1-800-Flowers.com is tapping into mom blogs and doing blogger outreach with their “Summer of Smiles” campaign. The campaign involves asking bloggers to review 1800flowers (sending them free arrangements).

The bloggers are not only getting a flower arrangement but they are also asking readers to enter to win a bouquet to give to someone they want to bring a smile to. The promotion ends July 17, 2010.

Thrifty Mom said:

Win It: I encourage you to bring a smile to everyone around you and to help one lucky Thrifty & Chic Mom reader will win a $50 GC to 1-800-Flowers.com so they can bring a smile to someone they care about. To enter tell me who you want to send flowers to.

As with most blog promotions, it involves a giveaway:

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

* Friend me on Google Friend Connect (right side bar)

* Blog about this giveaway with a link back.

* Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me @ThriftyChicMom. Copy and paste: Bring a smile to a friend with flowers, win a $50 GC to 1800flowers from @ThriftyChicMom http://tiny.cc/s6qg5  #giveaway (you can do this once a day!)

* Email a friend about this giveaway with a link be sure to CC me thriftyandchic (at) gmail

* Become a fan of Thrifty & Chic Mom on Facebook

* Enter another current giveaway on Thrifty & Chic Mom, simply tell me which one and what comment # (you can do this once)

* RSVP and join in my Live Giveaway party on Monday at 10 PM EST

They also had a  “Be Justin Bieber’s Valentine” sweepstakes and he had his own signature “One Less Lonely Girl” bouquet which had red intuition roses. He  serenaded the lucky girl as he gave her the flowers.

Starting July 1, 2010, customers can submit who they would like to send a smile and why and be entered for the chance to win the Happy Day Bouquet(TM). No purchase necessary to enter or win.

For more information on the “Summer of Smiles” sweepstakes visit www.1800flowers.com/smile.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Flower Delivery Facts From an Online Florist (florist-review.com)

With a flower delivery service you can order flowers online and have them delivered anywhere in the USA that has a physical location (no PO Boxes). You just need a name and address. You can have flowers delivered to a home, apartment, place of work, a funeral home, etc.

Many online flower delivery websites contract with local florists to fulfill their orders. Others have their own growers and stores. Some online florists are more transparent about this than others. There are advantages to both.

When you place an order online, the website may tell you that your order will be fulfilled by an “affiliated florist.” This means that your order will be transmitted electronically to a local florist. They will arrange your flowers and deliver it themselves. So even though you order from a wire service like FTD or Teleflora, the flowers may be delivered by a local company. This is good because the flowers will be fresh and if there are any problems you know who to go to.

The wire services provide the networks for independent shops and facilitate the transfer of orders nationally and internationally. This helps allow a seamless, speedy method of delivery of fresh flowers around the world.

Be aware that your flower arrangement may not look exactly as you expect based on what you saw online. That’s because most arrangements you order online include a photograph that represents the type of arrangement that will be delivered. This is not an exact image of the exact arrangement. The florist will try to deliver an arrangement as close to the picture as possible. The more exotic or precise the picture, the less likely your arrangement will look like it. Having worked at a florist we always did our best to match what the customer ordered, but sometimes we couldn’t do it for the price or else we didn’t have the particular items in stock.

Some online florists have their own distribution centers across the country and they ship all orders directly from these sources. The flowers may be coming from another country. Just remember that even if your order is sub-contracted to a local florist, the website you order from will accept your payment directly. The web site owners pay a fee to the online store who referred them and pay them for your order.

Here are some florists we recommend who offer flower delivery:

JustFlowers.com

USA Florist

Here’s my experience from Valentine’s Day. When I got home from church there was a box on the table. I wondered who sent flowers. Surely it couldn’t be from my husband. He never orders anything from the Internet! But I called him and he admitted to it. He’d found the way to my heart! He ordered flowers online – from ProFlowers.

I opened the box and assembled a gorgeous vase of roses – pink, orange, red and white roses. I know how much of a challenge it is to care for roses. They must be kept in water. They can’t get to hot or too cold. They bruise. They fall apart. They wilt. I admit that I’m picky too. I like the blooms to be closed and hard.

8 Things I love about ProFlowers – I got a dozen roses with a vase and box of chocolates:

1. The stems came wrapped in plastic and green foam to keep them wet. This means the roses arrived in good condition rather than wilted or dripping wet. It was securely fastened to the stems and I just had to remove and rinse them off.

2. Packaging that protects. My dozen roses came with a vase and the box was sectioned so everything was in its place. There was a space for everything. It was so organized. Nothing broken, not even a stem. Plus it looked great with the Proflowers branding throughout.

3. Care Instructions. In addition to flower food there was an instruction card in the box. There was also a tag on the stem of a rose that said to remove the outer petals before arranging the roses. All of the instructions were well-presented, easy to understand and helpful.

4. Quality. The roses were in great shape – even the white ones that are more delicate. I think they are shipped from the growers. Every last rose was the best quality – better than you can get at the florist most of the time but esp. on Valentine’s Day.

5. Wrapping. The roses were staggered and rolled up in plastic. It was easy to unpack them and they were in perfect condition to travel.

6. Creativity. I loved that they had an ad on one of the stems – telling you where to go online to learn more about their flowers. I wondered why more people didn’t include ads with their roses.

7. Chocolates. I got a small box of gourmet chocolates with my roses. They were so pretty and tasted so good.

8. Reasonable Price. We got a vase, a box of chocolates and a dozen high quality roses delivered to our door for about $50. Can’t beat that!

There were only 2 drawbacks to ordering roses from Proflowers that I could think of.

1. No filler – no babies breath or any other type of filler – only roses. That may have been because my husband didn’t choose to add them. I thought the arrangement should’ve come with some though.

2. Self Serve – you must arrange the flowers yourself. I like the presentation of a pre-arranged vase of roses. In this case I had to arrange them myself. I wish I had floral tape. However, it was worth it to avoid the lines and prices at the local florist. Plus they fit in the vase tightly so I didn’t have much problem getting them all to stand up and look good.

It isn’t easy to package and arrange flowers so they keep and travel well – whether they come in the mail or your local delivery truck. In this case, the packaging and presentation was great. What stands out the most though is the high quality.

Next time I need to send someone flowers, I have to admit that I’m going to go with Proflowers. In fact, I think I’ll schedule everything ahead of time and they’ll be shipped out just in time for birthdays, Valentine’s Day or other special time.

My only caveat is to watch the flower delivery fees – they can be tricky. My husband said it was difficult to figure the final price until the end.

Top Selling Product: 24 Assorted Roses

If you’re like a lot of us you’re looking for a deal this Valentine’s Day! 1-800Flowers has one for you! It’s free shipping on your order.You don’t have much time left now to order flowers in time for Valentine’s Day. My favorite gift is dinner out and when we go to the table, to see fresh cut flowers already there. I think it’s very romantic.

Generally speaking I don’t like anything too fancy – just a dozen red roses no babies breath. However, this Martha Stewart arrangement is so classy that I would forgo my usual taste in favor of this beauty.

To take advantage of this deal go here:

Free Shipping or No Service Charge on Valentine’s Day gifts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM!

Valentines Day is almost here!

6 Creative Valentines Day Gift Ideas

1. Relax those feet – whether it’s a massage from you or some extra cuddle time many couples don’t have enough touch. Even a simple hand massage or foot massage can communicate love, be low cost and enjoyable for both of you. Prepare everything in advance – first wash her feet or hands, dry them, then apply lotion or oils. Search the internet to brush up on your technique.
2. Hide love notes in the breakfast cereal – hide 20 notes around the house & on each write a short reason you love your beloved. Introduce her to the 20 ways you love her. She’ll not only find them on Valentine’s Day but inevitably there will be some harder ones they’ll discover later. You can do the same with text messages – sending 1 an hour throughout the day. One could be where to meet you for lunch (or dinner).
3. Wake up to music – load up a playlist on iTunes & play it as you wake up in the morning. If you’re especially romantic, ask her to dance when it gets to your favorite slow song. It may be funny at first, but it could get romantic.
4. Make your own room service. Cook or take out – make dinner, breakfast or lunch but make it creative. Serve it at a playground, in bed or find a secluded spot. Set up a table in the bedroom and serve her in bed. My favorite (before they had such tight security) was getting takeout and heading to the airport watching the planes take off while we ate. Then we had a slide show projected onto the wall with pictures of our life together.  Once my boyfriend took me to the playground in our pjs and served breakfast on the jungle gym. I never forgot. You can involve the entire family.
5. Show movies or pictures in bed. That night pop some popcorn and fire up the laptop and watch family movies or assemble a slide show of pictures. Maybe it’s your wedding video. Or, you still have time to hire someone to make a professional DVD with pictures and music.
6. Hide and Go Seek Flowers. Red roses are the classic here but you should know your Valentine and what she likes. Have them delivered to her while at work so you look good in front of her coworkers. Or, hide the vase and give her clues so she has to find it. Or give them to her 1 rose at a time, with a note on each rose, placed in spots around the house (on the night stand, in the bathroom drawer, with breakfast, etc). You can go classic but be creative in the presentation, by adding something unexpected or adding the element of surprise. That makes it more romantic.

Bonus Ideas: *Fill her office or car with heart-shaped balloons. *Write on the windows of her car. *Have a remote controlled helicopter deliver a piece of jewelry (ring or necklace) to her. *Sweep her off her feet (literally) spin her around and kiss her. Say that you’d marry her again today. *Buy simple things that represent memories you love with her and put them in a box. Have her unwrap each gift and tell her what each thing represents. *Update her Facebook Wall with something you love about her. *Darken the bedroom, put on some music and light a few dozen tea lights in the bedroom. Line them along the top of the door, around the windows & dresser to set the mood. There are battery-operated lights that give the same effect without the fire hazard.

Romantic Articles to further inspire you:

Why We Kiss: The Science of Sex
50 Ways to Be Romantic on the Cheap
The 12 Most Romantic Restaurants in the World

or, if you are not feeling so romantic:

How To Break-Up With Someone on Facebook

This just in from 1-800-Flowers.com: It’s time to celebrate Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 13.

Here are some quick facts from the press release:

• There are over 56 million grandparents in the United States, but sixty-six percent of grandparents have never celebrated the holiday entirely devoted to them: Grandparents Day.
• 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC. (FLWS), the world’s leading florist and gift shop, is encouraging everyone to honor their grandparents this year.
• 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has a Grandparents Day collection (food baskets, flowers, etc)
• Celebrated every year on the Sunday after Labor Day, Grandparents Day was
  founded by Marian McQuade, a housewife from Fayette County, West Virginia,
  with the hope that grandchildren would tap into the wisdom and heritage
  possessed by grandparents.

Preview of gifts for Grandparent’s Day

– Hydrangea in Green Lace Planter — With fossils showing that
hydrangeas grew in North America 40-70 million years ago, this blooming,
beautiful white flower is truly a timeless gift for Grandparents Day!

– Summer Garden Pitcher — Whether they are garden gurus or crazy for
cooking, this bouquet of fresh roses, Gerberas and snapdragons comes
with a Bisque ceramic pitcher, perfect for doubling as a watering can
or holding all of grandma and grandpa’s wooden spoons and kitchen
utensils.

– Abundant Fruit and Gourmet Basket — Indulge grandparents with this
beautiful basket, complete with premium orchard-fresh fruit treats,
and turn your celebration into a gourmet feast!

Do you plan to celebrate? What have your grandparents taught you?

Check out 1-800-FLOWERS for Grandparents Day presents!

Internet Retailer just reported that 1-800-Flowers is the first online retailer to launch a store on Facebook. Already they have over 3,000 fans. 1-800-Flowers gives discounts through the fan page. They also have a birthday promotion going on right now.

Here’s the story:

1-800-Flowers debuts the first online store on Facebook

The online floral retailer 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., one of the pioneers of Internet and telephone-based retailing, has launched the first online store on Facebook, the social networking site says. The shop at Facebook.com/1-800-Flowers lets customers shop and complete purchases without leaving their Facebook page.

“Facebook is redefining the social web, a cultural and social phenomenon that has changed the way we connect with one another,” says Jim McCann, CEO and founder of 1-800-Flowers.com. “In 1992, 1-800-Flowers was one of the first businesses to embrace the Internet and in 1994 we were the first merchant of any kind to transact on AOL. Fifteen years later, we are extremely proud to again be the first this time in launching a retail store inside Facebook, a bold step in unlocking the tremendous marketing potential of social media.”

The retailer`s Facebook store had been up for almost a month for a beta test, but the official launch today caused a huge outpouring of consumers and regular customers expressing their interest on Facebook as well through Twitter and blog posts, McCann says. “The number of visitors to our Facebook page tripled since yesterday,” McCann said after today`s launch.

Although 1-800-Flowers has the first online store on Facebook, other retailers also use the social networking site to promote sales. Sears Holdings Corp. says it allows shoppers on its Facebook Campus Ready page to make purchases without leaving Facebook, and other companies, including Hewlett-Packard Co., let visitors to their Facebook pages click through to their branded retail sites to shop and make online purchases. But 1-800-Flowers is the first to launch an online store on Facebook, a spokeswoman for Facebook says. The floral retailer uses a software application from Alvenda that lets Facebook visitors shop and complete purchases on 1-800-Flowers.com within a Facebook page, says Alvenda CEO Wade Gerten.

Alvenda’s technology, which the company refers to as a shoplet, is also used to let consumers shop e-commerce sites from online ads placed on third-party web sites. When 1-800-Flowers used Alvenda shoplets in online banner ads for Mother’s Day this year, it realized a 41% increase in sales per ad impression compared to banner ads without a shoplet, the retailer and Alvenda say.

“We believe the majority of future online sales will happen off-site,” Gerten says. “Alvenda enables customers to shop with brands wherever they happen to be; whether they`re on YouTube, a favorite blogger web site, or now Facebook. With innovative brands like 1-800-Flowers.com, Alvenda is moving commerce forward to unique touch points.”

The floral retailer’s Facebook page, at Facebook.com/1800Flowers, includes a “Shop!” button in a navigation bar that activates the retailer’s e-commerce window. By keeping shoppers on Facebook while they shop on 1-800-Flowers.com, the retailer makes it easier for them to post and share comments about their shopping experiences with friends, the retailer says. 1-800-Flowers also makes special offers on its Facebook page to encourage visitors to register on Facebook as a fan of the retailer, a step that lists 1-800-Flowers.com on the visitor’s personal Facebook page.

Future versions of the retailer’s Facebook store will offer additional social features, including birthday calendars and group gift-giving options, 1-800-Flowers says. McCann says the retailer expects to eventually roll out additional Facebook stores for its other retail floral, gifts and food brand

The spokeswoman for Facebook says the 1-800-Flowers store is a good example of what the social networking site expects to see from online retailers. “We’re seeing brands do more and more interesting things with their Facebook Pages,” she says. “1-800-Flowers” online store is a great example of a business trying new things. Facebook Pages can be a unique and interactive way for businesses to communicate and engage with consumers.”

Gerten adds that Alvenda is currently working with three other online retailers, including two within the top five online retailers as listed in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, to launch online stores on Facebook.

Fall is the biggest Birthday season for 1-800-Flowers and many other online florists. That means it’s time to send birthday flowers. Besides birthdays there are many other great celebrations happening in Sept/October that you should keep in mind.

• Grandparents Day is Sep 13th
• Rosh Hashanah is Sept 18th
• Yom Kippur is Sept 27th
• Bosses Day is October 16th
• Sweetest Day is October 17th

You can send gifts starting at $24.99, with same-day delivery available for many of the gifts.

Need to order Funeral Flowers? With all of the recent celebrity deaths of recent weeks (Michael Jackson, et. all) funerals are on my mind.

When I worked at a flower shop funeral flowers were among my favorite. Why? Because they are so big and grandiose. They are calming to those mourning and they quietly honor someone who has died.

If you’re coming from out of town you can order the flowers online and have a local florist make and deliver the flowers to the funeral home.

My top picks for funeral flowers? A casket spray or a spray like this one on an easel for display. I prefer to keep the flowers elegant and simple – and this white monochrome is perfect.

Know anyone who is sick or needs to be cheered up right now? I love these
from online florist Internet Florist. These bright flowers are mood boosters. I like Internet Florist’s selection of these updated bouquets.

This arrangement is a “pop art mix of yellow lilies, set against hot pink gerber daisies and poms, orange roses and orange lilies. Then it has green accent flowers and presented in a modern glass cube vase! This vivid bouquet will bring warm-hearted fun and love to someone’s day.

These flowers are just cheerful. Plus the flowers are long-lasting and sturdy (they don’t fall apart easily). I like the modern vase too – I love reusing my square glass vase with roses from my garden. Just cut the stems the same height and shorter for a simple display.