7 Scented Stocking Stuffers

Hand-poured Honey Candle, $26

buzzsavoriesllc.com

As a beekeeper, Holdrege resident Betty Anne Sayers searched for the best way to use the honey that her bees produced. In 2018, she created a savory-sweet mustard, Spicy Beer Mustard and beeswax candles. She wicked candle molds and poured melted beeswax into the molds.

Sayers received inspiration from commercial beekeeper George Bunnell of Oxford to use beeswax, a product made by bees to cap off honey cells within the comb. She experimented with pouring her own candles by melting beeswax into wicking candle molds. Her trial-and-error process included a candle bursting open and spraying molten wax all over her home workshop’s carpet.

“I remember the tedious effort of scraping and lifting the splatters of beeswax from carpet with a warm iron,” Sayers said. “Lesson learned.”

Complete with a calming, light honey scent, the all-natural, clean-burning candles are 4-by-3-inches and crafted with wood-grain accents. Purchase includes native wood coasters.

Bath Lovers Gift Box, $59

ourlavenderco.com

When mother-daughter trio Stephanie, Peggy and Nicole created Our Lavender Co. in 2019, they had no idea that their lavender business (planted on five acres of the original four-generation family farm near Big Springs) would blossom the way it did.

This wasn’t without their fair share of obstacles along the way, however. In true Nebraskan spirit, their stubbornness kept them going. When first making bath bombs, a key element of this gift box, both Stephanie and Peggy broke a few bones, injuries that limited the strength the duo had in applying enough pressure to mold the bombs.

They now have a press to make the job easier and bath bombs perfectly shaped every time.

Items included in this gift set include lavender and lavender/eucalyptus bath bombs, a jar of mini bath bombs, bubbling bath fizz, oat milk bath soak and a Wax Buffalo lavender candle. The bath bombs are made without clay or colored dye, ensuring a simple and moisturizing experience.

Bonanza Sampler Pack, $20

bayrum-aftershave.com

From 1870 to 1885, Ogallala was the destination of cowboys driving cattle north from Texas. There’s no doubt that these boys needed a barbershop — a bath, a shave and a haircut — all ending with a splash of the barber’s own special mix of bay rum. “Bay rum” is a popular scent combination due to its notes of Caribbean spices, Jamaican rum and bay leaf oil.

Far from the source of these scents, Ogallala Bay Rum was established in Ogallala in 2006 out of a need for a bay rum reminiscent of founder Jon Marquis’ youth. After 130 versions were created in the family-run business’s basement, Marquis found the perfect potion.

Though it has outgrown the basement, the products are still made proudly in Nebraska and have been sold in more than 40 countries.

Soap Bars, $8

bellcreeksoap.com

Natural goat milk soap from Bell Creek Soaps began with a stay-at-home mom trying to get to the bottom of her kids’ itchy skin. Nine years later, this Arlington business’ products are packed with good-for-your-skin oils and butters that provide a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals.

According to the soap maker, the doctor had originally suggested steroid-filled medications to help heal her kids, but she pushed to find a different way. “My first batch of soap was actually made with tools and ingredients I bought at the dollar store,” creator Amy Von Behren said. “I’m still using some of those utensils and tools today.”

After months of trial and error, the magic resulted in a combination of unique ingredients, like grape seed oil. “My real dream is to educate people that homemade soap isn’t just cute and colorful, they are so much healthier for your skin.”

Bell Creek Soap appears often at local craft/vendor shows. A full list of physical shopping locations is available on their website.

Victorian Milk Bath, $8

shepherdsdairy4ewe.com

Beverly Trew of Shepherd’s Dairy 4 Ewe calls the Sandhills her home. It is on her humble piece of land that her unique line of sheep’s milk bath products is formed.

As Trew makes all the products, her family is frequently involved. Her grandchildren help create products such as the Victorian Milk Bath – whether or not they had permission to experiment.

“They just took the ingredients and were shoving stuff in the tub,” she said. “I walked in and there were my fragrances, my Epsom salts and my baking soda. And they just kind of made their own thing.”

The youngest creators are learning practical skills, too, like weighing and measuring ingredients, creating receipts and counting change back to customers. “This is about my whole family,” she said. “When you have a couple of 8- or 9-year-old girls asking if you want to try some lotion, nobody refuses.”

Let it Snow Bath Bomb, $7 / Santa’s Beard Bath Bomb, $8 / Snowy Peach Berry Body Scrub, $11

stormbathandbody.com

Mariellen Storm is the unstoppable force behind Storm Bath & Body Co. of Yutan. What started as a passion project is now a successful business that celebrates self-care through eco-friendly practices.

Holiday selections include winter bath treats in the shapes of a reindeer, a snowflake, Santa’s beard, Santa’s sleigh, a Santa gnome, a gingerbread man and a Christmas tree snack cake. Bubble Dough is the perfect stocking stuffer for the littlest bath lovers. Shape, squeeze, create bubbles and play while also washing. Each container holds four colors of bubble dough (approximately 6 oz. total).

Another popular product is the exfoliating and hydrating Sweater Weather Emulsified Sugar Scrub, inspired by Storm’s interaction with her customers. With cocoa butter and mango butter, before Storm developes a new product like Sugar Scrub, she ensures through research that ingredients are beneficial for the skin and safe for the environment. You won’t find products that stain the sink or bathtub here.

Lip Balms, $3.75

Soaps, $4 - $6.95

goatmilksoapshop.com

Lomah Acres in Milford stands for “Land of Milk and Honey,” the name that owners Jim and Kathy Long gave to their dream: raising goats and honeybees.

Now in their 16th year of business, they no longer raise goats but still create more than 50 varieties of smell-good soap.

“One time I made lotion bars that smelled so much like cotton candy that one of my kids took a bite out of one and quickly spit it out,” Kathy said.

Each product is handmade. Ingredients are precisely measured. Just the right combination of oils, fats, butters and fragrance are carefully weighed and blended with a lye solution. When all is cut and set, Kathy’s daughter Rose uses self-designed paper to hand wrap all the bars “like tiny Christmas presents.”