Halloween at Home. The Best Halloween Ideas for 2020

Halloween Cancelled or Halloween at Home?
Halloween this year falls on the 31st like it does every year, but there are going to be some changes because of COVID-19; like having Halloween at home, as you’ve probably assumed.

But, that does not have to put a damper on your spookfest!

Still, we know it’s hard to stay positive because of all the changes that will undoubtedly mean a very different kind of Halloween this year, but as it is with anything… it’s all about what you make of it!

We’re here to help you deal with the adjustment so that you can turn that frown upside down and have a fright fest you’ll love, with these supernaturally great ideas for Halloween at home in 2020.

Depending on where you live, and the laws and local codes that apply there, you likely won’t be able to go trick-or-treating in 2020. In fact, most large events like haunted houses and amusement park festivities will have been cancelled to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Like Southern California’s infamous Knott’s Scary Farm, which has been terrifying park goers every year since 1973, grimly announced that their world renowned haunted mazes and attractions won’t be back until 2021.  

While all these closures are frightfully disappointing, it doesn’t mean your Halloween has to be dull. On the contrary, there are actually a lot of creative things you can do to make the most out of your Halloween at home.

So, if you’ve been thinking that Halloween 2020 is cancelled, don’t,  because it is not!

Here are some things you can do to stay in the spirit of Halloween at home.
If you are spending Halloween at home in 2020, you’re going to need to think outside of the box. Think about what decorations would make you and your family feel the most festive and… get them! Whether you vye for a spooking haunted house, fall harvest festival, or any other Halloween scene of choice, creating a sense of normalcy, while setting the stage for festivities, is a critically important first step.

Taking the time to decorate will help you get into the Halloween spirit and keep you excited all of the days leading up to the occasion! How’s that for turning the tide on COVID and enjoying an extended Halloween instead of a cancelled one?

An essential stop for Halloween decor that people often overlook is Michael’s, the art store.  Rather than supplying you with the generic ghosts and ghouls you’ll find at the average party supply store, Michael’s offers anything you can think of from artificial pumpkins, to all the goods necessary to build and stuff a scarecrow. Not to mention they have a ton of DIY Halloween projects that you can create together with your friends and family. And just like that, your decorating fun can turn into the morale booster that you and your inner circle need. Not to mention, going the extra mile to decorate your quarantine space will also return more of the priceless, long-lasting, one-of-a-kind memories that only 2020 can bring.

Add “find new music” to your list of ideas for Halloween at home.
Alright, you’ve built a positively perfect haunt that brings horror and happiness to everyone. Now what?

Time for the music of course! When else will there be an excuse to check out the horrific sounds of artists like, Goblin, an industrial band from the 80’s that you can listen to for free on YouTube. Originally popular for being the background music that made your skin crawl while watching your favorite sci-fi and horror films; Goblin has some spectacularly spooky songs.

We especially recommend the Suspiria soundtrack, for an incomparably chilling ambiance you won’t achieve any other way. Dare your friends to listen to Goblin in a dark room by themselves, or use it to keep the vibes ominous at your small gathering. For those who go big or go home, we recommend something simple and effective like a fog machine, black lights, and spider webs to surround yourself. Then drink bubbly dry iced beverages and munch on something crunchy from our candy shop.

Experience Dia De Los Muertos for family focused fun.
Who didn’t watch and fall in love with Disney’s animated film, Coco? If you haven’t seen it, step one – watch it with some Malibu Gift Gourmet Popcorn. Then, consider celebrating your Halloween by learning all about Dia de Los Muertos and decorating your home according to the occasion’s traditions.

Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration that coincides with the Halloween season, occurring just two days later on November 2nd. It is a Mexican celebration, which translates to, “Day of the Dead”.

Traditionally, the Dia de Los Muertos holiday is believed to be a day when families can welcome back the souls of their departed relatives to enjoy a one night fiesta where all can eat, drink, and be merry.

The decorations are similar to traditional Halloween decorations in their use of things like skulls, but will be wrapped in the artwork, colors, and designs of the Mexican people.

Today, Dia de Los Muertos art is so widely used in popular culture, particularly the Dia de Los Muertos skulls, known as sugar skulls, that many do not realize that these icons represent a holiday that was created to honor and remember family. Making Dia de Los Muertos a perfect tradition to learn more about while we’re spending Halloween at home this year.

And, yes! We definitely recommend you grab some popcorn and have a movie night with Coco for the coziest of Halloweens at home.

Kids’ activities that will make them want to spend Halloween at home.
Finally, if you have little ones, you can help them enjoy Halloween at home by swapping out trick-or-treating for making-and-eating.

We know you’re probably tired of being the family’s entertainment but, take this time to do what all teachers do and have them learn about things you’d like to know more about too. Depending on the age of your kids, get them involved in the history of Halloween. Challenge them to find a favorite tradition that they’d like to bring back to life.

The future will be full of twists, turns, and disappointments. Halloween at home is a great way to teach kids resilience, adaptability, and how to keep a right perspective in all situations.

Think-outside-the-box and use your Halloween at home time to learn about why we do the things we do, while creating new traditions to look forward to.

Be excited about your activities! Have your kids draw or paint what Halloween means to them after you’re all done with your research and storytelling.  Then, post up their drawings of their individual interpretations somewhere they can be proud to see it.

When everyone is feeling festive, show them what a great Halloween at home in 2020 looks like by reading scary stories to ambient music, or watch age-appropriate scary movies with them, like Goosebumps, or Monster House.

And, if you don’t want to forego the Halloween at home sweets completely, here are more than 80 spooktacular treats that Country Living promises are frightfully easy to make. Or, have some best in class goodies and gifts shipped right to your door.    

The best games to play on Halloween.
There are bound to be events and activities that you can participate in with others. And, parents in your area who are planning to preserve the Halloween pageantry. But, we don’t recommend joining in.

This is a year to do things differently and enjoy the simpler things in life for a change. Bring your tribe closer together by spending Halloween at home and playing some of these games.

The Toilet Paper Mummy (Fun for All Ages)
Be honest. Who doesn’t have toilet paper to spare? Grab a couple of rolls and get to mummy wrapping!

Simple and easy. Just split yourselves into teams of 2-3, with 1 person being your mummy and the other 1-2 being the mummy dressers. On your mark, get set, go! Whoever finishes their roll of paper first and has covered their mummy from head to toe, wins!

Pumpkin Patch Stomp (Kid Favorite!)
The best Halloween games for kids involve a little competition and a whole lot of suspense. Which is why the Pumpkin Patch Stomp is a total kid pleaser. To get started, grab some 12 inch orange and black balloons. Before blowing them up, fill them with different tricks and treats; like paper money, or squish-proof candy. Let the games begin and whoever pops the most balloons wins an ultimate prize! Alternatively, you can split your contenders into teams and assign a color to each team. The team to pop all of their balloons first, wins the ultimate prize!

The Hideaway Game (Recommended for Teens and Up)
Everyone has played hide-and-go-seek but, The Hideaway, is for those who’d prefer their traditions with a terrifying twist. Step 1: turn off all of the lights. No phone lights allowed! Use your preferred pick method to decide who’s going to be “it”. In this game, the one who is “it”, hides.

Everyone counts to 100, or the amount of time you decide. The person who is “it” has that amount of time to hide themselves. When the time is up, the hunt begins! All of the lights stay off and everyone remaining begins to look for the person hiding. But, when you find them, instead of calling out “found them!” – you quietly hide with them. The game continues until all players are hidden, except one.  

Now are you ready for Halloween at home?
As you can read, the great thing about this Halloween (if you choose to see it) is that Halloween at home in 2020 is actually forcing us all to be a lot more creative, which means we’re set up to have a lot more fun; especially doing things we’d normally never do.

Consider this; what have you done the past five Halloweens? Probably the same thing, right? What’s special about this Halloween is that it’s 2020’s Halloween. And, nothing has been normal this year.

Challenge yourself to think outside of the box and get together with your friends, family, and members of the community to put your minds together and think about what you can do to make the most out of Halloween at home this year. After all, we’ve just given you a lot of great ideas to start with!

We hope you’ve enjoyed these eerie and enchanting suggestions for a hair-raising Halloween at home.  

Our Halloween is DEFINITELY not cancelled! And, that’s not an apparition. These ghostly delights await you in our petrifyingly good Malibu Gift shop.

Client Gifts and the Art of Giving Them

Client Gifts and The Art of Giving to Build Meaningful, Lasting, and Profitable Relationships
Many businesses across all industries often ask themselves the same question- how can we get more clients? And not only that- but how can we satisfy and retain the clients that we currently have? The reality is that abundance attracts abundance. This may seem paradoxical, but it’s a little bit like applying for a loan or a credit card. The more you already have, the more likely you are to get even more. The reason is that people flock to things that are proven to WORK and are popular. Therefore, you have to give your business the image (even if it’s an illusion at first) that it is highly effective and popular, if you are going to attract more clients.

Which brings us to – client gift giving.

While most small businesses don’t think to include “Gift Giving” in their marketing budget, we’re going to explain why you definitely should. That is of course if you want more, meaningful, long-lasting, client relationships. Whose referrals will ultimately get you even more clients. Or, as they say, “it pays to be popular”.  

But, that’s getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll tap into the role giving gifts plays in building client relationships in just a little bit. But, first…

Why do clients decide to buy from you in the first place?
Clients will buy when they trust you and your product. Plain and simple.

But, there are different psychological reasons that secure clients into buying your products. Some clients need the assurance that large numbers of people are buying your product in order to trust you. Others need to just understand the product itself, the technology behind it, and trust that it is beneficial and practical for them to use and/or own.

Nowadays, people will look for reviews and compare your offer to other products or services, to see if it is on par (or better) than others being offered.

Other clients buy what you’re selling simply because you’ve sold them on an idea behind the product, whether it be “simplifying their life”, “organization for their business”, etc.

To help you get your foot welcomed through the door, we recommend sending one of our $10 Treat Boxes along with your offer. Plenty of research shows that the obligation to reciprocate is still alive and well. Meaning, people often feel more inclined to do business with someone who has already given them something of value. And trust us, they’ll never expect that our beautifully packaged Treat Boxes were purchased for less than a Zoom subscription.

Ultimately, you need to bring value to someone’s life and then they will want to do business with you. Giving a small welcome or introductory gift early on shows the type of attention and consideration they can expect to get from you.

Let’s talk more about that.

Gifts Clients Buy and Gifts Clients Love.
No matter what your industry is, clients buy what they think fulfills a need in their life. Sometimes they are unaware that they have a certain need or want, and it is your job (and your marketing team’s) to come up with a way to present your product as an essential item to your client’s life. Then, if you segment your offer into at least two options so that your client feels they have options to choose from, or even that you’ve personalized or customized your offer just for them, doing business with you will appeal to them even more. In fact, customizing packages and offers is a gift clients love to receive. Any time you personalize your customer experience, you are practicing the art of gift giving.

It’s also really important to people to feel as though they are staying relevant and current. Being an early innovator and having something to brag about is the social currency everyone is looking for nowadays.

Offering something your clients will want to post about is a way of returning extra dividends on your marketing investment; in the form of the most coveted marketing campaign there is – trusted word of mouth.  

Consider the casual luxury of our sustainable gift boxes that are cold packed to ensure your luxury chocolate gifts arrive in perfect condition. Our customers love that their clients share pictures on social media; thanking them for sending our beautiful, decadent gourmet food gifts. Complimented by our thoughtful, elegant packaging that looks great in all those shots.

The Art of Client Gift Giving
It is crucial to retain clients and keep them feeling valued in your industry, and one of the ways of doing so is by giving them gifts. You can do this periodically, it doesn’t have to be very often, so that they feel there is more value in the gifts you are giving them.

It’s important to know that some companies may have policies against gift giving so, don’t take it personally if a client refuses your gift.

One of the best gifts to give clients is a customized gift basket that is filled with an array of things you know they’ll love and new things they’ll be excited to try.

When you curate your own custom luxury gift boxes in the Malibu Gift shop, you can select from exceptional gourmet foods, as well as gifts for wine lovers, gifts for coffee lovers, gifts for graduates, and even gifts for vegans. Sending someone a beautiful aerator for their wine, paired with a box of dark cherry chocolate truffles, is a great way to show that you know what they like.  

There’s an episode of a popular television show, The Office, that’s dedicated to client retention by giving gift baskets; which reminds us of another important point. It’s not just about giving the gift – it’s about how you give it.

When you should give gifts to your clients.
We do not recommend that you give your clients a gift basket in a way that suggests you expect something in return. The true art of client gift giving is to show your generosity, friendship, and gratefulness; and that you are someone they can confidently come to depend on in the future.

The timing of the gift is important too. If you know you’re going to launch a new product or service in a few months, it’s a great idea to give your client gifts a couple of weeks before so that you will be fresh on their mind.  Then, when you reappear marketing your new item, they will be welcoming someone they have built a meaningful relationship with, and whom they appreciate, rather than just tolerating another sales pitch.  

Finally, the more personalized you can make the card attached to your client gifts, the better off you will be. That means, your client’s onboarding experience should include as much subtle personal information gathering as the person completing the onboard can muster.

Taking the time to get to know your clients in the beginning, and documenting their likes and dislikes, will make them feel as though they have a much more meaningful relationship with your company in the long run. As a result, they’ll be more inclined to feel open to give you more of their business, and the business of their friends.

Ultimately, people are going to choose to do business with those they feel most connected to, so stay keen on what makes your clients unique and give them gifts accordingly. After all, who doesn’t like to be known?

Are client gifts tax deductible?
Adding client gifts to your marketing budget makes you wonder if client gifts are tax deductible. Please note, that we are not an authority on taxes and this information is offered for the opinions of this blog only. You should always seek the advice of a qualified tax professional before making decisions about your deductions. That being said, here’s what we’ve found to be the reality; if you give client gifts throughout the time of your trade or business, you can likely deduct all or part of the costs subject to the following limits: You deduct no more than $25 of the cost of business gifts you give directly or indirectly to each person during said tax year (IRS.gov).

What have we learned about the art of client gift giving?
Adding new clients is an important part of any business, and it can sometimes be more difficult than it seems. As mentioned, back at the top of this blog, abundance, or at least the illusion of abundance, creates more abundance. When you come across as generous, successful, and in the position of being able to give away the best client gifts in 2020, you also come across as powerful, trustworthy, and consistent. All because you’ve demonstrated  consideration and having resources at your disposal.

Client gift giving is an important part of client retention and will undoubtedly bring you new clients as your current clients brag about your generosity. And, don’t forget, you can also tap into the give-and-take of your new solid relationship and offer client gifts as an incentive for completing surveys or giving you feedback about something that is going to be valuable to your company. Because, after all, who better to help you improve than the people who really know you. And who better to know you than those you serve.

Stop by the Malibu Gift shop today and pick-up the perfect gift for all of your clients, and the ones you hope to do business with in the future.

Now, you can send different gifts to different people, from just one order!

We’ve designed our client gift giving experience with your in mind. Saving you valuable time from having to place multiple order, or enter login information over and over.

Just choose your gifts, add the addresses each gift goes to, submit a single payment, and we’ll take care of the rest!

The best luxury gourmet foods and gifts will be delivered fresh from Malibu, California.

What is a Sommelier? You’re not the only one asking

There are many people out there who don’t give a second thought about what they put into their bodies, perhaps because they aren’t passionate about food or maybe they are just in survival mode. And then there’s that percentage of the population that have refined taste, and enlist the help of people like seaux chefs and sommeliers to create a palette of food, and the dining experience they are seeking. But, a good sommelier, who is familiar with everything a sommelier should know, will be the one to take the meal from ordinary to extraordinary.

So, what does a sommelier do anyway?
A sommelier is a person who is trained to understand everything there is to know about wine and how it pairs with certain foods. There are other kinds of sommeliers, such as beer sommeliers, coffee sommeliers, and milk sommeliers, but in this article we will be telling you all about wine sommeliers.

Wine sommeliers are obviously connected to an upper-echelon part of society, and only people who dine at high-end restaurants have the luxury of getting insights from the most sought-after sommeliers. High-end restaurants usually employ sommeliers in order for their customers to have the dining best experience possible to keep their customers coming back to their restaurants. Although certainly anyone can make the claim that they are indeed a sommelier, the claim is usually backed up by schooling and/or a credential of some kind, which will be discussed further in the article.

How to Pronounce Sommelier and Other History
Sommeliers, also known as wine stewards or waiters, can be a difficult to roll off the tongue if you try and catch every consonant. While the role is quite chic, the pronunciation is less than fancy. Sommelier, is pronounced suh-muhl-yei. You can listen to a soundbite of the pronunciation of sommelier from the Cambridge English Dictionary here.  Apply the K.I.S.S. method and remember – sommelier rhymes with everyday; like the amount of times per week you should enjoy a glass of red wine.

Sommelier is a French word, and the role also entails the services of creating wine lists and training restaurant staff on their knowledge in order for everyone to be well informed and confident when it comes to suggestions regarding food pairing. Although everyone may have their different tastes, there is a universal agreement as to which foods, wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks, etc., work best and in harmony with their solid counterparts; hence the value and benefit of having an expert like a sommelier nearby. Without a sommelier, a person will order food and their beverages according to their preferred tastes of both individually; unknowingly depriving themselves of an optimal dining experience. Still not convinced on the value or wondering when you should hire a sommelier?

Here’s how to become a certified sommelier:
The Court of Master Sommeliers
This organization started in 1977. It is an independent examining body that gives one the choice of getting a ‘Master Sommelier Diploma’, the ‘Advanced Sommelier Certificate’, the ‘Certified Sommelier Certificate’, and the ‘Introductory Sommelier Certificate’. By gaining one of these certificates, one is qualified to officially be declared an actual sommelier.
International Sommelier Guild
This guild gives an education and certifies aspiring sommeliers in Canada, China and the United States. The guild was created in 1982 and it offers Level 1 Wine Fundamentals, Level 2 Wine Fundamentals, and a Sommelier Diploma. These are great credentials if you are thinking about pursuing a career as a sommelier.
International Wine and Spirits Guild
For those who live in the United States, the International Wine Guild was created in 1998 and monitored by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. This is accessible and easy to join. As long as you keep up with your coursework and studies, you will end up being a sommelier in no time.
North American Sommelier Association
The great thing about this organization was that it was created recently- in 2006- and is the official representative in the United States and Canada of the Worldwide Sommelier Association (WSA). The sommelier course is split up into three phases but is offered as one entire course and is made up of time spent in class, lectures, educational visits to wineries, and educational dinners. It is unique from the other groups mentioned because it has two levels of sommelier qualifications: Silver-Pin and Gold-Pin.
National Wine School
Another modern school for would-be sommeliers is the National Wine School, which was started in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The great thing about the school is that it gives  ANSI-compliant professional certification for the wine trade in the U.S. In addition, they also give five levels of wine certification. They have their own way of doing things, so to learn more about their process, be sure to google their website.
Union de la Sommellerie Francaise
This is an older French organization that is well-recognized in the sommelier world. The goals of going through this schooling is to gain the title of Mention Complémentaire Sommellerie (MCS) and Brevet Professionnel de Sommelier. These titles can be achieved by studying for many several sponsored providers. The final qualification of the Maître Sommelier can be achieved after an accurate career assessment, which actually requires at least 10 years of professional experience. So it is a very rigorous education, but it is definitely worth it and will make you a very worthwhile sommelier.
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
This association is known as AIS in Italy. It was started on July 7, 1965, and is acknowledged as one of the oldest sommelier associations of the world. It’s also the biggest sommelier association ever, as it features over 33,000 members only in Italy.
As you can see, if you have any interest of being a sommelier, you now understand that there is a lot of training one must do. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a matter of having intuition about what foods go good with which wines and vice versa. There is an actual learned science to the art of being a sommelier, and learning the impressive skill will make anyone an absolute asset to whichever restaurant, or even wealthy individual, they are working for; and of course the expertly crafted wine list they will compile. Since new recipes and different drinks are developed constantly, the market for connoisseurs is always evolving, always stimulating, and always interesting. An expert like a sommelier possesses a unique skill that, while is different in scope, is otherwise much like the captain of the ship needing a specific skill to move the vessel he or she will serve wine on.

Now, perhaps you yourself are not interested in becoming a sommelier, per se, but you’ve always wondered about the qualifications of a sommelier and had some interest in understanding the research and training that goes into the position. We hope we’ve left you more informed than you were and have conveyed the art and science of being a sommelier. Helping to express that it is an art-form worth appreciating!

In fact, people spend years and decades of their lives perfecting their professional sommelier careers, because they have a passion for wine, new foods, and recipes that are always being thrown into the equation. And, they understand that there is an audience that’s eager to learn more about creating memorably dining experiences around sommelier suggested wine and food pairings.

Ready to pair that bottle of wine with the perfect chocolate truffles and gourmet foods? Head on over to our Gift Shop and explore our expertly curated gift boxes.

Coffee Bean Gift Box will be Best Gift for Coffee Lovers

Every person has its own interest regarding the beverages or drinks, some like to have tea while some like to have the coffee in the same way some like to have a whiskey or some like to have a wine, it completely depends upon the choice of a person or the taste of a person that what he or she likes to have. There are many occasions or situations where we have to consider giving a gift to our people, but it will be really hard to choose the gift for a person. If you are also in the same dilemma then it will be great to check the gift option as per his or her choice or taste.

If you know that the recipient likes to have the wine or like to collect the wine accessory then you can look for the mermaid wine pourer. The pourer makes the wine experience even more fun and such pourer made with grade Stainless Steel with silicone rubber fitting which are completely safe for people and it is incredibly durable and dishwasher safe. But it is usually recommended to wash in the low heat for the long-term result. If you want to give something personal to your dear one or your friend who likes to have wine then the wine pourer will be the best option which will make his experience with wine more fun and better and he or she will remember you every time whenever one uses that pourer. If you're worried that from where you can buy this amazing gift option then no need to worry because the online sites are available and it will help you to get delivered the gift at a person’s doorstep in no time and you will get the best thing at an affordable and discounted rate which will save your money as well as time.

In the same way, there are many people who like to have the coffee, in the coffee also there are multiple ranges available so it is important to check the right option to give it as a gift because it is a matter of a personal choice as well as health. For the coffee lovers, the coffee bean gift box will be one of the best choices because most of the people like to have the coffee from the pure coffee beans which will pure and get the fragrance notes of espresso. The coffee beans are pure, brown, and rich vibrantly colored food grade that comes with the world's best place and of high quality. When you look for the gift options then you will find that the coffee beans are packed in a beautiful jar or in a beautiful gift wrapping item, so you can represent your gift in a very presentable form and a receiver will also be happy by receiving such a gift which will be of his or her own interest.

Find the Gourmet Food Gifts Option to Send

Today, people are thinking of giving something to their dear one on some special occasion or even without any occasion. If you are looking for something perfect but not too personal then you can look for the gift options which are available on the online portals. These days the gift baskets are highly in trend and they are loved by the people because in the gift baskets they can include a number of gift options that will be useful for a receiver and the receiver will love to use such gifts while remembering a person.

There are many occasions where we have to give a gift not to our dear ones but also to other people like the colleagues, co-workers, and more, then in that situation, it is important to look for the gift which is not too personal. If you are looking for some gift option then gourmet food gifts to send will be the best way to give something which is not too personal but still it is happy to have. There are many sites available that are sending gourmet food gift baskets to different locations, if you want to send the gift online then you have to check the portal which is delivering the gourmet basket gift at that particular location. When you visit the website then you will find details that whether they are delivering in that particular area or not for which you are specifically looking for. The gourmet food is really a good option for the foodie because in that you can buy the cheese foods option and other food related things which will be loved by the foodie and he or she will enjoy it a lot when one will receive it as a gift.

Even if you want to give something more attractive and useful to a person who has loved with wine then you can check out the option of vintage wine accessories, there are multiple kinds of accessories available that can be used by wine lovers. If you know that your friend or dear one likes to have wine or like to do the collection of wine related things then you can give them the vintage wine accessories which will be a great option as a gift. If you are worried, that about where you will get such kind of accessories then no need to worry because the online system makes the things very easy, so you just have to visit the reliable source to get the high quality items and even at most of the online sites you will get the discounts and offers through which you will get the best thing at a very affordable price. If you are worried about the quality then no need to worry because they are sure that they are delivering the best quality product and still if you have any doubt then you can check the ratings and reviews about the site before you proceed to buy it.