This is day 13 in a 31 days series on hospitality. (What was I thinking?!?!?!?) Start from the beginning here.
Now, y’all know already that this is my master bathroom but it’s the only one roomy enough to get a decent picture. Bathrooms are notoriously hard to photograph!
Remember this summer when we hosted 25 people at our house for the week of July 4th? I knew that with that many people (8 of them being our kids) we’d need well stocked bathrooms so I went on a bathroom stocking spree. The great thing about stocking your bathrooms well is that when you need something, you can always shop the house before having to shop the store.
I like to start with great smelling soaps and lotions. I almost always shop at TJ Maxx because they have great brands at a fraction of the cost.
Inexpensive glass jars make great storage for cotton balls and Q-tips. I have these in all my bathrooms.
I also like to have either a basket well stocked with various toiletries that my guests might need. You could store the basket under the sink or on the counter if it’s small enough. I also try to keep an extra robe in the guest bathrooms and plenty of towels and washcloths. It may seem redundant to stock things that *may* or may not be used but I’m always grabbing things from these bathrooms until I get to the store to restock them.
Here’s a list of things I like to keep on hand for guests:
-extra toilet paper
-paper towels
-soaps and lotion
-pads and tampons
-toothbrush and toothpaste
-motrin and tylenol
-visine eye drops
-extra contact cases and contact solution
-bandaids and first aid creme
-nail clippers and basic manicure set
-deodorant
-cotton balls and Qtips
-body and face wash
-chapstick
-small sewing kit
-white terry robe
This list isn’t exhaustive but it sure comes in handy to have the things you need without having to ask your host for every item you might have forgotten. I think it serves to give your guest some sense of control when they are out of their element and away from home. These items would be great to stock in travel sizes and to buy as you see them on sale.
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And you can imagine my delight when this One King’s Lane holiday flyer came in the mail with a whole spread dedicated to the guest room and bath. So cool and who wouldn’t love to be a guest in this room?!? If you haven’t shopped at OKL, you’re missing some great deals. I buy almost all of my art from them! Follow this link to sign up!
Good idea to use the guest supplies as your own “backstock” for your own emergency use. Also a good way to keep your supplies in the guest bathroom in a current use-by date. Thanks for the great list of stuff.
You are so thoughtful and intentional in your guest spaces. I don’t think your guests will ever have an unmet need while staying in your home. Absolutely loving these ideas.
Ruth
I’ve noticed that some of my guests are not comfortable using anything remotely nice. They don’t want to use the nice towels, or open a new bar of soap, and my sister in law even requested a plastic cup instead of a water glass because she was afraid of breaking it! Do you ever have guests like this? How do you deal with them? It’s so disappointing when someone won’t use the items I’ve taken the time to get ready for them because it’s “too nice.”
Hi Lindsey, I used to be that guest. Just love them and pray for them. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people who have loved me unconditionally and prayed for me over the years. Low self-esteem is insidious; we really do want all the love, all the “nice” things, but we are being held back by some mighty strong bonds. Best bond-breaker? Love.
Sincerely, Trudy
This is wonderful insight! Thank you for sharing because I’ve had the same experience with some guests and was wondering myself. God bless you!
Hi Edie, catching up online after JUST FINISHING hosting my 8 college girlfriends in our new home in Knoxville this weekend. We had a fantastic time and they loved the city and my new home. I hope to host many more visitors soon and loved this post. I did not get to this level of stocking, and having just moved here two months ago, could not find ONE new toothbrush in my home for my guest who forgot hers. But, no shame, we laughed together at the situations that came up. I had mentioned I had blow dryers they could all use, and they all teased me in fun about the “extra” blow dryers that may have been from the 1970’s (garage sale pick ups I thought were a steal for $1) that were not as strong as today’s models. I will be using your list for future friends and family, and look forward to reading more posts.
Take care,
Carol S.
What color grout did you use on the bathroom floor? I just bought the same tile to do my bathroom but can’t decide on the grout color! Help!
Great tips on creating a welcoming guest bath. I love the idea of shopping the house first for bathroom essentials. The glass jars for cotton balls and Q tips are a simple yet elegant touch.
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