Whooooot! Happy New Year! Getting my party hat ready for a little celebrating tonight . . . it's been a great year!

Going Natural for Beauty

If going a little more natural is on your list of New Year's resolutions, here's a great list of ways to use things like lemons, vinegar and one of my faves - coconut oil - for DIY beauty care.

Wrapping Up

I'm putting the finishing touches on 2014 and relieved that we are heading into a new year and a fresh start. The past couple of months has been a bit more intense than usual for this time of year, and I'm relieved that it's winding down.

I have literally PILES of lists and notes and project sketched out for 2015. And I'm itching to get started on all those new ideas. Life is all about evolving and growing and trying new things.

Reflecting on this past year is mostly positive, and yet there is quite a lot I want to do better and differently and more efficiently.  Switch tacks and sail off on a slightly different course.  Oh, I don't mean that to sound scary!  I'm NOT jumping ship and dumping the soap business.  Just wanting so badly to have a beautiful new web site, better systems in place so I'm not rushing around so much.  Little things like that.

And of course I'm creating new soap scents and flavors galore, lots of different packaging ideas, and wanting to try some new shows to change things up.

I've got a bunch of new personal goals and projects too that I want to start as soon as possible. I don't want to lose the momentum that I've already got going by taking January off to sit on my tush and just think about stuff.  I'm raring to go.

I also want to say a ginormous THANK YOU to all my loyal customers, followers and fans for all your support this past year.  It's been a lovely party and I'm so looking forward to a future together in this coming year.

Wishing you much joy, happiness, love, success and "clean living" in 2015!!

Last Call!

Just a heads up - tomorrow is the last day to order online if you want your package to arrive before Christmas.

Anything ordered through tomorrow (Thurs 12/18) will be shipped on Friday and should arrive by the 24th.  I have no control over the Post Office - but Priority Mail is supposed to be 2-3 days within the US. And they continue to advertise that packages shipped this week will make the deadline.  So I'm trusting that will happen.  With the possibility of the rare shipping mishap or delay.

Tomorrow, as it happens, is also FREE SHIPPING DAY on my site. The final hurrah!!  No minimums, no maximums, no fine print.  It just has to be shipping within the US. And you don't need any special codes or secret words or do any funky dances to get it either.  It's just going to be FREE when you get to the part of the shopping cart where shipping costs would normally be added.

My last little holiday gift to you.  And then I'm going to need a bit of hibernation . . .

15 More Shopping Days til Christmas!

Just saying . . .

Sometimes stress is a gift

I'm always astonished at the beautiful gifts that come out of this overwhelming, stressful, fast-paced season. I have so many new ideas and projects blossoming - creativity is on overdrive. And clarity - wow!  When you're so focused and pressed up against deadlines, it's amazing how much de-cluttering happens, and things that fall by the wayside that you realize were not so important. By allowing them to be released there is so much more space and flow.

I just hope I've taken enough notes so I can pick this up after the holidays and make it all useful.  So often by the time I get through the holidays themselves and the recuperation period, I don't remember all the pieces. And end up back in the same old groove without the urgency to evolve.

Don't be penny wise this winter

Why should I spend $4.50 for a bar of your soap when the supermarket brands are so much cheaper?

We're all in shopping mode now and the gift lists just keep getting longer and longer. Hostess gifts, co-worker gifts, Secret Santas and on and on.

And we've all got a limited budget too. Plus there's extra groceries, party outfits to buy, cocktails and dinners out. We need to pinch pennies whenever we can, right? So you might be thinking, "hmmm, wonder if I can just get that cheap soap at blankety-blank box store instead?"

You've heard the phrase "penny wise and pound foolish?" Fits like a glove.

For starters, a bar of Soapworks Studio soap will last at least twice as long as a bar of supermarket soap, usually outlasting that stuff by three times or more.  And then you factor in a whole bunch of extra body lotions and creams you need to buy to counteract all that dryness and/or itchiness.  Or doctor’s appointments because you’ve developed skin issues like dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis - many of which have been caused by harsh soaps, or cruel laundry detergents and dryer sheets. So you spend a few cents more up front on a bar of really good soap, but you feel great, your skin is healthy and you’ve saved a ton of money on long term effects down the road.  What’s the better deal? 

Even more so if it's a gift. Anyone can get cheap, itchy soap for themselves. But a lovely, creamy, unique smelling bar of the good stuff?  That's a present that will be treasured.

Oh yes, it's Cyber Monday - and there's another deal!

Hey, if you missed our Black Friday deal, no worries, we're upping our game today for Cyber Monday.  Just like Scroogie - you haven't missed it!  Today's coupon special is 15% off any order. Oh yeah!

As we like to roll here, there is no minimum requirement, no dollar amount, no hoops to jump through, no fine print - just a deadline of midnight tonight, Monday, December 1st, 2014. Order what you will.  Have it shipped to yourself or have it shipped to your special gift-y someone. Remember to add your gift card message if you're doing that though so I can send a little handwritten card in your box because the guessing game of "who sent this to me?" isn't all that charming.

Special instructions - easy peasy, even if you're not a hot cyber chick - just type "CYBERMONDAY15" in that message/coupon code box in the top right corner of the first item you drop in the shopping cart.  No need to type it in every time for every item. Once is enough. This is the same box you will type your gift card message - and you can squish it all in there, it's all good.

Gotta use the all-caps! Gotta do this today! So if you're needing to get some holiday gifts off your list and out the door - take advantage of the deal we've got going on today. Shopping days are getting sparse - almost as sparse as the shelves at WalMart on Black Friday if you arrived in the afternoon instead of camping in the parking lot Thanksgiving Eve :)