Four times each year you'll relish what you find in your mailbox.

(But we're not going to give away all of our secrets just yet. That would spoil the fun!) You won't know what you get until your box arrives, but we guarantee it'll only be the most delicious sort of surprises. 

Sometimes as parents we forget to take care of ourselves.

With all that caring-for-others going on, it's easy to let our own nurturing slide.

When Sage was a newborn I actually would forget to eat. For days on end. That's a little disturbing to think about.

New mamas, I don't recommend this.

I ended up exhausted, depleted, and with more anxiety than I could sort though.

It took me months (years?) to figure out how to care for others while still caring for myself. I'm still not perfect at it and have to mindfully practice self-care so I don't lose myself in my job as mama.

So I'm here at Clean in part to cheer you on as you care for others, but also to give you a nudge to care for yourself.

A walk, a bath, a secret hidden chocolate bar in the laundry room.

Something just for you.

And no, it needn't be elaborate. Because a walk with a baby tied on your back can still qualify as self-care. Or a special cup of tea in the grass while your children gather pine cones. Simple. Reasonable. Real. 

That's how we did it over here anyway.

In that spirit I'm hosting my own LüSa Organics giveaway today, to encourage a little self-love and self-care.

Because yes, our baby care line is easily our bestseller, but our body care (read: self-care) line deserves a little love and attention, too. 

One lucky winner will bring home:

• a 5 oz organic Sugar Scrub of your choice
• a crazy effective and gentle LüSa Deodorant (Yes! Deodorant!)
• and your choice of your favorite roll-on essential oil blend or lotion bar. (Including new unscented.)

Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway! Feel free to snag a second entry by sharing this post on social media of any sort or via email to a friend. Leave a second comment to let me know you did so.

 Comments are now closed. Congratulations to Sasha M. who said,

And while I'm at it, how 'bout two special discounts for you sweet people? Then everybody wins.

Today's discounts are:

1. A free gift with any order of any size.

No matter what you buy we'll think of something fun to add, just for you. Of course the more you buy the bigger your gift, so knock yourself out.

To redeem just type "Self-care" in the comments field of any order placed before Monday, May 18.

2. Free US shipping on any order over $50.

Use coupon code "FREE50" during checkout. (Coupon expires May 25, retail customers only, please.)

And yes, you can double-up and use both coupons at once!

Have at it, and many thanks (as always) for supporting LüSa Organics. It makes my world go 'round. Because we're not a big company, we're a small family business.

And we notice and deeply appreciate each and every order you place. Without exception.

And just for fun, here is the LüSa Organics family –

Back row: Karen, operations and shipping manager; Steven, production; Brandy, labeling; and Rachel (that's me!) and Pete (my main squeeze), owners/marketing/product development/dreaming/bookkeeping.

Front row: Jaia and Raina (from our local Waldorf high school, Raina is Karen's daughter), labeling and occasional singing; and Sage and Lupine, the Lu and Sa of LuSa and the inspiration behind our company.

(Not pictured: Angie, soap-cutting and labeling; and Jordan, shipping)

xo

While I don't offer affiliate links or blog sponsorship on Clean, I do own a small business of my own that I'd love to share with you more often.

As many of you know I founded a little company called LüSa Organics when Lupine was a newborn.

Like this space, it grew completely out of my passion for what I was creating and love of the process. I like to think that that energy still comes through in everything we make.

And so many of you have left the sweetest notes on your orders saying that you found LüSa through the blog (or the blog through LüSa) and that you treasure both. Thank you for sharing those words! It means so much to all of us.

I've been mindful to not talk about LüSa constantly here. I don't want this space to feel like it's all self-promotion.

That being said, I have lovely things to offer that might just make your life a little sweeter. So I am considering posting LüSa coupons or special offers every so often here on a Saturday for those of you who love what we make or are curious to give it a try.

Do tell me what you think of this idea, won't you, friends? Thanks.

This weekend's offer follows!

Place any LüSa Organics order this weekend and add your choice of product samples.

(Two samples per customer, please. While they last! If we run out we'll substitute something else.)

What size order do you have to place? It's up to you. Order a heap of goodies or a single bar of soap.

Choose your sample-sized items from the list below:

Belly Balm: for expectant mamas

Booty Balm: organic calendula balm for all manner of sore skin or rashes

Happy Dance: Essential oil blend for grouchy days

Calendula Baby Soap: Baby's first soap. Gentle, organic calendula. Lovely facial bar, too.

Or receive a scrappy end cut of our limited edition, not-yet-released Locavore Tallow Soap! Made with local, organic sunflower oil and locally sourced grass-fed tallow. (These are small wonky trim bars. They're not pretty but they're amazing.)

To receive your samples just leave the comment "Spring Samples" on any LüSa order. Then tell us the one or two samples you would prefer! (Or let us choose for you.)

While supplies last. Offer good through Tuesday, March 31, 2015.

Have a beautiful weekend, friends. Thanks for cheering me on.

Love,Rachel

It's not often that I mix blog and business, but today felt like the perfect day.

As most of you know, I write Clean simply for the joy of it. I love to come here and share with you. But since I don't offer blog sponsorship or affiliate links or ads, I'm paid only through your kind words and presence here.

My other passion, LüSa Organics, is how we make a living.

As some of you already know LüSa Organics is my small organic body care company.

And I mean small. LüSa at the moment consists of Pete and I and four other wonderful souls: Karen, Steven, Brandi, and Kim. Along with Lupine and Sage (our kids and the Lü and Sa of LüSa) the eight of us imagine, create, package, label, ship, and otherwise make the LüSa magic happen.

And I can't think of a more rewarding way to spend our days.

Unlike large body care manufacturers, our production space is more of an friendly herbal kitchen than a laboratory.

We infuse locally grown organic herbs in organic oils, mix up wholesome fragrant ingredients, then pour and label each tin by hand.

On sunny days Steven (our production specialist – the guy who makes the LüSa you love!) loves to pull his work cart up to the window and make product in the fleeting Wisconsin sunshine.

Our soaps are also made by hand combining organic oils with herbs, essential oils, and sodium hydroxide to create mild, fragrant soaps for the whole family. After curing for one month in our scent-tacular curing room, it's ready to ship off to your bathroom or kitchen sink.

We truly love what we do. I like to think that because everything we make is crafted by hand it's infused by the good energy of the good folks who create it.

Because of this LüSa products have some serious good juju.

And because we homeschool, our kids are frequently immersed in LüSa life. It's a wonderful environment for them to learn about small business, time management, and communication skills. (As well as earn a little pocket money doing odd jobs now and again.)

The children help assemble displays, invent new products, and bag scratch-and-dent soaps. Last year Sage invented a tool for LüSa to help us accurately drill the mason jar lids for our straw cups, he refinished our break room table, and recently learned how to use Photoshop and InDesign while helping me with product labels.

Lupine loves to mix up perfumes and other products to share with customers and help our staff with labeling tins and boxing orders. She also really loves sculpting with soap trims.

Sometimes the nearly grown children of our employees come to work, too, making the family feel of LüSa even more profound.

It's a simple formula: great people. Great recipes. Great ingredients. And the very best intentions.

With that combination I don't think we could ever go wrong.

At the end of the day if I had to describe LüSa in a few words it would be this: Good honest people making good honest products.

For you.

It might sound a little hokey, but it's really how I feel. In a day and age when much of what we buy is not as it appears, I'm honored to be on the other side of that story – very much real and honest with who we are and what we create.

I hope you enjoy our creations as much as we do.

Just for fun I'm putting together a LüSa wintertime care package for three lucky winners.

Each gift will contain a few of my favorite products (for wintertime or anytime).

Including:

Cheek & Chin Balm

Wisconsin EO diffuser

Small Da Balm

Uplifting Essential Oil blend

Mint Lip Balm Collection

Chest Rub

and a LüSa soap of your choice!

To enter just leave a comment below. And for an extra entry share this post via email or social media. Then leave a second comment to let me know.

Want more chances?

You can earn one more by signing up for our RSS feed and another for following us on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook. (If you follow us on Facebook click on the "liked" icon then click "get notifications". It's the only way most of you will see what we share.)

All the links can be found at the top left of this page or just below.

Comments are now closed. Congratulations to our winners!

bhayamudra who said…

Allison who said…

I'll close comments later this week and announce winners in this post.

But wait. There's more!

(Of course there is, silly.)

If you place an order with LüSa Organics before March 1, add a comment of "BLOG SURPRISE" to your order and we'll add something extra to your order, with our thanks.

Be sure to leave that comment on your order, not on this post. Karen (who ships your orders) has a generous heart, so I expect the more you order the more she'll add.

If your order more than $60 you can also take advantage of a rare free shipping offer with coupon code "60shipCLEAN" before March 1, 2015.

I know. I never do that. Get on it while you can!

Oh, and one last thing.

I don't know how important each and every order is to a big corporation. But I do know how important it is to a small company like ours.

When you say yes to ordering from a small independent company you do great things. You feed us, you clothe us, you put a roof over our head. You help us buy seeds for the garden and hay for the sheep, violin lessons for Lupine and a chemistry book for Sage.

You make this life possible. Everyday.

Your choice to buy small makes all the difference for our family.

So thank you. Really, truly. Thank you.

It means so much.

Love,
Rachel

P.S. Don't miss another post! You can follow LüSa, Clean, and me through the links below.

RSS Feed: The best way to stay in touch – receive an email with each new post

Instagram: Photos of our quirky life

Pinterest: Thoughtful pins for natural living

Facebook: Clean and LüSa (Be sure to click "get notifications" or you won't see what we share!)

Twitter: Still figuring this one out. Join me…

As many of you know I own a small body care business called LüSa Organics. As the photos above will attest, we have a pretty good time at it, too.

Named after our kids Lupine and Sage (forgive me for no Sage photos, he's a duck-and-run-for-cover kind of kid when it comes to being photographed), LüSa Organics is what Pete and I both have done for work ever since we took that exciting/risky/crazy leap into self-employment more than eight years ago.

Our little company supports our family and helps support four other families in our community. Countless times during the past eight years Pete and I have looked at each other beaming with fingers crossed and whispered, "The experiment is working!"

Because it is an experiment. To leave the safety of health insurance and pensions and a guaranteed income behind. To take a leap of faith into that dark abyss and believe there will be a net beneath you when you need it.

And so far there has been.

The net that catches our family day after day is there because of customers who love what we make and are loyal to LüSa.

From their baby's first bath and every diaper change, to caring for themselves each day, to nurturing their loved ones.

What an honor to be trusted like that. It's something we'll never take for granted.

I'm not sure how many of you found your way to my blog because of my business or my business because of this blog – or how many of you only read here and have yet to discover LüSa.

Those of you that have found your way to my business I want to thank you. It means so much to have you rooting for our family from wherever you call home.

And literally supporting us. Voting for this one little company and the people behind it with every purchase. We're humbled and oh so grateful.

Today I launched a new line that I've devoted much of the past three months to imagining, testing, and perfecting, a holiday line called Yule.

Creations like fizzing bath truffles made with organic arrowroot and essential oils. An allover body balm in a sturdy – yet biodegradable – paperboard tube. And wooden essential oil diffusers to freshen up your closet or car.

It's been an unbelievable amount of work, and and inordinate amount of fun. My shower is bursting with prototypes of organic body scrubs and oils and soaps! (Hard life. I know.)

And I'm here this morning with two missions: one, to encourage you to support small, family-owned businesses this holiday season (mine or those local to you).

And two, to offer a small token of thanks to you for coming here and reading my words, for leaving your comments, for encouraging me along this journey.

Today I am giving away a Yule Nourish gift collection – a rich organic body oil, decadent sugar scrub, moisturizing soap, and "Peace on Earth" room diffuser to one lucky reader.

Like all of the Yule line, the collection comes in your choice of scent: Clementine & Clove or Frankincense & Myrrh.

To enter simply leave a comment below. If you share this post or a link to our holiday products via Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, other social media – or something more old-school like a phone call or email – you can leave a second comment letting me know how you shared for a second entry.

I'll select a winner later this week.

Comments are now closed. The winner is Tamika A. who said:

And for everyone here today, simply type "Clean Blog Gift" in the comments field of your next LuSa order (before December 1) and we'll add something special, just for you. With our thanks.

Truly. I thank you.

For reading my words, for seeing my heart, and for supporting my family – one bar of soap, one Booty Balm, and one holiday gift at a time. It means everything.

Love,
Rachel

Lupine and I spent yesterday at LuSa Organics making two dozen essential oil perfumes.

It was where playing met unschooling met family business met her passion for all things floral. It's life, our way.

And it might have been the sweetest part of my whole week.

The recipe is all hers, a lovely mix of lavenders and mints with a hint of grapefruit and clove to give it a bit of depth.

And I have to say… she's good.

The scent is summery and sweet.

And yes – sparkly. (Because when you're seven everything is more fun with a little glitter. And at almost 41 I still must agree.)

For the record, the glitter stays mostly in the bottle and just makes it more fun to apply.

Want one?

I'm giving them away for free with LuSa Organics orders!

Just type "Lupine's Perfume" in the comments box of any order and we'll add one at no cost to you. (While they last that is.)

But wait! There's more!

You can also win a perfume and free shipping on your entire order by commenting below.

Leave a comment on this post and I'll choose three winners to receive a perfume and free shipping on anything else you care to order.

Comments are now closed! Winners are shown below.

Our bestsellers include Booty Balm and Baby Wipe Juice for the little people, new Da Balm for eczema and itches, our crazy good lip balms, and of course our soaps. And what's not to love about our snazzy drinking jars?

Thanks for being you. And for cheering us all along on this crazy journey of life.

Love,

Rachel

Our winners are:

Liberty who said…

Most of my week is spent at home, doing the things I share with you here.

Homeschooling, hiking, taking care of kids and animals and farm projects – that sort of thing.

But as most of you also know, I spend a piece of every week working on or in my body care business, LüSa Organics. (Get it – "Clean"? Right. That.)

It's my secret identity. The business woman, disguised as an introverted homeschooling muck-boot-wearing mom blogger.

And while I don't bring a lot of my LüSa work life into this space, today I had to share. I just knew you'd appreciate my latest project.

Are you ready? Because it's fan-freaking-tastic.

(As far as screen printed mason jars go anyway.)

Three drinking jars, each one with a different uplifting message ("Be you bravely", "Follow your bliss ~ Joseph Campbell", and "Believe in goodness").

The little decorations that surround the text? Those are lupine flowers. Boom.

All that I really want to say is: I. Love. These. I love them.

I also love to think that the words on these jars will infuse every drink they hold with their magic.

I created the jars to be LüSa's first ever promotional item. (Because really, who needs another t-shirt with a logo on it?)

Free of nasty plastics and infinitely reusable they are – in my opinion – the best travel cup around.

I'll be offering them for sale on my website soon, but for now I'm just giving them away.

They jars are now for sale! You can buy yours right here, right now.

(Insert cheering!)

If you'd like one, all you have to do is place a retail order on my website before February 1 for $45 or more and add a comment of "mason jar" to your order during checkout. Then tell us which jar you'd like! (Be You, Bliss, or Goodness.)

The giveaway jars will ship with a stainless steel straw and BPA-free Tattler lid. (We'll offer them for sale with Cuppow lids later this month.)

Since not everyone has the means to place an order of that size, how about I give a jar away here, too? To enter just leave a comment on this post. I'll choose a winner (or two…) next week.

Comments are now closed! The winners are:

Fawn who said:

Do you love them? I love them.

Love,
Rachel

P.S. Of course you can also make your own straw cup from a mason jar at home. My tutorial is here!

 Let's start here:

Thank you.

For coming here and reading my words, for your heart open wide, for sharing in this journey.

And for those with the interest and means to purchase some of what we make, I thank you for that as well.

Truly.

When I first started creating body care recipes I felt very much the same way I do when I write the best of my posts for you today.

Inspiration. Joy. Meaning.

It's still like that.

Because we're still a small, family-owned, independent business.

We do everything ourselves and infuse our product with laughter, love, and good juju at ever turn.

Because we literally mix, pour, cut, package, and label every single item by hand.

We're tiny. Tinier than you might imagine, with a crew of just seven part-time folks, doing it all.

And we love what we do.

So much.

And then sometimes, like last weekend, I stand in a booth selling soap and lip balm and Booty Balm and I meet you and you share amazing stories about our products and how they weave into your lives.

How you heal with them.

Live with them.

Love with them.

How the smell of Booty Balm and Baby Wipe Juice will always, always transport you back in time to when your child was a tiny baby in your arms.

And I'm honored and humbled all over again to be a part of your story.

And I'm reminded of why we do this the way we do.

Because of you.

Because of earning your trust and being a part of your day-to-day.

Seriously. What an honor that is.

And so, with that warm-fuzzy feeling in my belly and the holiday season upon us, I thought a giveaway was in order.

And yes, some lovely free product for anyone and everyone interested in ordering something this season, no matter how much.

(Seriously. You could buy a single lip balm or some scratch-and-dent soap and still use the coupon.)

Today I am giving one lucky winner their choice of a LuSa Holiday gift collection:

Holiday Cheer! Collection (shown at top) contains a bar of organic soap, a lip balm, room spray, and candle.

Holiday Soap Collection contains three luxurious bars of organic soap. The scents are new. And they are amazing.

Or the Mistletoe Lip Balm Collection, of three old school slide-top tins of lovely lip balm.

To enter simply leave a comment below. I'll close comments and select a winner on Tuesday, December 3.

Comments are now closed. The winner is Sarah R. who said…

~ : : ~ : : ~ : : ~

And from now until December 5, please simply type the word "Holiday" in the comments field of your order and we'll add a free gift to your order. (In the comment field – not the coupon field, please!)

We will add something special to your order as follows:

Orders of any amount under $25 – free tube of LuSa Lip Balm

Orders between $25 and $55 – free LuSa Holiday Soap

Orders over $55 – a LuSa Lip Balm AND a bar of LuSa Holiday Soap!

(We'll choose the scent.)

And for those of you who can't or aren't interested in buying from me, it's all good.

No pressure.

I'm just happy you are here, sharing this beautiful space with me, week after week.

It means so much.

Love,
Rachel

It's been a while since I've hosted a LüSa Organics giveaway, so I thought today would be a great day to share one with you.

I'm celebrating the milestone of 3000 Clean Facebook fans. Because for me – way out here on this quiet country road – that sure feels like a lot of people.

And I'm happy/honored/amazed/dumbfounded/thrilled that you're here.

Truly.

I founded LüSa Organics in 2006, just after Lupine was born. (Check out this photo from back in the day, cutting soap with Lupine on my back!)

Pete and I both quit our jobs and decided to leap into the world of self employment.

We never looked back.

We named LüSa after our two children, Lupine (then just days old) and Sage (4 1/2 years). We had been searching for a name and just after Lupine was born I looked at Pete and said, "LuSa! It's LuSa!" And it was.

Our kids have grown up in this business. Until three years ago LüSa was in our home, and these days we spend two
days a week together at LüSa. It would be hard for our business and family to be more intertwined. Sometimes I imagine our kids grown up and far away, catching a scent that transports them back to this time.

Through the years our kids have grown, our product line has grown, and our business has grown.

But so much remains the same.

We still make every item by hand. Every. Single. Item. As I type this, Steven (our production guru) is in the next room, pouring a batch of Booty Balm. Out of a small steel pitcher. By hand.

That's just how we do it.

I think somehow it infuses a special magic in what we make.

And then there's this space. This blog.

Sure, it's linked to LüSa, but very much it's own entity as well.

Somewhere along the way I decided I wanted to write as a way of showing our customers who was behind the body care we make.

I wanted you to know me. To trust me. To feel safe with me.

I wanted you to see me for who I was – a mama with a baby on my back instead of a big profit driven corporate machine.

And I think I did that.

Goodness. I know I did. You see me. You know me. Right down to the cluttered corners of my basement and my soul.

And along the way I stopped thinking of you as customers and started thinking of you as friends. I realized that even without LüSa in my life I would be here, sharing with you.

And I'm honored to take this journey with you. Whether you're a LüSa customer, a blog reader, or both.

And I'm not sure what to say except –

Thank you.

For listening.

For being here.

And mostly for trusting me.

With your baby's first bath. With every diaper change from birth until they're big.

With your family's hand-washing and baths and showers and all the rest.

It's an honor.

Thank you for choosing to buy product made by a small family business. By my small family business. Because you could buy something else. But instead, you buy from us. And so everything – from the little farmhouse we call home to Lupine's violin lesson to Sage's science book to the food on our table. All of it is there because of you.

Thank you.

So. A giveaway then!

To celebrate you being awesome.

Enter below for your chance at a LüSa gift collection. Choose from Baby, Mama, Body, or Surprise! We'll hook you up good. Each gift set will be valued between $35.00 and $45.00.

Also, enjoy a free Chest Rub with every order over $40.00. Just enter "CRClean" in the comments field of your next LüSa Organics and we'll add one at no charge.Redeem before November 1, 2013.

Love,
Rachel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've been working on this design for a LüSa project (that I think you're going to love!) and I thought you might just need to see it. And be it. Today.

Have a fabulous weekend, friends.

And be you. Bravely.

Love,
Rachel