Why we named our business Grit and Grace

When we started making soap, it wasn’t with a business plan.
It wasn’t even with the idea of selling it. It began as something small — a creative outlet, a way to slow down, and in some ways, a form of healing.

But as the months went on, and we found ourselves elbow-deep in melted oils and fragrance blends on our kid-free nights, something started to form. Not just a product, but a purpose.

We knew if we ever gave this thing a name, it had to mean something. It had to reflect who we are — not just what we sell. And that’s where Grit and Grace came from.

What Grit Means to Us

Grit is the ability to show up — especially when it’s hard.

For us, grit looks like starting the day with a walk around the neighborhood (accompanied by our spunky pug - who absolutely insists the walk is for him, not us), a sunrise bike ride, or hitting the gym. One of us is an avid lifter. The day just doesn’t feel right without a few weights. The other? Let’s just say the weights move slower… and the coffee mug moves faster. ☕ (Yoga is more her pace — and that’s grit, too.)

It’s getting to work before getting to work — choosing movement, discipline, and intention even when sleep sounds better.

Our evenings are full, homework spread across the table, dinners for six, dishes (lot and lost, and oh, did I say lots?) of dishes. As a blended family with four kids, full-time jobs, and a business we’re building from our kitchen table, grit shows up every single day.

Grit is not glamorous. But it’s honest. And we’ve learned to trust the process — just like we trust the process of soap-making, even when the batch looks a little off or the fragrance doesn't play nice.

What Grace Means to Us

Grace is the reminder that we don’t have to do it all perfectly — in business, in marriage, in parenting, or in life.

It shows up in the quiet moments:
In the deep breath before bedtime routines begin.
In the decision to let the dishes sit just a little longer.
In the way we speak gently to each other after a long day — or say "sorry" when we don't.

Grace is giving ourselves permission to rest.
To grow slowly.
To not have all the answers.

It’s the patience we offer our kids when they’re melting down.
It’s the forgiveness we offer each other when we’re short on sleep (and patience).
It’s choosing kindness, again and again — even when the easier choice would be frustration.

For us, grace also means trusting that God is in the middle of it all — in the mess, the waiting, and the small, faithful steps forward. It’s what steadies us when things feel heavy and what softens us when we start to harden.

Grace reminds us: it’s okay to be in progress.

A Reflection of How We Live

We didn’t choose the name Grit and Grace because it sounded pretty.
It’s how we live. How we love. How we raise our family.
It’s in the calm and the chaos. In the effort and the ease. In the mess and the meaning.

Our soap may be handcrafted, but so is this life.
Messy, beautiful, and held together by the same two things: grit and grace.

Thanks for being part of this story. Every time you choose to support our business, you’re helping us live it out — one bar at a time.

With love,
Bonnie & Gordon