hippie [hip-ee]

noun  - a person, especially of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, 

direct personalrelations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, 

often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.

hoopla [hoop-lah] 

noun  -  bustling excitement or activity; commotion; hullabaloo.

 Hi there - I'm Michelle. Hippie Hoopla was created with the sole purpose of embracing all things Hippie. Simple, right? My family has been on the natural living path since its inception, and we're not slowing down anytime soon. We want to bring all our knowledge, experience, and love to the masses and pay it forward so you too can live a more natural, healing, loving life. We call this the Grateful Life!

Hippie Hoopla's mission is to blog about what has made our journey a natural one, to share our experiences (both successful and not so successful), and to help you on your path to a Grateful Life. How-to videos, webinars, guest bloggers, and informative posts are all part of sharing the Hippie Hoopla lifestyle.   

Our product line is an extension of the world we bring to you. Products we use on a daily basis, recipes, and knowledge that we live and learn by. We are thrilled that we will be able to bring you along for our journey, and we think you’ll find Hippie Hoopla helpful, whether you are just beginning your own journey or are already having a flourishing Grateful Life. 

The Hippie Hoopla History

We started using Baltic amber with the our first child almost 7 years ago. She was colicky after only a few weeks, and when I started to research natural ways to help her, it led me to amber. After the colic phase ran its course, the teething began, and the necklace was just a part of her for the next two years. After all the teeth arrived, we packed it away in a keepsake box for her. Fast forward four years, and baby #2 showed same early signs of colic, so we bought her an amber necklace as well. With our second child, I stayed home, and we were at more kid-friendly functions during the day and started to get many questions and comments about her necklace. So much so that I was starting to think, “If only I had some on-hand to keep in my diaper bag to sell I could make a little extra money!”

About the same time, I started helping a mama friend with her specialty jewelry business. I had always been an artistic/crafty person and had some beginner jewelry-making skills to help her out a few hours a week. The thought of making the amber necklaces started to become an obsession, and so the research began! I researched where it came from, how it was harvested and processed, its healing properties, and how to make the safety features that the teething necklaces are known for. Through my research, I found out that amber was good for growing pains, which my oldest was waking nightly from. I dug her old necklace back out to wear, and very quickly those pains had diminished almost 90%. I had also recently had elbow surgery and was left with an overall ache all day long. I made myself an amber bracelet, and my pain also diminished by 90%. So you could say we are all believers here in my household!

AmberBelle Beads was born, named after my youngest daughter, who really got me started thinking of all this in the first place. Her middle name is Belle, and I liked the way AmberBelle rolled off the tongue. At first, I was making them for my circle of moms and their friends and not really making a profit because I wasn't buying the materials at a wholesale price, and it took me forever to make just one in the beginning. I set up a table at a friend's clothing swap event, and that was where the change occurred. Leading up to the event, I knew I had to mass produce a bunch to have enough to display. I also had to get a business card and other informational materials to pass out. I only had one order from the event, but I had made a good contact with a local business mama who was interested in selling them in her specialty kids retail store. And that one person I did sell to ended up being a connection to another chiropractic business I partnered with a few months later. It's all about who you know and connections, for you never know who the next potential big client will be!

I was gaining interest from local moms I didn't even have any personal connection with, just word of mouth from other people who trusted and believed in me and my product. So the Facebook page was created, and the etsy shop soon followed. At this point, I took a risk and laid down a chunk of change for a large wholesale order of amber beads, and it took no time at all to fly through them.

I have done zero marketing for my business except connecting with people. I feel if I keep an open line of communication with my customers, the trust and love will follow, and people who love a product will tell everyone! I stay active on several local mama and holistic Facebook pages, and the support I have received from these women has been off the charts! etsy has been amazing and has grown to the point where I get more orders from across the country than from in my own backyard.

My gratitude throughout this process has skyrocketed and is now a part of everything I do and feel. So my motto Natural Living = Grateful Life isn't just for show; I am living it! I am so grateful for everything I have and all that has come from this business. Our goal is to spread our knowledge and love so you too can live a natural, grateful, loving life!

Curious about the meaning behind the Hippie Hoopla logo? 

Find out what it means in our FAQ.

Hippie Hoopla LLC