So my brother recently decided to make a move across the country. Very exciting! As soon as I got the news, I immediately thought- I need to get a fabulous housewarming gift! Frankly, I’m just fishing for reasons to shop for other people, because I’ve run out of things to shop for, for myself.

Rather than a typical bottle of wine, I try to get really useful and tasteful gifts that will compliment the new space. I thought I would share some of my ideas with the crowd. Bro- if you see something you like, let me know.

For the newbies

This might seem weird, but for someone who is moving to their first apartment, either right out of college, or perhaps first solo apartment or house- I’m going to recommend silverware. This is not really for the hostess housewarming party gift, but more of a thoughtful care package gift for a close friend or family member. Going from the cheapest silverware Target or Walmart has to offer to legitimate weighty silverware makes such a difference! Believe me, drop $50 on real silverware and they will thank you, and use it every single day.

Since we’re focusing on basics, another option that will get a lot of use is a set of melamine nesting bowls. They’re fun, colorful, and have so many uses. They can mixing bowls, prep bowls, or serving bowls. Pair them with some cooking utensils, and you’re all set! If you know you’re dealing with a baker, think about a few baking pans with some baking utensils.

For the fresh-starters

My brother is making a cross country move, so they focused on packing the essentials and purged a lot of the extras. I want to get something useful but also something that has some character since they probably had leave a lot of the character pieces behind. I think this set of bowls would be perfect. I think they would tie in easily with a lot of different kinds of dinnerware, and who doesn’t need some cute cereal or soup bowls?

I’m also thinking about embracing the theme of the new geography. Since they’ll be near a beach for the first time, what about a fresh beach set up with a beach blanket, beach chairs, and/or a beach bag. Even if they have some beach stuff already, if you go to the beach a lot, it’s nice to have extra gear on hand. You can make it a whole thing by getting a beach bag, adding a couple towels and some sunscreen.

For those who have everything

For friends or family who have all the house stuff they need, my solution is a cutting board. Everyone I know needs another cutting board. My mom always tells a story about an enormous cutting board that we always use at Thanksgiving and Christmas for turkeys and cookies and everything else. She received it as a housewarming gift when she and my dad hosted a cookie party at their NYC apartment about 35 years ago. Living in a tiny NYC apartment, she didn’t really “get” the gift at first, but as it turns out, it’s been a standby for 35 years and counting…

This is probably a repeat from previous gift post, but personalized stationary is always a good idea. How about an address stamp with their new address? It’s both useful and extra special at the same time.