My Core

What sets me aflame

I’m a Central New York native with a lot of love for my family, my community, and my business. In 2016, after serving my community as an EMS Responder for 11 years, I became a stay-at-home-mom. Having whole-heartedly loved watching my three children grow up thus far, it was only fitting that when I decided to grow a business it would be named after them. Because of this, bug, bear & bean is more than just the name on my labels; it is an extension of my family and an invitation to become a part of our personal community.

After making the switch to soy candles for the health benefits, I was disappointed to find that many didn’t smell nearly as strong as my old paraffin candles. In October 2018, just five weeks after my youngest daughter was born, I tried to solve this problem and I poured my first batch of candles. They were terrible.
After A LOT of trial and error, I managed to create a five-hour slow pour technique that creates candles with the level of fragrance I love!

Although I had my technique figured out, I knew a good pour meant nothing without good ingredients. For creating my candles, I chose to use soy that is grown in the USA, cotton wicks that are lead free and fragrance oils that are infused with essential oils and free of toxic phthalates.
After spending countless late nights in my kitchen filling candle orders, I found myself running out of space to work. So in March 2021, I opened my first store front!

What started as selling candles to close family and friends in 2019 is now a successful business with both online and physical stores -- where I get to provide the larger bug, bear & bean family with quality candles. The overwhelming support for my business has been nothing short of incredible, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve my community again, this time as a craftsperson.