These hostess gift ideas will make them feel so appreciated
Whether you’re heading to a holiday party or invited for a weekend visit, you’ll want to make sure you don’t show up empty-handed. Hostess gifts may be a little old-fashioned, but that’s because they really are a classic move that will never go out of style. Thanking your hostess (or host, of course) for their hospitality and any work they’ve put into making you, their guest, feel welcome, is always considerate. Although the sentiment has never gotten old, the gift itself changes from decade to decade. So, you’ll need some hostess gift ideas, especially with the upcoming holiday season.
These carefully curated gifts will please any hosts, even your hard-to-shop-for-sister-in-law. They’ll be welcome additions to their home, pantry, and every day, plus many of them actually make their next event that much easier to put together. Scroll down for our favorite hostess gift ideas for 2023.
TBH Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A bottle of wine is always a good idea when it comes to a hostess gift. This wonderful Pinot Noir is made from 100% estate-grown organic grapes from Small Vines on the Sonoma Coast and is a full-bodied wine with hints of cherries, a floral scent, and a lovely lingering flavor.
Goat milk is known for its moisturizing qualities. We love gifting this soap and lotion set especially since its fragrance-free and includes a counter caddy.
Glassware with a city map in 22-carat gold leaf is sure to endear your host to you even when your kid locks themselves in the bathroom in the middle of the party. Choose from 22 popular cities.
San Francisco mom Samira Khoshnood created Superstitchous while on maternity leave after the birth of her first child. We love gifting these cozy blankets to pretty much anyone. Especially with a variety of charming prints and sizes, you can't go wrong.
Made of long-lasting soy wax and hand-poured in California, these are a chic-meets-cheeky offering. There are a bunch of different single and bundle options to fit your favorite hostess's personality.
The perfect gift wrap for that bouquet of flowers you can grab on your way over; use a recycled jar, a can or a simple vase and make it dressy. Coated paper stock in lots of different color choices.
A perfect trio of cheese from one of the country's best cheesemakers. Includes a decadent triple cream Mt Tam, funky and buttery Red Hawk, and versatile aged Wagon Wheel.
Filter out sulfites with this simple wine filter and say goodbye to wine headaches. Simply add one to each glass you pour and in 3 minutes, you'll have a clean-tasting filtered glass of your favorite grapes.
—Kate Loweth, Amber Guetebier, Gabby Cullen, & Kate Cartia
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Need any help aging yourself? What if we told you Tamagotchi is turning 25? The little digital pet is all grown up now and the brand is celebrating the big anniversary with a fun throwback product.
If you’re an older Millennial, odds are high that you owned a Tamagotchi in 1997. It was a must-have toy and countless kids sported the little plastic egg on a keychain. While the gameplay was deceptively easy: feeding, playing with or cleaning up after your little pet, the Tamagotchi were surprisingly hard to master. And yes, they definitely contributed to a lot of split attention spans in the classroom or on the practice field.
Celebrate 25 YEARS of Tamagotchi with a commemorative special edition device available exclusively on @Amazon! 🥳 RT if you remember your first Tamagotchi!
If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can buy the original digital pet on Amazon in a whole array of case colors for around $20. With more than 10,000 4.5 star reviews, it’s clear that everyone loves a classic. And Tamagotchi is releasing a new special edition pet available to preorder now, with a very ‘90s inspired iridescent case.
Grab one or a few and introduce your kids to this maddeningly simple little game. While you’re at it, stock up on some Surge and Bagel Bites for the ultimate blast from your past!
A new Disney princess collaboration is coming exclusively to Target and it celebrates the spirit of four of the most iconic characters! The Disney Princess x POPSUGAR “Happily Ever Home” collection will have 35 pieces with Moana, Belle, Tiana and Ariel lines and it’s hitting stores on May 30.
In the four distinct princess categories you’ll find pieces ranging from $9.99 to $79.99. So what can you expect in the new lineup?
Moana’s line is “make the journey epic” with tropical patterned, beachy products. Belle’s “dares to be different” with royal blue and white color schemes and bookish items. Tiana “makes a dream real” in purple and sage and includes a chenille throw. Ariel’s line is “exploring new worlds” with seafoam green and light blue hues plus seashell details. You’ll also be able to buy a beauty fridge with five sheets of removable stickers featuring themes from all four of the Disney princesses.
“Aligning with various princess personalities through these home items will bring joy this summer for our Gen Z audience and for even some of the more mature (or just young millennial) Disney fans who believe in the power of Princesses,” said Lisa Sugar, Founder and President of POPSUGAR.
The collection is targeted at young adults and Gen Z—and Disney fans, of course. You can view it live now online at Target and start making your list of must-haves. After all, who couldn’t use a little princess home inspo?
How has parenting changed in the last year? More specifically, how have parents changed? Millie Moon Luxury Diapers recently tapped OnePoll to conduct a survey of 2,000 millennial parents—and the results may surprise you!
It’s probably not a shock to many parents that the events of 2020 changes plenty of attitudes towards just about everything. Between the sudden, drawn-out together-time families found themselves in, working from home, schooling from home and doing everything else from home, parenting has had to change in the past year.
photo courtesy of Millie Moon
The survey found that four out of five moms and dads surveyed felt 2020 made them completely reevaluate their parenting. Seventy-two percent said the pandemic helped them to show more compassion as parents and 73 percent began prioritizing the smaller moments they could share with their kiddos.
When it comes to work, more than 40 percent of parents put less of an emphasis on their jobs. This extra time reportedly had a major affect on the littles, according to the parents surveyed. Seventy-six percent of parents also discovered new ways to connect with their kids!
The increased emphasis on connecting with the kiddos may make you wonder how parents are spending more time with their families. The survey found that nearly half of parents say story-time is a bonding moment. With that in mind, Millie Moon is donating a portion of the proceeds from the brand’s new Luxury Diaper line to the national early literacy nonprofit, Reach Out and Read. Nab these luxe diapers and wipes exclusively at Target!
I write this in my basement, as my toddler and infant tromp around above me—all while trading childcare shifts with my husband because daycare’s out of session due to covid.
Clearly, the current era has been all about juggling. But at a time when it’s harder than ever to achieve balance in our work and home lives, striking some kind of peace treaty between work and home life is especially crucial.
As the Millennial Money Expert at Fabric, a startup that’s a one-stop-shop for families and their financial lives, I speak to all sorts of parents. Between these conversations and the tenuous line I’m also trying to walk, here’s how I’ve been thinking about work-life balance in 2021.
Leave work at work, even if you’re now working from home: In practical terms, the best way to do this is to set aside a designated place for WFH-ing. If I try to work on my laptop at the kitchen table, I can guarantee that I’m going to be interrupted with a request to bake cookies (where did she get the impression that was on today’s schedule?), build a puzzle or help with the niggly parts of dressing a baby doll. Finding a work-only space can be difficult if your home isn’t giant or you don’t have a separate office. Still, even if “home office” means throwing on a winter coat and working out of the basement (ahem), it’s vital to have a designated space where you can concentrate—and where your kids understand that you’re off-limits.
Set time limits on technology for your kids and yourself: When your top goal is to get your kids to be quiet long enough for you to get through a conference call, it can be tempting to plop ‘em in front of a screen. Likewise, when the weather’s cold and all the stores and restaurants are closed or potentially coronavirus-ridden, it often feels easier to tune out and tune into Netflix. I’m not here to take a stand on whether screen time is good or bad in general, but my own experience is that after a long day of screens, I often feel better if I can step away. Sometimes this takes the form of cooking and baking or listening to an audiobook. Lately, I’ve been rediscovering my crafty side by drawing kids’ books and puzzles for the children in my life. Whatever your release, try asking yourself: After the fact, which action will make me feel better about how I spent this hour?
Get your financial life in (better) order: With so much going on, dealing with finances and long-term planning can feel very stressful and overwhelming. But in a world of chaos, it can be reassuring to impose some order. Think about what tasks are on your financial and organizational to-do list. Which ones can you knock off between kids’ bedtime and your own? Start there. Whether you are a new parent or not, nows the time to think about the status of your life insurance, will, and college savings plans and update priority documents so you can relax a bit.
Iron out a schedule with the people in your life: If you’re a single parent, this time is incredibly challenging. I hope you have other support systems in your life, like family and/or “learning pods” with friends’ kids. Whether your pinch-hitters include spouses and partners or grandparents and friends, this pandemic has gone on long enough that it probably makes sense to formalize your arrangements, if you haven’t already. If your kids are typically in school or daycare, what’s the backup plan for if and when they close for the dreaded 14 days for COVID? If you have a nanny, what’ll you do if they end up getting sick? If grandparents or other family members can help out, can they come on regular days each week?
This hasn’t been easy for any of us. I can’t pretend that work-life balance is going to magically fall into place, especially when it was hard enough previously, without a pandemic! But I know I’ll be taking a deep breath and thinking more consciously about how I can create the boundaries I need to maximize my work and family successes.
Allison Kade is Fabric’s Millennial Money Expert. She has written about parenting, money, travel, careers, and time management, for publications like Bloomberg, Forbes, The Today Show, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, and more. She is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated fiction writer. Follow her on Twitter @amkade.
In a world where cell phones, tablets, and air pods rule the world, kids are becoming more and more attached to screen time. Is screen time the way of the future for our kids? As a Millennial mom, we were taught at a young age that playing outside was good for you. In that sense, we wanted to play outside!
Fast forward 20 years and we are creating a generation of kids that are so disconnected from society, due to the simple fact that cell towers, phones and now even Nintendo’s are handhelds. Outside just does not happen anymore. But can we encourage creativity in the child that is connected to the screen?
As a mom of two young children who adore Roblox, YouTube, and Nintendo it is not easy to pull them away from their games. On the contrary, the simple fact that screen time can create more harm than good raised an eerie question for most parents out there today.
Did you know that the average child spends at least 5 hours a day, and less than one hour a day outside? Can you believe that?! We are all guilty of this. Even myself as I sit here writing this. Change has created this monster and we have all had to adapt in some way.
Thanks to the crazy year we have all had, working from home has put quite the stress on many parents. Screen time for kids increased to well over 500%!! Nobody would believe that number! That is huge! But how are parents supposed to get their work done with kiddos running rampant in the house all day?
No thanks to the circumstances, this increase in screen time was substantial from the previous years. When a study was conducted on the number of children that were actually “plugged in”, a whopping 49% of kids were spending at least 6 hours or more on the screen. I mean really, who could blame them?
How Does Screen Time Affect Kids?
Children’s brains are constantly growing. If a child is constantly connected to a device or TV show how can we enhance brain development? Although many TV shows and educational videos on YouTube state they are safe for children are they safe?
There have been many times where my children have caught me off guard and said something they were not supposed to say. When asked where this came the response was from the screen (we will not name any names here).
Never underestimate the power that social media and apps on a device have over children. This has been studied as such that staring too long at a device can also cause the following:
Sleep Disruptions
Emotional tendencies
Behavior Outbursts
Language Defects/issues
How you may ask? Each of these are tendencies that could happen to your child. From first-hand experience, as I have noticed with my kids. Children that look at a screen for most of the day have a harder time falling asleep. Whereas children that are more active can get more rest at night.
On the instance of behavioral outbursts, there are a lot of videos that children watch on certain channels that entertain the fact that behaving a certain way is ok. Children learn that this is ok to do and thus repeat it.
Funny to report that emotional tendencies happen when children are asked to separate from screen time and do something else. As kids learn that this is the “only thing” there is to do aside from daily activities, they then have no other tendencies to engage in play.
What Can You Do about It as a Parent?
Children are creative by nature and can adapt to change exceptionally well. Screen time limitation is especially important for kids at a young age. The World Health Organization has set guidelines for parents on the effects of screen time on children.
As a parent that grew up in the ’80s where we ran outside all day and TV really didn’t exist much. Oh, and do not forget, when the streetlights came on, you had better be home. These are different times. And although we must adapt to the changing times, creating creativity in kids enhances growth substantially.
Having a disconnect day is essential during these times. Some examples that we enjoy doing, are
Riding Bicycles
Drawing
Coloring
Going for walks
Camping
Hiking
Having to disconnect is so beneficial. You will start to notice an immediate change in attitude in yourself as well as your kids. Take your kids back to the ’80s where we really knew how to get our feet dirty and swing from ropes into the lakes!
It brings back so many memories. Share them with your children and let them be young, away from the screen.
Nicole is a Registered Nurse turned blogger and freelance writer for hire. She enjoys helping other moms with parenting, life hacks, and anything kids. When she is not creating awesome content you can find her outdoors with her family or lounging, coffee in hand.
Think Friday night, 11 pm, you and the hubs, empty house.
Exactly!
What better scenario for a round of sending asinine snapchats to your young adult kids who are off doing their own thing, i.e. having a life.
Huh?
Hubster and I took full advantage of our golden opportunity last weekend. Pillow talk isn’t half as tempting as engaging with a little white ghost flaunting face and voice changing super powers.
We played with Snapchat for an hour. By ourselves. Laughing like fools.
Sure, we could have used our time wiser, perhaps engaging in something scandalous. But we didn’t.
Our favorite feature of Snapchat is the ability to alter video images by utilizing specific photoshopping graphics available in the app. Amusing ourselves with torqued faces, ridiculous costumes, and slow-mo speech provided all the bonding needed. After twenty-four years of marriage, love masquerades in surprising fashion.
And the best part was finding out how much our crazy antics entertained our kids. All three of them laughed so hard they cried. Who knew?
Apparently getting parent snaps takes the humor to a quantum level.
After initiating our kids with our snapping prowess, using the app is now one of our favorite family activities. We get snaps in the middle of the night from our kids and we send them zaney pics and videos on the regular.
According to our kin, the better half and I are Snapchat experts. Therefore, we initiated several of our adult friends into the masterclass group at a recent party. Think room full of fiftyish empty nesters writhing in laughter over smushed cheeks, squared jaws, alien foreheads, and bumble bee glasses. Instant classic.
In lieu of my positive experience with the app, I came up with 10 reasons parents should use Snapchat with their kids:
1. It’s fun. Duh.
2. Your kids will realize you aren’t as boring or lame as they pretend you are.
3. You will get to see a goofier side of your child.
4. The face distortion reminds humbles you.
5. Engaging back and forth with your kid helps you connect in a lighthearted way.
6. The app is a short form of communication kids like to use.
7. Allowing yourself to laugh is good for the soul. Laughing with your family even better.
8. Life is full of messes and this isn’t one of them.
9. If you can’t beat technology, join the ranks.
10. It’s really fun. Duh.
The benefits and joys of playing with Snapchat far outnumber my short list. As you partake in the fanfare you will create memories and bond with your kid in surprising ways.
And one of the great aspects of Snapchat is regular updates of the image altering feature. Parents and kids are constantly offered fresh distortions, wacky overlays, and altered speech mechanisms to crack up about.
So step-aside young ones who think parents are out of date. We may be ancient in your eyes, but these old souls aren’t dead yet. There’s a heap of goofy underneath our wearied faces.
Looks like middle age is the new millennial. Who said Gen-X wasn’t savvy? Face swap that!
Thanks, Snapchat!
_____________
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The litany of challenges facing teens in today’s modern culture mocks the floodwaters of generations past. Public is the new private for adolescents. Hard to fathom swimming in such shark infested waters when already weighed down by insecurities, body changes, and conflicting self-awareness. As a veteran teen raiser, I’m amazed by the tenacity exhibited by the Millennial population considering the ill-effects of growing up in a projector screen society.
Making matters worse is the fact teens are crazy. Not an insult, but a scientific statement. The frontal lobe of a human brain, the thing in our head capable of discerning, “If I do this, then that will happen”, doesn’t reach full development until the late twenties. Quite a ca ca meme scheme drummed up by our Creator. What was he thinking allowing a parent’s worst nightmare to coincide with a parent’s worst nightmare, i.e. teenager AND non-working brain?
Pff.
As a mom who at one point housed three cards short of a full deck under her roof at the same time, I found little solace in the irony. Until I did. Rapid cycling emotions and bewildering fads aside, teenagers have more of a grip on the world than adults give them credit for.
After being a teen, raising a teen offers an enlightening juxtaposition of reason. As a parent, you have the benefit of wisdom and experience; bi-products of evolved forward-thinking. The knowledge both snares you with exasperation when your teen does something stupid, and strokes you with benevolence when considering your jaded past. But because you can better see Yellowstone beyond the pine in your face, when your kid cries, “Uh, I never thought of that”, it’s easy to fume, “How on earth could you not see this coming?”
Choosing to accept the third world make-up of our teen’s brain gives them some leeway to screw up. And screw-up they will. On repeat. Just like we did. Multiple times over.
Today’s teens face temptations, communication mediums, and generational juggernauts leap years ahead of the challenges present in the seventies and eighties. The narcissistic pretense of instant everything, evil of streaming porn, and ever-widening availability of addictive substances on neighborhood street corners creates a vacuum of disasters waiting to happen. And this is only the short list of crouching lions looking to pounce on a teen’s well-being.
Becoming wise to the nuances of the current teen streetscape helped me recognize my parent pride and ignorance. My husband and I chose to build a bridge between our personal teen experience and our kids harrowing reality. Because teens can sniff out a hypocrite a magnificent mile away, we were transparent about our mistakes, poor choices, and misguided pursuits. Walking across the plank towards independence “together” built rock-solid trust between us.
Teens also endure a perpetual balancing act on the high wire of change. Hormonal, emotional, physical, spiritual, relational, communal, psychological metamorphosis all coalesce on the road from dependence to independence. The upheaval creates an even greater need for teens to love and be loved. A longing which, at a genuine level, requires depth and certitude, honesty and freedom—all things grossly contorted in the era of technology.
The 24/7 world of texting, snapping, posting, and tweeting about everybody’s business shallows even the best-intentioned waters. The incessant cyber gibber and constant contact waters down and glosses over authentic relationship. The result is a cesspool of insecurity reflecting the illusion of meaningful connection.
Observing my teens navigate these waters weighed on my heart. I grew to appreciate the vital importance of the following truths:
Today’s adolescents need caring adults to model authentic communication; a give and take of listening and sharing based on trust and appreciation. The teenage brain functions in the now. Therefore, it is imperative to express our gratitude, acceptance, understanding, and compassion today even if we are still fuming over their failures, mishaps, and antics tomorrow. We need to meet our teen right where they are, not where we hope they will be or wish they were already. Teenagers desire to be known for who they are, what they stand for, and what they believe whether we agree or not. Even though their journey of self-awareness is still ongoing, accepting them at each step along the way breeds hope.
Parenting through teendom transformed me into the woman I am today. The footprint I leave on the world will include, in large part, the influence of my beautiful kids in their most difficult years. The mini battles around expectations, drawn-out wars over rules, peer drama, emotional storms, adversity et al, and haphazard mania refined my spirit. And the blessing of raising them is a purified soul.
The reality is, raising teens made be a better human. For years leading up to this stage, I worried and vexed and grayed while assuming the formidable stage would be a disaster. I thought for sure I’d fail as a mom and screw up my miracles for good. Until I didn’t. Thank you, the mystique of prayers, Goose over ice, and God’s grace.
Enjoy your teens. Learn from them. Love them hard. Pray for them harder.
Show your little Valentine’s just how much you love them with a batch of Conversation Heart Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme.
The new Valentine Conversation Doughnuts are topped with 24 edible phrases including “CRAZY 4 U,” “ILYSM” and “BE MINE.” The specialty doughnuts feature four Krispy Kreme classic fillings: Cake Batter, Strawberries & KREME, Original KREME and Chocolate KREME.
The limited edition donuts are available now through Feb. 14. Take home a Valentine’s dozen and it comes packed in a limited-edition gift box, which looks a lot like the box the original Conversation Hearts candies come in.
Krispy Kreme is encouraging fans to share their doughnut love on social media by tagging @krispykreme and using the hashtag #ValentinesDM.
The legend continues with the return of Nickelodeon’s hit series Legends of the Hidden Temple reboot on Quibi.
If you grew up in the ’90s, chances are you spent a good amount of time watching the kids’ version of Survivor, otherwise known as Legends of the Hidden Temple. The show is growing up and getting a new reboot made just for you.
Classic Nickelodeon game show 'Legends of the Hidden Temple' to get 'a reboot for adults' on Quibi
According to Entertainment Weekly, the new version of the show will take the adult contestants out of the sound stage and into a real jungle setting. The challenges players face will be bigger and so will the prizes.
For the uninitiated, Quibi is a new streaming platform that features a unique twist. All of the shows featured are comprised of short, “bite-sized” episodes, around seven minutes long. “Bringing back Legends for Quibi is a dream come true,” said Scott A. Stone, one of the original show’s creators and an executive producer on the reboot. “I have been so lucky to be part of this defining millennial show, and now there is a defining millennial platform to go with it. I couldn’t be more excited.”