Housewarming Gifts

Moving into new digs is both exciting and exhausting. Navigating everything from where to put the couch to the location of the closest store when you run out of flour is taxing. This is where good friends, who know just when to swoop in with a housewarming gift, can help with simple gestures that go a long way.

Here are a few hits I've given and received:

Gift cards to restaurants and other fun spots in the new neighborhood. Nobody wants to cook dinner after unpacking boxes. Or a late meeting. Or because it's Thursday. Gift cards to fun restaurants, breweries, theaters, and other active spots in the new neighborhood are a great excuse to get out and get to know the area. Bonus points for including paper menus to said restaurants.

Plants are nice for people who are established and don't need more stuff. A pretty planter of flowers or box full of herbs are great in warmer months. Air plants in cool glass containers or succulents in decorative pots are great any time of the year; they're also pretty hardy and require little watering, so even the brownest thumbs can manage them. Farmer's markets are a great place to pick these up from.

A gift basket full of nice hand soaps and cleaners are great for people who are moving into houses with more bathrooms or space than they previously had. Yay for more than one bathroom! Yay for good smelling soap!

Two copper mugs and a bottle of local spirits make for a great toast to the new place; everybody likes a cold beverage, so you may as well toast with the flavors of the new neighborhood.

What are your favorite housewarming gifts?

Cheers to new places and new beginnings!

Looking for more gift ideas?

[Mrs. Meyers and Water Hill Distilling Co.  photos compliments of their linked pages. All others by A. Eldon for Our Moveable Feast.]