Need Ideas for Housewarming Gift

[ChristineVA]

A male co-worker of mine is having a housewarming party/Oktoberfest in another two weeks. I have been invited. I wouldn't say he is a good friend of mine, but we have worked for the same company for 7 years and are friendly enough.

Now, what should I get him? He and his wife are fairly well traveled and "comfortable". They have lived in both Germany and Italy for long periods of time and have definite ideas about what they like in wine and gourmet foods. I am clueless. They have also had a decorator do their new home and I have no idea what it is like. I just want to get something small along the lines of a bottle of wine but I want it to be something they would really enjoy. Even something for the home but, again, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure his wife is NOT a Yankee Candle type person either so that is out.

Any ideas for a gift that would suit most people AND be very pleasing?
Thanks,
Christine

[aggie94]

If I were in your shoes, I would probably do a nice arrangement of fresh cut flowers.

[tamawrite]

Maybe a pretty basket with a couple matching mugs, some high-quality coffee beans, and some gourmet chocolates?

[lorilei]

I'm fairly sure I posted this before, but I think the idea bears repeating.

Whenever I get the chance, I like to exercise the old Germanic tradition of bringing the owner of a new home three symbolic items -- Rustic bread, Course Salt, and a bottle of wine. I generally package them up nicely in a basket and include the following saying:

Bread so you'll never go hungry
Salt so you'll have good luck
Wine so you'll never be thirsty.

The bread and salt tradition comes from an old Russian folk custom. Back in the day, when the emperor and empress would pay a village a visit, merchants and gentry would present their esteemed guests with a round loaf of bread piled with salt, a sign of hospitality. Peasants were honored using a similar ceremony upon being introduced to the village with their new spouse, with the gift of bread and salt signifying that the new couple would always have the necessities of life. When given at housewarmings, therefore, bread and salt represent the giver’s wish that the recipient’s pantry will always be full. Sugar, on the other hand, symbolizes the hope for a sweet life.

(and variations on the theme:
Bread: so your larder will always be full.
Salt: to give it savour.
Honey: for a sweet life in your new home.


Bread – So you never go hungry.
Wine – So your life is always sweet.
Salt – So there is always spice in your life.
And a Candle – So you always have light. )


I like this gift cuz you can never go wrong with consumables -- and the meaning goes deeper than most gifts. :)

[MISSINDI]

lorilei - cool idea!

For a recent housewarming gift, I went around to all the local take-out restaurants and got their menus. Then I put them all in a binder, each one in its one sheet protector and designed a nice cover. In the inside pocket, I included a gift certificate for two of the places.

I made these binders for each of our two neighbors and use one myself. It comes in handy on those days you just don't feel like cooking. :)