I’m still taking in everything that happened at the Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Yes, it was an incredibly successful event for HumbleGlow Collections. But when I think about those two days, what stays with me most isn’t just what we sold.

It’s who stopped, who stayed, who tried, and who took the time to understand what NurseCrafted® is all about.

So many healthcare professionals discovered us simply because they were kind and curious enough to stop at my booth. They didn’t just walk past and assume, “Oh, soaps.” They came in, looked around, asked questions, tried products, smelled just about everything 😂, and learned about NurseCrafted® skincare & aromatherapy.

As a nurse, that meant so much to me.

There were also so many people outside healthcare who were intentionally looking for handcrafted skincare. Some were drawn to thoughtfully selected ingredients, including natural and organic ingredients. Others were looking for subtle scents, soothing and calming products, hydration, brightening, or simply something that felt good on their skin.

Then there were my “just looking” people, my tester lovers, and my “Oh no, I love everything!” people. 

I loved every bit of it.

More Than a Beautiful Booth

I received so many compliments about my setup—people telling me how beautifully everything was presented, how elevated the products looked for handcrafted skincare, and how wonderful the entire booth smelled.

Of course, hearing those things made me proud.

But what touched me even more was watching people experience the products.

They tried the body crèmes and talked about how their skin felt afterward. They smelled the aromatherapy blends. They tested the skincare. They appreciated our Try Before You Buy approach.

And they appreciated something that is very important to me:

There was no pressure to purchase.

You could stop. Look. Smell. Try something. Ask me questions. Learn about an ingredient. Have a conversation. And if you walked away without buying anything, that was perfectly okay.

Because I don’t want NurseCrafted® to simply be something I sell to you.

I want you to understand why I created it and whether it makes sense for you.

“I Can Tell You’re a Nurse.”

One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend came from people who had never met me before.

Somehow, just from seeing my booth, looking at my products, hearing me explain them, and watching how I interacted with people, they could tell how much of my nursing heart goes into what I do.

That stopped me for a moment.

Because NurseCrafted® isn’t a name I simply placed on a label.

Being a nurse influences how I think about the person who will eventually take a product home. It influences why I formulate intentionally instead of creating random products simply because something is trending. It influences the details I obsess over, the ingredients I choose, the experience I want someone to have, and the way I educate instead of pressure.

For complete strangers to recognize that without me having to explain it?

That meant more to me than their purchases.

You Definitely Had Favorites 

My fellow nurses had an especially good time sniffing our nurse-inspired perfume oils—which makes this even funnier because I haven’t officially launched them yet.

Apparently, you didn’t care. 😂

They moved surprisingly fast.

Our new body crèmes in Coconut Vanilla and Lavender received so much love, and my lavender lovers completely sold out our All-in-Lavender Set.

The brightening face and body care found its people.

My essential-oil lovers found their favorites.

The people who appreciate that luxurious, creamy lather found my handcrafted soaps.

And our bestselling Aroma Car Pendants?

You all kept those moving all weekend. 

I guess I know what I need to keep making.

To Everyone Who Came to See Us—Thank You

Some of my colleagues came by.

Friends and family stopped to say hello and support me.

My fellow Filipinos had me laughing because some of you were already choosing and buying products straight out of my bins while I was still trying to set up the booth. 🇵🇭

And to my loyal customers who told me afterward that you actually came looking for HumbleGlow Collections but there were so many people and so many booths that you eventually went home without finding us:

The fact that you tried to find me means more than you know.

Thank you.

Thank you also to everyone who traveled to the festival—from different parts of Connecticut, from Massachusetts, and even those who drove an hour or two to experience the event and see those beautiful balloons.

And thank you to the event organizers for giving businesses like mine the opportunity to introduce what we do to the Plainville community and all the people who came through the festival.

Ironically, I didn’t even get to see the balloon launch.

I was too busy. 

And I mean that in the best possible way.

A Special Thank-You to Grizlys.Workbench 

I also have to recognize the talented small business owner behind Grizlys.Workbench, who created my beautiful wooden HumbleGlow Collections | NurseCrafted® sign.

I already loved the sign, but seeing how people reacted to it at the festival made it even more special.

People stopped to look at it. They admired it. So many actually reached out and touch the wood and lettering as they walked through my booth. 😂 It became one of those details that drew people in and helped bring the entire setup together.

It wasn’t just a sign sitting behind my products. It gave my booth a handcrafted, polished presence that represented what I wanted people to feel when they stepped inside the HumbleGlow Collections space.

And as one small business owner to another, I know there is a person behind that work—the time, skill, creativity, and hands that made it.

Thank you, Grizlys.Workbench, for creating something so beautiful for HumbleGlow Collections and NurseCrafted®. Your work became part of my booth, part of the customer experience, and now part of this chapter of our story. 🤍

Back to Creating

Now comes the part people don’t always see.

Restocking.

Making.

Pouring.

Labeling.

Packing.

And replacing everything you all decided I apparently didn’t make enough of. 😂

I also have curated products to prepare for Bristol Bazaar’s Milford location inside Connecticut Post Mall.

But I wouldn’t trade this feeling.

The People Behind the Dream

There is one person I could never leave out of this story: my husband.

I could not do what I do without him.

Building a business doesn’t happen only during the hours customers see me behind a booth.

It happens during the late nights and early mornings. It happens while there is still a home to take care of, children who need us, meals, responsibilities, work, and everyday life happening around us.

My husband helps hold all of that together so I can continue creating, preparing, vending, dreaming—and sometimes staying up much later than I probably should.

He is my partner in every sense of the word, and I am incredibly grateful for him.

This Is Why I Keep Going

Above everything else, I thank God.

I am grateful that He continues helping me reach the people I created these products for.

I am grateful for the vision to build something with intention.

And I am grateful for every opportunity to make an impact and bring something genuinely different to an industry already filled with handcrafted products.

I don’t need NurseCrafted® to be like somebody else.

I want it to be NurseCrafted®.

Intentional. Genuine. Purposeful. Created with my hands, guided by what nursing has taught my heart, and made for the real people standing on the other side of my table.

Plainville reminded me why I started.

My heart is full.
I am grateful.
I am blessed.

And we’re just getting started. 

See You Next

📍 German Festival — Bristol | September 19
📍 Wellness Expo — Plainville | September 20

Until then, you can shop HumbleGlow Collections, home of NurseCrafted® skincare & aromatherapy, online or in store.

And if NurseCrafted® is already part of your skincare or aromatherapy routine, tag @humbleglowcollections on Facebook or Instagram and share your experience with us. I would genuinely love to hear your story.