Presents!
Around the holidays, it’s easy to let little details slip through our endlessly busy fingers. There are trees to trim, gifts to buy (and wrap!), meals to plan, planes, trains and automobiles to book … the list just goes on and on. And let’s not forget about the deluge of holiday parties to attend!
One thing that should never be forgotten in the madness is hostess gifts. It’s so easy to run out and buy a bottle of wine at the last moment, but why not show your host that you appreciate all of their efforts with a unique gift (that doesn’t require too much effort on your part)?
A few ideas:
For the exhausted:
Chances are, your host is going to be pretty tuckered out after all of this party-throwing. For a more creative option than the usual bottle of vino, a package of specialty coffee or a selection of luxurious teas is a wonderful option that also has an almost endless shelf life. Indiana’s picks: PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. serves a delicate, crisp and extraordinarily aromatic blend with a nice, balanced acidity; Tea Forte offers a cornucopia of options, from English Breakfast to Crimson Nectar to White Ambrosia.
For the chocolate fiend:
Let’s face it, who isn’t? But instead of giving your host the usual box of Godiva, consider a new take on the old fave. Oliver Kita is on the front line of truly creative chocolate-making: not only are his products sinfully delectable, they’re organic and fair trade. This just in: chocolate mavens and critics are raving about Oliver Kita’s Organic Ginger Snaps with Caramel Centers Dipped in 70% Valhrona Chocolate. Also fun and festive: solid chocolate Buddhas, peanut-butter filled chocolate Buddhas and a variety of highly noshable truffles and bon bons.
For the seasoned party host:
If your host is a regular party-giver, why not give them a book that will help them plan their next soiree? A book of recipes from a chef they admire or a copy of a unique, fun book on entertaining like “In Style Parties” by the editors of In Style Magazine or “Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining” by Lilly Pulitzer, with a personalized inscription would thrill even the most experienced fete-thrower.
For the gourmand:
Nothing says luxe these days like artisanal olive oil. Oliviers & Co. offers the best bottle for your buck. Hailing from France, the founder Olivier Baussan harvests only the choicest Mediterranean olives that burst with hints of grass, apple, laurel leaf, green pepper and flowers. Ooh la la!
