By Living Room Realty, October 31, 2019
House-warming parties are an excellent way to celebrate a new space and take a breather from the stress of moving. They can also be a great way to get to know your new community – inviting friends, family, and neighbors over to celebrate quickly makes a new house feel like a home.
Traditionally if you attend a housewarming party, it can be sweet to bring a gift to help warm the home! When choosing a housewarming gift, I like to think about a treat for a special room or space in the new home. Here’s a list of Portland-made ideas for your next housewarming gift.
For the kitchen:
Fancy salt is a must for any home chef. Salt enhances foods by turning up the volume of their salty flavors and delighting our senses. Try flaky sea salt sprinkled on top of your next batch of chocolate chip cookies – trust me. Jacobsen Salt Co was the first company to harvest salt in the Pacific Northwest and is now one of America’s leading salt maker. I think their flaky finishing salt is a perfect gift for your friend who always hosts Thanksgiving, or the complete infused salt set for the more experimental chef.
For the family room:
For someone new to the Portland area, the grey rainy days can sometimes be overwhelming. Gift a cozy blanket for them to curl up under with a good book from Powell’s and a hot cup of coffee. They will see the Portland appeal in no time. This Glacier blanket from Pendleton is a Living Room Realty favorite.
For the bedroom:
Studies show that turning off electronics 30 min- an hour before bed can greatly enhance your sleep quality. Lighting a relaxing candle and reading a book or doing some stretching before bed can also help your mind wind down – support your friends sleep habits by gifting a lovely candle! Yo Soy Candles is a women owned candle company and they are handmade here in Portland. The Basalm Pine “I am Present” scent is to die for. Magic Hour Candles are also less scented for those of us with sensitive noses, and LGBT & Women owned! Each candle is infused with a unique intention and have a gemstone in the bottom you can save when the candle is done.
For the Bathroom:
Taking time for self care can sometimes feel like a job of its own. Encouraging self-care in all moments can be a way for us to sneak in some self care and indulgence in our busy schedules. Seagrape Bath + Body makes luscious bath and body products in their NE Portland apothecary that encourage us to take time to ground ourselves in our body and present moment. An all natural bar of cold-processed soap and bath soaks with unique essential oil blends are the perfect gift for a friend who had a stressful move (or just got a house with a big bath tub!)
For the Garden:
Portland Nursery gift cards are perfect for a new home owner who has big plans for their urban farm! Or, bring the outdoors in with a unique plant or succulent. Solabee Flowers has locations in both NE and NW Portland, and curate unique indoor plants.
Whatever you decide to bring, the most important part of a housewarming is making the space feel like home!
