By Catherine Verdon
There are 2 things that immediately come to mind when I think of the famous host gift. My mother, who hates useless things, always said that she would “accidentally” drop any little knick-knack that serves no purpose received from an aunt whose tastes she didn’t share. Then there’s the ordinary feeling I get the few times darling and I grab a bottle of wine at the SAQ, ten minutes before arriving somewhere, because we waited until the last minute to find something.
It’s easy to imagine what a difference attention to detail can make. I’m thinking of my sister, who once gave me everything I needed for a Chinese dinner: homemade wontons and imperial rolls, the lovingly made sauce, the broth, the piece of fresh ginger and all the rest, as well as chopsticks and 2 beautiful soup bowls. Inexpensive, but laborious and full of intention.
So, to put you in the category of people who give hostess gifts to remember, here are some ideas for a change, all local.
Going to the home of someone with a four-legged friend? Virtually every family where a pooch is an integral member will be happy to receive something for him or her. Offer a bag of treats, a beautiful handcrafted collar, a balm for the paw pads (to protect them from the salt on the sidewalks in winter – a suggestion : www.patteschoyees.ca). I’m crazy about the colorful necklaces from Fier Pet & the super-original ones from La vie au lac Créations.
To people who have everything, we can offer a gift of intent, items that do good for something other than ourselves. I’m thinking here of the honey bear that Intermiel has dedicated to Leucan, of Fays Terroir Chocolaté and its boxes of chocolates also for this cause, of lighting one or more of the lights on the Grand Sapin de Ste-Justine ($5 each) in the name of our friends, of Oneka, a very involved company, of Vanaëlle and her emotional jewelry, of Monsieur Cocktail, whose most popular flavour, unicorn syrup, donates $0.25 per bottle sold to the Children’s Wish Foundation.
We offer a beautiful book from here to brighten up the home, stand as a decorative object in the living room and fill moments to make time stand still.
To the friend in need of a trip: 
To the foodies :
To those who talk about slowing down and need a boost:
To our beavers-in-the-making :
We offer a tasting box of local spirits or beers, such as the Brasserie Wilsy or l’Ensemble Découverte des cidres de la Cidrerie Lacroix.
Are our guests more practical and eco-friendly? We visit the Espace Zéro Déchet de Omaïkï in Blainville. There are lots of useful finds waiting for you, and the team is great at giving advice.
We assemble a wooden board, a few cheeses from the province and an onion confit. It’s pretty, it won’t get lost and it’s gooooood.
My choices: boards from www.atelierlalouve.ca & onion confit from www.lesminettes.ca
Discover a local bakery with a free loaf of bread in a beautiful reusable bag (I love those from www.danslesac.co).
Bakeries I love: Merci la vie in St-Sauveur, Les 3 Galo’Pains in Saint-Eustache.
If it’s not too last-minute, we can search our friends’ Facebook, choose a nice photo of their family and have an artist paint a portrait of them.
I love : @major.elle & @sweethomemarilou.
La Maison Lavande has featured several illustrators in recent weeks, you can check out their Instagram posts to discover/find some to your liking!
Add a touch of winter to their decor with a winter wreath: I’m particularly partial to those from Origine Fleurs. (www.originefleurs.ca).
We’re bringing lunch. Yes, for the next day. It’s the kind of pleasant thing you won’t forget. We bring a local apple spread or butter, fresh croissants or bagels, a fruit salad, a granola mix, a tub of yogurt (from Vallée Verte farm at Jardins de la Pinède), a hot chocolate mix if there are children (I suggest Fays Terroir Chocolaté hot chocolate balls) and a bag of coffee (I suggest Moccasin Jo). Let your creativity run wild.
Give a gift that lasts all year round…
Un abonnement à un magazine, c’est plein de bien : ça soutient ceux qui ont encore un rêve de papier, ça fait un cadeau mensuel autre qu’une facture dans la boîte aux lettres et c’est ultra abordable. Pour ne pas arriver les mains vides, on abonne la personne dernière minute (parce que les abonnements demandent environ 1 mois avant de recevoir le premier numéro) et on achète le plus récent numéro, sur lequel on ajoute une carte indiquant que c’est le premier d’une suite pour l’année.
If none of this appeals to you, take a look at the Atelier no16 boxes on the site. Perfect for under the tree, or to bring to a loved one, since most of the year ends with no party…
There are 2 things that immediately come to mind when I think of the famous host gift. My mother, who hates useless things, always said that she would “accidentally” drop any little knick-knack that served no purpose received by an aunt whose tastes she didn’t share.
