What would you give or like to receive as a neighbor gift? UPDATED with decision :)

[firstbaby]

We exchange gifts (small gifts) with several of our neighbors. Last year I used a Silver Sharpie to write on a bottle of wine "Happy Holidays from the Smiths" (not our last name) and wrapped a red garland around the bottle like a scarf. Cute. Simple. Not too expensive.

This year, I am torn. I like the bottle of wine, but don't want to be the girl who does wine every year, IYKWIM. I also think that I could do a couple of homemade goodie sets and even though it would be a time investment, I enjoy doing it and I think I could do it cheaper than the wine. The two types of goodie groupings I was thinking were cocoa, homemade marshmellows and homemade peppermint bark OR lemon curd with biscotti and peppermint bark. We had a party a couple of weeks ago and I piped the lemon curd into mini phyllo cups and had lots of raves so that is why I threw that in there :)

So, which do you think is best? Which would you be more likely to give and/or which would you rather receive? TIA!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...Thanks for everyone's responses. I loved reading your thoughts, suggestions, and experiences for what your neighborhood does. I popped into Michael's yesterday and they had these adorable tiered tins shaped like a snow man - the hat was one tin, the face another, the body another. So, I am going to put homemade marshmellows in the top tin (I will post the recipe shortly in the What's Cookin' forum), peppermint bark in the middle tin and a can of TJ's Fair Trade Cocoa in the bottom. I think the total will be $12 / per house which is about what I spent on the wine. PLUS, no stress over good penmanship with the sharpie LOL.

On a side note, I also do a cookie exchange every year and give people the option to leave their cookies so that I can bring them to the Ronald McDonald House to be enjoyed by families that are not home for holidays this year. Last year everyone left with a new batch of recipes and I donated 6 + dozen cookies. It was great!

Thanks again!

[buddyleebaby]

I voted for the cocoa- I think it's very cute and winter-y.
Wine is a stii a nice but more common gift, imo, as in "I didn't know what to get you so I got you a bottle of wine".
Either way you sound like a great neighbor. ; )

[MelissaTC]

I think a baked or homemade goodie would be nice. We gave our neighbors homemade cookies that DS helped me make. They loved them. This year, I have decided to bake chocolate chess pies.

[BaileyBea]

I think cocoa is a great idea.

We are giving paperwhite bulbs in small pots. 3 bulbs per small terracotta container. It's costing us about $4.50 per house. $3 in bulbs, $1.50 for the container and soil.

And I am making chocolate dipped pretzels for the special neighbors. ;-)

Nancy

[trentsmom]

I think any of the above would be great gifts. Personally, I like the homemade gifts the best. Every year, I look forward to what some of the neighbors give out: chocolate-dipped pretzel rods rolled in different toppings, candied pecans, cookies. Last year, I made peanut butter fudge to give out. One neighbor did like you did last year and gave out wine. That's fine, too.

Oh, and if you decide to do the homemade marshmallows, be sure to post the recipe. I've heard that homemade ones are delicious.

[clc053103]

You may not want to be the girl who does wine every year, but I wouldnt' mind being the girl who receives it! ;-)

Any of the above are great....I am appreciative of any gesture from my neighbors. One brought us home made sticky buns on a saturday morning!

[cmdunn1972]

I would prefer wine for myself, actually, since I drink the stuff. We're all on a healthy lifestyle kick, so we usually end up throwing out many items in goodie baskets that have lots of sugar and/or refined carbs.

A fruit basket might be another good idea since it would appeal both to those trying to lose weight and to those who don't drink.

[casey118]

I prefer food gifts (although not when I get on the scale at the end of the holiday season!) to little knicknacks. If you that route my preferred gift would be ornaments, not really other decorations. One of my favorite gifts from a friend was a Christmas CD mix she had made.

To throw another idea out there, instead of neighbor gifts my neighborhood now does a food bank drive and get togehter. I love it! No more unwanted gifts and the decisions of what to give, who to give to, whose feelings might get hurt, etc. We have an open house at someone's house, all bring an appetizer (so it isn't too much work for any one person), and bring donations for the local food bank. We get to visit with negihbors we don't see often (in my mind better and more enjoyable than dropping off a gift on their doorstep), and I much prefer to give to the food bank rather than spend the same money on little things for neighbors. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited so no one expects gifts, and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

[Jenn98]

I'd prefer wine, but I'm also particular when it comes to food (DH would describe it more along the lines of me being "picky" ;) ) Anyway, I'm not always a fan of homemade foods just cause I'm usually not into it, or it's not my kind of treat. I've been known to give away very expensive gift boxes from specialty stores (or to regift them!) I'd love to get a bottle of wine every year - can't go wrong with a good bottle of wine!

Not to complicate your list, but I have done chocolate dipped pretzel rods rolled in various toppings and I had a blast doing it. They were super easy to make, too.

[oliviasmomma]

We'd love the wine--send it over here :) Seriously, I know what you mean about wanting to give something more unique. On our road (country, not really a neighborhood) we have so many non-drinkers that I wouldn't even try it anyway. I love the cocoa idea and might do it myself this year--I hadn't thought of that. In the past I've just given homemade cookies and fudge. I felt stupid the first year we lived here because I didn't realize this was done. We hadn't met our neighbors yet, and we kept coming home to packages on the porch. I grew up in a large subsidized housing complex and I don't think we knew most of our neighbors unless I went to school with them!

[JBaxter]

You can come be my neighbor and leave me the coco :)

[ctmom]

can you share??

Mary
dd#1 2/01
dd#2 12/03

[Fairy]

Personally, I don't like getting wine, and I don't give wine. A) we don't drink. B) On the rare occasion that we do drink, we have no idea what we're doing and what a "good" vs. "crappy" wine would be, so we just partake of the foo foo drinks. C) Ya never know who out there may have alcohol issues or be such a wind afficionado that there's little you could give that would be good enough, so we just go with other stuff. Like Godiva. You can't go wrong with Godiva. Or non-food, a Starbucks gift card. Or non-food/dirnk, a barnes & noble gift card.

[KBecks]

I would like a simple gift -- so instead of three things -- maybe just the biscotti, or just the lemon curd dish.

[Lovingliv]

I didn't vote....but I think the cocoa or the wine is a thoughtful gift. Each year my neighbors give us homemade cookies....it is so sweet...very decorative...some look like mice eating cheese...like
3-D ish....very cool. She also makes stained glass cookies which are sweet....
she sends just enough for us to share....and a big variety. I am always touched that she thinks of us!

I really like the chocolate covered pretzel idea!!!!

[Jenn98]

It was ridiculously easy - and I can't even claim credit for it. It was a small sticker on the bag of pretzels I bought that had the recipe on it. I will look it up and post it in the What's Cookin forum.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Fairy, ITA with you. We took a bottle of wine when invited to our new next door neighbors for dinner. To me , a good bottle of wine is $15. I was so embarrassed when they showed me their wine cellar type of room. At least it was a step up from the Franzia in a box that used to be my friend.
Susan

#1 Nick 11-18-04
#2 Kate 04-26-06