[suydam]

Here's your ultimate basket for adults:
6-pack of Bell's Oberon
a bottle of wine from Chateau Grand Traverse
some American Spoon jams or jellies
A pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company
Granola from The Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor
Sanders Hot Fudge Topping
Faygo "Rock-n-Rye"
and some Amway laundry soap.

Ok...maybe not the last one.

[and the]

Definately Vernors.....Michigan Cherries? Some type of bottle of wine from the Old Mission Peninsula area? A Kwame Kilipatrick campaign button? Something from the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village? I recommend some type of blown glass that they make right there.
the Henry Ford Online Store
Ford F-150? Iron or copper jewelry, scuptures or bookends? A scale model of the Edmund Fitzgeranld, or a Gordon Lightfood CD? Lighthouse figurine?
Bozo The Clown shoes? An old milk bottle from Twin Pines with a Milkie-The-Clown doll?

Autographed picture of Mr. Belvedere or Woodrow W. Woody? Something from Ste. Anne's in Detroit.....
Gift Shop

A Bob Seger CD? Motown CD's? Iggy Popp? Mitch Ryder? Rare Earth?

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by theboysmom

My friend is getting married at the end of next month and I'm a bridesmaid. She's come up with an idea for the welcome baskets that we'll place in the out of towners hotel rooms.

Besides the usual welcome basket goodies we've got the idea for some Michigan-centric items as these people have never been here much less anywhere near the midwest.

Now if I'm right, Faygo pop is only made in MI, right? Other than that, we really can't think of much else,lol. What about fudge from Mackinaw? Does anyone have a source to buy it online? Could google, but if you have a fav site, please share!

Any other Ideas? TIA for any suggestions.

Google for "Mackinac fudge" and you will instantly find several sales sites. Jiffy Mix (mixes for pancakes, brownies, cornbread, you name it) are made in Chelsea, MI. Pewabic pigs you can only get from Pewabic Pottery in Detroit. Kellogg's Cereals all originate from Battle Creek, MI. The world HQ for KMart is right in MI!!! How about some Ford Motor Co. themed keychains? UAW relics? Souvenirs from Domino's Farms, home of the pizza empire?

Best of all, what about gift certificates from King's Books, the world's greatest used bookstore, located on Lafayette in downtown Detroit?

[Cliffie]

OK...

Jiffy Mixes are exclusively made in Chelsea, MI
Kellogg's and Post cereals come from Battle Creek, MI
Pewabic pigs ONLY come from Pewabic Pottery in Detroit
Every Mackinac fudge palace has its own website!
CDs, or better yet a compilation CD made up of Michigan talent: White Stripes, Iggy Pop, Marshall Crenshaw, The Knack, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin, on and on...
Copper nuggets from up North
a nice Sea Lamprey from the Great Lakes
a Jackalope postcard from The Call Of The Wild Museum in Gaylord, MI
Ford Motors relics
UAW relics
Isle Royale greenstones
Petoskey stones
autographed 8x10 glossy photos of Jeff Feiger, Charlton Heston, Benny Napoleon, Aileen Wuornos, Kwame Kilpatrick, Mitt Romney, Jean Harris, Jack Kevorkian or other Michigan celebrities

[cardwellave]

And don't forget Better Made chips!

[trmaoy]

American Spoon cherry peach salsa, my new favorite thing!

[jrmontag]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

And don't forget Better Made chips!

sweet bbq for sure

[Rapunzll]

How many out of town guests are coming? I'm always amazed at how many brides have time to do this sort of thing!

I don't know where you live, but make sure that each room has a copy of the local visitors bureaus area guide. That should already be in the room, ask the hotel if they are provided for the guests. If they have time, they can take in some local sites.

[theboysmom]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

How many out of town guests are coming? I'm always amazed at how many brides have time to do this sort of thing!

24 all coming from the west coast. And she dosen't,lol. That's why I'm in charge of it. I'm happy to do it as she helped me out a ton when she was my bridesmaid.

Vernons! OMG, how could I have forgotten. When I was pregnant in VA, I CRAVED that stuff. My sweet, crazy mom actually FedEx'ed me a case of it. I don't even want to know the shipping on that. She even overnighted some Mexican food once. When it got to me, you would have thought it was an organ for transplant instead of burritos. Ha!

You all have given me some GREAT ideas. I didn't realize how much was actual made here.

So this is my tentative list (may add more as I go, but I think this is it) along with typlical welcome basket stuff, bottled water, info on the area, etc... I really want to stick with things that will be used/eaten. I hate giving stuff that'll just collect dust.

Bottle of vernors
cherry "something" from American spoon
fugde
bag of bettermade chips/plain
mix CD of detroit artists (LOVE that idea--Thanks!)
UM coffee mug
kiddos will get a matchbox ford truck or something

Along with a little note welcoming them and explaining the items and such...

You guys were a big help, thanks so much!

[mimberly]

I good idea is an ornament from Bronners' in FRANKENMUTH , Mi and a bag of Pionner Sugar made in MIchigan