Top Gifts Under $70 for New Homeowners
The following gifts can enhance the experience of being at home and can make a new home a sanctuary where peace and tranquility reside. They can also improve the functioning of any home, and practicality is a worthy consideration when deciding on an appropriate gift for a new homeowner.
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson is a must-have book for homeowners particularly if they are from my generation, the generation that came of age in the ’90s never having to do a single chore. My own mom recalls missing countless episodes of American Bandstand because she had to clean the house from top to bottom every Friday and Saturday. So, I was granted a reprieve from all things domestic and was actually not even allowed near the washing machine. That certainly might have seemed like a relief at the time, but once faced with eight (or ten, if the sunroom and basement count) entire rooms to clean and keep up with, I became painfully aware of the fact that my teen years would have been better spent on being schooled in the domestic arts. Home Comforts has remedied this problem.
Home Comforts is both a delightful read and also a handy reference for virtually every imaginable aspect of housekeeping. It is the perfect how-to manual for new homeowners and will literally be referred to hundreds of times, so buy it in hardcover. It retails for $35, but Amazon sells it for only $22. The most fascinating aspect of this book is that its author is not “just a housewife.” Cheryl Mendelson is a lawyer and Ivy League professor, and she glorifies and romanticizes housekeeping in over 800 pages of black-and-white print. Move over Martha Stewart!
Create Your Own Gift Basket
You can purchase a decorative basket or a canvas laundry basket and create your own gift ensemble that includes various cleaning products. Method makes a line of cleaning products in three fabulous scents. The products are great for health-conscious consumers because Method suggests that you don’t even need to use gloves when using their cleaning products. Method products come in a rainbow of scents (and colors) including grapefruit (pink), french lavender (purple), and cucumber (green). These scents come in a 26-ounce dishwashing soap, a 12-ounce hand soap, a round cylinder containing 30 scented wet wipes, and a 28-ounce cleaning spray. Homeowners who are actively responsible for maintaining the upkeep of their homes (Read: Anyone without a live-in-maid (can I dream?) or a weekly cleaning lady) will benefit from Method cleaning products . Method also sells laundry detergent in both Morning Bloom and Fresh Air scents, and you can purchase 32 ounces for just under $8.
Other items that can be arranged in a gift basket include new silverware, hand-held kitchen gadgets, or candles. A home is instantly transformed into an inviting oasis with scented candles, and Yankee Candle sells a dizzying array of scents. You don’t even have to live north of the Mason-Dixon Line to appreciate a Yankee candle. Their 22-ounce Jar Candle (available in over 100 scents!) retails for just under $23. It can be paired with several votive candles in the same scent you select, and these are available for just $1.79 each.
Waring Pro Professional Juicer
Another great gift idea for homeowners is a juicer. New homeowners who have previously lived in limited space might not have had enough counter-top space for a juicer. Though I managed to make room for mine when we rented, and our kitchen was the size of a closet. I simply can’t live without mine, and there is nothing more refreshing than a freshly-juiced glass of Clementine oranges when they are in season. The Waring Pro Professional Juicer retails for under $70 and is a good choice for new homeowners who finally have a decent-sized kitchen. It is durable and from personal experience has held up through repeated use during the last several years since we purchased it.
Gift Cards
If you are still unsure if any of the above suggestions will be well-received or utilized by the new homeowners on your Christmas list, you can always go with the trusty standby and purchase a gift card to a home improvement store or a popular home store such as Linens-n-Things or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
