Last Minute Easter Specials

Fill Your Easter Baskets with New Webkinz, Huckleberry Candy bar specials, bunnies and bonnets.
New Webkinz arrived just in time for filling Easter baskets. Check out these delightful new arrivals. We have donkey (looks a lot like donkey from Shrek), Warthog (looks a lot like Pumba), Rainbow Armadillo, and Dazzling Daschund. The armadillo has sparkling toenails and the daschund is positively pink.

Signature Webkinz just keep getting better and better. They are very well designed with super soft fur and come with fabulous virtual gifts when you adopt them. Who wouldn’t want one of these? This month we feature the Short Haired Yorkie, the Endangered Asian Elephant and the cunning fox. Quantities are very limited so don’t wait too long to pick one up.
Easter Special Alert!!!! Buy any webkinz pet on Friday or Saturday (April 2-3, 2010) and receive a FREE package of webkinz stickers. One per person, per purchase, while supplies last.

Here’s a few other items for your Easter baskets.

Bunnies and Hamsters

Huckleberry Candy bars will be buy 1 get one 50% off for Friday and Saturday. A delicious addition to any Easter basket.

Remember that we will be closed Easter Sunday.

Kierra came to visit and we had fun playing dress up. I am editing pictures, but check back tomorrow for pics and fun with Kierra.

Don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook. Look for High Country Gifts & Engraving for our Bozeman Store.

High Country Gifts

Tags: armadillo, asian elephant, bunnies, donkey, easter bunny, free webkinz stickers, hamster, signature webkinz, warthog, Webkinz, yorkie

I am amazed yet again at the creative minds of kids. There is truly some talent out there amongst some of our youngest fans.

We postponed our Webkinz Party this year to coincide with Halloween and gave the kids an opportunity to come up with something fun again. This time they needed to dress up their Webkinz in a fun Halloween Costume but they had to use all homemade items. No fair just dressing them up in Webkinz costumes. We divided the entries into age groups so the little kids didn’t have to compete with the older ones.

So let’s see those entries! The gallery pictures don’t always center well, so be sure to click on each picture to see the full image. Full descriptions are also available by clicking on the images.

Now that you’ve had time to see them all, which ones would you vote for? Leave us a comment and we will see who the winner of the people’s choice is.

First place winners receive a Webkinz with a matching Kinz Klip and Webkinz Stickers. Second place winners receive a Webkinz outfit and Webkinz Stickers. Third Place Winners get a Webkinz Figurine and Webkinz Stickers. This year we also awarded all other contestants an honorary prize of Webkinz trading cards just for entering. 

Tomorrow is the big party and announcement of the winners. Hope to see you here!

Tags: costume, Kinz Klips, party, Stickers, Webkinz, Webkinz clothing

Tags: best prices, costume contest, halloween party, October 31, webkinz party

The Gallatin Valley Mall recently started its “Best Kept Secret” media campaign on the radio and television. All the stores in the mall were asked to submit their best kept secret. We submitted that our best kept secret was all the engraving we do. We engrave all kinds of things from jewelry, lockets, watches, belt buckles and key chains to plastic signs, namebadges and award plaques. We engrave all kinds of uncommon and unusual  items that our customers bring us, like ipods, anvils, chrome wheel covers, stethescopes and cell phones. With 22 plus years of engraving experience we can engrave metal, plastic, wood and glass with relative ease.

The “Best Kept Secret” campaign made me think of other “secrets” or great finds that often get overlooked in our larger store. There are so many things to look at when you arrive, that some things may get overlooked. So today we will give you some other “secrets” for you to look for in your next visit. (I made up the number 191, but it got you looking didn’t it?)

Go Green!

It has been the catch phrase for the year. Of course we have some of our go green items in the store, but we haven’t given them lots of fanfare. Here is my favorite: its a product called Fresh Wave. My sister found this in a store and introduced me to this product. I absolutely loved it and decided to carry it in the store, even if I was the only one who bought it.  This is Secret #191.

Fresh Wave is a jar of odor neutralizing crystals.  Skeptical? So was I when I first tried it. My sister said she used it in her kitchen and it really helped with cooking odors. I said, well, then I have to try it. My husband absolutely loves bacon and cooks it almost every morning. My house is small and when I would come home from work at night our house stilled smelled like bacon and my coat, which hangs by the front door, smelled like bacon. All the dogs in the neighborhood loved me!  All I had to do was open the jar, leave it on the counter and all the lovely bacon smells disappeared. This has a very light fragrance,  it is made from extracts of soy, lime, pine needle, aniseed, clove and cedar wood. It won’t be immediate, nor will it mask your bad odors with a perfumey smell, but will be subtle and wonderful. I leave mine on the counter opened 24/7 and a jar will last about 2-3 months. My sister only opens hers when she needs it, so it lasts even longer.

All Fresh Wave products are biodegradable and non-toxic – perfect for the naturally green home. You can use it next to the litter box, you don’t have to worry about your pets eating it. I added it to the basement where the dog would sleep and lost that damp dog smell. A 16 oz. jar is just $14.99 for several months of fresh air. It is great in attics, bathrooms and just about every room in the house. You got smells you don’t like? Try some Fresh Wave and see if it doesn’t make a difference.

http://highcountrygifts.com

Tags: best kept secret, Fresh Wave, Go Green, High Country Gifts & Engraving, non-toxic

  My husband likes to make fun of me at Mother’s day and tell me, he didn’t get me anything because I’m not his mother.  I always remind him that while I’m not his mother I am the mother of his children, and if he wants a Father’s day gift, he better shape up!   Needless to say, I always love my Mother’s day gifts. 

Father’s are special people.  Most of them are pretty easy to please.  Many of them enjoy just spending the day with the family; camping, fishing or relaxing.   How do you tell your father that you love him in a way that he’ll never forget?  Engrave something special for him!  My friend Chris brought in a cymbal from his dad’s drum set to be engraved.  He had the cymbal framed with pictures of him and his dad playing the same drum set.  On the cymbal he engraved, “Like father, like son.”  Now that almost brought tears to my eyes.  I know his dad will love and cherish it forever.

Be creative this father’s day.  Some of the more unique items we have engraved include: Ipods, golf clubs, rifles, saw blades, stethescopes, an anvil, a chrome header, pool cues, and tools.  The list could be endless. Give us a try and we’ll see if we can engrave it for you.    Now you just have to decide what to say.  If all else fails, you can borrow my poem that I wrote several years ago:  Roses are red, fish are smelly, I love you more than peanut butter and jelly.

Aside from engraving, we offer so many m0re ideas for Fathers.  Fun BBQ aprons, BBQ sauces and breads, and great T-shirts.  Our favorite T-shirt says on the front ”PETA  (People Eating Tasty Animals)” and on the back says “All creatures look best next to the mashed potatoes and gravy”.  A classic gift for the hunter or fisherman in the family!

We look forward to seeing you!  Happy Father’s Day!

Tags: & Engraving, bbq, camping, engraved gift, father's day, fishing, ipod, PETA, pool cue, son, tshirts

Meet the newest member of the High Country Gifts family,  Kierra Lee, who decided she was impatient to get here and go to work. She arrived 5 weeks early and weighs an impressive 4lbs 15.7 ounces. Sarah and baby are both doing well.

Webkinz Party News

We have finalized the webkinz party plans for Saturday, March 28. The party will be from 11am-2pm and we have the following fun activities planned.

• Everyone’s favorite…. the Wheel of Wow will be here. One spin per person will be allowed, but you may be able to earn extra spins in some of the other games.
• Webkinz is all about taking care of your pets. The Humane Society/Heart of the Valley takes care of pets and needs our help. Bring some pet food, kitty litter or other things the humane society can use and get an extra spin on the Wheel of Wow. Go here to their wish list for more ideas of what they can use.
• Play the Wishing Well. Everyone will get one turn at this one. We will lay out 3 rows of cards and you can win based on what you get in a row.
• Hunt for gems in our Gem Mine. You will get up to 3 tries to find a colored gem to win a prize. Once you find a colored gem, you trade that in to get your prize.
• Take the Jelly Bean Challenge. One guess per person. Guess the correct number and win a webkinz. Only one will be awarded per day.
• If you are lucky enough to win curio cash on the Wheel of Wow, you will get to spend your curio cash at our version of the Curio Shop. Many items will be offered, some rare, some fun and some just delicious.

We have lots of prizes planned, including Smencils, Webkinz bookmarks, extra spins on the wheel of Wow, bags of gems, playdoh and candy treats. Our staff is excited to play games with everyone and hope to see you all there!

The Webkinz Crafty Bed Contest Winners will be announced. Be sure to get your bed in by Friday, March 27th to enter the contest. There will be 3 age groups, with 1 winner per group. Each winner will receive their choice of a webkinz (whatever we currently have in stock), a webkinz outfit and a pack of trading cards. For a full list of rules, download our entry form here.

We will have a people’s choice award for the Crafty Bed Contest as well. Vote for your favorite bed at Saturday’s party. We will announce the winner after the party is over.

So don’t forget to come to High Country Gifts & Engraving in the Gallatin Valley Mall, between Penneys and Eddie Bauer, on Saturday, March 28 from 11am-2pm for a fun day of Webkinz activities.

Tags: Crafty Bed Contest, Gallatin Valley Mall, Heart of the Valley, High Country Gifts, Humane Society, Webkinz, webkinz party

We send our congratulations to Rechelle & Tobe who were married on Saturday, March 14, 2009.  Rechelle has worked for us at High Country Gifts for many years now and we can’t be any more pleased that she married a great guy like Tobe.

The wedding was a huge success….especially considering the last minute decisions that were made. Friends and family all worked together to get the wedding off without a hitch. The band was great and the dancing was fun.

Stop in and wish Rechelle well if you get the chance.

Rechelle & Tobe

Tags: Dempsey, Rechelle, Tobe, wedding

You’ve had lots of fun playing the jelly bean contest. We’ve had lots of fun giving away lots of them. Now it is time to become creative and have some family fun. Here’s a little project you can do with your family, enter it in our contest and maybe win a webkinz!!

Design and make a bed for your webkinz to sleep in. You must use your imagination! Then get out some glue, or markers or crayons with some paper or cloth. This is a great family activity that even Mom or Dad can help you with. Since spring break is next week, you should have lots of time to get one ready.

Enter your pet between March 21-27. We will have judging on March 28 and decide on the winners. There will be 3 age groups, Under 6, 7-9, 10 and over. Each age group will have a chance to win a webkinz prize. You can earn bonus points by writing a story about your bed, which pet likes to sleep in it, or how you made it. Please do NOT bring your pet with your bed. Limit the overal size of your bed to under 16 inches by 16 inches. Now get to work and come up with something cool!!

Here are some ideas to get you started. These were all made by the staff here at High Country Gifts.

Choo Choo Dreams

This Chihuahua loves to ride the rails and dreams of being an engineer on the Hiawatha. The Hiawatha used to run through Bozeman all the way to Seattle. Made of cardboard and spray paint, look how creative you can be.

Butterfly Kisses Sleep Tight

Kebas loves to chase butterflies in the daytime and dreams of butterfly kisses at night. He made his bed from cardboard, some cloth, pipe cleaners and a hot glue gun. (Make sure you only use a glue gun with a parents supervision!)

Rainbow in the Clouds

Cosmo loves to fly in the clouds, especially after a rain fall. This is where he can catch a rainbow. Made of popsicle sticks, a cardboard box and some cotton batting. Simple and clever.

Under the Sea

Piranha sends you fish kisses from his under the sea bed. Complete with fish soaps, waves and sea shells. Made from a cracker box, covered with colored paper with fish soaps glued along the sides.

Download and print the entry form from Here.

Tags: free webkinz, webkinz contest, Webkinz crafty bed contest

March 5, 2009 at about 8:15 in the morning a natural gas explosion tore through our downtown, completely destroying 3 businesses and damaging several others. Completely gone are Boodles, Lilly Lu, and Montana Trails Gallery. Other casualties include the Rocking R bar, the American Legion, Starky’s, the Pickle Barrel (located within the Rocking R). As yet to be determined are structural damages to nearby buildings.

My husband was crossing our porch to go to work when he heard the explosion and watched as bricks, wood and dust flew up into the air. We live over 6 blocks from the explosion and the debris flew several stories into the air. The fire came later from a leak in the gas lines. Emergency crews responded quickly with help immediately coming from the state as well.

You can read more about it at http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/03/06/news/000explosion.txt

One person is reported missing as of this time. While we are thankful that so many have been spared our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this person. I do not want them to think they are forgotten.

I love this community and the reason is easy to see in troubled times. Everyone  pitches in, offers help and rallies around. It doesn’t matter if its a huge event like this explosion or a person with health concerns or what. This is a giving community. I am also proud of our local news station, which reported the news in a simple fact reporting fashiion, then turned the focus on the positive and how our community will rebuild and become stronger. It was so different than the national news would have reported it. Our radio stations were on the cutting edge and keeping us informed within minutes of hearing of the explosion. Thank you to Pete and Colleen of the XL station for some great reporting. I managed to listen to it off and on all day at work through the internet. What a great job.

This tragedy will not be over soon, much work is left to be done. But do not worry, it will be done, and with the same determination that most westerners have. It is the same spirit that the early settlers of this town had and that many who still live here have. Hard work and community spirit will keep the downtown section the jewel that it is.

Thank you Bozeman.

http://highcountrygifts.com

Tags: Bozeman explosion, downtown explosion