A Great Housewarming Gift
Oof, it's been awhile since the last post, but here we are. It's MAY, there's no snow on the ground, and the sunshine is giving me LIFE. So much has happened in my party life since the last post: a Saint Patrick's Day party, a visit Fixer Upper Mecca visit, a one-year-old's birthday as well as a few thirty-year-olds', and lots of friends movin' and shakin', including a couple who just bought a new house. Stay tuned for posts about the rest, but for today, we'll focus on the last note.
About a month ago I helped two friends move into the sweetest home in South Minneapolis. While other friends have bought condos and houses with roommates, this couple was the first to buy a full-fledged family home–the kind you SETTLE DOWN in. It's in a fantastic neighborhood, close to restaurants and shops, etc. and it gets me very excited about owning my own house one day.
As I am not one to pass up an opportunity to celebrate, I knew this occasion called for a housewarming gift. Pinterest turns up a lot of great ideas, but one that kept popping up was this basket of items, each with meaning:
Bread: May this home never know hunger
Candle: May this home always have light through the darkest times
Salt: May this home always have flavor
Pineapple: May this home always have cheer and warmth
Sugar/Honey: May this home always enjoy the sweetness of life
Wine: May this home never go thirsty
Olive Oil: May this home be blessed with health
I loved the meaning behind each one and I also thought it was a nice collection of actually USEFUL items and little treats (hi sugar & wine!), so that's where I started and here was the result for the couple and their dog, Calvin, of course:
As I was doing research I noticed that all the gifts I loved were ones that felt natural and abundant–like modern-day cornucopias– so that's what I kept in mind as I started shopping. A few notes that helped me accomplish that overall vibe:
Color Palette
I knew I was going to putting a pineapple in this basket so I played into the green leaves and then paired that up with calm blues that you can see in the candle, towel, chocolate, and Pellegrino bottle. It made everything tie together without being TOO matchy-matchy.
Texture
The pineapple was the starting point here too, but I chose a woven basket (that could easily become a doggy-toy holder) and the candle with a wooden lid to make the whole basket a bit more tactile.
Simple Design
When it came to choosing each ingredient for the basket I definitely shopped with the design in mind. Minimalist labels, simple containers, they were little details that helped add to the overall feel. And because packaged good design continues to get better every day, the pretty stuff isn't going to cost you and arm and a leg either.
Make it Personal
I added a doggy toy and sparkling water based off of what I knew about the couple. They had also mentioned going with blues in the kitchen so that made the towel choice easy, too. I don't think gifts have to be overly-personalized but a few sprinkles here and there can add just the right amount of thoughtfulness.
I was able to find everything I was looking for (and then some!) at Trader Joe's, Home Goods, and Target, basically my go-to shopping spots for all things home and kitchen. After putting this basket together, I can't wait to do another one. I think there's more fun to be had leaning even more into homeowners' hobbies with themes like "Date Night In" or "Spring Garden"–really, the options are endless.
What do you all think? Are there other items you would add? I want more friends to buy houses so I can do more gift-giving. Is that weird? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!