| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | less than $5. |
| In days gone by,it was considered impolite to go | | | | Put the gift in a basket or bag! Any gift, no |
| to someone's house for dinner or a party and not | | | | matter how small (even a single votive candle in a |
| take a small gift for the hostess (or the host!). | | | | 50-cent plain glass votive holder) can look like a |
| The gift didn't have to be anything "special" or | | | | million dollars---if you "present" it nicely. I like to |
| very expensive, just something that said "Thank | | | | put small items in a little wicker basket or a |
| you" to your hostess. | | | | plain-colored gift bag that is stuffed with tissue |
| It can be very easy, and not at all expensive, to | | | | paper that I've put through a shredder (you can |
| renew that happy custom. And speaking from | | | | buy really inexpensive paper shredders, I've seen |
| personal experience, it is so much fun to watch | | | | them for less than $10). Remember to |
| her face when you hand her a little gift! | | | | color-coordinate the wrapping paper and the gift |
| Keep Gift Items on Hand | | | | item! |
| It is relatively simple to keep a few things on | | | | Be Creative! Think "Fun"! |
| hand that make nice little gifts. You don't need to | | | | A hostess gift can be anything, put in anything, |
| spend a fortune either---and here's how you do it: | | | | wrapped in anything! Think outside the box---or |
| Buy trial-sized items! You can find hand lotions, | | | | rather think INSIDE the...bucket, shoebox, plastic |
| small bottles of spray perfume, bars of | | | | container, empty oatmeal container, etc. Don't limit |
| moisturizing soap, etc. I've even found very small | | | | yourself---or the gift! |
| bottles and tubes of bath gel, body lotion, and | | | | We recently spent a weekend at the beach with |
| after-bath spray all in the same scent---these | | | | friends. For a hostess gift, I bought a small tube |
| make a perfect hostess gift set! | | | | of Aloe gel, a tube of Aloe bath gel, and a little |
| Look for 2-for, 3-for, and 4-for sales! I watch for | | | | pump bottle of "After Tan" body lotion. I went to |
| sales and coupons, especially BOGO (Buy One, | | | | a "dollar" store and bought a plastic bucket and a |
| Get One) or sales that offer a | | | | shovel (the kind that kids use to play in the sand). |
| one-price-for-several items. Look for anything in | | | | I tissue-wrapped the few little times, shredded |
| the "Health and Beauty" category: nail files, | | | | beige tissue paper to make "sand" to put in the |
| bathtub "puffs," fancy soaps, scented sprays, and | | | | bucket, nestled the wrapped items in the |
| lotions. Another idea would be looking for sales of | | | | shredded paper, stuck in the shovel, ran several |
| scented candles and other small decorative or | | | | streamers of curl ribbon that matched the color |
| universally useful items. Walgreens, Eckerd's, and | | | | of the bucket through the handle of the |
| CVS drug stores are great for their sales and | | | | bucket---and I had a perfect "Weekend at the |
| coupons, especially right before and after a | | | | Beach" hostess gift! I spent less than $8 and my |
| holiday. | | | | girlfriend laughed and thoroughly enjoyed digging |
| Shop in "dollar" stores! Bargain stores or "dollar" | | | | into her bucket and searching for the little |
| stores are great places to find things like small | | | | presents in the tissue paper sand! |
| wicker baskets, votive candle holders, and really | | | | For a friend who is very culinary-minded, I found |
| inexpensive wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows | | | | a package of different-sized wooden spoons on |
| and ribbons. | | | | sale for $1 and added to that a small spice jar of |
| Keep your eyes open! Anytime I'm in a store like | | | | cinnamon and a bag of brown sugar, and I |
| Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, or even the local | | | | plopped everything in an empty Quaker's Oatmeal |
| grocery market, I watch for sales of | | | | container (after emptying and wiping out with a |
| "things"---anything that would make a nice little | | | | damp paper towel). I printed out a recipe for |
| "something" to wrap up as a gift. | | | | Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on an index card and |
| Keep Wrapping Paper and Ribbons on Hand | | | | punched a hole in one side. After looping several |
| Think "tissue paper" and "curl ribbon"! I keep | | | | turns of blue and red curl ribbons around the |
| plenty of tissue paper, in a variety or colors and | | | | container, I strung the recipe card through one |
| patterns, on hand. It is very inexpensive and | | | | end of ribbon, tied it off, and then curled all the |
| makes for an easy way to wrap just a tube of | | | | ends of the ribbons. She was delighted with her |
| lotion or a bottle of scented spray because you | | | | special hostess gift. Cost? About $6. |
| can "twist" the ends together and then tie with a | | | | If you need a gift for your host, you can apply all |
| ribbon. It is also a good idea to have at least one | | | | these same ideas---just with a man in mind! |
| type of Birthday wrapping paper, as well---for | | | | Surprisingly, men can be appreciative of nail files, |
| those impromptu Birthday parties, or if you | | | | clippers, fold-up comb, a lint brush, etc. For a host |
| suddenly remember that it's your next-door | | | | who is sports-minded, get a tube of BENGAY and |
| neighbor's (or your boss's!) birthday. | | | | wrap it in an ACE bandage! |
| I have just about every color of curl ribbon on | | | | Remember: It's Not the Gift, It's the Thought |
| hand, as well (you know, the kind that you can | | | | That Counts! |
| "curl" by pulling it across the flat edge of a scissor | | | | Giving a gift that comes from the heart---and not |
| blade). Any gift can be made to look very festive, | | | | from the wallet---is what your hostess will |
| especially if you use several colors of curl ribbon | | | | appreciate the most. Take the time to select |
| that compliment the color of the tissue paper, or | | | | individual items, instead of buying pre-packaged |
| match the color of the gift item! I recently put | | | | "sets." It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it |
| together a small gift set of lavender scented bath | | | | doesn't have to be anything expensive---all you |
| items, all of which were purple-colored, and | | | | need are a few little items, put them together |
| wrapped in silver tissue paper tied with purple and | | | | with a little bit of thought, and you have a |
| silver curl ribbon. It was very attractive and no | | | | delightful hostess gift! |
| one would have known that it probably cost me | | | | |