What to Put in Get Well Gift Baskets

Get well gift baskets can brighten the day of a sick or injured person. Depending on the extent and severity of the illness, these gift baskets can be tailored to just about anyone. Here are some suggestions:

Cookie Baskets: Get well gift baskets of cookies and treats can really make someone feel better quickly. The basket can be full of one kind of cookie or a variety of favorites, making this an all-around good choice. But ask first about dietary restrictions due to surgery or medication.

Soup Basket: Everyone knows that soup is good for almost any illness. Present the sick person with a collection of gourmet soups and a new soup mug as a get well gift. Packets of crackers and tea bags ensure that the sick person has plenty to eat and enough liquids to start feeling better.

Boredom Basket: If the sick person is going to be off his feet for a while, at home or in the hospital, make a boredom basket to occupy his time. Fill it with get well items that he can do with a visitor or alone, such as a new novel, word search or sudoku puzzles, a few magazines, brain teasers or a new CD or DVD.

Spa Basket: Women and even some men might appreciate get well gift baskets with a spa theme. Filled with lotion, soft socks, tissue packets, lip gloss, manicure kit, hair accessories, face moisturizer and body spray can make a few days in the hospital much more bearable.

Joke Basket: There are plenty of illnesses or hospital stays that are not serious, and a joke or get well gag basket may be just the thing to bring a smile to the recipient's face. Fill it with "get well pill bottles" filled with candy, funny certificates of "health," books of hospital or doctor jokes and even a flavored candy thermometer.