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Posts Tagged ‘Goat Milk Soap’

Relaxing Lavender Goat Milk Soap and Lotion

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged Gift Packs, Goat Milk Lotion, Goat Milk Soap, Lavender on February 23, 2009| 7 Comments »

Some days we just need to relax and restore.

Today I have been working on the website, rewording, reworking and retagging. I have felt a tad bit frazzled lately. But today is a “get back to grass roots” day, at my own pace.

On these types of days it sometimes calls for doing something a bit extra for ourselves, which made me think about lavender.

Did you know that lavender has been used as long as history has been recorded as a soothing herb, one that might help with relaxation? It has also been used as an antiseptic, and as an essential oil to help the skin heal from certain conditions such as insect bites and mild burns.

The color lavender, I feel, is also relaxing. As a child, I belonged to a number of groups, such as Girl Scouts, and always loved the projects that we created in Vacation Bible school, the bowling league, and a few others, and whenever I was asked to put something together it normally ended up being lavender in color. My grandmother lived in a large older home, with a master bedroom painted in lavender. Oh, how I loved to spend time in that room, especially with that huge bay window.

I recently received handwritten cards from Alix of Casa Hice, and Anne-Marie of Soap and The Finer Things in Life (along with a special gift pac that I still need to tell you about). Beautiful lavender cards!

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Goat Milk Soap Day #2 – Colors Galore

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged Goat Milk Soap on February 19, 2009| 16 Comments »

Hello…hello…hello!

I am so tired…drop dead tired.

First, the pic of the 3 soaps that you got to see still in their molds yesterday. How about those colors? Not just grandma’s goat milk soap any longer! Time for change…time for spring…lift up your chin for feels-like-something-new soap!

Before I tell you why I am tired, I have some catching up to do, some comments to respond to, blogs to read, so please do not think you are on hold, I’ll get there. The energy will return.

I did not sleep well last night. We got hot, threw open the window, it was snowing outside, so I have no idea why the stuffiness…but it happened. Then I heard the coyotes a couple of times. Wide eyed, but I knew Caleb (the LGD) would do his job when/if needed.

Yesterday I reported that I have met all but 3 of my business goals for the year. My personal goals are not doing as well. Today I woke up thinking I would target the most important goal. The goal is to clear off the exercise bike, and begin using it for its intended purpose, which includes putting the the small dumbells/weights back to work. Instead, we headed to the big city to get new peepers for me, a much, much overdue need.

Here is a pic of the famous (and dusty) exercise bike. It holds a throw blanket, my purse, a heating pad, the dumbells (small red ones on the seat), another throw blanket, and who knows what else. You can tell, it has not been in use for a while. I will get some sleep tonight, and tomorrow I will report to you that the exercise bike has gained a few more miles! Okay!

Here is the beast…

The story about my new peepers now…it has been 5 years. My glasses had seen their better days. I have 4 pairs of reading glasses, yes, 4 that I have been wearing for various reasons (driving, reading, television and computer screen). In fact, I have one pair on now because it is perfect for the computer screen. Today I discovered that my prescription has finally reached the 50 year old woman level! I now have less frame styles to chose from. I am not happy about it (but thank goodness I am not vain). I had these small rectangle (but rounded) frames chosen today, nope, not enough room for my prescription. Sad…sad…sad…but there is a reason for everything, and tonight, lo and behold, I can see again (a blessing). I can read the aspirin bottle, I can see the dirt on the floor, and I feel like I got brand new peepers today! I did.

I am tried from the trip to the city, and I am tired from the rush today, and also from not sleeping last night. I’ll catch back up!

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Goat Milk Soap With Color

Posted in Products, tagged Goat Milk Soap on February 18, 2009| 8 Comments »

On this windy and slightly balmy day in Ohio, I decided to work with pigments.

The first soap is scented with a blend that includes sandalwood. I love the mysterious, swirled look to the soap. Right now, though, with a sense of humor, it could pass for ketchup and mustard. Umm…pass the hot dogs, please?

No, it is not plum pudding, but it sure could be a good replica! You might be surprised at cutting tomorrow. It is not what it looks like at the moment. 🙂

I really did not need to take a pic of this one. It is two toned soap, no swirls. Should be a fun violet and white bar, a spring flowery type of soap.

Join me tomorrow at cutting? The camera will be in tow!

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Artisan Goat Milk Soap

Posted in Inspirations, tagged Goat Milk Soap, Inspirations on February 17, 2009| 8 Comments »

Today I drew a blank…just what to write about?

My inquiring mind began to think about the term artisan. Many of us have a general idea of what the definition of artisan is, but mainly speaking for myself, really did not know how to term it. An artisan is a person that is a skilled manual worker, a craftsperson, practicing a trade or handicraft. The handicraft items produced by the craftsperson can be either functional or decorative.

I believe we can call soap, such as my lemon berry goat milk soap, artisan soap. No doubt!

We can also call craft wares such as cheese by Jama at Prosperine Goat Hill, weaving by Kathy at Spot On Cedar Pond, knitting by my friend Annie at Knit4dolls (please visit her brand new blog and leave a comment), and many others as artisan.

I am glad we have the opportunity to craft what we feel creative at doing! Just the thoughts of the blessing of our abilities can push the winter doldrems out, and bring forward a renewed sense of…marching forward to make soap, cheese, knitting, and weaving!

By the way…I have all but 3 of my business goals crossed off the to-do list for the year of 2009. The remaining goals are long term. Just as with my “renewed sense,” I hope you are marching forward too! The thoughts of spring helps too! 🙂

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Back To Making Goat Milk Soap Today

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged Goat Milk Lotion, Goat Milk Soap on February 9, 2009| 6 Comments »

Had a busy day today!

The weather was beautiful, perfect. Started the day out with some fog. When the sun started coming over the ridge this morning, the fog turned orange and pink. It was fantastic.

I wish this photo had turned out better! I filled this mint green hutch today in a local shop. It really turned out great. You cannot see the raffia, special tags and other things that added the special touch to the packages. I tell the shops I will design the packaging to fit their store, however, I love it when I have a placement (like today’s) where I feel my design fits in like a charm.

This computer was on the fritz for most of the day today. I got it back online a 1/2 hour ago.

And I got back to soap production today. I am in the inventory process, restocking. Today was honey oatmeal and unscented goat milk soap.

The lotion shelves in my own shop are now empty. Lotion making is on the agenda for later this week. If you want to order lotion, however, please do so. I can have it ready in time for any shipment.

I feel good tonight. No back pain at all, so I am definitely on the mend. I have been active enough today to ward off stiffness.

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Soap Shop Activities

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged Gift Packs, Goat Milk Lotion, Goat Milk Soap, Retail Location on February 6, 2009| 8 Comments »

Good Morning!

Yesterday was a busy day. We visited handfuls of shops, some with pretty interesting soap.

One $15.00 bar of soap really fascinated me. The shop manager told me that she tried the soap herself. She said you have to have a wide place to set the oblong-rounded soap or you constantly have it dropping to the tub floor. We had a good giggle over that discussion!

I can honestly say this, none of the big brand soaps that I picked up during my excursion matched up to my rustic goat milk soaps. They do not smell as good, and most importantly, they are definitely not the silky soaps that Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps are. I am not Crabtree & Evelyn, no doubt, but their goat milk soap holds no candle to mine!

In this economy, many of the local shops (in a 5 county area) are leery of adding products to their line. They are having difficulty selling what they have on hand. The walk-in customers, holding onto every penny, are extra concentrated with caution in our rural area. I am not sure if you are aware of this, but our area has been suffering from a lack of jobs (as the overall U.S. is), but we are also gradually losing 10,000 jobs out of one location. The story appeared on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago. I also wrote my own article on the topic in December.

I refuse to succumb to the economy, I am too happy to let that even begin to etch the surface. For all of us, no matter what our jobs are (mine is a soap and bath product maker, goat keeper), we will be on the upswing again, and when it happens, if we are smart enough to keep our feet on the ground, the roller coaster car is going to sweep us back up up first, right on front, and carry us to the top of the hill in front of those that missed the car the first time!

Today, after I go and visit the Country Home Crafts shop, in Hillsboro, Ohio, where I am gratefully moving products into this week, I will begin filling the curing racks in my own shop again. And the buzz in my head says, you may see a change in my own shop in the very new future. An exciting change!

I have a lot of blog reading and commenting to catch up on! I haven’t forgotten…just swamped, and still nursing a very achy back.

Have a wonderful Friday!

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Goat Milk Soap Gift Packages

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged Economy, Goat Milk Soap on February 4, 2009| 8 Comments »

A little sneak peek of gift packages going out to some Ohio shops tomorrow. Sets will be available on the website soon as well.

Despite the slow start to the morning, I accomplished quite a bit today.

I fumbled with some behind-the-scenes website problems, but did get things up and rolling again just in time for lunch break.

Then I headed out to the shop and got the packages ready for delivery tomorrow. Thank goodness the sidewalk between the house and the shop was ice free today, despite the 2 degree wind chill all afternoon. Such a warm single digit! 🙂

No signs of immediate labor tonight in the goat barn. Way to go girls!! Good job!!

Heading to the kitchen now to get pancakes on the griddle. Seems like a Log Cabin sort of day. Have a great evening!

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Goat Milk Soap and Lotion Shop News

Posted in All In A Day's Time, tagged Gift Packs, Goat Milk Lotion, Goat Milk Soap on February 4, 2009| 4 Comments »

Good Morning!

For those of you that have kindly been asking how I am recovering from the fall, I had a very bad night. Woke up to a lot of pain around 3:30. Wish this pain would stop. It is better, but it seems to be moving, which tells me I am healing. It will take time. I am always a trooper, always, but this has been tough! Today I am suffering from very blurry eyes. I just realized it is the Motrin. I need to back off of it for a while. Drats.

I discovered a problem with the website this morning. Google had quit crawling. I spent a couple of hours fixing the issues this morning. I am certainly not an expert at the wearing of the website responsibility hat, but I have made great strides! Yeah!

Bob has been stamping soap boxes with the logo this morning. After lunch we are boxing up gift sets of soap, lotion, and bath salts. These are for delivery to a number of Ohio gift shops tomorrow.

Soap making will be back on the agenda for Friday. If you have any special requests, you can shoot them my way.

Newsletters are to go out next week, final deadline by 2/16/09.

We received just a dusting of snow last night. Local people received anywhere from 6.5 to 10″ of the newest white covering within a very quick 3-4 hours last night. We were blessed with none of that!

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Goat Milk Soap, Lotion and Back Pain

Posted in All In A Day's Time, tagged Gift Packs, Goat Milk Lotion, Goat Milk Soap on February 3, 2009| 21 Comments »

We can be full speed ahead one moment, and at a dead halt the next. And that occurs at a blink of an eye.

Yesterday I was heading to the store, the first time I drove my own truck in weeks. We could not get beyond the ice on the doors on my truck! As I gleefully went down the concrete steps next to the garage, what I thought was water ended up being black ice. Up in the air I went, and down I was slammed, with a concrete step edge hitting in the middle of my back right hip.

I will not go into a lot of detail, but this isn’t the most fun I have ever had. I normally laugh when I fall down and “go boom,” as my dear husband says, but this time I cried and remembered the cell phone in my pocket. I called for help as I rolled myself up off of the ground. I went straight to bed.

I have a store placement to prepare for this week. I will be bottling lotion and I need to get more soap on the curing rack. It will all get done. Bob cannot make soap, but he can help me package up, feed animals, and take me to the locations that I also need to visit this week. Driving is out. We both have 4×4 pick up trucks, mine is taller, and just getting in and out is very “Slow Mo” right now.

So…nope, no whining here, I will get it done, in time. At least I can sit in a chair for a short while today. My blog posts and reponses may be a little less in volume for a few days. Send me an email if you need anything. Take care!

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