When Jeff and I first started dating (or was it soon after we got married?), we developed a list of our family values. These were characteristics and qualities we wanted our marriage, and each of our lives as individuals, to exhibit to others. They offered a road map for how we wanted to live. They became a compass when we felt we were getting lost.
Our family values are a living, breathing document. We try to evaluate them every year (around New Years Eve, or so) to make sure they still fit our family. We usually make revisions. Sometimes we add a value. We haven’t removed a value yet. ;-)
The family values come up in our day to day lives. When we are making a choice about something, like our short term rental business, we can go back to the values. Or more often than not, when something needs to be done (like taking out the trash), one of us will ask the other person to do it “for the family” because being a servant leader is another value. This is where Pro Familia comes from - it’s Latin meaning “for the family”. ❤️
When building and creating The Lodge OKC, for example, we had to decide what bathroom products to offer. We were presented with two choices: mini/travel size bottles or refillable bottles. One of our family values is to reduce, reuse and recycle. You can probably guess what we decided to do!
If you guessed refillable bottles, you’re right! We purchased plastic, amber colored, pump bottles from Sweet Night. They had the cutest label (that was pretty & easy to read - if you know me and my public health background, literacy matters)! While the plastic is still a petroleum based product, it’s safer to use in the shower than glass.
Next it was time to find the right products to fill said bottles. We considered different options: big box store generic products we could buy in bulk, a online retailer specializing in goods for the public (wink, wink) and then I found ONEKA. They are a Canadian company that strives to create body products that are good for you and they have a specific focus on permaculture and water conservation. Both of these topics relate to our family values (you should see our urban garden, flourishing with edible plants, a greenhouse, chickens, bees, and water barrels - plus a wild area for native pollinators. This house and subsequent backyard garden are going to be our next short term rental property…but I digress.)
Both the shampoo and conditioner come in 4 liters bottles. We went with the Cedar & Sage fragrance to create a spa-like experience. I’d already used ONEKA products at an Airbnb in Springfield, MO. I loved the smell and the shampoo got sudsy enough to wash my long hair (bonus!).
The Lodge OKC comes straight from our heart and Jeff & I are thrilled to share our piece of Oklahoma City with the world. The shower products may be a minor detail that guests may overlook and that’s okay. We can sleep soundly knowing that the shower products we provide are safe, healthy, and smell great! While our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle probably won’t save the world, it’s a step in the right direction. And like one of our other family values, it’s the small things in life that really matter!
If you’ve read this far, thanks! This is my first ever blog post 😊 If you’re looking to travel in the future, we’d love to host you! Follow the links to our direct booking site or check us out on Airbnb.
Coming to Oklahoma City in the near future? We'd love to host you and your fur baby at one of our short term rentals in OKC. Book direct and you'll get the lowest rates plus free early check-in!
