It's no secret that the shower is my sanctuary.
It's the one place in my home where I can go and usually be left alone.
The trouble is, this space also serves as the guest bathroom. You see, our master bedroom is an illegally-converted garage. The previous owners did a phenomenal job on it – to the point that you would never guess it's a renovation – but it means we don't have a bathroom near where we sleep. Nate and I get to traipse through the living room over to the guest quarters every time we want to bathe or shower or pee.
It's especially awkward when we have other people staying with us, which is usually the case during the holidays.
Now, I love guests as much as the next person. However, I'm a little neurotic about hygiene. We're working with Sam's Club to promote Dove, and I've kept a big bottle of their body wash in my shower for years. To me, that's a clear indication to guests that they can help themselves to a squirt of the awesome sudsy stuff. Right on the bottle it promises softer, smoother skin after just one use. Who wouldn't want to take part in that!?
On occasion, though, I've gone in to do the post-guest cleaning process and discovered that they did not opt for the body wash. Nope. Instead, they decided to rub my Dove BAR soap all over their body.
For anyone who doesn't understand why this isn't okay, just think about the last thing I wash and the first thing you wash. Yup. Bar soap is not for sharing! However, I know that some people prefer bars over washes. Dove White Beauty Bars hydrate better than any other bar soap out there, so I can understand the irresistible allure. This season, in order to give all my guests access to ALL the soap they could possibly desire, I started setting out cute little individual soap gifts.
Isn't that adorable? On top of making me the best host on the entire planet, it sends a loud and clear message to my oh-so-wonderful friends and family that I don't want them touching my stuff. There's plenty of soap to go around. Soap for you, soap for me, and the two shall never comingle. All is right with the world.
The process of making these was ridiculously simple. I softened a Dove Beauty Bar in a microwave-safe container on half power for two minutes. My microwave is a little weak so yours might go faster. Just make sure to check it frequently and stop when the soap squishes slightly when it's poked. Let it cool a bit and roll it gently into a ball. Press gingerly. The inside tends to get hotter than the outside. You may want to use kitchen gloves to protect your hands.
Let it cool completely, then wrap it up in cellophane and add some gift tags.
The printable can be downloaded here. Just save and print double-sided on some card stock.
Stop by your local Sam’s Club to pick up the Dove products you love. The body wash comes in 3-packs and bars come in 16, so it's easy to make a bunch at once! After setting these out, nobody will mess with your soap anymore. Your shower will once again be your happy place, and you can return to blissful bathing without neurotically giving your Dove White Beauty Bars the side-eye.
What's the weirdest thing you've ever done to prepare for house guests?