The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Shannon at AKA Design.
Hi Organizing Junkies! How are you all doing this week?
You know, I’ve blogged here before and it’s always been loads of fun sharing a few of my organizing quirks and ideas with you. But this week I’m super extra excited to announce a new series that I’ll be posting here on Organizing Junkie, called Box It Up!
Basically I’m going to take workaday items – things that are often necessary, but not always handy when needed – and create mini-kits to keep around the house. They don’t take up much room at all, but they come in real handy.
And even better is that most of the items in each Box can be found at the dollar store!
This week’s Box is all about Overnight Guests.
Have you ever gone to stay overnight at someone’s house and forgotten your tooth brush? Or your deodorant? I don’t know about you, but I’m cool to share shampoo with someone else…not so much a toothbrush or deodorant.
What if you had overnight guests – your in-laws, perhaps? And they forgot a razor or they needed a Tylenol in the middle of the night. Well how cool would it be – if like at a hotel – you had their back?!
A Box It Up! for Overnight Guests is the perfect little back-up for those forgotten items.
For an Overnight Guest Box, include things like:
- Face Cloths
- Razor
- Floss
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Tylenol/Advil
- Shower Gel/Body Wash
- Toothbrushes
- Deodorant
- Hair Spray
- Lotion
- Tooth Paste
You could also provide:
- A comb or brush
- Shampoo and conditioner (although these are often in the shower already)
- Band-Aids
- Imodium/Tums
Simply pack up your box (I use cheap-o plastic shoe boxes found at The Home Depot!) and store in the guest room. If you don’t have a guest room (I don’t), you could put your Box in the linen closet or under the bathroom sink.
Now I challenge you before the next major holiday, or before your next house guests arrive, to put together your very own Box for Overnight Guests! You’ll never have to share your tooth brush again!
Xo,
Shannon
Shannon Acheson is a passionate interior decorator, frugal DIYer, sometime graphic designer, wannabe writer, homeschooling momma and adoring wife. She is the co-owner (with hubster) of AKA Design and the main writer/designer for the blog of the same name. Shannon recently moved from a war-era bungalow to a cozy backsplit in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband and their three children, and during spare moments can be found scouring local shops for decor bargains, rearranging the furniture again, or scrubbing paint off her hands.
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Anna says
I do the same thing, I love having everything available for my guests! 🙂 I know if someone did this for me it would make me feel so welcomed!
Anna
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
Love this idea Shannon!
Angie
Shannon (aka design) says
It would make me feel pretty special too! You could always use a prettier container for this one too, if you want. 🙂
Kimberley says
Great idea…I don’t have house guests very often but I am totally going to do this so I will be prepared!!
Christa says
Love, love, love this idea!
Jenny says
I like this idea! I look forward to the other suggestions!
Angie says
Love the idea of the “Box it Up” series!
Melissa A. says
This is a great idea. I have travelled before and forgot deodorant or socks. Usually if I’m visiting family I don’t mind borrowing socks, and my mother always has a stock pile of deodorant and toothbrushes at least.
Shannon aka design says
Yup – sometimes it’s not a big deal at all. 🙂 But sometimes it would be so cool to just whip out the guest box!
Christopher says
Great idea, I always try to have spares in my bathrooms but hadn’t thought of boxing it up like this for visitors.
Shannon aka design says
We usually have some spares too, but then the kids grab a new toothbrush or we forget to buy something so we use it before a guest comes and then we’re out of luck!
Elizabeth says
I keep a pretty wicker basket with a lot of the items above but also include sample or travel sizes of shower gel, makeup, moisturizers,,,you know, the stuff you get with promos, etc. a great place to stash them and I admit to grabbing on off and on! A few magazines tailored to their tastes, a cozy quilt on the bed, extra towels arranged in an identical larger basket, and I am ready to welcome family and friends. Love guests!!
Kathy C says
This is a SUPER idea. My sister is coming to visit in August and I would love to have her favorite things on hand. She is traveling by plane with a 2 year old and it would be so much easier and less stressful for her to know she didn’t have to pack items I can already have here for her. And the room it would save her in her luggage while packing would make it well worth it.. I LOVE IT!!!
Brenda says
I like to keep these items in the room in a nice basket. I also include a sleeping mask, ear plugs, playing cards, post cards, pen, stamps and some magazines and brochures of the area. They may like to learn about the area that you live in and maybe see something in particular that they saw in the travel brochures. You can get travel brochures at your local grocery store or some restaurants.
Shannon aka design says
Ooh, great extra items to keep on hand!
Rainey says
This is such a welcoming gift for the traveler. I know I always forget something, and I hate asking if I can borrow a toothbrush? What makes this gesture so hospitable is first it makes the houseguest feel welcome, also would most likely stay filled up, only things we forget, unless there is something fantastic in there, such as a facial, or a hair treatment, an extra luxury. Great idea, and something I will definaltey make for my guest. Thanks again!