Homemaid Expressions

New Soap is Curing!

2012-02-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

Spring Passion is the first in a series of new scents for 2012! A blend of Lemon, Lavender, Geranium and Rosemary essential oil make this goat milk soap refreshing and invigorating! Spring Passion will be cured and ready for sale April 4th!

The addition of Cinnamon spice to our popular Cinnamon & Citrus Goat Milk Soap gives it a new look, feel and scent! This new variation will be cured and ready for sale April 7th!

Life & Luster is a new Goat Milk Shampoo bar using a blend of therapeutic grade essential oils from Heritage Essential Oils called Hair Renew. This combination of oils not only cleanses, nourishes and strengthens the hair follicle and shaft, but also promotes hair growth. This new shampoo will be cured and ready for sale April 16th!

Enjoying the Sunshine!

2012-02-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day! I left the babies out to play with my nephew while I did some clean up work around the yard. I snapped these pictures with my phone during one of there still moments. =) I was actually surprised how long those 3 active youngsters enjoyed swinging together!

This little boy is FOR SALE! He is a Registered American Oberhasli. You can see his sire, Suninthebeeches PB Floyd here and his dam, White Rock Farm Willow here. If you have any more questions feel free to contact us!

Give Away!

2012-02-20T07:53:00.000-05:00

Rebekah from Deal Peddler is hosting a giveaway for Homemaid Expressions this week!

Visit her here to find out how you can enter to receive a bar of Goat Milk Soap in the scent of your choice along with a wooden soap dish.

Giveaway Winner!

2012-02-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce the winner of the "Guessing" contest is....

Erin Slocum!

Erin is one of two who guessed today, February 18th as the date Willow's kids would be born. Willow gave birth this afternoon to twins - 1 male & 1 female! They are both hearty and strong! Below are a couple videos of the twins taken shortly after birth.

Baby Boy trying to stand!

Joined by his sister!

Thank-you to all who entered this giveaway! Keep checking back for info about more giveaway's soon!

Guess & Giveaway

2012-02-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

Can you Guess???

When will Willow kid?

GIVE AWAY!!!

For this giveaway, I am offering a bar of soap in the scent of your choice complemented by one of our new wooden soap dishes. To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post including your e-mail address and the date YOU guess Willow will kid! The winner will be the person who guesses the date closest to the date the kids are actually born. As soon as the kids are born, the winner will be announced! In the event that the correct date is guessed by more than one person, the ultimate winner of the giveaway will be chosen by random.org.

This poor mama has been looking over-due for sometime now. I can't wait to see how many babies she blesses me with!

Wooden Soap Dishes

2012-01-25T15:10:00.001-05:00

To preserve the life of your goat milk soap, it is essential to keep it well drained. If the soap bar sets in just a wee bit of water for any amount of time, you will find it begins to dissolve and go to "mush"!

We are now offering several different soap dishes to help your soap bars last longer.

One Piece Tray - $4.50
This simple soap dish sets up on 4 soft, padded "feet" which help keep it in place. It is made of Beech Wood.

Curved Soap Dish - $4.50
This dish is my favorite! Also made of Beech Wood, it's unique, curved design fits our soap bars perfectly!


Two Piece Tray - $8.50 This Beech Wood, two piece soap dish sets up off the counter top on 4 soft, padded "feet" to keep it from sliding around or sitting in water. The top piece lets the soap bar drain well while the bottom piece keeps the counter top dry! Contact Us for ordering information!

Naming "Bloomin' Barnyard's" Newest Addition's

2012-01-09T15:38:00.001-05:00

I left mama and babies out to play today!

They are 4 days old.

Exploring

They love to run...

...and jump!

Splat!!! That jump was a little big!


A new friend???

I'm looking for names for these new babies. Since the name of my little farm is "Bloomin' Barnyard", I name all my kids with names of flowers or plants. What flower names would you suggest for these twins? Don't forget, one is a boy! =)

New Babies!

2012-01-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

We have been blessed with two healthy babies today-1 male & 1 female!


I put Daisy in the kidding pen yesterday afternoon with a heat lamp. It was so-o cold and I was suspicious she might be kidding soon. There were no kids yet this morning so I kept checking on her every couple hours. I went out at 11:00 a.m. and there were no real signs of labor yet. When I checked again at 12:30, both kids were born and up walking around!

Daisy is such a good mother!

The kids are a Nubian & Oberhasli cross. Daisy, is a Pure Bred, Registered Nubian.

Their sire, PB Floyd, is an American, Registered Oberhasli.


I milked Daisy so I could be sure the kids got some rich, creamy colostrum right away!

The little boy drank heartily! His sister, however had to be coaxed into learning the art of sucking. =)

Peek-a-boo! Kids are so much fun!

REMINDER!

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to take advantage of our shoulder wrap sale! Place your order today and receive this soothing, relaxing and warming shoulder wrap filled with flax seeds and lavender buds at a 15% discount.

After placing the wrap in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, put it on your shoulders and enjoy the pleasing aroma of lavender buds as the moist heat from the flax seeds relaxes tight muscles. Desire a cold pack? Place wrap in the freezer for a few hours. Then remove and place where needed.

Introducing the BARGAIN BIN!!!

2011-12-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately not every batch of soap I make turns out perfectly. In fact, I have quite a number of batches recently that heated up and got these ugly circles in the center....at least I think they look ugly! Someone kindly suggested it just adds character to the bar. =)

I have quite a collection of these bars right now and am offering them unwrapped at $3.00 a bar while they last! I currently have Lavender & Oatmeal, Cinnamon & Citrus, Lemongrass and Rosewood available. You can order them here. Please specify if you have a preference of scent!

Shoulder Wrap Sale Update!

2011-12-19T21:40:00.000-05:00

The shoulder wraps are now listed on Etsy. The coupon code for the 15% discount is yearend11. Please let me know if you have any problems or questions. I am new to using coupon codes!

Shoulder Wrap Sale!!!

2011-12-17T16:38:00.002-05:00

We are offering a 15% discount on Shoulder Wraps from now through the end of 2011. If you are interested in ordering one for yourself or as a gift, contact us at jesalynng@gmail.com.

The Promised Picture Post

2011-12-15T20:46:00.000-05:00

Here are the promised pictures of our three day tour with Israeli guide, Dena. I have posted just a few of my pictures. =) Come over for a visit and I'll be glad to show you more!

We began our tour on the Mt. of Olives overlooking the Old City Jerusalem.

An olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane


Next we visited what is thought to be Caiphus' house. This statue is of Peter denying Jesus.

These are the steps Jesus would have been led up for his trial.

The empty Garden Tomb!

Overlooking the town of Nazareth from Mt. Precipice. The story in Luke 4:16-30 is believed to have taken place on this Mountain.

Synagogue in Capernaum

Beside the synagogue are the remains of a building thought to possibly be Peter's home.

The Ancient Galilee Boat discovered by two brothers in 1986.

The Sea of Galilee!

An Amphitheater

We saw many date palms along the way as we followed Rt. 90 through the Jordan River Valley from Galilee to the Dead Sea!

Masada - the site of Herod's ancient palace and fortifications in southern Israel.

Remains of Herod's Palace

Overlooking the Dead Sea from Masada

Visiting the land of the Bible has made God's Word come even more alive! I'm grateful to God for providing this opportunity. I continue to rejoice in His promises as I look to the future with hope!

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east..." Zechariah 14:4a

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:13

Home again!

2011-12-10T17:39:00.001-05:00

I arrived home from Israel Wednesday evening after a very l-o-n-g 13 hour flight. Although I enjoyed my visit to the Holy Land, it is good to be home again. I hope to do one more picture post of my trip soon!

Since I arrived home I have been busy playing "catch up"! Today I made 3 batches of lotion candles. Patchouli and Peppermint & Rosemary are now back in stock!

More Pictures from the Holy Land!

2011-12-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

From the rising of the sun...

Unto the going down of the same...

The LORD's name is to be praised.

Ps. 113:3

Yesterday we began our day on top of Elon Moreh overlooking the town of Shechem and the hills of Samaria. A visit to a Samaritan village, exploring the ruins of Shiloh and then a visit to Cesarea to see the ruins of the town built by Herod the Great, made a full day of touring! After watching the sun set over the Mediterranean we headed for home.

Exploring the ruins at Shiloh

Cesarea and the Mediterranean Sea

Touring the Holy Land and connecting the places we visited with events from the Bible both past & future has been exciting! Pictures from our 3 day tour to the Mt. of Olives, the Old City Jerusalem, Nazereth, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and Masada will have to wait till a later date!

Psagot, Jerusalem and the Old City

2011-11-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

A visit to the Shuk

Pomegranate's!!!

The ruins of AI

An old wine cellar in the ruins of AI

The Rampart Walk (A walk around the Old City Wall)

A view of the City of David from the Old City Wall

The Western Wall

In the Temple Courtyard

The Golden Menora for the New Temple

Preparing for Winter and a Trip to Israel!

2011-11-18T19:10:00.001-05:00

The goats are mine but I get lots of help from my family to care for them and we all reap the benefits! A few weeks ago, with a snow storm in the forecast, my brother agreed to close the end of my milking/storage shelter so I would have extra protection from the cold and snow while milking. During the warmer weather, we take down the plywood end and strap back the tarp. With one end open it is so much more pleasant during the summer months!

The idea for this shelter came from here. A fence panel frame, an old bill board tarp advertising verizon wireless =), some plywood and 2x4's made a very simple yet adequate and versatile shelter. It provides a place for me to milk the goats and store hay and feed. There is also a small pen where I can keep does that are soon ready to kid.

This week my dad picked up a winter's supply of hay. With a barn full of hay, it is really cozy in there now! The last of the goats will be dried up in December. Hopefully in January we can put the kidding pen you see in the back left corner of the barn to good use. =)

I leave for a 2-3 week trip to Israel on Monday! I'm looking forward to touring the Holy Land and spending time with my brother and his family. I will continue to take orders while I'm in Israel. The soap, candle, lip balm and shoulder wrap supply is well stocked and my family has kindly agreed to prepare and ship orders for me!

Also, thanks to all of you who have come over to visit from the Homejoys giveaway! I have enjoyed "meeting" many of you and your interest and subscriptions to my new blog have been an inspiration to continue blogging!

Herbal Shoulder Wraps

2011-11-15T20:06:00.001-05:00

My friend, Lydia, recently started making herbal shoulder wraps. They are very neatly constructed and durable! The wraps are filled with flax seed and dried lavender.

Home Made Herbal Shoulder Wraps - $20.99

After placing the wrap in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, put it on your shoulders and enjoy the pleasing aroma as the heat relaxes tight muscles. Desire a cold pack? Place wrap in the freezer for a few hours. Then remove and place where needed.

These herbal shoulder wraps are now available through Homemaid Expressions! You may choose from the fabric samples below.

Contact us for ordering information!

Sample #1

Sample #2

Good Goat Nutrition

2011-10-31T17:36:00.002-04:00

Goats are known to eat anything. I almost believed that when one day we were working on constructing our panel storage/milking shelter and Annabell, one of my goats, started nibbling on a plastic bag. I went running over, intending to take it from her. She saw me coming and with a few more chomps and a great big swallow, it was gone!

However, I have learned that my goats DO have preferences in their choice of food. They definately know what they like best. The corn kernels disappear out of their feed first and if the chickens choose to nest in their hay feeder, they really aren't interested in finishing their hay!

They are generally thrilled when we have an abundance of produce from the garden to share with them but will totally ignore the bind weed we throw over the fence!

If they are able to find a way to escape from their pen in the summer, stripping the grape vines is their first priority. We also discovered they enjoy young broccoli, cabbage and pepper plants!

And did I mention they like carrots??? =)

They also LOVE comfrey - an excellent remedy for the scours and they devour kelp, a great source of vitamins and minerals, as if it were candy! Although they don't particularly care for diatomaceous earth, I include it as a wormer in their daily feed ration and they don't know the difference!

I enjoy learning all I can about good goat nutrition. "Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats" by Jerry Belanger has been a great guide. It is rewarding to experience the effects of good goat nutrition - a healthy herd of goats with sleek, shiny coats that produce plenty of creamy, sweet tasting milk!

A Day of Rest

2011-10-23T21:23:00.002-04:00

Today we enjoyed visiting a local State Park.

The trail around the lake is a gorgeous 3 miles....especially this time of year!

The leaves are just peaking!

Part way around the lake, we met up with my dad's brother and wife.

Here are my parents (on the left) with them.

My sister, Joella and I.

And from our study in Nahum today..........

The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

How can one help but "trust in him" after reading the description of our GOD in the previous verses?

God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Nahum 1:2-6

Resting & Trusting in HIM,

Jesalynn

NEW! Gift Baskets

2011-10-19T11:02:00.001-04:00

New at Homemaid Expressions this week are 3 different sizes of gift baskets.


Small Basket - $14.99 1 - 4 oz bar Goat Milk Soap 1 package of 3 guest-size Goat Milk Soap bars 1 Lip Balm

Medium Basket - $21.99
1 - 4 oz bar Goat Milk Soap
1 package of 3 guest-size Goat Milk Soap bars
1 Lotion Candle
1 Lip Balm

Large Basket - $25.99
1 - 4 oz bar Goat Milk Soap
1 - 4 oz bar Goat Milk Shampoo
1 package of 3 guest-size Goat Milk Soap bars
1 Lotion Candle
1 Lip Balm

Choose one of our ready made baskets or customize your own! Visit our soap, candle & lip balm pages to choose what scents you would like your gift basket to contain!

Lavender Lip Balm

2011-10-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

I recently tried making up a new Lip Balm Recipe. The ingredients in this one are Sweet Almond Oil to soften & soothe, Coconut Oil & Mango Butter to moisturize, Bees Wax to retain moisture, Vitamin E Oil to preserve and Lavender Essential Oil with its cleansing, healing and general good-for-the-skin properties! This batch is very mildly scented. For those who are allergic to strong scents, this is for you!


Filling the lip balm tubes.

Waiting for caps & labels.

Shrink wrapping!

Ready to sell!

Soap, Candles & Sewing at Market

2011-10-10T16:07:00.001-04:00

On Saturday's from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. you can find us at the North Square Farmers Market in Chambersburg, PA. This past Saturday, for something different, we set up an extra tent beside our display to demonstrate how we make the things we sell! Through out the morning I made Lavender & Oatmeal Goat Milk Soap and Lavender Lotion Candles. My sister Joella, also brought her sewing machine and sewed wallets.

Making Lavender & Oatmeal Goat Milk Soap

Making Lavender Lotion Candles

Chamomile Baby Soap

2011-09-13T20:21:00.000-04:00

I am excited about my new Chamomile Baby Soap! A soft, mild, goat milk soap, it is made from chamomile infused sweet almond oil & castor oil. It has no "hard" oils such as coconut or palm oil and there are no essential oils added. This soap should be great, not only for babies, but anyone with sensitive skin.

Chamomile infused Sweet Almond Oil

Cutting the soap logs into bars - can't wait to try it once it is cured!

Cinnamon & Citrus Soap

2011-09-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

The pleasant aroma of cinnamon & citrus soap is filling our home today! My cousins were visiting and happily assisted me in mixing up a batch of soap. Thanks to Jerusha for taking the pictures and Jeremy for running the stick blender!

We began with partially thawed goat milk.

Next we carefully weighed the lye and slowly added it to the milk. CAUTION: Lye can cause significant burning & is fatal if swallowed. Always wear rubber gloves, mask & goggles when handling lye & work in a well ventilated room.

The chemical reaction that occurs when lye is mixed with a liquid creates heat. See those ice packs? They help to keep the lye from heating the milk too hot and burning it.

Meanwhile the oils, which I had melted earlier, were cooling.

When both the oils and the milk & lye mixture had cooled to 90 degrees F, we added the oils to the milk & lye mixture.

We mixed with a stick blender.


When it came to a trace we added grapefruit seed extract and the essential oils - cinnamon, orange & tangerine.

After filling the molds & covering with saran wrap we placed them in the freezer. In several days the logs will be ready to cut into bars and cure. You can find out more about our Cinnamon & Citrus soap and how to purchase it here!

2011-08-29T19:42:00.056-04:00

My soap making adventure began two years ago when our fridge was overflowing with milk from our 2 Nubian dairy goats, Annabell & Josephine. I thought it would be fun to try making soap so I began by reading anything I could find on the subject of goat milk soap. There was so-o much to learn! Where is the best place to purchase ingredients? What should I use for molds? How should I cut and wrap my soap? How long does it need to cure? Should I try to market my soap, make it just for fun-or both? :-) Once my curiosity was satisfied, I set out to purchase the ingredients and a few basic tools like a digital scales, stick blender, large stainless steel bowl, spoons, molds and a small, basic soap cutter. And so began my soap making adventure! Two years and many experiments later I still have much to learn!

My herd now consists of both Nubian and Oberhasli goats. In addition to soap, my family enjoys many other goat goodies - yogurt, ricotta, cream cheese, egg cheese, colby cheese or just a refreshing glass of cold goat milk!

Through out the spring and summer newborn kids provide wonderful entertainment and fun! Not long after they are born they are already jumping about and kicking up their heels. These two doelings are from a set of triplets born earlier this summer from my very first doe, Annabell.