Skincare

January in Central PA: When Winter Gets Real

Hey friends! Stacie here, writing this on a freezing January morning in Enola.

Yesterday, it was 18°F when I woke up. The kind of cold that makes your face hurt when you step outside. The kind of dry air that cracks your lips within 5 minutes. The kind of winter that leaves my grandson congested and cranky.

Central Pennsylvania winters don’t mess around.

The Diaper Bag Problem That Started It All

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you how I fell in love with lotion bars.

The scenario: Maddi had a newborn. Diaper bag chaos. Bottles, diapers, wipes, snacks, toys—everything you need when you leave the house with a baby.

The problem: Lotion. Traditional lotion bottles would leak EVERYWHERE. Open the diaper bag, and there’s lotion all over the diapers, the wipes, the snacks. Total mess.

“Wait, What IS That Fluffy Stuff?”

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you about one of the most confusing—and most loved—products we sell.

The scenario: We’re at a craft show (Williams Grove, East Pennsboro Pumpkinfest, Central Dauphin). Someone stops at our table. They see jars of fluffy, cloud-like product. They pick one up, look confused, and ask:

“What IS this? Frosting?”

I laugh every single time. Because honestly? It DOES look like frosting. Fluffy, whipped, colorful, sitting in a jar like fancy cupcake icing.

The Year My Hands Cracked and Bled Every Winter

Hey friends! Stacie here, writing from our Enola kitchen on a cold February morning. Let me tell you about the product that changed my life—and eventually became one of our bestsellers.

The scenario: It’s January in Central PA. Temperatures are in the teens. Indoor heating is blasting and sucking every bit of moisture from the air. I’m making soap all day (which means constant handwashing). My hands are a disaster—cracked, bleeding, painful every time I bend my fingers.

“Which Soap Should I Use?” - The Question We Get at Every Craft Show

Hey friends! Stacie here (Momma Bear). You know what question we hear most at craft shows and at our Carlisle Creative Vibes booth?

“Which soap is best for my skin type?”

Usually followed by: “I have dry skin… I think? Or maybe sensitive? Actually, my T-zone gets oily but my cheeks are dry. What do I even have?!”

Why I Started Making My Own Soap (It Wasn’t for Fun)

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you how this whole soapmaking journey started.

The problem: My hands were a mess. Dry, cracked, sometimes bleeding. I was using “moisturizing” soap from the store, but it made my skin feel WORSE.

The lightbulb moment: I read the ingredient list on my soap. Sodium laureth sulfate, synthetic fragrance, propylene glycol, triclosan… I didn’t recognize half the ingredients. And I was washing my face and body with this stuff every single day.