Real. Simple. Soap.

Stocking UP!

2011-04-12T03:55:00.001-07:00

I spent a good amount of time last weekend making soap...about 400 bars worth! Got them all cut into bars yesterday and put on the curing racks. My house smells amazing.

One that's really surprised me is a new one...Lilac & Honeysuckle. Anyone who knows me knows that I really can't stand floral scents. I love the smell of real flowers, mostly, but I just can't tolerate a floral fragrance. But...I really, really love this one! It's hard to describe, but to me it smells more citrusy maybe...definitely a clean, refreshing scent. I can't wait to share it! Don't ask me why I colored it orange though, I was wanting it to be a paler pinkish/orange color, but must have put too much color in it, and it's pretty orange. Oh well...that's how I learn I guess. If it's a good seller and I make it again, I'll change that.

Another one I'm excited about is going to be called Euphoric! It's a duplicate of Calvin Klein's Euphoria perfume, one of my favorites that I wear often. Both of these will be ready May 21.

Thanks to everyone who has donated towards Bri's mission trip, we've been amazed and humbled by the generosity of customers and friends. I'll be sure to post photos when she gets back mid-May. You guys are the best!

Soap dishes, new fragrances...and Farmer's Market!

2011-04-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to say that the wood soap dishes are now back in stock! It's been a long time without them, but I finally got ahold of more. I was holding out for these specific dishes, they're the best I've found and didn't want to settle for cheaper quality dishes just to have something available.

There are at least three new fragrances coming soon! Jasmine will be ready on April 10. If you're a floral lover, you'll want to get ahold of some of this.

I just made some Cranberry Fizz yesterday, that'll be ready May 10. And Ginger Fuji Apple too! They're both wonderful, I'm hoping the fizzyness of the scent stays like it does in the Vanilla Champagne (you can really smell the bubbles/effervescense in that one). Speaking of, Vanilla Champagne will be back in stock May 10 also.

And, I've changed my mind again on the Farmer's Market! I'm sending in my application this week for the Monticello market which is on Thursdays (this'll be my 4th year there). I think it'll be ok to just be doing one market per week, and that's a good one for me, so I'll see you there starting in May!

I'm also going to be putting together an email special, hopefully yet today. My daughter is taking a mission trip with her church, they're going to Haiti in May, and she's doing some fundraising to help finance her trip. Her church http://www.crossing-church.com/ fully supports an orphanage down there, and they're going to help do some work on the buildings. Here's her message from Facebook:

"I'm the kid's director for the The Crossing Zimmerman campus. I hang out with kids each and every week and they've had a huge impact on my life! The Crossing has supported an orphanage in Haiti for over a year now and we have the opportunity to lend a hand during May. There are about 30 children who depend on us, ages 12 and under. While there we will be repairing buildings, building shelters and hanging out with the kids.

Time is not on my side. I ask for you to donate as graciously as possible to help make this trip a huge success. My deadline is fast approaching! Anything helps, and nothing is too small!"

She's very excited to be able to help these kids, and I'm happy to help her get there. Like she says, any amount helps. If you haven't signed up to receive our email specials, go to the website http://www.realsimplesoap.com/, and sign up! I don't fill your inbox with junk, I really only do specials a few times per year, and this'll be a good deal.

As always, I appreciate your business!

I've made a decision...

2011-01-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well, part of a decision anyway.

I haven't totally figured out what to do, other than I am not going to continue with the Farmers' Markets this year. It's just too much.

I've had a few other wholesale interests lately, and will continue with the wholesale accounts and online sales, and most likely still do at least my 4 most favorite craft shows this year (Lemonade Fest, Anoka Riverfest, Buffalo Art & Crafts, and Bayfield Apple Fest), but I think that's going to be it. We'll see how that goes.

I've been working on rebuilding stock, and by the middle of February I should be pretty well restocked (some will be available in January).

I really appreciate all the kind words of encouragement and even offers to help from my customers! You guys really are the best!

Out of stock??

2010-11-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

I feel like I need to explain! Currently, I'm out of stock on more than just a few favorite soaps, and it's the Christmas season too, where people want to buy more, and I'm running out.

It's because I'm trying to make a decision. Yes, a rather big decision!

You probably guessed it, I'm trying to decide whether to continue making soap, and if so, at what capacity. I work a full-time job at the high school, and have also taken on the job of yearbook adviser, which is another job in itself! The soap business was started as a sideline, with the hopes of someday being able to do just that alone. But, as is such in life, things change, and, because we're now dependent on my school job for health insurance, that would be a huge extra amount I'd have to make each month just to be able to do soap alone, if I were to also cover the cost of insurance. It might be possible, but it would also be an extremely huge leap of faith to even try, and pretty risky.

To keep up with the demand for soap, I usually spent most weekends making soap, and a lot of my evenings making labels, wrapping bars, ordering supplies, doing paperwork, website work, etc. Basically another full-time job. In the summer, when I have time off school, it's not so bad, but when I'm working full time, doing farmers' markets after work each week May through October, and shows on some weekends, it gets to be an awful lot.

So this fall, once my super-busy months of September and October were over, I just relaxed a bit on the soap business. My plan was that once I ran out of soap, that would be it, I'd be done. But I do still have enough supplies to make a bunch more soap, and that was my plan for today, which got sidetracked by filling orders, working on the website, etc. Maybe next weekend I'll spend a day making a bunch more.

But that doesn't help those who might want to order for Christmas, because it takes 6 weeks to be ready, and I feel bad about that!! And when I visit with repeat customers at shows, like last weekend, and they tell me that my soap is all they'll use anymore and how much it has helped their skin, I feel bad about even thinking to quit because it helps so many others (and no, I am not usually a "guilty feeling" person about things either!).

The good news is that there should be a supply of the good old favorites ready around mid-January, when the dry winter skin needs it the most.

Anyway...I haven't decided what to do yet. I may just continue the online sales and do a few shows and not take on the weekly markets...I'm just not sure.

I get to

2010-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

see so many cool things at craft shows, and talk to so many neat people!

Today was another one of my favorite shows to do, the Anoka Riverfest. We had beautiful weather and great crowds, and I got to visit with many loyal customers who came to restock their soap shelves. And even with increased "competition" this year (there were a lot of soapmakers there this year), I still had fantastic sales!

And once in a while I get a treat like seeing this ultra-cool (although really he was HOT!) dog. He was huge! The top of his head was about as tall as my tables, and they're tall...I have them on risers so people don't have to bend down at all, everything is at a comfortable level for shopping. He looked like a little calf!

A few weeks ago my daughter Taylor helped me with the Lemonade Fest in St. Cloud. Another great day! We have been "lucking out" with gorgeous weather again this year, it was a near-perfect day.

At one point during the very busy, very loud day (the Blue Angels air show was in town and practicing that day), we glanced up at this shady rock across from our booth, and saw the sweetest sight...there was a boy, probably about 8-10 years old, sitting there in a meditation pose...legs crossed, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees with palms up and fingers touching (lotus pose??). We watched him for several minutes, and this wasn't a fake pose sort of deal, he really was meditating! Amazing, especially since it was so loud with the air show practice that we could hardly even hear each other, and here was a child meditating in the midst! I wanted to snap a picture of him, but before I could he was done and left.

We always have this great spot at Lemonade Fest, behind the rock and tree is an open space where they have mini-concerts all day, so we get some great music too. That means we get to see some great dancing all day too! This little girl just couldn't stop herself from moving to the music!

Now it's time for a little R&R...vacation time! We'll be closed until July 25 for some much needed down time and will return all renewed, refreshed, and ready to get back at it. By then some of the new soaps should be ready, and I'll put them on the website as soon as I can.

Hope you're having a great summer, thanks so much to my fantastic customers!!

New/Old Soaps!

2010-06-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

There's a lady who I see several times a year at shows or markets, and she always asks me "Got any Pearberry again?" That was one of my original scents, and I haven't made it in a few years.

But....since she's kept asking, I know at least one person who wants it again! I bought the fragrance a while ago, and finally made a new batch a week ago, it'll be ready July 25.

Then....yesterday I also made a new batch of Pixie Sticks, another old favorite I haven't made in quite a while, it smells just like the Pixie Stix candy. I think it's gonna be really pretty too, it's a nice grapey color with a gold mica swirl and more mica "painted" across the top. I might change the name to Pixie Paint or something...we'll see. I only made about a 32-bar batch, so it won't be around long.

And then....I've been holding onto this fabulous scent that smells just like Froot Loops cereal, and wanted to do it in the round mold and name it "Fruit Rings" or something like that. Well...the best laid plans...!

I wanted it to be colorful too ('cause it's a kids' soap scent!), and used yellow, red, green and blue oxides to make a pretty swirl. But, when you pour/funnel it into the round molds (big pvc pipes), the colors kind of muddied, and it looks more like swamp water with bits of color here and there. And it was a huge pain to use the round molds, they are hard to seal so it leaks out the bottom, etc.

My daughter looked at it and said I should just name it "Swamp Fruit" so that's probably what it'll be! I wanted to use up the rest of the fragrance, so I just made another batch in the square mold since it probably won't have a "ring" name to it, so the circular shape won't matter. I think it's gonna be a really fun soap, especially for kids. The second batch has more color too, it'll be a fun one to cut up and see the funky patterns inside.

I tried again to make more Monkey Farts, but I'm having trouble getting a fragrance that'll stick and smell good, so that one might be a while yet. The batch I made has, again, a very light scent (too light for me), so when it's cured I'll probably either donate it to the local food shelf or Clean the World.

Oh yeah...I did make another new scent too! Dragon's Blood. An Oriental blend of Patchouli, amber, sandalwood and rose on a warm sweet musk base. It's often described as "mysterious, sweet, earthy." Definitely a unique scent, often recognized as a popular incense fragrance. I think it's one you'll either really, really like...or really, really hate!

Most of the past two weeks has been spent doing a lot of soap making, trying to get ahead of the game and get my stock built back up, it was getting too low. I don't like running out of soaps! I wanted to get a bunch curing too, I'm going on vacation later in July, so most of these soaps will be ready just about when I return, or a week or so after. The summer is looking to be very busy, our oldest daughter is getting married here at home in August, it'll be a pretty big event with a huge tent, relatives staying from out of state, etc., so of course there's lots to do here too!

Never a dull moment...Hope you're having a great summer so far!

Monkey Farts and kids...

2010-06-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Kids' Day at the Monticello Farmer's Market. I got to surprise about 25 kids with a free bar of Monkey Farts soap, and it sure made some of them giggle!

This last batch of Monkey Farts just really wasn't up to my standards for a good strong scent, so I let it serve a purpose that way by giving it away. The kids were thrilled and I was happy to see it go to a "good cause." It was still great soap, just had a sorta weaker scent, and the kids will have fun telling their friends that they bathe in Monkey Farts. What kid wouldn't be proud of that fact?!

And now I can make a new batch that'll be even better.

Both Farmer's Markets are up and running for the season, I'm in Rogers on Wednesdays and then Monticello on Thursdays.

The Lemonade Fest on the beautiful SCSU campus is coming up in two weeks, it's Thursday, June 24, so I won't be at market that day, I'll be in St. Cloud. If you've never been to it, it's a fabulous day with a huge craft show that starts at 11am. This summer, day long festival features local music groups, roving performers, a wide variety of foods and crafts and a children's art and entertainment area. This event traditionally has over 10,000 people in attendance. Then from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. is the free St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra Concert at Atwood Mall (rain site - Ritsche Auditorium).

Come out for a fun-filled free family day!

Soap Donation Thanks to YOU!

2010-02-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I did an email special where customers could get seven bars of soap for the price of five, and donate another bar to Clean the World, a humanitarian organization that puts soap into the hands of very needy people mostly in third-world countries or, in this case, it was especially needed in Haiti where the earthquakes have caused so much devastation.

I'm happy to report that last week I sent off a 24-pound box of soap, containing 83 bars of soap, to Clean the World offices in Florida!

You guys are amazing! Some people even donated their second bar of free soap to the cause.

So I thank you, not only for being such great customers, but for extending your helping hand to those in need.

If you'd like more information about Clean the World, go to their website: http://www.cleantheworld.org/

Email Special!

2009-12-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

I've decided to put off the email special until January, and have a Customer Appreciation deal then, only because my stock on a lot of soaps is so low that I don't want to have a great offer and then not have the soap available for you to get!

This Fall has been quite an experience for me with sales far exceeding my expectations, and that's why my stock is so low. My curing shelves are packed full right now, but several varieties won't be ready until Christmas or just after.

Thanks for waiting! And have a fabulous Christmas season!

Valarie

THANK YOU!

2009-11-21T16:21:00.000-08:00

I want to shout out a huge "THANK YOU" to all my loyal customers! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Because of you I've had the best year yet, and it just keeps growing.

Today was my last craft show of the year, and what a smash ending. I had repeat after repeat after repeat customer come to stock up, telling anyone else who was at the booth how good my soap is and how much they love it! I had a couple travel from the airport area to Albertville just to restock their soap. Another couple came with a shopping list after spending time on my website this morning looking to see what they wanted to buy. I tell you, I'm always amazed, humbled and grateful when I do shows and hear your wonderful comments.

So this week I'll be putting together an email special for you all. I'm planning to share the goodness with an organization I've mentioned before, "Clean the World." They get soap into the hands of those who truly need it in third world countries where the lack of sanitation presents life-threatening problems. Details will follow in the email special.

I thank you again, and look forward to seeing many of you again next year at shows.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

New Soaps!

2009-09-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Orange

Love Potion

I have some new scents appearing soon, some by customer request, others just because they sounded good to me!

Return of an old favorite is Tres, which is available now. This is the soap made with goats milk, cream, and coconut milk, so it's extra moisturizing. A great choice for dry winter skin.

In just another week (September 14) there will be two more new choices, Love Potion and a bar with a nice Frasier Fir scent (unnamed yet, I'm still figuring that one out). I've been working with a customer for a good year and a half trying to get just the right "woodsy" scent he wanted, and I think we've finally got it! Now we just need to come up with the right name for it. Love Potion was a customer request (she makes candles with the scent and wanted soap to match), and I'm glad she requested it. It's a very exotic, sensual fragrance. The description is mostly fruits, but it doesn't smell like fruit to me. I tend to like the more earthier, muskier scents, and I've certainly fallen for this one. It's very hard to describe though, because it's not really earthy or musky....just very, very nice.

Carrot Cake

Then, a few weeks after that (October 1, which really is just right around the corner), both Chocolate Orange and Carrot Cake will be available. I can tell you, my soap curing room sure smells heavenly right now. They're both wonderful, and again, the Chocolate Orange was a customer request.

Some of the soaps I do are a limited edition, and if you're at all interested in them you should snatch them up while they're available. Sometimes it's a matter of mixing scents I had on hand to try something new, like Summer Escape. Other times, like with the Lemongrass & Olive, the fragrance oil was so hard to work with I won't be repeating it again. Whatever the reason, if it's marked Limited Edition Soap, once it's gone it's gone.

September is a very busy month for me, I start back to my full-time job at school tomorrow. Looking ahead to my schedule, I have one day off in September between my "real job," the two Farmer's Markets I still do after school each week, and the weekend shows coming up. There's even one day I had to recruit my daughter to help, because I'm supposed to do two shows in one day (I was invited to be part of a historical re-enactment show, so I get to dress the part too)!

But you know, when I get emails like these, it makes it all worth it to me:

"I wanted to send you feedback on the bars of handmade soap I purchased. I was skeptical at first, thinking how could handmade soap be any different than commercial soap bought at the store. I would normally buy it and then let it sit in a bathroom just for "show". Wow, was I surprised, not only does it smell GREAT, but it lathers wonderfully and it leaves my skin....oh-so-soft!

I can't see myself ever going back to store bought soap, your handmade craft is wonderful! I can't wait to use the other scents.

Thanks again,
Michelle P."

"My order arrived yesterday and thank you so much for the extra sample soap! I have two kids and younger one is 10-month-old baby and she has down syndrome. My dear friend looked very hard to find a special gift for her sensitive skin and she sent us your soaps. We loved your soap and we have been using yours for her & also for us too. : )

As the child with down syndrome tends to have more sensitive and dry skin, your soap is very gentle and works perfect on her skin. I bought couple of Bare Naked this time and plan to share with my friends who just had/going to have a baby to see if they like those too! Thank you so much for making such wonderful products and I like your personal touch correspondence on your business.

~Emi M., California"

Now that makes me smile!

Clean the World!

2009-08-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

I've recently become aware of a fantastic organization called "Clean the World."

Here's a little info from their website:

"Clean the World recycles soap and saves lives.

Everyday in America, thousands of hotels discard millions of pounds of soap and shampoo. These products often end up in already overflowing landfills and contaminate fragile groundwater systems.

Impoverished people around the world die every day from acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease because they have no soap. The death toll is staggering. Each year more than five million lives are lost to these diseases with the majority of deaths being among children less than five years old. Studies have shown that simple hand washing substantially reduces the spread of these diseases. Unfortunately, the essential items for proper hand washing are unobtainable for millions of people worldwide.

Clean the World gets soap to people who really need it.

In an effort to prevent these needless deaths from occurring, Clean the World distributes recycled soap products, along with appropriate educational materials, to impoverished countries worldwide, and to domestic homeless shelters."

You can read more at their site http://www.cleantheworld.org/

Now isn't that COOL?!

I'm going to be running a special soon and send a donation of new soap to this great organization. If you haven't done so already, go to our website www.realsimplesoap.com and sign up for email specials so you can help too!

I love

2009-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

my loyal customers!

I did a craft show a few weeks ago where, as soon as booths were set up and vendors were ready to sell, a couple came up to me and said, with huge grins, that they were "here to stock up on soap!" They went on to tell me how much they love my soaps and it's the only soap they'll use anymore. The husband told me that they've been watching my website to see which shows I'll be at, and decided to come to this one to save on shipping costs (which was still a good 30-40 mile drive for them). But I think it gave them something to do, and it's always a fun time to go to a craft show and see what's new and interesting. And it made my day too!

Yesterday I did a show in Buffalo, which is always another great show to do. I've been there for three years now with soap and have quite a "fan" base there. Several people came up to restock, and as always I gave away a lot of free samples and even a few free bars.

I especially love talking with the people who have sensitive skin and I always give them a couple samples to try (Bare Naked and Oh Honey, Honey). It thrills me to be able to help someone stop their constant itching and get them away from the chemical-laden stuff out there. And when they usually call me a few days later to tell me what a difference it made, I just want to give them a big hug and a "Hurrah!" I even offered to work with a lady who is allergic to olive oil and develop a recipe just for her...I'm pretty sure she'll be giving me a call, she had tears in her eyes when I told her I'd be happy to experiment and find something that will work for HER.

And that's why I do what I do! : )

It works!

2009-07-10T05:59:00.001-07:00

People often ask me at shows whether the "Don't Bug Me" soap actually works. I reply that "Well, in theory it should. It contains citronella, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils, but I haven't been able to really test it out yet for it's effectiveness."

I've had two customers in the past few days tell me that yes, it definitely works! One lady stopped by my booth in Rogers to report that her family had taken it camping with them up in the Boundary Waters (border of Minnesota and Canada). She even used it to wash her hair, and said it most definitely did help.

And my "vendor neighbor" at the Monticello market last night told me it works for her too! She said she uses it before going out to work in the garden, and nothing bugs her.

That's pretty cool. Something that's 100% natural, contains no harmful chemicals like DEET, and it works!

I'm going on my Summer Escape in a few days and will have a chance to test it out at one of North Carolina's state parks near the ocean. I can't wait to go and report back what I find out.

I do have a limited supply of this soap though, and won't be making any more this year because with the six weeks cure time, it would be fall before it's ready and that's getting too late. But I'll definitely make a LOT more next year!

Adding to the busy schedule!

2009-06-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Like I don't have enough to do. Seriously! I've taken on another weekly Farmer's Market, this one is in Rogers, Minnesota on Wednesday afternoon/evenings from 3pm to 7pm. It's located right next to the high school, just off Hwy 101 at 21080 141st Ave. N in Rogers (a quick minute or two off I-94).

Last week was my first week there, and I was very impressed. Not only with the amount of customers coming out to a brand new, two-week-old market, but with the people who are running the market too. Everyone was super nice and very accommodating. It's gonna be great!

This week I'm missing my usual Thursday Monticello market to go up to St. Cloud and be a vendor at the Lemonade Fest. I believe this is my sixth year there, third with soap and I made jewelry for three years before that. Another great show I look forward to each year, and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate again. Yay!

I hate to not be at the market though (in Monticello). Customers come to expect that the usual vendors will be there, and it's not good if you're missing. My plan was to be gone also on July 9th, 16th and 23rd, but I'm pretty sure that plan is changing. The 9th is my son's birthday, but I made a deal with him to share in the profits that day as part of his birthday present, so I can attend. I might even talk him into coming with me so we can have a special birthday sale (we'll see about that one!).

The other two weeks I'll be having fun in North Carolina with my big brother, who I don't get to see very often. I'm really looking forward to a vacation with him and his wife and stepdaughter. He's a fabulous cook (yum!) and fisherman, and we're planning to camp by the ocean for a weekend. I love being by the water.

Then I'll be back, refreshed, and ready to make more soap!

Sales!!

2009-05-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, I hate to do it, but I've had to mark several soaps "Temporarily Out of Stock!" The Farmer's Market has started, and I've received some unexpected, unusually large orders, depeleting a lot of my stock.

There's a lot more already ON the curing racks, but since I let my soaps cure a full 6 weeks before packaging and selling them, some of them might be a little bit of a wait. But wouldn't you rather wait for a fully-cured soap than get something that's just going to melt quickly in your shower??

The busy summer season is on! Be sure to check out our "Where You Can Find Real. Simple. Soap." page if you're looking for a few good craft shows to attend.

And thanks for your patience!

Farmer's Market!

2009-05-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

We've started the new season of the Farmer's Market, and have had two fabulous days already! And this year it's even better!

What can you find at the Farmer's Market this time of year? Not really much produce yet (although I did get some fresh rhubarb yesterday), but there are some new vendors, which means new products among the "old" regular vendors...this week included some beautiful felted purses, stepping stones, jewelry, baked goods, bedding plants (veggies and flowers), hanging baskets, soy candles, fresh eggs, bird feeders, maple syrup, homemade taffy, photo cards and framed art, gluten-free baking mixes, chemical free beef and chicken, all kinds of home-canned goods like jellies, jams, pickles, pickled green beans, beets and more. I bought some wonderful home-canned roasted red pepper soup that I can't wait to try.

We have a new location this year and it seems to be working out nicely. We're just across the road from where we were last year, we're at the Monticello Public Library parking lot each Thursday from 3:30 - 7:00, now until mid-October.

There's even live music this year! Yesterday we had acoustic guitar and an accordian player. It really helps liven things up and provides a nice atmosphere for the market.

Stop on out...you never know what you'll find!

A little consumer deception??

2009-03-22T08:34:00.001-07:00

I happened to be at the Mall of America the other day, and stopped in to check out a soap/bath/body store that I've been curious about....you may have heard about it, it's called "Lush." They are a big corporation with many, many stores and a huge following.

They have beautiful products - soaps, bath bombs as big as a baseball, fresh facial masks, solid bubble bath...the list goes on. Very nice stuff, and expensive too! I don't know that I'd personally want to spend $6.95 for a bath bomb for just one bath, but they sure looked cool!

I told the girl as soon as she came over that I make soap and just came to check out their stuff too. She asked me how I make soap, and I told her the basic ingredients/steps. Then she went into her sales speech, "educating" me on their products. Turns out, I ended up educating her a bit.

She proudly told me that their soaps are not made with palm oil, because there is a controversy around the sustainability of the rain forests, nor is it made with lye or glycerin. Hmm. Soap made without lye? Sorta impossible, as the lye is what reacts with the oils to change into and create soap.

So I looked at the ingredient list for their honey soap: Honey Water (Mel Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Beeswax (Cera alba), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis), Aloe cupensis, Sodium Chloride, Glycerine, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Titanium Dioxide, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate.

Ok, so it doesn't say lye or palm oil, right? I explained to her that when you mix an oil with lye (sodium hydroxide), it becomes a whole other substance. In this case they mixed Palm Kernel oil with sodium hydroxide, and it becomes Sodium Palm Kernelate. And Palm Kernel oil definitely does come from the same plant/place as Palm oil. The palm fruit is the source of both palm oil (extracted from palm fruit) and palm kernel oil (extracted from the fruit seeds).

And...what else is in their soap? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also referred to as just SLS, one of the worst ingredients to put on your body. So why is a dangerous chemical like sodium lauryl sulfate used in commercial soaps and shampoos? The answer is simple - it is cheap. The sodium lauryl sulfate found in commercial soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines. A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology showed that concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. Skin corrosion...seriously?

National Institutes of Health "Household Products Directory" of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Some soaps have concentrations of up to 30%, which the ACT report called "highly irritating and dangerous." There's no way to know what the concentration is in the product, but you know the higher it is up on the ingredient list, the more of it is in the product.

Tetrasodium Etidronate is a substance found in many personal care products that has the potential to cause adverse effects in people with eczema. Tetrasodium etidronates are also used in water softeners. Because tetrasodium can be an irritant to the skin and mucus membranes people with eczema should exercise caution before using products that contain it. One reason that tetrasodium etidronate is used in soaps is for its preservative properties. Commercial soaps are required to have no more than two percent of tetrasodium etidronate but even small amounts can trigger eczema symptoms.

Many commercial soaps and other personal care products that are billed as "natural" actually contain tetrasodium etidronate. In fact, many of the soaps sold in health food stores contain tetrasodium etidronate.

Benzyl benzoate is used to treat lice and scabies infestations. This medicine is believed to be absorbed by the lice and mites and to destroy them by acting on their nervous system. Wow, not something I'd want to be putting on my body every day!

So what's in OUR honey soap? Water, coconut oil, castor oil, palm oil, olive oil, sodium hydroxide, shea butter, beeswax, honey, sugar, lemongrass essential oil. Yep, that's it! Nothing else!

The sales girl seemed to be interested when I explained the lye/sodium palm kernelate part to her, and she said "Well, I guess I can't say that to anyone anymore, but that's what they tell us to say!"

I walked away rather angry at this company, because if they are indeed telling their employees to say such things, that, in my opinion is major deception. Their soaps look like the purest, most natural soaps you could imagine, when in fact they're not.

Another reason that we, as consumers, need to educate ourselves.

Healthy Life Expo!

2009-02-01T15:28:00.001-08:00

Wow, did we have a busy and fun weekend! My daughter, Bri, and I were vendors at the Healthy Life Expo downtown Minneapolis this past Friday and Saturday. We gave away a LOT of free samples and met some wonderful people.

Friday was a little slowish, but things picked up considerably on Saturday. I think the gorgeous weather (or so I heard!) may have helped. It was 47 degrees out and I believe sunny, so I think people wanted to get out and do something.

We really did have a good time. When we had some slower moments we took turns walking around looking at the other booths. I got a mini-massage each day, what a treat. Just what I needed on Saturday afternoon when my shoulders were feeling a little tight.

There were wonderful booths there...everything from chiropractors, jewelry, natural fiber clothing, artwork, purified water, natural grain-fed beef, handmade soy candles, healthy cookware (which we were directly across from, and I could probably now tell you their whole sales talk, having heard it 8 times!), natural skincare, energy/vitamin drinks, personal trainers, body detoxification, essential oils, massage, intuitive and palm readings, dna activation, anti-aging, and so much more.

If you missed it, there will be another show this November 7 at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, and again next January.

And the winner is....

2009-01-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Patricia Perla from Utah is the lucky winner! This basket full of 12 soaps will be in the mail to you on Friday, January 2.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and best wishes for a fabulous 2009!

New Soaps!

2008-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

I added three new 100% natural soaps to the website today...Patchouli Lavender, Patchouli Lime, and Pine Tar.

I've had a customer stop by my booth a few times this summer and ask me to make Patchouli Lavender. It was a favorite of hers from another soapmaker who no longer makes it, so I did it. And while I was at it I made an old favorite of mine, Patchouli Lime. If you're a Patchouli Orange fan, while that one's out of stock (curing now), give the Patchouli Lime a try.

Pine Tar soap is an old-time recipe for a medicinal soap. Pine Tar soap has traditionally been known to help with frustrating skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dandruff. I make no claims...that's just what it's known for. Lots of people over the years have found relief (NOT cures, but relief) from skin problems when using Pine Tar soaps. It definitely has a medicinal smell, but if it helps, it would be worth it! I added a touch of Eucalyptus essential oil to it to help with the smell a bit. Many people like the medicinal smell of the soap.

I'm still working on the other new items (lip balms, bath bombs, sugar scrubs, bath salts, etc.). A big part of the whole process is working out the labeling, as there are government rules and regulations that have to be followed. And of course the labels have to fit on the container too!
I'm hoping to roll out the new products in January.

Hope everyone's having a wonderful December and holiday season so far. We're getting a beautiful, soft, light snow today, which helps put me in the holiday mood.

Packing it up!

2008-11-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

No, we're not the latest store casualty going out of business!! : ) Not at all!

I just unloaded the van and brought everything in for the last time this season (unless I find another craft show I absolutely must do before Christmas). It was sort of a relief, because I've packed and unpacked the soap, tent, tables, and all other things necessary to do a show at least 40 times this year, and that's just since May! It'll be nice to take a little break before the spring season kicks back in.

Yesterday was my last show of the year, and what a way to end the season! I had such a great time, it was a very well known, well run show at the St. Michael/Albertville High School. The crowd was unbelievable, I was actually thinking that it would not be much fun to be a shopper in the first few hours, it was so crowded people could hardly move, let alone have fun shopping.

Several of my favorite customers stopped by too. One lady (Jane!), is so much fun...I was busy wrapping up some gift sets for customers, so there was a line at my booth, and she was telling people (anyone within earshot), how great my soap is and that it's all she's used for the last two years and has helped to greatly control her eczema. She always comes with her daughter, and they're just great people to see. I asked her if she wanted to hang around the booth for a few hours and just be my salesperson! I love her! Of course I gave her an extra free bar for being so nicely outspoken about my soap...she deserved it. Jane, you're the best!

For the next month I'll be working hard on the recipes for new products (bath salts, bath bombs, lotion sticks/bars, body butters and more). They're coming along nicely, and I'm hoping to have them all perfected before mid-January, as I do have one big show the end of January that it would be nice to have new products for. But I won't put them out for sale unless they're just right! I'll send out an email special when they're ready too.

Thank you all again for being great customers this past year! It's been a delight.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Valarie

Win FREE Soap!

2008-11-21T07:05:00.000-08:00

How would you like to win a year's worth of FREE SOAP?

For every order placed between now and December 31, 2008, your name will be put into a drawing to win this basket jam-packed with a dozen bars of handmade soap!

There's nothing to do...except place your order (yes, you can place as many orders as you'd like, and each time your name will be put into the drawing)!

Drawing will take place on January 1, 2009.

And there's more exciting news...we're expanding and doing some new product development!

Felted soap is now available. What's felted soap you ask? It's soap with wool roving wrapped around the soap, then felted (wet and rubbed so the fibers lock together). As you use the soap you'll get great lather and a nice scrubby texture.

Skip the washcloth or poof and try felted soap. They're beautiful and practical, and make great gifts. You can choose to have any bar of soap felted, but please be aware that it will delay shipment of your order for five days, while your bar is being felted and dried. Colors will vary.

Creations like whipped shea butter, bath salts, sugar scrubs, lotion balms and fizzy bath bombs are all being worked on, tested and perfected. The guinea pigs (friends and family, not real guinea pigs!) are testing, testing, testing products and giving me lots of feedback. Hopefully there will be several new items on the website to start the new year off with a bang (or a bomb...bath bomb that is!).

I'm also considering lip balms, and would love to hear what kind of items you'd like to see us make, and your favorite scents, etc. Any feedback/ideas/suggestions are appreciated! Just email me, valarie@realsimplesoap.com, and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for being a customer! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

End of the season!

2008-11-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

Thursday was the last day of the Farmers' Market for the 2008 season. It was bittersweet, of course.

Thankfully we had an absolutely gorgeous fall day to end the season. Did you make it out to the market this year? If you didn't, here's what you missed:

We'll start again next May, so mark your calendars! It's not only a great way to spend some time, but you never know what you'll find there (if you're interested in the free kittens, let me know and I'll hook you up with that person!). They need a good home! : )

Hunting time!

2008-10-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hunting season is upon us. Actually the bow hunting season opened here mid-September. My husband is a bow hunter, and he likes to try different things to hopefully get the advantage over the deer. This year he bought himself a special bar of soap. It's unscented, and is supposed to help get rid of human scent.

Hmm...that sounds fairly familiar (my "Tall Tale" soap?). Nope. It wasn't Tall Tale, and I'm sure he paid a pretty penny for it too.

That's fine. Give it a try I say. But I picked it up in the shower and didn't like the feel of it. It wasn't smooth feeling like my soap. And Honey, I also make one that's unscented (Bare Naked), and one that's supposed to attract deer. : )

I didn't say anything, just let him use his special soap.

Then last week he told me that he had to stop using it because his skin felt really dry! He went back to my soap and could immediately tell the difference.

Guess we all have to live and learn!

By the way...he's been throwing small pieces of my soap around out in our woods this year, hoping that the deer will get used to the smell...'cause he smells like soap all the time. Hope it works for him!

Pretty cool...

2008-09-06T05:23:00.001-07:00

Last night I got an order from a woman in Arkansas. When I asked her how she heard about our soap, this is what she said:

"My husband is in Iraq, and somehow got some of your soap. He sent me a slice of the Patchouli Orange and said I needed to get some! It took me a little while, but he kept bugging me to get some, so I finally called. He'll be so surprised when he comes home because he doesn't know I'm ordering it."

How cool is that?!! I had sent about 100 bars over to Iraq the end of July. One box went to Troop Care Package, where she divided it up amongst boxes headed for soldiers. The other box I sent directly to a customer's son who's serving over there, with a letter hoping he'd share it with his troop mates. Somehow this soldier from Arkansas got his hands on a bar and loved it so much he encouraged his wife back home to get some too!

I just love stories like that! I never know what'll happen or who might fall in love with the soap, and it makes my day hearing such cool stories.

New Bar Shape

2008-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

When I got the product test results a while ago from the National Health & Wellness Club members, I noticed one particular comment/suggestion happened several times.

People suggested that I make the bar shape a little differently, so the soap is easier to hold on to. Currently it's about an inch and a half thick, and it can sometimes be hard to hold, especially for those who have smaller hands.

So, I'm taking their wonderful suggestion to heart! With the newer batches I've started cutting the bars a little thinner, but longer, and you can see the comparison in the picture. Hopefully this will work out wonderfully, I like the new shape myself.

The bars will still weigh the same (approximately 4.5 oz. or more), they'll just be longer and narrower, so they'll look a little different.

I've been working on some web updates today, adding a few new soaps and putting some summer scents on clearance. I've got several great new scents coming out, so if the summer ones are your favorites, you might want to snatch them up while they're still available, and clearance priced!

100% Natural vs. Fragrance Oils

2008-08-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

When I set up my booth at shows or the Farmers' Market, I separate the soap tables by which soaps are 100% natural, and those that contain a fragrance oil, which is the only thing that's not natural in that soap. That way it's easy for those who are interested in strictly 100% natural soap to see what they have to choose from, and avoid the soaps with fragrance oils.

Sometimes I'm asked why I use fragrance oils and don't strictly do 100% natural soaps. My reasons are many. I personally don't have a problem using soaps containing fragrance oils, because I know they are high quality cosmetic fragrances. I only buy fragrances from reputable companies, never the "cheap imitation fragrances" I've heard other soapers refer to. Good quality fragrance oils aren't "cheap" to begin with, some are much more expensive than essential oils. I hold myself to a higher standard than that, and would never buy or use something in my soap that wasn't top quality (don't forget, my family uses the soaps too!). I scent my soaps at 1% of the recipe, so each bar contains a very small amount of fragrance, whether it's essental oils or fragrance oil.

There are many, many fragrances which people love, that just aren't available in a safe essential oil (not all essential oils are skin safe either). Scents that are very popular, such as Fresh Cut Grass, Black Raspberry Vanilla and Hardwood Musk just aren't going to happen unless I use a fragrance oil. I like bathing with scents such as Lime Margarita or Cleopatra's Treasure.

I also struggle with the "sustainability" of essential oils. Do you realize how much plant material it takes to make a tiny amount of essential oil? And what is the environmental impact of all the machinery used to plant, harvest and process the plants to make such a small amount of oil? Are those plants grown without pesticides? Are they processed without solvents? Here's an interesting link about essential oils: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil#Production

If someone wants to live completely natural, I honor and applaud that. Whether you choose 100% natural soap, or those containing fragrance oils, handmade soap is still 100% better for you than commercial detergent bars. Guaranteed.

FDA Globalization Act of 2008

2008-07-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/indie_business/2008/06/stop-the-fda-gl.html?cid=124512866#comment-124512866

Have you heard anything about the FDA Globalization Act of 2008? If not, I urge you to go to the link above and watch a short video from Donna Maria, President & CEO of the Indie Beauty Network.

This video summarizes the Indie Beauty Network's position against the Discussion Draft of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, the legislation that would put thousands of Indies out of business by forcing them to pay outrageous registration fees and comply with burdensome paperwork.

If you've ever bought a lotion, lip balm, or other personal product from someone other than a big name national or worldwide company, that choice could be taken away from you when small, independent businesses are forced out of business due to the burdens of this Act.

If passed, this law would drive consumers back to the days when they could only choose between a few huge, faceless, nameless big box stores and brands for their cosmetics and personal care products. And fewer consumer choices always leads to higher prices.

The Act would put unfair burdens on small, Indie businesses like Real. Simple. Soap., burdens that would most likely put thousands upon thousands of small business out of business. Not only would that affect your choices as a consumer, but think of how many families depend on the income from their small businesses these days.

Please take the time to view the video, and sign the petition if you feel led to do so.

The Things We Go Through...

2008-07-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days.

Our local Farmers' Market was set to open early because of the town celebration (River Fest), so we were to open at noon instead of 3:30. Everyone got there, got their booths set up, and wham.... look what happened! We knew storms were coming so I think most of us were pretty well prepared, but man, did it rain! With wind too. I took this shot of the booth across from me (while holding down my own tent, so it's not the greatest quality). It rained for a good long while and then finally cleared, giving us a nice cool breeze on our soaked bodies, which meant then we were cold. No problem, just continue on.

Not much later, it clouded up again and rained some more. There were some shoppers who braved the weather, some had umbrellas, some didn't! I had managed to put a tarp on my canopy ceiling, so my soap was staying pretty much dry, which is good. The sun came back out.

Not much later, it clouded up again and rained some more! Yes, it did that probably 6 or 7 times. I'd put a side up on my canopy to stop the rain because it always seemed to change directions. It would stop raining, things would dry off, I'd take the side down for customer shopping ease, and then it would rain again! Finally around 4:00 it stopped for good, things dried off and the rest of the evening was beautiful. The nice part was that everything was dry to pack up, because packing up in the rain is absolutely no fun.

Today I'm going shopping for a new canopy! My old one is not waterproof at all, and if I hadn't put the tarp in the ceiling, my day would have been ruined. One of the other vendors had a new canopy that I was eyeing all day, and I'm going to go look at that one. It would be nice to not have to worry about rain and soap mixing.

It's nice to see the "regulars" coming out to the market. It's nice to see people supporting local farmers and crafters. It's even nicer when I hear comments like this: "Last week I took a sample of Paradise, and it smells and works just as good as the Bath & Body Works stuff... without all the chemicals." That was fun to hear!

I also picked up a few "new" vegetables for our family to try. I've never tried kohlrabi, but it sounded good when the vendor was telling a customer about it, so I got some too. And fresh beets. I haven't had beets since I was a kid and had to eat the canned ones, so that'll be an adventure too. I'll most likely be the only one in the house to try them, but you never know.

If you are local and haven't ventured out to the market, it's every Thursday from 3:30-7:00 pm behind the Community Center in Monticello. You never know what you'll find there, besides veggies there are things such as fused glass pendants, photography cards and prints, kitchen towels, homemade baked goods, jams and jellies, garden plants, hanging baskets, homemade candies, homemade fruit rollups, stepping stones, salt-water taffy and lots more. Yesterday a group was selling THE best strawberry shortcake with local berries that were the sweetest I've ever tasted. So I had to taste it twice. : )

Bring your kids, your spouse, your grandma! There's something for everyone at the market.

New Blog!

2008-07-08T08:39:00.001-07:00

I've decided to change things around a little bit with my blog and started using blogger.com so it can be a little more interactive. You can now leave me comments and/or sign up for automatic updates when I post new things (at the very bottom of the page)!

I did transfer some of the older posts below too, just to get things started.

2008-07-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

It's Show Time!

Things have been especially busy this summer with my show schedule so far. I'm not used to doing a weekly "show" (Farmer's Market) plus all the other ones scheduled. It's a lot of hauling things around, unpacking and packing things back up. Last week was one of my favorite shows to do, the Lemonade Fest in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It's usually a gorgeous day on the campus of St. Cloud State University where we get to set up under huge shade trees and take in the smells (cheese curds, mini donuts, kettle corn), sights (lots of people) and sounds (orchestra) of the day. It's a lot of fun.Part of the fun is seeing old customers returning for more soap! I had several people stop by this year asking for their favorite soaps and stocking up with more. And of course we went through a lot of free samples!

I figured it was time to put a face to the name, so we had someone take a picture of Taylor and I, all set up and ready for the day. She's usually too busy to help much these days, but made sure she was available for this one, 'cause it's one of her favorite festivals too.In a few weeks my husband gets to help me in Anoka at the River Fest. And I think he actually enjoys that too (although I don't have a special t-shirt for him!).

5:47 am cdt
Sunday, June 8, 2008

Good enough to eat??

There's one comment I hear a LOT of at craft shows, and it goes something like this, "Oh, I thought it was fudge!! It looks good enough to eat!" One time I kept track, and heard that comment about a hundred times in one day. Or they tell me it looks like cheese, or cheesecake, or some other edible delight. It's a compliment really, and the looks of all the soaps does attract people to my booth.Well a few weeks ago I was doing a show, and a little boy, around 6 years old, came up with his mom and sisters, and before I could say any response to the "It looks good enough to eat" comment, he grabbed a bar of soap, put it in his mouth, and chomped down on it!!

That's when I told him it wasn't something to eat, but judging by the look on his face...he already knew that! I guess it's NOT good enough to eat. : )

4:48 pm cdt
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

"You get what you pay for!"

We all know it's true. How many times have our parents or others given us that exact piece of advice? Lots. Do we listen? Sometimes.I was thinking about that as I was struggling with my packaging tape. You see, last winter I stocked up on some cheap clear packaging tape. "Cheap" is the key word. I should have known better, really. Every time I tape up a package I am reminded that "You get what you pay for," because it's a struggle. I spend more time trying to find the end of the roll, because it won't stay in the end of the holder thing, than I do actually packing the package. Then the tape splits and I have two parts to look for!

Some of the packages go out looking like a drunk monkey put the tape on, and I'm sure I'm using way more tape than I'd need if it were a good quality tape.

This also led me to think about how "You get what you pay for" applies to handmade soap. Some people think it's expensive, and it does cost more than cheap, commercial soap. But, "You get what you pay for!"With good quality handmade soap you're NOT getting awful detergents and chemicals to put on your skin. You're getting high quality oils and butters that will actually feel good and do good things for you. You're getting essential oils or high quality fragrance oils. You're getting natural exfoliants such as seeds or oatmeal. You're getting relief from itchy, dry skin. You're getting goodness in every bar!

So, here's my piece of advice, one that I need to remember myself..."You get what you pay for!" : )

7:15 am cdt

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Price increases??

NOT happening here!

Have you noticed the prices of everything lately?? Not just gas that's now hovering around $3.65 a gallon, but how about when you go to the grocery store and just about any product has jumped a dollar or more? And it's not just groceries either...I went to Menards yesterday to buy another new container for my labels - the same container I had bought just two weeks ago for $8.99 was now $10.98! And it wasn't on sale when I first bought it, that was the normal price. That's a 22% increase!

If I raised my soap prices by 22% that would add another $.99 to each bar.

But I'm not. I refuse. Enough is enough and I will fight it as long as I can! This world has gone crazy and I'm not participating in the craziness. Even though my supplier prices for oils and ingredients have increased, I will not pass along the increases.

So, you can still count on getting wonderful, pampering, handmade soap at a reasonable price. "Reasonable" being the key word. : )

P.S. Even with the recent postage increase, I'm gonna "eat" the extra dollar it costs to send flat rate boxes.

8:44 am cdt

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Exciting News!!

Our soap has been approved by the members of the National Health & Wellness Club!!

I sent out 675 bars of soap to 225 members in March, and at least 2/3 of them needed to give it an "approved" rating for it to receive Club approval. It'll be featured in their July/August issue in the Product Testing section. That means I get to use their Seal of Approval too, which is great news.

I didn't expect to hear the news so quickly, and it surprised me to show up in my email today. I thought it would take a few more months, but testing and approval only took about 7 weeks.If you're a member of the National Health & Wellness Club, I thank you for taking the time to test, fill out the forms and approving the soap (and there will be a special offer for you on the NHWC website).

If you're not a member (and you should be, go to http://www.healthandwellnessclub.com/), why not give the soap a try today...I'm sure you won't regret it! They didn't! : )

7:54 pm cdt

Monday, April 28, 2008

Soap Snobs.

Yep, that's what my family has become...soap snobs! Last week I finally cleared out all the little slivers of soap from the shower, because who can use up those last little bits when there are big, beautiful, new bars sitting there, with plenty more where they came from?! Even though this soap can be used right down to where it disappears, that never seems to happen around here. A bar gets pretty small, and then everyone stops using it to go for the new bars. I guess I can't blame them, but I hate to see waste, even that kind.

My husband even teasingly told our daughter not to "rat him out" because he went down and grabbed a new bar of Peppermint Patty for himself! That's his favorite.

My favorite seems to change every once in a while, and it's probably because I might put something new in the shower and the old gets forgotten for a while. Right now I'm lovin' Tres and Oh Honey, Honey the most. I love both of them on my face especially, because they're so creamy. It seems the more I rub the lather, the better it becomes. Then I go for Cleopatra's Treasure for the rest of the shower. I made some Oatmeal Peppermint this weekend, along with more of the Peppermint Patty, so our house has this great uplifting peppermint smell right now. The Oatmeal Peppermint was one I had made as a special order last year, but my oldest loved that one, and since I've decided to replace the Almond Oatmeal with a Country Almond with no oatmeal (curing now), I went ahead and made more of the Oatmeal Peppermint. I've had people ask for an Almond soap without oatmeal, so that's what I'm gonna do. You can still get your shot of oatmeal with either the Oatmeal Peppermint or Oatmeal, Milk & Honey. Both contain real oatmeal for skin softening and exfoliation.

Whatever your favorite is...use it 'till it disappears! I can always make more. : )

5:52 am cdt

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sum sum summer time!

I just updated our website summer show schedule with show dates that I have confirmed. There might be a few more added, but I have some things going on this summer that might put a little time crunch on my show schedule. We'll see.It's exciting to start thinking about going to shows and meeting customers, and hopefully converting some commercial soap users over to the handmade side. I love talking to people at shows and giving away free samples to try (after all the work of dragging everything there and setting up is done). I don't know if my trusty sidekick will be able to tag along and help this year though, she'll be busy at her jobs or off tooling around in her convertible, having fun with friends. But isn't that what being a teenager is all about?! Who wants to go hang out with mom all day? : )

I'm taking on a weekly schedule at the Monticello (Minnesota) Farmer's Market. It's a small but growing market every Thursday starting May 8 through the end of October from 3:30 to 7:00 pm at the Community Center. I'll be there most weeks during the season. I think that'll be fun too, and maybe I'll get to stock up on a lot of fresh veggies while I'm there this summer, and make some new friends.

Last weekend I made the Cucumber soap, and put real pureed cucumber in it. I made it a layered soap too, the bottom half has the pureed cucumber and the top doesn't, so it looks pretty cool. I also made the Cilantro and Lily of the Valley soaps, they'll all be ready around Memorial Day Weekend.

My soap racks are getting pretty full in anticipation of a busy summer schedule. Now if only the weather would cooperate and let us have spring...last week we had a snowstorm so bad we had a snow day off school...this week it's been 65 degrees and gorgeous!

Go figure!

7:39 pm cdt

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Spring's Here!

Or so the calendar says...but we're supposed to get up to 8 inches of snow in the next 36 hours. Sigh....This feels like THE longest winter ever. I made a bunch more soap today though, and that's always fun. I made more Vanilla Sandalwood, Bella, cocoa soap for shavings in the Peppermint Patty, Bare Naked, and a new one...Pomegranate, which smells fantastic! I'm hoping the coloring turns out good, I'm not sure if the fragrance will discolor or not, but I used some pink ultramarine and bronze mica and it's a beautiful dark pink/rose color with a little shimmer to it.

A customer requested some new scents last week, and I've ordered the fragrances. Hopefully next weekend I'll be knee deep in Cucumber, Cilantro and Lily of the Valley soaps! That should put me in a spring mood.

But for now I guess I'll just make sure the snow shovel is still around...

5:48 pm cdt

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Water, water, everywhere...but it's not all the same!

I had a pretty cool revelation as I spent the past week in Wisconsin at a condo near Devil's Head ski area with my best friend. I had taken along a lot of slices of soap to use, because I wanted her opinions and I wanted to try them in different water, because I knew that hard or soft water affects lather differently, but I was amazed at how much of a difference it really did make.

At home we have well water, which isn't really hard, but we don't use a softener either. It's just generally good water. I usually get very nice lather from my soaps, but there are two that seem to have a pretty low bubble, creamy lather at home (Tres and Oh Honey, Honey). I took samples of those along to try, and was absolutely amazed at how they performed in soft water. They had the most wonderful lather, I couldn't believe they were the same soaps I use at home!

And that makes me wonder about the statement I have on their descriptions that they're a low bubble soap, because it totally depends on YOUR water. If you have soft water, you'll get fantastic lather from them (in hard water it'll be creamier, less bubbly).

One day we had both showered with Tres, and then left for a day of shopping. When we returned, we both sort of panicked when we walked in the door because it smelled so good in the condo that we thought we must have left a candle burning by mistake. It turned out it was just the aroma of the soap we had used that morning, and it was wonderful! I don't get that effect at home because our house just smells like all the soaps all the time.

It was such a good week, I got to spend a lot of time laughing, scrapbooking, beading and shopping, and of course always learning more about soap!

6:06 pm cdt

Friday, March 7, 2008

No more boring showers!

This morning, as I was taking my shower, I started smiling to myself when I realized that I enjoy taking showers now. Ok, so that might sound a little funny, it's not like I used to not like taking showers, but as I was grabbing yet another bar of soap to smell and play with, I realized that showering has become a joy. Really. A joy.

It's now one of the favorite parts of my day. I never really used to think much about showering, or getting any enjoyment out of it. It was just something you do every day...another "chore" to be done. Before I started making soap we used whatever was the cheapest at the store, whether it was bar soap or shower gel. And we'd all use it, and never think much about it. After all, it was just your regular daily shower. But we did go through a LOT of lotions, and my elbows especially were always red and dry.

Now though, things are different. I start by using one of two (ok, sometimes I use them both) of the best bars for a facial soap (Oh Honey, Honey or Tres). Then I move on and might pick up one I haven't used in a few days, or maybe try something new, and then another, and then usually another, almost always ending with my beloved Patchouli Orange! What got me thinking this morning though, was that I pretty much wash my skin with 4-5 or more kinds of soap each day (no, I'm not OCD...I just enjoy playing with the soap and the bubbles!), and, I wondered...if I were using a harsh commercial soap and doing that, just what would my skin be like?? I'm betting it would be cracked, dry, and in need of tons of lotion all the time.

But it's none of the above, which really tells me a lot.

4:59 pm cst

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Ship ahoy!!

I've been spending more time than usual at the post office these days. Yes, the big product testing project is finally shipping!! I'm sending 225 selected people each three bars of my soap for testing as part of a wellness club product testing program. They're members of the club, and receive the soap free to test and critique, and let me know what they think of it - yes, good and bad comments and suggestions. In return, if it's considered an "approved by members" product, I'll get some national exposure.

It's exciting, and a little scary. And a lot of work! I absolutely love my post office ladies, so the shipment will be going out over about a week and a half...I don't want to overwhelm them with 225 packages all at once, so I'm taking about 20-30 packages a day, which still holds up the line a bit. I'm sure they see me coming though, and say to each other "You get her today!!"

Some people may have already received theirs, and the last ones shipped should get them in the second week of March.Then I'm going on a well-deserved vacation with my best friend. : )

6:05 am cst

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Thirteen.

That's how many bars of soap I tried this morning. My fingers were getting a little pruney by the time I was done! There were actually about 17 bars in the shower, but I really didn't need to use them all. Although, I was pretty much done and then spied the Patchouli Orange and thought "ok, I gotta use this one before I'm done" 'cause that's truly my favorite. I can't get enough of that scent!

I bought some soap online last week, because I like trying other soapers' products to compare scents, colors, bar sizes, pricing, packaging, service, ingredients, lather, etc. I bought three bars, and they came with two small sample pieces too. I liked their packaging, although the bars were shrink-wrapped so I couldn't smell a thing when I opened the box. A little disappointing, because I think it's awesome to open a box of soap and get that wonderful scent. Reminds me of home. : )

Anyway, all three bars lathered up well, but one of them made a really brown lather, which I didn't like much, and had very little scent. Sort of disappointing, because the scent description was very intriguing. I ended up throwing that one out. The other two are ok, nice lather but again, I learned something without needing to experiment for myself. One bar had titanium dioxide in it for coloring (white), and I learned that I don't like the feel of it. It's a natural mineral that's "safe" for cosmetic use (there's currently some controversy over that) and is used to make a lot of things pure white (think soaps, sunscreen, etc.). To me it just felt a little chalky, and I didn't like it. That one's still in the shower though, because I know either the kids or husband will use it, but now I know not to bother trying titanium dioxide in my soaps.

The third one was a honey scent, and was also "ok." It'll stay in the shower too, but it'll be interesting to just watch it and see whether anyone picks it up and uses it much, or if it just sits there.

I'm not picking on other soapmakers either...sometimes at craft shows I'll trade a bar with other soapmakers, or just buy some, and I have found some wonderful stuff out there, and they might inspire me to change something or try something new with my soaps.

And then there are times when I try soaps that are disappointing, and it just makes me want to try all that much more to have a fantastic product.

10:04 am cst

Thursday, January 31, 2008

"Soap making is part science, part magic, and part artistry." - Marge the Happy Soaper

I read that on a forum I belong to, and couldn't agree more. Except she left out the "part fun" part! There's definitely science involved, the whole saponification process is pure science, using the right amount of chemicals (sodium hydroxide/lye), water and oils. You have to know what you're doing or it's not going to become soap.

The magic comes in when it's all mixed together and turns to gel, cools and then turns to soap. I can't help but peek under the blankets still when it's going through all that. I love watching the process. It's also "magical" to me how much heat the soap creates when it's going through the gel stage (ok, that's science too!). And the scent becomes amazing. When I'm making new batches sometimes I'll wake up at night and just take a deep breath, it smells so good in here.

Part artistry is where even more creative fun happens. Rather than just make the same old recipe and just change the fragrance, I try to think of new things to do to make each soap different and pretty, if possible. Sometimes it's as simple as sprinkling something different on top, sometimes it's playing with the top to make swirls, sometimes it's more involved than that, but it's always FUN.

Always.

Valarie the Happy Soaper!! : )

5:59 am cst

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Soap travels the world...

We've had some exciting things happening here lately. I just finished an order for wedding favors and shipped that off last week. The wedding is a "destination wedding" in Mexico. The bride said they were inspired by my Lime Margarita soap that they love, and decided to create gift baskets for their guests with a "relax and have fun" sort of theme. They turned out beautifully, 1/2 size bars of Lime Margarita soap in green organza bags and a cute tag. The box smelled heavenly!

And then I received an order from a lady in Finland. Wow...Finland! She heard about my soap from someone's blog. It's so fun sending packages around the world.

And then the next day I got a wholesale order from a woman in Norway who owns a gift shop in an exclusive suburb outside of Oslo, and wants to put Real. Simple. Soap. in her shop! She ordered a nice assortment of scents, and I got that package shipped off.

The fun part about that order is that most likely people from all over the world will be shopping in her store, so who knows what'll happen from there.

5:23 pm cst <
/div>

Saturday, January 19, 2008

New Soaps!

I worked a bit on the website today, adding some new soaps, even though they won't be ready for another month yet. I can't help it, I'm excited for these new soaps and wanted to show you what's coming up!

One that is ready is Key Lime Pie. Mmmm. Smells just like one of my favorite desserts. I sprinkled a bit of graham cracker crumbs on top after I poured it into the mold so it has a little bit of pie crust effect. The graham cracker crumbs will just go away after a shower or two, but I like making the soaps look cooler than just an ordinary bar of soap. It's part of the fun.

Cleopatra's Treasure is another new one that's curing. It smells heavenly, and I tried a new (for me) thing with this one too. I took Chamomile flowers and infused (steeped) them in the warm olive oil for many hours before using the oil in the soap. Infusing oils with herbs is something I've been reading about but had not tried. It was fun, and should give the soap even more great benefits for your skin.

Tall Tale is curing too, that's the one made with Anise essential oil, and is useful for both hunters and fishermen. Anise is supposed to attract fish and cover human scent, something hunters are always trying to do before going out. You could always add a few slivers of the soap to wash water for the hunting clothes too, it just might help.

Another soap that I think will be very helpful for people with skin problems is Force of Nature. It's been in the news a lot about how all the anti-bacterial products we use are not really helping us at all, but helping the germs breed stronger, more resistant strains. This soap is full of good natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral ingredients. There's even a story behind part of the soap...the "Four Thieves" blend of essential oils that I used in it. You can read about the thieves blend on the Soap Ingredients page.

And there's more new soap curing (yes, I've been busy)...but I still need to take pictures, maybe tomorrow. I finally got around to making a new batch of tea tree oil/Emu oil soap, and it'll be named Knockout, because it helps knock out skin problems such as acne. I have customers who swear by that soap for acne problems, and Emu oil is fantastic for your skin.

Oh, and last week I also made a soap with three milks...coconut milk, goats' milk and cream, and a fabulous honey scent. Tres is what that'll be named, for the three milks.

Part of the fun of making new soaps is trying them out as soon as I possibly can. I usually have some end slices that dry out fairly quickly, so I get to try them before waiting the six weeks for the full cure, thankfully. I don't think I could wait that long!!

I hope you're keeping warm, we're going through the usual Minnesota cold spell, with wind chills possibly as low as -35 to -50 degrees BELOW ZERO this weekend!! Right now the temp is -3 with the wind chill of -19.

Time for a nice, long, warm shower with a new soap!!

3:55 pm cst

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

I had a good laugh this morning...

I was sitting here at the computer and my daughter came out of the shower. She went downstairs and came up with her outfit for the day, all on hangers, and said "I put my clothes down in the soap room last night so they'd smell extra good today!"

I just gave her this sort of puzzled look, and she said "Mom, it's the first day of classes and I have to make all new friends!"

I haven't laughed like that in a while! She starts the new semester of college classes today, and whenever she goes somewhere, people are always saying how good she smells (actually her clothes) because our house just smells like soap and it sticks to us. But she had to make sure she smelled "extra good" today to meet new people!

What a kid! Thanks for the laugh, Taylor!

6:02 am cst

Thursday, January 10, 2008

It IS worth it!

Last week I was telling a friend how busy the soap business keeps me. It really is a second job, but like any small business, the hours are many and the pay, so far, non-existent. It all goes right back into the business. Pretty much every day when I get home from my full-time job I am working on something to do with soap. I'm either making it, cutting it, wrapping it, printing labels, cutting labels, organizing, getting ready for a show, working on the website, doing paperwork...you get the idea.

I was discussing all this with my friend, and I said that I hoped someday it would all be worth it, meaning that someday I want this business to grow enough to BE my full-time job. I'd like it to grow enough to employ other people too! But mostly I was meaning that I financially wanted all the hours to be worth it.

Well, today I got a new meaning and a new clarity that yes, it IS worth it now, and I don't mean financially at all.I got an order from a lady not too far away, and she said this, which I put on the Testimonials page: "I got a bunch of soap before Christmas, and my husband LOVED the peppermint soap. He has a lot of sinus problems and had surgery this last spring for it, but he said that soap in the morning made a huge difference in how he felt all day with his sinuses and headaches, like it 'cleared him out' for the day. : ) Plus it smells fantastic... our whole master bath and bedroom smells like peppermint! I was going to ask too when you thought you might get the oatmeal/milk/honey back in stock? That's what I've been using for my boys, my oldest has raging eczema and that soap has done wonders. I did order the goatsmilk one this time, so that will be great too for his skin I bet."

Wow. As I was driving back from sending her package off at the post office it really hit me that yes, it IS worth it, because just look at that...I've helped a husband start his days off much better, and helped a little boy find relief from his itchy skin.

Can it get any better than that? : )

4:41 pm cst

Sunday, December 30, 2007

It's been a good year...

I've had a week off from my regular work now, which is great, but I've been super busy. Of course Christmas was in there, and I think the best gift I received was an entire day home alone the day after Christmas! I usually take my three kids (teens) shopping the day after Christmas to spend their Christmas money, but my oldest (19) said she could just take my youngest (14) since she was going to the same area. How nice!! The middle child drove herself where she wanted to go. That meant I got to stay home alone, turn on some tunes, and SOAP!

I have a huge project going where I need to make 675 bars of three kinds of soap (225 bars each scent), and I got 2/3 of it done. The other 1/3 I have to wait on supplies to come the first week of January. I wasn't paying attention when I ordered, and only after ordering did I notice the supplier was closed until January 2. Oh well, it'll still work out and be ready in time.

My house smells amazing right now, even moreso than usual. One of the huge batches I made was Patchouli Orange, my current favorite. I just love that scent. I also made an anise scented soap...anise is legendary for two reasons - it's supposed to attract fish, and hide human scent (for hunters). The Minnesota fishing opener is in May, so it'll be ready long before then. The fishermen are supposed to wash their hands and even their lures with it before fishing, and it masks the human scent while attracting fish. It's also good for hunters, they should shower with it before going out in the woods. Same premise, it covers human scent and I've read that deer actually like the scent and will come closer to investigate.

Today I'll be making two totally new batches. I've infused olive oil with Chamomile flowers and will use that in one batch. Chamomile's healing qualities are beneficial for slow healing wounds, burns, eczema, inflammations on the skin, skin ulcers and such. It smells heavenly, like a very sweet honey. I think that one will be great. I'm superfatting that batch even more than the usual 5% so it'll be even more moisturizing.

The other one I'm going to make will be somewhat stinky. Well, hopefully it won't be too awfully smelly once it's cured! I'm using Neem oil, which is extremely pungent (ok, it outright stinks!). Neem oil is traditionally used for scabies, hives, eczema, psoriasis and all types of dry, red, skin rashes. As a natural antibacterial and antifungal, it is also commonly used for a variety of skin imbalances like athlete’s foot, toe fungi, and ringworm. Sounds great for those with skin problems. I'll definitely add some soothing essential oils to mask the smell, and I've heard that the Neem smell does dissipate over time, it's just too bad that such a great oil has such a bad smell!

Sometimes when I soap it just doesn't turn out right though, or at least not like I'd hoped. Yesterday I threw out a whole batch of soap that I didn't like. It had been an experiment (I was gonna call it "On the Edge") and it just wasn't lathering much at all. I do a lot of reading and researching, and love trying new things, but this one just didn't seem to work out. Most of the time if I make something that doesn't turn out terrific, I give it away to my customers at craft shows as "Mystery Soap." It's always still good soap, but usually the scent is very weak, or it's a bar that got cut too small, or an odd shape/end piece, etc. or some other cosmetic type of defect and I don't feel right charging for it, so I give it away to those who buy even one bar. But this one wasn't worth giving away, so I pitched it. Live and learn I guess!

Our soap has been traveling the world lately. My boss's daughter is traveling to Chile this week, and taking soap to her friends as a gift. And one of my best friends' brother is in town from Japan, and loved the soap in her shower, so he's taking back a bunch of bars with him too. I think that's cool. I just wish I got to travel as much as my soap does!

I thank you for being my customer in 2007, it's been a good year. And I wish you the very best life has to offer for 2008!

10:08 am cst

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

'Tis the Season!

Wow, the Christmas rush is on. I was so excited to get up this morning, open my email and see several new orders come in overnight. One was from California, which meant I got to add another state to my shipping map (on the "Find Us" page). That's 15 states where people have discovered Real Simple Soap! Thinking about it, that's over 1/4 of the United States! Ok, I could put a few more on the map...states where I've shipped to friends, but that really wouldn't be fair, would it?! The map shows where people have actually ordered from.

It's amazing how it's spreading. A lady called me from New York the other day, and when I asked her how she heard of our soap she said "I don't really know. My daughter (who also lives in NY) gave me a very specific shopping list and your soap was on it." Huh. Interesting.

It seems I go to the post office a lot these days. Even the post office lady ordered some soap, because she could smell it through the box and was intrigued. I gave her several samples and the next day, she ordered too! I can't tell you how much fun this is.

Now if only I could find the time to put up that Christmas tree...Hoping you have a fantastic holiday season!

5:53 am cst

Sunday, November 18, 2007

So much fun!

Yesterday was such a fun day. I did a very busy craft show where I got to meet a few loyal customers, heard some great suggestions and had the privilege of brightening a little girl's day.

It's so nice to be able to put a face to a name with customers, and I love hearing how you'll "never use anything else now!" Wow, that's the ultimate compliment, and I appreciate it. With each new batch I'm trying to improve even more, so I love hearing your suggestions.

One idea I need to figure out is what to re-name the "Goats in the Grove" soap. Several people have said with that name they're afraid to even smell it, thinking it'll smell like a barn! I named it that because it's made with goat's milk and has an orange scent...hence, "Goats in the Grove." But, I'm rethinking that. One guy even thought it said "Goats in the Grave!!" Now THAT would really smell bad! So anyway, that'll probably be changing soon, same soap, just different name.

There was this adorable little girl, probably around 10 or so, who was there for the day helping her dad with his booth. Every time she walked by she stopped to smell the Vanilla Sandalwood. I told my daughter "I bet you anything she's gonna talk her dad out of some money to buy herself some of that soap," and she eventually did! She came over and purchased a bar for herself, and I had a little fun. I told her that I thought it was so nice of her to be helping her dad all day long, and gave her a second bar free. The look on her face was priceless! She had the biggest eyes and the biggest grin I've seen in a long time. It really made my day.