With the holiday season here, its time for Holiday parties and get togethers. With all these great soirees, it is important to remember your hosts and hostesses when attending. I know the holidays can be overwhelming in terms of gifts, but we should always be prepared to thank our friends and families for putting us up in their homes, whether its for a party or a whole week. The hosts and hostesses in our lives put a lot of effort into planning a great time for their guests. How can we return the favor.
Here are some of my favorites.
For the Entertaining Hostess, I love gifts for the home, especially monogrammed gifts. Anything to allow the hostess to make entertaining easier is also a great way to approach finding the perfect gift.
The Calendar Dishtowel Set from Anthropologie. It is a set of 3 with each towel representing four of the months for 2013. These make a great calendar for the kitchen and the designs are playful and fun. The set of 3 will run you $32.
From West Elm, the Baggu Bag costs $45 with an additional $7 for monograms. The bag comes in multiple colors and there are multiple choices for fonts in the monogram options. The bag is made of recycled materials (so its environmentally friendly) and has a great adjustable strap. It is a great bag for errands, the park, the beach, etc.
From Williams-Sonoma, this footed glass jar is beautiful on any table. It is a great hostess serving piece and is a great gift for newlyweds with a etched monogram for $7. The size shown here is the large for $49.95. There is also a medium size for $39.95.
The Birchbox Home Box. This is a limited edition item that is full of great testers and items for your house. Like Birchbox some items are smaller sample sizes and others are full size options. The box comes with custom recipe cards, a bamboo spatula set, Stem Citrus spritzer, Dean & Deluca Rosemary salt (amazeballs), Sabatino and Co. Roma's Truffle sea salt, chalkboard place cards (I have chalkboard napkin rings and they are so handy), note cards from Paperless Post, Antica Farmacista Home Ambiance Fragerance, and Napkin rolls and a DIY kit to make ikat fabric napkins. There are two choices for your final item - either Johnathan Adler Playing cards or Chambre de Sucre Rainbow Sugar Crystals. I personally would choose the sugar crystals to make Creme Brulee, but the cards are super adorable! Both kits will run you $58, an awesome deal in my opinion.
C.Wonder Monogrammed Coasters. These are a great little gift to buy for people. The monogram pattern changes based on the letter, but all the letters are currently available and the set will only run you $10. These would also make great stocking stuffers!
Finally, the West Elm W+P Design Barware Mason Jar Shaker for $29. This bar shaker is a great addition to any host or hostess' bar and is quirky and fun as well as functional. You could even pair this with a great bottle for their bar if you are feeling especially festive.
For the Foodie Hostess, I supplied some great food and wine options as well as some great options for the chef of the house.
From C.Wonder, the Wicker Picnic Basket is a pricier option for a gift but great for the hostess that is putting you up for an extended period of time. The basket has a great vintage quality and is great for the outdoorsy chef.
The Milk Bottle Measuring Cups from Anthropologie are one of my go to's for a hostess or housewarming gift. These cups are great looking on any counter while remaining super practical. I absolutely adore mine and cannot recommend these enough. And with a $24 price tag, they are a great option.
The Just Picked Recipe Cards from Anthropolgie are also a great budget conscious hostess gift. At $14 for 12 beautiful cards, a great way to give this is a gift, is to fill out the top card with one of your own favorite recipes. I recommend going with a party recipe, any hostess will be stoked!
I also love the Anthropologie Grapefruit Sugar Bowl. Made of bone china, you have to hand wash this little gem, but the colors are so bright and welcoming, it would look good on the table at any tea party! And for $18 it's a steal!
From Paper Source, a great party item are these Bird Wine Charms. Any wine charms are a great gift, but at $8.95 this is a super choice. Also who could keep a straight face staring at a littler bird perched on the wine glass rim.
Going the gourmet food route is also a great option for the foodie in your life. These Mulling Spices with Cranberry Pie Jam from Etsy look great and are only $6. Jams and seasonings are always a great route. I love Dean & Deluca and Harry & David for these kinds of gifts!
This funky A-Frame Wine Rack from Off the Rack is no longer available, but a wine rack is a great option for wine-os who like to display their vintages in a fun, creative way.
Finally, this Pizza Stone from Emile Henry for $50 is a great option for the hostess with a family or a husband who adores pizza, like mine. Pizza Stones are really versatile and can be used for cooking tons of different items, but I have to say Family Pizza Nights are always more fun when you make your own pies!
For the Fashionista Hostess, your options are boundless. Jewelry pieces are great options, but you aren't limited to just jewels. Mittens, Scarfs, Hats are all great options.
From Anthropologie, the Twisted Strands Necklace at $42 is delicate and a nice neutral option for all the sassy hostess' in your life. This piece can go with any wardrobe and almost any style. It's a great option if you are afraid of a re gift situation.
I think C.Wonder has great gifts for the Fashionista Hostess. The Initial Necklace for $38 is a great option. Its a long necklace and looks great with so many outfits. I have been rocking mine for weeks. Other C.Wonder options include the Pave Enamel Circle Stud earrings for $34 and the Signature Enamel Bangle for $38. Both come in a number of colors and can be personalized to all your girlfriends' styles.
From J.Crew, I love this Wool Plaid Scarf. The flame teak color is even better looking in person and the wool is light and soft, so it won't aggravate your neck with itching. It will run you $68 but is a piece your hostess can use forever.
Margaret Elizabeth is one of my favorite jewelers around. I literally am rocking something from her on a daily basis. It doesn't hurt that she is one of the nicest girls around either. Her pieces are great for any important girl in your life. You may want to gift one of her pieces to the sister who hosts you for the entire Thanksgiving weekend, or the mom who puts you up for Christmas week. Options I choose here were the Blue Chalcedony Teardrops for $98 and the Pear Shaped Cocktail Ring Lapis for $88. Both are striking. Meg has tons of great options in the under $100, under $150 and under $300 ranges. Check her out at
www.margaretelizabeth.com.
Finally from Kate Spade, two more unconventional hostess gifts. The first is the Big Apple Pop Top Gloves for $78 (great for the hostess living in cold weather who always needs to be texting) and the Polka Dot Thermos for $35 (a great option to keep morning coffee or cocoa warm for hours!).
For the Hostess Who Has Everything, it can be really daunting to find the perfect gift. These are just a few great options that run the gamut in price and personality.
From C.Wonder, the Bullhorn iPad Speaker is a great gift for the techie, music loving or movie obsessed hostess. They come in 4 colors (hot pink, yellow, green, and bright blue) and for only $22 it is also a great budget friendly gift. No power is needed for the speaker and they are really easy to travel with. A great option to play your holiday tunes all over the house.
Kate Spade also makes some great gifts for the girl with everything.
For the newlywed hosts, the His and Hers Highball Glass Set for $50 are beautiful and dishwasher safe. My hubby and I got a set from our registry and they each grace our bedside tables nightly with water. The other Kate Spade option on this list is the Cha Ching Coin Purse for $78. A little pricier of an option, the coin purse is great for all those holiday gift cards and can make you laugh daily.
The Hex Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 4 in Gold is a great option for the techie hostess who can never be separated from her phone. The gold color runs just under $50 on Amazon, but the same Hex case ranges in price depending on color.
From Neiman Marcus, there are these great Monogrammed Spa Soaps. Each comes in a set of three (the square soap set costs $35 and the oval soap set costs $40). The square soap sets will have one letter, while the oval soaps will show 3. These are beautiful and something even the girl who has it all would never splurge on which makes them a perfect gift.
For the host or hostess that love to host game nights and are not afraid of a good party, try a great game that is a little out of the ordinary. This Shoots and Ladders Game set with Shot Glasses is amazing and a great way to turn a traditional board game into a fun party game. And at $19.91, the price tag is very appealing.
The Weekend Book from Terrain at $17.95 is a great gift for the adventurous weekender always willing to open to any page and complete the suggested weekend activity. This book was originally printed in 1924 and is filled with tricks and tips to have an amazing and relaxed weekend.
Finally, if you really cannot come up with anything, a gift card is a great option. I would recommend going with someplace like Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma so your hostess can splurge on something great for the house!
