Grzeskowiak - VP of Technology for BloomNet Napco and 1800Flowers FranchisingMeet Mark Grzeskowiak
Vice President of Technology for BloomNet, Napco and 1800Flowers.com Franchising

In addition to heading up the franchising of 1800Flowers.com and two of our sister brands for the past eight years, Mark is also the head of a beautiful family with four active and absolutely adorable children.

Why Being a Dad Makes Him Smile: “Plain and simply, the kids. Watching them grow and learn is an amazing experience.”

Cheryl's Father's Day Tool BoxBest Dad Story: “With four young kids, each of their births is still fresh in my mind. You can’t surpass the joy of watching your children being born.”

Favorite Father’s Day Gift From 1800Flowers.com: Cheryl’s Cookies
“I’m a sweets junkie at heart!”

 

Scott Archila - VP Financial Reporting and TaxationMeet Scott Archila
Vice President of Financial Reporting and Taxation

A mainstay in the 1800Flowers.com family for the past 18 years, Scott is also the dad of two girls and one boy—each smart, energetic and creative, yet truly original in their own way!

Why Being a Dad Makes Him Smile: “Being able to watch my children learn, grow and care for one another and providing them guidance throughout life’s challenges makes me smile.”

Best Dad Story: “[My daughter] Ashley is a fireball of energy—extremely creative and quite the talker. When she was 4, she invented her own ‘Blankie Buddies’ doll by using her baby blanket and dressing it up in American Girl Doll clothes. I should have patented this Cheryl's Father's Day Assorted Cookie Gift Boxidea back then.”

Favorite Father’s Day Gift From 1800Flowers.com: Cheryl’s Father’s Day Assorted Cookie Gift Box
“The cookies from Cheryl’s are a favorite in my home. This gift is great because I can share it with my entire family (except the peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies—those are mine)!”

 

Abe Adler - CRM and Business AnalyticsMeet Abe Adler
CRM and Business Analytics

A true numbers man, Abe uses reports and data to help 1800Flowers.com better deliver smiles to its customers. Abe is a fairly new member of our team: He’s only been with us for a year, but he’s been a father much longer. He has six children, all ranging in age from 21 to 8 … and they all inherited his great sense of humor!

Why Being a Dad Makes Him Smile: “Seeing my kids overcome their challenges and have pride in their work makes me smile.”

Best Dad Story: “My favorite dad story comes during a school production many years ago. My son was up on stage and I had a clear view of both my son and my father. During the production I was not only smiling at my son’s performance, but also at the smile that I Dwarf Jade Bonsaisaw on my father’s face as he watched my son. My father later told me that not only was he smiling at my son but also at my happiness. Like father, like son, I guess.”

Favorite Father’s Day Gift From 1800Flowers.com: Dwarf Jade Bonsai
“I like that it’s compact enough to sit on my desk yet big enough to make me smile.”

 

Ted Nelson - VP BloomNetMeet Ted Nelson
Vice President of BloomNet

Always using his imagination to create new products for our BloomNet brand, Ted is also the proud father of two confident young boys, both of whom love playing lacrosse and other sports.

Why Being a Dad Makes Him Smile: “Watching my children grow up and seeing how truly unique and different they are from each other.”

Best Dad Story: “When my older son Teddy was born, I handed him to my father in the hospital. As we all share the same first name (my Father is Junior, I’m the III and my son is IV), it was one of the single most special times in our lives as the legacy lived on and The Happy Hour Collection - Dad's Beer Bottle Lanternwas unbroken.”

Favorite Father’s Day Gift From 1800Flowers.com: The Happy Hour Collection
“It’s a truly unique product line and one that I was involved in from its origins. Watching this product line grow has been very rewarding and fun.”

 

Joe Tura - Senior Copywriter in Creative ServicesMeet Joe Tura
Senior Copywriter in Creative Services

As the voice of 1800Flowers.com, Joe is responsible for conveying the brand’s personality through his writing. He also has a 10-year-old daughter, Cassie, who has a fun and vibrant personality of her own. While keeping on top of the latest TV shows, movies, comic books and technology, Cassie also trains in mixed martial arts, plays the clarinet, writes her own stories and jokes, and plays video games like a pro!

Why Being a Dad Makes Him Smile: “It’s the little things about being a Dad that touch me the most. Like how my daughter will always want to play ‘20 Questions About Marvel Comics’ on our drive to school, or hearing her scream louder than everyone in the section at a Yankees game, or sometimes simply holding her hand for safety in a parking lot.”

Best Dad Story: “My favorite story of being a Dad (so far) is probably the first time Cassie rode my favorite roller coaster—The Phoenix at Knoebels in Elysburg, P.A.—with my wife and I in the same car, and hearing her go on about how awesome a ride it was! It made me realize how my Dad must have felt on our fishing trips, how special it is to share Sports Hound a-DOG-able Arrangementsomething you’re passionate about with your child.”

Favorite Father’s Day Gift From 1800Flowers.com: Sports Hound™ a-DOG-able®
“I’m a huge sports fan and a lifelong dog lover. The Sports Hound™ a-DOG-able® arrangement is a fresh and fun way to root, root, root for your favorite team and dress up the home at the same time. Just don’t tell my cats!”

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Top Ten Father’s Day Ideas

Make this Father’s Day the best one yet with our list of Father’s Day ideas!

Fun things to do on fathers day - Fishing

Looking for the perfect way to thank Dad for all of his hard work? How about taking some time on Father’s Day to do something fun and memorable together? The following list is a sampling of ideas for what to do on Father’s Day with your dad. There is no better gift than to simply spend the day with your dad doing something that you both love. There’s a ton of great ways to bond with your dad on Father’s Day. Whatever you do, no matter if it’s big or small, make sure that you spend this Father’s Day with your dad and let him know how much you care!
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Father’s Day Around the World

Today, Father’s Day is celebrated with special gifts for Dad not only in the United States, but all over the globe! Here’s a complete calendar of Father’s Day dates around the world:
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Father’s Day Gift Guide – All Under $40!

Use this handy Father’s Day gift guide to make this Father’s Day the best one yet!

Don’t forget! Father’s Day is just around the corner! Make sure you take this time to thank Dad for all of his hard work. And what better way to do that than with a Father’s Day gift that he’ll love? We know it’s hard to find a gift that’s just right for your dad, so we made this helpful guide. On top of being Dad-approved, these gifts are affordable—all under $40! So be sure to check out what we have to offer, and make this Father’s Day memorable.
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1-800-Flowers.com Kicks off the Summer of a Million Smiles Program at Walnut Street Elementary School

Summer of a Million Smiles LogoOn Friday, May 31st, the 1-800-Flowers.com Smile Squad kicked off this year’s Summer of a Million Smiles program at Walnut Street Elementary School in Uniondale, N.Y., in celebration of the 1-800-Flowers.com plant sale. Third grade students were smiling wide when they were surprised with an expert lesson on plants, then given beautiful flowering gifts to take home for Father’s Day!

The first of a string of community outreach events this summer, our visit to Walnut Elementary School helped third graders have some fun with their science curriculum … and learn how to help the earth by planting flowers!

Summer of a Million Smiles Kickoff Event at Walnut Street Elementary SchoolThe Smile Squad started delivering smiles by teaching students about the anatomy of a plant. Then, to show the kiddies how to beautify their school and keep the environment healthy, the 1-800-Flowers.com team helped them plant colorful flowers in their outdoor classroom area.

“It was such an awesome, hands-on learning experience about the science and care of plants,” says Linda Freidman, principal of Walnut Street Elementary School. “The students enjoyed the presentation and loved planting the beautiful array of flowers in the Third Graders of Walnut Street Elementary School Learning all About Plants From the 1-800-Flowers.com Teamvarious garden beds that we prepared for this event around the school. Most of all, the students felt so proud of themselves that they were able to help beautify the school.”

To end the day with even bigger smiles, we gave every third grader a pretty plant to give as a Father’s Day gift! We were glad to see so many happy little faces that day, beaming with excitement thanks to their blooming new school garden and take-home presents. We’re proud to make a difference by passing on our knowledge of plants to the younger generation. After all, today’s kids are tomorrow’s environmentalists!

The 1-800-Flowers.com Smile Squad at Walnut Street Elementary School“Friday was a super day with the girls from 1-800-Flowers. I learned how to plant and what plants need to survive,” says Jeffrey Diaz, one of the third grade students at Walnut Street Elementary School who took part in the flower fun. “I had never planted before. Now I like to plant and I can’t wait to plant flowers at my own house with my family!”

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Father’s Day Gift Idea: DIY Construction Boot Bouquet

Father's Day DIY Construction Boot BouquetThink the special dad in your life wouldn’t want to get flowers for Father’s Day? Think again. No father can resist a beautiful bouquet in a brand-new pair of shoes! A manly DIY construction boot bouquet does double duty as a rugged and trendy decoration for your home and as a super-practical present for Pops. This is one Father’s Day gift idea that’s sure to knock Dad’s socks off! Here’s how to make it:

Supplies for DIY Father’s Day Craft

Father’s Day Flowers
Two small glass vases
One new pair of construction boots

How to Make a Father’s Day DIY Construction Boot Bouquet

Construction Boots and Vases for DIY Father's Day Construction Boot Bouquet

  1. Get a pair of brand-new construction boots in Dad’s size, and then find two glass vases that are small enough to fit into the openings of the boots. Tall drinking glasses work great too.
    Flowers and Vases for DIY Father's Day Construction Boot Bouquet
  2. Grab a bouquet of Dad’s favorite flowers and trim the stems so they’re just the right height for your vases.
    Flowers Separated into Two Vases for Father's Day Construction Boot Bouquet
  3. Split the bouquet into two smaller bouquets. Fill both vases with water and place one small bouquet into each vase.
    Flowers and Vase Placed in a Construction Boot to Make a Father's Day Construction Boot Bouquet
  4. Carefully slip one vase into the opening of each construction boot to make a macho      vase cover for your Father’s Day flowers!

Father's Day Construction Boot Bouquet

Would your pops get excited over a construction boot bouquet on Father’s Day? Tell us what arrangement you’ll pick for your No. 1 dad!

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Father’s Day Craft for Kids: How to Make Father’s Day Gift Bags!

DIY Father's Day Gift BagsFather’s Day is a holiday when—after a long year of hard work—Dad finally gets to sit back, spend quality time with his family and be pampered like the king he is. And no one is more excited to shower their reigning hero with gifts more than his children! Looking for a Father’s Day craft for kids to really help Dad loosen up his tie this year? These adorable and easy-to-make goodie bags look like Pop’s favorite button-down shirt and necktie—and inside they hold the most delicious Father’s Day snacks. Here’s how your kids can make them, with a little help from you!

Supplies Needed for DIY Father’s Day Gift Bags

Paper lunch bags or candy bags
Patterned cardstock or scrapbook paper
Black construction paper
Father’s Day tie and bowtie template
Scissors
Ruler
Pen or pencil
Double-sided tape
Glue stick
Gourmet Father’s Day snacks

How to Make DIY Father’s Day Gift Bags

Brown Paper Lunch Bags and White Paper Candy Bags for DIY Father's Day Gift Bags

  1. Pick a bag … any bag! Find the perfect-sized paper bag that can hold your Father’s Day treats. Lunch bags or mini candy bags in any color work just fine. And you can never go wrong when you pick the color of Dad’s favorite button-down shirt! Standard white is always a great option too.
    How to Fold a Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt
  2. Lay the bag flat on a table, with the opening of the bag at the top. Fold down the mouth of the bag about 3 or 4 inches, depending on how big you’d like the collar of the shirt to be.
    How to Trace Lines on a Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt
  3. Using a ruler and a pen, draw a diagonal line from the bottom-left corner of the bag’s flap up to the center of the top of the flap. Draw another diagonal line from the bottom-right corner of the flap up to the same top center point. Once you’re done, the lines will make the shape of an inverted “V” on the flap.
    How to Trim a Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt
  4. Take a pair of scissors and follow the lines on the flap to cut out the triangle shape in the center. And there you go: Now you have a collar for your shirt! Time to make a tie and some buttons.
    Fun Father's Day Ties Cut out From Cardstock
  5. Print this Father’s Day tie and bowtie template onto a piece of patterned cardstock or scrapbook paper. Pick Dad’s favorite tie shape and carefully cut out the shape form the cardstock. (To make sure the tie fits on your paper bag, we gave you two sizes of ties in our template: large ties for lunch bags, and small ties for candy bags.) To create the buttons for the shirt, cut out tiny circles from black construction paper.
    Father's Day Candy Bag Filled With Cookies
  6. Open the paper bag and fill it with some of Dad’s favorite snacks, like gourmet cookies, pretzels, mixed nuts and candy, or popcorn. Fold the collar back down and seal it by placing two pieces of double-sided tape on the inside of the collar and attaching it to the face of the bag.
    Father's Day Gift Bags Decorated With Paper Ties and Buttons
  7. To put the finishing touch on the shirt, place a piece of double-sided tape on the back of the cardstock tie cutout and attach the tie to the bag, right at the top of the collar. Then, using a glue stick, glue the black construction paper buttons in a line going down the center of the bag, right below the tie.

What kind of yummy treats for Dad will your kids wrap up in their Father’s Day gift bags?

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