A nice woman I work with invited me over for Thanksgiving. It’s just her and her two kids (plus me, I guess) so a very informal thing. But, I’d like to bring something and because [reasons] I was looking for ideas other than wine.
But I hate giving people obligations, so a potted plant or something might impose too much. Gotta find a sunny spot, what if they have a rambunctious pet, etc.
… or I’m totally overthinking this. Feel free to tell me that’s the case.
I don’t really know anything about her, unfortunately, so Dopers: any suggestions for a small, inoffensive, generic little gift?
Cut flowers, perhaps, instead of a potted plant? No real obligation aside from putting them in water. Or a box of chocolate, which the kids might like.
I think a potted plant would be fine. Or the above chocolates - Turtles, Almond Roca, etc. Maybe something simple for the kids to help keep them occupied, like Connect-the Dots books or something.
I always found unexpected cut flowers a bit awkward, having to drop everything to find the right vase, re-cut the stems, find a good spot for it (at an already crowded table), etc. I imagine most people are better prepared than I am, though.
A nice tin of Christmas cookies. No obligation to eat them right away since there is food already. With two kids they will be gone before Christmas and kids think tins are special.
One of my standard house gifts is a simple, inexpensive and small oil lamp. It is decorative, and also functional in case of power outage (or earthquake, here in the SFBA CA). Maybe that?
Or an Advent calendar. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the First Sunday of Advent. You don’t have to be particularly religious to enjoy them. Trader Joe’s has them for a dollar and there’s a piece of chocolate for every day. Get one for each kid.
Those blue tins of Danish butter cookies were a standard Christmas gift item when I was growing up. And usually the same section of the store has packages of Panettone. And if you’re a Costco member, there are some good options there, like the big plastic container of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
“Keeps inviting people” my ass. I’m not “people” I’m one person, and we work together, 8- to 10-hour shifts, in a rather small enclosed space, for months now.
That’s what I meant about part of the same bubble. We got each other’s breath-germs by now, believe me.
Grand idea-I have 2 sitting in the rocking chair by the door waiting to go over to my daughter’s and granddaughter’s. Plus it is easy to grab some TJ cupcakes and cookies for the kids while you are there. A box of chocolates for Mom and you are set! Never had a bad bottle of wine from there either. Two weeks ago they had an appealing display of sparkling wines and hard ciders-those are festive. Plus they have sparkling apple/cranberry juice in a big bottle for kids-also festive and fun.
Candle in a jar or tin, so it doesn’t even need a candle holder.
For me, if I had time/inclination, I often make a family favorite recipe, such as cookies or quick bread, either of which can be thrown in the freezer for eating later. Or I stop at a bakery, which also sell fancy chocolates.
While Thanksgiving gatherings and Covid are a legitimate concern, the topic of this thread is gift ideas. Your opinion about Covid risks is off-topic for this thread.
If you feel a need to discuss holidays and Covid risks, feel free to start a new thread and link back to this one. Let’s keep all posts within this thread on-topic, please.
I picked up two at TJ’s this morning for my neighbor’s kids. Okay, the kids are 21 and 30, but who doesn’t love a chocolate-filled Advent calendar?
BTW, I looked for “shrimp buns,” but they only had pork buns, which also looked yummy so I got some. The store people hadn’t heard of shrimp buns, so maybe they’re not all over the USA.