Something that I’ve never owned but would like to in the future is a tray. There are so many cute options out there these days! We probably often think of trays for bringing breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, and while they are definitely perfect for those fun occasions, there are so many other functional and cute ways to utilize trays you might already have!

• Movie night snacks can easily be organized and brought to the movie room with a tray! A cute arrangement of popcorn, treats, snack mixes and serving bowls can help elevate movie night and really make it feel special! This is true for anything! Afternoon tea, desserts on Sunday night, cookie after school- they all feel a little more special when served cutely in a tray!
• Use a tray as a cute organization tool in your kitchen! Lots of little things placed all over the counter can look cluttered, but put them all together on a tray and suddenly it’s chic and cute and functional! You could use the idea for your morning coffee supplies, spices, serving utensils, baking supplies like flour and sugar, fruits and veggies that need to be stored on the counter, or whatever purpose you could utilize a tray for!
• Make a cute coffee table setting! A few coffee table books (I love National Park ones!) can much more easily and aesthetically be contained with a chic tray! You can even add a candle and small blanket depending on the size of your tray and table situation.
• A bedside tray can be a luxurious delight to add. Add your favorite candle, one or two books you are currently reading, or make it more functional and keep scriptures, post-it notes, highlighters, etc. You could keep eyeglasses, dentures, CPAP materials, etc. to make it functional and a great way to keep things contained! You can keep it on your nightstand or bring it into bed with you for reading a pre-bedtime drink for ultimate relaxation!
• A bathtime tray is another delightful addition! You can keep a favorite book, bath salts, a candle, and a mug for a cozy drink all together to make a long bath easily accessible and extra luxurious!
• Arrange party favors on a tray! As your guests are leaving a baby shower, bridal shower, birthday party, book club, etc, you can have a tray set up with little bags of goodies or party favors to easily make them accessible and cutely arranged at the same time.
• Use them for serving! These may seem like a “duh” thing to say, but think of all the times you serve something and don’t use a tray! Not that a tray is needed, but it just makes things feel more elegante, more special. Passing out treats at a soccer game, passing out handouts at a church function, passing out paper and pens at a game night, passing out index cards at a recipe exchange! There are so many ways you could utilize a tray for passing things out!

I share all these ideas with you, but not because you should feel pressured to do any of these things. Whatever you do in life should bring you joy, and if the idea of having pleasant arrangements of snacks or nightstand supplies makes you giddy and brings you joy, then you should absolutely do it! But if it sounds overwhelming or unnecessary then by all means, don’t worry about it! I realize not everyone will feel these ideas are even remotely necessary, but if you like doing little things to make everyday things feel special, then hopefully these ideas inspired you!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com