The holidays are here, and with them many opportunities to host and be hosted. Whether visiting friends, family members or work colleagues in their homes, the key to being a welcome guest is arriving with a thoughtful hostess gift.

However, in this season of shopping, coming up with original hostess gift ideas can be a major challenge—and a serious source of stress. Want to avoid crowded stores or endless hours, browsing online for great gifts to bring to parties?

Skip the hassle and just keep scrolling. Because this post highlights the best hostess gifts for the upcoming holiday season. Along with some good Christmas gifts for anyone on that shopping list, regardless of their hosting status.

One thing’s a near given at any holiday party: people will be toasting and drinking. For that reason, spirits are some of the best hostess gifts—they help alleviate the challenge of keeping the good times flowing from the bottles. 

While any toast worthy beverage will do, wine is the ultimate hostess gift: almost everyone drinks it, and it’s possible to source reasonably-priced bottles that taste great and come in elegant packaging. 

Case in point? This three-bottle set of vintage wines from the Valerie Bertinelli family wine selection. Including crowd favorites such as Chardonnay, Rosé and the always-popular Cabernet, showing up with this hostess gift practically guarantees a very warm welcome.

Instead of bringing the spirits to the party, why not help support the drink making process by gifting this Curtis Stone Cocktail Shaker Set? Complete with a cocktail shaker, jigger, mixing spoon and strainer—plus an easy use and care guide—this hostess gift is just what the amateur bartender ordered! Want to add more merry to this hostess gift? Combine it with a set of four stemless wine glasses from Mikasa and the gift is sure to be well received!

Sweet treats make for good Christmas gifts—and the best hostess gifts. Showing up to a gathering with a thoughtful dessert can add to the party experience, without interfering with anything on the main menu.

Want an easy option that looks as good as it tastes? Try this Tortuga 6-piece Rum Cake Gift Set, including traditional flavors such as golden rum and pineapple, along with more adventurous selections like key lime or banana rum cake. 

Even better? Each cake in the set comes individually wrapped. So it can be broken up into six different hostess gifts. Or brought in the original packaging as one of the best hostess gifts of the season.

Of course, if bringing prepared food isn’t an option, cake plates like this gorgeous pink-footed cake stand from Godinger also make great gifts. Decorative and designed to make serving final courses a breeze, it’s the perfect choice for hosts who love to elevate guests’ dessert experience.

Presenting a gorgeous cheese platter has become a staple of classy gatherings. Why not help elevate the mood by presenting the ultimate hostess gift: an elegant cheese board, complete with a magnetic closure utensil drawer as well as serving pieces? Thanks to the combination of practicality and indulgence, sets like these make great gifts for all, whether or not they’re hosting this year.

Looking for hostess gift ideas that leave a lasting impact? Home décor is always a great option. Of course, it’s not always easy to anticipate someone else’s interior design preferences. But, by selecting a decorative throw pillow like this gorgeous bronze-flecked Safavieh Hannia Pillow, it’s easy to help beautify the host’s home while leaving room for flexible design placement.  Or, for great gifts that maximize flexibility, select this set of four decorative farmhouse pillow covers, easy to use on one furniture piece or to spread around the home to fluff up several spaces.

It’s the season of lights, which is why candles make such good Christmas gifts. And they make even better hostess gifts at this time of year since holiday parties bring extra traffic to the host’s home—along with extra (often unwanted) smells. 

Want to help a host keep the party fresh? Choose scented options such as this 15 oz Refresh Aromatherapy candle for a hostess gift. Placed in high-traffic areas, it will combat odors and make hosts happy to offer repeat invitations. Worried about open flames? Not to worry. This elegant essential oil diffuser from Airomé can also freshen scents in a host home—without the need for any matches.

Clocks add so much character to any home design concept, which is why decorative ones like this bronze Rock Lawn Clock make such great gifts. Keep in mind, this clock takes up serious design space, since it measures two feet high and wide. For that reason, it may be best to check ahead before purchasing this piece as a hostess gift over the holidays.

Hosting for the holidays can be thrilling. But waking up the next morning to a messy home in need of cleaning? Well, that’s just plain daunting—but a smart hostess gift like this Elama Coffee House six piece mug set can help take the sting off a bit with the promise of an easy morning caffeine boost. And feel free to throw in this Aroma Stainless Steel Electric Kettle, for those who still prefer to brew instant coffee in the a.m.

Want to level up a host’s day after enjoyment? Go big with a splashy purchase like this Ninja Personal Blender Bundle. Included with this gift set are a blender, three 20 ounce cups with two spouted lids, as well as four reusable straws, a 16-ounce measuring cup, a cleaning brush and a bonus booklet that offers 30 different recipes, sure to fuel that morning after party clean up!

What hostess gift do you love to give and receive? Comment below!