The ‘not another wine bottle’ guide to gifts
If bottles of wine and scented candles have been your go-to host or hostess present for years, consider a gift reboot.
Not that many people don’t love wine, but why not give a little extra effort?
“You walk into a party and there are 10 bottles of wine on the kitchen counter. Do you want to be the guest who adds the 11th bottle?” says Candace Ourisman, who with longtime friend Ashley Bronczek founded the Secretly Gifting gift concierge service in March.
“I love burning scented candles,” Bronczek says.
But that gift category has lost some of its magic.
“It’s not like you are going to enter the party with your gift and feel, ‘I really crushed it, and I can’t wait for you to open this candle I picked out for you.’”
Presents and presentation are important to Ourisman, 34, and Bronczek, 35. They frequently host baby and bridal showers, birthday parties and holiday dinners.
“We are always hosting something,” Ourisman says.
The pair launched their business after they realized they both were giving endless advice to friends and family looking for the perfect gift.
“We figured we had our fingers on the pulse of great hostess gifts, bridal gifts and birthday gifts,” Ourisman says.
They knew there were lots of personal shoppers for clothing but not so many for time-strapped people looking for appropriate and original presents.
For a standard fee, Secretly Gifting will find a present to suit your recipient, wrap it and deliver or mail it. Their clients fill out a questionnaire to tell them details about the giftee. Fashion plate? Bookworm? Nature lover? Ourisman and Bronczek have private Pinterest boards full of gift ideas from sources nationwide.
Their philosophy on host and hostess gifts: as opposed to what they call the “easy grab,” give your gift selection more thought.
“If it’s someone you know well, play to their passions and interests. If it’s not, share one of your favourite things,” Bronc- zek says.
Such as a box of cheese straws you fell in love with on a visit to Savannah, Georgia, a hot sauce you discovered or your own Chex mix combo. Also, if you know your hosts well, recall the things they have in their home, the colours they love or a dream vacation. Make sure you securely attach a card with a short, handwritten message.
We asked Ourisman and Bronczek for some fresh ideas for this holiday season. Many of their suggestions would make great gifts for other occasions as well, and for the most part they’re priced $30 and under.
Their favourite gifts as hosts? For Ourisman, it’s chocolate truffles she can indulge in at the end of a hectic evening when she finally kicks off her heels; for Bronczek, it’s a box of breakfast pastries and fresh-squeezed orange juice for the next morning’s family breakfast.
Following are their suggestions with online sites listed; many are also available at local gift shops and specialty stores.
Seeing Double bar towel and cocktail shaker
Hand-stitched linen towels are perfect for any bar or kitchen; the plastic cocktail shaker is a bonus. The Secretly Gifting ladies think it’s a great two-for-one gift (augustmorgan.com).
Maldon sea salt flakes and acacia salt cellar
This all-natural English sea salt is well known among serious cooks (williamssonoma.com). The acacia wood holder with swivel top is nice enough to keep on the counter (crateandbarrel.com). Marble and acacia cheese board This handmade wood serving board is
shaped like a pineapple, the symbol of hospitality (anthropologie.com). Paper placemats Graceful evergreen trees decorate these sturdy placemats that are sold in a pad. No ironing needed! (hesterandcook.com). Gold bowls The insides of these porcelain bowls sport beautiful saturated tones. The size is just right for snacks or dessert (yedihouseware.com). Letterpressed winter coasters Four charming designs have you set for the season. The Secretly Gifting duo loves the thick, high-quality card stock and sophisticated motifs (hautepapier.com).
Luciano silicone drink markers
Reusable decals will help identify party guests’ drinks. They work on any shape of glass or smooth surface (amazon.com). Artsy ornaments These one-of-a-kind porcelain holiday ornaments are handcrafted by Logan Ledford, a young New Orleans artist. Ourisman and Bronczek chose them because of their modern, artisan look (loganledford.com).
Beerd bottle opener
Not just for lumberjacks: this cheeky bottle opener pairs with a six-pack of your f avourite IPA (amano.bz). Hot chocolate on a stick Just add hot milk to create a rich beverage, either salted caramel, vanilla mint or French truffle flavour. Made of an extra buttery Belgian chocolate by Ticket Chocolate in California (ticketchocolate.com).
Organic maple syrup and pancake mix gift basket
A special breakfast packed in a berry basket, featuring Hudson Valley syrup, can be enjoyed the morning after the party (findinghomefarms.com). Succulent garden A white ceramic planter full of a variety of succulents will last a lot longer than a bunch of flowers (1800flowers.com). Selfie stand You want a photo of your dinner party or family but can’t figure out how to take it? This rotating wood stand fits major smartphones and will guarantee you have an Instagrammable memento of the evening (amano.bz). Jewel caramels Phillip Ashley’s dark chocolate edible gemstones are filled with handcrafted caramels flavoured with fruits, herbs, spices and sea salts from around the world (neimanmarcus.com).