Ramblings

There are so many fun ways to pay homage to the biggest game nights with good friends, family, and the Kansas City Chiefs. From betting the bracket to sampling some of the finest craft beers Kansas City has to offer, we have some NFL football party ideas that are sure to blow your mind.

Everything included in this list is Kansas City created!

1. Betting The Brackets

Betting the Brackets. Whether you are betting with cold-hard cash, raffle tickets, or chocolate bars – betting on the NFL Playoffs is always a football party favorite event. Download our FREE NFL Playoff Bracket Worksheet HERE & 2021-2022 Team Cut-Outs HERE. You can download the 2-page 2021-2022 PLAYOFF BRACKET WORKSHEET / TEAM CUT-OUTS HERE.

Instructions: Our NFL Bracket worksheet is just a little bit different than what you are used to downloading in the past. Our worksheet is similar but we have added a TEAMS CUT-OUT sheet that you can use scissors to cut out each American & National team included in the 2021-2022 playoffs and then place them on the brackets as you choose.

3. Kansas City Chiefs Party Favors 

4. Kansas City Chiefs Player Stickers 

5. Kansas City Chiefs Garland 

6. Kansas City Chiefs Candles 

Kansas City Chiefs Candles – Manifest a Kansas City Chiefs WIN with a Chiefs Candle! Let’s Go Chiefs!!! ❤️🏈💛

Eden & Dorsey Wax Melting Pot Review

At that time, I was only selling around 2-5 candles per week and it suited my needs PERFECTLY. A couple of years later, I upped my retail game to about 10-15 candle sales per week.

Wholesale Candle Making Time

The biggest change at this time was my entry into the world of wholesale and private label candles. I had a couple of Kansas City local breweries reach out and ask me to make them some custom craft beer candles to add to their merch list. Soon thereafter, a couple turned into nearly a dozen. The 12 pounder had to go! I needed an upgrade and fast. I purchased the Presto 18 lb Wax Melting Pot with spout. I had this melting pot for a few months and soon realized it just wasn’t enough. I contemplated purchasing 2 to keep up with my retail and blossoming wholesale candle orders but my studio just wasn’t big enough to accommodate the space needed for multiples.

Handyman + Airplane Mechanic + My Boyfriend = Candle Making Innovation

Around this time, I met a man whom was very good with his hands. That sounded not as I intended it to sound, but it is very true. From time to time, he would visit me in my candle studio. During those times, he would very gently suggest adjusting my order of production to better expedite my flow. In other words, he chose his words very carefully as to not offend me. The biggest issue he observed in my studio was the size and capabilities of my wax melting pot. He thought the spout and handle were pretty cool but, as a handyman and former aviation mechanic, knew he could do better. I knew he could too.

My Genie In A Wax Melting Pot

He started by asking me about what I liked about the pot. I told him how much my production had changed already from when I used to melt wax on the stove in a double-boiler to the Presto Melting Pot. The “all-in-one” capability it offered as well as the integrated & adjustable heating source functionality was a game changer. Then the conversation became more granular. He wanted to know what I would change or add to my existing melting pot to better improve my candle making process.

Next Level Candle Making Ahead

I really had to think about this. I thought my process was already pretty awesome. Then he started asking me questions. Would it be helpful if I had a thermometer that was integrated into the pot? I was like, hell ya…that would be amazing. After that, I started brainstorming. What would I change about my Presto Wax Melting Pot if I could make all of my candle making wishes come true? The Presto was super light which sometimes created issues. It Maybe not due to any construction or mechanical issues but solely on my daily fight with gravity and grace, I somehow managed to knock the pot over more than a few times (don’t judge). The integrated heating source was great but oftentimes it heated up so quickly that I scorched the wax. With my first Presto, I had to replace it because the heating source stopped working. With my second, one of the legs became disconnected. I lived with it for a while but it posed a safety concern. This has nothing to do with the actual construction of the Presto pot but it was a regular occurrence to drop the thermometer into the hot wax. Yeah, ouch. To answer his first question, it would be so cool to have a thermometer that was integrated into the pot!

The PERFECT Candle Wax Melting Pot

It took Todd a few go-rounds but he did it. He decided to go with Cast Iron because the wax needed to be heated evenly…on all sides. With the heat source on the bottom using a griddle, the heat is transferred from the bottom of the pot evenly up the sides. Using a griddle also eliminated the need to replace the entire pot if it malfunctioned. The replacement cost of a griddle compared to the cost to replace the entire melting pot was not only environmentally friendly but also saved money.

Onwards & Upwards

Soon thereafter Todd had given me my new wax melting pot, I got my first wholesale order of 500 candles. Wowza! Perfect timing right? How long did it take me to make 500 candles? 3 days. How much time would it have taken me to pour this many candles with my Presto? Forget about it. Me, all by myself, pulled off pouring 500 candles in 3 days!

Onwards and upwards!!!

Now You Can Get One Too!

Todd had never intended on selling his creation but after some coaxing, he made a few more and is now selling them at Eden & Dorsey (his official website) and on Etsy. Yes, he is my boyfriend and I think he’s pretty cool but all that aside…the Eden Wax Melting Pot is next level. If you are a candle maker or soaper, this is a “must have.” It is the first and last wax melting pot you will need.

Top 5 Summer Candle Scents

What are the best-smelling summer candle scents? Barley & Hops Craft Candles is excited to roll out our ALL NEW summer candle collection for 2021! If you didn’t know, all of candles in our Signature Scents collection are borrowed from moments in time…scents that give you that nostalgic, “take you back” kind of feeling. 

Our Signature summer scent collection is no different. From one of my new favorite songs to summer horse-riding camps, this feel-good candle collection has something for everyone!

1. Pure Passion IPA Candle – A tantalizing fusion of citrusy cascade hops, passionfruit nectar and juicy mango slices with notes of lemon zest, rome apple and plumeria. Pure Passion IPA is a fantastically delicious summertime scent, with an upbeat and sunny aroma.
2. Texas Sun Lemon Whiskey Candle – Refreshing lemon zest with notes of cask whiskey, sweet caramel, creamy vanilla and dry woody undertones. Inspired by the Leon Bridges song Texas Sun. “You say you like the wind blowing through your hair. Come on, roll with me ’til the sun goes down Texas sun.”
3. The Stable Candle – The Stable starts out very green – smells like grass, dandelions, weeds, and hay. Over time it changes to an aged leather with some subtle notes of soft earth, sandalwood, and molasses. 
4. Stoked Hawaiian Tropic Candle – The Barley & Hops “Stoked” candle is our version and smells exactly like the famous brand of tanning lotion known as “Hawaiian Tropic”. An awesome coconut nectar with an ever so slight hint of banana. The perfect summer candle!
5. Lunar Tide Candle – Clean, powdery, fruit and spicy floral notes are anchored in with deep woody notes of sacred Palo Santo. Topaz is thought to cleanse emotions, thoughts and bring joy, love and peace. Sacred Palo Santo is purifying and cleansing, clears negative energy and restores tranquility and calm. Imagine sitting on the beach, toes in the sand, salty ocean breeze lightly kissing your face, and the glow of the summer moon caressing your soul.

Lake Candles With A Purpose

It’s officially spring and heading to your favorite lake is sounding like a seriously good idea. We are right there with you! As candlemakers, we are always looking for aromatic inspirations and ways to bring our olfactory experiences into your home…or in this case, your lake home!

Let’s Get Lake-ed

What is Body Shaming & Slut Shaming?

The meaning behind our “Let’s Get Lake-ed” candle line is to celebrate girls, boys, women, men, young, and old of all shapes and sizes and support the fight against of body shaming. Body shaming is nothing new.

Body shaming, as defined by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer in the Los Angeles Times in 2020:

“Body shaming is humiliating, with often painful, long-term consequences,” he said. “It mocks and stigmatizes its victims, tearing down self-respect and perpetuating the harmful idea that our unique physical appearances should be compared to air-brushed notions of ‘perfect.’ What really matters is our character and humanity. While body shaming, in itself, is not a crime, there are circumstances in which invading one’s privacy to accomplish it can be. And we shouldn’t tolerate that.”

Body shaming also holds a strong position in my 17 year old daughters mind, specifically “slut shaming.” If you aren’t familiar with the phrase “slut shaming,” Very Well Family (verywellfamily.com) defines it better than I could ever attempt to try.

“Slut-shaming is a form of cyberbullying where girls are targeted on social media and bullied through degradation or humiliation for their sexuality. What this means is that girls are often ridiculed for the way they look, the way they dress and their presumed level of sexual activity…”

You can learn more about the types slut shaming and the effects of slut shaming here.

To further the fight against body shaming & slut shaming, we will be donating 50% of all “Let’s Get Lake-ed” lake candle sales to No Means No Worldwide.

When Shaming Turns To …

When “No Means No” Falls on Deaf Ears

When Words Don’t Work

It’s Time for Action

Sometimes words alone just do not work. Words mean nothing to someone who just doesn’t care. When words don’t work, it’s time for action. We need to learn how to protect ourselves. Period. Yes, we also need to “teach our boys” how to respect women but in the interim, self defense is mandatory. Predators need to know that “words” are not our only line of defense. They need to become very aware of our power and knowledge.

Every female, of every age, NEEDS to take a series of self-defense classes. Not sure how? Search Google for “Self Defense Classes Near Me.”Not just one but a series. We need to learn how to use our keys as a line of defense. Heck, we need to know how to handle a pocket knife. We need to carry pepper spray. We need to pick-up a pack of self-defense screamers and give a couple to our friends. We need to not talk about it, we need to do it.

How Can I Help?

To further the fight against body shaming & slut shaming, we will be donating 50% of all “Let’s Get Lake-ed” lake candle sales to No Means No Worldwide. So all you have to do is buy a lake candle! You will also have the opportunity to add your name to our list of No Means No Worldwide support list after you purchase your candle.

Editing Your Beacon Mode

New For 2019-2020: The Best Room Spray That Triples As A Body + Linen Spray

There is nothing like a smell to stir old memories…places we’ve been, lost loves, visits to grandparents house over the holidays, long & lazy days at the beach or the sweet smell of freshly turned soil after a summer rainstorm.

Every one of our Signature Scents has been designed to tickle that scent memory and take you on a sniff-riffic journey through the olfactory world.

Our Signature Scents started as a candle collection. Craft beer festival venues have always been our preference for pop-ups and sales. The idea for our Signature Scent Room + Body Sprays started at one of these festivals. There wasn’t one festival that passed where someone asked us if we had our scents in a lotion, beard oil, or perfume/cologne. In the earlier years, I was still perfecting my candle line but the thought of a matching bath & body line for my Signature Scents was never far from my mind.

It took me a few months to decide what I wanted to start with for the new bath & body line but I always seemed to go back to the idea of a room spray that doubled as a room spray. My personal experience with room & body sprays has never been all that impressive.

The Problem With Most Room Sprays & Body Sprays

They’re Just Not That Into You

1. Failure to Launch. My morning routine starts with a shower. Next, I cover my body with scented body lotion or body butter (not going to name names). Then, I would spray my body, neck to toes, with the same scented body spray. I do this layering technique because it is supposed to make the scent last longer. Everything was great for about the first 30 minutes. After that, nothing. It was as if I had never applied. Not cool.
2. Don’t be Weak. Unless I was using an Eau de Toilette body spray, it was almost guaranteed that most body sprays wouldn’t be strong enough to stick around. Why not just use my Eau de Toilette instead? Yeah right, that stuff is expensive & what I really only use for special occasions. To be fair, that is really all a body spray is intended to be.  You can educate yourself below. But really….what’s the point then???
   • Eau Fraiche (most body sprays) – The most diluted version of the fragrance, usually with one to three percent perfume oil in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for less than an hour.
   • Toilette (Eau de Toilette) – A light spray composition with five to 15 percent pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. This variety usually lasts for about three hours.
   • Perfume (Eau de Parfum) – Historically genderless, used to describe both men’s and women’s fragrances. The best term used to describe a fragrance. Contains 15 – 20 percent pure perfume essence and lasts for about five to eight hours.
   • Perfume – A corruption of the Latin phrase per fumum (through smoke). The most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. Slightly oilier, perfume, or parfum, is composed of 20 to 30 percent pure perfume essence. A single application of perfume can last up to 24 hours.
3. Not Flexible. When I run out of room spray, I either grab my husband’s Axe or one of my many body sprays. “Why doesn’t she just use one of her candles?” Candles are great but not optimal for immediate smell squashing and you know what I’m talking about. It’s the smell left behind after cooking fish, it’s “who didn’t empty the trash?” funk, it’s also the forgot to flush bathroom UGHHHHH, and finally – the surprise important guest visit quick, “OMG, I wish my house always smelled this good!” spray!

The Best Long-Lasting, Multi-Use Room & Body Spray In The World!

Editing Your Beacon Mode

After months of research and sharing my experiments with my friends, family, and neighbors…we’ve finally done it!

We have developed an ALL-NATURAL, nearly edible (don’t eat it), super-long lasting, multi-functioning Room + Body + Linen Spray!  Our proprietary blend has been highly tested and overwhelmingly approved!

This is what our Signature Scent Room + Body Spray can do for you:

• 6-8 hours of staying power when used as a body spray.
• Fewer sprays per application. Unless you just really want to, you don’t have to cover your body in this miraculous elixir. Just a couple of sprays will really do it. You can always stick it in your purse for reapplication throughout the day.
• Hello body, hello home. Grab one for your home and body! While you’re at it, pick one up for your car! You can also freshen up linens & clothing!
• Lasts almost as long as your super fancy Perfume or Cologne! Don’t skimp on smelling awesome just because you want to save the expensive stuff for special occasions.  With our Signature Scent Body + Room Sprays, you can smell irresistible ALL DAY LONG!

Check out our brand new line of Signature Scents Body + Room Sprays!