I have a confession—I wrote this post last year and intended to post it in my Simple Summer Series, but in preparing for the birth of our first child this post ended up unpublished in my drafts.
With the summer on its way, I wanted to revisit this topic and add some of my thoughts from a year later.
I think there’s just something about the warmer summer months that open us up to more possibilities and encourage a deeper connection with others. The longer days, meals outside, and campfires late into the night make it easier to have meaningful conversations.
So I hope you enjoy this post, and that it encourages you to embrace spontaneity this summer.
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If someone had to describe me in a word, spontaneous wouldn’t be one of them—in fact, I don’t even think it would make the list! But when it comes to hospitality, I love the idea of making our home a space that people feel like they can drop by and enjoy.
One Year Later: After living on our acreage for another year, I’ve learned about the art of the spontaneous drop-in. It happens quite often to us that people will just pop by to say hi if they’re in the area, and sometimes that will turn into a walk in the river valley, a meal together, or just a short visit. This is what initially inspired this post! I’ve also loved being able to invite people over on a whim—having a minimal home makes it easier to keep it tidy (or tidy it in a short amount of time) and having supplies on hand makes it easier to do this without stress.
Here are a couple of things I like to keep on hand during the summer so we’re ready for company. As part of my Simple Summer Series, I’m going to chat today about some handy supplies to have on hand for last-minute company and gatherings!
1. Supplies for a campfire
Nothing says summer like a good old-fashioned fire pit! Living on an acreage, we have a lot of firewood easily accessible, but I always keep lighters or matches handy too! We also like to collect our dryer lint and use that as well—it’s a great way to reuse it! I generally also like to freeze a package of hotdogs and buns and keep a pack of jumbo marshmallows on hand for some roasting snacks.
One Year Later: Do you ever find that some of the deepest conversations you have tend to happen around a campfire? I sure do! We also don’t typically keep marshmallows on hand anymore—we don’t end up roasting them ourselves and we don’t have kiddos around that are at that age where they like to make them! Instead, I usually have a bag of chips on hand and some ingredients for easy meals.
2. Tea & Coffee
We love our tea and coffee! If it’s hot out, get creative and make an iced version of your favourite hot drink!
One Year Later: Obviously we still love our tea and coffee, nothing has changed here! I think offering someone a cozy drink feels so homey and puts everyone at ease. I love the idea of having a fancy drink I can serve someone, but don’t underestimate the power of something simple too. People don’t come to be wowed by your hosting skills, but to be present with you.
3. Ingredients for one of our go-to meals
What meal do you love to make or is super easy to whip up? Next time you’re at the store, grab double the amount of ingredients you need so you can make it in a pinch if someone pops by!
While it’s great to prep ahead of time, don’t be afraid to ask people to bring an item or two if you don’t have it on hand! The purpose of any visit is about the connection and spending time with those people, so don’t worry about making everything “picture-perfect!” Instead, embrace the real life that spontaneity brings and focus on the people you’re spending time with rather than the experience you’re providing them. Nobody will remember the dishes that were in your sink, they’ll remember the conversation and time spent with you.
One Year Later: These days I try to have at least one casserole in the freezer for times like this. We also have a couple of 3-4 ingredient meals that only take about 30 minutes to make in our meal rotation, which helps if we’re trying to whip something up last minute. We tend to use our BBQ a lot, so we generally have a selection of hamburgers, hot dogs, or something that we can easily throw on there too!
When it comes to showing hospitality to others, try whatever works best for you and your family! There’s no pressure to do things a certain way—I couldn’t agree more with the words I wrote above last year—the more and more that I embrace spontaneity, the more I realize that you can still bless people even if there’s a mess in your home. Be real, ask them for help prepping, cleaning up, or just forget about the mess and enjoy the time spent with others! Whatever you choose, I hope you find peace and connection with those you love this summer.
Little Minimalist on the Prairies 