Hand Crafted Soap and So Much More!

Naturally Made Products ~

I would also like this page to be an opportunity to share other natural products that you can create at home.

All it takes is a walk down the supermarket/drug store aisle and a brief glance at commercial product ingredients to establish enough reason to 'make your own.'

Not only does this give you the ability to create natural products that are safe for you and your family, you can control the ingredients, they are also VERY economical, and finally you can design products for your personal needs and scents you like.

So, let's start out with something simple that you can easily make at home!

Bath salts! 

Have you tried them??? 

If not, you are missing out on a real treat!

Bath salts are SO economical to create, you can make them with the scents you enjoy and may need, plus they are beneficial to your health.

So what do we need to make bath salts?

• Epsom Salts
• Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils such as Young Living Essential Oils

Epsom Salts can be purchased just about anywhere.  Wal-Mart carries them, drug stores, and even most small grocery stores have them. I am even seeing 'scented' Epsom Salts on the store shelves.  However, don't pay the high price for these salts when you can make your own!!

A 1 pound bag of Epsom Salts generally cost a little over a dollar.

What are the benefits of Epsom Salts?  

• They can ease stress and relax the body, 
• They will relieve minor muscle aches and pains,
• Help muscles and nerves function properly,
• Epsom Salts are believed to help the heart function properly,
• Epsom Salt baths are a good source of magnesium,
• Ever had a long day on your feet and your legs are just aching - take an Epsom Salt bath and you will be amazed at how quickly the aches and pains are relieved!

When you make your own Epsom Salts, you can also add therapeutic-grade essential oils to the salts.  This is an excellent way to create targeted relief for a specific issue.  
I only recommend and use Young Living therapeutic-grade essential oils.  

For more information on Young Living Essential Oils, please stop by my my website for more information. 
These oils are pure, have been specifically tested to be safe for personal use and are a high quality essential oil that you can be sure is safe for your family.

Some essential oils you might consider include:

Lavender ~ for relaxing, soothing, relieving stress
Peace & Calming ~ Another great essential oil blend that is excellent for relaxing.
Citrus Essential Oils ~ Can be invigorating, yet soothing. Plus they smell just amazing.

How to make them?  
In a glass or stainless steel bowl, measure out 16 ounces of Epsom Salts.  Add 4-12 drops of essential oils to the Epsom Salts (more or less to suit your desired level of scent).  
Please Note:  When using therapeutic-grade essential oils, they are highly concentrated - usually less is more - so start out with less drops of oils and add more to your liking!
Toss and thoroughly mix the essential oil with the Epsom Salts with a metal spoon. 
Once completely mixed, store in a 16 ounce mason jar and it will last for months!
Use just 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Epsom Salts per bath.

Clean up the bowl and spoon with hot soapy water!

Keep the jar handy next to your bath or put a ribbon around it and give it as a gift!

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend ahead and give this easy, simple bath salt recipe a try.  You will be glad you did!

Tell Me About ... Pure Castile Soap

Each week I would like to share a little information about each of the soaps that are available from Farmhouse Soaps.

This week ~ let's take a look at Pure Castile Soap.

Pure Castile Soaps are no longer easily found in stores.  This soap is made from 100% pure olive oil.  There are no colorants and no fragrances included in Pure Castile.  When you do find a bar of castile soap in a store, be sure to carefully read the ingredient listing as you will usually find other additives.
Castile, a classic soap, comes from the Mediterranean area - more specifically the Castile regions of Spain, where the abundance of olive oil prompted its development in the Middle Ages.  

This is a soap for the individual who has sensitive skin, may struggle with psoriasis or eczema, and is ideal for the elderly and babies!

Pure Castile soap is long-lasting and offers a lotiony, creamy-type lather versus an explosive, bubbly lather.  This gentle lathering soap will moisturize as well as thoroughly clean the skin.

Dorry worry if Pure Castile soap develops light yellowing spots through the soap as it ages and continues to cure ~ this is very characteristic of the soap and in no way inhibits its moisturizing and cleansing abilities. Pure Castile soap only gets better with age.  The soap will become harder and longer lasting!

To care for your Pure Castile soap, always place the bar of soap in a dish that will lift it out of standing water.  Better yet, a bamboo soap dish will aid in keeping it high and dry!

Pure Castile Soap is available in the traditional 5-ounce bar and also Baby Bars!

Baby Bars are just right for holding the soap in one hand while you support your little one in the other.  Baby Bars are Pure Castile soap that are made smaller to fit inside the palm of mom or dad's hand!
Baby Bars, made from 100% pure olive oil, make it an ideal choice for cleaning and moisturizing baby's soft, gentle skin.

Questions about using Pure Castile soap and if it is right for you?  Just email me at buyfarmhousesoaps@gmail.com.

Have a glorious Monday!

His Grace in the Journey - The True Heart of Marianne

Sunday is always a special time of the week for me.  It is a time to reflect on the goodness of God and all the blessings He continually pours out over my family.

I want you to know who the true heart of Marianne is behind Farmhouse Soaps.

It just seems fitting to share this with you today - on Sunday - when I take time for growing my faith and developing my intimacy with Him.

As you may already know I am a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. I always believed in God growing up and through my 20's and 30's.  But it wasn't until 1999 that I chose to be baptized, take the step of obedience, and  publicly proclaim my faith in Christ alone for my salvation.

There has been so much joy in my life, but also trying times, just like so many of you.  Without Christ, I would have been lost - completely.  Only He can provide unconditional love, peace, grace and a calmness in any storm. 
Before you get to know more about me personally - it is my heart that I want you to know the most.

My heart for our loving God, my heart for my family, my heart for those that are closest to me, my heart for those that He puts in my path, my heart for all that I do in my life.
When you carry Christ in your heart - everything else will fall into place.

I am excited and looking forward to sharing my life with you here on this blog.  Here is where I will share about my faith, my family, and my soap making adventures.  What brought me to create and love Farmhouse Soaps.  What inspires me daily.  What failures I can look back on and smile.  What victories I can rejoice in.  I welcome you to my journey and hope you will join me.

It is my deepest desire that you too find Christ and carry Him deeply in your heart as I do in mine.  I promise you that your heart and life will be forever changed when you invite Him in.  You will know a peace that cannot come from this world ~ not from our family, not our friends, not money, not our homes, not our possessions.  It is a peace that only He can provide.

I will be openly sharing my faith here on this page ~ because it is the very heart of Marianne.  I look forward to sharing my heart with you and will cherish the friendship that we develop and share. 

My prayer for you today is that you know Him deeply and intimately.  That during the busyness of our daily lives, that during the tough decisions, that during the happy times and sad times  - that He will be the focus in your life.

Thank you for allowing me the honor of being a part of your day. Let us know His grace during our journey through this life.  Letting Him guide us, walk with us and filling our hearts as only He can.

Thank you for taking some time to get to know the true heart of Marianne.  I pray that I am a light for Him in all I do and that Farmhouse Soaps will also shine and reflect God's goodness and love. 

May your Sunday be blessed and your week ahead be filled with Him!

Experiencing His grace in the journey~