‘Brunch with Babs’ Reveals the Best Hosting Gift Idea We’ve Heard Yet

Barbara 'Babs' Costello has been the internet's favorite grandma for years—offering advice on everything from home decorating to helpful entertaining tips and her favorite family recipes. She has millions of followers on her social media platforms, using the handle @brunchwithbabs, where she shares gleeful, advice-focused videos of her life, family, and, most recently, her home renovation.

As the beloved holiday host to her multiple children and grandchildren, Costello knows a thing or two about this essential role. Costello recently told us some of her tried-and-true advice at Wayfair's Holiday Tree Market pop-up in NYC, and we can't wait to implement it this year. Read on to learn how to be the best host and guest this holiday season, all according to Babs.

Babs' Ideal Hosting Gift

While wine and flowers are always acceptable hosting gifts in our book, Costello has an even better approach to this common etiquette conundrum. She suggests considering the host's morning after the party and what items would make that experience more enjoyable for them. "The hosts are probably exhausted, so it would be lovely to get a cute decorative basket and fill it with something like blueberry muffins and a bag of coffee beans or grounds. That way, you're kind of saying, 'Here's breakfast for the morning, now you can put your feet up.'"

Flower bouquets are always a thoughtful gesture, but Costello says you might want to rethink how they affect the host's night if you're not prepared. "Hosting gifts, like fresh-cut flowers, that need to be tended to (you need a vase, you need to clip them, you need to give them water) can distract the host from the party tending."

If wine is more your speed, good news—Costello approves! "Wine makes a lovely hosting gift. You could take a linen or cotton tea towel, wrap the wine bottle in it, and add a bow on top. Now you're giving them two gifts: the wine and the towel!"

Her Favorite Kitchen Splurge

Costello's one kitchen item that she says is always worth the splurge, especially during the holiday season, is her KitchenAid Stand Mixer. "I don't know what I would do without that mixer," she says. "It saves me so much time and so much upper body work."

She says it's perfect for recipes that require mixing or whipping for a long time, as she can set it and walk away to work on something else. When it comes to her favorite attachment, she says her go-to is the paddle. "Most everything I do is with the paddle and the dough hook."

What Not to Do the Week Before Hosting

When it comes to holiday hosting, Costello has a list of things not to do before your guests arrive, especially in the weeks prior. "Don't start any major renovations, do not paint, and it's really not the time to do heavy-duty spring cleaning."

She advises that the days leading up to entertaining guests should be spent on getting yourself organized and breaking down everything you need to do into small, achievable goals. "Make a schedule and stick to it," she says. "You want to be peaceful the day of your event."

Christmas Decorating Traditions

Now that Costello and her husband are officially in their newly renovated 1830s "Basket House," she says that there is one Christmas decorating tradition that will absolutely be following them to their new place. "We're carrying on the tradition of hanging a wreath from every window. The wreaths are obviously on the outside, but inside, I put an electric Christmas candle on the windowsill," she says. "It just emits such joy and such holiday spirit, the whole house comes alive when there's a wreath in every window and a candle in every wreath."