Yup, this may be a little late in the season, but you can’t really expect me to believe you have all of your shopping done, can you?  Especially for that upcoming moment when you’re headed to a party and remember you’re an adult now and ought to be bringing a gift for the host or hostess.  Now, Mr. Lemon and I are typically pretty boring in this department and often grab a bottle of wine from our collection (mostly because I’m the worst at this and don’t remember until we have our coats on to leave for said soiree), so I’d love to start keeping a few of these items on hand for such occasions.  And don’t let the title of the post fool you.  These gifts would work well for lots of people on your list that are otherwise difficult to shop for…

1. Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar or Truffle Oil from Old World Olive Press – pretty much everyone uses olive oil, right?  And having a fancy flavor like Blood Orange isn’t something you’d buy for yourself but is straight up lovely as a hostess gift.

2. Mercury Glass Salad Serveware from World Market – okay, I actually gave these for a Thanksgiving dinner we attended, so we can go ahead and count this as a virtual pat on the back.  WM also has some more modern designs (like this zebra wood), but especially at the holidays, you just can’t go wrong with mercury glass.

3. If you have a bit more time on your hands (or have pre-planned and stored in the freezer) a homemade gift, like this collection of homemade flavored butters from Your Homebased Mom can be delicious (and even stunning!).  Pair with a loaf of bread and voila!

4. Vacu Vin Wine Saver – Mr. Lemon absolutely swears by our hand pump wine vacuum.  Since he drinks reds and I drink whites, this little guy helps keep our wine drinkable for more than one evening.

5. Apron from Anthropologie – granted, this is a bit more personal and may only work well for a good friend, but I love this gift for someone who truly loves being a hostess!

I’m all set with my gift shopping but definitely have a lot to do today to get ready for our holiday festivities – we have four Christmas celebrations back-to-back this year: Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with 500+ miles of driving and three birthdays thrown in for good measure!  Wish us luck and dry roads!