11 Apr 2022
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07 Feb 2022
Valentine’s Day is around the corner. So are you ready with something special for your special someone? If you’re feeling a bit stuck as you don’t want to get them the same old thing, here are some unique Valentine’s Day gift ideas to help you find the perfect gift.
Why not go with a gift that keeps on giving even after Valentine’s Day has passed? There are so many fun subscription services out there that you can purchase for your loved one. Each and every time a package is delivered, they’ll get a smile on their face knowing how much you care. Some examples include fun underwear for both men and women, food, crafts, socks, and more. You can even find subscription services for things like Disney, anime, and other popular topics.
Instead of spending money on an item this year, think about giving them your time. Create a memorable day out where you spend the whole day together doing everything you’ve put off because of your busy lives. Visit the museum together, see a movie, or do anything else you’ve missed out on that will please you both.
When your other half has everything, it can be hard to figure out something to gift them for Valentine’s Day. Gift them something they wouldn’t for themselves; some lessons featuring a hobby they do and want to get better at or are thinking about getting started in could be a fun idea. Anything from guitar lessons to learning how to knit is fair game. You’ll be giving them a chance to explore their potential with the hobby.
Buying your special someone a CookinGenie gift card gives them a chance to enjoy a delicious, professionally cooked meal in the privacy of your own home. You’ll provide the gift of not having to cook, shop, or clean up afterward. They’ll be able to select a chef from the website, decide on a dish or two that they want prepared, and pick an available night for your personal chef to come.
Are flowers one of your go-to purchases because your special someone loves anything that blooms? Rather than buying cut flowers this year that will look beautiful for a short time and then die, invest in flowers for your home that will last. Whether you live in an apartment or a house with a big yard, you can find something to fit your needs. Succulents, tiny potted tea roses, or terrariums are ideal for small spaces. Rose bushes, hydrangeas, lilies, and more are great for planting outside. As it is too early in the season to plant most flowering bushes and plants outdoors, you can present them with a copy of your order or a picture representing the item you have purchased.
Bringing home your love’s favorite animal is probably not practical, especially if they love sloths, panthers, whales, or other exotic animals, and giving your loved one an actual puppy or kitten doesn’t always work. One way to keep everyone happy is to adopt an animal in their name symbolically. Many zoos and animal welfare associations allow you to adopt a specific animal and get an adoption package. The adoption fee typically gives you a stuffed animal or picture of the animal you’ve adopted, along with information about the animal. Your adoption money is used to care for the species and help with conservation efforts. These programs are all different, so look around to find the one you like best that has their favorite animal.
Give your loved one a look into the past. If your Valentine is interested in their genealogy and where they come from, an ancestry kit may be the perfect unique gift to give. They can explore their family history through something as simple as spitting into a tube and sending off their DNA. Not only do these kits help them to explore their past, but they can also be helpful for their future when it comes to any genes that play a role in their health.
Personalized gifts may seem cliche, but there’s a good reason why they’re still around. They can be very thoughtful items. If you’re looking to break the mold with your personalized gift, some unique options are available now. For instance, rather than putting your loved one’s initials or name on the item, you can create coordinate gifts, such as the coordinates of where you met or got married. Other personalized gift ideas that aren’t typical include personalizing blankets, jewelry boxes, and artwork.
Does your loved one have an obsession with something? It’s the perfect time to add to their collection. Things like purses, sports memorabilia, first edition books, rocks and minerals, stamps, and statues are all potential items to help them grow their collection. When in doubt, do a little snooping to find out what they may be missing. Even older items no longer sold in stores can often be found online.
It may seem childish at first, but making your Valentine something just for them can be the perfect gift. Put your hobbies to good use. You can bake them their favorite cookies and make sure no one else in the family takes one. Crochet them a scarf featuring their favorite colors. Build them a shelf for their home office to store their collection of rocks.
You can’t go wrong when you put a little thought into your Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas. Use these ideas to help you figure out an excellent Valentine’s Day gift that will knock their socks off. You’ll wonder why you kept going with the same old routine.
Consider CookinGenie for Valentine’s Day this year. You can not only use us to plan the perfect night in enjoying a personal chef preparing a gourmet meal, but you can also give gift cards. So not only do you get kudos for buying a great gift, but you’ll get another opportunity to enjoy a CookinGenie meal at a later date! Contact us today with any questions you may have regarding our gift cards.
31 Jan 2022
Whether you tune in for the creative commercials or to see the action on the gridiron, there’s nothing like getting ready for the Big Game. No matter if you’re planning on having a more intimate gathering with just a few close friends or a much bigger bash, you want to have a memorable event that everyone is talking about until you throw your next party. Here are some fun party ideas to delight your guests.
A football-themed photo booth is always fun. First, create a football backdrop that helps your guests feel like they are at the big game. You can make it look as though you are sitting inside the stadium where the action is happening. Then, add some fun props, such as footballs, jerseys, football bead necklaces, football glasses, and more to let your guests create fun pictures to share.
Football season just isn’t the same without going tailgating at least once. One of the drawbacks of tailgating towards the end of the season is the cold weather, so set up a themed party indoors that looks like a tailgate party. Decorate your table to look like the back of a truck. Throw up some folding chairs for extra seating.
Since not everyone wants to sit still through the entire game, you may want to consider adding some fun games to your party. Some traditional favorites played before a game while tailgating include cornhole, washers, ring toss, beer pong (minus the beer for the kids), and more. Perfect for parties where there are a variety of ages. It’s a great way to keep kids occupied while the adults cheer for their favorite team.
Custom create some fun drinks to celebrate the Big Game. Make a cocktail to represent each team’s colors and let your guests decide who will be the winner of the matchup. You can even add to the event’s fun by using glasses shaped like footballs. Of course, if you can’t find appropriate glasses, you can always create your own using mason jars and some white tape to mimic the look of the laces on the football.
There are so many fun decorations that you can use to make your home festive for the Big Game. Hang up football streamers and similar decorations. Use the different team colors to create a bold look around your house. Big foam fingers scattered around the room that can be picked up and used during the game can be fun for all.
Let your guests make guesses about the game. Then, create a square game to let your friends have some friendly (or not so friendly among really competitive friends) competition on the Big Game. You can find these games online to print or create your own.
Food makes a party. Everyone wants to have plenty of snacks and dishes to eat while watching the fun on TV. Every party often goes the same for the homeowner throwing the party where they spend more time preparing food than enjoying their own party with their guests. So why not get someone else to handle the food? Catering means that your food probably won’t be warm by the time it’s delivered. Ordering in at the last minute from your local pizza joint or restaurant often leads to the food arriving later than you want. A personal chef is a perfect option. You can pick some dishes and have them prepared in your own kitchen. Your food will be hot and ready for your guests, and you get to participate in all the fun without missing out. The cherry on top is that the chef cleans up the kitchen after they’re finished cooking.
No party is complete without food, and dessert is always the perfect touch to help sweeten up your event. What better way to console fans disappointed their team is losing with something tasty to eat or make winning fans feel victorious as they cheer their team on for the W? There are lots of fun cupcake toppers and football-shaped cakes or cookies you can offer up to your guests. For instance, you can take peanut-butter cookies and shape them in an oblong shape. Once they come out of the oven, you can put some frosting on them in lines to complete the look. You can also turn chocolate-covered strawberries into little footballs with white chocolate details.
Have you ever played commercial bingo? It can be a lot of fun. Each card has different squares featuring something that may be featured in a commercial, such as a particular brand or the use of animals. Play bingo every round of commercials until someone gets bingo. For more adult gatherings where alcoholic beverages are flowing, you may want to consider playing a shots game. You can pick phrases or actions for during the football game or the commercials, and when it happens, it’s time to drink. For instance, if someone tears up during a commercial, they have to drink a shot, or if someone yells a particular phrase, they have to drink a shot. You can find both bingo cards and shot game directions online if these are new to you.
Not everyone you want to come to your party will be available to attend. You may have some family or friends who need to stay home for various reasons or aren’t able to come over, from quarantining to traveling for work. So, why not create a virtual watch party for the Big Game. Start by sending everyone attending virtually a list of all of the things you’ll have on hand so that they can prepare some of the same dishes. Then, everyone can log in and enjoy the game together.
Celebrating the Big Game in a big way is a time-honored tradition. You’ll be the talk of Monday after you pull off a big party. Let CookinGenie be part of your Big Game plans. No matter if you’re planning on just watching with family or a larger group, your personal chef can help you create a fantastic spread sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Check out the variety of dishes available for your next gathering.
21 Apr 2021
Today, the age-old question of how to meal prep for dinner is more complicated than ever. With a range of different meal delivery services, prepared and frozen foods delivered to your door, and a wide market for takeout, the choices are seemingly endless. Now, entering the fray is a new service, CookinGenie, which rethinks the idea of dining at home by bringing a culinary expert into your home to prepare a delicious, home-cooked meal in your very own kitchen. So, with all these choices available, let’s look at the process, price, positives, and negatives of each to find out the option that might work best for you.
$-$$ With so many different meal delivery kits available, the prices can run anywhere from $5/meal to $18/meal. But for most mainstream services like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, $10-12 per meal is standard.
Visit the website of one of the many meal delivery services, create a profile, and begin choosing your dishes. With a few clicks, you can have boxes of fresh ingredients and recipes arriving as soon as the next day. Then, unpack the box, follow the recipe, and cook yourself a meal.
Easier than shopping and cooking for yourself and cheaper than eating out, meal prepping kits are a good mix of affordability and convenience. But if you’re looking for a more memorable experience that you don’t have to cook yourself, there are better options out there.
$$ There are many different services that ship frozen meals to your door, and they can all fluctuate on price, with some high-end options out there. However, you can normally expect to pay about $11-15 per meal, plus shipping fees.
Create a profile on a frozen meal delivery site such as Home Bistro, choose your meal(s) or meal plan(s), wait for delivery, and pop the box in the microwave to heat up.
There’s no denying the convenience of being able to pop something in the microwave and have a hot meal in a few minutes. But while frozen meals have certainly improved from the days of supermarket TV dinners, they’re more of an occasional fare than something you’d want to eat regularly.
$-$$ Depending on where you’re getting takeout from, the price can fluctuate greatly.
Call up a restaurant, go online to order, or use one of the many apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats to set up a pickup or delivery.
Generally speaking, takeout is a relatively affordable, convenient way to have dinner once or twice a week.
$$ Prices will differ by Genie and by dish, but most are between $10-$15 per portion.
Visit CookinGenie.com, type in your location, and you can browse through our many talented genies. You can look through each genie’s menu and profile individually, or search by dish or type of cuisine. Then, select the dishes you want to order and pick a time and date for a genie to come to your home and cook for you. They will arrive with everything they need, cook you a delicious meal, and restore your kitchen to the state they found it in.
In terms of affordability, CookinGenie is on par with takeout, cheaper than frozen meal delivery, and just a hair more than most meal kits. But that small difference is well worth it when you consider the superior food and convenience of not having to cook yourself. With so many options out there, it can be hard to decide what the dinner plan should be. But all things considered, in terms of taste and overall value for your hard-earned dollars, CookinGenie stands head and shoulders above the rest.
