There was a time when, if you were invited to someone's house, you would always, always bring a gift. A bottle of wine, a nice box of chocolates, a bouquet of flowers, or a small trinket of appreciation was appropriate for the casual night of drinks or informal dinner party, while a much larger token might be expected if, say, you were an overnight guest. The host gift was a non-negotiable part of the social contract, one that has tragically fallen out of vogue (unless you are an old soul or - more likely - Southern.)
It's puzzling that this gesture has more or less disappeared from daily life, because the fact is, everyone loves getting presents! I propose we resurrect the art of the host gift. And I challenge us all to think beyond the last holdout of the custom: the perfunctory mid-range bottle picked up at the last minute from the grocery store.
A host gift needn't be expensive, just thoughtful. Here are twenty ideas so you never show up empty-handed and you always get invited back again.