Hello, friends. Happy Cyber Monday! Today is the start of Holiday Gift Guide Week here on Pop.Bop.Shop., an annual tradition that kicked off in November 2013.
I love picking out thoughtful, personal gifts for everyone on my list and creating these guides to help you do the same.
We're kicking off with gift ideas for the holiday hosts and hostesses. Whether you're headed to family, friends, or just around the corner, it's always nice to bring something to show your appreciation.
I like to arrive with a treat for the hosts to enjoy after they've cleaned up, and my go-to is candy and nut wonderland Fastachi. Their flagship store is just down the street from me in Watertown, MA, but luckily they ship nationwide.
This gift bag of assorted chocolate bark is a big crowd pleaser. It comes with eight pieces.
Chocolate covered popcorn is another decadent choice. This particular bag is an addictive mixture of caramel popcorn, roasted almonds, and pretzel pieces all drizzled with dark and white Belgian chocolate.
My all-time favorite of all their confections is the milk chocolate toffee pretzels. Get a bag for the hosts and a bag for yourself!
When it comes to beautiful packaging, no one does it better than Sugarfina. This year they are offering a candy bento box with three champagne-themed candies.
If you're willing to spend a bit more, this "Pop the Champagne" gummy candy set is incredibly fun and festive.
For the hosts who love wine, order Martha Stewart's Entertaining Must-Haves half case from Wine Insiders. Six bottles of wine, hand selected by Martha herself. The best part? You can ship the box directly to you or directly to them.
Similarly, chef Geoffrey Zakarian also has a Wine Insiders collection. I highly recommend his Dinner Party Essentials half case.
Since the charcuterie board became the #1 appetizer, every holiday host or hostess needs a cheese board. This set incudes a board and four cheese knives, all for under $25 dollars.
Help to elevate their serving pieces (literally) with this two-tier tray. This item is available through Greentail Table in Newton, MA, a shop I frequent for every special occasion. You can buy it in-store or order online. This gift is also under $25 dollars.
Cloth napkins help to dress up any holiday table and this year the MoMA design store has a set of four from Brooklyn-based designer Ellen Van Dusen. The set comes with four colors, each with bold stripes. It's like a modern twist on the candy cane.
I flipped when I saw these "Party Animal" stemless wine glasses from Mark & Graham. These are so cute and sure to add instant flair to any gathering. You can get them monogrammed too.
Candles add an extra level of warmth to any holiday table. These two-tone blue candles caught my eye right away as a beautiful gift. They're also available in red and yellow.
Last but not least, for every awards show party I've ever hosted, I always changed out the soap in my bathroom to something on-theme for the occasion. I love these "naughty" and "nice" soaps as an unexpected gift. They come in a set of three. The soaps are lavender scented.
If you're looking for even more ideas, go ahead and revisit the hostess gift guides from years past:
- Holiday Gift Guide 2014: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2015: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2016: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2017: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2018: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2019: For The Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2020: For The At-Home Hostess
- Holiday Gift Guide 2021: For The Hostess
I will be back tomorrow with the second gift guide of the week, all about gifts for your BFF.
*Cover image courtesy of Unsplash; all other images courtesy of vendors.
