Challenge Complete!!!!

 


Yay!! Wahoo!! We did it!!! 30 days of blogging complete!! Wow! I knew it was going to be a challenge to do it, but I'm so glad that I accepted it. It has certainly been an adventure. Thank you also for hanging in there with me. From that first blog that took my 4 hours to write and 2 days to find a template for my blog to this last blog in the 30-day challenge. I have big plans for the future of the blog and will hopefully be making some upgrades to the look of it as I have more time to spend on learning a little HTML.



I learned that I really enjoy writing. Don’t know why this is such a revelation as I have been writing for my own enjoyment for years. But it seems like such a revelation that I enjoy writing for others. The best compliment I have been payed was when several of my friends who know me in person, told me that they can really hear my voice as they read what I write. That, is the best thing ever. It means, for me, that I am getting through what I want to say while being true to me and who I am.



Of course, my dear husband, who is always the first to encourage and push me on, asked me if I was going to keep it up. Blog every day for forever? Are you Crazy? Do you know how hard this was? He just blank stared back and said: "Well, are you?" I love how he thinks I'm such a wonder woman that that would be a piece of cake for me. I want to keep blogging and I know that it is important to keep the information coming or people forget about you. So, my goal is to blog at least once a week from here on out. I would love to do more than once a week, but I'm afraid to commit to more than once a week. There, I said it. I'm afraid. Realistically with being about to pop another human out, I am going to need a little down time to adjust, but I believe that I can still manage a once a week blog, even under those circumstances. Therefore, I am committing to a blog a week. I hope you will all continue to join me for our weekly episodes and if you find me not keeping up with my end of that bargain, give me a call out. I might need a good ear pulling.

Though the overall number of participants that completed all 30 days has gone down from the original number who set out to achieve it, there are still a big number of bloggers that stepped up and persevered. To each of them I offer a heartfelt, “Good Job!” and a virtual high five. I want to encourage others that have a desire to blog but need a little motivation, get a blogging partner. Get in on a challenge, like I did! It was so nice to know that others were there, right alongside me, working for the same goal. Don’t be afraid to try. You won’t be sorry!

Thank you for hanging in there with me!!!

Top 5 Best Sellers

“What’s your best seller?”

This question is one that I get several times at each craft show or event I attend. I always smile a little at this one because the answer not super simple due to the fact that there are best sellers in different categories. By category I mean how I classify the scents. I like to group the scents in these categories: Sweet/bakery, Floral, Clean, Essential Oil only and unscented. But, if I had to choose the top five best sellers, regardless of where they fall in my scent categories, these would be them:

5. Covered in Candy: this is definitely the one sweet soap! It is juicy bubblegum, cotton candy, juicy apples and pears blended together with sugared candy lemon drops meshed with crushed Madagascar vanilla. Doesn’t that sound good enough to eat? Of the bakery/sweets scented soap that I carry, this is one of my personal favorites too. It screams fun and fancy.

4. Meteor Shower: This fun soap has been a hit with both men and women! It is a unisex scent that is fresh and clean. It is described as a fresh floral fragrance as drops of rain land
of a field of jasmine with a hint of grass. Even though it is a floral, it is not too feminine and makes you think clean! And the design of this one was the inspiration for the name. After taking left over scraps of soap and making them into the shape of balls, I was inspired to embed them into a soap loaf. The resulting effect reminded me of a meteor shower and so the name was born.

 3. Liberty: This soap is about one bar away from being sold out. Guess I better get on restocking this one! The scent is juicy melon and sweet raspberries pooled with a bountiful bouquet of muguet, peonies and magnolias softened with white musk. It is feminine, intoxicating and soft all at the same time. It doesn’t scream perfume, but more a clean, refreshing scent. What completes this one is the glitter on top. I’m a sucker for glitter.

2. Honey Bunches of Buttermilk: Even though this one has no scent at all, it is one of my best sellers. Customers that love this bar are those that are looking for unscented soap or have very sensitive skin. From the buttermilk to the oatmeal, this is a great choice for people with Eczema as well. I touched on what Eczema is and its treatments in 2 previous posts if you are interested in reading those (read part 1 here and part 2 here).  I have also had customers that have purchased this bar to use on their dogs.

1. Rise & Shine: This is by far my best seller. Scented in Essential oils of Peppermint and Eucalyptus, this one is refreshing and awakening. I recommend this one for body use and warn that some might have a sensitivity to peppermint in more delicate areas of the body. This is not the case with everyone and one of my best customers says she uses it everywhere. It is a creamy bar that really packs a punch. As with a lot of essential oils, I find that the dry bar is mildly scented, but get that puppy wet and lathered, and you are greeted by wave upon wave of mind clearing minty freshness. (I don't have a photo of this one!! Oh the shame!!)

I Got A New Camera! (And Texas soap reveal photos)

I got a new camera!! It was a huge deal for me to invest in a nicer camera. It is a big purchase and I am a bit of a researcher when it comes to making a purchase like that. I googled what kind of cameras were popular for YouTubers, what cameras were good for photos and video, what was a good price range, I googled, well lots and lots of things. After a very extensive search, I decided that what would work for what I wanted to do and would also fit my pocket book was a Canon Rebel. I wanted to get either a T3i or a T5i. The biggest difference I found between the two, was that the T5i does 1080 video and had a touch screen. I then went to my favorite online shopping place: Amazon. The price for both were a bit higher then what I had budgeted. So I did the next best thing: Ebay.

Now, Ebay can be such a slippery slope for me. I tend to be frugal by nature, but I am also a very competitive person. So my frugal side will keep me from bidding on something because I want a steal of a deal, while that competitive side will get me bidding and bidding because I want to win. How do I avoid getting in my own way? I set myself a budget. A max budget. Since, as I mentioned above, I had done my research beforehand, I knew what a good price would be. Then I set out to find my camera. I must have bid and lost out on at least 8 different cameras! I had several get away because they went for more than my budget, but several others got away and I was baffled! One was the strangest thing ever: I bid and was the highest bidder, but the seller had predetermined a minimum amount that he would let it go for. I was the highest bidder, but my bid was still beneath the threshold, so I upped it. Unfortunately, there was no one bidding against me at this point and the bid wouldn’t go higher even though I tried to up it manually. That was frustrating! Then I started to lose out on a few because I was bidding but the webpage was not keeping up in real time. Here I was thinking I had 10 minutes to go and would put in my max bid at 5 minutes and then, *poof*, auction over, you lost. What made it worse, was a few of them I would have bid higher than the final bid, if I hadn’t been holding out for the last minute to try and beat the system. Grrr!

I discovered that what I had to do, was download the app on my phone. That had real time on the bids. So after weeks of trying and like I said probably, 8 -10 lost auctions, I was now the highest bidder on two! Uh oh, two?! Yes, two. Oh the suspense! I won the Canon Rebel T5i that I wanted and was outbid on the T3i that was my second choice. Yay!!

Now, I get to discover all the amazing possibilities that this beautiful camera has to offer. Of course, my first stop was YouTube and then I have read some of the manual. I am also looking at my local collage to see if they might have a beginner’s course! So far I have played with the three things I learned about on YouTube: ISO, aperture and shutter speed. I can’t claim I know quite how to make it work every time with a trial shot or two, but it sure is fun!! I know it will just get better from here. I hope you will all be treated to better product pictures in the very near future.

As promised, here are some photos of yesterdays Texas soap. I took this with my new camera!! :)

If you would like to see the making video:

Texas Pride

If there is one thing that I have learned from living here in Texas, it's that Texans love Texas. They are very proud of their state and they love to display that in everything from bumper stickers to clothing choices. You can never go wrong with anything shaped like Texas. Now, I don't know if such state pride is a common thing everywhere. I certainly haven't lived in that many states, so I really can't compare. All my children have been born here in Texas, and I know that they will carry that same state pride with them wherever they go. Must be something in the water. ;)

A sturdy and detailed Silicone mold of Texas!

I recently had a great opportunity to purchase some very special silicone molds. Yes, you guessed it, shaped like the great state of Texas! These molds are really special because they are designed and sold by a fellow soaper that I had the privilege of meeting at the Lonestar Soap & Toiletries Seminar this past April. Mindy Curnutt designed these bad boys and they are available in two different sizes: Medium and Small. When an Amazon Flash Sale on the molds fell through, Mindy very graciously extended a discount for those of us that were interested in purchasing the molds. I didn't even think twice as I snagged three! I got the larger of the two sizes and am so very excited to get to soap with these. They are going to be a prefect size bar of soap. The mold itself is sturdy and flexible. I can see this used for so much more than just soap. Can you imagine a chocolate cake shaped like Texas dripping in ganache? Oh yum! Maybe I need to keep one mold for non-soaping projects....







I'm going to whip up a batch of soap in these bad boys today and will have reveal shots of the finished bars at a later date, since the soap needs to set for at least 24 hours before I can take it out of the molds. I want to be sure and give all the edges enough time to firm up so as to preserve the great detail that the mold offers.



 I am also going to make a video of the making and unmolding for this soap. I get to use my new camera for the first time, so wish me luck!! I'll be sure and link that for ya'll when it's ready. For now, enjoy a sneak peek at the soap in the mold.

Wet Soap Alert! This is scented in Oatmeal Milk and Honey fragrance. YUM!

If you would like to get one of these amazing molds for yourself, here is a link to it on Amazon: Texas Silicone Mold, Medium

Let's Talk Body Butter!

This is a Body Butter made with Shea, Cocoa Butter and Ccoonut Oil.

My first encounter with Body Butter was a year or so before launching Soap Doctor Soaps. As our family embarked on the journey of making our own products and simplifying what we used, I came across a pin on Pinterest about Body Butter. I was pregnant at the time and it was the middle of Winter, so the idea really resonated with me. After finding several recipes, I settled on one to try. I hit up Amazon to order the butters and oils that I didn't have. I had Coconut oil on hand, so I ordered Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter. I got some arrowroot powder at my local HEB in the bulk section and I cleaned out an old salsa jar for my body butter to go into.

Most of these oils I had never worked with, so I had no idea what they were supposed to smell like or look like. If only I had known! I melted my butters together, added my oils and arrowroot powder and whipped them until I had a nice consistency. Transferred it all into my glass jar and waited until the next day to see the final result. Little did I know at the time, but the Shea Butter that I had ordered off of Amazon was rancid. Having never worked with it before, I didn't recognize the slightly off-putting smell before melting it into my other oils. Only after I applied the body butter from head to toe did I start to realize that it kinda stunk. And then that kinda turned into a bit more and then into an "Oh my word get this stuff off of me!" stink. Remember, I was pregnant at the time, so my sense of smell was heightened. I was so discouraged but hated to waste anything, so I went on Amazon again to order some Rose Essential Oil to try and mask the smell of the Shea. Alas, it was to no avail. I could still smell the rancid butter, and now I just had a jar of stinky roses. The whole thing went in the garbage, the Shea went back to Amazon, and several weeks went by before I revisited the idea of Body Butter. The lesson I learned was this: if you have never worked with a butter before, try melting it separately and smell it before adding it to your big batch. For me, the rancid smell was so much stronger in the melted form and if I had done that I might never have added it to my large batch.

The whole experience was so scaring that it took me delving into bath bomb making to revisit Shea Butter. I wanted nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do with it because of my memory of that rancid rose Body Butter. To this day, I have never cared too much for Rose Essential Oil either.

Getting back to body butter, when I revisited the whole issue, I decided to try Mango Butter instead. After trying this combination, I fell in love with body butter. It is so rich and luxurious, goes on so nicely and leaves your skin feeling supple and loved. By adding the Arrowroot powder, you minimize a bit of the greasy feel and truthfully, this is not as much an issue in the winter months for me. It is still my go to when pregnant, as it has helped ward off that itchy skin feeling caused by the stretching to accommodate a growing baby. It's also great for dry heals! I am a barefoot kinda gall, and my feet do pay the price for that. I love to slather a bit of body butter on my heals at night before bed and especially if I have just popped out of a warm bath. You can almost see you skin smile and sight with contentment. Ok, maybe that's a little exaggeration. But I like to think it does.

Here is a link to the recipe that I started out with and really enjoyed: Whipped Body Butter.

If you are going to try this at home, here are three tips I can give you:

1.      When you melt your hard oils or butters together, keep them melted at 160 degrees for about 15-20 minutes before moving onto the rest of your recipe. This helps to prevent crystallization of the hard oils later. I have always had smooth butters and have avoided any grainy textures when following this step. Before I had a thermometer to measure, I would just keep it in a liquid state for the allotted time. But, if you can measure your temperature, it's easier.

2.      After you combine your whole recipe, set it in the fridge overnight. Next morning you can move onto the whipping part, if you want a whipped butter. When you take it cold out of the fridge, let it warm up just a bit, and then whip it, you will get a much lighter texture.

3.      Even though it is ready to use right away, I like to let mine sit for a couple hours before using. Most even until the next day. The scent, if I add any, usually gets stronger and the texture solidifies a little more.

Body Butter melts beautifully with the warmth of the skin.

A little goes a long way. So even if the recipe looks like it doesn't make much, it will last you a good long time. If you subject this to high heats, it will melt and you will lose the whipped effect. If you wish to take the time to rewhip, you can. But it is still a great product just as is. Maybe a little harder to get out of the jar, but still amazing on the skin.

Baby Shower Bath Bomb Favors

As some of you know, I am expecting baby #5 in September. This last month is always the most exhausting, but exciting time as it draws nearer to meeting the little person that you have already loved for so long. I am blessed to be a part of a family that believes that every child is a blessing and should be celebrated. As such, we throw a baby shower for every baby. Be it baby # 1 or #5, we love to celebrate!

I wanted to help out in some way, so I begged and begged to do the party favors. I have something I have been dying to try. 

In my recent browsing of online stores, I found these 1.5” metal bath bomb molds on Two Wild Hares website and I though those would make the absolute cutest little bath bombs for party favors! I had previously ordered some 2-inch width cello bags off of Nashville Wraps that I figured would fit these to a tee. When I got the bomb mold, however, I realized that the bags I already have wouldn’t work. Yes, they are 2 inches, but they are 2 inches flat and bath bombs are, well, a sphere. I then went onto a website called ClearBags.com and found that they carried gusseted square bottom cello bags. Just what I needed! Unsure of really how big these were going to be, I erred on the side of caution and got the 1 ¾ inch bags. Looking back, I will order the 1 ½ inch ones’ next time around.

The baby shower theme is Pink and Pearls so I made pink bath bombs and added little sugar pearls I got at the supermarket. The new mold makes a very cute little bath bomb. Because the sides are so sleek and not lipped, you get a very smooth bath bomb. You do need to have a spoon or something handy to tap the mold to help release the bomb easier. I am sure going to invest in a second set of this mold and maybe a few larger ones.  I am so happy with the way these turned out!

Mini Bath Bomb Baby Shower Favors.

I designed a label on Avery.com and printed it here at home for free. I like to use a heavy card stock because it makes the label more durable and then you don’t get all that curling as you transport them. To finish the packaging, I took the excess from the top of the cello bag, folded it over, punched two holes and threaded through a ribbon and attached the label. They turned out just as I had imagined them!

Can you just see these customized to any party occasion? You could do bright colored ones for a kid’s party or black bath bombs with little eyeballs for a Spooky Bash? So many possibilities!

When Life Doesn't Follow Your Plan

My Handsome Husband.

Have you ever had a day that just doesn't turn out the way you had hoped? It happened to me today. I bought a new to me camera off of EBay for my business. I need to step up my photos of products, especially as I want to further an online store. So, I got myself a Canon Rebel T5i and waited anxiously for its arrival. It arrived today!! I have no idea how to use it, but I am so excited to learn!

Here was my plan:

· Get the new camera.

· Document with beautiful photos making mini bath bombs.

· Make custom labels and put together all the party favors for my baby shower.

· take amazing photos of finished product.

· Blog about the whole thing.

Here is what really happened:

I got the camera in the mail. Yay! Both batteries that came with it needed charging, so I set the name brand one to charge. After several hours I put it in the camera. It is dead. It didn't charge. So now I have to set the non-name brand battery to charge. Hours pass. Now it is late in the day. Kids are hungry, dinner needs to be made. Post is not written, photos are not taken, bath bombs and labels are still not made.

Hubby takes over making dinner as I whip out a few bath bombs. I do manage to take a few photos. None are perfect. None are in focus. Now I set out to design the labels. I decide to cut them out with the new silhouette I got. They won't cut. I am now beyond frustrated. This post is not going to be what I want it to be.

Mini Bath Bombs.

So, I have a choice. Do I give up on the whole blogging once a day for 30 days? Can I just go crawl my very pregnant body into bed and hide under the covers while eating chocolate chip cookies?

No! I am instead going to share a couple of the photos I took with me new camera. They are far from perfect, but they are a small window into today’s little victories. The post about the bath bombs will have to come another day. For now, I want to leave you with this:

Random photo. Playing with ISO

My days don't always go as planned. And that is ok. At the end of the day, if I have persevered, I can say I accomplished something. If the whole day was a wash, I can say: tomorrow is a new day and look forward to conquering mountains in the light of a new morning.

My Baby Girl.

Soap Savers Save the Day!

In the world of handmade products, diversification can be your saving grace. That is no exception with soap making. If you take a moment and look at most soap makers that sell their products, they usually offer more than just soap. When you offer a wider variety of products, you broaden your potential market. For example, I don’t get a lot of children coming over for a bar of soap, but they are crazy about my bath bombs and they are quick to point out how they need a lip balm or two. For them, parting with $6-7 is harder than $2. And also, if you have a variety of products, you also are more likely to have something for everyone in the family. Some of the products I sell have been the result of a very intentional attempt at such diversification. But other I have come upon much by accident.

My favorite of these are my soap saver. Now, there are soap savers of all kinds and varieties. There are mesh soap savers and soap savers on a string. You name it, there is a soap saver like that. Wait a minute, I’m getting ahead of myself. Rewind.

Do you know what a soap saver is? No? Ok, it is basically a little bag in which you put your soap bar. It is meant to help your bar of soap last longer. It works as a built in wash cloth and also it “saves” your soap because as you get down to the tiny, miniscule sliver of soap that you can’t quite hold in our hands, it doesn’t go to waste because it just lathers right up in its little cocoon. So, that is a soap saver. 

 

Soap Savers ready for teacher gifts! This is the photo posted by my friend to my

Facebook page which prompted me to add them to my line of products.

Photo Credit: Amy Barnhart.

I was first introduced to them by one of my customers and very good friend who is an avid knitter and crochets. She came to me to buy a great assortment of soaps as teacher gifts. She then made soap savers for each soap and packaged them with a gorgeous tag for each teacher. The soap savers she made were so adorable, that no further wrapping was needed! When she posted pictures to my Facebook page of her creations, I knew this was something I had to have. Not only are they functional for my customer base, they are beautiful to look at and even better? They are handmade by another small business in my area. I promptly put in an order with my dear friend and awaited this newest addition to my inventory with baited breath. I was not disappointed.

The soap savers have been a huge hit. Made from soft cotton yarn, each soap saver stretches to fit any size bar of soap. From Parents wanting to provide their kids with a great alternative to a slippery bar of soap or those looking to make their homemade soap bar last that much longer, soap savers offer something for everyone. I promptly gave my husband a soap saver, and I have been very impressed at how much longer his bar of homemade soap lasts. I believe that because the soap hangs free in the shower and doesn’t sit in the little soap shelf, it air dries. It also lathers up with less work because the fibers of the handmade soap saver are well impregnated with lovely soap.

And we are able to provide a wide variety of colors to choose from. Each soap saver is a little bit different from the next, which ties in perfectly with handcrafted soaps. Each unique. Our next quest is to try and incorporate a bit of a “scrubby” factor on own side of the soap saver for a little extra exfoliation. Will keep you posted on the progress of those.

Have you tried a soap saver before? What are you waiting for! Pick up one today and give it a whirl! You won’t be disappointed.