There is so much negativity floating around right now that sometimes it is hard to find the good and beauty around you. Every day we all make choices- what to wear, eat, drink. We also choose what our attitude is going to be. We all have those days when we wake up and we just feel aggravated or worried. It can feel like a dark cloud just hanging over your head. It's at that point that you have a big choice to make. Do you let that cloud follow you or do you bring your own sunshine?
There is so much beauty around us. From a gorgeous sunset to a simple leaf on a tree, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are people all around us who choose to be a light in the midst of a lot of darkness. A simple smile and hello as you walk past someone may be just enough to show there are still good people. It can be something small that can help turn around a person's day.
I have a shirt I wear a lot that has the phrase "choose joy". I get lots of compliments and comments about that shirt when I wear it. It is a great reminder that we do have the choice to be happy. We control our happiness. We dictate our own moods by how we act and react to negative people and situations. Yes, there are times when the choice will be hard or even feel impossible, but it is still a choice. When I'm feeling aggravated or overwhelmed, I try to take a 5 minute (or sometimes more) break from things. Put away the phone. Turn off the tv. Disconnect from social media. Meditate. Pray. Walk outside and take a look around. Find the beauty in your surroundings. Breathe in deeply and exhale out the negative thoughts. Be happy. Be joyous.
I know that it's easier said than done. Believe me. Taking care of a home, 4 kids, and a farm with a husband who works away from home 3 out of every 4 weeks of the month is very taxing. It's easy to feel like life is not fair. I get overwhelmed. I have the choice to be angry and aggravated or to let it go and be happy. Some days, I am aggravated, and that's ok too. The key is to not get stuck there. Don't play the part of a victim in the story of your life. Be the hero, the superstar! We only get one chance to live this life. There is no dress rehearsal and we can't go back in time. Make each moment count. Go seek beauty in the world. Make the world a better place with your beauty.

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Fears...we all have them. Whether they are rational or slightly irrational, there are things we all fear. Being a business owner and maker of products, I have lots of fears. I worry that my products won't be liked by my customers. I fear failing at my business. I have doubts and worries about taking the plunge and establishing a storefront. I am so afraid that if I open a store and it doesn't succeed, my business will suffer. All of these fears are unfounded. I have wonderful, supportive customers who love my products and are some of my biggest cheerleaders. On one hand, I know in my heart that having a storefront would only help extend my products to people who may not know about my company. On the other hand, what happens if the customers don't come?
So, what do you do to help face and overcome fears? Personally, I like to make a list of pros and cons. Writing out your fears and worries helps to externalize them so they are not stuck in your mind. It also helps you to look at the positives and weigh out your options. Let's break down one of my fears.

Opening a storefront

Pros
*broadening customer base
*becoming more involved with the community
*more potential sales
*brand recognition
*forming relationships with more customers
*possibility of more wholesale clients as brand builds
*ability to increase our charitable donations
*being able to employ people in our community

Cons
*higher overhead costs
*potential of lower sales than projected
*potentially less time with my family due to obligations at the store front
*higher risk of theft and product damage
*keeping up with higher product production demands

As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons. As I continue to think of other pros and cons (aka worries), I can add them to my list. At the end of the day, I can go back and look at these lists and help myself overcome the fears. If we don't try, we will never know the answer. Is there a chance we could fail? Most certainly! But what if we succeed? What if we go beyond our wildest dreams? What if it is so successful that we decide to open a second store in another area? What if it fails after a few months? What if...

"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will."-Suzy Kassem
It's time to let go of our doubts and go for our dreams! Don't be afraid. There is another quote that I love and it's "if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life". I am doing what I love. You should too!

​I encourage you to write down your dreams. After you write each one, write down the things that are holding you back from attempting them. After you have that list, write a list of all of the wonderful things that can happen if you succeed at your dream. Do the great things outweigh the things that are holding you back? What can you do to start implementing your dream? Write down steps you can take to start making your dream your reality. We can do anything we set our minds to. Failure is a stepping stone. From failures come self discovery. Every successful person has had many failures. The reason they are successful is because they learn from these failures and persevere. Surround yourself with people who can see your potential, who can help you facilitate your dream. Step away from the doubters and naysayers. Block out the negativity and go for it! Make short term and long term goals. Where do you want to be in a year? 5 years? 10 years? Plan it out. If you fail at something, at least you tried! Move on to another plan. Time will pass whether you are thinking about your dream or actually working on accomplishing it.

What are your dreams? Let's start a discussion and give each other advice on how to achieve them! If you would like to comment below, I'd love to help you brainstorm on how to make your dream a reality.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised with some props that a wonderful friend made for my new booth set up. We've been working hard to get things ready for the new booth set ups in the fall and part of it will be new hand washing stations. My husband has been fabricating a foot pedal operated sink system. We needed a couple of table tops built, which my husband didn't have the woodworking tools needed to make them. We enlisted the help of our friend, Mr. Larry, who also makes our beautiful soap dishes, to make the tabletop to hold the sink basin. The results are so far beyond my expectations, as always. He has a way of knowing just what to make and the results are always stunning. I can't wait for all of you to see these sink tops in person!

This evening I will be back in the soap shop, working on more soaps. Earlier today, we had a wonderful friend, who I met in December through the Louisiana Crafts Guild, come over with her little boy for a visit. We enjoyed talking and watching the kids play and swim. It was nice to take a break and visit. Not long after they left, some family stopped by for a little while to get help from my husband with a vehicle that needed to be looked at.

While I haven't gotten much accomplished business-wise so far today, it has been a great day because of the friendship and fellowship. Not everyday needs to be filled with non-stop work. I don't have to feel bad for taking time out of my schedule to have some downtime with friends and family, even in the middle of the week. I also managed to get a nap in this afternoon with my youngest after waking up at 1 am this morning and not being able to get back to sleep. It was nice to get some rest.

I've been researching some more products to add to our men's line to expand it and have more options for the fellas. I will be working on the men's products over the next few weeks and possibly asking for a few product testers (read Guinea pigs) to give us feedback. If you would like to be a product tester for our men's products and provide feedback please send us a message. I will be contacting the possible testers in the next few weeks.

​​If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would have a growing bath and body business, I probably would’ve laughed in your face. When I started this business, I was a stay-at-home mom with 4 little boys under the age of 7. We had the farm and the boys, but I decided to start up in early December 2013. I knew I wanted to do something to help supplement my husband’s income that allowed me to be home with the boys and still have time to homeschool and take care of all of the household and farm tasks. I knew that massage therapy would take me away from home so that was marked off the list.  I started with what I knew best, making bath salts and lotion bars. The lotion bars became the hot ticket item for that Christmas season since they were nice looking, inexpensive gifts people could give to friends and coworkers without breaking the bank. I was still perfecting my soap recipe, so I didn’t even start selling cold process goat milk soap until the middle of 2014.

It’s amazing how much we’ve grown in such a short time. From starting off in my kitchen, to having not just 1, but 2 buildings at the house dedicated to the business, it has been a whirlwind adventure. It has truly become a family affair with my husband helping in the soap shop and building displays, while the boys help make bath bombs, package and label. We even recruited my husband’s aunt and her daughter who are helping with wrapping soaps so I can concentrate on creating more products.  
It has been quite the adventure for us. We are chasing our dream of opening our own store, hopefully before the holiday season, and trying to spread our products far and wide. I went into this with a hope to make a few extra dollars and it has turned into a goal to be able to support our family with this business. We want to be able to expand our farm and for my husband to be here to take care of things instead of being offshore and in a constant state of worry if he will be laid off. It is such a huge jump we are hoping to make with a storefront, but we both believe it will be a wonderful success.

​My goal is, and always has been, to provide quality handcrafted bath and body products at a price everyone could afford. We have built our business around having great customer service and treating every customer the same, whether you spend $1 or $1000. We appreciate every single one of our customers. We are humbled daily by all of you. We are blessed beyond measure. I am always so surprised when a new customer comes to us because of suggestion from one of you. Our business is strongly based on word of mouth for advertisement and y’all are doing a fabulous job of spreading the word! We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us. We are honored that you have come along for the ride! Thanks for being a part of our business and for the love and support you show us every day! Without you, we wouldn’t be Bain Amour!

We've come a long way since then!