Living the Good Life

Hey there, it's me Deni and I have been gone from the blogging world for several years, too many to count. Let me re-introduce myself. I have been on quite a journey that I didn't exactly sign up for but am coming to realize that it is all part of His plan, and not mine.

I am still in the "soap business." I crank out natural Goat Milk and Oatmeal bars each week and I also work part-time for my husband's company aptly named, "Ruckus & Co., Inc." We are doing our thing our way and are loving the ride.

We still reside on the spectacular Lake Greenwood and have the best neighbors on our end of our point. All good stuff!! In fact, paradise is the word we prefer to describe life here in sunny SC.

We now have 4 grandchildren, 2 girls and a boy by Beth & Rafael and a 2 year-boy from Erin & Robert and another little girl this spring. Cannot wait! It is almost too true that being a grandparent beats being a parent any day. We are blessed; and we are young grandparents which makes it all the more silly and fun and easier on our backs (wink, wink).

Lastly, I have been falling apart physically now for about the last ten years or so. Can I get a witness? 50 ain't no joke!  Bad eyesight, insomnia, aches and pains that weren't there quite so much in my 40's. I know I am not alone in this stage of life. I do not like hurting every day or taking meds for my RA. Or buying Poise pads. Or buying comfortable shoes over fashionista heels. Sigh. Life is Good.  Really it is. So, today I am at once hurting, grateful, weepy, but turning all things over to Him.  I may very likely pick it all back up again tomorrow, and then have to re-surrender to His will.
His mercies are new every morning. And His strength is sufficient for me.

Until next time, just breathe. In and out and in and out.
Deni
facebook.com/SoapsbyDeni

here i come again

Testing one two three

Pure & Natural

So here's the thing. In my last post I claimed that my bath products were 99 percent organic. What I have learned since is that it is very difficult to make such a claim.

To be certified organic, sustainable, and so forth means that you will always and I do mean always, use only and buy organic ingredients. This is the equivalent of having production, seed growing, storage, processing and packaging as organic.

At Soaps by Deni, I do strive to only use the very best and purest ingredients such as: Organic Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Pure essential oils, 100% Pure Vegetable Glycerin, Certified liquid castile, raw honey and more. But I cannot claim my product line is All Organic. Don't be bummed! Just know that I will continue to make pure and natural products for you that do not contain toxic substances: sodium laurel sulfates, propylene glycol, formaldehyde. My hand sanitizers and foaming soaps will not contain triclosan.

I feel badly that generations of parents proudly bathed our babies with Johnson and Johnson products (for the smell alone) and now the truth is out about how many bad things are in their baby wash and lotions.

Well, I just needed to clear the air and I will change my wording to say All-Natural or Pure & Natural because I for one don't want to mislead my customers. I will continue to stay away from chemicals and substances that cause reactions or make us itchy and miserable. And my products will still continue to be safe for babies and children.

Until next time,
Breathe
Deni

This is me. Not exactly a Glamour Shot but my husband took this photo last weekend to use for the shameless promotion of my burgeoning SOAPS BY DENI business.
I've been making my own 99% organic goat milk and oatmeal based soap for nearly a year now. Actually, come Thanksgiving it will have been a year since I crafted the first batch of oatmeal & honey. What a fun year it has been. I've been blessed to help friends and family who need soap for various allergies and medical issues, like eczema and psoriasis.
I am now branching out into the fun world of bath products, room sprays, muscle rubs and such. A year ago I believed I was making soap for myself to save $$ on the organic goat soap I'd been buying.
All I can say is, God is good. It's not cliche in this case because I've loved meeting my customers in person and hearing your stories. We all share a common thread of allergies or just wanting to make the world a better place by not using toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients on our bodies. I mean, we are doing a good thing together.
I've been able to give back to my local community by donating a proceed from each bar that I sell to Greenwood's Meals on Wheels program. I've been able to help others go on mission trips as well, or to pay it forward in the drive-thru lane. Blessing others has definitely blessed me, far beyond all that I could imagine.
In closing, I appreciate those who have been there with me since the beginning...KK you get your due props here as being my #1 fan and "soap pimp" in GWD. I love ya'll.
til next time, breathe. namaste
Deni

Poverty in Paradise

It's easy to leave the cares of this world behind when you are on vacation; especially when you are on vacation in a tropical paradise. But what happens when your tropical paradise is constantly bumping shoulders with 3rd world poverty? Then, what as a believer are you to think or to feel. As we spent the past week in St. Lucia, a lush island surrounded by mountains, beautiful foliage, and beautiful people, I found myself saying, "Oh my gosh, look at that shack built into the hill; or they have no running water here." Frankly, I found myself looking at the surrounding poverty through new eyes. Last week was my first real encounter with such incredible poverty. This is how these people live I asked?

I cried a lot. I wanted to know how the locals walked up and down mountain roads every single day of their lives to catch a ride to work. Or, how women carried such heavy baskets of fruits and vegetables on their heads. Or, how a man who was missing his left leg, pushed himself up the mountain road while in a wheelchair. He was old, or rather he looked old and worn out when I saw him. He had no shoes on his feet and very little clothing on his body. And no one, including my husband and I stopped to give him a ride.

Every day locals tried to sell us their goods, be it necklaces, fruit, molasses, or baskets woven out of palm fronds. Some days we said yes and listened to their stories. Other times we politely said, "No thank you." But for most, selling wares such as these was the bane of their existence. We did see people with higher paying jobs, but mostly we saw and experienced locals wanting to earn their living by providing a simple service for you. For $2 American dollars I will be your tour guide they'd say. Or I will find you a taxi. Or a parking space.

Real life collides with tropical paradise. Too often in America, only the homeless fit our comfortable definition of the poor. Or those who can only afford a single-wide trailer on a tiny piece of land. My eyes have been opened and I am still seeing the man in his wheelchair, slowly pushing himself up the side of a mountain in paradise. More thoughts to come.

Soaps by Deni

My goodness it's been so long that I cannot remember the last time I posted anything, so here we go. I am going to share my story, one that I feel may lend some support to those of you who suffer from chronic medical conditions.
Around the time I turned 39, my body decided to give out on me. I could no long read fine print and had to get bifocals. This was totally unfair, as everyone had told me that your eyesight typically goes down hill after 40! Case in point, I paid a small fortune for new glasses with hidden bifocals and Crizal lenses. My cheapo reading glasses from Walgreen's were no longer going to cut it.

Which brings me to medical issue number two. I was diagnosed with an unusual form of arthritis that caused swelling in my hands, feet and various other body parts. My family doctor was stumped and sent me off to the rheumatologist. I was diagnosed with RA negative vague spondylitis and handed a prescription for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Problem #3. I had always been a girl who tinkled 15 plus times a day. I just did and I often woke up at night with bladder pain and pressure. Diagnosis: Interstitial Cystitis. Sigh...not just over-active bladder that could be treated with Detrol or Ditropan. No, I had to change my diet and seek the help of a urologist and begin a new regime for this disorder. Seriously<TMI, I know, but this was my life at age 39!

Which brings me full circle to medical issue #4. I developed allergies or sensitivities to any number of things, most troublesome were highly fragranced laundry detergenst, body washes, soaps, latex, adhesive tape (Band-Aids), perfumes and the ilk. I scratched myself silly, especially at night when my histamine levels were going haywire. My urologist explained that there was a connection between the bladder and the amount of histamine your body releases. I tossed the ALL detergent, bathed in Aveeno and decided to try organic goat milk based soaps.

The rest may be history folks. My bladder is now a-okay thanks to the marvels of modern science. My RA & OA, well, that's an ongoing battle. My eyesight continues to change every year but I am thankful for multi-focal contacts and my expensive glasses.
I can no longer bathe with Victoria's Secret or B,B, Works products. I make my own 5 gallon buckets of laundry detergent every few months and use a little pure essential oil to add some mojo.

Last November I made my first batch of Honey & Oatmeal soaps and have since thrown my self in the realm of Natural & Organic Soap for myself and others. My company is called "Soaps by Deni" (say Denny) and I am loving it. No more itching and scratching myself to death. Check me out on Facebook soapsbydeni@facebook.com or email me if you want more information. Life is always full of ups and downs and really I wouldn't trade the last nine years of medical issues for anything since I'm now doing better and have a product line I can be proud of. So, if you have sensitive skin or just like "organic" soap, check us out or email me at neenbob@gmail.com.

I'm hoping to launch a website soon but in the meantime, I ship anywhere in the US, and accept paypal. My current lineup of soaps includes: Honey Oat, Honey Oat Almond, Lemon Lush, Citrus Blast, Funky Sister (patchouli), Cucumber Melon, Sage & Spearmint, Coffee n Cream, Coconut, Coconut Ginger, and a few others. That's it for now! As my husband says, If it makes Me Itch, it's not in going to be in there. Only pure essential and fragrance oils used.