Harry & David – Pismo Beach

It’s been said that humans are creatures of habit and I am afraid this describes me rather well. I go to the same places for the same things and I tend not to expand my horizons as often as I should. When Harry and David first moved into the Pismo Beach Premium Outlets I thought “Oh right, that’s the place that sends the mail-order fruit.”  Over the years I have expanded that definition when introduced to new products like the crack cocaine of sweet and salty snacks – Moose Munch.  They have also been a great stop for last-minute stocking stuffers as well (ever sampled a Moose Munch Bar? OMG!)

After meeting my husband I also discovered that Harry and David was one of the few stores in California where you can find year-round his favorite elusive jam – Marion Berry Preserves.  Most Californians have not heard of or seen a Marion Berry let alone tasted one.  Having grown up in Alaska and going to school in Oregon this is Michael’s favorite so I always know where I can pick up a jar if we are running low.

Harry & David

Recently, however, I expanded my horizons a bit and made a fantastic discovery.  My business partner/mother is a fantastic gift basket designer.  It’s her natural ability to pick up items here and there throughout the year at great prices. Then somehow, through her special magic, they all come together in a fabulous basket that usually fetches double or triple what it cost. Since we are asked by various groups (my Rotary Club, the Chambers of Commerce, our Keller Williams office) to contribute several items per year it always comes in handy. However this past month we were short on time and short on items so I decided to just pop in to H&D and purchase a pre-made basket.  I’ve seen them before and they are good solid baskets that please auction shoppers and fit the bill.

What I didn’t know was that you can also collect the items in their store and make your own basket with your own theme! It was almost as good as taking a tour of my mom’s basket room – and we quickly thought of two different themes that I have not seen repeated at auctions often.  The first was a complete margarita party – just add the Cuervo – with fabulous confetti-colored glasses and pitcher, lime salt for the rims, custom H&D lime mix and their Flax See chips and Texas Style Salsa. Add two of their festive tea towels and the lucky winner of this auction item could lay out a whole spread in a jiffy! The second was a pasta dinner basket with gourmet fettuccini, sauce, colander, serving bowl and individual bowls – complete with a pasta server and cute tea towels too.

Both of these baskets were under $100 and looked like $150 in value. The best part? The friendly and helpful staff helped us complete the basket with custom shrink-wrap packaging and beautiful bows. They also helped us locate items that would round out the baskets (even in the clearance sections for added savings!!).  We walked away in less than an hour with two fabulous baskets that made their respective recipient organizations make some money. It was a win-win-win.

I highly recommend stopping in when you are in the area. It is going to be more than a source for fruit, jam and Moose Munch for me in the future. There are great baskets yet to be made and great gifts yet to be discovered at our hidden Harry and David gem – and a great staff to help you find them!