Tired of showing up to a party with a lame bottle of wine? Wish you had some ideas for host gifts that would get you invited back? You’re in luck. Welcome to Staying presentable, a series of posts we’re running this week, in conjunction with our holiday gift guide. All these gift ideas are under $20 - some under $10 - and work for almost any occasion. Stock up on them now for the holiday party season and you can stop making that last-minute trip to the liquor store. 

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of LEGOs. Oh the structures and adventures I constructed from simple pieces of interlocking plastic blocks! As I’ve grown into an immature adult, I still haven’t abandoned my love of LEGOs, spending several hours playing LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman and LEGO Indiana Jones. (I am anxiously awaiting the LEGO Tron that will complete my nerd fantasies.)

So when I saw these LEGO ice cube trays ($8) my heart grew three sizes. Finally, here was a way to combine one of my adult loves (drinking) with one of my childhood hobbies. Available via the LEGO website, these ice trays will make ten cubes at a time, in the shape of the standard six peg rectangular LEGO blocks.

If you wanted to be extra-nice, you could buy a couple, pre-make the ice and bring those to the party, in the trays. Because 9 out of 10 parties always run out of ice. (If you’re really industrious, you could buy several and use them to create your own ice LEGO centerpieces.)

Idea submitted by Julia Kramer. Image via lego.com.