Save Your Fingers – Use A Bucket Pail Opener

For my soap and cosmetic maker friends that do not have one of these handy tools, a pail opener, I am blogging this for you.

We purchased our very handy pail opener at a restaurant supply house a decade ago.  I wouldn’t be without it!

How to use the pail opener:

• When you receive a new 50-lb bucket (or similar large size) you must first pull off the perforated strip of plastic located around the bottom perimeter of the lid. This can be done by hand.  The strip acts as a heavy-duty safety seal on the bucket.

• Around the perimeter of the lid are perforations for holes, spaced about 4″ apart.  To cut a hole, place the prong (prong located next to the word cut on the opener) under one of the hole perforations.   Pull the handle outwards and downwards (away from the bucket).  Continue working your way around the pail until all of the holes have been opened.

• Place the flat prong (located next to the word lift on the opener) under the pail edge.  Pull outwards and downwards (away from the bucket).  Repeat every 4-6″ until the lid is released.

Save your hands, don’t “leave home” without one of these gadgets!

Annie’s Herb Garden

We have a couple of small herb gardens in raised beds.  Some of the herbs were transplanted from our former farm, some were young plants purchased last year.  I am totally amazed at how fast the surviving plants have grown and some are already in bloom!

Thyme

Oregano

Bee Balm

Once Thyme reaches 8-9 inches tall it can be trimmed, which encourages more branching out.   Thyme smells wonderful in the house when I hang it to dry.  I later use it in recipes, especially in poultry dishes.

Oregano is also great dried.  I am hoping to have enough tomatoes in the garden this year to can and freeze, and later use the Oregano in homemade Italian sauces.

Last but not least, the Bee Balm (also know as Wild Bergamot).  Bee Balm is a member of the mint family. It can be used as a medicinal herb, combined in a tea with Valerian and other herbs that promote relaxation.  I look forward to it.  But first, I believe I’ll let it flower this year.  It is a one year old plant that didn’t do so well last summer.  As tall as the plant is getting, I cannot wait to see (and post photos of) the flowered plant after it reaches 3-4′ tall!

I also have one tiny live sprig of true Lavender in a raised bed, not pictured.  The Lavender did not hardily take to the transplant from the old farm.  Being that I have one healthy sprig, something tells me there are roots, and that more of the plant will surface.

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!

Pared Down The Goat Herd

Paring down the herd has been a process.

I pared down in three steps and wrote several blogs posts along the way.  The first post, Selling Goats – How I Changed My Business Mindset, was a collection of my farm and business thoughts geared towards keeping manageable numbers.   I wrote the second post, Pruning- It Isn’t So Easy, after I realized that selling the goats was more difficult than I had originally thought.

Very recently, not long after I published the third blog post, I realized that I needed to pare down the herd even more.  I am so elated to be able to say that no sadness rolled over me when I made the decision to sell.  I was determined.  I knew the end result that I wanted.   I just did it.

We are now down to our original goat herd.  Some of the older gals on our farm are in retirement.  We own a few boer goats that will be bred occasionally.  We have six dairy goats that will bred to keep the girls in milk for Annie’s Goat Hill milk-based products.

We are now purposely breeding for a warmer kidding season.  Gone are the days of kids born in sub-freezing temperatures.  Gone are the days of a barn full of kids.  We are breeding only for exact needs.

Just a few mornings ago, the day after the last sold goats left our farm, new kids were born.  Ask me if I smiled.  Babies (purposely) born in May.  It is warm.  The kids are healthy.   I am totally enjoying the newest dairy youngsters!

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!

Hungry Week Old Goat Kids

 

And belly filled with milk.  Water balloon?

Milk (Water) Balloon?

 

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps –  Where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!

 

Handmade Chat

I love a good Twitter chat! The scoop is a person can learn so much valuable information and make fantastic business and personal connections while participating in the chats.

I am thrilled to be a part of the upcoming Indie Business Handmade Chat which was designed for people who make and sell handmade products, and for retailers who like to carry handmade products in their locations.  The chat schedule is as follows for June:

Thursdays 8 to 8:30pm EST
6/7 – La Shonda Tyree (@soapcoach) – How To Make Money Teaching DIY Classes
6/14 – Mary Humphrey (@anniesgoathill) – How To Use Milk In Handmade Soap
6/21 – Alyssa Middleton (@bathbodyacademy) – How To Approach Retail Stores To Buy Your Products
6/28 – Melissa Rivera (@natgoodsoaps) – How To Use Herbs And Natural Colors In Handmade Soap

For more detailed information about the #HandmadeChat topics and the fantastic small business owners leading the chats, check out the Indie Business Blog.

 

 

White Wildflower Week

I just arrived in from a beautiful morning walk.

Some folks call these weeds, I call them wildflowers.

I have lived in the country now for 10 years.  One thing that I have noticed is plants that are colored alike seem to come into season at the same time.  Just last month the wild flowers were all in shades of purple.  Today was a white type of day.

Wild Roses – Smell so sweet!

Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)

Honeysuckle

One night I went out for a breath of fresh air and stopped in my tracks as I thought I was smelling a beautiful floral perfume.  But it wasn’t a perfectly bottled natural perfume.  It was the sweet aroma hanging in the air as the temperatures dropped from the night-time sky.

Life on the farm.  I treasure it.

Keeping It Simple

It is such a blessing that each of us hold our own dreams and concepts.

As I posted updated photos today of our Patchouli Love goat milk soap I was reminded of what I believe in.

My product inventory consists of soap, body cream, and hand cream.   I keep it simple for a reason.

My brand is based upon what I believe in, earth-giving and beautiful.  Rustic and basic.  Soothing.

I’ve told this story a few times, where my love of soap began (a place from the far-away past), here, and where I later shopped for soap here, cozy little places under moss-covered roofs, with bare wooden floors.

My passion brings the wonderful soaps to your home.  The soaps that I vision sitting in a rustic store, on a wooden table, unwrapped, beautiful, scenting the entire shop.  The peaceful place.

I believe in wholesome simplicity.

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – where you can Smell and Feel the Goodness!