Never Summer Hobby is Big Business
What started as a desire for fewer chemicals in my life has slowly morphed into a fun hobby. While I’ve experimented with homemade laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, shampoo (a giant, greasy disaster!), and deodorant, I’m definitely having the most fun with the soaps, lotions, and lip balms. My mom and grandma have been willing and honest guinea pigs during the last few years of trial and error. My coworkers and friends were the other recipients of early recipes as gifts. It wasn’t until I started putting pictures up on social media and friends started inquiring about buying some that I considered maybe this doesn’t have to be such an expensive hobby. I was really surprised with people from out-of-town and out-of-state wanting to try what I was making and am now learning the pros and cons of various shipping methods. The lotion, lip balm, and face wash are all natural products that allow
me to continue to learn about combining various oils and ingredients for different results. The foaming soaps and bars have been so fun to experiment with using different scents and colors and try to find a balance of custom orders and seasonal items.
Now the big question is where do I go from here? While creating a small business is intriguing, finding new molds, scents, and dyes at every hobby and online store is way more fun. Maybe an online small business or just going to craft fairs are in the future or maybe I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing. In the meantime, thank you so much for those of you who have been willing to try my creations and especially to those of
you who have come back for more!
**EDITORS NOTE**
This is such an exciting venture for Mikka, who also serves as our local Kindergarten teacher. My earliest memories of Mikka are from when we were little girls running through the woods at our summer logging camps. It's no wonder she has a soap obsession now after the years we spent playing in powder sugar dirt in the North Park mountains.
She has some GREAT little soaps in the shapes of Easter Eggs I purchased and I LOVE them! Great idea to fill those baskets this weekend Mommas out there! I'll be a regular customer now! I love the entrepreneurial spirit of our local community starting "cottage businesses" here in the Park. Thanks Mikka!
