Sending Smiles ~

Funerals During Covid-19 You may be wondering what is appropriate to send to funerals during Covid-19 and we believe that anything you would have sent to the viewing/memorial/service is still appropriate. Just because the number of attendees is limited, it does not mean that your show of support through sending a floral tribute is not appreciated. As a matter of fact, we think it's more important than ever! Take for example this  funeral heart  wreath that we recently created for the tribute to a beloved mother and wife. Imagine how serene and soothing this design would be in an almost empty funeral home.  A vibrantly colored spray or wreath is just the thing to bring a soft smile and a little kindness during a very difficult time. Not exactly sure what to send? Our talented and thoughtful designers are here to help you decide what is appropriate.  Family funerals are not the same. Limited attendees, barren viewing rooms - just so sad. Floral tributes are appreciated more than ever

Fresh Flowers Have Arrived! The world has gone a bit crazy but  flowers  spreading good cheer still remains the same. The Governor has said that we are allowed to continue doing No-Contact flower deliveries and that's what we intend to do. Our customers have been so grateful that we are able to  send  their loved ones a pretty bouquet on their birthday or let them know that someone is thinking of them while they are sick or grieving.  Look at all these gorgeous flowers that just arrived. Here's a list of what just came in!! Rainbow Spray Roses Purple Statice Cremone and Spider Mums in all colors Gorgeous Full Size Carnations Rainbow Alstroemeria Pom Pon Daisies Hypericum Berries Blue Thistle Dianthus Flowers Solidago Asters Full Size Roses Tulips Just name a few! Isn't that amazing? We are also grateful to all our wholesalers and suppliers for all their help getting this product to our shop during this difficult time. Do you know someone who could us

The health benefits of living with flowers are many and the colors can mean so much. According to a 10-month behavioral study at Rutgers University, flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. Study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and agitated when presented with flowers. Color plays a strong role in this reaction: • Red has a positive effect on the immune system and an energizing influence on fatigue and exhaustion. • When you see pink , you often feel joy. Bright hues of this color increase blood pressure, heartbeat and respiration, as well, which leads to energy. • Violet calms the body and mind and nourishes creativity. • Yellow , the happy color, encourages communication while it stimulates memory and the nervous system. • Orange’s psychological profile includes promoting optimism, determination, and success. On the other hand, it also urges viewers to socialization, so be sparing with this colo

Rutger's University:  Emotional Health With today's high-tech and fast-paced lifestyle taking its daily toll on our lives, experts advise exercise and other personal lifestyle changes to relieve stress. According to recent behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health - flowers. The presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. "What's most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way," said Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study. Research Findings A team of researchers explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction in a 10-month study of participants'

Valentine's Day is February 14th - See what we have to offer this year Choosing a Valentine's Day gift can be a bit confusing because there are so many options. Our specialty is being able to deliver the gift for you. Imagine their face when a gift is delivered right to the job!! Although  Red Roses  is the traditional gift of love during the Valentine's Day holiday, we offer so many other options for you. Although red roses can get pretty pricey during the month of February, you are in luck because we have many options to choose from that won't break the bank. Here's just a few to help you decide!! We have to start off with a dozen (12) long stem red roses because it is tradition. These gorgeous blooms are going to be arranged in a 10" tall red glass keepsake vase this year. Although they are one of our highest priced items at $124.99, they are also one of the most dramatic designs we will be delivering. These are called our Valentine's Day Red R

The carnation  is the  January birth flower . The carnation  is one of the most charming  flowers  known for its ruffled petals and wide array of colors. They have a delicate clove-like scent and are known for being very long lasting.  We often include these pretty flowers in some of our floral designs and especially love the more unique colors! These pretty centerpieces below are made more romantic with the use of the soft pink carnations.  Even our new Sapphire floral arrangement includes simple white carnations. Don't you love the contract with the blue vase? The next time you think to say no carnations, we hope you'll reconsider.  Do you know someone who was born in January? Perhaps they would love a floral arrangement made with pretty carnations!!

Imagine walking in a funeral home or church. You are there to pay your last respects to a friend, colleague or even family member. As you enter, folks are sitting there, quietly talking but not mingling around. Well, it is a funeral so why would anyone mingle, right? As you enter and decide where to stand, sit or who to talk to you notice that the room is completely devoid of flowers. There's no plants either. Nothing. There's the memorial table or casket with the family sitting in the front but that is it. When you explore this vision, how do you feel about it? How do you feel about the environment? If it makes you feel empty or sad, imagine how the immediate family feel. No one sent flowers? Yes, they may have made donations if they could not attend but the room looks rather dark, sad and quite honestly, dull. That's not to say that churches and funeral homes are not nicely appointed but nothing is as uplifting in a space as fresh flowers. Have you noticed how when th

"What's the best way to keep my flowers fresh and long lasting"? I hear this question all the time and my answer is as simple as 1, 2, 3! Make sure there is no foliage in the water. Decaying foliage causes bacteria to grow.  Keep your flowers in a cool spot out of the sun or away from heat sources.  Change the water daily if possible which gets rid of the bacteria that kills the flowers. Can it really be that simple? Yes it is. Flower Food? It's fine if you don't have any. I've always believed that fresh water trumps everything.  Good rule of thumb - if you wouldn't drink the water, then your flowers probably don't want to either! Did you know that surrounding yourself with fresh flowers is an instant mood enhancer?  A 2013 Huffington Post article says: Smelling floral scents also seems to put us in a good mood and make us feel less anxious. Flowers clearly aren’t going to eliminate the need for medication, but they may take the

I had a thought while driving in the car this morning ~ I think sending flowers is almost a "Random Act of Kindness". When we make flower deliveries the person receiving the floral gift does not expect them. Sometimes it's their birthday , sometimes it's a get well but often they are not expected. I guess by definition, it's not totally random as the sender knows the recipient but it really is unexpected and to me that makes it one of the most powerful gifts you can give. I think most of our Floral Stylists here at the shop think the flowers are the most important part of the gift and of course, a gorgeous, fresh arrangement never hurts - but the card sentiment really convey's the message, making the receiver feel loved and special.   Want to make someone's day? We say send them a bouquet of flowers and that will do the trick!! 

Can you believe the Christmas/Hanukkah season is over? I know I can't but I'm personally excited for the start of 2017! Every year at this time we revamp the shop, clean out the old and in with the new. January is always a great time to freshen up the home or office with plants which is why we bring in plants of all types and sizes.  Right now Succulent Plants are very popular and they make such nice gifts for pretty much an occasion. We have them potted and ready to go.  We also have loose plugs that can be combined into gardens in just about any kind of container.  Wouldn't these be cute for the office.  Succulents planted in ceramic and/or glass.   We also restocked our selection of tillandsia....  Small Bonsai Plants It's also a great time of year for a big, bold bunch of fresh flowers!   We're also restocked our selection of adorable little angels including this one that says "Have Faith" We've always c

Did you know that when someone orders from our shop we send them a survey? One of the questions we ask is "other than our shop where do you buy flowers" and the number one answer we hear is "From the Supermarket". Now we know we can't compete on convenience because most folks hit the supermarket several times per month but we can compete on freshness, price and selection. Announcing our "Buy the Bunch" program. Here's how it works. Stop in our shop to see our amazing selection of flowers by the bunch. Choose 1 fresh flower bunch for $10 or choose 3 for only $20. These bunches are not only super fresh but also a very good flower deal  with a savings as high as 50% off our "by the stem" prices.  For example this week we have by the bunch.... Roses Spray Roses Bells of Ireland Alstroemeria Ranunculus Carnations Daisies Thistle Veronica Bupleurum Jumbo Asters Gladiolus Dianthus Tulips Dendrobium Orchids and more!

With all the confusion out there about sending a fresh flower floral gift, I'd like to clarify the best way to find a good florist. Let's say your want to send your mother a lovely floral arrangement for her birthday but she recently moved to a state you are not familiar with. You've never been there and you are not familiar with the florists in the area. In addition you don't want Mom to receive flowers that arrive in a box that she has to design herself. Here's 2 simple steps you can follow to find a good florist fast.   Let your favorite local florist help you. They may not be able to personally deliver but chances are they're part of a floral network of real brick & mortar flower shops that will gladly handle the delivery to your mother. It's called using a relay service. Shops relay to each other to handle out of town orders. We get orders into our shop from other florists and we send our customers orders to them. This relay is be

We understand the average consumer sending flowers , loves the idea of "seeing" what they will be sending out as their floral gift but the flip side, is that each floral arrangement is hand crafted and hand designed. Matching pictures on our website requires both attention to detail and the having in stock at all time wide selection of flowers . Whew, that's hard work!!  Above is our designers version of one of our best sellers on our website and I have to say that not only did she do a great job, I think the actual arrangement she created far exceeded the "stock photo" arrangement we display on our website. Imagine having this beautifully fresh floral design arriving to your desk? We think it would make you might happy, right?  In my next blog, I'll show some of our unique and one of a kind arrangements created for our customers this week! Until then, feel free to check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/localflorist or our website at ww

At the beginning of the year we launched Fresh 10 ~ Our $10 bouquet. Similar to our $5 Fridays, we feature a different bouquet every Monday. It has been a lot of fun picking out more unique flowers and combinations. I thought it would be fun to show some of the styles we came up with over the last few months. We love finding great deals and passing them along to our customers. Being in a corporate park, it has given more of a chance for our customers to bring a bouquet to their office. If you ask me I think that's a perfect way to start off a work week. Today's FreshTen are bouquets of protea, lilies and tropical foliage's ~ for only $10, what a deal!  Our store is located in the Princeton Forrestal Village between the Westin Hotel and Cando Fitness Center. To reserve a bouquet or to place a flower order we can be reached at 609-520-2005 or shop us online at www.sendingsmiles.com  

Do you have someone at work that you are grateful for? Well, this is the time of year to say "Thank you for all you do" and we have lots of ways to express your appreciation !  Fresh floral arrangements are always a great gift idea and this colorful bouquet include a Thank You balloon. Imagine their surprise when this arrives to the office!  Here another way to say thank you and it's yummy too! Who wouldn't want to receive one of these cookie bouquets ! How about sending them a one of kind arrangement ~ made just for them? We have the freshest flowers arriving every day and our team of talented floral designers can create something special for the holiday; something no one else in the office will have!  You can shop our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or give us a call for fast delivery at 609-520-2005