Soap Making

[SaltySeaWitch]

If I use them will they make me younger, smarter, better looking, nicer, kinder or just more erudite.

Of course they will!!! LOL

I make all kinds. Majority are just bars (because that is what people seem to want) but I do play with shapes, etc. I haven't done too much liquid soap but I can make it.

I use natural colorants and pigments. Pure Essential Oils, (no artificial fragrances), and skin friendly herbs. I have mason jars of concoctions all over the house. My kids always ask before eating something "pretty" in case it's not really food lol.

I can make shampoos, conditioners, lotions, laundry soap, dish washing soap, dog shampoo, chap stick and all kinds of stuff. It's magic I tell you! ;-)

Bonus (today only!!) if you love my soap so much that your heart starts beating too fast, you faint, hyper ventilate, blood sugar rises, or any number of possible side effects....I am also an EMT and will save your life FREE! That's right....FREE!!

You can't beat that deal ;-)

P.S. "Erudite" I am impressed.

 

[rvpopeye]

Commercial soaps , perfumes , etc , etc ,etc ......(Perfume seems to be part of everything these days)
Really mess me up.
I'm going to be wanting to get hooked up with some 'o dat!

 

[Cammalu]

I think you might need to go bigger than a van with all your soap making ingredients and molds and tools and such.

I don't want to go anywhere without a sewing machine and various other craft items myself and keep going back and forth in my head and on the net between a Class B, B plus, or ? It's nerve racking wanting to go very small but not wanting to give up the crafting. I've had campers with plenty of room but I don't want be hitching, setting up, blah, bleck again anymore. I want an easy in and easy out situation and sure don't want to be towing anything - that just defeats the whole idea of going small and mobile to me. I'd still be stuck with parking problems. I'm just north of you in Kentucky by the way.

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

I think you might need to go bigger than a van with all your soap making ingredients and molds and tools and such.

I don't want to go anywhere without a sewing machine and various other craft items myself and keep going back and forth in my head and on the net between a Class B, B plus, or ?  It's nerve racking wanting to go very small but not wanting to give up the crafting.  I've had campers with plenty of room but I don't want be hitching, setting up, blah, bleck again anymore.  I want an easy in and easy out situation and sure don't want to be towing anything - that just defeats the whole idea of going small and mobile to me.  I'd still be stuck with parking problems.  I'm just north of you in Kentucky by the way.

Hey Cammalu!!

We are practically neighbors if you are in Ky!! I am not too far from Knoxville.

I am leaning towards the bus for that reason. I plan to workamp to start out with, but selling my stuff would be my ultimate goal after a year or so. I would also like to make jewelry. I wish I knew how to sew. I have thought about it being a good chance to learn.

I do not want to hitch and unhitch, or tow. I'm a wreck just thinking about parking a mini bus lol. I'll have to go with whatever I can find and afford but I am hoping for a bus. I looked at class b's but way out of my budget and I like the idea of designing my bus the way I want it so it feels like home. A friend has offered to help me do all the wiring and building so that was a big weight off. Now if I could just get some $$$$ LOL

Are you planning to be at RTR? Or do you stay East?

 

[Cammalu]

Knoxville is about 250 miles from me so I guess we aren't that close after all. I'm about 50 miles north of Bowling Green.

Have you thought about a good used smaller Class C? Probably could find something as inexpensive as the bus but with a whole lot less miles. You might also find some work camper positions won't allow the bus. You could use it now and also change whatever you want as you go.

My niece makes jewelry and I'm sure there are a lot of website and forums with the tips and tricks of selling on the road.

Some Class Bs aren't very expensive if you get an older one. Do you have an idea of about how old a vehicle you are looking for?

I can't go to RTR this year. I have a broken femur and it looks to be a long recovery.

If you get out my way I do have a good camping spot out back. I never put elec or water back there as it's pretty far from my home but it's a quiet nice spot and I keep a camper back there.

It has to be dry or it might be a messy trip and you'd end up in my pond. Pretty wet back there since we've had all this rain.

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

Wow! that is very nice of you to offer. Thanks! Just may take you up on that someday.

I am on a tight budget and have lived in older class C's before and just hate the look of them and feel of them interior wise. Not to mention the MPG especially since I want to head out West. With a van or bus I can make it my own so to speak and get better mileage.

Some of the Class B's are really nice but out of my budget even used. It looks like a van or bus is the best way to go for me at this point.

Sorry about your femur! That is tough. Hope you heal and get back on the road quickly

 

[Cammalu]

What kind of mileage can you get in a school bus?

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

If Diesel I am reading 10-12 city, more Hwy. The last Class C I had got maybe 4 MPG lol Granted it was really old but again I just hate the interiors of the old RV and like the idea of building my little nest from scratch. If I buy a Class C I would strip it and start over so rather do the little bus if I a gonna do all that.

 

[gcal]

Hey Cammalu!!

We are practically neighbors if you are in Ky!! I am not too far from Knoxville.

I am leaning towards the bus for that reason. I plan to workamp to start out with, but selling my stuff would be my ultimate goal after a year or so. I would also like to make jewelry. I wish I knew how to sew. I have thought about it being a good chance to learn.

I do not want to hitch and unhitch, or tow. I'm a wreck just thinking about parking a mini bus lol. I'll have to go with whatever I can find and afford but I am hoping for a bus. I looked at class b's but way out of my budget and I like the idea of designing my bus the way I want it so it feels like home. A friend has offered to help me do all the wiring and building so that was a big weight off. Now if I could just get some $$$$ LOL

Are you planning to be at RTR? Or do you stay East?

If you plan to workamp, check out what some of the people here have said about buses and minibuses. Campgrounds can be picky about them. Or, you could check with some of the campgrounds you have in mind. Better safe than sorry when it comes to having your plans messed up by someone else's ideas that you can't control.

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

If I workamp it would probably be the CLM or such. Or I will just find a job and boondock. Idk, I'm sure I'll figure it out. My thinking is they probably dont want a van if they don't allow buses???

 

[rvpopeye]

Don't waste time stressing about no bus or van allowed , in my experience , the places that will allow them greatly outnumber the places that won't .....

 

[buckwilk]

You are going to get all sorts of advice about workcamping, volunteering, campground hosting etc. Some of it will be good a lot won't. Bob was a campground host for California Land Mgt, he lived in a home built pickup camper at the time, so much for having to have a newer rv. I was a Operations Manager with CLM and hired many from here who lived in vans. Judging from what you have posted here, I would have had no qualms about hiring you. You would be an exceptional host and probably a even better Ops. Manager. Your outlook is positive, that is so important in this day of rampant negativity and can't be done mentality. Your excitement, enthusiasm, desire for knowledge is contagious. Your personality, what we see so far, is perfect for this life. I envy you, you have so much fun and freedom in front of you. Not a day goes by that I take for granted being able to live this life. I hope it will be the same for you.

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

rvpopeye and Buckwilk....thanks! You are both so encouraging and I appreciate that so much! Sending you both big ((((hugs)))

I know that in spite of my fears and nervousness about all this....that nothing out West can be worse than things I have already lived through in my almost 48 years of a very hard life. Even if it is, I will survive it.

I have been homeless, afraid, in real physical danger, flat broke, hungry, had times with 2 small children, alone and not a dime to my name, with no one to help me in this entire world (more than once)....I mean absolutely no one too! ....but I made it every single time and I made it without doing anything illegal or immoral, or causing others harm.

Now, do me a favor and remind me of all this when I actually post that I am on my way to AZ and I'm scared to death LOL.

As for bus/van....I think it's good people post and warn others that some places won't allow them. I would hate for anyone for find out the hard way. I have lived in old RV's before and been turned away from parks before (Florida is really bad about the 10 year rule) and one of the reasons I plan to van dwell out West is because I hate things like that! I own a house here in TN and have zero freedom! I can't have chickens, can't work on my house without approval and permits, can't even let my son live in RV on the property that I own because it's against zoning laws here and on and on of things I cannot do on my own property! I don't own anything if I am not free in my opinion. No thanks! I don't want a job that won't let me have my bus or van. May as well keep my house if someone dictates how I must live.

I will find a job. I can do most anything work wise and I am a survivor.

"Judging from what you have posted here, I would have had no qualms about hiring you. You would be an exceptional host and probably a even better Ops. Manager. Your outlook is positive, that is so important in this day of rampant negativity and can't be done mentality. Your excitement, enthusiasm, desire for knowledge is contagious. Your personality, what we see so far, is perfect for this life."

Thank you for that Buckwilk. You are such an encourager to everyone on here. I really needed that today. I have really lost myself the past few years. I used to be fearless and happy. I don't know who or what I am anymore, certainly not fearless or happy, but I know I am going to get "me" back soon. Somehow.

Sorry for the long post

 

[buckwilk]

Don't know who you are anymore, get "me" back soon. Somehow. I know you will. My people have a saying--"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." and "The soul would have no rainbow if the eye had no tears."

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

"...I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my Spirit may come to you without shame."

 

[buckwilk]

" Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset."

 

[ainley53]

Winners never quit and quiters never win.

You are certainly not a quiter.

 

[Cheli]

Smart making your own toothpaste btw. There is so much bad stuff in our food and health products!

I make my own toothpaste too, so much better than store bought garbage.  I use Bentonite Clay instead of coconut oil and I also make a tooth whitening paste using Activated Charcoal.  I try making my own things for anything I can over store bought.

Would love to try your soap sometime when you are making it again.  

 

[BusGirl]

Hi!, We have a school bus conversion and LOVE it!  We also had no trouble getting a camp host position and was offered a job at the first one I applied to almost immediately (American Land & Leisure).  They seemed to be excited by it actually (that and the fact we didn't need hook ups).  The parts can be tricky to locate for older models and the tires were expensive but I love having the extra space.  We get between 9-12 mpg.  They do go slower which is a little nerve racking when you are on roads with semis. But for us it was the perfect vehicle.  Gave us plenty of room to make it home    We left the windows and love the openness it gives us.  We also have 2 skylights where the emergency exits were.  It makes it feel like a much bigger space. My mom got a bus after we did and is converting it now too.  On a side note I also do soaps & such and   travel with my essential oils and supplies  Sounds like we have a bit in common

 

[SaltySeaWitch]

Hi!, We have a school bus conversion and LOVE it!  We also had no trouble getting a camp host position and was offered a job at the first one I applied to almost immediately (American Land & Leisure).  They seemed to be excited by it actually (that and the fact we didn't need hook ups).  The parts can be tricky to locate for older models and the tires were expensive but I love having the extra space.  We get between 9-12 mpg.  They do go slower which is a little nerve racking when you are on roads with semis. But for us it was the perfect vehicle.  Gave us plenty of room to make it home    We left the windows and love the openness it gives us.  We also have 2 skylights where the emergency exits were.  It makes it feel like a much bigger space. My mom got a bus after we did and is converting it now too.  On a side note I also do soaps & such and   travel with my essential oils and supplies  Sounds like we have a bit in common

Hey BusGirl!!

Thanks so much for commenting. Man, I needed some encouragement in the bus search today lol.

I need the windows! Must have the sun Sky lights are a great idea!! So much you can do to a bus!

What size bus do you have? Diesel or gas? I would love to meet someday and make some soap together!

I was almost going to buy a van even though my heart says bus just because I am so tired of looking. So glad you posted. Thanks again!