So I went into my *hubby's bathroom this morning.
*When I say hubby's I mean the 'downstairs' bathroom the he just happens to keep all his very manly toiletries in.
I have been using the sauna that's in there about five times a day the last three days, as I seemed to have developed a head cold that rendered me completely unable to smell or breathe. Well. Sometimes I can breathe. But its been tough.
Today I needed to grab an extra towel so I opened up his cupboard.
And found this.
What is that?
Bottles upon bottles upon bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. Not to mention soap. Body and facial you know.
I was shocked at first, as my dear hubby is a devoted minimalist. I mean, he has three drawers in his bathroom that have remained empty since we built our house in 2001.
Empty.
Drawers.
In a bathroom.
For 9 years.
But anyway, I saw there staring at the *thousands of bottles he had accumulated through his work travels, and was thinking to myself, why on earth?
*I might be exaggerating. Its my first time though. Really.
And then it dawned on me.
We, like so many, have had to make some cutbacks in our budget this year. And with me doing 90% of the household spending, most of the cutbacks and new budget restrictions have had an immediate and overwhelming impact on me. Its been hard.
Totally unable to remove my eyes from the site before me, it dawned on me that this my was dear husbands way of trying to help out.
That he hadn't asked me to buy him soap or shampoo for a long time now.
This small gesture… this tiniest of efforts, meant the world to me today.
It sorta gave me me a renewed sense of hope that we are in this together and through God, can do anything we need to.
So thank you, sweet husband of mine, for all the little things you do.
I just hope he doesn't mind that I put them away a little differently. 
Hahahah – I would be shocked to see anything in my husbands bathroom that way. Yes, he has a bathroom, and no, it is not organized at all! I’m so impressed with how he had those lined up!
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Oh! I took them out of the cupboard to take the picture… although he did have them somewhat organized, this was for picture purposes only.
How sweet of him! I can’t imagine that you’d put them away like that
! If there comes a time that these little soaps and such are not useful to you- many homeless and women’s shelters make use of them too.
Oh I can so relate! (My hubby doesn’t even travel much!) But we have the same kind of set up and I too, recently went in for something and saw his mini stash. I admit, my first response wasn’t yours. It wasn’t terrible, but I felt like he thought we are poor, which, my pride had a problem with (long history). Thank you for posting about this because now I know how I SHOULD have seen this. I know a man who’s gonna get a big hug when he gets home!
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What a fantastic suggestion ElizaBeth!! Thank you!
How sweet! Oh my goodness. It really is the simple things in life that make us happy and want to SING!
I think sometimes our hubbies think they have to do extravagant things, but really something little like this has “i love you” written all over it. I hope you feel better soon!
My dad could tell you exactly WHICH hotel your hubby stayed at. He use to (until last spring) be out of town at least 4 nights a week. I recognize your stash as some he gave me to keep on hand when company comes!
That is awesome. What a collection he has going there. I think he may stay clean until 2012.
Hugs,
Mimi
That is awesome. What a collection he has going there. I think he may stay clean until 2012.
Hugs,
Mimi
Aww, what an awesome hubby you have. And what a great wife you are for recognizing him!
Those are the romantic gestures that mean more than flowers. Well I think so anyway xxxx
Ohhhh, I hope your husband isn’t all anal about his organization or you’re in trouble!
That’s cool though. I understand pinching pennies and that would a an easy way to do it.
that’s awesome! way to take a minute and think about your husband and love him even more! i LOVE it when that happens. Oh, no! i gotta go. i hear disaster happening in the girls’ room! AAAHHHH! That was a thunk! and another. i gotta! i’ll see ya! ahhhh, another!
Bless his heart. I love that he did this and that you bragged about him today
Way to lift up and honour your husband!
Awww this is a very sweet post. I completely understand, it IS the little things that our husbands do that mean a whole lot.
Man oh man do we understand a tight budget. But God always is faithful.
Such a sweet husband you have.
God Bless you and Your family!
He’s a great hubby….he actually lines them up like that or did you perhaps put those pictures in the wrong order?
Either way which ever I love it!
God’s blessings to you and your family.
So sweet. Doesn’t it mean so much more that he did it without mentioning it, too? You know, just did because it would help out, not because he wanted the praise?
Ha, that’s so cool! What a sweet hubby.
By the way, awesome pics! You are so creative. I like the different angles and then at the end, all mixed up. Seriously, you have a talent! You’re gonna rock at your class! Or did u go already, I can’t remember?
What a sweetie! It’s amazing how just how far one of those little bottles will go!
How cute of your hubs!! And GREAT photography too!
Oh Amanda, what a huge and beautiful expression of LOVE!!!!
That’s so sweet that he’s doing that and that he doesn’t even mention it, just humbly is doing it!!
We have BOXES of hotel soaps and shampoo’s because of one kind church that sent Chad care packages while deployed and that’s what they sent him! The smell of those boxes are insanely overwhelming (there’s various scents of soaps), I told him to keep them boxed up and when he deploys he can take them with him and hand them out either to fellow soldiers or the Afagns (since that’s most likely where he’ll deploy to next).
Gotta love a guy who helps out
That’s LOVE!
So your saying I need to go on vacations more often and take the little bottles they leave. Going to tell hubby now…
I take the soap, shampoo, etc. home whenever we travel. We use some, but they are also good for when we camp, so we can pack as little as possible.
There is a commercial for (no clue what) but they are talking about saving money, and the woman says she hasn’t bought shampoo in three years because she saves the hotel stuff.
I’m guessing the last picture represents how you found them, right?
That’s ao thoughtful but I’m sorry he has to be gone so much in order to have collected that much of a stash. That would be a bummer.
It’s the little things, isn’t it? WHat a GREAT HUBBY!
I travel for work a lot too, and bring home the extra shampoos, soaps, etc. I store them like you do!! LOL!
How sweet.
My dh brings them back for my daughters!
I was going to say the same thing about the shelters, we get a lot of those at the center to give out to people.
Way to honor your hubby! And what lens did you use? I’ve saved enough to buy one and I can’t decide which I need. HELP!!!! (I have the standard Canon lens and a 70-300)
Aww, how sweet! Hope you and your family are well and you have a wonderful year.
What a sweet guy…and so neat! I love it! Dan never has me buy shampoo either…but he doesn’t have much hair to wash, so it lasts forever! haha! What a great find!
What a sweet guy…and so neat! I love it! Dan never has me buy shampoo either…but he doesn’t have much hair to wash, so it lasts forever! haha! What a great find!
That is so sweet. Love it. And, oh, so neat. hehe
isn’t it amazing how they can quietly do something small like this, and its such a big gesture of love? I don’t know about you, but if I had been collecting the bottles, I would have been announcing every morning, “Look! Look at what I’m doing!!!”
cool shot…love it! my husband is also a minimalist and would be happy to have many empty drawers (literally and symbolically) in our life…what a thoughtful gesture…
awww…i like hearing about your husband. tell us more! he sounds like a great guy but too bad he has to be away so much.
we still have our stash from our honeymoon stay at the bellagio hotel in las vegas from…TWO years ago. do those things expire?
great job with the lighting and camera angles!
oh too sweet. as a single mom who’s solely responsible for the cost-saving measures in our house, i really appreciate him trying to do something, anything to help. i bear the burdens alone these days and it’s stuff like this that make me miss having a partner. remember these moments the next he leaves the toilet seat up or doesn’t get around to fixing something. value him!
Oh my word – those neat little rows of travel toiletries look JUST like my husband’s bathroom cabinet! The first time I saw them I was mesmerized – I rarely go in that bathroom, and I really never have a need to open the cabinet, but when I did – I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of those perfect lines of matching products. No wonder he never needs me to buy him shampoo!! (Guess traveling for work has it’s perks.)
Aw how sweet of him! What a thoughtful thing to do to make life easier and cheaper for you all
What a lovely husband you have. I hope you honour him.