Hey there ,

Yesterday, I had a conversation with my mom about soap. I told her about an inexpensive brand that we liked happened to have with a good rating for nontoxic ingredients. She joked about how when the news got out, we might not be able to find it anymore. I chuckled and thought about the hassle of making homemade soap. I told her, "It's not that it's not worth it, it's just that it's only worth it to make 20-30 bars at a time". This is because make-it oils aren't the cheapest, and when you add essential oils and herbs for fragrance, color, etc., it can get expensive. She nodded in agreement, and we moved on to another subject. 

Of course, I got introspective after the phone call. I thought about my great-grandmother, affectionally known as Mother. She would babysit me a lot when I was a little girl. I would sit at her feet and listen to her tell me stories about running a farm with her husband. She would gather the ashes from the fire-burning stove and soak them to make lye. She then rendered the fat from beef or pork and added the lye to make soap. I remember asking her if it took a long time. She said yes, you had to stir for ages until the mixture thickened and finally turned to soap. It then had to sit for some time before it could be used. She later told me that after moving to Chicago, Ivory soap was the closest (ingredient-wise) to what she used to make. I'm not sure it's the same now, but if you knew her, she wouldn't use anything else…ever. 

Those memories sparked my desire to make my own bars of soap when I got older. Her recollections became the steps to a recipe and a guide to help me create my formulations. I've probably made over 1600 bars of soap by hand over the years. Whenever I start the process, I inadvertently think about her and thank God for the memories. 

I will probably never stop making soap, gardening, making natural remedies, or reading my Bible because they are not only labor or love but also a big part of my effort to keep Mother's legacy alive. I hope that you also have something you do- a hobby, etc.- that both gives you purpose and keeps your loved ones' memories alive.

And If you'd like to check out any of my soap, you can check out my collection of bars here. 

Soaps!

Until Next time...

Arica