Top Ten Gift Ideas for the Holiday Hostess

This holiday season delight your party or dinner hostess with a thoughtful gift. After all, she spent considerable time and effort planning the event you are attending. Hostess gifts can be extravagant if you wish, but simple gifts are equally appreciated.

When searching for the perfect hostess gift, think outside the box. Look in import stores, grocery stores, health food stores, and craft stores. Coffee shops, museums, and even the zoo often stock unique gift items. For a folksy homemade touch, attend local craft fairs to find the perfect holiday hostess gift.

For both traditional and unique ideas, look at this list of top ten gift ideas for the holiday hostess.

1. Fine chocolate. Your local chocolate store will have a selection of high quality chocolate treats. Choose a set of four delectable truffles and have it wrapped or boxed at the store. Consider specialty items like gourmet topped chocolate covered pretzels or pistachio marzipan dark-chocolate bonbons.

2. Gourmet olives. Many regular grocery stores now carry a selection of gourmet food items including local and imported olives. Consider a jar of almond stuffed olives and package in a simple gift bag. If you know your hostess enjoys stronger tastes, you can find olives stuffed with blue cheese, anchovy, garlic, or chipotles.

3. Flavored vinegars or oils. There are many gourmet vinegars and oils to choose from. Some flavored oil ideas include sun-dried tomato infused with Greek oregano, peppercorn, and garlic, or porcini & shiitake mushrooms combined with jalapenos, sage, bay leaves, and red peppers. Vinegars come infused with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, pepper, lemon thyme, baby dill, tarragon, cilantro, and mustard seed. Check your regular grocery store, health food store or gourmet store.

4. Wine. Wine is the traditional hostess gift, but always appreciated. Consider what you know about your hostess before purchasing wine. Is she a gourmet cook or does she prefer simple meals? If you are already a wine connoisseur, you will be able to choose an appropriate bottle. For those less educated about wine, a fine winery will assist you with appropriate choices in a range of prices.

5. Narcissus bulbs. Also known as paperwhites, these lovely fragrant flowers can easily be grown indoors all through the winter season. Your local florist or greenhouse will have planted bulbs ready to go. During the holiday season, bulb kits can be found at other stores as well. One year I found a basket of paperwhite bulbs at my local Home Depot.

6. Coffee table book. There are many delightful coffee table books to choose from. Your local bookstore will have a variety of subjects ranging from photos of beautiful Tuscan vistas to all types of wildlife to local state parks. If your hostess has a special interest such as architecture or nation-wide baseball stadiums, you can find those too.

7. Holiday ornaments. Specialty stores, like import or health food stores, or even the museum gift shop, stock unique holiday ornaments. You can find glass, crystal, metal, wood, and woven holiday decorations. If your hostess appreciates non-traditional colors, go for lime green, pink or aqua colored ornaments. If this seems extreme, stick with traditional holiday colors like red, green, burgundy, gold, silver and blue. Don't forget to check discount chains and craft stores.

8. Napkin set. Purchase a set of eight linen napkins and matching napkin rings for your hostess. The variety of unique napkin rings may surprise you. You can find them made with glass, acrylic, wood, cloth, beads, and metal. There are many designs including whimsical Christmas characters, elegant faceted glass, rustic carved wood, beautiful fabric flowers, and stretchy casual beaded rings. Try specialty home décor shops and craft stores.

9. Picture frames. Go for larger sizes such as 5 X 7 or 8 X 10 so your hostess can easily display a favorite family photo. Again, an infinite variety of picture frame designs can be found at import stores, discount stores, craft stores, and department stores.

10. Tea or coffee gift basket. Always appreciated, you can't go wrong with a lovely tea or coffee gift basket. Gourmet and import stores often have a variety to choose from, as do coffee shops. It's also easy to make a gift basket by purchasing your own products, arranging in a basket purchased from a discount or craft store, and wrapping in cellophane or tissue paper.

There are other traditional gifts to consider such as candles, plants, and flower bouquets. Perhaps a holiday music CD or potpourri would be appropriate for your hostess. Any thoughtful gift will be appreciated.

Take care of your hard working hostesses this and every holiday season with a gift from the top ten gift ideas for the holiday hostess.