Maiden Hill Farm

Maiden Hill Farm is a small  hobby farm located in Alabama. It was a joy speaking with the owner. One of my dreams as a child was always to live on a farm with my family and be a schoolteacher. I have been looking online for a vacation like that. For example, The Old Farmhouse at Willet Ponds Horse Farm in Todds (http://www.vrbo.com/85830) or even glamping (http://www.canopyandstars.co.uk).

They do some pretty interesting things on the farm. For example, after breeding poultry, they found that certain types are endangered. As a result, they are helping to preserve and breed these populations. They breed poodles, they make goat milk soaps (their Neapolitan soap is gorgeous), they sell livestock such as silkies, turkey poults, guinea keets and juvenile guineas, lip balms, lotion bars (which I had never heard of until I checked out their store), sugar scrubs, bath tea bags (again something that I never knew was out there) and bare feet treat (a foot salve).

They also have a pretty cool blog that has recipes (peanut butter cake, sweet potato cheesecake,ect.) giveaways and interesting articles about farm life. The photos on the website, blog and facebook page are beautiful and crisp. On the blog, she shares her process for hatching eggs, she shares stories about the animals that she raises (they are very funny and you get to learn more about her experiences in raising such animals. Sammy is such a cute goat! ). Seriously, I had never heard of Satsuma, Scuppernongs, Sculpins, Tupelo honey or Muscadine before I read her blog.

Muscadine is a type of berry/grapevine that is found in the southeastern part of the U.S. She makes a soap in this scent. She sent me a piece of the soap (the picture is below) and I could smell the scent through the bubble insulated envelope. I had never smelt soap that strong before. One of the issues that I have with most soaps is that they don't leave a lingering scent on my skin after I've come out of the shower. I did not have that problem with this soap. I bathed with the soap and let me tell you, I was secretly sniffing myself for most of the day. I can't even describe the scent. It's a sweet, soft scent sort of like blackcurrent, I think, but not really. It smells soooo good. I'm going to recommend that she expand to bathbombs in that scent. I am interested in trying some of her other soaps. Again, the scent of the sample soap was amazing. I can only imagine how a bar would smell. After reading her blog, I'm seriously also contemplating visiting Alabama. Lol...she has a blog on how to talk like your'e from the South. It had me laughing because I have a friend from Texas who thought that y'all was one word. It's a nice read.

Keeping with the family oriented, farm-life theme, the owner Sue is a 5th generation Alabamian who works alongside her mom. She has also posted blogs featuring her grandmother, who I can tell that she really loves and respects. I interacted with her via email and she is beyond friendly, funny and kind. She shared a bit about how she always wanted to live on a farm and I could tell that she really loves what she does.

A while back I won a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Maiden Hill Farm. I received birds nest necklace and matching earrings. If I remember correctly, they came about three days after I had won the giveaway. I wasn't even expecting them in the mail when I came home. That's how quickly she had shipped them. The prize was properly packaged. Nothing was crushed or warped out of shape and she made sure to seal the envelope with a pigs could fly tape (nice touch). She had the earrings and necklace wrapped in gift tissue paper, sent me a sample of muscadine soap and sent a note of congratulations with her business card. The necklace and earrings are gorgeous! The necklace really does look like a bird's nest with little eggs about to hatch. I have gotten several complements on the necklace and earrings.

Bird's Nest Necklace

Muscadine Soap (srry...I used it quite a few times before taking the picture. I couldn't wait.)

Bird's Nest Necklace and matching earrings 

Closeup of the Muscadine Soap (wish you could smell it through the screen)

If you are interested in learning more about living on a farm or finding more about Maiden Hill Farm's soaps, balms, jewelry check out:
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaidenHillFarm (store)
 http://maidenhillfarm.weebly.com/contact-us.html (website)
http://thecountrychick.blogspot.com (blog)
https://www.facebook.com/MaidenHillFarm (facebook)
334-282-2213 (telephone)

They also have fan of the week on their facebook. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Some of the soaps that they offer include (http://maidenhillfarm.weebly.com/goat-milk-soaps.html):

• Japanese Cherry Blossom 
• Monkey Farts
• Oh Baby!
• Watermelon Crawl (it really looks like a watermelon)
• Apple Jack Peel
• Neapolitan
• Bama Bell
• Highland Fling 
• Aloha Paradise
• Sunshine
• Chocolate Espresso
• Crisp Apple Rose
• Cotton Candy
• Pinot Grigio 
• When In Rome ( this soap is so pretty! and unisex)
• Pumpkin Pie
• Hot Cocoa
• Shades of Grey -I'll let you ladies guess where the name comes from ;)
• Cowboy Up

She also has specialty soaps some which include:

• Shaving Soap
• Green Tea Avocado Facial Bars
• Minty Foot Scrub 
• Pink Champagne Salt Bar

The common ingredients that are found in her soaps are Shea Butter, Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. She also has some interesting ingredients in some of her soaps like coral reef blue mica, red jojoba beads, cosmetic grade iridescent glitter and Calendula petals just to name a few.

One thing that she told me when I was speaking with her was that if she knows how to do one thing, it's how to make goat milk soap. IMHO, in addition to making great goat's milk soap she also knows how to make beautiful jewelry, is persistent and admirable in following her dream to own a farm, a nifty photographer, a loving and kind mother and daughter and loves what she does (how many people do you know that raise endangered animals or blogs about their animals in such a gentle and respectful way?).

Are any of you fans of homemade soaps? What scents are y'all interested in trying? Are any of you soap or candle makers? Have any of you tried glamping or The Old Farmhouse? What was your experience?
 
I was not paid to write this review. I just loved what I saw and won and wanted to share it with others. Don't be afraid to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!