How To Gain Self Confidence

This week there was a documentary that came out called Light Girls. I didn't watch it because, I had previously seen the documentary called Dark Girls but, I did read a lot of the online commentary.

Documentaries like these annoy me immensely because, they never offer a solution to the problem. Most site the problem as Colorism which is: Discrimination based on skin color. Which is what this is but, it isn't the root problem. The root of it all and what causes it is lack of self respect and lack of respect for others. Disrespect is what causes someone to make fun of someone because they are different. Children who bully other children usually suffer from a lack of respect for themselves as well.

While I can agree that telling our stories is therapeutic, it isn't all we need to do. We have to move past just talking about these issues and move to really finding a solution for them. Reading a lot of the responses to both of these films was sad because, I could tell people were really hurting and some said the films brought them to tears and brought back old feelings that they had buried away.

You can watch all the documentaries you want and listen to 100 stories like yours but, you have to choose to love you and not look for outside approval. Many of us still seek validation without realizing it and still try to fit certain beauty standards that tell us we aren't naturally beautiful in our own bodies. Not to be corny but, we have to be the change and let that trickle down to our children. It starts within ourselves and you have to guard what you allow to influence how you think about yourself.

Here is how I try to change things within my own home: 

Forget Beauty Standards

I don't read beauty magazines and articles that try to tell me what beauty is. Very seldom will they have a woman who looks like me featured and usually the women are airbrushed, no stretch marks, long hair, etc. I can't be these women and I accept that. Those women aren't even themselves and after reading about the extreme diets many of them go on, I don't want to even look like them. I try not to follow trends unless I genuinely like that style and then it isn't a trend for me. I try to dress and carry myself the way I want to with very little outside influence. I don't care about what is "in" because I will never be "in" to any of these popular magazines and that is really OKAY.

Hurt People Hurt People

Whenever I think about bullies, I try to remember that hurt people, hurt people. A lot of times people just need to be shown how to love themselves. I saw this quote and I loved it because it is very true: 

Folks look in the mirror and pick themselves apart so of course they are going to pick you apart too. I realize this and let insults roll off my back. I let that stuff go. I can't control how others act but, I can control how I react to it and I choose not to allow that negativity in my life. Folks have their own issues within themselves and I am not going to let that change how I view myself. To someone I am beautiful and to someone else I might be ugly, I choose not care either way. I believe I am beautiful and that's all that matters. 

Self Acceptance
It is hard to accept certain features you have if you've been told that those features were ugly for a large portion of your life. This really takes accepting what you can't change. I can't change my skin color, eye color, size of my nose or lips. I really have to just accept these features. We are all unique and that's okay. My outside appearance is such a small part of me, I am so much more than what I look like.  I'm thankful that I have eyes, nose, lips, etc. because there is someone who doesn't have these things but, these features don't determine my value. I'm beautiful not because of how I look but, because of who I am. Features change and hair falls out, gravity takes a hold of things, stretch marks appear and we go through so many other changes, you really can't let your physical appearance consume you. Accept what you look like, make changes where you can and then move on.


Build Your Children Up
As mothers, our self confidence trickles down to our children. I don't want my daughters to hate themselves or any part of them because of something I said. As a mom, I try to watch how I describe my daughters. I don't criticize them. I try to never make any feature of theirs seem ugly. My 5 year old has long kinky hair. She would call it tangly and I had to keep telling her that it gets tangled but, it isn't tangly. I let her know that her hair is just a small part of her and I show her the importance of taking care of it and how unique her hair is. Her friends have different hair than she does and I let her know that is alright. Her hair isn't better than theirs and vice versa. Everyone is special in their own way.

And that really is the core of it all, we are all special in our own way.

Mind Right Monday...on a Tuesday

I've been meaning to participate in Mind Right Monday for months weeks. This post is a day late but, I will be on time next week.

My goals for the week are:

• Get organized. 
• Stay organized. I need to use my planner every. single. day. 
• Plan out my schedule a bit better. 
• Write 1 more blog post for this week.
• Get my 5 yr old all caught up with her homeschooling. 
• Get 10 designs done for my husbands business.
• Get all the soap needed for this week made or cut or photographed and on to the website. 

I am grateful for:

• Food. Seriously. 
• My 5 yr old getting over her sinus infection.
• My children learning to play together without fighting and arguing every 5 mins.
• My husband being able to be home in the evenings while I work. 
• My 1 yr old teething and wanting to cuddle. (Teething is a pain but, I do love her hugs.)
• My friends. 
• My friends and their jokes. 

Review: Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner

This Friday I purchased a leave in from Shea Moisture, their JAMAICAN BLACK CASTOR OIL STRENGTHEN, GROW & RESTORE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER. I was very skeptical about this leave-in conditioner because, unlike make other naturals, I haven't had much success with Shea Moisture products.

Price: $10-11 from Sallys Beauty Supply
The price is great to me since it comes in a 16 oz. jar. Most of their products come in 8-12 oz. jars/bottles.

Prepping my hair:
I shampooed my hair with my shampoo bar and conditioned as usual. I shampoo my hair in 4 sections, apply conditioner to each section and detangle with the conditioner still in. I rinse my hair all at once, after the sections have been detangled. After detangling, I put each section in a 2 strand twist.

To dry my hair, I wear a t-shirt and air dry until my air is damp or about 75-85% dry. I do not apply product to dripping wet hair.

How did I use the product:
After my hair was 75-85% dry, going section by section, I applied a quarter sized amount of the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner to each section, massaged it in and then applied a dime sized amount of Lia Naturals Coconut Mango Butter. I split each section up and did 2 strand twists. Out of 4 sections, I ended up with about (10) 2 strand twists.

First Impression:
This product is very runny, it is very easy to apply along the length of my hair but, getting it from the jar to my hair was a little messy. The texture is a bit slimy, not at all like a thick creamy butter or cream. Once applied it was light, I could tell I had applied it but, it wasn't heavy or greasy at all. My twists were shiny and bouncy.

Twist Out Results:
I actually like this product. When I took my twists out I had nice definition, no greasy feeling at all. My hair felt moisturized and soft. I have zero complaints. I am very surprised! My hair looked the same the whole day, no frizz or shrinkage.

I went to sleep with just a satin bonnet cap on, I didn't retwist my hair and the twist out looks exactly the same and feels the same as well.

*excuse these pics. I'm not a selfie taker, I don't have time to be posing and all that. Took me 10 mins. too long to get these pics decent.

If I were to rate this 1 out of 10, I would give it an 8. I will be purchasing this again.

How To Use Your Planner To Achieve Your Goals

I'm a very fly by the seat of my pants type of person, I think they call me a Type B personality. I'm one of those people who buy planners because they're cute or fit in my purse. Actually using a planner...jokes.  But, lately, I've been feeling like my thoughts are everywhere all at once and that I am spinning my wheels in business and in my personal life. I've had to actually adult and  use the cute planners I've bought and get serious about achieving my goals and it  hasn't been that easy.

Planning and mapping out goals requires patience, thought and accountability. If I'm 100% honest with myself it also requires confidence. This requires telling the negative committee in my head to STHU by taking steps to reach those goals. You can find 100 reasons NOT to do something and why it won't work when you actually get serious about doing it. Fear is real and it is crippling.  Even if you're "doing" something, if you aren't doing it wisely or taking it seriously, it is because you don't have confidence in yourself. So, I've went out and bought some new cute planners and I've set my mind to actually using them to help me stay on track with my goals.

Here is how I use my planner to achieve my goals.

1. Go get a planner AND a journal.

Planner: Think of each day as steps on a stairwell, you eventually want to get to the top (your goal) so you need to plan each and every step. "Today I am on step number 3 and in order to get to step number 4 I need to do these specific things." The These specific things are what you write down in your planner. You get the specific things from doing research. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to research the best way for you to lose weight that fits into your lifestyle.

Journal: I think of a journal as a place to write down the reason I'm on each step. "Okay, why did I step up to this step?", "Why am I on these stairs?", "What do I need to do to get to the next step?".

2. Write down the specific purpose for every single goal/job you have. Basically...write down your every thought. 

• Why are you in business? What exactly is the point of your small business? When a customer buys from you, what are you REALLY giving them? Write ALL THAT down. 
• Why is your business/job important to you? "Homeschooling is important to me because, I need to lose weight because, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE..."

In life, if it doesn't line up with your goals, don't do it. Simple as that. This also helps with feelings of guilt and keeps your focused. Your life now has purpose.

3. Lose the cute catch phrases. 

This is real life here and in life we need real solutions. If you're just throwing out cute phrases with very little thought, you're not being serious. "I'm going to be successful in 2015." Well, what is success? Why is success important? What are you trying to be successful at? Life? Business? What are you saying? Your vision is about as clear as mud right now. Let's make it clear and something you can actually attain. 

• Figure out exactly where you want this success. 
• What do you consider success? 
• In order to do this, what changes need to be made and what do you need to implement?

Now, after you've written all of this down in your journal, it is easier to actually plan out your days, weeks, months, etc. You can now see exactly where you are going and why you're going there. 

Remember that negative committee? You're going to be too busy working to actually listen to those negative thoughts.

Was this helpful? What do you do to reach your goals? Comment below!

4 Natural Ways To Avoid Dry Skin This Winter

For many folks, Winter time is the time when their skin gets very dry and cracked. Dry skin is just something most people assume comes along with the cold Winter weather. Well, there are ways you can combat dry Winter skin and prevent cracks and itchy skin.

1. Drink Water: I know, I know. Everyone says, drink more water and if you're like me, you don't like water. I force myself to drink it because, if you're dehydrated on the inside, your skin will be dehydrated on the outside. No, coffee doesn't count and neither does wine...you need H2O. It is said that we should drink half our body weight in ounces everyday but, I find this varies from person to person. If you lips are dry and cracking, that's a sign of dehydration. Also, the color of your urine should never be bright yellow or orange or have a strong odor. Dry lips, urine color, dry skin, and dry mouth are all signs of dehydration.

2. Moisturizing Soaps/Cleansers: A moisturizing cleaner or soap is the foundation to moisturized skin. Use a soap or cleanser that contains shea butter, mango butter, olive oil and other skin loving oils to keep your skin from feeling stripped and dry. Give handmade soaps [click link] a try!

3. Using Lotion: If you're a lotion person like I am and prefer lotions and creams to butters for all year use, try applying lotion to damp skin as soon as you step out of the shower. Doing this helps trap in the moisture from the water and to keep your skin soft and moisturized. Also, when wearing lotion I find that I need to wear socks to bed to keep my heels from becoming dry. Keep a small bottle or jar of lotion in your purse, lotion usually needs to be reapplied throughout the day since it soaks into the skin quicker than butters. If you don't have much success with store bought lotions, try handmade lotion.

4. Pull Out The Oils/Butters: If you live in a humid place like I do, using butters throughout the Summer months can feel a bit heavy, well Winter time is the perfect time to pull the butters out. Not, the butters in your fridge, I'm talking about Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Coconut Oil and whipped butters.There are lots and lots AND LOTS of butters and oils for you to choose from and try. You can mix and whip up your own body butter or you can purchase a jar online. Butters and oils are natural sealants, they seal in moisture and help protect your skin against harsh dry Winter weather.

Do you have any tricks you use to keep your skin looking and feeling great this Winter?  Please share them in the comment section!

DIY Moisturizing Deep Conditioner Recipe With Honey For Natural hair

Earlier this month I went on a week long trip to Texas. Is there a place in America drier than Texas?! I was very busy on my trip and had no time to pamper my hair and as a result, I came home with dry, parched hair in need of some serious TLC. For the past 4-5 years, I've always relied on 3 natural ingredients to get my hair back into shape and they have never let me down!

Here's my DIY Deep Conditioner Recipe:
1 Tablespoon of Honey (I used African Wild Honey the last few times and love it!)
1 Tablespoon of Molasses (I Use BlackStrap Molasses)
1 Tablespoon of Wheatgerm Oil (Wheatgerm Oil)
1/4 Cup Detangling Conditioner (Lia Naturals Detangling Conditioner)

• Mix together thoroughly. 
• Apply to hair in sections.
• Place a shower cap over hair and let sit for 20 minutes to a few hours. (I recently had to leave it in for over 6 hours on a busy day and my hair was fine and felt awesome)

*I've added 2 tablespoons of bentonite clay a few times as well to help cleanse and revive my curls. Works wonderfully! 

Benefits of Honey for hair: 

Honey is a humectant. A humectant draws out moisture from the air. Honey takes that moisture and brings it right into your dry strands.

Benefits of Molasses for hair:
Molasses contains sulphur. Sulphur is one of the building blocks for healthy hair. Molasses is also great at strengthening weak damaged hair.

Benefits of WheatGerm Oil for hair: 

Wheatgerm oil is an emollient. this means it is able to soften and coat the hair shaft to prevent split ends and fight against breakage. It is also rich in Vitamin E, which makes it a highly moisturizing hair oil.

Easy simple recipe, right? I didn't make you mash up an avocado or rinse out strands of banana, I wouldn't do you that way! These are all ingredients you should already have in your cabinet for your skin health as well as internal health. The benefits of these oils when taken internally are really never ending! 

Try the recipe and tell me what you think in the comments below!

6 Things Homeschooling Has Taught Me About Business

Back in August I started homeschooling my 5 year old. I have always taught her but, never on a strict schedule. (I felt like I needed to say that because, you know as moms we always have to over explain things...just wanted y'all to know she has always been learning.) So, her doing schoolwork was nothing "new", So why was this so hard? Seriously, one day I just told her we had to finish another day because, I was mentally exhausted.

My brain was like this: 

Really though, why was this so HARD for me? It was hard for me because I was playing the comparison game. I was looking at everyone I knew and it felt like I was just not as great at homeschooling as they were. As with all things in motherhood and life in general, no one tells you the bad. Everyone wants to only tell you how awesome it is and how great they're doing. Fair enough. Maybe they don't have bad days. I don't know. Unicorns are real to some people.

Here's the thing; once I buckled down, got over myself and looked at how I could scratch that,  had to make this work for us. Things got better. I was trying to fit a square into a circle, like I've done so many times in business. I had to see what our formula was. Obviously, it was different that everyone else.

My daughter is a smart girl so the problem was me, not her. Same with business, the problem is ME not the business. Replace business with marriage, or school, whatever works for you.

My girl doing her schoolwork, hanging off the bed and wearing those hot pajamas.
 It was literally 90 degree that day. Whatever works. 

Here's where I went wrong in business and homeschooling:

1. Comparison: I had to learn (thought I learned this already -_-) that it doesn't matter where anyone else is or what they are doing. I have to deal with me and where I'm at now. Deal with today. We don't know what others are doing behind closed doors, we don't  know their struggles.

2. Consistency: If it works, keep at it. Don't switch or try something different. Do the same thing everyday. This is how you see progress. That's it. You can do the same thing in a different way but, keep doing the SAME thing. I have ADD or something because, I will know what works and still go off and try something else. I'm a glutton for punishment really I am.

3. Calm Down: Okay, you had a bad day, month, year. So what?! So does everyone else. It's not the end of the world. It feels like it though. Breathe and go on. You can do it. I'm doing it.

4. My Formula: If you can only do 2 hours, do 2 hours everyday. If you need to focus on one thing a day, do that. Do what you have to do (Consistently) to get what you need to get done.

5. Goals: You always need a goal. Even if it seems like a small goal, that's okay. If it's sending 10 emails a day, you're ahead of whoever doesn't send any. You have a plan. That's something!

And above all else!

6. Focus! I'm not a part of a million homeschooling groups. I can't be. I have no interest in what 100 other moms are doing anymore. If I need a specific tip, I'll look it up. For me, when I get too involved with others, I start scrutinizing what I do and forgetting what works for me. Then I'm back to square one; looking crazy. I've had to downsize my email inbox, I was following too many marketers and all of them were telling me different things to do at once. I needed to focus on one thing at a time. I had too many things left undone, nothing completed.

These things have made homeschooling easier and have also made business easier. We are really our worst enemies. We are harder on ourselves than anyone else. Don't do that anymore. You have the idea to start the project, you've also got it in you to finish the project, whatever it is.

It's October and I'm still homeschooling my girl! I've surprised myself. I haven't given up AND she is actually learning and growing!

Humble brag: She is in 1st grade books, she passed Kindergarten long ago. She is blowing her worksheets out the water. I didn't doubt her and it made all the difference. I had to stop doubting myself.

How To: Simple Steps For Taking Care Of Naturally Curly, Coily, Kinky Hair

I've had "natural hair" (hair that is naturally kinky, coily, curly and perm/relaxer FREE) for about 5 years now. I've never really found my hair hard to maintain, I found what worked for me and stuck to it. Consistency is key when you're trying to grow your hair long or just keep it on your head and moisturized. I'm a simple person who at times can even be considered lazy, so I like to keep things simple. As simple as possible for a mom of 3 with a 5 year old who has hair down to her behind.

So here are the basics. This is the starting point, you can grow from here.

CLEANSE- Shampoo. You need to use shampoo. It doesn't matter how often you use it but, the bare minimum needs to be once a month. Think of washing your hair as starting over, a clean slate, allowing your hair to breathe and reabsorb nutrients. Like washing your body.

Matter of fact, taking care of your hair is VERY similar to taking care of your skin. Minus washing your hair once a month, you need to wash your body everyday but, I'm sure you know that.

What to look for: Sulfate free? Sulfates are detergents that do their job too well and can over cleanse your hair, resulting in dry hair and an itchy scalp. Unless you've used heavy products and have massive buildup, use shampoos without them.

My shampoo recommendations:
Shampoo Bars
Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat

CONDITION- After your shampoo, next up is to apply a rinse out conditioner. You don't have to use the conditioner that comes with your shampoo, you can use any rinse out conditioner you want. I wouldn't advise you making this yourself, I suggest you purchase a great rinse out conditioner.

What to look for: Silicone free? Silicones make your hair feel nice and silky. The problem? Silicones coat the hair shaft and prevent moisture from getting in. They also have to washed out with sulfate shampoos. Using silicones creates a cycle of dry hair that looks nice but, it constantly breaking. It's an illusion.

What exactly is a silicone? Silicones are ingredients that end in -cone, such as: Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Amodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclomethicone, just to name a few. Those look scary don't they? They have their place in hair care, just not in our weekly wash routines.

What conditioners do I recommend?

Lia Naturals Detangling Conditioner (pH balanced!)

Giovanni (as you can see I love Giovanni products! They worked for me and I stuck with them, consistency is key.)

MOISTURIZE:  Moisturize with what? A leave-in conditioner. This step is important, don't skip it. First, we have to define what moisture is and what ingredients moisturize. Well, there are really only 2 true moisturizers; water and aloe vera juice. These 2, either 1 or the other or BOTH need to be the first ingredients in your leave-in conditioner. 

Leave-in conditioners are a very personal choice, no really, some folks will cut you behind their leave-in conditioner of choice. Just joking but, it is serious business. You have A LOT of options and sometimes it can seem overwhelming (I know you're probably already overwhelmed, sorry about that).

In this area you're really going to have to see what your hair likes. A simple spray of aloe vera juice & water, could be enough for your hair or you may need something more.

What Leave- Ins do I recommend?

• Make your own, here is my recipe for the one I use on my hair: Leave-in conditioner recipe.
• Koils By Nature: I am warning you, this stuff is awesome. 

There are literally 100s to choose from online, so make sure you read reviews and see which ones would work with your hair. If something works then stick with it.

SEAL: Last step! Seal all that moisture in! This step is somewhat optional depending on how often you wash your hair. If you plan on going days before you moisturize your hair again, you need to seal in the moisture to help lock it into your hair or else, your hair will be dry again in no time at all!

What are sealants? Sealants are butters and oils that do not moisturize your hair. They do nourish your hair but, they do not penetrate the hair shaft. They coat the hair and make a barrier between your hair and the elements. Sealants are really a MUST HAVE during winter.

Some great sealants are:
Shea Butter
Mango Butter
Whipped Butters- Lia Naturals Coconut Mango Butter
Coconut Oil- Can actually penetrate the hair shaft!
Argan Oil- LOVE!
Avocado Oil- Can actually penetrate the hair shaft!
and lots more!

You don't have to be heavy handed with sealants, just apply a light coating to your hair right after you apply your leave-in and you're all done.

Okay, so that wasn't so bad was it? Shampoo, Condition, Moisturize and Seal! Again, these are just the basics, there are other elements such as detangling, deep conditioning, pre-pooing (which I don't do), and more. You can do the bare minimum like me or indulge in a 3 hour hair session. The world is your oyster, really.

Why Compliments Used To Make Me Uneasy

I'm a young mom, young wife and a business owner. Whenever people meet me and hear about my business or the amount of kids I have OR that I'm a SAHM (stay at home mom) they of course think I'm totally awesome because of my age and flood me with compliments. These compliments have always made me super uncomfortable when they are coming from people who rarely compliment themselves.

I couldn't figure out why they made me so uneasy until recently and it's because, I don't like being put on a pedestal. I don't like people thinking my life is so easy and awesome. I know there are people who love compliments and thrive off of them, I'm not one of those people.

Social media makes everyone seem so perfect, especially if you own a business and even when you don't intend for it to. People project. They project all that they want to be on you and that's very dangerous.

It all made sense when I read a quote by Maya Angelou:

"Maya Angelou: Well, let me speak of the few negatives first. The larger my name becomes, the more I am a target, yes. People sometimes put people on pedestals so they can see them more clearly so they can knock them off. There is that in the human psyche. Sometimes people are at your feet, and as the winds of fortune change, they'll be at your throat. I understand that. What I do is I follow the advice of the West African philosopher, which is, "Don't pick them up, don't lay them down." That is, when someone says, "You're the greatest, you're the absolute, you're a genius," you say, "Thank you so much, thank you, bye-bye, bye-bye." Because if I pick them up, you see, I got to then believe when they say, "You're nothing, you're a charlatan, you're a..." 

Taken from: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/136533

Now I've learned to thank people for their compliments but, to leave it right there. I don't want folks expectations put on me. It's exactly what Ms. Angelou said: " People sometimes put people on pedestals so they can see them more clearly so they can knock them off. There is that in the human psyche. Sometimes people are at your feet, and as the winds of fortune change, they'll be at your throat. I understand that." This is why I am weary of over zealous compliments. I've had personal experience with this and it hurts, a lot. People will put you in a race that you didn't ask to be in and run against you. This makes the friendship a competition that you won't even know about until the friendship is over.

I'm not the perfect parent or business owner. I'm not some unicorn that poops rainbows. What folks think of me has become none of my business, great or bad. I do pay attention to what folks say about themselves and this determines whether or not I'll take their compliment to heart.

Again Maya Angelou explains this perfectly:

“I don't trust people who don't love themselves and tell me, 'I love you.' ... There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.”
― Maya Angelou
Being a mom is hard enough without having to live up to what someone else thinks of me. This takes away loads of stress and just lets me be me. Whenever someone lays the compliments extra thick on me all while talking badly about themselves, I tell them the truth and let them know that I'm not perfect. I'm just me and I am not doing anything they can't do. I leave all the compliments there for them to pick up and apply to themselves.

Don't ever lift anyone up more than you lift up yourself. The same flaws you have, someone else has. Remember that...

What is my passion? Why do I make soap?

Everyone is in the business of  "Helping You Find Your Passion" but, what does that even mean? For many years it meant nothing. I wasn't passionate about anything. I had things that were personal to me of course but, nothing that woke me up in the morning. To be honest, nothing really wakes me up in the morning, I love sleep. If I didn't have children who need breakfast, I would lay in bed until 10 o clock every morning staring at the ceiling. I disgress... I figured I didn't have a passion.

Since becoming a mother for the 3rd time, I've realized my passion and it surely isn't soapmaking or soap. Don't get me wrong, I love making soap but, I can't talk about it ALL DAY. I realized how much I don't want to talk about soap all day when I was a part of several soapmaking groups on Facebook and had to leave them all. When you think to yourself "If one more person asks about colorants and how to get a soap to trace ONE MORE TIME!!!!" yeah, soap is not your passion. (Just being honest, I'm not cut out for that kind of redundancy.) I have no desire to go to soap conferences (some of that is the introvert in me, I will admit that). I love my soap friends though!

So what's the point of this post? What am I blabbing on and on about?! I swear I have a point.

My passion is helping women, specifically mothers. The avenue I use to help mothers is soap. I'm passionate about encouraging and uplifting moms. We don't hear enough how awesome we are, we aren't encouraged enough to go take a break and relax. Every parenting magazine is full of articles on how we're doing it all wrong and need to get with some new parenting style. No. Many of us are doing it right. We're trying. Every single day, we get up and try again to be great at this mom job. I don't mind getting paid in cuddles and kisses though. (Sidenote: My youngest is about to be 1 and I have all the feels. I want her to stay my little baby.)

Soap is the avenue I use to reach moms. Pretty soap. Wonderful smelling soap. 

For many us, we're only alone in the bathroom. Specifically, in the shower. We aren't even alone to pee. Just to shower. Even if you manage to keep them out, they stand at the door with ALL THE QUESTIONS AND EMERGENCIES. Even my husband's life falls apart when I go to the bathroom.

Our showers are sacred. We need to have the BEST SHOWERS EVER. So, bring all the wonderful smells, beautiful colors and luscious softness that is bubbles. This is why I make soap. I love what soap becomes. I love the naturalness and the skin softening because, my 2 yr old makes it his life's mission to dump out all the lotion everywhere. I need soft skin that doesn't NEED lotion right out of the bath. Our showers need to work miracles. We need our shower to calm us, help us figure out life, give us soft skin, encourage us, get rid of the tired and just make us feel better. My soap does ALL THAT and that's why I make it. Not just make it but, make it the way I do. Every single batch, every single scent has a purpose.

I love the creative side of soapmaking. Thinking about what colors look best together, what scents match what colors, how do certain scents make me feel and how I want those scents to make other women feel. Will the scents relax you? What does smelling that soap do to help you feel better?

These are the things that keep me soaping. Making something I love and using it to help other moms feel better. Helping myself feel better. Soap doesn't talk or whine either so that's a plus.

What's your passion? Why do you do what you do? No corny answers okay? If you love it, why do you love it? Let me know.