I joined every homestead social media group possible. I followed several content creators on YouTube. I read every book, blog, and article I could find. We learned so much, the hard way more often than not, but to this day and everyday we continue to accept the lessons as a blessing. During my inquisition to all things self reliant I learned about handmade soap. The long history of handmade soap sparked my nerdy intellect. The reported benefits of a more natural bath and shower/skin care regimen, made from most things readily available in my kitchen was the clincher. After devouring tutorials I crafted my first batch of DIY laundry soap. Next came overcoming my fear of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, to make my first simple batch of bath soap. To say I love every aspect of making soap is an understatement. I am obsessed. That first batch wasn’t pretty but the process was almost as glorious as the finished product. If my skin could talk it would say, 'Hallelujah heifer it’s about time you treat me right.'  It took nearly half my life to find balance, in more ways than just improving my skin. I’ve made hundreds of bars of soap now, maybe thousands, and that passion and excitement still remains.