Valentines Day, in stores near you...

Valentines Day

 Well, It's almost the middle of January so that pretty much guarantees that the Valentines Day things are taking over the stores! We were in Target over the weekend, as many families do, and sure enough Valentines has taken over! While the hubby was browsing new BBQ's, I took a quick tour through the pink and red isles and admired the candy that is not in my New Year, New You lifestyle plan! HAHA

 It got me thinking that it's time to start planning what we're going to do for Valentines day! But it also had me thinking about you guys! If you have someone in you life you love that you know would appreciate some natural skin or beard care, get to shopping! A beard care kit, or a mommy + baby kit or just a collection of their favorite soap-a-licious items are perfect for Valentines day!!

 Start your shopping early, especially if you are counting on shipping!! I would suggest the last possible day to ship would be the 8th of February! So consider this ample warning and get moving :)

 You don't want to be the last minute person hoping their are still roses left on February 14th, right hunny?! ;)

 What do you guys do for Valentines Day? Is it a super special day for you? Or do you just chalk it up to commercialism?

Feel free to comment below, ask any questions or if you are in need of suggestions!! :)

January 2016

A New Year is an excellent opportunity for a fresh start, as most know, we tend to fall in the New Years Resolutions!! The dreadful word because we will make a resolve to do something better for ourselves, then as life unfolds we put it by the wayside and before we know it, the resolution is an after thought.

One of the things I strive to do as a mom, is to steal a moment for myself, which as you can imagine, is a huge challenge when you own a business, have a small family and a whole other world of responsibilities. My challenge for myself for the New Year, as I said in my last post, is to simplify. I have found that increasingly challenging! I had hoped to start my new routine at 6:00am, yes before the sun has even risen. My children have decided that 5:30am is a much better time to wake up, so you can imagine, this already tired mom is even more tired at 5:30 and still not getting my workouts in that I had so carefully planned for myself!

So I find myself at a loss, trying to rework my day to squeeze in some much needed me time. I am sure many of you can relate, but I want to challenge us to keep the focus on our resolve or resolution whatever it may be and whatever you want to call it. We will be happier and healthier in the long run if we can make it work. There is always time, you can make time. For me, it may be taking the evening when the kids are in bed to do some yoga or Pilates, since the girls insist on getting up at ungodly hours! (They are lucky they are cute! :))

So whatever your New Year means for you, don't lose sight of what you have wanted and planned and find a way to make it happen! Now, if someone could kindly make me the largest espresso, I will get to work!! Happy New Year!!

xo--Jess

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU?

Happy New Year!!

We are looking forward to lots of cool new products coming out throughout the year as well as some of your holiday favorites returning too! With a new year always begs the question that I'm sure most of us are tired of hearing " What's your New Years Resolution?"

The tried and true response is to lose weight, be healthier or change a habit... yea sure jump on that bandwagon... :0 

However, this year, we are taking a different approach to the resolution and instead we have a guiding word for the year. The word that sticks out to me for 2016 is SIMPLIFY.

I don't mean we're going to get rid of all of our stuff and live like monks. Just to simplify things around us. For instance, I would like to clean out a closet or two, get our "junk" drawer in working order or throw out the stack of fitness magazines that have been collecting dust. It also means that I will help my family live more simply too. Simple, easy to prep and cook dinners that give us more time for the things we love. A simple and quick plan to keep the house tidy, etc. I want to encourage you to simply your life too.

One easy way you can do that is to embrace the #naturalmatters lifestyle. What does that mean?  First, take a moment to read what is actually in your store brand soap or shampoo and then read our ingredients. Then, check out our collection of beard and skin care and see what speaks to you. Natural is better in the long run for you and our world, so take a leap and start now, you won't be sorry!!

Merry Christmas! from our family to yours!

 One of our favorite things about this particular Christmas is that the girls have a better understanding of some of the concepts of Christmas. It is most certainly a time to spend with family, and I know our girls appreciate that so much. We have jumped on the new Christmas pajamas band wagon, so every year on Christmas eve the girls open one gift that is a new pair of pajamas. (This year daddy and mommy get a new pair too:)) Then, we read Twas the Night Before Christmas before bed.

 We have decided not to do the whole "Santa" thing which may or may not be a controversial thing. However I still remember when my parents told me there wasn't a Santa and how bummed out I was. I want to instill in our daughters the magic of Christmas and I don't want part of that to be taken away later on with "there is no Santa".

 Instead, we will talk about why Santa is such a large figure in the Christmas Season. We will celebrate the things that are important to us. We will make cookies, yummy treats and share the holiday spirit with family and friends. Above all, the merriment and joy that we find and fill our holiday season is what is most important to us.

We hope you find some merriment of your own this holiday season and enjoy a Merry Christmas or happy holiday, however you choose to celebrate.

All Aboard

Just a few notes on shipping over these busy holiday season..

Friday December 18th is the last call to guarantee your items get to you by Christmas.

 There are a few things we want to remind you of to ensure that your packages arrive to you properly. 1). make sure you use the correct address you want the item to ship to 2). We cannot make changes to the address once your order has been received 3). Order early, the sooner you order, the better, this guarantees that the items you want will not be sold out at the last minute!

 Any items ordered after December 18th will get shipped out as soon as possible but we cannot guarantee their delivery in time for Christmas. Your orders are just as important to us as they are to you and we want you all to have exactly what you wished for under the tree :)

 We will not be processing or shipping orders over Christmas Eve or Christmas day as we will be spending time as a family with our extended family, but shipping will resume December 28th!

 Thank you for all your love and support this past year. You guys are simply the best!

Holiday Season

Holiday season

Well the holiday season is in full swing. We have all our decorations up and have already made a batch of sugar cookies with Grandma. We assembled, decorated and ate our first gingerbread house... which J (who's 3 is still asking for because she loved it). Another great thing about the holiday season is your favorite holiday soap Holly Jolly is back in stock. This soap makes an excellent gift for teachers or stocking stuffer for your favorite aunt!

With holiday parties in full swing, we are also out buying more clothes, outfits and gifts. Something to keep in mind while you are out shopping, look at what the items you are buying are made of. I am a pretty big fan of nice hand bags, and recently I was looking at getting a new handbag. I was looking at the materials they are made of. Granted I realized there are synthetic materials in some of these to help bring the cost down, and other chemicals like glues, stainguards, etc are necessary.

However, I could not help but notice on one of the tags was a required warning that this particular hand bag was made with products that were known to contribute to causing cancer and birth defects. That being said, I did not come home with that hand bag. I am grateful for the cautionary warning, but it made me think about #slowfashion which is growing in popularity, at least within the fiber industry (I am knitter for those who do not follow me on instagram @ajeepgirl). In slow fashion, people are not rushing out to buy clothes or other items that they can make themselves or buy from someone who handcrafts them. Instead they are taking the time to make these things.

And NO, we don't all have time to make our own clothes, but we most certainly can pay closer attention to the materials that are used in manufacturing. Supporting small businesses who take the time to ensure that their products are natural and made with the highest quality is high on my priority list when I am shopping for my family! We've been looking for a wooden toy kitchen for our girls and I have come across lots and lots of plastic ones, but the idea that the chemicals in the plastics are not good overtime for my girls is really important to me.

So this holiday season while you are hunting for the perfect gift, the best holiday outfit or something lovely to add to your home, stop and think about these things:

1).what you are buying?

2). where it comes from? 

3). what it is made with? and

4). is there a more natural company you can find that makes something similar?

This is what we strive to do for you create a natural, handcrafted product that is kinder to you and the environment. #naturalmatters #doyousoapalicious