I've gotten a few emails recently asking me for some additional hostess gift ideas. One reader wanted to know what her new boyfriend should send her parents after a weekend spent at their place; another was just meeting her potential in-laws-to-be for the first time and didn't know enough about them to pick and choose based on their personal tastes.

While these are still my favorite ideas, if you're nervous about what to give your host/hostess, just remember this: even more so than with most gifts, this is all about the gesture. The point of hostess gifts isn't necessarily to rock the recipient's world; it's to express your appreciation and brighten their day in some small way, ideally with something they wouldn't have bought for themselves.

So if you're feeling stressed about what to get, play it safe with these can't-go-wrong items: they may not blow anyone away with their originality, but they are guaranteed to go over well.