Whether you are invited to an outdoor BBQ, staying at a friend’s home for a quick weekend away, or enjoying a week-long vacation with someone at their fabulous beach house, you shouldn’t arrive empty-handed. A bottle of wine is always appreciated, but sometimes it’s nice to think outside the ‘hostess gift box’ and bring something a little bit different. We’ve put together a FabList of hostess gifts, organized by length of visit, from a short stay (cocktails, dinner party, BBQ) to a more extended visit. We’ve also included some group gift ideas if you’ve descended on a friend’s house en masse and need a big gift to show your appreciation (and get invited back!).
Short Visit: Cocktails, BBQ, or Dinner Party:
Quince has great candles at a great price that throw a lot of scent.
Antica Pharmacista Reed Diffuser: Makes every house smell incredible and is available in many great scents.
Theraplush Overnight Repair Treatment with Retinol: This good-looking little pot holds a great treatment for cuticles and ‘mature’ hands. Great nightly routine to ‘have on hand’ (pun intended).
Graza Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A nice bottle of olive oil is always appreciated!
Graf Lantz Felt Coasters: These wool felt coasters absorb condensation and don’t stick to damp glasses.
Fun cocktail napkins are always a good idea!
Introduce your hosts to a new favorite mixer. Chrissie just discovered Deep Eddy’s Ruby Red Vodka, which she mixes with club soda and lime, and loves!
Big square ice cubes keep cocktails cold without watering them down, as they don’t melt as quickly as smaller cubes.
A new electric wine opener is a great gift item.
Longer Visit:
Food & Drink!
You’ll likely be eating at least breakfast and possibly lunch and dinner at your hosts’ home, so why not send them some goodies ahead of time? A bunch of delicious (and Oprah approved) English muffins from the famed Model Bakery in Napa for breakfast?! Some wonderful cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery in Petaluma for apps? Some Memphis bbq ribs for dinner? Delicious Levain Bakery Cookies for dessert? The choices are endless…and all are appreciated.
A friend brought Chrissie a variety of Burlap & Barrel spices as a hostess gift, and they are awesome – so much better than the regular Trader Joe’s options she had on hand. What a special, unique gift, that Chirssie has ordered on repeat ever since for herself as well as for gifts! The cinnamon, black lime & chili salt are her favorites and most used.
Or, fill a beverage bucket/cooler with ice and a bottle of wine, and then gift them the cooler.
The Corivan Wine Preservation System is a great group gift, or a very generous individual gift, that lets you take a single glass of wine from a bottle and keep the rest of the bottle fresh for weeks.
Games/Puzzles:
Bring the party! This can be used during your visit and left behind for future visits. Try any of the following, or throw them all in a basket or beach tote as a ‘bigger gift’:
Flowers or Greenery:
Send a beautiful bouquet of flowers ahead of time from Bouqs
Photo Credit: Retailer/Manufacturer
…or why not a beautiful plant that will last much longer!
Household Items:
Plan ahead and have a lucite tray personalized with the family name, address, house name etc.
Anthro has a super cozy blanket that comes in 6 colors and is perfectly weighted for a mid-day nap on the couch, or for extra warmth on a bed at night! Quince also has a great one.
Bath & Beauty Items:
One of Chrissie’s favorite hostess gifts she’s received was when a friend gave her an array of her (the friend’s) favorite beauty items! Great items to include are Osea face cleanser, Ilia Lip Mask, Everyday Body Oil. or Salt and Stone Bath Wash & Lotion.
Another spa-related item is to give a gift certificate for a couples massage, a facial, or a pedicure to use after your visit. Who wouldn’t love that!?
Longer Visit: Lake or Beach
New beach towels…but only if you bring at least four…don’t bring just one or two! If you are visiting a family you can even have their names monogrammed on them so everyone has their own. You can throw them into one of these fabulous, indestructible Scout bags.
A canvas tote, which can also be monogrammed with the family name (or location name or whatever you want) on it makes a great gift (and if you’re feeling generous you can get the towels as well and toss them inside!).
Longer Visit: Hiking
A small hiking pack with a bladder (ie, it has easily accessible water ‘hose’ for easy hydration) is great for hikes.
A waist pack is super handy to carry a phone, sunglasses, and sunscreen while on the trail, or while walking around town.
A great sun hat is a great gift, as most of us don’t get new ones very often. This wide-brimmed, packable hat is a FabList favorite, and we’ve even received photos from a FabLister thanking us while wearing it while traveling in Angola! The ponytail hole in the back is a big plus.
Big Group Gift
Are you and a few others descending upon a friend’s home for a stay and want to go in on a group gift? Here are some ideas for just such an occasion!
The Coravin Wine Preservation System (already mentioned above) is a great group gift.
The Yeti backpack cooler can be used for so many different things, like picnics or road trips. The Yeti M20 carries up to 18 drink cans.
Yeti Cooler: These keep things cold for SO LONG and so appreciated. You can even fill them with beverages, cheeses, etc. to bring the party! The one with wheels is very handy because coolers get heavy when fully loaded and are a struggle to move around.
Countertop Pebble Ice Machine: Chrissie & friends gave this to Jo and her family after a visit, and it is so loved that it now travels with Jo’s family on vacations!
