Thoughtful Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

Reviewing Gifts Your Hostess Really Wants

You've been invited to a friend or family member's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Lucky you! So now you have a dilemma: what would be the perfect hostess gift to say thank you for the hospitality?

To make your job easier, I've  chosen five different gifts that I'd love to receive if I were serving as your Thanksgiving hostess this year. While your hostess may not have the same tastes that I have, I think there should be an idea or two here that will work to elicit a "Thanks for being so thoughtful!" response from your hostess.

Give the Gift of a Seasonal Spa Treatment

ButterCosmetics on Etsy

Who wouldn't need a spa treatment following a busy Thanksgiving day, or even a long weekend, of cooking, eating, and entertaining? This is a first class gift item, handmade with the best, soothing, healing ingredients you'll find anywhere. Honestly, I'm not usually much of a spa gal, but I would love to treat myself with these bath and lip products. A Thanksgiving hostess gift definitely fit for a queen.

A Gift for the Thanksgiving Cook

MilkandHoneyLuxuries

Look at this "I'm Thankful For You" serving spoon. Show me a cook who doesn't need another serving spoon and I'll show you . . well, it doesn't matter because any hostess could use an additional big serving spoon at Thanksgiving dinner. And how special is this one? Hand stamped with the words, "I'm thankful for YOU" with a heart, this is beautiful and such a very thoughtful gift! This premium vintage serving spoon is made to order by the creative and well-known folks at Milk and Honey Luxuries. I adore it and bet your hostess will, too.

The Hostess Gift That Keeps on Giving

DaySpring Cards and Gifts

Gift your hostess with a plate of your own specialty cookies, candies, or bread presented atop this "Share" Giving Platter. How does it work? The hostess gift arrives on the plate, homemade or even store-bought by you. The printing on the plate says "share," and a simple canvas tag with a verse is included, tied with a ribbon of jute. The verse on the tag begins, "This plate has no real owner, its journey never ends. It travels on a spontaneous path to neighbors... family... friends."

So after Thanksgiving, when life has settled down for a few minutes, your hostess friend can add her own goodies and present the plate to yet another neighbor or friend. Perhaps the plate, eventually, will make its way back with you since, as the verse says, "its journey never ends." Consider this gift idea for a hostess who is known to be a "giver." She'll love passing the blessing along in the future.

A Simple "Thank You" Will Do 

Thank You Figurine by Willow Tree

This "Thank You" figurine by Willow Tree on Dayspring would be a beautiful choice for a hostess. She's little, just 5 1/2 inches high, but her message ("So appreciative of all you do!") is a big one that will encourage and lift up your hostess each time her eye catches this thoughtful gift.

Artist and sculptor Susan Lodi creates every figure in her Willow Tree collection with expressions revealed through gestures and absence of facial features, so the recipient can interpret its meaning in a personal way. What a beautiful way to show your appreciation for the kindness your hostess shows you.

Say "Thank You" With Flowers

Beautiful, Fresh Fall Flowers from FTD and DaySpring

When in doubt, flowers are a tried and true thank-you gift for a hostess. This beautiful, fall-colored Give Thanks Fall Bouquet would make a perfect, seasonal choice for a Thanksgiving hostess. More arrangements are available at the link. Good news is that all you have to do is the ordering; FTD delivers!  

How did I do? I hope you've discovered the perfect gift for your Thanksgiving hostess this year. I'd love to know what you chose, so don't be shy about leaving a comment below. I hope both you and your hostess have a very happy Thanksgiving!

~ Susan

Still looking? Check out these Gift Reviews from our Review This! team.

~Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Fun Holiday Review for "Water a Flower Day" ~ May 30

Source: Pixabay

We are all familiar with the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers," so having May 30 designated as 'Water a Flower Day' seems appropriate.

No one knows the origin of this day, but gardeners and flower fanciers are glad someone created this day.

A World of Flowers

There are over 400,000 types of flowers in the world.  I found this list of the top 12 most beautiful flowers in the world:

Butterfly and Rose of Sharon Postcard by Sylvestermouse

1. Rose
2. Bird of Paradise
3. Calla Lily
4. Magnolia
5. Water Lilies
6. Tulip
7. Orchids
8. Dahlia
9. Chrysanthemum
10. Plumeria
11. Gazania
12. Passion Flower

It's not surprising (to me) that the Rose is Number One on this list.  What is YOUR favorite flower?  As you can see by the above postcard photo (available on Zazzle), Cynthia Sylvestermouse of the Review This! blog likes the Rose of Sharon.

My Favorite Flower is the Lilac

Lilacs by the Water Classic Round Sticker by mbgphoto
 

I have always loved Lilacs.  As a child, the back door of our house had lilac bushes on either side, one white and one lavender. To this day I can remember the lovely lilac scents in the Springtime.  

And our city, Rochester, New York, is famous for the Lilac Festival held every Spring in May in Highland Park where over 1200 lilac shrubs and bushes can be found.  Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto) here on Review This! offers this lovely photo of Lilacs by the Water in her Zazzle Store.

Crafty Flowers

Floral Coasters on Etsy

I like to craft and I love flowers, so it was natural to me to create a few floral beverage coasters as a way to keep flowers in your home year-round. And these flowers never need watering! These, and a variety of floral design beverage coasters, can be found on Etsy in the Coastal Crochet Crafts shop.

Pansy Coaster

Pansy Beverage Coasters

Pansies are lovely on your tabletop as beverage coasters.

The word Pansy means "thought" and the pansy flower is considered a symbol of remembrance.  These pansy design floral coasters would make a thoughtful hostess gift or housewarming gift. 

 A pretty complement to your home decor, these pansy coasters are available in my Etsy Shop, Coastal Crochet Crafts.



Yellow Jonquil Flower Coasters

Jonquil Floral Coaster

This is a lovely set of beverage coasters handmade using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn. The design is a yellow Jonquil flower with green leaves set on an eggshell-white background. The Jonquil flower is a member of the Daffodil family of flowers of the genus Narcissus. 

Daylily Floral Coasters

Daylily Floral Coaster

This Daylily design is on a set of four beverage coasters with a design of a single daylily on each. Although daylilies come in a variety of colors, I chose the melon shades for this set.

Handmade using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in melon orange and peach, the daylily design sits on an off-white Ecru background. Each coaster measures 4 x 4 inches.


Black Eyed Susan Beverage Coasters

Black Eyed Susan Coasters

The Black Eyed Susan flower is part of the Sunflower family of flowers.  

This is a set of four beverage coasters with a Black-Eyed Susan flower design. 

Handmade in plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in yellows and greens with a dark brown center, the design sits on an eggshell-white background. The coasters are square, measuring 4.25 x 4.25 inches each. 

Celebrate 'Water a Flower Day'

 

Water a Flower Day is a yearly reminder every May 30 for us to show our flowers how much we appreciate them for their beautiful colors and fragrant blossoms. 

Whether you like to smell the flowers, grow the flowers or photograph flowers, never forget to WATER the flowers!

Check out the links below from some of the contributors on Review This! for advice on how to grow and photograph your favorite flowers!

• Mary Beth Granger: Creative Flower Photography
• Cynthia Sylvestermouse: Spring Flowers and Plants 
• Dawn Rae: Budget Balcony Living (Growing flowers in a small space)

Image source: Pixabay

There are many books about Flowers to be found on Amazon by clicking here. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Tuned Wind Chimes Review

The beautiful, melodic sound of tuned wind chimes
can brighten a cloudy day.

If you ask me, wind chimes are a necessity on any porch or in a favorite garden spot, adding beautiful melodies to the fragrant air on a lazy afternoon. Tuned wind chimes are a wonderful choice to provide the most pleasing music to the ear, and a set of tuned wind chimes is a thoughtful choice for a gift for any occasion, especially during the spring and summer. Everyone loves wind chimes!

Several years ago we lost our house to a wildfire. During the months that our new home was being constructed, I knew that one thing we must have for our new, roomy front porch was a set of wind chimes. I chose Woodstock Chimes for their quality and "Amazing Grace" chimes specifically. The tubular chimes are tuned to the opening notes of the hymn "Amazing Grace," a tune that almost everyone recognizes and a song with a message that spoke volumes to us as we recovered from our traumatic loss. The chimes really were a perfect choice. The tune, the tone, and the message won me over.

The wind chimes in the short video below aren't mine, but it's kind of fun for me to listen to this because mine sound exactly the same and I can hear them chiming outside my home office window as I type this. If you choose Amazing Grace tuned wind chimes, yours will sound the same, too, since they're all perfectly tuned exactly the same way.

Play the video to hear how the chimes sound. Can you pick out the tune?

Prefer a different tune or tone? Click here to see more Woodstock tuned wind chimes.

Another impressive tuned wind chimes company that I recently found is Amish Chimes. Their chimes, too, are high quality with absolutely beautiful tone. I'm looking forward to adding a set of Amish Chimes to our back porch. Click the link to see and hear their selection. 

Tuned wind chimes are a wonderful gift idea for just about anyone. They're a great addition to a porch, patio, or garden area and they're available in sizes ranging from very small and high-pitched to long tubes with a very deep pitch. No doubt you'll find just the right set for someone special in your life.

A Set of Tuned Wind Chimes, A Great Gift Idea for . . .

• Easter

• A Birthday

• Christmas

• Father's Day

• Mother's Day

• A Wedding Gift

• A Hostess Gift

• A Grieving Friend

• A Housewarming Gift

• Your Favorite Gardener

• Yourself!

So tell me, who do you know that deserves their own set of tuned wind chimes?

~Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

Still Shopping? Don't Miss Our Review This Gift Guide!

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Bridal Shower Scratch Off Tickets

Easy Game For Bridal Showers

Since my youngest daughter is planning a wedding for 2016, I know I will be invited to a few of the bridal showers that will be thrown in her honor. I am looking forward to going to each one but then I also dread them, too. I love watching the gifts being opened and the visiting with people. The treats are usually yummy but the games are not usually my favorite thing. 

It is difficult to come up with decent games for any kind of shower, I know. So, I do appreciate when the hostess comes up with something fun and unique. My other daughter will most assuredly have one of the showers for her sister and I have a suggestion for one of the games. Most people love to do the lottery scratch off tickets and I have discovered that you can get them printed for a bridal shower. Who knew? 

Funny Purple Vintage Bridal Shower Scratch Off Game Card Set~ 25 Cards

Now, isn't that the most clever idea you have seen in a while? I love the idea! There are a variety of styles and colors to choose from. I noticed that some come in packages of 25 and others offer packages of 10. There will always be only 1 winner in the package which makes it easy. The winner ticket is always on the top, too. You can shuffle them up before handing them out so that it is a surprise as to who gets the prize. Another option would be to hand them out to people as they arrive, if you didn't shuffle them first you will know that the first guest gets the prize.

What I love about this option for a bridal shower game is that there is really no one attending that is at a disadvantage. There are no silly questions that involve the bride's past, no physical feats (other than the action of scratching off the film) and no embarrassing questions or answers to go through. Simple and fun, period.

How about a few ideas on when to give the ticket to each guest? I mentioned giving them when they arrive but there are other options, too. Perhaps place a ticket on each plate when the treats are served. When the bride to be opens a gift from each guest, the guest is given their ticket at that moment. You could place them on a table and tell the guests to be sure to take just one. Then there is the simple one of just having the hostess pass them out before or after one of the other games. There is a multitude of ways to do it, any of which are simple and easy to do.

If by chance the shower is a large one and there will be more than 25 guests in attendance, you will need to get more than one package. Then, you will have to decide if you want more than one winner. If not, just remove the top ticket of each pack so that there is only one winner. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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I Love Yarn Day - October Fun for Crafters

Yarns

 The Craft Yarn Council (CYC), which represents the leading yarn companies, accessory manufacturers, and magazine and book publishers in the yarn industry, created I Love Yarn Day to share their affection for yarn and “stitch it forward” by teaching at least one newbie to knit, crochet, weave, spin or bomb.  It's a way to honor all those who create in the fiber arts and is held on the second Saturday of October.

My favorite crafts involve yarn – thus, there's nothing I like better than to talk about the projects my fellow fiber fans and I love to create.

The Crochet Crowd

My main (and favorite) yarn craft is crochet, a craft I've been doing for more than 40 years.  I taught myself to crochet as I am left-handed and no one could seem to teach me as everyone I knew who crocheted did it 'backwards'. (Well, maybe I'm the one who is backwards!). :) 

Plush Soft Toy Penguin

My favorite items to crochet are plush animals, especially soft toy penguins.  I make them in all the colors of the rainbow, including the actual black and white tuxedo penguin. 

Penguin is crocheted in a round and roly-poly Amigirumi style and measures about 5 x 5 inches.

Handmade penguins in this round style are very popular as a child's playtime pet plush animal, as it's just the right size for little hands to hold. This one is particularly adorable!

My plush penguins can be found in my Etsy Shop (Coastal Crochet Crafts), along with a whole bunch of stuffed animals and plush toys. 

Crochet Your Own Plush Animals

 

If you love to crochet plush animals, this pattern book called Edward's Menagerie has over 40 patterns for soft and snuggly toy animals in four different sizes, giving you 160 different possibilities.  The patterns use simple crochet techniques with step-by-step instructions which enable even a complete beginner to get started right away.

It's available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon. 

The Nifty Knitters

I've tried knitting in the past, but will never be as expert at it as these knitters whose work I admire.

Lots of knitters make handmade hats and scarves, afghans and sweaters, but a few make really unique and one-of-a-kind items.  A group of Australian crafters (two daughters and their moms) have banded together to produce a a shop (Made with Altitude ~ the "Store Where Your Imagination Will Soar!") filled with four different crafts from 4 unique individuals whose stories and perseverance will amaze you.  My admiration for them and their work amazed me when I read their story.  

Smiling Sunshine Flower

Since this is an article about yarn crafts, I chose to feature here the shop's unique knitted item called Smiling Sunshine Flower, a flower toy hand-knit with a splash of love, and a little ray of sunshine.  Flowers always bring smiles and delight, and with this handmade knitted flower you can have flowers all year through.  Smiling Sunshine Flower has big full blooms measuring 9 ½ inches across, and is 15 inches long.  A wonderful gift to brighten someones day. 

Plastic Canvas Projects

Crafting designs on plastic canvas with yarn is a fairly new endeavor for me.  I began just a few years ago when I realized that my little balls of yarn leftover from my crochet projects were filling up an entire plastic bucket.  Since plastic canvas crafts, such as coasters and tissue box covers, take only a very small amount of yarn, this craft is a great way to use it up. Waste not, want not… as they say! 


The most enjoyable part of working with plastic canvas is watching the design come to life as you stitch with various colors.  My favorite project to create in this medium is beverage coaster sets. 

Pineapple Beverage Coasters

This is a set of four (4) beverage coasters with a design of a pineapple. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and friendship, particularly throughout the South, so using coasters with this design in a social situation is perfect.

Pineapple coasters measure 4 x 4 inches. Created in acrylic yarn colors of yellow, gold and green for the pineapple design on an eggshell white background. Each coaster is trimmed in light green. The pineapple design is outlined in embroidery black outline stitch with crochet thread.

A pretty set of Pineapple coasters for your tabletops. They also make a lovely hostess gift for a holiday dinner invitation or a housewarming gift. Lovely home décor for any home.
The design is created on plastic canvas using acrylic yarn in harvest colors. The set has since sold, but you can request another in a custom order in my Etsy Shop, Coastal Crochet Crafts.

A Favorite Etsy Yarn Crafter

 

Halloween Treats Tic-Tac-Toe Game

Gail of Gails Crafts on Etsy has a very clever line of Tic-Tac-Toe games created with plastic canvas and yarn.  She makes these games for a variety of seasons and holidays and each one is cute and creative.  


This set includes a game board and 10 game pieces (5 each Jack-O-Lanterns and candy corns) and two fabric storage bags.

Game board is made from 7-mesh plastic canvas and 4-ply yarn. Game board is a 7”square  This and other sets, along with a wide variety of plastic canvas projects and other creative crafts, can be found in Gail's Etsy Shop called Gail's Crafts. 

Helpful Hints for Yarn

Beverly Owens, one of our creative crafters here on Review This, has reviewed a very handy tool every yarn crafter needs ~ the Stanwood Yarn Ball Winder.  If you have a large 'stash' of leftover yarn, like I do, this tool is perfect!

Now that you have your scraps of yarn neatly wound, check out these ideas from Favecraft on ways to use up those scraps. You don't even have to be a knitter or crocheter to find creative ways to use yarn.

50 Yards of Fun

This book is perfect for using up your yarn stash.  There are patterns for a delightful collection of over 30 irresistible toys and each project uses only about 50 yards of yarn!

Knit just five basic body shapes, each shown in several variations, to create knitted animals, robots, monsters, and characters of every description.

Celebrate I Love Yarn Day

So, for 'I Love Yarn Day' or any day, grab your skeins and balls of yarn, your knitting needles, crochet hooks or yarn needle and begin a new project.  Hand-crafting with yarn is a very relaxing hobby and your finished projects are a delight to behold.

*I Love Yarn Day was written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Review of Personalized Gift Bags on Zazzle

I like to be creative with my gift wrapping and Zazzle makes this a pleasure with their line of custom boxes and bags.  You can choose from many different styles and sizes and design you gift container to be perfect for your recipient.

You might want to add names or initials to you gift box/bag or perhaps a special photo.  Here are a few ideas from the authors at Review This.

Gift Bags

Gift bags come in four different styles: small, medium large and wine. You can choose either a glossy or a matte finish.  

Review This author Coletta designed this beautiful large gift bag out of a photo of a Copper Ti Plant.

Copper Ti Plant Large Gift Bag by konacolors
Find another Gift Bag

Favor Boxes

Favor boxes are very popular for all types of parties and events.  You will find them at weddings, showers, birthday parties, corporate events and just about any place you have a gathering of people.  Zazzle has 5 great styles of containers that can be customized to fit your needs.

• Classic Style
• Heart Box
• Gable Box
• Take Out Box
• Tent Style Ribbon Box

The tent style box below was created by Review This author Susan.  Wouldn't it be great for a favor box for a baby shower.

Rubber Duck Family on Blue Favor Box by BuckHawkParty
Look at another favor box

Here is another favor box that Susan created this one is in the gable style.

Polka Dots of Pale Yellow on Pink Favor Boxes by BuckHawk
View more Polka dots Favor Box at zazzle.com

Wine Boxes

Wine makes a great hostess gift.  It becomes even more special when you design a custom box for your wine.  If you are going to a fall party this box that I created out of my autumn leaves photo would make the perfect box for your wine gift.  

Autumn Leaves by mbgphoto
View Autumn leaves Wine Gift Box online at zazzle

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Handmade Harvest-Time

Pumpkin Coasters on Etsy

It's Harvest Time, the time of year crops are traditionally harvested. This coincides with Autumn, the season of colorful leaves, cooler nights, pumpkins and apples, and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving.

The term 'Harvest' came from England and was the name for the season between summer and winter until Autumn began to be used in the 16^th century. In Britain the season is usually considered to be from August through October and in the United States from September through November. The term 'Autumn' is also interchangeable with 'Fall', used mainly in America. Unlike the other three seasons, there does not seem to be a common word for this season in all the Indo-European languages. Autumn and Harvest-Time are my favorite terms to use.

Autumn Themed  Crafts

Acorns

Custom Crochet Fall Acorn Beanie

Autumn is a favorite time of year for crafters and the Indie-artists in the fields of art and photography because the lovely harvest-related colors of orange, brown, red and yellow lend themselves to beautiful creations. 

Since acorns are plentiful in the Fall, this crochet acorn hat is perfect for the season.  A leaf and a small acorn adorn the top of the hat, and are attached to the stem of the acorn. Made in super soft cotton yarn, the hat is available in sizes from newborn to adult large.

Place your order for an acorn hat with Monica of Costa Mesa, California.  You can find her in her Etsy Shop "Ruffle Stitch Kids." These hats make a great gift for all the 'nuts' on your list and is perfect for those Fall photos. 

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Potholder and Matching Dishcloth

Pumpkins are also perfect for a harvest time decor as seen with this set of pumpkin potholder 
and dishcloth combo.

In addition to sprucing up your Fall home decor, this pumpkin set makes a unique hostess gift when invited out to dinner, especially during the Harvest-Time season.  Or nice for a wedding gift for a Fall wedding. 

More Ideas for Handmade Harvest Time

• Sylvestermouse shows us a collection of beautiful beaded cross-stitch kits with lovely Thanksgiving designs to stitch up for the most popular 'harvest holiday' – Thanksgiving Day!

• Wednesday-Elf found some really fun and practical handmade harvest-related designs on Etsy by clever crafters who love to create in Autumn themes.

When you think of 'handmade harvest-time', you may consider crafts as the only field that's considered handmade. Not so, in my opinion.

Pumpkin Muffins by Mary Beth Granger

• I consider cooking a handmade 'delicious delight', as you can see in this yummy pumpkin muffin recipe by mbgphoto.

• And 'gardening' gives us all that wonderful homegrown food. You don't need to have a farm or even a large garden plot in your yard. As Dawn Rae shows us, you can also grow and harvest your favorite foods like squash and tomatoes in a simple container garden on your apartment balcony.

Enjoy the colors of the Autumn Leaves as you 'trick or treat' for Halloween and plan your Thanksgiving feast in a multitude of handmade ways from crafting to cooking to planning your next garden for Spring.

Have an Awesome Autumn and Harvest-time.

(c) 12/02/2014 Wednesday Elf. Updated 9/27/2019

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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