​Sometimes “growing” may mean taking a step back...realizing what’s important in life, what you can live with and what you can’t live without.

For those of you who have been with me since my days at the farmers market, nearly 11 years ago - thank you and welcome back! For those of you who are visiting for their very first time - thank you and welcome!

I realized something pretty major since last Mother’s Day and wanted to share it. I started SALTOPIA while I was a stay-at-home mom, with a toddler and newborn baby. I wanted chemical free salts and seasonings for my baby food recipes. I simply couldn’t find anything at grocery or specialty stores. So, I started to make my own! While creating chemical free foods for my family to ensure my babies were growing healthy, I found a new baby: SALTOPIA!

My creations quickly turned into a little business. From farmers markets to mail order catalogs...my salt company just sort of grew and grew and grew. Before long, I was running a factory space, managing an enormous storefront, juggling massive wholesale business alongside an online business... loads of staff... loads of problems... enormous responsibilities, including unrealistic shipping deadlines for massive partners with slim margins...

I found myself working nonstop. I was never with my family. I missed my boys playing at their soccer and baseball games. I had no idea if they had homework or if they had missed assignments until I heard from their teachers. I hardly made a good meal anymore. I was over-obligated, over-worked and completely disconnected. Then, one day between last Mother’s Day and this one: I woke up. I realized that I had not only become disconnected from my family but also disconnected from my business even though I was living at work! I lost that critical connection to my customers - which is the entire reason I love what I do! Some of my salts are named by my customers! RICHARD PEABODY PECK III is named after my own dad! I no longer knew who my customers were, what they ordered or if they even were happy with the products. It was really awful. It was a complete parallel to what was happening with my family at home. I had no idea how they were doing, if they were happy and excelling in their young lives, nor was I a part of it. All of my babies were suffering.
 
I guess at some points I kept pushing because I wanted to have more for my family. Make more money. Create stability for our future. Build a foundation in which the boys may be able to continue with one day. However, as the years were flying by, I realized what’s important is “right now.” My boys won’t be little much longer. 

​I’ve missed enough of their young lives. I’m so very grateful for all the amazing business opportunities I have been blessed with. But I want to be able to get back to that customer connection. That family connection. That’s what SALTOPIA is all about. I want to know that what I do each day makes a difference in the lives of others, especially my children.
 
And so I took a giant step back to reconnect. It feels so good to be able to do that again. Placing notes in each customer box and being able tend to each customer request is critical to me. Maybe that won’t ever make me a millionaire - but that’s not why I started the business in the first place! I’ve heard that “business should never be taken personally” – yet, this little business is nothing but personal. I like it that way! Numbers don’t matter if when you add them up, you end up feeling negative.
 
My husband Michael, who coaches my sons little league teams always tells them, “It doesn’t matter if you win, what matters is that you do your best each and every game!” I’m taking his advice (as usual) and putting my best into each pinch.

Happy Mother’s Day - may every day we do our very best in life, no matter what we do! Thank you for all the love and support! - Kimarie Santiago, WIFE/MOM/CEO

Feliz Cinco De Mayo everyone! I wanted to share something I learned about fruit recently. I LOVE fresh fruit - especially when it's in season! There's nothing worse than trying to eat watermelon out of season. It's all mealy and not at all sweet. Ick. I try to live like a good locavore and only eat what's available in season, locally. However, sometimes I crave something such as strawberries covered in sweet cream on top of pancakes!! YUM!!  Here's a little science behind the sweeter fruits:

First: when fruit ripens, the process is controlled by a hormone called auxin. When the ripening process reaches it's peak, it causes the cell walls of the fruit to degrade. This makes the fruit taste sweet and juicy! (Nerd alert!)

Next: out of season fruits can easily be "tricked" into the above-mentioned process by sprinkling a touch of seas salt. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, sea salt actually enhances the flavor of fruits overall. Just don't go overboard, otherwise your fruit will be far too salty. 
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​When I came home from our trip, I was desperate for more dragon fruit. I went to a small specialty fruit and veggie store run by a lovely Korean family near my home. They always have the best selection of produce at great prices! Two beautiful bright pink dragon fruits made their way into my market bag, along with a bunch of other deliciousness. Dragon fruits are ripe when they softer to the touch - much like an avocado. If it's mushy - then it's overripe. I sliced open the fruit and sampled a small piece. NOPE. Not sweet. I reached for my jar of SALTOPIA SWEET LIFE infused raw sugar cane, DATE NIGHT and sprinkled away. I used enough sugar so that it added the needed pop of sweet, but not too much - you will want the sugar to dissolve right into the fruit so you don't see it. So now, if you crave a fruit that may not be in season just yet, reach for some raw sugar!

Hotel information and friends tip: This magical fruit bowl was enjoyed at Baha Bay Beach Club at the Baha Mar Hotel in the Bahamas. You can book your lounger in advance for your entire stay at Club, so you don't have to be a maniac waking up at 6am to run down to the pool and throw towels, flip flops and books on a chair. Plus the fee to reserve your chair goes towards your food and beverage orders that day. It's brilliant! My chair! My fruit bowl! My view! My kinda vacation! My kids spent the day in the hotel's brand new waterpark, which is next to the Beach Club, while hubby and I slept in the sun (and ate a bunch of fruit, of course).