Making Bath Bombs/Bath Fizzies

Last night, very late, I was making bath bombs, aka, bath fizzies. I personally would rather call them bath fizzies than bath bombs, but they are the same thing. I put lemon oil in them so they smell really good. They are supposed to fizzle when you put them in your bath water. These should be about 2 ounces as the mold that I put them in holds 2 ounces per mold. They are made from mainly salt, but mine have jojoba oil and lemon oil in them as well. Making these would be a great science project in school. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Bath-Bombs/?ALLSTEPS

Christmas Countdown and Free Stuff

Christmas isn't about gifts and receiving. We all know that. But...it is really fun to receive. And it's really fun to give. Sooo, what if I told you that you could win a bunch of gifts for yourself and maybe even a few to give away as gifts? Now, that's fun.

So I've pulled together...you guessed it!...12 different companies to bring you some really awesome gifts. You can enter each day and encourage your friends to enter so you can split the prize! It's up to you whether you keep them all for yourself, give them all away, or do something in between. 

The Gifts

Most of the companies you'll see listed below are local in my area and many of the items are hand-crafted! I'm so excited to be able to support their businesses and share their products with you and your family. Be sure to check them out! Cheeks ‘n Bums – a Sanitize Those Hands and a Balm Stick ($17.48 value). Enter coupon code "10FOR12" for 10% off through December 31, 2013. Jessica's Crochet Creations –a medium-sized, pre-lanolized wool soaker in a gender neutral color ($33 value). Mention Growing Up Triplets and receive 10% off of all wool soakers and longies, and 5% off of all other creations through December 31, 2013.

Diaper Donks - one-size hybrid fitted diaper ($28 value). Get free shipping with the code "12DAYS" through December 31, 2013. DoTerra with Joy – a doTERRA Introductory Kit which includes a 5 ml bottle of dōTERRA's Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oils as well as an introductory audio CD and booklet, and suggested uses of the included oils ($26.67 value). Receive a FREE 5ml bottle of Wild Orange and a Living Magazine with the purchase of an enrollment kit, through December 31, 2013. 

Hoplet House –pick from one of their personalized t-shirts or onesies (custom designed for each order) and one of their personalized, custom-made prints - perfect for a nursery or room decor ($23.99 value).

Use coupon code THANKYOU10 for 10% off any purchase through December 31, 2013.

Inspired Simply – an 11x17 personalized "Family Rules" print and an 8x10 Christmas Wall Art - Rejoice in the Hallowed Manger Ground print ($32 value). Enter coupon code SIMPLY10 for 10% off through December 12, 2013.

 

ItWorks with Emily – a bundle of the defining gel and greens supplement (trial sizes, $15 value).

Lemongrass Spa with Kristen – Lavender Mint Salt Body Polish (8 oz., $16 value).

Premier Designs – the beautiful Starlet bracelet ($45 value). Buy 1, get 1 50% off (equal or lesser value) through December 31, 2013 (use access code BLING to shop).

Soaps for Life - 5 hand-crafted soaps made with a variety of goat's milk oatmeal, cedar, orange and more ($15 value).

Two Chicks and a Bar – two holiday bar soaps (choose from Cinnamon Balsam, Spruceberry, Apple Cinnamon, Lavender Sparkle ($15 value).

Young Living with Kylene – a 15 ml bottle of Orange (Citrus sinensis) Essential Oil and a Cinnamint Lip Balm ($19.73 value).

Receive $10 off the Premium Starter Kit (while supplies last).

The TOTAL VALUE of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway is $286.87! Whoa! That's a lot of love, fun, and awesomeness to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are you most excited to win?

Glycerin Soaps Last Forever (Almost)

  I just want to bring a report from a couple of my friends about one of the types of soaps I gave them. They told me that the soaps last forever. At least it seems that way. The soaps they are referring to are the glycerin ones. Glycerin soaps do last a long time. If you want to invest in a soap that lasts longer than other soaps, choose glycerin.

My First Promo Offer

   As I have mentioned, I will be at an Arts and Crafts Festival on November 16th, held at Metro Life Church on Winter Park Drive in Casselberry. Recently, I have made a lot of soap and have some new varieties available. Two new ones are lemon soap and sheep's milk-oatmeal soap. They will be available at the arts and crafts festival along with all the other soaps and homemade items.
   The promo I am offering is this; For the goat's milk-oatmeal soap bars that are $3.50/bar, I will sell them at $3 a bar. The Fancy Soap that is $3/bar will sell for $2.50/bar. Here is the promo code:
Jesus is the Lamb of God. Either tell me the code or write it on paper and show it to me. Offer good on November 16th at the Arts & Crafts Festival at Metro Life Church. Some of the proceeds from the goat's milk-oatmeal soaps will still go to Sanctuary Ministries, a ministry designed to serve women who have chosen to go through their pregnancies and deliver their babies in spite of the many reasons they could have used to have an abortion.
   Other soaps available will be:
Volcano Soaps (4oz., 5oz. and sample sizes)
Lemon Soaps (contains lemon rinds - 4 oz. bars and sample sizes)
Sheep's Milk Oatmeal Soaps - (4 oz. bars and sample sizes)
Glycerin Soaps (last a long, long time- various sizes and shapes)

   Other items that will be available are:
Crocheted Afghans
Doll House Items
Knitted Christmas Stockings
Cat and Bird Toys
Girl's Bracelets

 

Soap Plant - Chlorogalum pomeridianum

  Here's a different way to make soap. I haven't tried this yet, but I find this fascinating. I am so intrigued by this plant that I would consider growing my own if I could find some seeds or bulbs. This plant grows a nut like fruit (although it isn't in the nut family) that is used like soap. It even has some of the ingredients that soap has, built into the plant. How amazing! The Native Americans used this plant for soap. How cool is that?

New Business Card

Here is the pic of my new business card

Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap, 5 oz. bars or 4 oz. bars?

  I am about to make Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap and will pour it into a mold when it is finished mixing. I can cut the soap to make it 4 ounces or I can cut it up to make it 5 ounces. I wonder which one is preferable? Either way, the soap will sell for $0.875 an ounce. I don't have to cut it up until Monday. Four ounce bars are $3.50 and the five ounce bars will be $4.25 ( a little discount) or, if they come out too uneven in size, I will sell them by the ounce. I haven't decided on a price for sample bars, but probably will go with $1.50.
   Some of the money made from the Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap goes to Sanctuary Ministries, a ministry that serves pregnant women who refuse to have an abortion.

Exciting News About Soap Wrapping

   I am getting ready to sell my soaps, but they have to be wrapped, which always produces more than one dilemma. When soap is being cured, it needs to be exposed to the air, and once it is cured, it should not be covered with anything that would keep air out.
  I have a few options on wrapping soap, but each one has a problem. I usually wrap my Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap in wrapping tissue, which provides the air it needs to have around it, but, the soap is completely covered in tissue and you can't see the finished product. To some people, that really doesn't matter though.
  In wrapping Fancy Soaps, the goal is to have the customers be able to see the shape of the soap, with all its unique details. If you wrap Fancy Soap with tissue, you can't see it, although the scent might still come through because the tissue is porous.
  One thing I have noticed is how some people sell their soaps with just a paper band around the bar of soap. I have been doing that and really like that idea, however, it is hard to put a band around the Fancy Soaps because of all the details that don't fit evenly under the band. Plus, it covers some, of not most, of the design of the soap!
  So, another idea is to wrap the Fancy Soaps with cellophane or cling wrap. But, as I already pointed out, covering soap with anything that is not porous will keep the air from circulating around the soap, and it could cause the oils to turn rancid, if left too long in the cellophane. But, I have overcome that problem! Tonight, as I was trying to wrap some odd shaped soaps, and being rather unsuccessful at it, I decided to wrap a rectangular shaped soap, but, I am leaving the sides open. I am not being a cheapskate when I do this, so when you see my soaps with the sides left open, you will know why.
  Leaving the sides uncovered helps keep the air around the soap bar more easily, plus, it lets you smell the scent of the soap. Also, if it is covered with cellophane, the design of the soap will show through! It looks very pretty and yet it will not suffocate.

New Soap Idea

   I was thinking about the different soaps I can make this week. What kind will be in demand most, and do I have enough in my reserve or will I have to make more. The soap that is in demand the most is the goat's milk-oatmeal soap so I find myself making this one more than any other type. However, a thought came to mind last night about another type of soap. I have never heard of soap made from sheep's milk, but then again, sheep's milk is hard to find.
   I am going to receive some sheep's milk this week, and might try using some to make a batch of sheep's milk-oatmeal soap. What do you think? Why I even have a mold for sheep!
   The cost of sheep's milk-oatmeal soap would be somewhat higher than goat's milk-oatmeal soap, mainly because of the cost of sheep's milk. If you have never tasted sheep's milk, you should try to find some. It is very sweet and creamy. It is more digestible than cow's milk.
  So, if you come to the Arts and Crafts Festival in November, that I am part of, you just might see some bars of sheep's milk-oatmeal soap. Of course, they will be in a bin all to themselves! I will report the results of making sheep's milk-oatmeal soap in a later blog.

New Soaps, New Sizes, Snow-globe Soap, and Strawberry Plants

  I am excited about the way the new size soap turned out. I made goat's milk-oatmeal soap in a different shape, turning out to be around 5 ounce bars. Something to wrap your hand around now. I also made, in the same shape and size, Volcano soap. These soaps will sell by the ounce. For example, a couple of bars are 4.75 oz, so I will sell them at .75 cents per ounce and will have them weighed out and wrapped with the price on them to sell. A bar with that weight comes out to $ 3.56 cents. A portion of the money made from the goat's milk-oatmeal soaps still goes to Sanctuary Ministries, which is there to serve women who will continue to carry their babies until they are ready to be born. Many will give their babies up for adoption (which is a great choice) while others will keep their babies and raise them themselves.
   I love the feel of the Volcano soap and it is really made with the product called, Pumice, which comes from volcanoes. It is an ingredient in Lava Soap as well. I have used Volcano Soap on my face, and my face is very sensitive to whatever touches it. However, I would not recommend you do this unless you feel comfortable trying it out. Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap does a good job on the face. In fact, I know one man who uses it to shave with!
  I finally got around to making the Snow-Globe Soap. It is a clear soap with a round ball inside (the ball has a picture inside it) and is shaped like a snow-globe. Next will come shell soap. It will be clear bar soap with shells (that are made out of soap also) inside that you can see.
   Finally, I am very excited to announce my tentative plan on starting a nursery. I will grow plants that will be sold locally. I am looking forward to planting Alpine Strawberries, which come in the colors of red, yellow, and white. They are smaller than regular strawberries, but I'm sure they taste good. They will be good to put into salads. Also, I will plant heirloom tomatoes. Everyone needs tomatoes, whether to make tomato sauce with, or salsa, or just to put into a salad or cut up and eat with mayonnaise! Yum!

Possible Products on the Horizon

   I love to live naturally, and as much as possible, independent from corporations. That is one reason why I make my own soaps. I also make my own butter, cream cheese, laundry detergent, among a few other things. As time goes on, I will learn how to make more homemade items that don't have to pass the FDA inspection, but I know will be totally safe and good for the consumer.
   I am not going to be able to sell my homemade butter or cream cheese, at least not at this point, but, there are a few things I can legally sell and make some profit from them.
   I will be able to sell cinnamon bread. Already, this is a favorite at garage sales. Unfortunately though, making this bread with wholesome ingredients isn't cheap. So, if the consumer is looking for a quick snack without regards to their health, and something cheap, my cinnamon bread might not provide what they want, but, there are many today who will look for something a step above the processed foods you can get at a convenience store. I will recalculate the cost for the loaves of bread, but will be selling them. Also, there is another possibility as well. This one is to make the bread from organic flour. Should I use that option, the price of the bread will be higher. Again, this is a time to recalculate. I want to give people a good deal on a good product. My desire is not to try to rip people off. It isn't wise to make a good product and sell it at a sky rocketing price just to make money from it. Also, I cannot mail the loaves of bread, but, if you live in the Orlando area, you can contact me if you want some. I can also have loaves of cinnamon bread made up if you want to preorder. Just let me know.

   But I am also excited about the possibility of selling potted plants! Growing plants has not been a good experience for me in the past, but I have tried again and this time, I am using the plant food that is used in hydroponic gardening and the results are fantastic! So, I am going to experiment with this one and will let you know what is on the horizon with this. Possible plants will be pepperocini peppers, purple jalapenos, German lunchbox tomatoes, and Amish paste tomatoes. Maybe even strawberry plants! I will let you know as soon as I get these things going.

Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap in New Shape and Size

Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap now comes in a new shape, and size. If my calculations are right, they should weigh around 5 ounces each. They come in the same scent as the 4 ounce bars; oatmeal, milk, and honey. Once they cure, I will wrap some of them in plastic so the soap will be visible to the customer.

Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap 5 ounce bars

   I will probably sell them by weight, but if they all come out to around 5 ounces each, I will sell them for $3.75/bar. Some of the proceeds will go to Sanctuary Ministries, which serves women who will not have an abortion, but will keep their babies or have them put up for adoption.

New Size and Shape for Goat's Milk-Oatmeal Soap

  I am trying an experiment. I am going to go more primitive in making the goat's milk-oatmeal soap tonight. The bars, if I calculate just right, will be 5 ounces instead of 4 ounces. They will still be rectangle but will be a little longer and thicker. So, now those of you who want a little bit bigger bar, here you go.... I'll have to send pics up later.
  They will still have the oatmeal milk scent and some of the proceeds will still go to Sanctuary Ministries, a ministry that supports moms who do not choose to abort their child.

History of My Soap Making

    I started making soap around 23 years ago. The idea of soap making entered my mind while teaching school to my daughters. I thought it would be a cool idea to take some soap scraps and let them dissolve in water and then shape them and dehydrate them again and give them away as presents. Pretty tacky idea though, and it didn't work.
   I got a book that had some primitive ideas on soap making, and I thought I would try to make a recipe for a basic bar of soap. The measurements weren't clear and when I made my first batch and I ended up making a batch of lye heavy soap that my toddler put on her lips. Ouch! I learned to be more careful after that!
   After making a couple of batches, and trying to find molds for soap (which was almost impossible), I didn't make too much more, at least for a while. But after the internet came out, I found a soap making emailing list and joined it. I was back to soap making once again, and now I had a place to go with my questions.
   I made soap for a while, but, I was too busy to keep up with trying to sell it, so I only made it on occasion. Soap molds at this point, were still hard to find. I was using candle molds, but the soap was either way too large, or too small. Cute shapes though, but not near the right sizes.
  As time went on, soap molds began to be made by soap making companies that weren't available prior to the internet. I made soap, but only to give away during Christmas caroling or for presents.
  A friend on Facebook saw a picture of the soap that I posted and was interested in the possibility of making goat's milk-oatmeal soap to help support her ministry. I knew there were a lot of people who had made goat's milk-oatmeal soap, but I had never made this myself. I gave it a try, and it turned out nice. I was impressed and decided to start making soap again.
  My soap making skills have improved over time, and now there are a lot more options we didn't have available before. I have several new molds and also make some rectangular, round, and oval soaps as well. As time goes on, I will experiment with different soap products. I want to make a shampoo bar, and other types of facial soap bars. Perhaps I will make something for the furred friends in our families too.

Selling Soap to Support Ministries

    In the past couple of years, I have had people ask me if they could donate money for giving them tracts or Bibles. Of course, I want people to know that I am giving my items away, at no cost to them. Some people are insistent though, so I came up with an idea. Instead of taking donations for the items, (tracts, Bibles, imprinted toys), I will give them they option to buy soap instead. So, if anyone is interested in donating money toward my ministry, here is one way you can do it. And you will receive the benefits as well.
   Soaps that are available are; Goat's milk-oatmeal, Fancy soaps, Volcano Soap, Glycerin soaps and (contains toys inside). The fancy soap also comes in a variety of shapes, colors, and scents. Everything is made with pure ingredients that are safe for skin. Also, a portion of the income for the goat's milk-oatmeal soaps goes to Sanctuary Ministries, which is a ministry that supports women who are pregnant who have chosen to not go through with an abortion, but have chosen to go through with the pregnancy. Most of these women do not have the finances necessary to go through a pregnancy and childbirth, and there is great need for support for them, during the pregnancy and after the child is born.

Wide Variety of Soaps and New Additions

 There are some varieties of soaps that I make and here is a pic with some samples of different shapes. These soaps are goat's milk-oatmeal soaps, but in different shapes. Most people choose the rectangle shape, rough cut and they do come in rectangle (some are rough cut and I also have smooth), and there are flowery ones as well. All have the same scent of oatmeal, milk and honey, but there is a variety of shapes.

   There are also regular, plain soaps (soaps that are not goat's milk-oatmeal) that are made the same way as the goat's milk-oatmeal, but they come in different shapes and have different scents. I call these soaps 'fancy soaps' and they also come in a variety of colors. Some are also in a round shape, as well as oval and rectangle.

   Another variety of the 'fancy' soaps are the Volcano soaps which are kind of an orangy-coral color, with a cedar-orange scent. They contain pumice and are similar to the soap called, 'Lava' which you can find in the stores.

  Last of all, there are the glycerine soaps, which come in an egg shape with a rubber toy inside of the soap. There also are little sheep soaps that are made with glycerine and are different colors as well.

  Here are some of the most recent soaps that were made.

Soap Ingredients

I thought I would list the ingredients that are used to make homemade soaps, so I will list them below.

Fancy Soaps: Sodium Hydroxide, rainwater, oils (palm, coconut, olive, peanut, tallow, lard), glycerine, castor oil, fragrance, coloring.

Goat's Milk Oatmeal Soaps: same as above, but no coloring. Also, goat's milk and oatmeal are added.

Volcano Soaps: Sodium Hydroxide, rainwater, oils (palm, coconut, olive, peanut, tallow, lard), pumice, glycerine, castor oil, fragrance, coloring.