Posts

Gift-Giving Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful

Stacie here.

Here’s something you should know about me: I started making these products as gifts. Not for a business. Not for profit. Just to bring joy to people I care about.

Teachers who poured love into my kids. Friends going through hard times. Family members who needed something made with care.

The reactions taught me something important: People don’t want MORE stuff. They want gifts that make them feel SEEN. Cared for. Valued.

Three Years Running, and It Never Gets Old

Hey friends! Stacie here. You know how some people have “their” coffee shop? The place that just feels like home, where they know your order and you know the staff?

For Momma Bears Creations, that place is East Pennsboro Pumpkinfest.

Every fall, when the leaves start turning and there’s that perfect crisp feeling in the Pennsylvania air, we start planning. Not just our booth setup or inventory - but the feeling of going back to Pumpkinfest.

It Started with Teacher Gifts (Not a Business Plan)

Hey friends! Stacie here. People always ask me, “When did you start Momma Bears Creations?”

And honestly? I never sat down and said, “Today I’m starting a business.”

It started with teacher gifts. That’s it. That’s the glamorous origin story.

Let me take you back to where this all began - not in a fancy workshop or with investor meetings, but in my kitchen in Enola, Pennsylvania, trying to figure out what to give my daughter’s teachers for the holidays.

If You Live in Central PA, You Know Exactly What I’m Talking About

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me paint you a picture:

It’s January in Central Pennsylvania. The temperature is hovering around 20°F. The air is so dry you can practically hear it crackling. Your indoor heating is blasting, sucking every bit of moisture out of the air. You walk outside, and the cold wind hits your face like a slap.

The Label That Made Me Do a Double-Take

Hey friends! Stacie here. A few years ago, I was at the grocery store picking up some basics, and I found myself in the soap aisle. (Once you start making soap for a living, you can’t help but read every soap label you see - it’s an occupational hazard!)

I picked up one of those famous brand-name “beauty bars” - you know the ones, they’re in every store, every commercial, they’ve been around forever.

The Gift Problem We’ve All Experienced

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you about the candle graveyard in my house.

The scenario: Every holiday, every birthday, I get candles. Nice candles. Expensive candles. Candles I’ll “use someday.”

The reality: They sit in a drawer. Unopened. Because I already have 17 candles from LAST year.

Here’s what I realized: People don’t need MORE stuff that sits on a shelf looking pretty. They need gifts they’ll actually USE. Daily. Gifts that make their life better, their skin softer, their stress lower.

What Teachers REALLY Think About Your Gifts (The Honest Truth)

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me share a secret my daughter Maddi (who taught for years) told me:

The truth about teacher gifts: They appreciate the thought. They really do. But…

They already have 47 “World’s Best Teacher” mugs.

They don’t need another apple-themed anything.

And please, for the love of everything, no more scented candles they’ll never light because they’re allergic to synthetic fragrances.

The Gift Dilemma We All Face

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me paint a familiar picture:

The scenario: Your mom’s birthday is coming up. She has EVERYTHING. When you ask what she wants, she says, “Oh honey, I don’t need anything.”

Your panic: What do you GET someone who doesn’t need anything?!

The usual solution: Generic gift card. Candle she won’t light. Picture frame she’ll put in a closet. More STUFF to add to her already-full house.

“Can You Make a Natural Vapor Rub?”

Hey friends! Stacie here. A few years ago, a customer at one of our craft shows asked me a question that completely changed our product line:

“Do you make a natural version of vapor rub? Something I can use on my kids without all the chemicals?”

I didn’t at the time. But I told her, “Let me look into it and see what we can do.”

Hello Enola Neighbors! Let’s Talk About Soap.

Living right here in Enola, PA, we all appreciate the sense of community and the simple goodness life offers near the Susquehanna. But have you ever thought about the soap you use every day? Switching from commercial bars to natural, handcrafted soap can make a surprising difference for your skin, and you can find fantastic options made right here in your hometown!

As your local soap makers at Momma Bears Creations, we wanted to share why making the switch is a choice you can feel good about.