Our Story
Blessed with being the mother of three children under the age of 6, you can bet that I have had my hands full. You throw in an illness like the flu, and you can imagine what our “sick day” looked like. I went thru every type of medicine on the shelves. When my oldest was 16 months old, she was hospitalized with bronchiolitis. While admitted, with a breast pump in one hand, missing my 4 week old son at home and praying for my baby girl to get better, another mama mentioned that we should try giving her Elderberry. I remember my father telling me stories of his grandmother giving him Elderberry when he would get sick. That sparked my interest in the Elderberry plant. I did a lot of research. After all, in most things, the old ways are the good ways.
Talk about old! In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, who is considered “THE FATHER OF MEDICINE”, called Elderberry a “medicine chest that could treat a variety of ailments.” It was used in ancient Egypt to treat burns. The Native Americans used it to treat a variety of infections. The Anglo Saxons and the Dutch considered the plant sacred. They all knew that it could relieve pain, swelling, and inflammation. It’s time tested. It was here before any of the medicines we now use to treat illnesses. But now, even science has jumped on the Elderberry train. Research was conducted at the University of Sydney that has proven that the phytochemicals in the berries are highly effective at blocking the flu virus before it can infect cells. It’s also been found highly potent at stopping the virus from developing at later stages of the cycle. Meaning, it gives you a far better chance at fighting off sickness. Who doesn’t want that? There is also research being done that shows it may also have anti-cancer properties. Simply put? This stuff is good for you!
I was sold. After giving her a few doses, our daughter was back to normal, well before the doctors predicted. Elderberry became a staple in our home. I started purchasing it over-the-counter until I decided to try making some myself. I wanted to actually see what my kids were taking every day and know where it came from. Granted, this was during a time when my depression was at its peak. I had 3 kids under the age of 5 and could barely get out of bed. The future seemed very grim. I somehow managed to develop my own twist on the recipe and my kiddos loved it even more than the store-bought. I wanted to share with family and friends and a few social media posts later, I was hooked! Lo and behold, BellyBee Goods was born and named by our youngest, Fisher, who ran all over the house yelling "More 'bellybelly,' Mama!"
While I dreamed of being nothing more than a Wife and Mother since I was a little girl, once that dream came true, I realized rather quickly that it can be lonely and not at all what it's cracked up to be. When you lose your own sense of self and identity, it's nearly impossible to fully take care of someone else while setting a positive example. I will say, very assuredly so, that The Lord is who led me to find a passion of my own and what I now see as my calling. I finally feel like Jessica again, not just "mommy." My kids see me working harder than they ever have, and let's face it, while that Mama guilt can be extremely trying at times, I know that I'm showing them that there is so much more to me than just being their mama. Understanding and admitting that has certainly made me an even better Mommy than I could have ever imagined. I have found a drive inside of me I never knew I had and I thank God every single day for leading me on this path and away from a depression that I never thought would be cured. This is an absolute dream come true and I'm so very humbled at the opportunity to keep your families healthy the same way I have mine.
A true family-run business, we do everything here at BellyBee Goods with passion. We believe that a healthy combination of God, Family, and Nature can give us all the GOOD we need. Thank you for spending your hard earned dollars on something God-given, on something we believe is naturally good for you and on something we are so proud of. In this day and age, bigger isn’t always better. From our family to yours, and from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
“Passion makes the old medicine new. Passion lops off the bough of weariness. Passion is the elixir that renews. How can there be weariness when passion is present? Oh, don’t sigh heavily from fatigue: seek passion, seek passion, seek passion!” ~Rumi
