How Our Home Is and Is Not Like a Bed and Breakfast

We all know about my bed and breakfast obsession. I love the whole concept: they are tiny and cozy and intimate.  Justin and I actually stayed at one a few months ago because the man understands me. We snuck off to Gatlinburg for a night for a little mini-vacation and stayed at Eight Gables Inn. It was beautiful, even in January. 

While I was there I took notes (in my mind, didn't want to be a creeper) of things that they did that made it successful; it's a highly-rated bed and breakfast. I found some ways that our home is like a bed and breakfast. I also found some other ways it's definitely not! 

How we're similar:
Our home is personal, just like a bed and breakfast. All we serve is is our family and a few others that come into our home. A bed and breakfast might serve 10-25 people a night, not hundreds or thousands. 

Our home is beautiful. Not the same kind of beauty as a bed and breakfast but still beautiful. 

Our home is welcoming. We were greeted at the door and shown around the grounds when we got there. They opened and closed doors and tried to foresee your every need.  I also try to have a welcoming spirit at our home. Welcome home the husband, be delighted to see the children in the morning; you know, be glad about these people!  

Our home is serving. The bed and breakfast staff waited on our every need. They knew what car you owned and serviced your room while you were out. They brought you a beautiful dessert before bed.  I try to serve my family and meet their needs. Meals, clothing, cleaning are all part of that. 

How we're different:
Our home is not quiet. We have two wild Indians, I mean, small boys who live here. They play harmonicas, beat pots and pans, and listen to Bob and Larry music (VeggieTales) almost nonstop. But I do seek a peaceful atmosphere in our home. We listen to calm music during dinner and I try to keep a peaceful spirit since I am the spirit of our home. 

Our home is not magazine worthy. We have a limited decorating budget. We have a homeschool starting here. We have children's toys and books. But it's still beautiful. It's neat and organized and the children are learning to keep their spaces that same way.

I can fill my home with love-God's love, because mine is not enough. I am confronted with that fact every day. I can love what God has given me to do and this home where I do most of it. Home is the center of our lives. I want to pour my heart into it. 

The season of life you are in will greatly impact whether or not your home looks like a bed and breakfast. But we can always work on making our home feel like a bed and breakfast: welcoming, peaceful, personal. 

Consider how you greet your family in the morning and when they come home.  Are basic needs cared for? What can you change to make your home a little more like a haven designed specifically for your family? After all, YOU are the expert on your family.