I admit to falling for many of those ads I see whenever I am on Instagram, Facebook, browsing the internet or reading an online article.
However, some of my best new gift ideas have come from referrals from friends.
And so, as you are doing last-minute shopping for holiday gifts, here are several of my favorites:
ONDO socks: Once I tried these thin, no slip socks, I was hooked! When I wear non-running sneakers or loafers, I like to wear a light sock, as it makes the shoes more comfortable and eliminates the sweaty, sticky feeling. And they really DO NOT slip! They come in a few colors, and I’ve even gifted them to a few friends and houseguests.
VASTITCH Comfortable Leggings: For many of the holidays (St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) it’s fun to dress up. I have found the easiest way to dress up is with my exercise outfits, and it’s so easy since I found this website. Instead of trying to find decorative sweaters or T-shirts, now when I go for a run on a weekend near a Hallmark holiday, I go into my drawer and choose a color-coordinated pair of leggings. They make a perfect gift and ARE super comfortable.
ETSY for wine bags: Have you ever been going to a friend’s home for a party and want to bring a bottle of wine? You want to wrap it, and look all over for a wine bag. What’s a neutral color scheme that doesn’t look like you are reusing a wine bag from Christmas when it’s for a housewarming gift? Well check out this designer.
Etsy (an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies) is where many independent artists sell their wares. I was looking for personalized wine bags last year and came across this woman in Florida who makes custom-printed canvas wine bags and delivers them quickly with an incredible personal touch. Heyar (the owner), whose Etsy handle is Socialholic, is so busy that she is taking a break from new orders until January 3—but check out her offerings after the new year.
VISTAPRINT for address labels: One of the most surprising and appreciated gifts I ever received was when my dear friend Miriam sent me 10-20 postage stamps with a red heart on them! Miriam knows that I am all about love, and that I write a lot of handwritten notes, so postage stamps with a heart on them was a perfect gift for me! And we all know you can never have enough stamps handy … so, what about gifting a friend some custom-designed return address labels? Professionally printed address labels plus a page of postage stamps is the perfect gift.
I would love to learn about your favorite go-to or signature gifts. We all have them! Perhaps they are a brand of candles or stationery.
Gifts this year don’t have to be expensive, but they should come from the heart!
Enjoy!
Karen
Earlier this week I was invited to speak to a group of about 20 female attorneys from a leading global law firm. My topic: Resilience. (The other two speakers covered mentoring and negotiating.)
At first I was a bit perplexed as to why I was asked to speak on this topic, but after thinking about it, I realized that I actually am a bit of an expert of the subject. Here is why I say that: Just read my blog posts each week—I often talk about obstacles and challenges I have faced, and how I work my way through them. I think that is resilience.
When I started my remarks to the group, I started by saying, “You might think my success in life is due to me being lucky during my life.” I gave a little background on me and my company. You know the story—mom started our company 60 years ago. She introduced the kiwifruit to American consumers. I took over at age 30. I’m now living with the love of my life and am living happily ever after.
Then I spent the next 15 minutes recounting a few of the business happenings and personal challenges I have faced in my “lucky life.”
In 1993, while I was away on a business trip, we had an ammonia leak in our refrigerated warehouse and lost our entire inventory of produce (over $1 million). Fortunately, we were able to evacuate the building promptly so no one was injured, and our insurance policy covered our loss 100%. However, during the two days we were recovering and replacing our inventory, our competitor called one of our biggest clients and told them we went out of business! We lost that client’s business permanently. Lucky?
A few years later, one of our largest clients did a dramatic pivot in their purchasing patterns (without warning) and we lost about 35% of our business volume overnight. We lost millions of dollars over the next couple of years as I attempted to “right size” our business. Lucky?
And then in my personal life, I shared that I have been married and divorced three times. Lucky?
It was a difficult journey, but I finally concluded that it was better I not ever marry again and live the rest of my life as a single woman. Of course, about two-and-a-half years ago, I had our annual dinner with my longtime business friend (who was also single after his wife of 47 years passed away). Our annual “catch up” dinner ended with a (surprise) kiss and we have been together ever since, living our lives together, as if we are married (but we are not).
Those three stories are just a few of my experiences I chose to share. And I then divulged to the group how I got through it all:
“Focus on that which you have control over.”
Instead of having a pity-party for myself each and every time I had a monumentally difficult situation, I would review the following thoughts in my head:
Do I want to be liked or do I want to be respected?It took me a while to understand and accept that being respected was most important. I could not win a popularity contest and be a successful business owner.
How I do anything is how I do everything. My business coach pointed out some bad habits I had developed. Because I am willing to honestly be introspective, I realized that my bad habits in my business life were the same bad habits I had developed in my personal life. It took a lot of courage to admit this, but once I did, I found myself repeating this to both myself and to others as a reminder. How I do any ANYTHING is how I do EVERYTHING.
I ask myself in difficult situations:What is the worst that can happen? Literally, I go to the worst place in my head. For example, when my partner Jack was diagnosed with melanoma cancer 18 months ago, I went to the worst place. And the worst place was: Jack would die tomorrow. I would be alone. Where would I live? Of course, Jack is alive and well and thriving, but thinking about the “worst” place forced me to realize how ridiculous my fears were. And going to the extreme really can be a wake-up call that the reality will likely be significantly more positive.
So, as I finished up my presentation, I asked for questions or comments. One of the more senior leaders present said this, “We are so lucky to have Karen talk with us today. She is living proof that the smile you see on a successful business person’s face does not mean everything is perfect. It shows you that we all have challenges that we work through every day. And we get through them. Even if at the moment they seem daunting and impossible, we get through them.
Yes, Karen showed us how to focus on that which we have control over. She showed us the face of resilience.”
So, the next time you are facing a difficult situation, whether at work or at home, consider these thoughts:
Do I want to be liked or be respected?
How I do anything is how I do everything.
What is the worst that can happen?
Be resilient!
Karen
LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2021) – After a year of distanced gatherings, Mom deserves the works this year! Since many shoppers skipped prepping for a traditional Sunday brunch with the entire family in 2020, give them something a little more festive this spring.
Make your store the crêpes destination this Mother’s Day. Add Frieda’s French-Style Crêpes to your berry case and merchandise the surrounding area with chocolate sauce, drizzles, preserves, nuts, and—of course—flowers! Or, inspire shoppers to take a savory spin and serve brunch-ready crêpes with a simple side of shaved watermelon radish, drizzled with a pink lemon vinaigrette. Tie it all in with a fresh Tikis™ drinking coconut, or a refreshing passion fruit mojito to wash it all down.
“As a (new) mother to a five-month-old, I think I’ve earned a day that’s all about me. I’m pretty excited to spend Mother’s Day being celebrated by my husband and, of course, eating something delicious,” says Alex Jackson Berkley, director of sales at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “For special occasions like this, I love setting up a crêpe bar, complete with fruits, nuts, whipped cream, and all the fixings! This time I’ve got my eyes on these bright and festive vanilla cream-filled crêpes with blueberry sauce, berries & kumquats.”
This year, it’s all about embracing togetherness. Call your Frieda’s account manager today for easy crêpe and fresh fruit merchandising solutions to make your shoppers’ celebrations all the more meaningful!
Los Alamitos, CA (February 2021) — The lull between the Super Bowl and Easter often leaves grocery stores and shoppers looking for a bit of retail excitement—making it the perfect time to leverage that treasure hunt mentality and introduce new tropical favorites like dragon fruit.
Dragon fruit is no longer just for summer, in fact, 42% of shoppers said they would like to buy dragon fruit year-round1. With this in mind, Frieda’s has created attention-getting, limited-edition ElastiTags® that showcase the different varieties of dragon fruit, including Honey Dragon™ and Snow Dragon™. These tags make it easier for shoppers to know what the fruit will look and taste like on the inside and they give consumers a reason to try both varieties.
“Promoting multiple varieties through inviting, bountiful displays is key right now, as shoppers are visiting stores less but stocking up when they do shop,” says Cindy Sherman, director of marketing innovation & insights at Frieda’s. In fact, a recent survey from Deloitte Consulting found that 54% of shoppers said they are visiting stores less frequently than before, with most only going to the store once every two weeks2.
Merchandise the two varieties together, alongside citrus favorites like sumo mandarins and pixie tangerines, to increase dollar ring. Or, add some excitement to your tropicals table with an eye-catching display of dragon fruit, jackfruit and pineapples for a vibrant and fun display.
Frieda’s has strong supply of these two dragon fruit varieties from Ecuador and they will be available until the end of April.
Contact your Frieda’s account representative today for merchandising suggestions, including our colorful 3-tier shipper, that maximize your sales per square foot.
Source: 1 C&R 1,000 person study, February 2020 2 Deloitte Fresh Food Consumer Survey, 2020
Los Alamitos, CA (January 2021) – Winter is here, and given the social restrictions necessitated by the global pandemic, some would say it is the winter of all winters. In fact, 63% of shoppers say they are unlikely to travel anytime soon1. So how can retailers help? Give shoppers the winter escape they crave by carrying a variety of specialty tropicals this season.
“For many shoppers, the trip to the grocery store is their only escape right now,” says Cindy Sherman, director of insights, marketing & innovation at Frieda’s. “It makes sense that shoppers would splurge on a latte at the coffee kiosk, spend a little extra time lingering over the cheese case and look for something new and different to try in the produce department, especially something that feels warm, exotic and adventurous.”
Exotic items like dragon fruit, passion fruit,young coconut, turmeric, and jackfruit are the perfect way to give shoppers the excitement they crave in a natural and healthy way. In fact, 41% of shoppers say enjoying exotic tropicals would help to make their lives more fun and interesting2. Frieda’s recommends using creative merchandising and a little flair to turn your tropicals table into a tiki-themed escape. Adorn displays with grass skirts, add tropical umbrellas to young coconuts, and merchandise red-skinned dragon fruit alongside for an inviting color break.
Make your produce department the escape that shoppers are looking for right now and give them a reason to spend a little more time exploring tropical fruit variety. Call your Frieda’s account manager today to help build the right tropical variety program for your stores, and for additional creative merchandising ideas.
Source: 1 Destination Analysts 1,200+ people survey, November 2020 2 C&R 1,000 person study, May 2020
Ever wonder why some coconuts are white, some are brown, and some don’t look like the tropical coconut emoji at all? Welcome to the ultimate coconut guide. Let us be your tropical tour guide through the wonderful, delicious journey of coconuts.
While the origin of coconuts is debatable, they are thought to have originally come from the beautiful tropical islands along Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. They are one of the most important crops of the tropics. Coconuts have been grown in temperate regions for thousands of years, thriving in sandy soil, and they have recently become quite popular for their flavor, culinary uses and potential health benefits—specifically coconut water. Frieda’s young coconuts are harvested in Thailand, while brown coconuts are harvested in Mexico. The fruit is also grown in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Vietnam and the USA.
Ever think a coconut looks like a little face staring back at you? Well Portuguese explorers thought the same thing! Those three little characteristic eyes looked like a goblin or grinning face, so it is believed that they named it “coco”—the word for goblin. Later the English added the word “nut,” creating the name we know today as coconut.
Interestingly, young coconuts, white coconuts and brown coconuts all come from the same coconut palm, they just differ by stage of maturity! All coconuts contain a husk, which is kind of like the rind of the fruit and under which you can find the delicious meat. The inside features a sweet, drinkable liquid called coconut water (not to be confused with coconut milk). Coconuts are almost the opposite of most table fruits, where the pit is on the inside and the flesh is on the outside. With coconuts, it’s reversed. Now that’s (coco) nuts! Let’s take a closer look to understand what makes them different.
Young coconut
Find your paradise with our favorite coconut! These fruits are harvested young and their green outer skin is pared away to reveal a white cylindrical husk with a pointy, pencil-like tip. Inside the white husk is the familiar round coconut with its hard, fibrous shell—or the nut. They might be a tough cookie to crack, but once you do, you’ll experience the sweet and refreshing water inside. At this stage of maturity, the coconut is mostly water. In fact, young coconuts have the largest amount of water compared to white or brown coconuts, containing up to 10 ounces! Not only is the water a great natural substitute for soft drinks, sugary juices, or sports drink, it is also loaded with electrolytes! Even though young coconuts are mostly filled with water, don’t forget about the yummy meat, which is thin, super soft and silky, almost jelly-like. You can scoop it out with a spoon. These coconuts are best for drinking and are a great source of hydration that can also be used in smoothies, slushies and other tropical drinks.
When shopping for young coconuts, choose heavy coconuts with no cracks, mold or soft wet spots. If you give the young coconut a shake, it shouldn’t slosh much—if any—because you want it to be full of liquid with no air inside.
Not quite sure how to open a coconut? Check out how to open a Frieda’s young coconut here.
White coconut
The white coconut is a pale cream color with hairy white fibers. As the coconut matures, the meat becomes firmer and the amount of water decreases. But that is not to say that this meat isn’t as delicious as that of a young coconut, and it’s considerably moister and fresher than the meat of the more mature brown coconut. White coconuts often have a floral fragrance. These coconuts are best for cooking, grating the meat into salads or baked goods, or using in curries. Yum!
Brown coconut
This is the type of fruit most people think of when they think of coconuts. Just check out the coconut emoji on your phone! As the most mature coconut, these are typically 10-12 months old. The outer shell has a coarse brown hair-like texture and the meat here is so hard you need a sharp knife to chop it. It also has the smallest amount of water because, as the coconut ages, the water is absorbed as the meat thickens. These coconuts are great for making your own coconut milk or as a substitute for packaged shredded coconut when grated.
Benefits and Uses of Coconuts
Coconuts have a host of health benefits, including being a great source of manganese, which is essential for bone health and for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol. Coconuts are also a good source of fiber, which can promote gut health, and they’re a great source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of fatty acid that can help with weight loss (which is why coconuts are super friendly and on-trend with popular high-fat, low-carb diets like keto and paleo). Check out more coconut health benefits here.
Coconuts are truly unique in that they are often associated with indulgent, tropical escapes. As such, they can help turn a regular afternoon in the backyard into a Polynesian getaway! The coconut shell makes an excellent vessel for a drink or slushy. You can also take the meat and make delicious Blood Orange Coconut Yogurt or a Young Coconut Sugar Cream Pie, or use the water for Coconut Yogurt Chia Pudding.
So, as we here at Frieda’s like to say, just add a straw and an umbrella and you too can go “coco” for coconuts!
To check out more of our Ultimate Guides, click here, here and here.
