Guest’s Guide To Gift Giving

As a tie-in to the previous post about setting the table for entertaining guests, let’s look at the nice custom of guests bringing the hostess a small gift as a thank you for putting on a wonderful get-together.

The guest need not spend a fortune or spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the perfect gift. These types of gifts, in my opinion, should be simple and useful.

Some items you may wish to consider when choosing a gift for your host:

A bottle of wine

A box of chocolates

A bouquet of flowers

Some lovely cocktail napkins

A box of pretty stationery

Non-perishable foodstuffs (jams, jellies, mustards etc..) in a gift box or set.

A beautiful coffee table book (I prefer photography or travel books)

Marble cheese cutter

If your host is an avid barbecuer, an apron or BBQ tool set

I’m fond of getting good deals on beautiful things so I suggest finding a sale at one of the better department stores on some of the items on the list and stocking upon these items to grab and go when you are asked over. I’ve found appropriate items that any host would be proud to display at Dillard’s and even TJ Maxx! 

Best Guest Gift Wishes,

The Lady Hooper-Brackett

Hostess Hint: Setting The Table For Guests

I spoke to a group of my friends about planning ahead for entertaining. One easy way to take some stress off is to set the table ahead of time. Years ago a kind older lady gave me this tip and I have used it each time I’ve had guests.

Set your complete table the day before you will be entertaining. Lay out your serving dishes on the sideboard, also. Take new and clean clear shower curtains or other clear plastic sheeting and lay it over the settings and dishes. Keeps dirt and dust off and then you merely remove right before the guests arrive.

Incidentally, if you have eager young table setters, a cute way to have them remember where the silverware is to be placed on the table is thus:

Spoon and Knife….5 letters same as RIGHT

Fork…4 letters same as LEFT.

I hope that the youth of the world will be interested in good table settings. It is a nicety that we should all revisit in the civilized world.

Best Table Wishes,

The Lady Hooper-Brackett

The Polite Regifter : Cheap or Thoughtful?

I’ve received many items over the years that did not fit, that I’d already owned, or that did not blend with my taste. I also believe that you should only own that which you will like and use. I’ve been a regifter of items that just do not work for me. I have received many questions about regifting…the most frequent one is “Dear Lady, is this practice acceptable?”

At my very heart, I do not believe in waste. If you possess something that you do not like but you know someone else will like, then I say without reservation that it is acceptable, but like everything else, there are some guidelines. Let’s take a look.

You may certainly never regift anything that has been personalized with your name or initials. One supposes that you may even do this if the recipient has the same initials, though, so there is even an exception to this. Still, I believe that even if the same initial circumstance exists, it is better to keep such things.

If someone took the time to crochet an afghan for you, or to knit a scarf , keep it. I believe that out of respect you should not regift it. 

If you have used it, you should keep it. Imagine the horror at giving someone a vase that has obviously been used, or a candlestick with wax on it (horrors!) If you must get it out of the house, donate it to a charity.

If you have no recollection of who gave you an item, do not regift it. You may unwittingly regift it to the person who gave it to you. I am quite sure that this would be extremely awkward.

And should you regift, please make sure that there is no card or letter from the original donor in the box you use. That, my cherished readers, would be an extreme faux pas.

Best Gifty Wishes,

The Lady Hooper-Brackett

Household Tip: The Dirty Top O’The Fridge

I am all about helping to make others’ lives easier, so here is a short tip that has worked for several of my friends for keeping a clean kitchen.

I’m not ignorant to the fact that kitchens become grimy and yucky. And without household help, it almost becomes impossible to keep the top of the fridge clean. So what do I do to solve this problem? Voila…this tip was passed on to me years ago and it has never failed me.

A simple and inexpensive solution is found by using plastic wrap. Put rows of the plastic wrap over the top of your refrigerator and when it is time to clean, remove, discard, and lay new pieces back down.

I can only say: Easy Peasy!

Best Tidy Wishes,

The Lady Hooper-Brackett

Guest Towels in the Bathroom: Are They Off Limits?

It is always an adventure to settle down with my cup of coffee in the morning and read through my emails to see what is concerning my darling friends. I came across this interesting problem regarding towels.

My friend went to a First Communion party at her niece’s house and when she used the bathroom facilities, was dumbstruck that her niece had only provided a small hand towel for the fifty or so guests that she had in her home. Her shock did not come from the fact that there was only one towel, however. The shock came from seeing others using the facilities and then discovering that the towel was perfectly dry…it had not been used! She found wet spots near the sink and the soap was wet, so hands seemed to be washed…so why not use the towel?

I can recall a time in my childhood when I was admonished by my dear mother to not use the ‘guest towels’ that were specially hung on a bar near the sink. So, I never used them. She had elevated them to sacred status in my impressionable mind. For years, even when using the facilities in other’s homes, I avoided touching the guest towels and wiped my hands on my pants! (Yes, I know…the horror of it!!!)

I believe that there can be a solution to this problem, however.

  1. Provide enough small washcloths for a couple of dozen to use. A beautiful stack right next to the sink. As the host, you use the first one…crumple it up, place it in a basket near the sink, and hope that this subtle message tells other guests…it is OK to use the towels! 
  2. Get a festive box of disposable paper towels and leave them near the sink. Perhaps guests do not want to feel that they are creating more laundry for the host, but will feel free to use paper towels.
  3. Leave no towel in the guest bath at all, after all no one is using it anyway. Watch as people leave the bathroom. You take a drink for every person who comes out with wipe marks on their pants (kidding!)

Best Clean Hand Wishes,

The Lady Hooper-Brackett