Latest from America’s heartland!

A blog filled with Inspiration, entertainment and Encouragement.


tools for crisis times

Five tools for crisis times

Have you ever been blinded sided by a trial? You know, the kind that catches you so off guard that you face-plant in the dust? Perhaps you’re like me and the trial consumes every facet of your life leaving behind ash and rubble.  You face-plant alright. Only it is in barely cooled ash and rubble. …

Recession

Use These Five Strategies to Access Savings During the Recession

Have you noticed the headlines lately?  One after another speaks of inflation, recession, or turbulent economic times ahead.  But you don’t need to look at the headlines.  You see it already at the fuel pump.  Worse, you see it with rising costs everywhere.  Every business is raising prices.  It’s depressing, right? Inflation hits both our…

keep your cool in chaos

How to Keep Your Cool in Chaos

There is a sign on my desk that reads:  My husband gifted it to me.  Telling, don’t you think?   Chaos takes up residence Chaos has been my constant companion for years. I can’t complete daily tasks without interruptions, most involve chaos. In fact, chaos stands outside the studio door right now.  Here’s what it looks…

Muddy madness

My Method to Muddy Madness

Perhaps you wonder what caused me to start a bath and body company?  There are many reasons. Muddy madness is one reason. Let me show you. Observe the following pictures: Zechariah, age 5 created a pig sty in the garden near a sprinkler.  He wanted to know what a pig experienced when rolling in the mud. His…

career

My career ended this week

Chronic exhaustion plagued my life from 1998 – 2008.  Days and nights blurred together.  Sleep was sporadic.  Vivid dreams made matters worse.  Images of dirty diapers filling every room in my farmhouse startled me awake.  I staggered through my house more often than not in those days. Mothering lots of little ones You guessed it,…

make a powerful statement

How to make a powerful statement with your hard-earned money

Did you know you make a powerful statement every time you spend your hard-earned money?  Specifically, you cast a vote with your dollars.  You’re voting to affirm the mission and values of that business. I know what you’re thinking.  Voting doesn’t really make a difference.  After the last election, both sides walked away scratching their heads. …

benefits of rural living

Benefits of Rural living

Have you ever wondered about the benefits of rural living? This life attracts people. As a result, they throw caution to the wind and dive into a lifestyle so foreign to them. Others are born into it and know nothing else. Still, others enjoy living vicariously watching from afar. We have lived in a rural…

old fashioned Lye Soap

What is Old-Fashioned Lye Soap?

It happens just like this: The phone rings. A desperate caller asks,  “Do you have lye soap?”. A sigh of relief meets my response.  “Yes, I have a few thousand bars.” However, in my experience, it is necessary to probe further and educate when that question arises. “Are you suffering from a particular skin condition?”…

Love conquers all

Love Conquers All

Author’s Note: The following post “Love Conquers All” is a tribute to my beloved father-in-law who passed away last week. Bright Hope Soaps focuses on the principle of triumph over trials in our artisan work. My road to healing was filled with people who shared love without limits which created a ripple effect. My father-in-law…

Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis

Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis

“Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis” provides an insider’s view of humble beginnings of my bath and body business. Ok, the present is still pretty humble. The point is we have to start somewhere. We have to take action to get traction. Moreover, we must keep showing up every day and learning as we go. Today we are…

Kindness

Kindness: A Game Changer

My head hung low as I approached the double doors.  Admittedly, I felt a weight on my shoulders and an excruciating pain in my back. Sickness visited me shortly after Christmas.  This uninvited guest won’t leave sapping all my energy and taking all my time.  Now the wait.  Medical tests never move quickly.  Leaving the…

Lye Soap

Lye Soap – The Stigma

Exactly what images pop into your head when you hear the words “lye soap”? Does it conjure up pictures of a hardened hunk of white matter?  Maybe it even crumbles when touched?  Perhaps it smells like rancid pig fat? YUCK! That doesn’t sound too appealing, right? Wait!  It gets better worse. Origins of the Stigma…

soap making journey

My Soap Making Journey

My soap making journey began in one of the darkest times of my life.  Life was like a charred debris field, the fiery consequence of domestic violence. What did I have to offer when all that remained of my life was ashes and rubble?  There is nothing left, right? Wrong.  Did you know homesteaders of…

Share Hope

Share Hope: Five Simple Ways

Isn’t there more to life than this? This question taunts you. You feel it with the day-in-day-out tedium.  If that is not mundane enough then you see one headline after another.  They read:   DOOM” DESPAIR” DISASTER!”  You turn to social media. The weight of what you see crushes your spirit.  You want to find hope. …

making bath bombs

Making Bath Bombs: How We Do It

Making bath bombs is simple and  systematic at Bright Hope Soap Works. We gather all the powders, oils, and begin mixing.  Soon fragrance fills the air.  Next, we portion off our mixture in various bowls.  Suddenly pressing begins. One sphere after another rests quietly on the tray.  In twenty-four hours the bath bombs hardens enough…

milking

The Joy of Milking Dairy Goats

Milking dairy goats brings us a lot of joy. Take a look at those long floppy ears and you can see why we adore these critters.  Moreover, they are a practical addition to the farmstead. Stigma Surrounding Dairy Goats Why milk goats?  After all, their reputation proceeds them.  These skilled escape artists make most homesteaders…

unique gifts legacy collection

What is the Legacy Collection?

What if you could comfort someone in anguish without using any words? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to nurture them with a luxurious gift avoiding worn-out clichés? The Legacy collection exists for this very purpose. The Legacy Collection is a line of soaps that tell inspirational stories. The colors, fragrance, and design are all symbolic in…

Handmade

Handmade Soap: Real Benefits

Mass Produced VS. Handmade I race to my mailbox eager to get the latest mass produced form letter  that a million people have held in their hands… said no person ever.  Letters like this one here are routinely sent and often pitched into the trash.  Little thought is given to the predominance of the mass…