Have you found that your Sweet Grass Mint Berry Blend Hand & Body Creme No. 07 is white when it arrives and then turns pink?  We’ve had customers ask us about this and thought we would explain why this happens. We blend our products with quality fragrance oils and essential oils and when blended into our bases they can tint the products. When we first blend the products they are white and after they mature some of the products are tinted, and some stay white depending on the blend that’s mixed in. There is nothing negative about the color change, it is just part of the nature of quality oils being blended into the product. For example, vanilla oil can tint products slightly purple, or spearmint essential oil can go slightly pink. So when you experience this change or your Hand & Body Creme No. 07 is pink, just know it is an indication that you have real, quality oils in your product. 

No. 006 Coconut Cowgirl Dreams is a fun new addition to our Lip Bam Collection. The label is going to print this week and we hope to have Cowgirl Dreams ready within a week or two. Our natural lip balm is truly the best lip balm ever! Once you use it, you will know what I mean… so smooth and lasts.  With a new flavor and making a little bigger volume, our costs are a little less and I want to pass that savings on to you. I do my best to offer you the best product and price possible and still have a margin to make a living. The price of the lip balm has been $3.75 this last year and the NEW Price is now $3.50.It’s my way of saying thank you all for your support and believing in my products.

Sue, Why are you changing your soap?

I first want to say thank you to everyone who has ordered and loves my soaps. I do love making soap and I love being creative. Over the last year, Ranch Life Naturals has grown and evolved. With that being said, I need to simplify my soap making in an effort to be able to keep making the soaps and do everything else. In addition to simplifying it, I also wanted to add some options for my wonderful customers.

The way I have been making the soaps is pouring the soap into a wooden lined loaf box and then I cut the soaps. It takes extra time to cut them and try to make them all the same size. When I package the soaps, I shrink wrap them to stay fresh and then wrap them in a printed brown paper sleeve that I created and cut out and then apply the label. These steps are time-consuming and I have been searching and experimenting with a different way to simplify the whole soap making/packing process and save time, yet offer something special, useful and unique. 

What I have discovered is that I can make the batches of soap and pour them into a mold that holds a batch of 12 soaps that are 3 inches around by 1 inch thick. It creates a 4 oz. bar of beautiful soap that fits perfectly in your hand. I do not have to cut this soap, I can shrink wrap it and add a label without the wrap around. The soaps and labels will be consistent with the 6 variations of Hand & Body Creme  No. 07. except each bar will have some unique ingredients and properties that will be extra special for your skin. (That will be a surprise when I have the soaps ready!)

The new soaps will have these wonderful beneficial extras that will make our soaps even better if that’s possible. I decided to create most of the soaps with an aloe base to be consistent with our aloe based Hand & Body Creme’s that are amazing. The benefits that aloe offers for our skin in immeasurable. So, the aloe combined with the new botanicals in the soaps will offer even more skin benefits for you.

In addition, I’m going to offer custom blended soaps for our amazing customers. I’m building a very user-friendly page where you can go and build your own custom soap online and I will hand make it for you. The natural soap base, oils, botanicals, and natural plant-based colorants will be available to you at your fingertips to create your very own designer soap. You will be able to order the soaps by the bar or by the batch. (We are doing this with the Hand & Body Creme No. 07 too!)

3 More Exciting Additions: We will also have 3 additional soaps to the 6 soaps that pair with the Hand & Body Creme and the Wild Custom Blend that you can design. Those 3 additional soaps are Activated Charcoal (The Betty) An Original Skin Repair No. 01 Bar soap, and a unique completely awesome new soap is the Goat Milk, Honey & Bee Pollen Moisture bar.

The other element that is simple yet very exciting is the artful branding that will be pressed into the soaps. I had a soap brand created and each soap will be branded with a small press I acquired before it’s packaged so after the wrapper is gone, our logo will be with you for a little bit longer before it’s washed away. 

My goal with every product from Ranch Life Naturals is to be able to offer our customers a quality product that is affordable. So, that being said, I am also lowering the price from $5.50 to $5.00 per bar. I can be more efficient at making these batches of soap, I’m not making, purchasing and adding the wrap around label,  and even though I’ve made a few investments in soap molds, a soap brand, and a brand press I want to pass the per bar savings on to our customers. You all mean a lot to me and it’s my way of saying thank you.

Lastly, I will still be donating a % of soap sales to families who are dealing with cancer and for cancer research. Thank you all for understanding and I hope you will embrace the new soaps and jump on board with me.

Happy Trails,

Sue

Jessica Brody contacted us and asked if she could submit an article about pet care for our readers. She has been a pet owner for decades and knows the infinite joy and love that comes from having a pet. But she also remembers how nervous she was when adopting her first dog. She said, “To ease first-time and potential pet owners’ anxiety about caring for a pet, I would love to offer advice on how to be a great pet parent.” 

Happy Reading friends and thank you, Jessica Brody, for submitting an informative article. 

3 Easy Ways New Pet Owners Can Keep Dogs Healthy, Safe, and Happy

Being ready to take on the responsibilities of owning your first pet is really important. If you have never had a dog before, you’ll need some help to keep your new family member happy, healthy, and worry-free. So if you are considering adopting or buying your very first pet, here are some tops tips you will want to know.

Set Up Your Home for Your New Pet

Pets can take some work to care for properly, but having the right supplies can make your job easier. You will want to go shopping for dog supplies before you bring your new furry family member home. Electronic dog door and automatic feeders provide comfort and peace of mind when you have to be away from home, but an automatic feeding system also helps to establish regular eating routines for your dog and allows you to better control the portions your dog eats. To help your dog stay as healthy as possible, you will also want to put only the best dog food in your new feeder. Natural, organic dog foods are some of the best options for keeping your dog strong and healthy. With no animal by-products or potentially dangerous additives, choosing natural pet foods can help cut down on common pet health problems, such as allergies and digestive issues. Be sure to round out your pet shopping supply list with a few basics as well. Crates, baby gates, and leashes can all keep your dog out of trouble, while stocking up on cleaning supplies may make cleaning pet messes easier for you.

Adapt Your Life for Owning a New Pet

Getting ready for your new pet means getting the right supplies together, but you also have to make sure your life is ready for the additional responsibilities. One way to make the transition of owning your first pet smoother is to find the perfect dog for your family. Think about your home and your lifestyle when you are considering adding a dog. You will also want to decide between adopting a dog or buying one from a breeder. The decision is up to you, but don’t let fears of shelter pets deter you from adoption. There are many reasons to adopt, and rescued animals can make some of the most loving pets. You’re sure to find an adoptable dog to meet your new pet wishes, but do know that some rescue animals may take more time to settle into a new home. You can help your shelter dog adapt sooner by setting up his own space in your home and staying patient while you both adjust to your life together.

Form a Forever Bond With Your New Pet

As you help your dog settle into their new home with you, you will also want to take some steps to help the two of you bond. Those steps are super simple, however, because the best way to bond with your new pet is to simply spend time together. Use positive reinforcement to help train your pooch and provide some needed mental stimulation. Rescued animals tend to respond well to praise and positive training methods, so give your dog lots of praise for behaving correctly and exercise patience when they misbehave. Many behavioral issues can be resolved, or at least lessened, by keeping your dog active. Burning that excess energy out with frequent play sessions and lots of leashed walks is a great way to connect with your pet while curtailing problematic behaviors. You can use a pup-friendly app to find dog parks and trails to keep that tail wagging. Apps like Bring Fido are handy for locating dog-friendly fun in your area and can make trips with your new pet easier, too.

Adjusting your life to a new pet can take a lot of trial and error, but it will undoubtedly add so much love and happiness to your life. You can use tools and tips to make the process so much easier for you and your furry new family member. So plan ahead before you pick up your new pet, be prepared for all the crazy changes, and get ready to experience a love like never before.

Written by: Jessica Brody

http://www.ourbestfriends.pet/

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Good Morning,

There are so many elements involved in developing our products. It has been my goal from the beginning to offer natural products that are safe, environmentally friendly, work well and be affordable for the customer. It is a challenge to bring all of these factors together and produce something that encompasses every element. I’ve done my very best to achieve this goal. Some of the things I’m faced with are increased costs in the product ingredients, containers, labels, shipping, packaging, etc. There is a lot that goes into one bottle/container, bar or bag of the product being born. It starts as a vision and ends with it being in your hands and serving a purpose for you, your horse or your dog. 

Because I am a consumer just like you, and I look for quality affordable products, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to offer the best quality combined with the best prices. I should share that I have been advised by quite a few different business people and even customers that my prices are too low on many items…that there is a certain % markup and that I need to make enough profit to make it worthwhile for all the effort and work I put in. I have given this much thought and I have chosen to have a smaller profit margin to be able to offer an affordable product that is natural. Natural ingredients are expensive… which has never really made sense to me, as there seems to be less of a process involved with some natural ingredients, so it would seem it could be cheaper. Not the case… 

I do my best to use sustainably sourced, natural ingredients that are quality from an FDA approved business here in the USA. I want to offer you products that are safe, do their intended job and at the best price. As you know, the cost of everything goes up every year. We all feel it on many levels. Please know I’m going to do my very best to keep the price of our products down, however, many of the ingredients, containers, labels, and shipping have increased in 2019. As we move into the new year, unfortunately, there are some items that need to go up in price in order to cover increasing costs in bringing the product to you. The product price is not going up so I can make more profit, it’s going up so I can sustain being able to offer these products to you. 

I love my customers! You all are so wonderful and each and every one of you who share your story with me about how much you love the different products and how the products have helped you mean so much to me. it makes what I do worthwhile.  My promise to you is that I will do my very best to keep the prices of our products down and I want to thank you in advance for understanding when the price of some things need to go up.  I try to offer weekly sales on items to show appreciation to my customers and I’m constantly developing something exciting and new for you. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support and for believing in Ranch Life Naturals products. This journey is a great one and I will be 48 years young January 24th, and my goal is to bring Ranch Life Naturals to you for 50 more years. 

Happy Trails,

Sue Olson/ Founder-Owner

sue@ranchlifenaturals.com

RANCH HOME PAGE

Ranch Life Naturals is having an Open House Christmas and Bake Sale at Butternut Hills! Join us on Saturday, December 15th and bring family and friends. We will be having a bake sale and raffling gift baskets. The proceeds will be donated to the local Lions Club Christmas Fund for families in the area who need a little boost during the holiday season.  Merry Christmas! I hope to see you there. 🙂

I just wanted to share with you 7 ways to promote a clear beautiful complexion:

Our Skin is the largest organ we have and protects us from bacteria and pathogens along with helping to regulate our body temperature and secretes toxins from our body through sweat. Your skin is one of your first defenses to staying healthy and well.
Our facial skin has more sebaceous glands than our body skin and often times can create an environment that can be more oily where a build-up of skin cells can happen and then bacteria can grow. Having a daily skin care regime is one of the elements to promoting a beautiful complexion. There are additional ways to promote and maintain a healthy beautiful complexion.

1. Drink Plenty of Water- Promotes flushing toxins from your body and hydrating cells to stay healthy, if you’re dehydrated, it can take a toll on your skin, causing it to look dull, flaky, saggy and loose. Stay hydrated!
2. Eat healthy food with anti-oxidants. Feed your skin from the inside to promote a healthy glow. Fill your plate with fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein along with healthy fats.
3. Get enough sleep- Sleep deprivation can cause your complexion to look drab and dull. If you don’ t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn can trigger inflammation. Inflammation breaks down the proteins in the skin that keep skin radiant and smooth.
4. Do things to relieve Stress – Stress also releases cortisol, which can disrupt hormones in your body and cause breakouts on your face or body. Stress can also disrupt the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your gut, which can reveal itself through breakouts on your skin.
5. Exercise- Increased blood flow nourishes skin cells.
6. Don’t’ Smoke- Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in your skin, and nicotine reduces blood flow, leaving skin dry and discolored. Cigarette smoking also depletes nutrients in your body and is known to speed up the aging process.
7. Gently Cleanse and Moisturize- A daily gentle skin care regime that cleans your skin and hydrates will promote a beautiful complexion.

https://ranchlifenaturals.com/product/natural-clear-skin-beautiful-complexion-set/

Angie Wells, founder of Equine Essential Wellness featured Ranch Life Naturals in her Simple Solutions for Skin Conditions.
I’m honored to be a part of her journey. Enjoy her website and learn more about Equine Wellness.

https://www.equineessentialwellness.com/category/blog/

We are working on sewing up our NEW Grooming Bucket! We hope to have it available in time for Christmas. Our bucket is handmade locally with 18 oz. canvas for durability and a natural leather strap along with a stylish leather logo patch. (I love the patch!) Inside the grooming bucket bag, we have unique pockets that are open on the bottom. We chose this style so debris, hay, and dirt could fall through to the bottom instead of collecting in the bottom of the pocket. We thought it’s much easier to clean the bag by dumping it out if needed. We also have 3 pockets on the outside and of course, our bag is proudly sporting a cute little “Made in the USA” flag label. We are also working on a tote and a cosmetic bag! Stay tuned… we are working as quickly as possible to make these available to you. We will announce on our site and on facebook when the bags are available. 

“Come Home for the Holiday’s” Ladies Night in Spooner, WI was a success. We had a great time sharing our products with local gals and with every purchase we offered a chance to win our NEW Natural Clear Skin product line. My helpers were wonderful and I appreciate them so much! Special thanks to Anna, Sasha, and McKayla for being Santa’s helpers for Ladies Night. 

Our Natural Clear Skin Set of all 5 is a natural simple solution to a beautiful clear vibrant face. Taking 4 quick steps daily and one step once a week will leave your skin smooth, clean and fresh with a natural glow that people will notice. The elements of nature take a toll on our skin and our Natural Clear Skin set of 5 is formulated especially for skin that works hard and plays hard. You will feel and see the difference in your complexion.  

The Natural Clear Skin Set includes:

1. Face Wash No. 1– is an Activated Charcoal, Tea Tree & Organic Fruit extract face wash that provides a cleansing lather leaving skin smooth, clean and fresh. Sulfate and Paraben Free! A little goes a long way ~
2. Complexion Serum No. 2– A unique blend of essential oils and extracts with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties that promotes clear skin. A light refreshing serum that promotes beautiful clear skin for a natural healthy radiance. You can feel the difference after one application!
3. Morning Bright Eyes No. 3–  is for use around eyes and face. Promotes lightening dark circles, smoothing fine lines, improves skin tone, resilience and promotes cell rejuvenating.
4. Stop The Clock No. 4– is a brilliant light face moisturizer that seems to stop the clock the moment you apply it. When your skin is hydrated it definitely has a more youthful appearance. Our creatively blended formula is packed with heavy hitters to help reduce signs of aging for skin that has seen it all and also keeps youthful skin looking young. Does not clog pores and a little goes a long way!

5. Exfoliate On Sunday No. 5– promotes smooth clear skin by removing dead skin cells and helps reduce signs of aging for a healthy radiant smoother complexion.

Ranch Life Naturals is proud to say we are in the local Last Frontier Stone lake WI!! Stop by and visit!

The Last Frontier Stone Lake is a very special place located in the small town of Stone Lake, Wisconsin.  Stone Lake is a unique town in that it is small in its size and population, but big in its presence of offering many local shops and events each.  It is most known for the annual Cranberry Festival the first Saturday of October that brings up to 35,000 people into the town for an exciting day event.  Nostalgic Stone Lake, Wisconsin is an up north favorite and noted place to visit in shopping, recreational and retreat destination. 

The Niccum Family purchased the store from former owners Bruce Gillette and Dennis in June of 2017.  The former owners had the store since its conception back in 1992. They started in another building location on a very small venue, with a great vision to build the legacy of the Last Frontier, Antique, Boutique and Gifts store.  Cole and Sierra Niccum are the primary owners and managers of the store and live in the town of Stone Lake.  Eager to start a family and continue the legacy and vision of Last Frontier Stone Lake!  With many dreams and plans to fulfill and accomplish they welcome you to step into the story of their store and fill your house and memories with the treasured gift items and collections, as well as, tasting some great ice cream or gourmet gift items, you can cherish with your family and friends on your vacation or back in your home destination.

As the door swings open, the Northwoods scent of a turn-of-the century Last Frontier Stone Lake eclectic, pleasing and refreshing. The shelves are filled with unique antiques, new home accents, area apparel, soup & cookie mixes, wild rice blends, homemade syrups & jams, locally made farm organic products, ice cream and much much more.