House Warming Gift - Conneaut,OH

I love the idea of the "Welcome" mat! I would do that.

Add 2 small potted spiral juniper plants to flank each side of the front door.

You an even add a landscaping magazine.

I love personalized patio gifts. Yes I have given personalized mats for shower gifts..

This company does a great job and has really nice quality products too.
http://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Home-Deco...

http://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Home-Bar-...

My sister got us a Welcome Mat when we moved in 6 years ago - we loved it! Time for a new one now (and we've had a few since then too), but it was so nice.

I got a decent knife set from another friend when I first moved out of my parents house into an apartment.

I don't like receiving, or gifting things, as things often prove to be clutter. Instead, can you make an "open this first" package?

i.e. a bottle of wine, some plastic party wine glasses, salami, cheese, a gift certificate to a food place that delivers? sub out a set of travel mugs and some cocoa, tea, milk and sugar, some shortbread, jam and cheese. Do beer, nuts and, chips and salsa if that is more their speed. a fruit basket and a box of muffins for their kitchen counter.

point being, sometimes its nice to have something on hand when you first get to your new place.

good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

i got a welcome mat as a gift from a friend, years ago. it had a pretty picture of horses in a pasture. i LOVED that dang thing and was so sad when it finally wore out after years of use and had to be pitched. wish someone would give me another one!
:) khairete
S.

A welcome mat is a great housewarming gift.

Or a door plaque with the family's last name on it.

A pretty decorative candle.

How about a gift card to a favorite restaurant if they don't like to cook, or a gift card to a boutique grocery store to help stock their pantry.

I liked the gift basket of food idea.

If she is picky, make sure you give her something that is easy for her to put away (no offense to your taste, I just see that you said she is picky).

Maybe a cozy throw blanket (can be for tv watching or bedroom/guest bedroom etc)?

Fresh flowers are always wonderful.

LillyM, great question! It comes up a lot...gift giving for many occasions is often a bit of a challenge.

I am a bit old fashioned. House warming gifts to me are always food. (toilet paper if they are having a party...everyone uses it! LOL). I make something from my heart, and I give them the recipe. And because she is "not much of a cook" maybe even supply her with the ingredients. It is great too if you find out something she likes, treats are always a hit.

You say she has kids?
How about...
1. take her kids for a few hours so she can get some unpacking done.
2. offer her a "2 hr cleaning bee" once everything is put away. You know, you get a few friends together to do a "once over" of the house, dusting, washing walls etc once the "dust settles" after the move.
3. give her a gift certificate for some home services, maid, chef or meal services, organic box, etc.

Whatever gift you give from the heart, will be the perfect gift!

Food is always a great option! Or, since they have 2 kids, I might do a board game or family movie . . . something they can do in their new home as a family.

Lots of your ideas were great, but I just had to share, that I got a Scentsy pot the other day, and it smells so fabulous, maybe your friend would like something like that to keep her house all good smelling!! Another great idea would be to get a little basket and put some kitchen towels and wash cloths in it. When we moved, that is the first thing that I just HAD to have!!

A welcome mat is a great idea!

I also think food makes a great housewarming gift, especially to someone who might be picky about decor. Food can be consumed and then it's gone. Decor either has to be put out, or if it's not something they like then they feel guilty about it.

A gift basket with cheese, sausage and crackers to serve to guests who come by is wonderful!

If she's not much of a cook, the gourmet instant foods are good. Dry soups that you just add water to, mixes for dips, breads that you mix and bake and sauces like BBQ sauce, salsa, etc.

We appreciate bottles of wine. My husband and I are not wine drinkers so it's not something we buy or are even educated about buying. It's great when someone brings us a bottle because then we can serve it to others!

Given the time of year, I'd I would recommend you pick up some beautiful, local heirloom tomatoes, or local fruit and put it on a pretty plate. You can find nice serving plates from Thrift Stores to TJ Maxx, to markdown sections in Target/nice department stores.

And if you enjoy cooking, perhaps bake up a batch of your favorite cookies and put them on the plate.

Then of course, leave the serving plate as the housewarming gift.

How about an interchangeable wreath? This one has American flags and a monogram personalized for their family:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153972979/american-flags-fou...

More interchangeable wreath options are here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AdornAWreath

Good luck!
N.

My sister did every house she's had in the last 20 years with chickens and roosters. Completely in almost every room except the bedroom which was blah.

She moved into this home and there's hardly a chicken or rooster in sight.

I had almost ordered her a lovely chicken for her kitchen and decided to wait until I saw her new house and if she had this one already.

BOY! Was I glad I waited!

Totally safari themed. The chickens and roosters are in her garage sale right now and she has zebra's, lions, tigers, giraffes, etc...everywhere in her new house, even cheetah and zebra rugs.

See if she'll share some pictures of the new house with you or go visit her. I bet she will still have some patriotic stuff but she might surprise you and go do something else.

Check out Scentsy flameless candles. They have beautiful warmers and some of the most fabulous scents you have ever smelled. :-) In August almost everything is 10% off and in September they release their fall/winter catalog.

Check out what they have here: www.flamelesswarmer.com or you can PM me for more info.

I often give a perennial plant for the garden, like a Hosta. Unless this is a first home they will already have all of the stuff they need to start housekeeping, but they usually can't bring along plants from their yard. See what kinds of plants she currently has in her landscaping and get one of those for her. I often have friends ask me to divide the perennials in my garden for them, so if you have some nice ones you could give her an assortment of yours.

She probably has kitchen gadgets from the old house, so I'd steer away from the types of things you might give for a shower or to first-time homeowners.

How about a flowering plant, either for the yard or the porch? A perennial can be planted wherever she wants it, and will come back every year. If you get something that can tolerate partial shade, she will have a lot of options about where to put it.

Otherwise, how about a small wine rack, maybe 6-8 bottles. If you want to spend a little more money, you can actually stock the rack.

Assuming they will be doing entertaining and wanting to show off the new place, you could get them any kind of entertaining gear - cheese platter, serving dish, etc. If you don't know enough about the decor, go for glass.