by Ginger Philbrick
You have been invited to dinner at the home of someone you don’t know well but you have been wanting to get to know. You are very pleased by the invitation, but what would be a suitable gift for someone about whose taste in food and décor you have no clue? Here are some ideas to consider:
• Consumables that can be enjoyed alone or served to guests later, such as gourmet chocolates, a gift basket of dips and crackers, a selection of nuts from one of the many excellent purveyors of them that we have in Virginia.
• A pot of flowers that are in bloom and tied with a matching ribbon.
• Two or three unusual kitchen utensils wrapped in a tea towel and tied with a bow.
• Soft white, or other solid-colored hand towels.
• Beeswax candles.
• A set of nicely packaged herbs and spices.
• Attractive and sturdy tote bag.
• Small decorative bowl or box.
For a weekend or longer stay at a friend’s house, you can take a gift with you, or you may want to wait and get an idea of what your host needs or would appreciate and send it later. For instance, receiving a bouquet of cut flowers after having house guests can be very heart-warming and instantly recall happy memories of the visit.
And don’t forget the children! If there are young ones who are involved in your visit, a toy, art or craft material, or a game will most likely delight them. I once had a friend who came to dinner and brought candy for me, a teen magazine for my 16-year-old daughter and dog treats for our spaniel. We all admired his universal approach to gift giving!
Ginger Philbrick is the owner of Because You Are Polite LLC. You are invited to email your manners questions to her and she will respond as time and space allow. You may contact her at youarepolite1@gmail.com.
