Holiday Hostess Gifts – 2019

Hello dear gal. Did you know the holidays are upon us? It doesn’t seem real to me yet either, but with a shortened span of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, we’ll need to get into the holiday frame of mind early if we’re going to be prepared. So today I’m beginning to roll out my holiday 2019 gift guides. We’ll start with the all-important Holiday Hostess Gifts Guide. But first, let me share with you the details about all of my gift guides. This is going to be exciting!!!

About My Holiday Gift Guides

I plan my gift guides with the Dressed for My Day reader in mind. My average reader is in her 40s and above (mostly above) and has grown or almost grown children. For that reason, I target my gift guides to the woman who is shopping for young adults, her contemporaries and senior adult parents. I’ll be providing the following gift guides this Christmas season:

• Christmas Gift Guide for Her – a guide filled with unique gifts for women of all ages, varying in price points
• Christmas Gift Guide for Him – a guide filled with unique gifts for men of all ages, varying in price points
• Christmas Gift Guide for the Young Woman – a guide full of gifts for the older teen and young woman
• Christmas Gift Guide for the Young Man – a guide full of gifts for the older teen and young man
• Christmas Gift Guide for Senior Adults – a guide curated with the seniors in your life in mind
• Christmas Gift Guide for Couples and Families – these are gifts chosen especially for couples of all ages plus families.
• Holiday Gift Guide for Hostesses – these are gifts perfect for the hostess who welcomes you into her home for dinner or an overnight stay.

Each of the gift guides will be published as posts, sometimes on the same day as another style or beauty post. But they’ll all be linked to my Christmas 2019 Gift Guides Page. You’ll always find it in the top menu of my website right under the SHOP tab. You’ll also find it in the sidebar (if you’re shopping on a computer) or at the bottom of the page (if you’re using a mobile device). Just click on the image that says, “the Dressed for My Day 2019 Christmas Gift Guides.” I hope you’ll refer back to this special page frequently as you do your Christmas shopping. I’ll be updating these lists throughout the season with new ideas as I come across them.

In fact, if you know of a special gift for a young man or woman, a contemporary or an older adult, please email me about it. I’d love to add your suggestions to my lists, too.

So let’s get started with the first gift guide of the season. First up, the Holiday Hostess Gift Guide. By the way, I’m calling this one a “Holiday” gift guide because these are gifts appropriate for your Thanksgiving or New Year’s host or hostess as well.

Holiday Hostess Gift Guide + Etiquette Tips

I’m always so grateful for friends and family who have opened their home to me, whether it’s for a meal or an overnight stay. Let your hostess and/or host know of your gratitude with a sweet gift.

HOSTESS GIFT ETIQUETTE

• Keep the gift simple. No need to give “stuff” that just adds to the pile!
• Make it fairly practical. Steer clear of s’more makers or board games or other gifts that require knowledge of personal preferences unless you are intimately privy to such information.
• Specify that the gift is for the host. If you’re taking food such as cookies, wine, candy, etc., be sure to let the host or hostess know that this is just for them unless they prefer to share it with the party or guests. You don’t want to imply that your host didn’t prepare enough or the right things and that you’ve made up for the slack. Tell her, for instance, that you want her to enjoy the gourmet coffee and biscotti tomorrow as she reflects on the party.
• Send it ahead. If you want to give your hostess flowers, have them sent ahead and let her know you don’t expect her to use these as the centerpiece or a decoration. Suggest she put them in her bedroom even for private enjoyment.
• Send it the day after. It’s also appropriate to send a gift the day you leave from an overnight stay or the day after a party. Add a note telling her to enjoy this gift in the afterglow of the event.
• Attach a note. Express your gratitude with a few warm words, too.

HOSTESS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Gift bags with handles – I suggest buying classic gift bags with pretty ribbons in bulk. You can fill these gift bags with goodies hand selected for your particular hostess.

Taylors of Harrogate Classic Tea Variety Box, 48 Count – You could give a special tea lover this full box of specialty tea bags or split these individual tea bags into different gifts. I suggest pairing tea bags with scone mix and jam below.

Cashtouch Pattern Throw Blanket – This beautiful throw from Lands’ End (available in several color combinations) is the perfect gift for someone who has had you into their home for an overnight stay.

Holiday Velvet Flannel Pillowcases -Yes, you could absolutely give your host or hostess the whole set of sheets, but I think just a set of velvet flannel pillow cases is a lovely gift.

L.L.Bean Breakfast Set – My brother and sister-in-law gave us this pancake breakfast set one Christmas and it was such a treat for the whole family. Thank someone who has given you both bed and breakfast with this fun gift set.

L.L.Bean Holiday Mini Whoopie Pies, Set of 20 – Give the full set of 20 whoopie pies to a family with kids or put a few in a gift bag with other treats.

L.L.Bean Woodland Canella Berry Christmas Centerpiece – You can have this beautiful fresh greenery centerpiece sent directly to your hostess. She’ll enjoy it throughout the season.

Yankee Candle Large Jar Candle – You can buy these candles in a variety of sizes and scents. I always love receiving a Yankee Candle especially.

King Arthur Flour Cranberry Orange Scone Mix – Order several of these King Arthur Flour scone mixes to include in gift bags for your hostesses and other friends. Add to the scone mix a few tea bags and maybe some orange marmalade (below).

Tiptree Orange Marmalade, 12 Ounce – You can buy one or these are a pack of six to be split between several gift bags. Group with scone mix (or prepared scones) and tea bags.

Gourmet Chocolate Biscotti Gift Box – You can give this entire yummy box of biscotti to a lover of the Italian cookies or you could divide them up, bag them in plastic wrap and pair them with bags of specialty coffee for several gifts.

Stainless Steel Honey/Jam Spoon – This sweet little spoon perches on the rim of the jam or honey jar just so. Pair it with a jar of local honey or the jam below. Perfect for the gal who had you over for tea or luncheon.

Kitchen Kettle Village (Amish Made) Jam 6-pack Variety Sampler – Divide these jars of jam into several gifts and add the jam spoon above. Tie the spoon to the jar with a pretty ribbon.

Jam Jar with Serving Spoon – Add a jar of jam and give this lovely duo to the friend who loves pretty things.

Wilton Holiday Shapes Metal Christmas Cookie Cutter Set, 18-Piece – I suggest breaking this 18-piece set into multiple gifts. You could simply tie 3 or 4 of them together with a pretty ribbon for a small token of your appreciation.

Urban Villa Kitchen Towels, Set of 6 – I love keeping sets of towels like this on hand to use in gift bags. You could give your hostess two of them tied with a ribbon. Or line a basket with one and fill it with cookies.

Vintage Kitchen Dish Towels – Another set of dish towels, I suggest tying a nice hand lotion to one with a pretty ribbon and a note that reads, “God bless the hands that have served us so lovingly!”

CevaVe Therapeutic Hand Cream – This has fast become my favorite hand cream of all time. It’s amazing! I think one of these tied with a pretty ribbon is a sweet gift for a friend who had you in for coffee. Or tie it to the above dish towel for the hostess of a dinner party. She’ll be grateful after washing all of those dishes!

Luxury Cheese Board and Cutlery Knife Set – This charcuterie set is deluxe indeed. It would make such a beautiful gift for the host and hostess who have had you for an overnight stay.

Acacia Wood Cheese Board – Or if you love the idea of a charcuterie gift, but don’t want all the fuss of the luxury set, this simple and elegant cheese board would be a lovely and tasteful gift.

Winter Wonder’s Santa Platter – Whether you fill it with goodies or just tie it in a pretty bow, this platter will delight your hostess.

Bird & Holly Tea Towel Set – A classic hostess gift, this tea towel set will make your hostess feel appreciated and special.

The following is a shopping widget that contains affiliate links. When you shop through these links and purchase something, I potentially earn a commission, but at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the work I do at Dressed for My Day by shopping through my links. I appreciate you so much!

I’ll be adding to this widget throughout the Holiday 2019 season, so check back in frequently, especially as you prepare for parties and overnight stays. Let’s make sure your hostess knows how grateful you are for the trouble she went to on your behalf.

Be sure to check out all the other Holiday Gift Guides as they are posted. Remember, you’ll always find them through the link in the top of the menu under SHOP or through the graphic in the sidebar.

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Blessed for My Day

While we’re thinking about blessing those who have blessed us through their hospitality, maybe we should think about blessing others through opening our homes to them, too. It’s not always easy to welcome people into our homes. It requires a little preparation, work and time, maybe even money. But the Bible teaches us that showing hospitality is an act of generosity we should practice consistently.

Let’s pause to think about how we could share our homes with others this Christmas season. Maybe you could welcome into your home a new widow or widower, a single mom and her kids or a college student who can’t get home for Thanksgiving. I think some of the most special holidays my family has experienced were the ones when we hosted “strangers” in our home because a spouse was deployed or they were recently widowed. Yes, it changes things. But it’s worth it. I promise.

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ~ 1 Peter 4:9