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MONIKERS GAME // PERSONALIZED FLEX CUPS // CASHMERE THROW // CAROLINE’S CAKE BITES // CIRE TRUDON CANDLE // PERSONALIZED MATCHBOXES // SEY COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION
Before we left for Deep Creek Lake to stay at Mr. Magpie’s aunt’s lake house, I asked Magpies on Instagram: What are some great hostess gift ideas?
I had already packed up some fancy chocolate and happy hour treats from The Organic Butcher, baked two lemon pound cakes, and wrapped up a new game (this one), as my husband’s family is big into games, and we often pass the afternoons playing them, but was curious what my thoughtful Magpies had up their sleeves.
The answers were brilliant — I had to share:
+”Local consumable pastry/jam/pickled goods/charcuterie.” [Ed. note: For D.C. area Magpies: Mr. Magpie and I love gifting items from the grocery/pantry sections of The Organic Butcher and Bread Furst.]
+”A cookbook from a local chef.”
+”A cozy throw from Barefoot Dreams, ChappyWrap, or Quince. (Quince has nice cashmere ones at a great price!)”
+”LL Bean boat and tote monogrammed with something fun/thematic — e.g., ‘Salt Life.'”
+”Good coffee!” [Ed. note: Mr. Magpie and I love Sey Coffee.]
+”Potted plant or bouquet of flowers.”
+”Covering the cleaning cost for a visit after you leave!”
+”Gift card to their favorite restaurant or movie theater for a date night.”
+”Anything baked / homemade.” (Different Magpies shared the following specifics: Homemade vanilla extract; dill oyster cracker mix; apple cider caramels; Ottolenghi spice cookies; homemade granola; Ina Garten lemon pound cake.)
+”More of a house warming gift than a hostess gift, but for a few friends I have had return address stamps made with their family name and new address.” [Ed. note: I love these return address stickers, too! Etsy has tons of chic options for stamps.]
+”Wine/specialty liquor they might enjoy with a handwritten note on where it’s from / why you picked!”
+”Luxury candles, although scents can be very personal.” [Ed. note: I love to gift the ones from Hotel Lobby and Linnea. For a bigger splurge (longer stay?), the ones from Trudon are exceptional. Mr. Magpie usually gifts me one in my stocking at Christmas and they are just exquisite. I just noticed they’re 20% off here and I’ve never seen them on sale before!]
+”Love to schedule a food delivery to arrive the day after we leave. A favorite is Red Truck Bakery out of Marshall, VA.”
+”Dry pancake mix and dry muffin mix, with instructions.”
+”Bread dipping kit – good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Tuscan seasoning.”
+”Fancy pool noodles.”
A few other gift ideas: a great puzzle (this brand is so good — we have a few!); notepads from Dear Anabelle or Joy Creative Club and a bouquet of your favorite pens; personalized matchboxes or flex cups; cake bites from Caroline’s Cakes; a spice set from Spice House.
I like to wrap nearly any/all of these items up in cellophane (I usually use these wine bottle cello sleeves – they’re often the perfect size for any smaller item like this, and you can trim if too long!) and tie off with a big double-faced 1-2″ satin ribbon.
Chic gift enclosure options: one, two, three, four.
Post-Scripts.
+Related: what do you keep in your guest bedroom? The comments are incredible and have been used heavily in our home!
+My gift wrap essentials.
+Elegant but easy happy hour snack ideas.
+Some great cocktails to mix up: Mai Tais, Margaritas, Jovencourt Daiquiris.
+Kitchen favorites you might not have.
+We’ve converted all of my recipes into recipe cards that you can download here!
These are great suggestions overall! I do have to note that as someone with asthma and allergies, anytime I receive anything scented, I wind up having to re-gift. I know candles are popular but unless you know the person uses scented products, I’d suggest steering away since it can become a chore/task rather than a gift.
I typically will treat to a meal or activity while I am there instead of a physical gift. I also have become the person who stays at hotels instead of homes. I am more comfortable having my own space in almost any situation.
I always make sure to write a thoughtful thank you note. Stationery might be a good addition to the list. Everyone uses nice cards throughout the year!
Great thoughts — good points!! xx
Endorse the Barefoot Dreams blanket – they really are *that* good! This is a thoughtful list – bookmarking for later 🙂
Yay – so glad to hear! And thanks for the upvote on BD!
This prompted a funny memory. We once had house guests who gifted my husband and me matching shirts. They were bright neon orange and nothing we would’ve ever worn, but such a thoughtful gesture, They are still hanging in our closet today because didn’t have the heart to part with them.
OMG! Both a caveat and something sweet here — I have similar things I can’t bear to part ways with!
xx
Love to schedule a food delivery to arrive the day after we leave. A favorite is Red Truck Bakery out of Marshall, VA.
SUCH a great idea – thanks!
PS – Updating the post to include as a suggestion! xx
Love this post because it is full of great ideas. Thank you so much for doing it. I hope you update/add to it a couple of times a year when you hear of other great suggestions.
I actually have some of these suggestions marked as stocking stuffers/Christmas gifts for my very young adult children.
Will absolutely do this!! So glad you found it helpful!! My mom (hope none of my sisters are reading this) already bought all of us Chappywraps for Christmas this year — such a great gift!
xx
This is more of a house warming gift than a hostess gift, but for a few friends I have had return address stamps made with their family name and new address. There are lots of places online where you can do this and many have fun/funky fonts, layouts, etc. Everyone gets a kick out of it!
OMG – love this! Just updated the post to include. What a great gift for a new homeowner! I also LOVE these return address stamps from Laura Vogel! I have a few different patterns and they make correspondence so chic —
https://lauravogeldesign.com/collections/return-address-labels
xx
I recently sent some friends my favorite NYC carrot cake (Lloyd’s, IYKYK) via Goldbelly after a visit, but I selected the option that let them schedule it for when they wanted it. Nothing worse then sending a perishable item but having them not be home or about to leave on a trip!
Brilliant! Have never had the Lloyd’s carrot cake but now I need to try it!
I also love the babkas from Breads Bakery in NYC…
xx