How Hosting For The Holidays Changed My Purchasing Plans…
I have found that in life the things I plan out don’t always go (scratch that, almost never go) the way I think they are going to. The same can certainly be said about my plans for our home.
When planning out purchases for our place, I do my best to prioritize the list based on need, and a decision Casey and I made early on; we want our house to be a space where we can comfortably host our family and friends.
The heart of our home is definitely the second floor with our living room, dining room, kitchen, and patio. It is not only where we spend a lot of our time, but where we gather together with others. So naturally, it is where I have focused the bulk of our furniture budget thus far, and where I continue to develop design ideas (and a wishlist of items that seems to grow almost daily).
For the holidays we are hosting Casey’s family; his parents and his brother, and I want to make sure they are comfortable during their stay. These will be our first house guests (outside of the one time my sister was over for the weekend) and they are planning on being with us for an entire week. To be honest, I am feeling the pressure! We have lived, just the two of us, for so long that I don’t feel we have everything we need to host folks for an extended period of time, no matter how easy going they are.
With that, I have had to pivot and change my purchasing plans for the living, dining, and kitchen, to accommodate our guests. It is frustrating to keep “putting off” the things I want for the things we need, but I am practicing patience, and reminding myself that in time, I will be able to bring my plans to life.
As for the things we need to buy, well, they are really more practical than anything. But I intend to have my design fun with these purchases regardless!
Here’s what’s on the list:
Guest Bedroom: New Ergonomic Pillows & More Hangers (these are the ones we have in our closet)
Guest Bathroom: Shower Curtain (with a soft pattern), Laundry Hamper, & Wastebasket (just bought this gem by Opalhouse and Jungalow!)
Entryway/Garage: Door Mats - classic and pretty, or with a good message
If we end up having a little extra room in the budget, I would absolutely spend it on a few wishlist items like this stoneware dinner set for just $45 (ahh!), this contrasting matte gold flatware set, and this plush oversized knit blanket to snuggle up in.
