Birmingham Home & Garden / Editor's Notes / Blog 2011 / From House to Home

Feb 9, 201210:30 AMEditor's Notes

From House to Home

My sister and her husband are moving soon! The house they have purchased is fabulous. It's in a great location, has plenty of room for their needs now as well as in the future, and has a beautiful yard for gardening and such. While the house is wonderful as it is, turning this house into their home will come with time and changes they choose to make. For example, the blue tile the previous owners loved may have been just what made them smile at the start of each day, but it's not necessarily what screams "good morning!" to my sister. Just like one might prefer carpet to hardwood flooring. Or using a second bedroom as an office instead of an at-home yoga studio. It's truly the preferences of a homeowner that make a space feel like theirs.

While they are in the throes of this major life change, I've begun to think about what little ways might help welcome them and make them feel more at home in this new house. I'm not planning to help pack boxes or unload the moving truck as we live in different states {if that's how you help your family or friends, bless you!}. But, should manual labor not quite be up your alley, here are some of my favorite “House Warming” gift ideas—in no particual order—to welcome new families down the street or helping transition friends' new houses into homes.

1. So Fresh and So Clean
What a cute, organized and useful gift! Fill it with Mrs. Meyer's hand soap {my favorite}, some sponges and other small favorites for the kitchen, and this happy jar will perk up any box-filled home.

 

2. Assigned Reading
A new kitchen deserves some new recipes! Wrap a favorite cookbook in a pretty tea towel for a functional gift that will earn the counterspace it occupies.

 

3. Return To Sender
This personalized address stamp is an pretty present that will be used over and over again.

 

4. Morning, Noon or Night
Cream cheese banana bread is a delicous treat any time of day. Couple it with a bag of your favorite coffee for a gift geared toward breakfast or a great pick-me-up afternoon snack.

 

5. Lava Love
These choco-lava chip cookies look delicious. I haven't made them yet {let me know if you do!}, but am planning on it. I think they'd be great topped with ice cream for dessert with the family or as an after-school treat for your kids and their new neighborhood pals. Wouldn't you love a neighbor that dropped these by? I would! {Seriously, how good does that look?!}

 

6. Bottle Shock
What better way to celebrate a new home than with a bottle of bubbly? At the end of the day your new neighbors may be flat-out worn out, but even a Tuesday jam-packed with moving boxes seems a bit more like something to celebrate when champagne punctuates its end. Don't forget the presentation! A pretty dish towel makes for great wrapping and will help with any spills. Cheers!