Betty Whitmore - Soothies of Montana

Website - www.soothiesofmontana.com

Etsy - etsy.com/shop/Soothiesofmontana

Email - bettywhitmore8@gmail.com

My name is Betty. I live in Northern Montana, up where the sky is blue and the air is clear. I am married, a mom of 6 kids, and i have 8 grand kids! I have always wanted to have my own business and now that I have recently retired as a medical transcriptionist at our local hospital, I am able to do just that!

The inklings of this business started about 15 years ago after my sister visited a therapist because of sore neck muscles. In the office, the nurse put a warm towel on her neck and upper back that felt wonderful, but it was wet and drippy. We were determined to find a better way to help relieve the pain from sore, tight muscles, a natural form of pain relief that would produce an amazing moist heat, but something that also would get icy cold. After many trials with different fabrics and fills, shapes and sizes, we settled on flannel and cotton fabric stuffed with flax seed, and Soothies were born!

Feel free to browse my shop and check out all of the different size Soothies. We have little boo boo bags, neck wraps, and different size flat pads that you can microwave for a moist heat pack or freeze for an icy cold pack I also make neck coolers - fabric ties filled with a nontoxic polymer crystal, that puff up and turn cold when soaked in water. These neck ties stay cold for days and can be worn to help stay cool when working outdoors, attending sporting events, hiking, gardening, and most any time you need to get some cool relief on hot summer days. Check us out! https://SoothiesofMontana.com

To use a Soothie cold, cotton fabric works best. A cotton Soothie releases the cold quickly and intensely. When frozen, each individual flax seed freezes, but the pack stays soft allowing it to be wrapped around the wrist, ankle, or any joint of the body. No longer do you have to deal with the mess of gel packs, melting ice, or frozen bags of peas.

We initially took Soothies to craft shows to see if people liked them and would use them. At the shows, we would heat the Soothie in a microwave and put it hot in peoples’ hands. They loved them and Soothies were an overwhelming success. In fact, at a typical weekend craft show, we will sell anywhere from 70 to 120 Soothies. Though some people made their own out of rice in a sock, people far preferred the pretty flannel ones we had and loved the moist heat the flax seed produces. Soothie buyers also gave us ideas for sizes and shapes they would like to have; thus, we now have 4 different sizes of Soothies, both in cotton and flannel to pick from.

Making Soothies has now become a family affair allowing me to make a lot more Soothies, and knowing this is a product people like and want to buy, we would like to make Soothies available to others outside of the craft show market. Lisa, assistant cheer coach at Montana State University, now uses cold Soothies for athletic injuries and sprains, and warm Soothies for chronic muscle pain. But all those, whether a seasoned athlete or a weekend hiker who enjoys an active, outdoor lifestyle could benefit from the soothing power of a warm Soothie. It feels like a warm hug.

Also find me at these events:

• Jun. 21 to Jun. 23, 2024 - Start of Summer Art/Craft Show - Trade Center Building, Flathead County Fairgrounds - Kalispell, MT

Shop some of Betty's products: