Our Stick Of The Week! is Tracee Palmer. Tracee is in the NOW as owner and soap maker of Secret Garden Soap of Madison, handmade bath & body soaps. Besides being a small business owner, Tracee is also busy being a wife, a mother of four, a suburban farmer and gardener.
Tracee Palmer and her goats
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SecRET GARDEN SOAP OF MADISON |
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On The Wall).
Secret Garden Soap of Madison is a handmade goat milk bath and body company I started in April of 2010 with the help of my family and small herd of LaMancha goats. You can find me at the farmer’s markets in Madison and Chatham this season as well as local craft shows. J & M Home and Garden carries a selection of my soaps & lotions as well as the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in the Haggerty Center. I’m also very excited to be a part of a new school fundraiser called Buy Because. Buy because it is similar in concept to the wrapping paper and chocolates we’ve all purchased in the past. The big difference is it features all local, handmade products; I’m excited to be their soap crafter.
Secret Garden Soap of Madison is a handmade goat milk bath and body company I started in April of 2010 with the help of my family and small herd of LaMancha goats. You can find me at the farmer’s markets in Madison and Chatham this season as well as local craft shows. J & M Home and Garden carries a selection of my soaps & lotions as well as the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in the Haggerty Center. I’m also very excited to be a part of a new school fundraiser called Buy Because. Buy because it is similar in concept to the wrapping paper and chocolates we’ve all purchased in the past. The big difference is it features all local, handmade products; I’m excited to be their soap crafter.
Sea Salt Milk Bath
I started my company with the handmade goat milk soaps featuring the scents of my garden, then slowly added to included milk & honey lotion, sea salt milk bath with essential oil, spa essential oil bars with special ingredients like lavender buds and activated charcoal and lastly, my daughters contribution, milk bath fizzee eggs.
Milk Bath Frizee Eggs
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
At this time I would say I’m Al Dente. As my children have gotten older it has allowed me to expand my business to include more shows and larger orders. I’m now considering the idea of leaving my current part time job as a teacher’s aide and put all my energies into Secret Garden. I have also been toying with the idea of opening a crafters co-op, featuring local women crafters.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
The very best advice I can give is to follow your heart and do what you love. Creativity completes you, keeps you balanced and happy. I’ve traveled down many paths to find what I truly love to do. My family is my first love, Secret Garden is my second. It’s crazy to think that getting up at 5:30am to milk and feed the goats is one of my favorite times, but it is. Try different things till you find your passion; you never know where it will lead.
At this time I would say I’m Al Dente. As my children have gotten older it has allowed me to expand my business to include more shows and larger orders. I’m now considering the idea of leaving my current part time job as a teacher’s aide and put all my energies into Secret Garden. I have also been toying with the idea of opening a crafters co-op, featuring local women crafters.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
The very best advice I can give is to follow your heart and do what you love. Creativity completes you, keeps you balanced and happy. I’ve traveled down many paths to find what I truly love to do. My family is my first love, Secret Garden is my second. It’s crazy to think that getting up at 5:30am to milk and feed the goats is one of my favorite times, but it is. Try different things till you find your passion; you never know where it will lead.
Release Spa Bar
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
There is a phrase in a book that changed everything for me…
Live simply so others may simply live.
My life was so complicated, 4 kids, errands, PTO meetings, sports, we all know what life with a large family is - BUSY. I wanted to stop; I didn’t want to miss time with my quickly growing children. I needed something we could do together and enjoy. It all started with enlarging our veggie garden. Each kid planted their favorite veggies and maintained their plot. Next we added a small flock of backyard chickens. We spent hours picking just the right breeds, everyone named one. My kids were most creative with names like Omelet and Yolk-o. The eggs are delicious and the manure is some of the best fertilizer we’ve ever had. We tried our hand at beekeeping, and will continue trying, our bees always swarm. Lastly came the goats, three LaMancha does, they are still with us today. We have seen many births, gallons of milk and many tears as the kids leave for a large farm in Harding. All my soaps are made with that milk.
One thing I’ve learned is simplicity isn’t all that simple to achieve and it’s very hard work.
There is a phrase in a book that changed everything for me…
Live simply so others may simply live.
My life was so complicated, 4 kids, errands, PTO meetings, sports, we all know what life with a large family is - BUSY. I wanted to stop; I didn’t want to miss time with my quickly growing children. I needed something we could do together and enjoy. It all started with enlarging our veggie garden. Each kid planted their favorite veggies and maintained their plot. Next we added a small flock of backyard chickens. We spent hours picking just the right breeds, everyone named one. My kids were most creative with names like Omelet and Yolk-o. The eggs are delicious and the manure is some of the best fertilizer we’ve ever had. We tried our hand at beekeeping, and will continue trying, our bees always swarm. Lastly came the goats, three LaMancha does, they are still with us today. We have seen many births, gallons of milk and many tears as the kids leave for a large farm in Harding. All my soaps are made with that milk.
One thing I’ve learned is simplicity isn’t all that simple to achieve and it’s very hard work.
Secret Garden Soap Of Madison Soaps
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
My inspiration is and has always been my family, keeping things simple, pure and us working together. There is joy in family, working hard and reaping the rewards of the hard work whether it is a fresh egg omelet, a new scented soap or fresh veggies.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
My children have gotten older- 19, 18, 16 and 12. They need me less and are actually a big part of the business. It’s truly a family operation, from feeding the goats to delivering the final product. My oldest leaves for college this fall, I’m excited for him to start his life as a young man and sad to see him go. I will miss him terribly. This is the hardest part of mothering, letting them go.
My inspiration is and has always been my family, keeping things simple, pure and us working together. There is joy in family, working hard and reaping the rewards of the hard work whether it is a fresh egg omelet, a new scented soap or fresh veggies.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
My children have gotten older- 19, 18, 16 and 12. They need me less and are actually a big part of the business. It’s truly a family operation, from feeding the goats to delivering the final product. My oldest leaves for college this fall, I’m excited for him to start his life as a young man and sad to see him go. I will miss him terribly. This is the hardest part of mothering, letting them go.
Heart Soap
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Hydrangea Soap
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What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My favorite pasta recipe includes fresh, simple, local ingredients. I try to follow the same with my soap recipes. Best oils available, scents from nature and milk from my own backyard.
My favorite pasta recipe includes fresh, simple, local ingredients. I try to follow the same with my soap recipes. Best oils available, scents from nature and milk from my own backyard.
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