It's a nice gesture to take a small gift for the host and hostess when visiting or having dinner with them. It does not have to cost a lot. Just put some thought into what they may like. Here are some ideas:
A small plant- this can be a potted herb or a nice houseplant.
Fresh flowers- you can either buy them or get them from your yard or garden. It's a good idea to put them in a vase, so your hostess doesn't have to take the time to do it.
Chocolate- it's easy and fairly inexpensive to pick up a gift box of chocolates (truffles, chocolate covered nuts etc.)
Cookies- you can either bake them yourself (which makes them extra special) or buy them. If you make them yourself, consider putting them on an attractive paper plate so the hostess won't need to be concerned about returning your container.
Sparking grape juice-this is one of my favorite items to give (and recieve). Easy, inexpensive, and tasteful (excuse the pun).
Scented candle- there are many varieties, brands, scents and price ranges to pick from- depending on your budget and how well you know the hostess.
Potpourri or a reed fragrance diffuser- these usually come in beautiful packaging. It's recommended that you stay with neutral scents (such as clean cotton) if you don't know what the hostess likes in the way of scents.
Homemade bread- something like banana or zucchini bread. If you don't want to bake it from scratch, you can always buy a box of bread mix. It's especially nice to take it when it's fresh out of the oven.
Cupcakes- You can buy them or bake them yourself. It's fairly easy (though a bit time consuming) to make cupcakes from a cake mix.
Fruit basket- you can arrange some fruits, mixed nuts or other items in a basket or other container.
Coffee or tea- if your hostess is a coffee or tea drinker, you can pick up a coffee or tea specialty or sampler box. You could take it a step further and make a gift basket, adding items such as a mug, gourmet cookies, biscotti, and chocolate.
Handmade soaps-these can be found in health food stores or bought online. Add a washcloth or two and a hand towel. Wrap it up in tulle, tie with a ribbon and you are good to go.
Photo album or quality photo frame-unless you are familiar with the recipient's decor, stay with something neutral- no purple and yellow polka dot design :)
Flavored popcorn- there are many different popcorn recipes to pick from- cinnamon, chocolate, caramel etc. After it's made, put it in an attractive but inexpensive container that can stay with the hostess. (Maybe a bowl from the dollar store.)
I'm sure there are tons of other ideas- leave a comment and tell us yours.
