Must Have Items for a Guest Gift Basket

When you have guests coming into town, it's nice to put together a little gift basket for them.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just a few items that let them know you are happily planning for their visit.

Recently my sister-in-law came to visit for a little over a week.  She lives out of the country so we don't get to see her very often.  I was excited to see her and wanted her to feel welcome at our home.  She had come to visit before, but this time she had a room of her own and I bought a few items for her while she was staying with us.

Here are my must have items to include when someone comes to stay.

• Chocolate   Let's just start with the important things.  I bought an assortment of little bite size truffles from Utah Truffles.  They have different flavors in both milk chocolate and dark chocolate.  They are amazingly wonderful.  My sister in law ate all 6 of them in an evening....even though she wanted to save one for every other day of her visit.
• Lotion   It's always nice to have a little lotion you can carry in your purse or use to moisturize after a shower. 
• New towels and wash cloths   It's nice to include a colorful towel and wash cloth that is brand new, soft, and smelling nice from the dryer.
• Local made soap   I love buying new soaps when we are on trips or when we go to the farmers market.  I like to add a small bar to the baskets with a light scent.
• Toothpaste   My guests do not want to use kid's toothpaste when they are visiting.  I make sure to have a small selection of travel size toothpaste when people visit in case they didn't bring their own.
• Face soap   This is one item I always forget to pack when I am on vacation, so I include this when someone comes to stay.
• Candle   I like to set out a candle to make the room smell nice.  I like to buy the ones that are in a container with a lid so they can cover them if the scent gets too strong.
• Snacks & Gum   It's nice to get a few selections of little snacks or gum they can have while they are visiting.  Especially if people are traveling from different time zones, they might be used to eating at a different time and need a little snack to tide them over.
• Magazines or books  These didn't make it into the picture, but I put out a few different magazines and let my sister in law know she was welcome to read any of our books.
• New pillowcase   This time when my sister in law came to visit, I wanted to make her something that she could take home with her.  She loves Hello Kitty, so I bought some fabric and made her a pillowcase.  (see the instructions here)  Of course, you don't have to make one for your guest, find out their favorite color or if they like a certain character and you can buy them one.  It's just a nice touch to personalize their sleeping area.

There are the items I like to include in a little gift basket when I have a guest coming to visit.  It is a personal touch to welcome them to your home.

What items would you include when buying a welcome gift for a guest?