ALT-2 Food Gifts for a new Home
Nothing says “welcome” like a food gift. That is why a food gift is so appropriate for people moving into a new home. It is also a way to help when people are so busy trying to settle into their new home.
Moving house ranks with divorce and a loved one’s death as one of the most stressful life events for humans. Moving house is exciting, sad and strange all at the same time. Standing in a strange home surrounded by boxes containing your life can elicit feelings of sadness and alienation. There is no time to think this through however, because you must organize this house into a home. There is furniture to arrange, boxes to unpack, bed linen to find, and someone must ring the utility services and find out why there is no electricity, and a thousand other things to do. The new home may need decorating and this may mean working long days. For all these reasons and more, a food gift is an excellent gift for those moving into a new home.
If you are a neighbour to someone moving into a new home, it is a kind thought, and a way to introduce yourself, to take a tray of tea, or coffee, and cookies to your new neighbour. Many people do this, as a way to welcome new neighbours to the street or area and new neighbours usually appreciate this gesture.
You could make up a gift basket, containing instant coffee, tea bags, instant hot chocolate, some mugs, with some cookies and cereal bars for energy.
Often when someone moves house, the electricity and gas remain disconnected for a time. In Britain, the electricity and gas may not be working when the utility companies say that it will. If visiting or helping on moving day itself, a thoughtful gift might be a basket containing a camping stove, gas, matches, a camping kettle, some mugs or disposable cups, tea and coffee, long life milk, sugar and teaspoons. Moving day can look a lot better with a steaming cup of tea in your hand.
There are so many things to do in a new home that often people do not have time to cook. A food basket containing foods that do not need cooking, such as cheese, bread, crackers, a jar of chutney or pickle, butter, and perhaps a cold dessert could make a very good impromptu meal. One that saves everyone time and give them much needed energy to continue with unpacking, decorating and doing all the hundred and one jobs that need doing when you move into a new home.
There is always so much to do in the first few days and weeks after moving into a new home. A hot stew, casserole or soup in a food flask accompanied by some bread, plastic forks knives and spoons and a desert plus some disposable bowls, plastic forks knives and spoons would make a welcome gift. There is nothing like a home cooked meal to restore everyone’s enthusiasm.
Another gift idea for a new home is to make somegifts in a jar. Somejar giftsyoucookin the jar and, when you give your cooked gift, the recipients can eat it straight from the jar, and others you make up adry mixto which the recipients add wet ingredients and cook. You can givesoupmixes, bakemixesandmuch morethis way.
There are many food gifts for a new home and food is a traditional welcome gift. Food gifts can also save your friend, relative, or new neighbour, time and stress in those early busy days of settling into a new home. It could simply be a way to ensure that everyone eats properly during the maelstrom of jobs, unpacking, decorating, and other work needs doing in those first days after the move. Food is a gift that everyone appreciates at any time but especially when they have a new home.
