It’s the time of year when we will all be doing a lot of visiting and attending a lot of parties. In the past, I haven’t been very good about taking a gift to the host and/or hostess of the party. This year, I am vowing to change that habit and not arrive empty-handed at any event. Even if the party is being held by one of my closest friends or a family member, I must not forget all the trouble this person has gone to to have me and my family to his or her home. So, to try and uphold my good guest promise, I’ve started buying a few gifts to add to my gift closet for the upcoming holiday season. Here a a few of my favorites that I have found so far:

1. Lumen oil lamp shadow projectors from UncommonGoods: I love the idea of the shadows of these trees flickering along the back wall of my buffet. These would make a perfect gift for those people that seem to have everything.
2. Embroidered hand towels: There are lots of options available on etsy for hand towels but I happened to find these linen towels with pine cones on them. They are sure to match any decor with the classic design.
3. Vintage camera photo album: One of the more masculine gifts I am highlighting here today. Give this camera-shaped album along with the promise to send snapshots of the event to your host or hostess to put in the album.
4. Apples to Apples game: A crowd pleaser for all ages. A game is a great gift to take, especially if you are spending a weekend with your hosts. You will all have plenty of time to play this fun game together. If you know they already have the game, consider getting the expansion pack for them.
5. Small accordion organizer: Chica and I both love ours for organizing receipts, travel information or craft ideas. They are small enough to fit into a purse or a briefcase and come in a variety of colors.
6. Envirosax: If you don’t have time to make your own to give as a gift, pick up some of these pouches full of Envirosax bags to give an eco-friendly gift. I am amazed at how much I use mine.
7. Gourmet food baskets: Chica loves to make custom baskets to give as host or hostess gifts. My favorite way to give one is to fill it with items needed for a nice breakfast the next morning such as bagels with cream cheese, muffins and scones, or pre-mixed ingredients for pancakes with syrup. Include some juice and a split of champagne for mimosas and some fresh fruit and you are all set! Present it to your host upon arrival and then offer to refrigerate the necessary items for him or her. He or she will be so thankful the next morning to have a gourmet breakfast waiting in the refrigerator!

Let me know if you have any other unique ideas to add to the list!