Wine is lovely, if they indulge. Otherwise maybe gourmet candies or fancy cookies?

I like to give a bouquet of flowers. It's beautiful, has no calories and if they aren't a fan, they are gone in a few days.

Just don't ever bring flowers that include mums in the bouquet to me. I am HIGHLY allergic to them.

Love the bottle of wine thing... but don't expect me to open it till I actually want wine... which might not be for a while. ;)

Love chocolates, or a nut mix. Mostly, just bring yourself.

Moni

I also think that it depends on the occasion for which you are invited. A weekend? Absolutely bring something. A large cocktail party? Not necessary. A dinner party? Sure. Every event to which you are invited is not necessarily a gift event. Sometimes, a nice "thank you" note is more welcome.

Usually wine for me, sometimes chocolate, sparkling lemonade/cider for those who don't drink alcohol. I don't care if other people don't bring anything.

Then there's salt/pepper grinders filled w/ natural products( pink salt or pink pepper to try).

I've brought liquor, something they've maybe never tried. Curacao orange liquor, or one w/ a pear in it.

We do not drink alcohol, so I would not want that. I have never received a hostess gift. I am just happy if someone joins us and has a nice time. Flowers or chocolate would be nice, but I would rather they did not bring me a thing.

Sue

I always try to bring something for the hostess. Usually wine, but have done flowers, chocolates, homemade goodies or a gift card even.

I love giving and receiving cocktail napkins, a nice box of chocolates, homemade goodies. I've been known to bring homemade bread on a white serving plate or cookies or hot pepper jelly with a little serving dish and spreader, pretty paper hand towels for bathroom, a bag of potpourri, some fancy teas for tea drinkers. It doesn't always have to be a bottle of wine.

We usually bring wine and depending on the occasion, a gift of some sort...nice linen towels, scented sachets, little pitcher and creamer or pretty little serving dish or wine glass markers or dip spreaders or I tend to bring food. If the hostess has requested something or it's more like a pot luck, that's usually what I bring, but I've also made food just for the family, for example, a basket of homemade scones with clotted cream and jelly wrapped in a fancy linen towel was one I did recently.

Oh, there is something I bring for friends of mine, and also brought to hosts this summer during my trip: a self knitted dish cloth... which I knitted between overnight hosts/stays.

My friends love them, and I always bring two or three when I spend a night with them.

Moni

Please, please don't take wine unless you know exactly what the hostess likes! I don't care how expensive it is, I don't like anything dry!! It must be sweet. We host a rather large Christmas party each year and get several bottles of chardonnay. Did I mention I don't like dry wine??? I smile and say thank you. And as for flowers, in the rush of greeting guests, I don't have time to go looking for a vase. Maybe a potted plant would work. I do enjoy getting things made locally that are sold as fund raisers.

Usually wine for me, sometimes baked goods.

All year I shop for little things to give when I'm invited to someone's home. I don't give anything scented: flowers, candles, sachets because I'm allergic/sensitive so assume others may be, too.

I look for pretty paper napkins, cocktail size, too (not for the party, but for some other time) little note pads, a beautiful tea towel or holiday guest towels, note cards, cocktail picks that are unusual, nice cheese knife or spreader, a very small bowl or plate (I like to look at antique stores for these) esp with an xmas theme (or Thanksgiving or Easter if those are the holidays). I also look for pretty silver serving flatware, like a nice little fork, spoon or ladle - I love finding vintage ones, and double bonus if they have the initial of the hostess engraved on them. Usually they are less $ than a bottle of wine. I recently gave someone a box of really pretty wooden matches that were a bit longer than standard size - she loves them for lighting candles and birthday candles on a cake.

for whistle........save the dry wine for your friends that come to visit and don't like sweet wines.

also for whistle - not all chardonnay is dry. Some is smooth and buttery!

Food for thought: Unless you know they drink, it might be a bad gift. I've seen people plop bottles of wine in front of recovering alcoholics. It made one of them really angry. Think it had to do with promoting drinking where it might not otherwise exist.

.

On another note, it depends on where I am going. If it's a food event, I bring food.

My point was and still is.......know what the hostess likes. And yes, I've saved the chardonnay and served it to others. I still don't like it even it it is smooth and buttery. Definitely not sweet.

We get wine sometimes. I'm not a wine drinker. I keep it for other guests, lol. I have quite a collection going.

I like flowers, but I usually have to put them outside because a lot of flowers are toxic to cats. We only keep orchids and roses in our home.

Not as much a fan of random things, like candles. I'm trying to keep clutter minimized. I usually re-gift them to people I know won't be offended by such.

I try to give flowers or edible items. To be enjoyed temporarily but doesn't take up space long-term.

We must attend a few parties every Decenber for DH's job, and they feel like parties that we should bring a hostess gift to. I don't for family and close friend get togethers. I was just at Williams Sonoma. If you know your host likes scented things, their Winter Forest candles and hand soap smell wonderful. I like to send flowers after the party. Other things I have done before, in combination or by themselves are pretty towels, cocktail napkins, nice chocolate, orchid, box of citrus fruit, throw blanket, locally roasted coffee, unusual liqueur. I also pick up things here and there throughout the year that would be suitable, like one time at an art fair I bought a beautiful, handmade trivet. For several of those things I mentioned, I feel like you have to know your host. I struggle with ideas for the hosts I don't know. One of our parties is quite large and I bet they get at least a dozen bottles of wine and maybe the same amount of other booze, so I like to come up with something different.

oh, Whistle, I completely agree. The best is when you know the host's favorite things.

Home made food item if you have a specialty.

Fancy soaps.

Nice hand cream.

Cocktail silverware - those little spoons, forks, knives.

Fresh Flowers.

Decorative candle.

I heard a great hint once for bringing flowers for a host, which is to already have the flowers in a vase to eliminate a task for someone already busy with guesting duties.