After the surprise and delight of being invited into someone’s home for a cocktail, a meal or the holy grail; a weekend in the country, comes the best part or what we think of as part of the best part—gifting your lovely hosts with an imaginative, thoughtful and all around delightful gift. They deserve it, don’t they? Our ITG fearless leader and former One Kings Lane leader, Susan Feldman, has had a lot of hosting and therefore hostess gift receiving experience. She can spot a good one miles away, and says the thrill of gifting (both ways) never gets old. She suggests you make at least a 10% effort to return the 100% effort your host is making by having invited you. Wrap your gift in colorful tissue or a new tea towel and don’t forget to write a note – as we’ve said before, written expressions of gratitude, on paper and in ink are the very best gift.
Let’s start this walk through hostess gift conundrum by listing the most adorable play on hostess gift words. Wendy Goodman’s new book May I Come In? Is coffee table book heaven and any host/hostess will smile at receiving this one.
If you hosts are garden types, they will love this gift that keeps on giving, a living olive tree that you can visit summer after summer (wouldn’t that be nice?) or a sweet pot of succulents for the table.
If your hosts are in the know cooks, there are a few tools that are always useful and appreciated. These Joyce Chen kitchen scissors are the best we have ever found and last forever. One pair for the garden and one for the kitchen will make an you an outstanding giver, and a big bountiful bucket of the best Maldon flake salt will make your host happy long after you have overstayed your welcome.
Bring this Bodum Chambord coffee press along with a pound or three of freshly ground french press coffees and you will certainly win the best guest of the morning award.
Interactive hostess gifts are always on our list because they get us all together. The group that plays together, stays together, so croquet anyone or perhaps a deluxe spinning scrabble board that doubles as entertainment and rainy day guest insurance?
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.