Connections

Advice from Interns Who Experienced It & Educational Experts  

Each year, the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Enterprise embarks on an internship program, but due to the times we’re now living in, this summer has been a little different. In honor of Back–to–School and International Youth Day on August 12th, we asked our interns about their interesting school year in regards to virtual learning as well as their virtual internship experience. We think their learnings can be helpful to students and teachers as they head back to the classroom, whether virtually or in person with a new view. 

In addition to speaking to our interns who have experienced virtual learning firsthand, there are also tons of educational resources to help get you comfortable, with tips ranging from making checklists and reducing distractions, to encouraging movement and giving positive feedback.  

As our Founder Jim McCann said, “Be curious. Every interaction gives you a chance to learn, to adjust your perspective, and get a new insight.” During this time, it’s so important we work together and learn from each other and we hope you find these back-to-school tips helpful.  

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The practice of meditation can fuel positivity, improve focus, and reduce stress, especially in current times. Each week at 1-800-Flowers, our meditation instructor, Lindsey Gaterman, has been hosting virtual classes for employees to help them relax during this uncertain time. So far, the results have been nothing but positive. Below are our meditation tips from Lindsey that we’d like to share with you. Through repetition and practice, these exercises can become a habit you can make a part of your everyday life.

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We’re beyond excited to team up with renowned fashion designer Jason Wu on Wild Beauty, a collection of runway-inspired bouquets that celebrate unique inner beauty.

Wu is a leading global design talent who’s merged classic American sportswear elements with a refined couture sensibility to create an internationally recognized brand. Since debuting his Ready-to-Wear collection in 2007, he’s been dedicated to making clothes that are beautifully crafted from the inside out. Not to mention, he dresses some of the most influential and stylish women in the world.

We sat down with Jason to get every last detail of this ultimate fashion-meets-floral collaboration.

How did this partnership come about?
I actually grew up around flowers (my father was an avid gardener), and I’ve had a deep love for them ever since. As a designer, flowers have come to play a significant role in my Ready-to-Wear collections and have been prominently featured in my shows, including many provided by 1-800-Flowers. So when the team approached me about introducing a fresh, new design aesthetic to their collection, I felt it was the perfect fit. Continue Reading…

Honor your grad by sharing one of these inspirational graduation quotes as they journey through their rite of passage. Perfect for graduation cards, personalized gifts, or Instagram captions, these words of wisdom will solidify their big achievement, whether they’re moving up from middle school or graduating college.

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Amongst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still room for celebration. All across the country, the class of 2020 is graduating! Many graduations have been moved to online platforms so that the accomplishments of high school and college graduates can be recognized – even if it is from your own living room. If it’s a daughter, son, cousin, or friend graduating, join in on the fun with these tips for a virtual graduation extravaganza! 

Zoom Party 

Zoom isn’t just for business meetings! Spend some time holding a Zoom Party for your graduate with all your friends and family. It is a great way to be able to get some social interaction into the day while in quarantine, and a great surprise for your graduate! It has been trendy to also include some sort of dress code or background for the zoom party so it feels like a real occasion. Some themes we’ve been loving are Roaring Twenties, Throwback Thursday, and Black Tie! It’s a party fitting for the tech-savvy Gen Z.  

Send A Gift 

As year-end traditions are being challenged, send a classic congratulations gift for the grad like! Simply send a gift straight to their door to let them know that you are proud of their momentous occasion. Deliveries are contactless so it is a great option to adhere to social distancing measures while still putting a smile on their face. These are some of our favorite gifts: 

Vibrant Floral Medley™ for Graduation 

Celebrate your grad with a bright, beautiful bouquet fitting for the spring season! The Vibrant Floral Medley showcases an arrangement of blooms in cheerful pops of orange, pink and yellow, with plenty of lush greenery mixed in. It is the perfect graduation bouquet to show them how proud you are of their big achievement. 

Star Graduate™ Dipped Strawberries 

Know a grad with a sweet tooth? These graduation themed chocolate-dipped strawberries say congratulations in the most delicious way.  Our scrumptious strawberries are dipped in rich chocolate and hand-decorated in a white chocolate drizzle, four of them displaying the numbers 2-0-2-0. The only thing wrong with these is they look too good to eat! 

Way To Go Grad™ Fruit Bouquet 

Stand out with a unique bouquet for your grad with the Way To Go Grad Fruit Bouquet. Fresh strawberries, pineapple, oranges, grapes, and melon dipped in decadent milk chocolate and white chocolate drizzle – our mouth is watering just thinking about it! Decorated with specially cut fruits that say “#2020” and a Congrats Grad balloon, it’s a gift they’ll never forget.  

Brunch at Home

Normally you get to go out to eat to celebrate after graduation, but you can still make the day special with a showstopper meal at home or delivered from your favorite local restaurant! Eggs, pancakes, fruits, mimosas we can go on and on! Making a special meal for your grad with their favorite foods is a personal way to celebrate their big day with them specifically in mind.  

Virtual graduations don’t have to be dull – make it unique instead! You may even want to keep some of these events as a new tradition for graduations.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020! 

We were first introduced to Norma Gregorio when she received one of our birthday flower cakes from her family for her 88th birthday. Since they couldn’t be together in person during this time to celebrate, she sent them a video which made it’s way to Good Morning America.

We were so taken by this story, and Norma’s positive outlook on life that we wanted to chat more with her about how she is staying connected during this time. Thank you Norma for taking the time to share your story.

“I’m often asked, “Aren’t you lonely living alone? Don’t you get bored? What do you do all day long?” And that’s when I am in a quandary because I have no good answers. I’m never bored. I’m never lonely. I’m always looking forward to tomorrow. Doing or planning something special or something different. Right now, I am looking forward to driving down to the shore in my son’s convertible, on a beautiful day with the top down. Just feeling the sunlight and the warm breeze on my face makes me appreciate the beauty of this world.

I just finished my crochet doily and my flower needle point. Now I’ll have to get myself another pretty needlepoint canvas. I do it because I find it relaxing and rewarding. It is just like life; we all start with a blank canvas and we all create our beautiful lives as the years pass. I also enjoy cooking, doing English and Italian crossword puzzles, reading and writing. I’ve written several books, but no one seem to want to publish them. But that does not stop me, no, I just keep on writing. I just finished writing a new story for a children’s picture book.

Now, we have this virus cloud over us all. I do not allow it to enter into my everyday life. Even though I have been self-quarantined since the beginning of March, it will not change the feelings and the love I have for my family and friends nor will it surround me with a sense of fear. I call everybody on Skype and WhatsApp every week, both here and in Italy, and we talk and talk and talk. Conversation is the best medicine; it brings joy to your life and you touch the heart of the person you are talking to.

I know that when this pandemic is over, all humanity will be scarred, some more than others, emotionally, financially or physically.

We are all strong, with our love and hope for one another, we will all be winners.”

Social distancing and quarantining has made it challenging for families to celebrate holidays together. However, Ashley’s mom made sure to show her daughter and granddaughter they can still celebrate Easter with a heartwarming surprise! We are so happy to be a part of helping deliver smiles to Ashley and Hayley!

“Social isolation can be hard. We have been cooped up and I haven’t seen my mom in weeks (who we usually see multiple times a week). We have FaceTime (thank goodness) to get us by, and my mom will bake dinners that Kyle will pick up on his way home (in still practicing the way of social distancing), but today we got a big surprise from my mama/Haley’s vava that brightened both our day. Look how cute these flowers are! We love you so much mama! Can’t wait for the world to be normal again.”

An Interview with Senior Blog Writer
& Floral Expert Jerry Rosalia

At 88-years-young, our Blog Writer & Floral Expert, Jerry Rosalia, is the kind of guy who looks at the glass half-full. During this time of social distancing, Jerry has been finding ways to stay safely connected with family and friends (including fellow seniors), as well as finding valuable ways to spend his time. With Jerry’s positive outlook on life, we decided to ask him for helpful tips that may be useful to fellow seniors, or family and friends of seniors who are looking to reach out.

What’s the best way to spend your time while quarantined?

Get your gloves, mask, walking shoes, and weather permitting, and take a walk! The sun and its vitamin D is anti-viral. And if none of it works, we all need the exercise!

How are you staying connected with family and friends?

My family meets twice a week on Zoom (which is very much like FaceTime).  We “meet” with the entire family with everyone from Long Island, New York, to my great grandchildren whose daddy is a Marine in California. It was the first time the group got together when we weren’t eating.

Is there anything you wish friends and family were doing that they are not?

We seniors have friends who are ill, live alone, etc. So, make their day and give them a call. You will hear a smile in their voices. In a day or so, you may even get a call back. Continue Reading…

What we are experiencing right now with social distancing is only a fraction of what military families go through with their loved ones. Although COVID-19 extended Jake’s deployment, he made sure his wife, Shannon, still felt special on her birthday. Jake, we thank you for continued service and hope you can be reunited with your family soon!  

“Yet another birthday that @jake.stockman is gone 🙁 I’ve lost count on how many this is now. He should be getting ready to come home right now but thanks to Covid-19 his deployment was extended. And unlike times in the past, this time there’s no end in sight which makes it so much worse! So Thank you my Love, for trying to make this birthday as special as you could. And thank you @1800flowers for still being open in this current crazy mess of a world.”

If there’s anything this situation has taught us, it’s that the littlest things can have the strongest impact. For Katerina, what may seem like just flowers is a constant reminder of the kindness that surrounds her. To Katerina’s dear friend, thank you for choosing us to brighten up her day.  

“This little app has brought some wonderful connections that I’m so very thankful for and in the midst of all that’s going on to be thought of by a dear friend means the world to me. This beautiful spring bouquet that was delivered to my doorstep has brightened my day, my week, my month, and reminded me of the kindness of others. Some might just see flowers but it truly is more than that, a kind gesture that I won’t forget. 💛”