Our bakery is located in Phoenix, AZ and one of our neighbors is a construction and development company called Vivo. Recently, Vivo  volunteered for the holidays at a local shelter in the valley called St. Vincent De Paul. They asked Fairytale Brownies for a donation of brownies to go toward the shelter, and we were more than happy to help out. Here is a picture that some of the Vivo workers took passing out some of our Fairytale Brownies. Additionally, Fairytale Brownies continues to donate thousands of brownies toward St. Vincent De Paul on a year-round basis. Thank you Vivo for helping to make the world a sweeter place!

We love getting feedback from our customers here at Fairytale Brownies. Every time you order brownies, you and your recipient get an opportunity to tell us what you love and if you have any suggestions for us. If you haven't ever responded to our online survey or via the postcard in your brownie box, please do so the next time you order. Or send an email to service@brownies.com. You just might be featured on our blog! We got some emails today about two things that are near and dear to our hearts, soldier care packages and our partnership with KaBOOM!, so I thought I would share them.

"Hey, I just want to say thank you so much for supporting the troops. One of the girls I know said she was trying to order brownies and you sent some to her deployed soldier at your expense. Although I am lucky enough to have my husband home this holiday season, I just want to say thanks again, because little things like this mean the world to deployed soldiers who are happy to have anything that reminds them of home. Next deployment I will be sure to pass along the word that you guys are great! I hope your business continues to be prosperous." -Rebekah S.

"Hello Fairytale Brownies. My wife and I have been using your services to send client gifts for 10+ years. We were recently visiting my grandparents in Long Beach, MS and were amazed to see your name on a small park sign - as a supporter and contributor to the KaBOOM park project. Thank you for giving my 3 little girls a fun place to play in a tiny town that was almost wiped off the map." -Ryan

Thanks Rebekah and Ryan for your kind words, we really appreciate it!

~Kari

Gosh, it's unbelievable that it is November already. We are geared up here at Fairytale Brownies for the holiday season. As we've shared with you previously, we have some really cool new custom gifts this year. We can print your full-color logo or photo on our keepsake wooden boxes and on our gift favors. Also new this year, we are printing on gift ribbon that wraps around your Fairytale gift. Click the links below for examples of our new custom gifts.

Examples of our Custom full-color Gift Favors.

Examples of our Custom Gift Ribbon.

Examples of our Custom Keepsake Gifts.

What is really cool too, is that there are no minimums on custom gifts anymore. Previously, we had a 25 gift minimum, but we decided to do away with that to make it easier on our customers who didn't need 25 or more customized gifts. There is a one week lead time on custom orders to get the order placed and to get the artwork approved. So, if you're interested, the custom gift deadline is November 17th!

You can always call customer service with any questions at 800.324.7982. You can also email us at service@brownies.com with questions as well. We will get back to you within one business day.

Thank you, and have a Fairytale Day!

~ Hilary

We are starting to get busier as the holidays gets closer. Today the Shipping Team was busy at work building the Fairytale Tower gift to fulfill orders that have been placed.  We thought that the assembly line of towers looked like a toy shop (by the way, the picture doesn't really do it justice, it's much more impressive in person).
Check it out:





The end of the assembly line here is where the gifts get packed into Fed Ex boxes and get shipped to those lucky gift recipients about receive a yummy gift of gourmet brownies!


We hope you enjoyed this 'behind the scenes' look into the Fairytale Brownies warehouse. We love to hear customer feedback, so don't be shy and leave us a comment :o)

~ Hilary

We just recently discovered Yelp here at Fairytale Brownies. Yelp is the fun and easy way to find reviews and to share your thoughts and insights on all local businesses and services. It is the ultimate city guide, and Yelp makes finding reviews fast and easy by collecting and organizing recommendations in one convenient place.

We found that Fairytale Brownies has been reviewed 15 times by different Yelpers. 11 of those reviews received a 5-Star rating, a perfect score! Click on the Yelp image below to read our reviews. 

It is pretty fascinating to read the customer brownie stories! There are some pretty die-hard Fairytale Brownies fans out there! We love it, so keep those brownie stories coming!

~ Hilary

Recently, Fairytale Brownies was featured in a story in the "Chronicle of Philanthropy". The article details Fairytale Brownies partnership with KaBOOM! and how we give back to the community. I hope you enjoy reading the article as much as I did!
 

Bakery's Partnership With Charity Is Recipe For Success

How it gives: Fairytale Brownies supports KaBOOM!, a Washington charity that builds playgrounds in neighborhoods nationwide. Fairytale Brownies donates 25 cents for every "Happy Birthday" or other special-occasion message it sells. It also donates gift bags to KaBOOM! that the charity hands out to volunteers and corporate sponsors. Last year, Fairytale Brownies added a page to its Web site that allows customers to donate a dollar to KaBOOM! when they make a purchase.
 
Fairytale Brownies employees volunteer with KaBOOM! to build playgrounds in and around Phoenix. "For our employees, it's a great eye-opener and builds awareness of their community," says Eileen Spitalny, one of the founders. "For a lot of us, we feel we have never accomplished so much in a day."
 
How it got the idea: When Ms. Spitalny and her business partner, David Kravetz, started the company, they received numerous requests from charities that wanted to work with them. For the pair, who met on a playground as kindergarten students, KaBOOM! seemed like the perfect fit. The charity was small but growing, like their company, and it worked nationwide.

How much it gives: Fairytale Brownies has raised $3,900 in the past year through its Web-site donation program. It has also contributed more than 20,000 pounds of brownies, or roughly $60,000, and donated an additional $30,000 since the company started working with KaBOOM! in 2002. Fairytale Brownies employees have donated more than 1,000 hours of volunteer time.

How the business has benefited: The exposure Fairytale Brownies receives through its donations of gift bags has helped drive sales, says Ms. Spitalny. Her business has generated more than $14,000 in the past two years from people who said they heard about the company through KaBOOM!

Working with KaBOOM! has also helped Ms. Spitalny develop ties with some of the charity's corporate donors, including Home Depot. "What charities can offer is the exposure they have to the business community," says Ms. Spitalny.

The charity's perspective: Darrell Hammond, founder of KaBOOM!, says working with Fairytale Brownies has increased public awareness of his charity.

Fairytale Brownies publicizes KaBOOM! prominently on its Web site, and a year after Hurricane Katrina, the company gave Mr. Hammond space in its print catalog to write about continuing needs in Louisiana. "They are probably still one of the top 10 reasons people hear about KaBOOM!," he says.

Why the partnership has worked: Fairytale Brownies employed about 15 people year-round when its founders approached KaBOOM!, and as it has grown the company's employees have continued to develop new ways to work together. "It has to be an ongoing conversation about how we can help each other," says Mr. Hammond.

~ Hilary

This week Fairytale Brownies had a Corporate Gifts showcase in our retail store for all of our Corporate Clients and Distributors. We showcased our new customizing options and our new custom packaging. We also sampled Fairytale Brownies, Fairytale Cocoa and Fairytale Coffee as well as our newest item, Fairytale Truffles! It was a great success and we had a great time visiting with all of our Corporate Clients and Distributors. Here is a picture from our event. Also, check out the background through the windows! Those are our bakers baking our delicious gourmet brownies!



~ Brandie