Have you ever stayed at someone’s home and you forgot something….maybe your toothbrush…maybe your hairspray…and your host didn’t have a supply that you could use? I’m sure many of you have stories about how you’ve been in a bind in situations like this (I remember times where I had to "brush" (actually rub ) my teeth with toothpaste because I forgot my toothbrush).

As Christians we are admonished to "practice hospitality" – to be "given over" to it (Romans 12:13; I Timothy 5:10). Our homes should be filled with warmth, generosity and hospitality toward others. It should be an inviting haven where people see the Gospel played out in our daily lives. The phrase, "make them feel at home", means just that: make them feel just like they would if they were at their own home!

Over the next few days, I’m going to give a few ideas on how to make your home "guest-friendly".

Today, we’ll look at how to put together a toiletry basket to place in your bathroom, just in case they forgot something!

First, here are a few main items to put in the toiletry basket:

Items for Guest Toiletry Basket

You can find sample sizes at almost any major grocery store, or you could go the *free* route and sign up for free samples online. Sample sized items are perfect for toiletry baskets. Below are some free samples that you can sign up for to get your basket started (*tip* : if you haven’t signed up for the free Robo Form , you may want to or you will be spending a lot of time filling out forms to get these samples):

FREE Sample Sized Products

Toothbrush - Dentaburst
Toothpaste – Aquafresh
Toothpaste – Sensodyne
Toothpaste – Oxyfresh
Razor – Noxzema Razor
After Shave Gel – Brut
Shampoo & Conditioner – Dove
Shampoo & Conditioner – Alterna
Shampoo & Conditioner – Sunsil
Hairspray – Kenra Volume Spray
Eye Drops – Bausch & Lomb
Laundry Detergent - Tide Stain Scrubbers
Laundry Detergent – Purex
Feminine Products - Tampax
Feminine Products - Tampax Pearl
Feminine Products – Always
Feminine Products – Playtex Sport
Headache Medicine – Advil
Tissues – Kleenex
Lotions - Curel
Lotions – Dove Pro-Age
Lotions – Dove Body Lotion
Coffee/Tea – Coffee Mate Creamer
Coffee/Tea - Caffino
Coffee/Tea - Shelburne Falls Coffee
Coffee/Tea - Joffrey’s Coffee
Coffee/Tea – Traditional Medical Teas
Snacks – Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix
Snacks – Quaker Simple Harvest Granola Bars
Snacks – Flat Earth Chips
Snacks – Corazonas Chips
Snacks – Fiber One Cereal

Free Sample Sites to Periodically Check On for Samples:

Coupon Mom
Start Sampling
Slick Deals: Freebies
I-Mommies

Here are some other *affordable* items that you may want to look into getting if you can’t manage to get them for free:

Affordable Basket-Stuffers

Toothbrush – Generic Toothbrush – $0.39
Comb/Brush – Comb – $0.09 cents
Sewing Kit – Dial Sewing Kit – $0.23 cents
Lint Brush – Lint roller – $0.99 cents

Once you’ve collected your toiletries, find a basket, line it with tissue paper, put a few ribbons around it, then stuff it with the goods! For a nice touch, add a handmade card that says, "For Guests" or "Guest Basket" or "Help Yourself" (or something along those lines). Be creative and have fun!

Tomorrow I’ll give ideas on how to make a basket for out of town guests .

Tags : guest basket, hospitality