‘Tis the season of ample holiday parties and dinners.
And by this point you know you can’t arrive empty-handed. But when you already have so many actual gifts to purchase, the host or hostess gift often takes a backseat in terms of priorities during holiday season.
These gift ideas for your dinner party hosts will ensure you’ll be remembered – and invited back…
1. Give the Best of a Neighbourhood
Sure, anyone can stop by a gas station or drugstore and score an assortment of gift certificates for pretty much every generic big box restaurant store in the country.
But don’t.
Take a creative spin on gift certificates instead: pick a neighbourgood in your city and curate a complete experience there, complete with certificates to a cute little coffee shop, for a couple of drinks at a hidden gem down the road, gelatos at another spot, and whatever else you think would make a perfect Sunday Funday.
In the spirit of the season, you can feel good about supporting local businesses.
2. Treat the Pets
Judging from newsfeeds alone, we all know how much YPs love their pets.
If you can’t think of anything to buy that couple that literally has everything, perhaps their dog may be easier to shop for. And there is no shortage of doggy boutiques in your city these days.
Plus, the more you love your friends’ pets, the more they’ll love you.
3. Bring Booze With a Twist
Sometimes (especially if time isn’t on your side), the gift of booze is inevitable.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t get more creative with it than the typical wine-sized holiday gift bag.
If you know your host is partial to vodka and Red Bull, toss a few cans of the energy drink with limes to complement the Grey Goose (complete with a red ribbon). If they’re known to like a good Bloody Caesar or another particular cocktail, put together a kit that cuts no corners so that they can make their own. Pair champagne with strawberries or chocolate (or chocolate-covered strawberries), and the inevitable bottle of wine with a fancy wine chiller or cheese plate.
4. Coffee Table Books
One thing that YPs can’t get enough of are beloved coffee table books – especially those who like to entertain.
No-fail choices typically involve things we all love: travel, fashion, architecture, art (especially fun, nostalgic pop art), photography, music and architecture.
Some of our current coffee table crushes include Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film, The Beatles Lyrics, or Coco Rocha’s Study of Pose.
5. Substitute Wine for Juice
Fresh-pressed juices are all the rage these days – and are one of the best cures to a slight dinner party hangover.
Instead of booze, grab your hosts an assortment of fresh juices. They’ll offer a refreshing (both figuratively and literally) change from the mounting bottles of booze and post-dinner holiday cookies.
And hey, if they run out of mix by the end of the night…
6. Make a Game Out of it
Not only are games well received in anticipation of nights spent in during the depths of January, they work as hostess gifts because they’re not something people would typically purchase for themselves.
Plus, you could be the unexpected hero at the dinner party once the pre-meal booze begins to flow and guests start to get a little restless.
If you’re a little rusty in the board game department, check out our top picks here.
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