One of the things I love about the holidays is getting dressed up, gathering with friends and sharing great food and lots of laughter.
I also love giving gifts. Little gifts that show someone you were thinking of him or her and I especially love to treat someone who opens their home to me with a little something special.
It’s a big undertaking to host a party and we’ve all been there – agonizing over the menu for weeks, scrubbing every surface in our homes. We’ve washed and ironed cloth napkins and picked wine just for the occasion and then once everyone has left we’ve cleaned and put away every dish and wine glass.
So as a guest it is extra special when you show up with in hand.
To make things easy for you I’ve put together my list of some of my favorite gifts. OH – and if you choose to purchase something from this list a small portion of that sale goes right back to supporting this blog.
These are one of my favorite gifts because they are so versatile. Anyone that cooks and even people who don’t cook much use oil and vinegar so why not spoil the foodie in your life and pick them up a gift basket from Baker + Olive. I am hooked and they take my food to a whole new level.
Somersault Letterpress Cards
There is nothing that I love more than a handwritten note on beautiful stationary and my friends over at Somersault Letterpress make the absolute best printed goodies I have seen. Everything is hand-drawn and illustrated by the talented Amy Pienta and then printed with care and precision by Mitch. It is a joy to know them personally and their products are all made in Las Vegas.
Really Awesome Candles
I’m not a big candle buyer but once I got a Capri Candle as a gift and I was a changed woman. I’m in LOVE with Anthropologie and this candle is what they burn in their store. ALL. THE. TIME. and you know why? Because it’s that good.
Fraser Fir also makes a really lovely candle that smells just like Christmas trees and burning this candle always gets me in the holiday spirit!
Republic of Encinitas Swag
This one may not apply to all of you but for those in Encinitas and for those that visit – this Encinitas based small business (run by 2 really awesome people!!) is perfect for unique gift ideas. They also have an INCREDIBLE instagram account and you definitely need to check out.
Breakfast
After an evening of cooking and entertaining. It is an incredible treat to be able to wake up and not have to think about breakfast. Some of my favorite foods to bring are this Frittata, Locally Made Jam and Bread, and these homemade muffins. Or you can head over to my Pinterest page and see all the lovely recipes I’ve been drooling over.
DIY and Homemade Bath Goodies
These are the kind of gifts that pack a huge punch. They are super easy and inexpensive to make and the recipient will LOVE them. I’m so in love with this recipe for a Homemade coffee sugar scrub from FreutCake blog and this Citrus Scrub from In Sonnet’s Kitchen.
Or you can buy a bag of this fantastic Epson salt and Peppermint foot soak and put it into a mason jar to give as a gift.
Flavored Salts and a Salt Block (!!!)
Along with a variety of oils and vinegars flavored salts and a salt block are staples in my kitchen. A dash of smoked sea salt can take a simple soup to decadent in a flash and a himalayan salt block is wonderful for cooking and serving. I love to set mine out with cut fruits and veggies to let my guests to nibble while I cook. Here are a few of my picks for salts:
Food52 World Salt Tower
Baker + Olive Salts
Salt Block
Cookbooks for Reading and Cooking
You can never go wrong with a beautifully written and photographed cookbook. They are like potato chips – you can never have just one. I’ve also recently fell in love with several cooking memoirs and I bet that the food lover in your life would love any of these. Below is what I’m loving right now.
Vegetable Literacy
Delancey
Bread and Wine
Sunday Suppers
Cardgames
And last but not least I cannot get enough of this card game. But I must warn you – it’s not for everyone but if your friends have a sense of humor and love to play games then Cards Against Humanity is a must!
I hope you have enjoyed this list and found something for you or the host / hostess in your life! I would love to hear what some of your favorite hostess gifts are! Feel free to comment below!
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Thanks for sharing this. These are great ideas that I wouldn’t have considered.