Epic Merchandise Blog

While bringing a hostess gift to a casual get-together such as a brunch, or to a cocktail party, is optional, you should definitely bring a gift when attending a dinner party, even if it’s not very formal. A hostess gift need not be elaborate or expensive: the idea is to say “thank you” to the hostess for her efforts, so keep the gift simple and inexpensive. There’s no need to spend more than $25 on a hostess gift.

What to bring

Bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party is fine, especially when presented in a beautiful artist wine box. The host has no obligation of using your wine for dinner – he probably planned the menu and paired it with wine already – but a good bottle of wine is a nice gift that the host can use later on, so make sure you choose a bottle you think your host will enjoy.

Other nice gifts for your host are candles, soaps, picture frames, a set of herbs and spices, kitchen gadgets, artisan chocolates, or something for the next morning such as homemade muffins, a muffin mix or homemade jam.

If you have enough time before the event, go ahead and order a personalized, engraved gift. This type of gift is extremely thoughtful and unique, and is appropriate for any occasion.

Gifts to avoid

Avoid bringing anything that would distract the hostess and send her searching for something to contain the gift. Flowers, for example, would force the hostess to search for a vase and fill it with water. It’s OK to bring a small potted plant or a flower arrangement already in a vase.

Avoid bringing food for the meal itself, unless the hostess has asked you to do so. The assumption is the hostess had planned the meal, and any extra dish would create an uncomfortable situation for her and force her to accommodate a dish she wasn’t planing on serving.

Photo credit: Hans Voorn

A great picnic requires very little effort. The entire idea, after all, is effortless dining in a casual setting. But successful picnics, just like any other event, do require some advance preparation: finding the right spot, selecting foods that are appropriate – and yummy – to eat cold, and packing and serving the food in a way that makes it look appetizing.

These six tried and tested tips will help you make sure your next picnic is relaxing and fun:

1. While a traditional picnic basket is romantic and pretty, you also need a good-size cooler to keep food fresh and keep it from spoiling. I used to resist using a plastic cooler because “they’re ugly,” but one needs to be practical too: if you don’t use a cooler, your choice of foods is extremely limited. A great way to combine aesthetics with practicality is to buy an insulated picnic cooler which also includes service for two or four.

2. Remember that serving food on real china and silver, and using cloth tablecloth and napkins, feels so much better than using plastic and nylon. At the end of the picnic, when you get back home, just toss the tablecloth in the washer and the dishes in the dishwasher. Avoiding disposable items is also a great way to help the environment.

3. A blanket on the grass sounds great, but finding a shaded corner with a picnic table and benches is far more comfortable than sitting on the ground.

4. If it rains on the day of your picnic, consider having it indoors. Having a picnic indoors is a lot of fun, especially for children.

5. Keep the food fresh, delicious and very simple: instead of cooking, stop by your local deli or supermarket, and buy fresh bread, cold cuts, cheese, boiled eggs, a tray of fresh cut veggies and fruit, lemonade and a bottle of good wine.

6. Don’t forget to bring insect repellent and sunscreen for everyone, and remind your guests to dress in layers and bring a hat.

When I think about a picnic, the first word that comes to mind is “effortless.” Hopefully, these tips will help you accomplish just that.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

No doubt, the recession is impacting our buying habits. We spend less on ourselves, and we probably spend less on others too. Still, life goes on. People get married, have babies and celebrate birthdays. How do we give during a recession while sticking to our budget?

The best way to give during a recession is to forget about spending a lot and, instead, to make sure your gift is truly thoughtful. Before spending, ask yourself, what does the person want? Did he say anything, drop any hints? What would be useful to her and make her truly happy?

It’s OK to spend less – but make it personal. Consider this survey, for example, where it turned out that while men considered expensive roses to be the ultimate Valentine’s day gift, women actually preferred love notes.

If you’re aiming at making your gifts more thoughtful instead of just spending a lot, a great place to start is by taking the time to write a hand-written note instead of buying a card. There’s nothing wrong with a card, of course, but writing a few sentences in your own handwriting is so much more personal.

Personalized, engraved gifts are another great way to turn even a low-budget gift into something special the recipient will remember and cherish. Take a look at this pendant necklace, for example: it’s beautiful even without personalization, but engraving an initial on it makes it truly unique.

One of my favorite ways to give while sticking to a budget is to give homemade gifts. Ideas can range from gifts in a jar, to a “coupon book” with coupons for free babysitting or housecleaning, to a handmade recipe book with treasured old family recipes.

Once you focus on what people will actually enjoy, and accept that the best gifts are not necessarily the most expensive ones, it’s quite easy – and fun – to give great presents without spending a fortune.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

Photo credit: monstershaq2000

Now that summer is almost here, it’s important to make sure time spent in the garden this summer is fun and memorable for the entire family.

Personalized stepping stones are a great way to add a personal touch to your garden. They can be used to create a path on your back yard’s lawn (your kids will probably declare it their “secret path” and spend hours playing there); they can lead visitors through the front yard from the street to your house; or you can place them in a cluster in a favorite corner to create a special sanctuary.

A single stepping stone can be a beautiful, thoughtful gift that will be appreciated by anyone who has a garden. This Garden Stepping Stone, for example, will delight any gardener. I know it delights me!

And there’s nothing like a “We Love Grandma And Grandpa” custom stepping stone to make grandma and grandpa happy and remind them of your love every time they step out into their garden.

A Memorial Stepping Stone is always a beautiful gesture, whether you place it in your own garden, or give it to someone who has lost a loved one.

Epic Merchandise’s personalized stepping stones are each custom created for your garden with your choice of words and image. They are made of genuine slate stone so that each is unique in color and detail. Personalize your stepping stone with an image of your choice, and add words to create the perfect stepping stone for your own garden or for a loved one.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

Photo credit: Janet 59