by Tracy Zellitti  

There is always someone on your list to buy a gift for. Whether it is that hard to please, hard to buy for or hard to find something for, there is always someone that you rack your brain trying to find a creative gift to give. Likewise there is always a birthday, a bridal shower, a new baby, a get well soon and a happy anniversary on the same list. Running out of ideas yet?

How about an affordable gift basket pre-made or designed to fit your specific needs? Impossible ... I think not.

Bountiful Baskets will open its doors for business this holiday season, offering a wide variety of gift baskets to match the needs of everyone on your list. Pre-made baskets ready for your pick-up or supplies available to create your own gift basket - this store is sure to please your every basket need.  

Nancy Bowman, owner of Bountiful Baskets, integrated a love of baskets, a love of seasonal decorating and the gift of creativity to implement a gift basket service in Durango.

"I really enjoy being creative with baskets. It's something Durango doesn't have and something that would benefit Durango."

According to Bowman, there will be a basket for every occasion - birthdays, weddings, new babies, anniversaries and get wells. And there will be specialized baskets for the golfers, the fishermen, the tea lovers, the coffee lovers, the cat lovers and the dog lovers. Bowman's creativity kicks in with the title of every basket beginning with a "B." Bogie Basket, Brimming with Coffee, Bouncing Baby Basket, Be Better Soon Basket and Birthday Blast Basket.

Along with the birthday, bridal, and get well soon baskets, every month Bowman will create and highlight a feature basket to showcase the current season or holiday. This December expect to find the "Bundled for a Sleigh Ride" basket, which will include hot chocolate mix, candles, gingerbread cookies and a holiday CD displayed neatly in sleigh-shaped basket.

"It's going to be a fun adventure putting themed baskets together."

Her inspiration for the seasonal baskets came from the classroom. Bowman, a reading teacher at Needham Elementary School in Durango, has always decorated her classroom to fit the current season - seasonal decorating as she calls it.

"I love seasonal decorating - so to me it will be fun to come up with seasonal baskets."

Bowman hopes that her baskets will give customers an alternative to flowers or balloons. She also believes that the hospital will respond better to gift basket deliveries rather than having to deny certain types of latex balloons.

"It gives you another option" Bowman said, "plus the stuff in the baskets will last longer than wilting flowers."

Her job as a reading teacher only utilizes Bowman's mornings, giving her a tremendous amount of free time during the afternoons. Bowman's time was even more so beginning to free up since her children, one a freshman in college and the other a freshman in high school, are growing up. Her idea is to invest her time doing something that she enjoys.

"I don't have young children anymore so there will be more time to do this sort of thing."

Her vision was to create a store with an alternative way to show someone you care while making it convenient, original, and most importantly, affordable. The average cost of the gift baskets will be between $20 and $50, depending on the size of the basket. Baskets will be available in small, medium and large with two variations, one for children and one for adults for baskets such as the birthday basket.  

"I want to make it affordable with nice, high quality stuff inside the baskets," she said. "I'll change the inventory a lot so there will always be different stuff to fill the baskets with."

Bowman hopes the baskets will have a more personalized touch and anticipates the contents of the baskets to serve a purpose for the recipients.  

 "There is something about baskets - I think there is an added hominess and warmth to a basket filled with goodies."

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