Ask Alyssa All Things PR/Marketing

It's September! Sixteen weeks from today is the Wednesday before Christmas. How's that for time flying?

No need to panic though. Fairytale Brownies has everything you need to guarantee your gifts will be well received. New tower gifts, new gourmet cookies, new gift bands, new truffle flavors - the hardest part of purchasing will be deciding who is getting what new gift!

Personally, I like the tower gifts because they include a little bit of everything we bake - brownies, Sprites, Magic Morsels and cookies. I love to reuse my boxes so once the fudge brownies are gone, something else will fill their place.

September is also is the month when our retail store goes back to winter hours. Beginning Tuesday, September 7, we will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Once the holiday season officially begins in December, we will be open Saturdays, but until then we are on a Monday through Friday schedule. Find our address and retail store hours here!

Although most of the country is enjoying some cooler temperatures, Arizona still is experiencing high 90- to 110-degree temperatures. Fairytale Brownies will continue its practice to ship all gifts in an insulated box with cold packs Monday through Wednesday. October soon will arrive with cooler temperatures and our regular Monday - Friday shipping schedule will resume. Getting brownies delivered or cookies delivered is easy! 

Hmm. All of this talk about the holidays is making me want some hot chocolate. Who has the marshmallows?

 
Bring extra cash or your checkbook to purchase $2 raffle tickets for the following prizes: Two fudgy brownie gift towers from Fairytale Brownies; gift certificates provided by @BarterGroupAZ to Campus Flowers, Greene Video, Organic Cleaners, Az Powerchutes for 2 people, and a Hot Air Balloon Ride; a gift certificate to Famous Dave’s BBQ courtesy of @charshaff; and dinner for two at The District American Kitchen, from @DistrictKitchen.

Each person leaving The District for the evening will receive a Chocolate Chip Sprite and a NEW Fairytale Caramel Pecan or Double Chocolate cookie. We would like for you to tell us what you think of the cookies by tweeting @ftbrownies or commenting on our Facebook page. We LOVE feedback!

Come join in the fun while helping raise funds to build a playground for disadvantaged children in the Phoenix area.

We have a back-to-school tradition in my household that began in 1991 when my oldest son started kindergarten. One by one, my children stand by the front door dressed in their new school clothes and smile so I can take a picture of the beginning of a new school year. Some years they smiled and other years they rolled their eyes, but I have those precious photos that chronicle every year of growth.

This year, my youngest son will have his first day of school and I will not be there to record it - the entire family except him will be out of town. I plan to take his picture when I get back, but in my mind, the photo won't be the same.

For those of you who haven't established a first-day-of-school tradition, try this: Serve Fairytale Brownies as an after-school treat! Place the gourmet fudgy brownies on a plate and serve with a cold glass of milk and lots of love!
 
Every year, one of my Mom friends has served cookies to her children when they come home from their first day of school. Last year, she decided to take the children out for frozen yogurt instead. Although the children love frozen yogurt, they wanted to know where the cookies were. The cookies were just the store-bought variety and not as delicious as a Belgian dark chocolate brownie from Fairytale Brownies, but they were served with "love" and the children knew it.
 
This year, my friend is serving Fairytale Brownies as her first-day, after-school treat. Her children will know they are loved after just one bite of a chocolaty brownie, and they won't even remember the store-bought cookies from the past.

 

I'm planning a "going away to dental school" party for my son at the end of the month and asked him what foods he would like to serve his guests. Fudgy chocolate brownies from Fairytale Brownies made the list.

Kevin's undergraduate degree is in Exercise and Wellness, and with 6% body fat, he is a walking billboard for healthy living. He can eat anything and everything and not gain weight.

Let me say this right now - Kevin does NOT get his body from his mother. I have a shape. Some call it "round." The difference between my son and I is that Kevin understands the meaning of the word "moderation." I'm still learning it.

Fairytale Brownies has a brownie size for every appetite - full-size 3" x 3" squares for those who love their Belgian dark chocolate;  1 1/2" x 3" Sprites for those interested in portion control; and 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" Magic Morsels for those who can be satisfied with a few bites of delicious chocolaty goodness.

Kevin likes the Chocolate Chip Magic Morsels. The great thing about the Magic Morsels gift is that four different flavors come in a box so one can eat an Original, Chocolate Chip, Caramel and Walnut morsel, and technically only have consumed one brownie.

I'm serving Magic Morsels at Kevin's party. No guilt for any of us!

Cookies and milk, chips and dip, apple pie and ice cream. Three notoriously delicious pairs. Brownies and beer. Two favorites individually, but not commonly paired as a couple. Arizona Girls Pint Out, Sleepy Dog Brewery and Fairytale Brownies will unite the unlikely couple at a Brownie & Beer Pairing on July 22.

The fund-raising event is still in the planning stages, but the brownies and beer have been sampled and we have created six delicious combinations.

The hosts of the evening are:

Arizona Girls Pint Out: A group of women who love beer. They describe themselves as, "gals into grolsch. Ladies into lagers. Princesses into pilsners. Angels of ale. With a Southwestern twist!" There are 170 fans on their Facebook page.

Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery: Owner Rob Sizemore has turned his longtime passion for brewing beer into practice with his understated, modern facility in Tempe. Lime green walls and purple couches invite patrons to sit and sip awhile. Six different brews will be featured in the evening's pairing - Light American Lager, Spring Marzen, Hefeweizen, Irish Red Ale, Scottish Amber Ale and Milk Stout. I tried every one of these beers and I have to say, they all are tasty. I even have three favorites right now.

Fairytale Brownies: Known for our fudgy chocolate brownies, we recognize that our gourmet treats go with just about everything. We will pair a different dark chocolate brownie flavor with each of the beers. Your taste buds will thank you for participating! Mine did. It's interesting to note that my three favorite beers go with my three favorite brownie flavors - Toffee Crunch, Caramel and Walnut. Coincidence?

We are raising funds to build a local playground with our national nonprofit partner KaBOOM! A portion of the $15 entry fee will go towards the build to be held in April 2011.

As more details about the Brownies & Beer Pairing are confirmed - such as the time of the event - we will invite you to join us. The evening should prove to be a great Arizona girls night out.

By now, most of you know about Fairytale Brownies' partnership with the national nonprofit KaBOOM! and the fact that we are trying to raise funds to build a playgound in Phoenix. We are ready to provide your first opportunity to participate in our project.

When you buy brownies online, you can donate $1, $5, $10 or any denomination to KaBOOM! at checkout and the money will go towards our playground build in April 2011.

You can monitor our fund-raising progress on Fairytale's KaBOOM! facts page.

Fairytale's brownie gifts are the perfect way to spread chocolate happiness all over the world. We ship brownies pretty much everywhere.

Send brownies and don't forget to donate your dollars at checkout.

Thanks!
 

I just found out that yesterday was "Best Friends Day" and I missed it!

Well, my three best friends know that I am ALWAYS late so they won't be surprised if I send my Happy Best Friends Day wishes after the fact.
 
To Dollie, my best friend from kindergarten, Barb L. aka Bobbie, my best friend from high school and Barb A. aka Fluffy, my best friend from adulthood: We hardly ever see each other but I know that when we get together we'll just continue where we left off!

I'm surprising each of them with some fudgy chocolate brownies from Fairytale Brownies.

There have been many great songs written about friends, but  "You've Got a Friend,"  "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "For Good" (from "Wicked") best describe my relationship with these three women.

Do you have a favorite "friends" song?

Have you talked with your best friends lately? You might want to order brownies online and let them know you're thinking about them.
 

Desert Voices Oral Learning Center in Phoenix was one of the recipients. The school teaches deaf and hard of hearing children how to speak and how to understand when others speak to them. The school's ultimate goal is to mainstream children into a traditional school setting with speech, language, academic and social skills equal to those of their hearing peers.

Corporate Sales team member Kristie White took photos of some of the creations her son, Josef, and his friends made at Desert Voices.

Joe sits with a few of his creations: a piggy bank, a grill and a tool box.

More than 100 "banks" were sent out as part of a school fund-raiser, "Coins for Kids." Each child will continue to collect coins until June 24. MidFirst Bank will be at the school on the 24th to count the proceeds. The bank will match the first $1,000, Desert Voices Board of Directors will match the second $1,000, and an anonymous donor will match the third $1,000. The school will have an ice cream sundae party the next day to celebrate the children's hard work.

Joe shows us the tool box and several tools that he made. If Dad borrows thse tools, Joe, make sure he puts them back in the proper place.

The students also have used Fairytale packaging for buildings, vehicles, jewelry boxes, and treasure chests.



My favorite creation is the grill. Notice the fire under the grate cooking those adorable hot dogs and cheeseburgers. There's even a chicken leg cooking on the far right. I'll take my burger well done, Joe!

Thank you Desert Voices. What a great job of creating new things with Fairytale Brownies packaging.

Many schools, particularly colleges and universities, have held graduation ceremonies this month, and Fairytale Brownies were a part of the celebration after the ceremonies.

Wholesale Team Member Holly Pringle tells her graduation story:

My husband and I flew to Boise, Idaho, from Phoenix for our older son’s graduation last weekend.  Andrew graduated from Boise State University with an MBA.  We were spending the weekend in Boise with my family and I knew there would be a barbecue to help celebrate Andrew’s accomplishment.  While thinking about what I could bring on the airplane for something to share at the celebration, I knew that Fairytale Brownies Congratulations Sprite 24 gift was the perfect solution!  What a great way to say “Congratulations” and enjoy deliciously fudgy gourmet brownies at the same time.  The brownie gift is beautifully wrapped and was easy to put in my backpack and carry on the plane.  My daughter-in-law, Meghan, prepared such a wonderful dinner celebration.  With so much good food to eat, the brownie Sprites were the perfect size to still be able to enjoy a delicious dessert as a perfect compliment to a great meal!  Several guests at the party had never tried Fairytale Brownies and they were in for a treat!  Since there are 12 different flavors to choose from and 2 of each flavor in the box, everyone was able to try a different flavor and they were all swooning over the brownies.  They asked me where they can purchase Fairytale Brownies and it was easy to say just go to brownies.com because several people were from different states. It is a pleasure to say that I work for Fairytale Brownies.  I love spreading brownie joy and helping to make the world a sweeter place!

If you have a graduation story that includes celebrating with Fairytale Brownies, we would love to hear from you. Congratulations to Andrew and all of our Fairytale graduates!

Expedited shipping is the only way to send fudgy chocolate brownies cross country from Fairytale Brownies at this point in time, but there's still an option left for Arizona locals looking for a Mother's Day dessert or gift.

Visit us at either of two Costco locations - Cave Creek or Scottsdale - for a Mother's Day Roadshow from Thursday through Saturday.

We will have plenty of Mother's Day Dozens, Fairytale Dozens and Fairytale Sprite Dozens for purchase at a great Costco price.

The Cave Creek store is located at 2450 E. Beardsley, Phoenix, AZ.

The Scottsdale store is located at 15255 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ.

Fairytale team members will be at both locations during Costco business hours, and will be sampling a variety of brownie flavors throughout the weekend. So come by and say hello to us!

Pick up a couple of Mother's Day gifts and don't forget any other special occasions that might sneak up on you in May - graduation, teacher thank-you gifts, going away parties, Memorial Day and just because. Our brownies freeze well up to six months.

In case you're wondering, I'll be in Scottsdale... see you there!