One of my favorite gifts to give – and get – is food. Flowers are a close second.
The strange this is that I found that several of the companies that Husband and I regularly buy gifts from 1-800 Flowers, 1-800 Baskets, and Cheryl’s Gourmet Cookies all part of the same Columbus based company!
Husband and I have been patronizing all of these companies (with our own money, FTC) in the days long before blogs so we believe in them. All three companies have saved our butt on more than one gift giving occasion. Or for no occasion because Husband frequently sends me flowers through 1-800 Flowers just because.
Awwwww.
October Birthday Smile Sweepstakes
1-800-FLOWERS.COM is holding a Birthday Smile Sweepstakes at www.birthdaysmilesweepstakes.com. You can enter to win some super sweet prizes including Birthday Floral Cupcake, Gift Cards, and a trip to the Grammys! Apparently October 5th America's Most Common Birthday. Who knew? You can check it out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/1800flowers.
Of course, Cheryl's companies sell more than just flowers. They have cheesecakes available through 1-800 Baskets (the triple chocolate cheesecake is amazing!) and tins of popcorn though The Popcorn Factory too.
Cookies for the Cure
If you don’t have an October birthday, (I don’t) and you’re in a cookie buying mood, Cheryl’s is donating 10 percent of the proceeds from sales of their Buttercream Frosted Heart Shaped Cookie to the Susan G. Komen foundation throughout the month of October in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Are Pink Cookies Pink Washing?
Many people are quick to call any and all breast cancer related anything pinkwashing. I am generally skeptical of anyone selling items to fund a generic “breast cancer” cause and would personally rather just donate money to support a known breast cancer charity, then to buy a pink item I wouldn’t normally buy. However, I am very careful in the companies and charities I support and endorse here on Lazy Budget Chef.
Cheryl’s Cookies for the Cause is a different matter, at least for me.
- First, Husband and I regularly buy Cheryl’s Cookies. Since Husband isn’t a fan of regular sugar cookies (although he goes nuts for Cheryl’s cookies instead the ones I make just to drive me crazy) when I go to a Cheryl’s store that’s the kind I buy for myself. It’s not a stretch for me to buy a heart shaped sugar cookie for the same price as a round and not pink sugar cookie.
- Second, Cheryl’s is giving the money to an established charity, the Susan G. Komen foundation. Husband runs in Komen Columbus’ Race for Cure where 75% of the money raised stays in Columbus for awareness and early detection education and to assist low income women in breast cancer treatment. 25% of the money raised during Race for Cure goes to the national G. Komen organization to fund breast cancer research. Since Columbus has a leading cancer research hospital some of that money may actually come back to Columbus.
- Third, Cheryl’s is based in Columbus has a long history of supporting local causes. If they are donated money to a cause, I believe them.
- Fourth, they are sugar cookies! I toured Cheryl & Co last year and made the brownie in my blog header in their test kitchen. Cheryl's cookies don’t have preservatives and most likely do not have any chemicals that cause cancer. I’m not a cancer research scientist, but I don’t think there is much harm to be found in butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. Well, I suppose there could be harm done to your waistline but you probably have more willpower when it comes to sweets than I do.
If you feel differently, you can always buy the cookies shaped like pumpkins or footballs. They would be a nice addition to a Halloween celebration or tailgate party.
Disclaimer: The companies mentioned in this post did not pay me to say nice things about them. All opinions are 100% my own and long time readers know I can be very opinionated.
