One of my favorite things about the holidays is giving gifts to our friends and neighbors. I love putting together thoughtful presents, like personalized goodies and festive treats, to spread joy and warmth during this special time of year.
And I just love when they stop by and we get to enjoy a spontaneous visit! So I partnered up with Swoozie’s today to share with you my favorite gift ideas as well as some easy tips to help you be prepared for those surprise visits.
I love a gift basket! And this one is so cute. I adore the “home state” trend in gifts right now. So to capitalize on it, I picked up this slate state wine tag. The white stone is a marker for the slate and it writes just like chalk! What a great way to add a little something extra to a nice bottle of wine. I also included some peppermint crunch and pine-scented fragrance sticks. I just love the smell of pine this time of year. I personalized the basket with a glitter monogram that can double as an ornament.
I love to bake this time of year as well and I wrapped up a few baked treats in this corrugated kraft box with a reindeer see-thru cut out. I found gorgeous kraft & glitter wrapping paper at Swoozie’s and wrapped these great stemless wine glasses in the box!
When friends stop by to drop off a gift or just to sit and chat for a while, I love to have something on hand to sip and snack on. One of my favorite holiday memories as a little girl was the smell of spiced tea that my mom would always make when we had company for a holiday dinner. So I like to keep the mix on hand to heat up and serve in cute mugs when I have guests stop by. I’ll share the recipe below. Served on a cute tray with holiday napkins makes for a special treat without a lot of effort.
I do not like being empty handed when my friends come by, so I keep some Christmas crackers on hand. This is a perfect way to give my friends a little something in the holiday spirit and the kids always love them!
Hope you enjoy this holiday season with your friends and loved ones! Now, here’s the recipe for my moms’ holiday tea!
Russian Tea Mix
1 lb. 2 oz. container of Tang
2 oz. instant tea with lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Use 3 teaspoons per 6 oz. cup of hot water. (If you can’t find Tang, any orange-flavored drink mix would work.)
Diane Short says
I have been doing ‘Grinch’ for my grandchildren, for a few years now. I needed something new this year. Thank you for sharing your talents. Merry Christmas
Amy says
You are so welcome! Hope you had a Merry Christmas!!!