house guest gifts for host
 

I am returning to Sicily to stay with cousins for the second time (the first time was last year). I would like to bring each one a gift, husband, wife and 2 girls (20 & 18). Any sggestions?

ttt

There's a thread on this forum about what to bring FROM the US. You may find that helpful.

Last time I brought some US items like maple syrup, bbq sauce from a local restaurant, a book of Chicago so I could show them what we will see when they visit us and a photo album that we all filled with pictures from are time together.

For goodness sakes (I actually have a
Sicilian sister-in-law), as to the 2 "girls"
(who are 20 and 18), bring them something
to wear (can be as simple as a Gap t-shirt,
fun pjs, etc.) or a cosmetic item not readily
available in Sicily, such as a natural Aveda
item or particularly something from Benefit,
Bobbie Brown or MAC. Hope this helps.

T-shirts for the girls from the basketball/baseball/football, etc., team you root for or hats from the same.

For your hosts bring local food products. I often bring local jams and jellies. Peanut butter can also be difficult or expensive to obtain in Europe.

I often throw in buttons from local sports teams in luggage to give away if I need an impromptu "something". Kids love them.

And remember, as with all gifts, the most important thing is the thought behind it.

Where are you from? Since I'm from California I usually bring a good bottle of Sonoma something, even traveling in wine-producing countries (my French friends said they were happily surprised).

Whatever you do bring, pick up a big bouquet of flowers on your way to add to the goodies (no white or red roses, or chrysanthemums). Present this at the door, and then offer to arrange them while making initial chitchat.

Later, when you're all sitting down and more comfortable, do the 'oh we have little somethings for all of you' line & get the wrapped gifts.

Remember to be good houseguests and offer to help out in the kitchen/clean etc.! Your relatives will probably turn you down most of the time -- but you gotta ask.
Enjoy! I'm jealous!!

ps -- bring along copies of American Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines. The young ladies will love 'studying English' (yeah right) & seeing the latest styles here!
HTH

My friends love the trashy magazines from Us to the Star. They read them cover to cover. I told them I had to wait for everyone to leave the store to buy the Star. Gap clothing are always good. They also liked Origins cosmetics.

Personally, I would never buy "trash" magazines as a house gift. Even if you like them, your relatives might be offended. I know I would be offended if someone gave them to me.

Similarly, I would find cosmetics too personal a gift to buy for someone else although teens might enjoy one of those weird color lipsticks. Who knows?

Unless you know someone's likes and dislikes, I would stick to the idea of bringing something neutral like food products.

Since I live outside Washington, DC, I often pick up "future president" t-shirts for babies. They are always a hit--and they are easily packable.

Then there are my buddies in Germany who I cannot visit without bringing Doritos. LOL. When I go, we open the Doritos as though they were fine wine. Then we pass them around for everyone to sniff before they dig in. It is a whole ritual. Of course, by the time the Doritios get to the friends, we are talking Dorito crumbs. LOL.

For European home exchangers using my house, I usually leave a bottle or two of Virginia wine. They are always surprised that wine is produced in VA.

How about a calendar with pictures of the USA or your area? I took one of the California desert and another of Monument Valley, 2005, of course.

FauxSteMarie Origins is not really cosmetics. They have all natural auromatherapy kind of products. The Teenage girls would really like there products. The company is owned by Estee Lauder and has great international; appeal. And My Roman friends really love magazines about US movie stars. They are both professors at the University of Rome and don't find the magazines at all offensive. I agree with snack food. My friends love all the different chips we have. They really like BBQ since they have nothing like it.

Sorry, when I said trashy I didn't mean dirty magazines, I meant gossip....People and Us.

I would certainly be offended if someone gave me the European equivalent of "People" or "US" as a house gift. The parents might, moreover, be offended if you gave "Cosmopolitan" to the young women.

As I said before, I believe you are taking a risk by giving such gifts and should stick to more neutral items.

Powerpuff: When I visit my husband's Italian family, they request the following:
peanut butter (rare in Italy), clothes with some "NYC" logo including quirky t-shirts that say "N.Y.P.D." or "New York Fire Department", New Balance sneakers (much more expensive in Italy), polo shirts or sport jackets by Polo/Ralph Lauren (also more expensive in Italy). Apparently, the American casual-preppy look is very "in" in certain parts of Italy -- especially for men.
Also, I brought them red zinfandel wine from California -- they loved it!! Next time, I'll bring them a nice Pinot Noir from Oregon. Hope this helps!

Definately bring some fashion magazines and Cosmo etc. I loved receiving the UL ones when I was a teenager in the U.S. Also perfume or some cosmetics. Perfect! Forget baseball hats for girls. Also a fun funky handbag for Old navy or the gap.

I meant UK ones....grrr

Yes, definitely bring Vogue, marieclaire, Elle, YM, and popular music magazines.

I would suggest that unless your relatives go to daily Mass, they will not be offended by Cosmo. If you want youth to study foreign language, pop culture is the way to do it -- I can bet your cousins do read Cosmo Italia
http://www.cosmopolitan.it/

Italian TV is allowed to show the occasional breast, unline US TV. Newsflash: half the population has breasts. May I suggest one leaves one's puritanical attitudes at home? It's one off the reasons we Americans are ridiculed abroad.

I think the magazine idea is great for the girls. As another poster said, I buy European magazines as "souvenirs" for myself and guests enjoy reading them too.
I think the Old Navy suggestion for fun clothing/handbags/etc. Is a great one. Or go to SteinMart, TJ Maxx and buy something trendy but cute and inexpensive.
I would take foodstuffs for the adults - probably something from my home state.
And, it is true...it IS the thought that counts.

I thought technically we all have breasts.

I always bring home a foreign magazine for each interest. It is easy and nice to buy at the last minute at the airport and then you don't have to lug them around. My sons like the car magazines, my daughter likes the fashions.

It should work the other way around too, buy some magazines at the US airport and throw in a few local key rings from the airport too.

Oh, Powderpuff, wish you were online. Right now on the www.msn.com homepage, the "cover" photo and article is "Clothes Teens Want" and there is the cutest pink Cowgirl T-shirt for $15. It says it's from JC Penney, but the link took too long to load. Just an idea. I think your cousins would like it!

The girls get them a nice shirt which can only be purchased from where you are from. For instance when I left from Miami they had really cool Miami T shirts which girls at that age would love.

My kids love when I bring them home T shirts or jerseys from wherever I was.

By the way european girls and boys love Yankee caps.

The parents again you do not state where u are from but a nice bottle of californian wine if your from the states. Or take care of the kids and the parents should not care if they do not get anything.

Personally I would rather get Origins stuff (not coloured cosmetics but the bath stuff etc) than Doritos. It's a more substantial gift, and I think young women would like it.
Or something like Benetint/Benetint lip balm that works on everyone.
Cult brands that aren't easy to get in Europe will definitely have cachet. However with Sephora everywhere now most stuff can be bought the world over.
I kind of think many cosmetic-type things are more neutral than snack food... maybe because I am quite picky about what I eat. To each his own.
Fashion magazines are an excellent, excellent idea. I've always collected them on my travels - gives good insight into pop culture.

We have been clued in by an American friend who has been going to Italy to visit the family he stayed with in college several times a year for the last 25 years. He says to keep the gifts within the price range of the family. Much more expensive than they could afford embarrasses them and they try to match it. For the girls, any piece of clothing with a name brand (available, but much more expensive for them). I have started a collection of the Blue Sky ceramics for our Italian lady friend. Our masculine friend has a special interest in fly fishing, so we take feathers, etc. for his fly tying, magazines and so forth. When they visited in April, they packed up a bunch on bagels because they can't get them in Florence. I plan to take them a supply in October.

Why not ask? My first gifts to bring to France were three log cabin tins of maple syrop from Vermont. They all(3) hated it as too sweet. So I asked, They all loved scotch and whisky, too expensive there. So I bring Shivas Regal for the men. Books for the women(knowing their taste in artists)

Just to be on the other side of the poster who would be offended... one of my favorite things visiting a friend in Switzerland is attempting to read the 'tabloids' in French. Hadn't thought about it but now think I'll pack her a National Enquirer or something along those lines!

Thanks for the tips. Please keep them coming. FYI- I'm from Long Island, New York.