Preserving My Sanity

My latest Destination Series soap takes us to one of my favorite places to visit - San Diego! 🌴🌊

I've been fortunate to visit this beautiful city three times over the years, and each trip left me with different memories.

The first was as a teenager on a family vacation, where we spent our days visiting the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Tijuana, and of course - the beach.

A few years later, I returned for a college conference. Since I'd already seen many of the major attractions with my family, one of my friends and I spent most of our free time riding the bus downtown, exploring the waterfront, and soaking up the California sunshine. One of my favorite memories from that trip was riding a trolley where Otis Redding's nephew sang "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" to us. 🎶 At least, he said he was his nephew. Either way, it's a really cool memory. 🤣

My third visit was for work, which mostly involved standing in a vendor booth, smiling at attendees, and spending far more time in dress clothes than I would have preferred. But honestly, any place with palm trees, ocean air, and sunshine is a good place to be in my book.

Inspired by those visits, Destination: San Diego features swirling shades of ocean blue and sandy beige, accented with a touch of gold. It's scented with sea salt and driftwood — a fresh, coastal fragrance that captures the relaxed feeling of spending a day by the Pacific.

I only make one batch of each Destination Series soap, and this one is available in my shop now! 🎉

If you’re a vacation rental owner or host, I’d love to help you create a custom soap inspired by what makes your location special - something your guests will remember long after their stay. 💁‍♀️

Pride Month Fundraiser Update! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Each June, I donate $1 per bar of soap sold to a nonprofit serving the LGBTQ+ community.

Thanks to your support, we've raised $101 so far this month! Last year, together we raised $207.28 for The Trevor Project, and in 2024 we raised $100 for SAGE USA.

I'd love to reach $250 by June 30, and I'm adding a little extra incentive to help us get there:

For the remainder of Pride Month:

🌈 Buy 3 or more soaps from the Pride Collection and get 25% off with code LOVEISLOVE.

🌈 I am doubling my donation to $2 per Pride soap sold for the rest of June.

Whether you're stocking up on your favorites, trying a new scent, or simply supporting a cause you care about, every bar helps.

Let's see if we can hit that $250 goal together! 🥰

Shop here: https://preservingmysanity.com/product-category/pride-collection/

This month's Soap Challenge Club was for River Soaps, which feature three equal layers, with the middle layer replicating a flowing, swirling river.

I chose Coconut Lime Verbena as the fragrance because it was time to make some summer soaps. This scent is one of my personal favorites, so I always look forward to making soap with it.

I used a bright green base with aqua blue confetti sprinkles in the top and bottom layers. The river itself is a swirl of emerald green, bubblegum pink, and white.

This technique required a lot more planning, math, and dirty dishes than most of the soaps I make, but it's always fun to learn new things!

Thanks to Amy Bautista Elysian Acres Soap for teaching this cool technique, to Bramble Berry for sponsoring, and to Amanda and Robyn at the Soap Challenge Club for hosting.

Confession: I absolutely hate gardening gloves. 😂

I know they're practical. I know they're supposed to keep your hands clean. And I know there are often weird germs in the dirt. But ... I basically just refuse to wear them. 🤷‍♀️

So after an afternoon in the garden, my hands and fingernails usually look like I've been putting in some serious work. 💪

One of my favorite gardening companions this spring has been this beautiful hand-forged trowel from Holland. It's sturdy, comfortable to use, and helps keep my fingers out of the dirt a little more often. As someone who cares about sustainability, I love using products that are made to last and reduce environmental impact. (Not sponsored or affiliated)

After a no-gloves garden session, two of my favorite helpers are Garden Hands Soap and my Felted Soap, both of which clean well while providing gentle scrubbing and exfoliation.

Finally, before heading back outside, a quick swipe of my Bug Lotion Bar is always helpful. It's a solid bar made with citronella and herbs that comes in a reusable, pocket-ready tin that applies smoothly when blended with the warmth of your skin.

Now, if you'll excuse me, we have some weeds that aren't going to pull themselves. At least that's what Marshall tells me. 🤣

Today was garlic scape harvesting day! 😍

Marshall is the head gardener around here, but the garlic is always mine and I get such a kick out of it. I’m no pro by any means, but started growing it several years ago after struggling to find/purchase garlic grown in the US. I usually plant enough that even if the harvest isn’t amazing, we get enough garlic for our use for the year.

Clipping the scapes means that we should be able to harvest the bulbs in 3-4 weeks! 🎉

They have the texture of a little crunchier green onions and taste like strong, fresh garlic. We usually cook with some of these and then either freeze or dehydrate the rest. I don’t yet have a plan for this batch, but one way or another we’ll be eating them! 😂

Do you have a favorite soap scent that you order over and over again?

I just launched a new option that lets you purchase a full loaf of soap made especially for you.

Each loaf includes 10 full-size bars of handcrafted goat milk soap, cut and ready to use. It's a great option for families, gift giving, or anyone who likes to stock up and save on shipping.

As someone who cares about reducing waste where I can, I also love that allowing customers to order by the loaf means fewer shipments, less packaging, and a smaller transportation footprint over time.

Choose from:
🧼 Unscented Loaf – $65
🌿 Scented Loaf – $75
🌱 Essential Oil Loaf – $85

All full-loaf orders include FREE U.S. shipping (no code needed!)

And here's a fun bonus: cold process soap continues to harden as it ages, so the bars you use later will likely last longer than they normally would.

Because each loaf is made fresh to order, please allow approximately 8–10 weeks for production and curing time.

Questions? Send me a message!