Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps

Self Responsibility

October 3, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Breezy October Afternoon

I feel thankful today, insightful, full of thoughts for the business, myself, and many thoughts of others.

I found this beautiful statement in a country magazine, words authored by Hillel the Elder. The article says to Google Hillel, I haven’t yet.

If I am not for myself,

Who Will Be?

If I am only for myself,

What am I?

Isn’t that a huge amount of wisdom, said in just a few words? I share my entire life with God. I live by faith, so I am not by myself, nor am I looking out for only myself.

But…here is what the article goes on to say: “If we don’t take care of ourselves; emotionally, spiritually, and physically – who will? As a matter of fact these are areas of our own personal growth, study, and practice; ares of our own responsibility.”

Absolutely!!!! How about you, do you agree with that statement?

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Posted in General Reflections | Tagged self worth, taking care of self | 9 Comments »

De-Cluttering The Soap Shop

October 2, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Whoa...don't order more boxes!

Please do not tell the U.S. Postal Service…oh, oh…I am broadcasting this on the Internet, too late! Snicker.

The packaging area of my shop was becoming way too cluttered. It had reached the proportions of not knowing what types of boxes I had on hand. The priority mail boxes have now been sorted. Way too many on hand is the conclusion I drew! But now I can package orders very well again. The old storage system was no longer staying organized.

But wait…

More boxes???

I found more boxes. Flat rate priority boxes. See what I mean? The US Postage Service might be putting me on hold. The boxes are free, and I will eventually use them, but something tells me I have enough.

It feels good to have the shipping area organized again! I can ship without wading and sorting through oodles of crates, boxes and packages.

On to prettier things…

Goat Milk Soap Curing

I had not taken one of these pictures in a while…one of the curing racks, smelling and looking great. I see rose, patchouli blend, sandalwood blend, honeysuckle, honey oatmeal, and cedarwood blend.

And still to come…

Soy Votives and Wax Tarts

I am preparing sets of soy votive and wax tarts, soon to be placed on the website. I will definitely make an announcement here when the sets are ready.

So…that was my day, I made soap, fed the goats, and then I came back and organized the shop. It felt fantastic to find new space!

Have a wonderful day!

”Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.” –Thomas A. Edison

Posted in In The Soap Shop | Tagged Goat Milk Soap, soy candles | 7 Comments »

Annie’s Goat Milk Soap Sampler

October 1, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Annie's Goat Milk Soap Sampler

Clients have said they like a variety…well, here it is, the Annie’s Goat Hill Soap Sampler!

The sampler contains 24 ounces of goat milk soap. Each sample bar is wrapped with a fabric scrap, tied with ribbon, raffia, or a strip of matching fabric. Rustic country style!

The samples are assorted (example: honeysuckle, sweet pea, honey oatmeal, rose, lemongrass poppyseed, cherries and berries, lavender, ocean breeze, plumeria). Each bar is labeled with the soap type.

The Annie’s Goat Milk Soap Sampler is priced at $15.00 (plus shipping). It can be ordered via the website, or contact me if you do not wish to use a credit card.

Per your request, I will include a gift enclosure card, include holiday tissue paper and/or ribbon, and drop ship the gift to a recipient.

Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

Email: anniesgoathill@gmail.com

Posted in Products | Tagged Goat Milk Soap, goat milk soap sampler, holiday gifts, soap gift set | 7 Comments »

Alzheimer’s Linked To Lack Of Sleep

September 30, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

A friend very close to me has Alzheimer’s disease. I have known others in my life that have had the disease, but this one sticks particularly close to my heart. I find myself reading every article on the topic that crosses my path.

Experts say there are 7 steps to the disease. My friend is at a 6. She is holding her own, thanks to her husband. He works his tail off to take care of both him and her. We should all pray that we have someone in our lives that will ensure we live a good life if we are someday diagnosed with this horrible disease!

The latest article that I stumbled across indicates that studies are showing the development of Alzheimer’s may be linked to a lack of sleep. I am not crazy about the studies done on rats, but they are what they are. And, sadly, there are medications that work well on rats but not so much on humans. Alzheimer’s is one of those medical conditions (such as diabetes, cancer) that all of us hope for great strides towards a cure!

Another reason to really work hard at not living continuously on a lack of sleep!

Posted in Health | Tagged Alzheimer's disease, insomnia, lack of sleep, sleep conditions | 8 Comments »

Goat Milk Lotion Clearance Sale

September 29, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Goat Milk Lotion

Announcement:

I am holding a 50% off clearance sale on goat milk lotions.

The scents included in the sale are:

Sweet Pea
Lavender
Vanilla
Lilac
Honeysuckle
Berries and Cherries
Citrus

In some scents, both 4 oz and 8 oz bottles are available.

Why the sale? The expiration dates on the clearance priced lotions are 5/2010 and 7/2010. These are nice creamy lotions, seemingly fresh as the date they were bottled.

Natural, handcrafted lotions, especially those containing goat milk, should always be sold with an expiration date. I apply an expiration date of one year from the date bottled.

You can find the lotions on my website, or by going directly to my website’s online store. Select the category “discounted products,” or search for the scent you are looking for.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!

Posted in AGH Business News | Tagged Goat Milk Lotion | 5 Comments »

Product Monday – Yuzu Goat Milk Soap

September 28, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Yuzu Goat Milk Soap

The name for this goat milk soap in my online store is Love Yuzu…aptly named…I love the scent!

Love Yuzu is a fragranced soap. Oh…how I so desire to scent this soap with pure yuzu essential oil. Alas…I cannot. Why? I would be looking at a 104% increase in cost, compared to yuzu fragrance oil. Big gulp!

What is yuzu? It is an ornamental fruit, similar to a cross between a mandarin and a lemon. Yuzu is used in Asian cooking as well as bath products.

From the scent of the yuzu fragrance oil, I pick up on the fruit aroma, but with a slight floral undertone, perhaps vanilla as well.

Love Yuzu is a good soap for combination skin. It will not particularly dry out mature skin, and it is not overly moisturizing for oily skin.

When purchasing products from Annie’s Goat Hill do not be shy about asking for a particular sample. If you have no idea what Yuzu smells like, or any other goat milk soap that I offer, or if you want to know how the soap will work with your skin, when placing an order ask for a sample. If I can provide a sample, I will slice a small piece off for you. You can ask for a sample via email: anniesgoathill@gmail.com, or by completing the special instructions field during the check out process.

Posted in Products | Tagged Goat Milk Soap, yuzu | 5 Comments »

Campaign For Real Beauty

September 27, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Talking about inner beauty…I lack in trust when it comes to a huge company promoting real beauty. I am hoping the young ladies in the short videos said what they meant, and not what they were told to say http://campaignforrealbeauty.com . What is your opinion?

I hope you can click and watch this one as well…evolution of a “beautiful” woman?

I should read more and then decide my own thoughts on the motives. But…then…does it really matter? Their campaign is a positive movement, regardless.

Posted in General Reflections | Tagged inner beauty, real beauty | Leave a Comment »

Beauty Really Does Come From Within

September 27, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

480977_makeup stock exchange

The older I get, the less concern I put on outward appearance.

Sure…I leave the house in clean clothes, hair brushed, teeth brushed, no goat berries stuck to my shoes. But the days of caking on make up just to buy a loaf of bread are gone. Thank heavens!

One of the first things I learned about my husband, and it was something I really did not understand at that time, was that he wanted me to “just be comfortable.” He wanted me to feel good and be happy. Thank you!

Make up, nice clothes, fancy shoes, and whatever else a person can adorn themselves with are nice, and I love them from time to time too, but they are not any of my necessities.

I love it that I now appreciate a real person more, a person that can just be themselves. Isn’t it fantastic when the true beauty of a person beams outwards? It might be their eyes, or their hair, their mannerisms, or the things that they say. But the bottom line, the truest of all beauty, is what comes from the soul, the very inner core of the person…a solidly genuine person.

Women, and younger girls especially (and sometimes men), are subjected to the constant influx of images that depict perfect bodies, perfect hair and make up, and many images depicting popular vulgarity (in my opinion). I try to be as healthy as possible, and yes, attractive too, but guess what? I can let the gray come in. Look at an aging women that allows her true beauty to shine, she can really be appreciated! She is confident just to be who she is. She isn’t hiding behind any coverage, coverage that says, “I no longer love myself,” or worse, “I am not good enough.” Oh yes, you are! You are what God designed you to be.

The obsession with looking perfect started at the beginning of time…there is nothing new under the sun. Right? But I hope you young ladies out there do not take 40, or even 50 years, to realize you are beautiful, because you are human!

How do you feel about it? How do you teach the young women to feel about themselves? What should we be teaching young men about real beauty?

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Posted in General Reflections | Tagged inner beauty | 8 Comments »

Healthier Crust Apple Pie

September 26, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

In my post yesterday I walked around the farm and took pictures of fall growth, including our apples. I said something about putting the diet aside and making a pie. My good friend Debbie asked, “Can I come and pick all the apples off your tree? I’ll make you a pie :)” Oh yeah, bless her heart! I had a wonderful giggle, it was a beautiful thought. The pie was already cooling.

: Preparing Apple Mixture For Pie

Aren’t these pretty? Pretty and already smelling luscious!

This is what went into the apple pie filling:

6 to 7 medium tart applies (peeled, cored, and sliced)

3/4 C sugar

2 T flour

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t butter or margarine

1 to 2 T lemon juice

Mix all ingredients well.

Set aside.

Healthier Pie Crust (one crust):

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t sugar

1 T milk

1 T white vinegar

1/2 C canola oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Mixture will be thick.

Press ingredients into a 9 inch pie pan.

Pour or spoon in pie filling.

I baked at 400 degrees, 60 minutes (for the apple pie recipe above). Baking time will vary depending upon apple variety. Bake until the apples are tender.

My exceptions:

The pie crust mixture is thick. I try to crumble it evenly around the pie pan before I press it down.

This recipe will not make the type of pie crust that can be rolled out. To make a top crust, sprinkle crumbles evenly to coat the top of filling and press down as well as possible.

You can ue 2 T of milk in the crust recipe (and drop the vinegar), but I find vinegar makes for a lighter, flakieer crust. You cannot taste the vinegar in the finished product.

The pie does brown evenly, and it cuts as well as a normal pie (with a standard rolled out crust), once cooled. It tastes wonderful! I cannot tell the difference at all! Crust will always have more fat in it than we would like, but forget the shortening or lard! And besides…it ain’t too sinful to have a (healthier) indulgence now and then…is it?

Healthier Apple Pie

I love to cook! I just cannot find the time to do everything I love to do! How about you?

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged apple pie, fresh apples, In The Kitchen - Recipes, lower fat pie crust | 7 Comments »

Autumn Colors…Thoughts of Soap

September 25, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Autumn 2009 001 I walked down to the apple tree today. The big tree is fully loaded. I need to get busy and make something of the fruit. The tree produces tart and crisp apples. Good for cooking! I am thinking…put the diet aside and make a delicious pie!!! MMM…that’s the ticket, ma’am!!! Autumn 2009 002

Still have some tomatoes to pick…these might be our last…the color is amazing!

Autumn 2009 003

I have always been very fond of the flowers that love fall temperatures, such as zinnias and marigolds. I love to stagger zinnias by height. Oh…and I am considering some marigold petals (Calendula) goat milk soap. So healthy!

Autumn 2009 004

The mums are beautiful as well.

Autumn 2009 005

And last, but not least, for those of you better with plant names than I (apparently) are, what are these called? They bloom beautifully in the fall. They have grown into a huge plant, planted here when the Amish owned our home. I still get surprises from their plantings, by the way! Like the Lady Slipper’s that popped up this year!

Autumn 2009 006