Happy Winter Solstice!!

Decorating a tree has been on the Solstice for my family has been something I've done for more than a decade now.  It's late compared to everyone else, but it is my way of celebrating the longest night of the year! 

Today, I'm decorating a real tree Jeremy, my 16 year old son, and his friend will chop down for me.  I'll put Christmas music on and make some hot chocolate and decorate the tree.  It's also "Mom" time. 

Mom has passed on two years ago.  But, I have a lot of "Mom" times....whenever I'm in the kitchen baking or cooking a big meal (I always got to help).  As an adult, I called Mom many times to ask her how to cook or bake something in particular; ...crocheting, doing crossword puzzles, and other odd times.  But, decorating a tree was something she really liked to do, and she made it special.  The tunes, the hot cocoa, the oohing and aahing over ornaments and lights and the finished tree.

Well, traditions change and remain the same.  As a child, we put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.  As an astrologist and one aware of cycles, I like putting mine up on Winter Solstice.  Same method...tunes, hot cocoa, (real) tree and lights, etc., but not the same day.

Why they call it the first day of Winter is beyond me.  Almost all of the time, winter weather has already come upon us.  But, it definitely is the longest night and shortest day of the year.  And, while Jeremy is growing up, I let him stay up this night as long as he wants.  After decorating the tree, he has something to look at and dream upon until sleep overtakes him.  

And, the best part of Winter Solstice is the "changing of the guard", so to speak.  The days will now become longer; oh yes, slowly at first, but it picks up as it goes along until we reach the Summer Solstice where it changes again.  Winter Solstice is dark, but it has the key to hope and longer days.  I love it for that and celebrate it with lights on the tree for brighter days.

Happy Solstice, friends.  May the light of days become more radiant for everyone!
~kathleen

Facebook Give Away

Good morning.

I am doing a Salt Soap Give Away on my Facebook Business Page.  There are rules and everything!

1st Give Away
Rules: You have 24 hours from time of question to message me your answer.
One answer per person. Second and subsequent answers are not accepted.  You have to have "liked" my business page to qualify for an answer.
Each person with a correct answer has their name written on paper and put into a bowl for random drawing tomorrow morning.
The winner will be announced then. The winner gets a choice of a Salt Soap variety with free shipping (domestic or international).
Here's the question.........

I have 4 soap molds. I make 4 soaps every soap making day. Some days, I'm able to make 5 soaps. How is that possible?

Hint: I've written about this a few times here and in my blogs.

 

If you would like to participate, use the link above, like the page, and submit your answer.  I would love to see you win!!!

Thank you! kathleen 

It's that Time of Year again!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I often laugh at the term "old school".  I think..."well, get with it then".  But, I think the term applies to me in this way!  I do not begin to celebrate Christmas until after that Thanksgiving meal.  So, I'm old school in this matter, I think.  LOL

My parents would put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  My Dad would work every Friday after Turkey Day, and then Saturday, we would put on the Christmas music and decorate the tree as a family.  This is when I grew up believing Christmas begins.

Now, I'm a small business owner.  I find that many businesses, the majority of them, begin Christmas even before Halloween.  I know, financially, it is the most lucrative time of the year.  However, I still feel the same about beginning Christmas after Thanksgiving, and I run my business that way.  I am only today putting Christmas packages of soap and skin care together for the Farmer's market I set up at every Saturday.  And, I begin my Holiday sale in my online shop Thanksgiving night.   Some things just stick.

My Holiday Sale:

For domestic orders - no minimum: Use coupon code HAPPYHOLIDAYS2011 - this will take off the shipping costs upon checkout.

For international orders - no minimum.  Do nothing.  I will reduce your shipping and refund the difference to your account.

For international orders $65 minimum, under 4 pounds: Use coupon code MERRYHOLIDAYS2011 - this will take off the shipping costs upon checkout.


And, this is it.  I send at least one free sample (soap sample, lip balm, butter, or salve sample) with every order.  This doesn't change with the Holiday sale.

I also package your order as a gift.

Thank you to all my existing customers, and I am going to appreciate all you new ones.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays ~ kathleen

Shampoo Soap Retraction No. 685

Okay, no...this is my first retraction; however, I can see how this may escalate when there is no way to erase online comments, posts, and more.  And, this is important.

I'm continuing to get messages about the hard water and shampoo bar issue.  My last post on this subject was wrong, and I was corrected in this comment on the same post.  I went to the site to which the comment had directed me, and the answer to why an acidic or chelating rinse is needed in hard water was laid there before me.

Yes, I know.  I didn't make a big deal out of it, did I?  That's the shame, and I apologize.   It seems quite simple now, but the fact is that a chelating agent is needed when rinsing hard water out of our hair.  A chelating agent is a substance that makes minerals and organics water soluble.  When we rinse our hair with hard water, minerals and other substances that are not soap cling to our hair.  A chelating agent makes those substances easy to rinse out and hence the "final" rinse.

Since learning this, I've discovered a supplier that sells chelating agents in powder form and am curious if using in shampoo, would we need a chelating rinse?  My next experiment.


Again, my apologies for misleading you all.  I thought I knew something, but as you see, I did not.  I'm glad to learn this, and I sincerely hope you are, too.  AND, I am always open to knowing I am wrong.  Thank you for that comment, Anonymous!

~kathleen

Free Shipping This Week

Good morning...

Just a short note to let you know Free Shipping is being offered for all domestic orders in my etsy shop, as well as reduced shipping for all International orders.

This will run September 13 through September 18 9 pm EDT.

I hope you take advantage of this offer.  Many of you do.  : )

Thank you all for your magnanimous support!!

yours, kathleen

Rain Outs at the Farmer's Market

...which I can ill afford now that I'm single again.  I began going back to the market because of the extra income I do so need.  Well, what to do when I'm rained out - and it looks as if that is going to happen at tomorrow's market.

I think I know what to do.  I will offer Free Shipping at my online shop every weekend I'm unable to go to the market.  This creates a "market-like" atmosphere in that you come in, pick up and pay for what you want, (wait a couple of days), and it arrives free.  And, this may in turn increase my sales for that weekend to help make up for my loss at the local market.  I will also offer reduced shipping for all International orders - according to weight - I will reimburse like value as for domestic orders. Whatever it would cost to ship domestic is the amount of refund for International shipments.

What do you think?  Is it fair?  When my local customers get a break, my online customers don't.  When my local customers don't get a break, my online customers do.  Seems odd, doesn't it?

I think we are going to give it a go this weekend - as the forecast is calling for 70% thunderstorms and showers Saturday.  I'll have to let you know how it goes.


yours, kathleen

AUGUST NEWSLETTER Prices Reduced at Sweet Creek Herbs!!

Good morning!  August sees a.....

Price Reduction


I'm taking a different approach to my shop and it's help toward a better economy.  I was offering free shipping.  For shop owners, this is a toughie, because all the cash required to ship comes out of the seller's pocket.  This brings a $10.30 order to $6.50 for two soaps, which after costs and expenses, I am making $1.50 on the sale. If I sold 60 of these a day, I'd be good to go.  But, I don't and I'm not!  :)


I can afford to lose money on my product more than I can afford to lose money on shipping. Shipping is cash out of my pocket...product discounts are monies not coming in.  Not money going out.  This, I can afford more to lose.


So, I've restructured my product pricing.  I've lowered almost all my prices by a substantial amount.  Soaps are reduced $.80 a bar. Lip balms are reduced $.40 a balm. All 2 oz. jars (mask, butter, salves) are reduced $.75 and 4 oz. jars reduced $.95. Sprays are reduced $.20.  And check out the new pricing on the sample packs - yeah!! 

However, these prices are until we see a betterment in our economy.  I'm just taking a cut temporarily.  You see, my supplies continue to go up, while I just took my prices down.  Some day, I will have to adjust that.

New Products 


I've reintroduced my Calendula Honey soap - a bastardized castile (2/3 olive oil 1/3 coconut oil) - excellent soap - with calendula petals and local honey added to this beauty.  I've also made new fresh Jewel weed soap for poison ivy, oak, or sumac; and this year, I've added calendula petals and calendula oil to it - it is beautiful and so very functional. :)

Seven, yes count them, seven new lip balms are added to inventory. This brings my lip balm varieties up to over 40!! These new balms are made to be summer worthy.  They are linked by a new butter - kokum.  It is a very nice butter for lip balms, lips, and to hold balms together a bit better than other butters.   There are 2 balms that are using other new butters, as well.  My Acai Honey lip balm has acai butter (palm & shea butters, jojoba oil, and acai fruit pulp powder) and my Chai Tea is using Green Tea butter (sweet almond oil, green tea leaf powder, hydrogenated vegetable oil).  These balms seem to excel when the weather is warm and can handle the humidity.


New products, like chamomile eye cream and Natural Facial Toner were derived working with customers. If you would like to see a product offering in my shop you think is lacking, please contact me - I'm easy to work with.

New & Final Labeling


Have any of you seen it?  My new labels?  


I print my soap labels as needed, so they are all changed over.  However, my sticky labels print a page at a time or batches have not yet been remade and are in the transition stage.  But, all labels will look like what I'm showing you here.  I've changed my banner and avatar at Etsy to look like my packaging.  I'm very pleased with it.  Finally, after 7 years, I come up with what I really like.  Now, to find a printer, because these babies are expensive to print!!!


Well, it seems everything this month is "new".  New prices, new products, and new labeling.  
Yay! for new.  : )  


Wishing everyone naturally clean...........kathleen