Gifts For The Hostess

diptyque Baises Scented Oval / Small Heart Dish (adorable) / Esther Price Candy / Desktop Calendar / Tic Tac Toe Game / Round Black Box / The Glorious Pasta of Italy / La Compagnie de Provence (little luxury) / Hello Lovely Tray / Coasters / Great Houses of the South (beautiful book) / Gemstone Soaps / Hydrangea Candle / Cheese Markers / Whiskey Rocks / Bottle Stopper / Matchboxes / Card Set / Coaster Set / Luggage Tags / Read My Lips Mug (fun!) / Tidbit Plates / Salt and Pepper Shakers
During the summer I feel like everyone is kind of doing their own thing, being always on the go, enjoying the sunshine, and doing a lot of traveling. It is in the fall that it seems like everyone starts to stick closer to home which of course leads to the bulk of hosting and attending get-togethers occurring during the fall and winter. I have always thought it is appropriate or at least a nice gesture to arrive parties, dinners, and lunches with a gift for the hostess.

I always hate running around town to locate a gift right before attending something, which I usually have no time to actually do so I have to try to squeeze it in and it results in me being stressed out. Instead now I keep a few little gifts stashed away in my closet so I am prepared for anything that pops up last minute. A few of my favorite gift ideas include pretty soaps, coffee table books, and pretty little things for around the house such as adorable mugs.

Boxes of chocolate also make perfects gifts. Chocolates from Esther Price are simply the best. I had always heard my mom rave about this candy. My dad used to buy it for her when they where first married but unfortunately it is not sold near where my family lives now. A couple years ago Jessica and I discovered it online and we have been ordering boxes of it for gifts (and massive amounts of it for ourselves too) ever since. Treat yourself to a box of this candy and you will begin to compare all other chocolates to it.

6 Tips for Hosting an Amazing Event

Tracy and I love to host small get-togethers. Whether it is a small holiday party, book club, or a game or movie night, we always have a blast. Our guests always rave about what a great time they had and how they can't wait until we invite them to something else. Check out my tips for hosting a great event below. What would you add to the list?

STEP 1 // Have Help We are all busy with work and have little time to actually work on hosting an event. This is why you have to plan for help. What's great about hosting with Tracy, is that I know I have excellent help. Plus our mom always prepares some of her delicious fudge for us to share with guests. If I were hosting alone, I would definitely need some help either from friends or hired. You could also buy part of the food from a caterer or hire someone to get the place ready for the event.

STEP 2 // Have a Plan You need to know what needs to be done and when you can do it. What can you do early and what has to be done on the day of the get-together? You won't be able to get everything done in a few hours. For our Halloween party we had a plan and had tasks to complete every day up to 3 days before the party. Before this we already had everything bought for the party (ingredients, paper products, decor, etc.).

STEP 3 // RSVP When hosting anything it is a great idea to know how many guest will be attending. Can everyone you invited come? Do you need extra seating? Either have an RSVP slip in your invitation or get in-touch with your potential guests and confirm their attendance. This may not be set in stone, you still might have a few show up who thought they couldn't make it or a few not make it that you thought would come. But this will give you an idea of how many guests you need to plan for.

STEP 4 // Plan the Menu in Advance Depending on the number of guests you may not be able to make a bunch of time consuming food. Make as much food in advance as you can. Fruit trays, cheese plates, and sliders can easily be made in advance. Most cakes and desserts can also be made before the day of the party/get-together. Knowing who is coming is also important for planning the menu. Plan for food allergies and special diets. Tracy does not eat any meat, so we always plan vegetarian options for her (usually things that we all also enjoy).

STEP 5 // Know Your Time Limitations I would love to host small parties with beautiful, elaborate cakes and desserts involved, but between work and life I just don't have time. We usually have one decadent cake that was time consuming to make and then our other desserts are usually things that we have made numerous times, that are simple to make but delicious like Peanut Butter Roll and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars.

STEP 6 // Be Generous This can relate to a number of things when being a hostess. Send invitations at least a month in advance so that guests have plenty of notice. Have more food than you think you need. It is better to have too much than not enough. Plus at the end of the night all the guests can leave with a goodie bag of treats to enjoy later.

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Being a Hostess

Source: clubcorp.com via Tracy and on Pinterest

Source: theprojectgirl.com via Tracy and on Pinterest

This holiday season whether you are hosting a party or a hosting over night guests you need to be a great hostess. Being a great hostess means that you leave your guests, whether they are at your house for days or a few hours, wanting to come back again. If you are a good hostess your guests will have a great time at your house and they will go away loving you even more than they already do.
There are many things that you can do to be a great hostess. You should always have food/snacks and something to drink for your guests. If you don't have anything out, remember to offer and to let them know to just get something whenever they want it. Make sure your guests know their way around and how to find the bathroom. This leads into my next tip your house doesn't have to be completely spotless but clean up. No one wants to wander into your bathroom and find it absolutely messy with no toilet paper.
During a party you need to be circulating. You should make sure to introduce people who do not know each other and maybe even point out some interest or hobby that they have in common so that they have something to being their conversation about. If someone brings a hostess gift remember to be gracious and say thank you. Have food and drinks out where everyone can find them. Have ENOUGH food. You don't want anyone to have a bad time because they were starving to death. For overnight guests, make sure the bed has clean sheets please. Make sure you have plenty of food in the pantry and the fridge.

Hostess With The Mostess

Everyone loves a good party or having friends open their home when they need place a to stay for a few days. Along with these occasions arrive added stress and work for your hostess so it is important to make sure your hostess feels appreciated. Hostess gifts do not need to be big and expensive as long as they are thoughtful and chic. I've pulled together a few of my favorites all under $50. A set of 12 Sparrow Clips would be great for your environmental minded friend's clothesline or for adorable clips for snack bags. $7.95 A monogrammed item always adds a personal touch such as with this set of 6 Monogrammed Napkins. $42.00 For the chocolate lover you know a Chocolate Cakes cookbook would be the perfect gift. $22.95 Since I have a huge sweet tooth and desserts are often a prominent feature at get togethers beautiful Cake Stand is always an appropriate gift. $45.00 Wearing flirty, fun, totally adorable Apron will make the time your hostess spends in the kitchen preparing for future hosting duties more fun. $29.55 If you are looking for a gift unrelated to the kitchen or hosting duties these antique inspired silver Trays with a mirrored base would look lovely in anyone's bathroom or bedroom. $29-$49

♥ Sunny