It doesn’t matter whether it’s a holiday invite or just another get-together. If you receive an invite over to someone’s home, it’s good manners to bring a host or hostess gift with you. At least that’s what I was taught and it’s just a nice gesture! So, as promised I am sharing 5 Hostess Gift Ideas That Won’t Leave You Empty Handed.
If you caught my blog post the other week 5 Southern Etiquette Rules We Shouldn’t Let Fade Away one of those was bringing a Hostess gift with you. Now you can always go the usual route of a bottle of wine or flowers. And that is great if you are in a pinch for time. But if you have time and want to step up your game, I am sharing a few ideas!
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1. High-Quality Pantry Staples
If you are invited to a dinner party or cookout, chances are the person, or couple enjoys cooking. I don’t know about you, but my husband and I don’t typically buy expensive or out-of-the-ordinary spices or salts. This is a great thing to bring as a host/hostess gift! There are so many options out there!
Do you know someone that has a pizza oven or loves to make their own pizzas at home? This would be a great hostess gift! It is a Pizza Seasoning Kit, something they wouldn’t buy themselves but would enjoy as a gift.
Who doesn’t love dipping bread? I’ll wait…. This is such a fun gift idea! We used to go to an Italian restaurant in South Carolina that had a great oil dipping sauce that my husband loved. This would be great to utilize during a get-together with family or friends!
If you know me at all you know I love pineapples! I may have to get this just to see how great it is. My mother-in-law loves to get different flavored oils to use. A great hostess gift would be either one or a set of flavored oils.
2. Unique Family Games
We love to play family games when the “kids” come to visit. I really am not advocating that you bring a Monopoly game with you as a hostess gift! But there are some great and unique games available that would be a nice gift to bring along!
This is one of those gifts that you didn’t know you needed until you have it! It’s also not just any ordinary dominos set, it’s gorgeous! There are several out there that are either glass or marble. It is a great touch!
Did you play backgammon when you were a kid? We did and my older sister always seemed to win! This is a step up, it’s wooden and is very pretty. It is something that your hostess could leave out on the table without worrying about it looking messy.
Everyone needs a decent card set around the house. I don’t know how many sets of cards we have that are missing a few cards. This set is great because it has a wood box that keeps everything all tidy.
3. Locally Made Candles
When we lived in South Carolina there is a candle company called, The Isle Co. And they have candles that you can use as lotion when they are melted. A great hostess gift would be to find a local candle company and purchase a few favorite candles to have on hand and bring them with you to give as hostess gifts.
If you don’t have a local candle company another great option is Etsy! Esty is a great way to support small businesses or filter down to a local business.
4. Personalized Card Set/Stationary
If you have been reading my blog for a while now you know I love giving and receiving cards! Who wouldn’t love receiving personalized cards or stationery? I know it might sound old-fashioned but there are still a lot of people that like to send thank you notes. If you have enough advanced notice, you should have the time to order it.
If you aren’t big on the stationary idea, go with a notepad or to-do list! I still like to write out a physical list of things I need to buy when I am going to run errands. I forget things easily! Lol! There are some cute options over on Etsy!
There are so many options out there to choose from! You never know you might get a thank you note from the very same gift you gave to the hostess! Lol!
5. Cookbook With Local Recipes
This is a fun idea for a host/hostess that loves to cook. I wouldn’t show up with a Betty Crocker cookbook, but I would hunt out a local cookbook that highlights local cuisine ideas.
How fun would it be to get a cookbook filled with recipes from favorite local restaurants that you can recreate?
If you are going to a BBQ, why not take a book full of BBQ recipes and techniques? This would be great for a guy in your life that likes to use a grill or smoker.
Alrighty! I gave you a few ideas to bring to the next get-together that you are invited to. Did any of this help or are you going to stick with wine & flowers?
Please share in the comments any ideas or hostess gifts that you have brought in the past, so you didn’t arrive empty-handed!
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