Baby Season Is Fast Approaching

Happy Monday, dear reader. We are officially one week away from Cindy Crawford's due date. Cindy Crawford is one of our beloved Lily's triplets. We have Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Iman. All three girls are long, leggy, and a bit high-maintenance. Cindy is the best mom of the three, but that isn't saying much. All three girls lack mothering skills. So much so that Claudia and Iman went to live at another farm where they were not wanted for babies, just for weed control. Cindy has remained with us and has gotten better at mothering with the help of her mom and grandmother. Cindy has gone from a "drop-and-go mom" to a helicopter mom.

Last year, Cindy gave birth to one little girl, and she would not allow that little lovey out of her sight. Cindy was bellering as if she were in great distress if she got too far away. Once her little one was found, she would settle down and hover over her. After six weeks or so, the little one was tired of her over-vigilant mom, and we swear she would hide to make her mom fuss. Multiple times a day, one of us would go to the pasture, locate Cindy's baby, carry her to her mom, and return to whatever we were doing simply because we were tired of hearing Cindy fuss.

There is no happy medium with Cindy. She is either a negligent parent who allows the baby to fend for itself, or she is smothering her little one with love. Cindy is also difficult on the milk stand. She fusses, frets, and finangles her body, so reaching her teats is almost impossible. She is not The Bibbed Wonders's favorite goat. However, she has some of the best genetics in our herd, so we make allowances for her neurotic behavior.

With Ace Ven-Churro as the new dad, I am curious about how Cindy's babies will look this year. This will be the first year we will have 100% Nubian babies in several years. Abu, our buck, was a Boer goat bred for meat. He was a beautiful boy but became increasingly more aggressive in the last two years. Abu is now living his best life as herd leader for our friend. Although this man takes good care of his herd, he doesn't spend much time with them like we do. He doesn't care that Abu is aggressive during the rut season.

Ace, aka Acers, is a bottle-baby Nubian buck. Bottle babies are super friendly. We have learned quickly how annoying and friendly a stinky buck can be. Poor little Acers doesn't realize his scent is off-putting and offensive. Despite his ripe odor, he continues to want scratches, hugs, and cuddles. Our little guy will not become aggressive any time soon...at least, that is my hope.

Although Ace is strong in gentleness and personality, he is not the beautiful specimen of a man, err, a billy goat, that Abu is. Acers is on the smaller side in build; he has lovely long ears and is a fawn color, which is uncommon in our herd. Jessica is our only fawn-colored nanny goat in the herd. I am curious to see what color combinations we will have this year. I am sure there will be fewer spots. I like spots, but let's be honest, all baby goats are adorable spotted or not.

Please send some good vibes out to our ladies, as baby season is fast approaching. I am most concerned about the weather. Freezing temperatures and swings from warm to cold are brutal on little ones. I pray the weather holds and remains unseasonably warm. We will spend the next week preparing for the arrival of little ones. Stalls must be prepared, our kidding kit has to be restocked, and the mamas' supplements must be purchased. We take every precaution to ensure our babies' and mamas' health and success. Still, every year produces a new scenario that teaches us another lesson.

On this sunny, cold day, stay safe, be smart, prepare for the worst, and hope for the best; stay tuned for baby goat picture overload, and keep washing your hands.

Foodie Friday: Taco Pizza

Well, dear reader, I am late posting because I thought today was Saturday, and I don't blog on Saturday. The Bibbed Wonder came in and reminded me that it is indeed Friday, and I do indeed have blogging responsibilities. Today, I will share another easy, go-to recipe my family enjoys, and The Bean will eat without complaint. Taco pizza is what is on the menu for today.

As a kid, I remember my mom making taco pizza; back then, it seemed exotic and delicious. Today, the original recipe stands up to modern taste buds. I almost always have the ingredients on hand for this recipe. Taco pizza is one of my go-to recipes when I fail to plan my meals. Jordan declares this to be one of her favorite meals. My child, who will choose a Swiss Roll over a home-cooked meal, will eat multiple slices of this easy meal.

I made this for dinner on Valentine's Day because I knew my girl would enjoy it. Making something everyone enjoys is simple and puts a smile on their faces, making it a shareable recipe. This recipe can be ready in under a half hour and feeds a crowd.

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

2 Packets of Taco Seasoning

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tubes Crescent Rolls

1 lb. Ground Beef

2 Cups Shredded Cheese

Taco Sauce

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Directions:

-Brown ground beef and follow the directions on the taco seasoning packet

-While the beef is browning, mix the cream cheese and the other packet of taco seasoning with a hand mixer until smooth.

-On a cookie sheet with sides, roll out the two tubes of the crescent rolls to cover the cookie sheet.

-Bake the Crescent Rolls according to package directions. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

-Spread the cream cheese mixture over the warm crescent rolls to cover all areas.

-Top with the ground meat mixture.

-Top the ground meat with shreded cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and taco sauce.

-Serve warm.

Here on the farm, easy, delicious, and simple are the prerequisites for our meals. Taco pizza is on our regular rotation and always gets a smile. Stay safe, be smart, enjoy delicious food, and keep washing your hands on this sunny Friday, not Saturday.

We Need Your Help

If you order online, you will notice a new addition to your package. I have shared that we have added a new fundraising option to the services we offer. We hope to aid our soap family in raising funds for the many wonderful opportunities and activities in which they participate. By adding the new flyers to our orders, we are hoping our soap family will help us spread the word about our new fundraising option. You are the best, and we know you will take every opportunity to help us get the word out.

Our little company has grown from an idea based on necessity to a therapeutic activity, to a little side hustle, to our full-time job. It has evolved organically from support from you and by word of mouth. I expect our new fundraising option will be no different. Right now, we really need to get the word out about what we do, how it works, the benefits of our products, the pros of doing a fundraiser with us, and our focus on customer service. To date, we have done a dozen or so fundraisers. Each has run smoothly, and I believe everyone involved has been pleased. We have received only positive feedback from our organizations, which tells me we are doing something right. However, we are always ready and willing to listen to what our soap family and supporters have to say.

So, you may ask, what are the pros of doing a fundraiser with us? First and foremost, I wanted to offer a high-profit margin for groups and organizations. When I was teaching, I coached cheerleading and was the sponsor for the STARS Program, a community service organization for students. What I found most frustrating as a group leader were the limited options offered for fundraising and the low-profit margins offered. A person's circle is only so big, and with the low profit margins, we had to do multiple fundraisers to meet our goals. One can only expect one's circle to support so many different fundraisers. It was taxing for families and frustrating for the group, and people complained about the low quality and small amount of products for the amount of money they were spending. These were all valid complaints. I have carried that with me for almost two decades.

When we began planning our fundraiser option in earnest, I was adamant that groups and organizations be able to earn more than just pennies on the dollar. We decided that the best and most straightforward option would be to offer wholesale pricing. It's a fair practice, realistic, and beneficial to both the groups and us. For each $8 bar of soap sold, the group makes a $3 profit. For each of the $6 bars sold, the group makes $2. When compared with other fundraising options, this is a significant profit. As with any fundraiser, it is only as profitable as the individuals doing the sales. We are excited to offer incentives for fundraising groups, especially large groups. Incentives help motivate sellers, and we are happy to help encourage them.

Another pro of doing a soap fundraiser is the products are non-perishable. There is no danger of spoilage, pressure to refrigerate, or a narrow window of time for delivery. Individuals can pick up their orders on a Friday and have an entire weekend to deliver them without concerns of cold storage, products going stale, or foodborne illness. It also gives families time to create a convenient delivery schedule.

Yet another pro of doing a soap fundraiser is the products are both high-quality and useful. The majority of the population uses soap. Soap is used daily, thus making it a practical and useful product. Soap doesn't require a lot of space for storage, and it never goes bad. Even if someone only makes a one-time purchase, they are getting a product that isn't a waste of money, requires storage space, or has a short shelf life. This makes a wonderful selling point.

Last but not least, we offer nationwide shipping options. If a group sells 50 or more bars of soap, we offer free shipping. If a group sells under 50 bars, there is a flat rate of $15 for shipping. Because our products are non-perishable, we can ship to all fifty states without concern. As long as USPS is not experiencing any issues, the shipping time is usually within a few days. For local groups, we offer a pickup option on orders under 50 bars so the group can save on shipping. Pickup times must be scheduled in advance.

In my humble opinion, the above are all excellent reasons to do a soap fundraiser with us. I don't like to toot my own horn, but our attention to detail, flexibility, high-quality products, and concentration on customer care are the foundation for a successful sale. Please know we will do everything in our power to help you meet your goals and ensure your customers are happy. There are no added fees or hidden agendas, and we are transparent about our practices. As an added bonus, if you choose to do a fundraiser with us, you are helping a budding small, family, farm-based business and supporting the local economy.

We ask for your help spreading the word about our new fundraising option. If you order online and receive a package, a flyer about our fundraiser will be in each box shipped. If you don't do any fundraising, I gently ask that you please give our flyer to someone who does need a fundraising option. If you love our products and what we do, please tell others about us and our fundraiser. If you do social media, please share our fundraiser option. Better yet, if you have done a fundraiser with us and are happy with us, the process, and the products, please share your experience on social media or our web page. It costs nothing but a little bit of time, and we appreciate it endlessly.

On this sunny winter's day, stay safe and be smart; thank you for being such a wonderful addition to our lives, allowing us to do what we love, and helping spread the word about our fundraiser. We appreciate you is such a simple phrase, but it is true. Also, don't forget to wash your hands.