Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means you’ll probably need to prepare for some parties. It’s customary to bring a hostess gift to a social event hosted at a person’s home. Unfortunately, not everyone understands what makes a good hostess gift, or how to graciously give and receive one.
To avoid any social taboos this holiday season, brush up on your hostess gift-giving etiquette and learn what makes a hostess gift truly special.
Hostess gift etiquette basics
A hostess gift is typically a household item that the hostess can use when hosting others or a small gift for her to enjoy on her own. These gifts are typically small and not extravagant; however, careful thought and consideration should still be made when selecting the gift.
Here are some etiquette rules to keep in mind:
Wrapping isn’t necessary: You don’t need to wrap up your hostess gift like a Christmas present. However, the gift should be neatly presented, perhaps with a pretty bow or in a simple gift bag with a tag.
Don’t expect a thank-you note: One major hostess gift faux pas is the gift giver expecting a thank you note for their gift. In reality, your gift to the hostess is your way of saying thank you for the event and invitation.
Remain discreet: You don’t want to loudly announce to other guests that you brought a gift for the hostess. This is not only embarrassing, but can make other guests who did not bring a gift feel uncomfortable. Instead, discreetly give the gift to the hostess when you are welcomed into the home or when you have a minute alone.
Leave expectations at the door: Another common hostess gift issue is the gift giver expecting the hostess to use their gift immediately. This is especially common with gifts of wine and food, even though the drink and meal selections for the event have been chosen. Flowers also fall into this category when brought to the event, because the hostess must then spend time arranging the flowers rather than entertaining guests.
Types of gifts that are perfect for your hostess
With all of these unspoken rules of gift etiquette, you may be wondering about some appropriate types of hostess gifts to avoid an embarrassing situation. Here are some great ideas:
Handmade soaps and product gift sets: Small gift sets that include a handmade soap, hand cream or lotion and room spray make excellent gifts for hostesses. The hostess can choose to keep the items for personal use or make them available for guests in the restroom.
Wine: Wine is a customary hostess gift for dinner parties and similar events. Choose a wine you think the hostess will like, or select your favorite and tell them that you wanted to share your top choice with them. Just don’t expect them to serve it then and there!
Candies or chocolates: A decorative candy dish filled with candies or a box of gourmet chocolates is also an excellent hostess gift. The dish might be presented to guests for a post-dinner treat, or the hostess may choose to keep them for herself to indulge in later.
Pick up your hostess gift at a local craft show this November!
If you’re looking for a fantastic hostess gift for Thanksgiving dinner parties, shop Soaps & Scents’ selection of handmade soaps and luxurious spa products at various craft shows this November. Soaps & Scents will be at the Season of the Heart craft show and many others
click here to view the schedule.
Understanding the Etiquette
Behind Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means you’ll probably need to prepare for some parties. It’s customary to bring a hostess gift to a social event hosted at a person’s home. Unfortunately, not everyone understands what makes a good hostess gift, or how to graciously give and receive one.
To avoid any social taboos this holiday season, brush up on your hostess gift-giving etiquette and learn what makes a hostess gift truly special.
Hostess gift etiquette basics
A hostess gift is typically a household item that the hostess can use when hosting others or a small gift for her to enjoy on her own. These gifts are typically small and not extravagant; however, careful thought and consideration should still be made when selecting the gift.
Here are some etiquette rules to keep in mind:
Wrapping isn’t necessary: You don’t need to wrap up your hostess gift like a Christmas present. However, the gift should be neatly presented, perhaps with a pretty bow or in a simple gift bag with a tag.
Don’t expect a thank-you note: One major hostess gift faux pas is the gift giver expecting a thank you note for their gift. In reality, your gift to the hostess is your way of saying thank you for the event and invitation.
Remain discreet: You don’t want to loudly announce to other guests that you brought a gift for the hostess. This is not only embarrassing, but can make other guests who did not bring a gift feel uncomfortable. Instead, discreetly give the gift to the hostess when you are welcomed into the home or when you have a minute alone.
Leave expectations at the door: Another common hostess gift issue is the gift giver expecting the hostess to use their gift immediately. This is especially common with gifts of wine and food, even though the drink and meal selections for the event have been chosen. Flowers also fall into this category when brought to the event, because the hostess must then spend time arranging the flowers rather than entertaining guests.
Types of gifts that are perfect for your hostess
With all of these unspoken rules of gift etiquette, you may be wondering about some appropriate types of hostess gifts to avoid an embarrassing situation. Here are some great ideas:
Handmade soaps and product gift sets: Small gift sets that include a handmade soap, hand cream or lotion and room spray make excellent gifts for hostesses. The hostess can choose to keep the items for personal use or make them available for guests in the restroom.
Wine: Wine is a customary hostess gift for dinner parties and similar events. Choose a wine you think the hostess will like, or select your favorite and tell them that you wanted to share your top choice with them. Just don’t expect them to serve it then and there!
Candies or chocolates: A decorative candy dish filled with candies or a box of gourmet chocolates is also an excellent hostess gift. The dish might be presented to guests for a post-dinner treat, or the hostess may choose to keep them for herself to indulge in later.
Pick up your hostess gift at a local craft show this November!
If you’re looking for a fantastic hostess gift for Thanksgiving dinner parties, shop Soaps & Scents’ selection of handmade soaps and luxurious spa products at various craft shows this November. Soaps & Scents will be at the Season of the Heart craft show and many others
click here to view the schedule.
Behind Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts
Beginning Work on Our Holiday Fragrance Soaps:
Get Them While They’re Available!
Here at Soaps & Scents, we get started on preparing for the holidays a little earlier than you probably do at your home. We know how many people enjoy purchasing homemade soaps and bath bombs for their relatives for Christmas, so we’re working on our production of our holiday fragrance soaps now so they can be ready for you with plenty of time to go before the big holiday shopping season hits.
So what fragrances can you expect this year? We’ll be sure to provide a full list of our holiday-themed soaps when they’re available for purchase, but here are just a few that you might like to pick up this holiday season:
Northern Pine:
Who doesn’t love the scent of a real pine or fir Christmas tree? While this soap is ideal for year-round use, as it evokes the fresh, pleasant smell of a pine forest, it’s especially good for use in bathrooms during the holiday season, when you want to spread that pine scent to get people in the holiday spirit.
Frankincense and Myrrh:
Frankincense and myrrh are traditional holiday gifts because of their roots in the biblical Christmas story, so we decided we would combine their scents into a single soap bar. This gives the soap a wonderfully spicy yet still soft and pleasant fragrance, and an appealing look with its gold mica streaks throughout the bar. There’s no better time of year than the holiday season to have this soap out for use in your home!
Sleigh Ride:
This special blend of ours is exclusively meant for the holiday season, as it balances several different holiday scents. A light mint smell is perfectly balanced with a general clean smell that makes one think of freshly fallen, pure white snow. It even looks like a soap meant for the holidays, with a creamy white base that is cut with greens and reds. Use it in your bathrooms during the holidays and your friends and family will certainly get in the spirit of the season.
Sugar Plum Fairy:
The name of this soap, of course, comes from The Nutcracker, a world-famous Christmas ballet. Its rich, sweet smell immediately brings Christmas to mind, which makes it a perfect soap to bring out when you have family or friends over to visit during the holiday season. Its smell lingers on the hands pleasantly to keep the smells of Christmas nearby at all times.
Champagne:
With New Year’s Eve just a week after Christmas, you can add to the festivities by using some of our Champagne soap. That’s right—with every shower, bath or hand washing, you can break out the bubbly with our soap that has the sweet yet dry aroma of a glass of champagne. It’s truly one of a kind!
These are just a few of the best homemade soap options we have available for the holiday season. If you’re interested in learning more about our products, contact us at Soaps & Scents today.
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Get Them While They’re Available!
Gift Sets to Gear Up for the Holidays
It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is now less than three months away, meaning it’s time for you to start thinking about the kind of holiday gifts you’ll be giving to your friends and family. Here at Soaps & Scents, we have plenty of great soaps, gels, foamers and toiletries that make great additions to gift baskets for thoughtful, high-quality, practical gifts!
We have a couple different options for gift sets that include our products: a smaller set and a larger set. The smaller sets contain a two-ounce shower gel, hand lotion and body lotion, as well as a two-ounce container of whipped body butter. The larger set features a four-ounce shower gel, four-ounce hand lotion, four-ounce sugar scrub and a matching bar of soap.
Within these sets, you’re able to customize which particular homemade soaps, gels and lotions you want. We offer products in a variety of scents, some of which are especially ideal for the holidays. Here are just a few examples of favorites:
Tangerine sage:
If you’re looking for a soap or wash that’s a bit fruitier in its scent, get the citrus blast of tangerine sage. The slightly sharper (yet still sweet) tangerine smell is balanced by the earthy notes of sage that linger just underneath. This scent is available in several of our products. It’s especially a favorite among children, who are much more likely to be attracted to citrus smells than they are to some other herbs and floral smells that are popular in the world of soap and body wash. You can use it either in the kitchen or bathroom, on your hands or your whole body.
Lavender:
Lavender-scented soaps, washes and gels are true classics. There are few smells that are cleaner and more appealing than fresh lavender, which is one of the reasons why this product is so popular among our customers. In the bar soap, we use a pure lavender essential oil mixed in with the natural soap base, which makes it ideal for use on all skin types and for people of all ages.
Gardenia:
The gardenia scent is what one might consider a “neutral” scent for soaps and body washes, which makes it perfect for all-purpose usage in both the kitchen and bathroom. You’ll find it’s not too sweet and not too flowery—it’s simply “fresh,” which makes it the kind of option that your entire family and guests will appreciate. It’s available in several product forms.
Jasmine-pikaki:
While we have a number of products that use a pure jasmine scent, we only have a couple that use this unique jasmine-pikaki mixture, including our Jasmine-Pikaki Loo de Toilette. This is our version of a jasmine toilet odor blocker. Simply give a few sprays into a toilet bowl, and you’ll create a seal that keeps foul odors at bay under the water. It’s also highly portable, meaning you can carry it with you for use in public restrooms.
For more information about some of the best gift ideas we have, including our homemade soaps, contact Soaps & Scents today.
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