My story

I am ready to share what is going on with my lotions now. 

I have sensitive skin. I am prone to eczema and extremely dry skin. Commercial lotions leave my hands smelly, which then triggers me to sneeze. In addition they don't seem to actually heal much. I didn't want to be using steroids consistently. The price tags on more natural lotions were so much more then I was ready to pay. So in an effort to heal I turned to the internet for homemade options. One that did not contain all the ingredients I couldn't pronounce.

When you try to make lotions one of the most common ingredients is beeswax. Well I didn't have any beeswax. However, my husband did know someone that did. This very generous soul provided me with some wax. 

So a cool lady I know organizes a craft show and she invited me, probably as a customer, but I started thinking "maybe I could sell this stuff. It is pretty awesome."  

I will make a separate post for all the process of putting the product together. Here are my completed products for the craft show.

So here are the pictures of my display at the show.

 I apologize for the poor picture quality. 

 Here are the sugar scrubs.

 The Body Butter.

 Thank you Meggan Britton for the naming help. 

Yes, I know this sign isn't that awesome. I will be working on it for the next show.

 Spa salts, bath salts, whatever you want to call them. 

It appears I forgot to take a picture of the lip balm. 

So at the show I didn't do as well as I had hoped but not as bad as I had feared. I met a lot of great people.I am really glad that I went. One particular person I met was very enthusiastic about my body butter. She chatted for a bit and I thought she was talking about the honey I was selling on behalf of someone else when she said something about "consider selling it in a store."

 I said "I am sure he would love to sell it in a store."

"Well, what about you? Would you ever consider selling your things in a store?"

Me? Yes, take my bottles right now. I will pack it up for you. 

So we traded information and I emailed her later. She and another woman were opening a store in a town about 20 minutes from here. They sell gourmet jams and jellies and were looking for additional merchandise. The focus of their store if local handmade crafts.

So this week I went to meet with them.I had previously only met one member of the partnership.So as far as I knew we were just discussing further if they actually wanted to sell my stuff there. I took a box of salts, body butters, and lip balms. 

They bought it all. 

All.

There is a store near me that is selling my stuff. Stuff I have worked on is being sold in a store. How cool is that? I am so honored they found my project worthy of their store. 

Now I am working on getting ready for the next show. Here is a picture of the business cards I just ordered. 

 So exciting!

And just think, if I hadn't had a skin problem, this never would have happened. Sometimes our challenges really do turn out to be something to be grateful for.

Take it easy

I think we all are familiar with, or are, those people who become extremely opinionated online. Yes, we have opinions in our personal lives too, but it is so much easier to spew them passionately from the anonymity of our computer. I have read many things and seen example after example of people saying truly terrible things online.

We have all heard or known people who have died or been hurt because of poor judgement moments. How easy it is to cast stones. 

Shouldn't have been driving so fast.

Everybody knows drugs are bad for you.

Well that is what you get for drinking so much.

Serves them right playing with fire.

How utterly irresponsible they were for .....

Yea, you might be right. Sometimes those really are the natural consequences of an action. Someday you may look at your kid walking down a bad path and say "I knew a person who did_________ and this is what happened to them."

Learning is an important part of growing.

Condemning is not.

When I read a news story of someone who died, possibly doing something a bit reckless, there are always lots of comments about what an idiot that person was. I admit, I have had thoughts along those lines. However as I have pondered those replies what comes to my mind is this-

The person you are condemning is dead. Maybe that is why you feel so comfortable beating on them, I don't know. However the only one left to read your opinion of what happened is their mourning loved ones. How painful must it be to know that your loved one died in a way that could have been avoided? How much worse to have a group of strangers continue to bad mouth your loved one once they are gone? It isn't as if the dead is now going to live differently now that you have voiced your opinion on their decision. 

Life is hard sometimes. We all have loved ones who make choices contrary to what we view as best. Why must we make it harder on one another by being so unkind? 

Express your condolences for their loss,  learn the lesson from it if you need, and then move on your way. Mean comments do not make you a better person. 

Happy

Here are a few things that are adding to my happiness this morning-

I am not a garbage man, sewage person, cart return lady or anything that requires extended periods of time in the cold. I am SO grateful for that. 

I am capable of reading. I am not talking just about books here. How terrifying would it be to go someplace new and be unable to read signs or directions?

I have gotten to Skype with my brother serving in the Air Force who is stationed in Alaska. Plus I surprised my mom with that Skype last night. Let's just say she was thrilled having never experienced Skyping before.

Moments when I have the skill or resource needed to help someone. 

This is trivial, I know, but it brings me joy. I started a new journal. Officially filled up the last one and now I get to start again. I love that. 

Life is good. My life is good.

LEGOs really do hurt to walk on.

Many a soul have encountered the pain that is stepping on a LEGO.

Ruby needed to take that pain to a new level.

My poor babe was upstairs crying, not sobbing like she was injured or in danger. She just sounded frustrated with her situation. I figured she would come downstairs and seek comfort. She didn't. The sadness continued.So I went to save her.

I found her at the top of the stairs. She kept attempting to stand but quickly fell back down. That is when I realized the problem.

She had stuffed LEGOs down her footie pajamas. When she stood to walk they all went straight down her legs into the footie portion. So each time she tried to step the LEGOs moved under her foot.

She was not a happy baby. However, it did make me laugh while I removed about 14 pieces from her outfit.

Love one another

Last night during scripture study we looked up references to love.  One such reference is in the Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi 31:20. It says "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men."

We then discussed why we should love everyone.

Naomi's answer really resonated within me.
Why should we love everyone?  "Because we are here trying to learn to be like God. God loves everyone, so we need to learn to love everyone."

The simpleness of that answer sank deep in my heart.  You are right Naomi. You are right.