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Gift guide: The holidays mean visiting, so here are a few unique and local gift ideas for the host

Jenny Lamothe continues her mission to help you navigating Christmas gift-giving

By Jenny Lamothe

There are many wonderful traditions taking place in December, and one of them is a focus on taking the time to do what it’s difficult to do all year – visit friends and family. 

So often, life gets in the way of great intentions, and thoughts of next week or a “less busy time” cause months to pass. But the holidays are a time to spend with those you love, and if you have been invited to a party or dinner, to revel in how lucky you are to have a warm place to celebrate. 

A thank you to your host has become as traditional as the visit, and a thoughtful host gift can truly recognize the hard work of planning a get-together, as well as how happy you are to arrive. 

The go-to gift is usually a bottle of wine. But what if your hosts – or you – don’t drink? It also requires the host to make a difficult etiquette decision – serve it now, or save it for later? 

This year, try something the host can enjoy once the party is over, so they can think of you, and entertain the idea of entertaining again. 

Floral arrangements and plants are well-received this time of year. Carole Charbonneau of Flower Towne said whether you know exactly what you want, or leave it up to her to decide, giving the gift of flowers is always a great choice. 

Most florists will allow you to pick pre-designed arrangements from photos, as Flower Towne does, and they should also have on offer a range of houseplants that make excellent, lasting gifts. 

It would be good to know things like your host’s preferred colours, or their favourite flowers, but even just knowing whether they are sensitive to smells can give someone like Charbonneau a good indication of what to suggest.

And though most arrangements and floral centrepieces for the holidays are what Charbonneau calls “Long and Low,” the trend this year is to embrace new heights. 

“I find that people are starting to get away from the long and low traditionals and they’re looking for something a little bit more designed,” said Charbonneau. “So something perhaps in a footed pedestal vase and then just with different flowers such as Amaryllis, berries, pine cones; just a little bit more airy and garden-looking than something traditionally long and low.”

Of course, if you are headed to a dinner event, chances are your host is a bit of a foodie. The care it takes to create a beautiful meal must come from the heart, after all. If this fits your host, then high-quality, gourmet food is the best choice for a gift. 

Though they have only owned long-standing business, Gourmet World, for a year, the Family Scherzinger – parents and owners Sue and Peter, as well as their children, store operators Milo and Jasmine (Bissonette) — have much experience with customers asking for host gifts. Sue Scherzinger said one common theme is to have guests looking to give gifts from their host’s history or nationality.

“Customers often come in for host gifts, frequently looking for unique and authentic products from the host’s ancestral background: German, Finnish, Dutch, British,” she said. 

Standards like fine chocolate are always a great option, and you can also try putting together a basket of little goodies rather than one large item. Scherzinger describes some of the baskets offered at Gourmet World, just to give you a few ideas. 

“The foodie basket with gourmet ingredients; our ‘usual’ with cheese, crackers, jam, pâté, chocolate, cookies and more; cultural baskets with all one nationality’s products; the chocolate lovers” and more. 

You could also do something small and lovely, or even a giftware or kitchen item, something similar to what Scherzinger suggests. 

“For simpler host gifts, we have soaps from France, kitchen gadgets, house-made chocolates and pastries, imported giftware like German hand carved wooden art and Russian hand-painted nesting dolls.” 

So before you head out to enjoy the blessings of another’s bounty – and the friendship that comes along with it – be sure to find a way to say thank you. The planning and work of a party can be a burden for those who take on the role of host, but when the table is set, and the guests are arriving, it’s made worthwhile by smiling faces, and perfect gifts. 

Jenny Lamothe is a freelance writer, proof-reader and editor in Greater Sudbury. Contact her through her website, JennytheWriter.wordpress.com.


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