Instagram Message: Let's get this party started.
The great thing about summer is the casual schedules that allow for parties to take place on a Monday or Wednesday plus on the weekends. With that mentality social calendars get jam-packed with hella good times! But when it comes to home parties, I have a hard habit to kick. I like showing up with host(ess) gifts - a.k.a. thoughtful pinches. If I'm not assigned a dish or something to bring to a party I have always felt it proper to bring something for the person hosting. Lately, because I've been living day to day, I think I've slipped up in my thoughtfulness so I'm ready to get back on track with some host(ess) gifts.
Pampered Chef sells all kinds of wonderful kitchen gadgets which make great gifts AND can benefit the person who sells them. Win-win. Some of my sweet friends who threw summer parties in the past have received Pampered Chef Pineapple Wedgers with a pineapple. Or I have given the Pampered Chef Avocado Peeler with avocados and chips to many who hosted a fun event at their house.
some avocados, chips and the peeler are just the start.
My friend, Rebecca, hosted a Monday NIght event with another friend, Meredith. I added a note to the bag to tie it all together.
Legend has it that sea captains of New England would return home from sailing the Caribbean Islands and would spear a pineapple on a fence post outside their home to let their friend know they were safely home. The pineapple was an invitation for the friends to visit, share his food and drink and listen to his tales of his journey.
Bringing wine & spirits as your host(ess) gift is totally appropriate. In fact the thoughtful pinch serves two purposes: you show up with a gift and it serves as the side dish you would've brought if you had time to make it. So always have your extra bottles handy for those parties that sneak up on you. Flowers are super nice but if you are picking them up on your way over, be even more thoughtful and bring a vase (you know you have a million under your sink). When you get to your party the host(ess) does not have to stop to find a vase and then cut the stems off. In other words, flowers still take some planning ahead. I think that having different consumable or useful items that someone may not buy for themselves is a thought that's neat-o. More ideas? I have made homemade herb-zested butter (a Dinner Doulas recipe) and paired it with a gift card to a local bread shop or a baguette. How about a citrus squeezer w/some lemons and limes? Homemade bread with the recipe attached? Fresh squeezed juice or whatever you jarred this winter? Cool stationery? New Address labels if you are attending a house warming party? Just think of something a host(ess) can enjoy for themselves instead of sharing with the lushes, I mean their friends, once the wine runs out.
See where I'm going with this? Let's get this party started!
Pinches,
Barb