Reflections on 2010 and Survival Tips for 2011

On the eve of this 2010 New Year, there are a few things I want to share. The end of a year is always a great time to evaluate where you started, where you ended, and where you want to be down the road. With the economic times we now face, there is much uncertainty about future plans. So many are closing up shop and the bigger guys just keep gobbling up the little guys. Certainly, nothing new. However, it seems to be happening more and more. The small home-based businesses can't survive and import items seem to offer the better bargains though not necessarily the better product.

Sad, but true, customers are looking for the best price. If they see it on another site for less, they assume you are overpriced. The truth is, many small online businesses are selling at discount prices and are happy to make just a marginal profit. That's great...except for those of us who operate small businesses and pay commercial rent, warehouse space, IT people, web site developers, employees, and purchase manufacturing equipment and inventory product at all times.

As I look ahead to the future of small businesses, I see many changes. Not because we want those changes, but because the government, economy, customer interest, competitors and trends will ultimately dictate how well a business survives. So how do you survive? Here are a few tips to help jump start your New Year Business Resolutions:

• If you haven't already, start a blog and then make sure you post every few days. As a business owner, I know it's sometimes hard to post everyday...BUT...you need to post on a regular basis.
  
  
• Remember, you don't need to market to the masses to make a living. Market what you know and make sure you do it better than the other guy. Figure out what you need to make per month and then focus your marketing strategy based on that figure. Determine the steps needed to make each sale to enable you to reach your goal.
  
  
• If you need help, consider hiring a virtual assistant. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's the wave of the future. If you need help with marketing, problem solving, or answering emails or setting up monthly newsletters but can't afford to hire multiple people to fulfill those tasks, then a virtual assistant may be your ticket to survival.
  
  
• Find an untapped niche. Yes, there are still plenty of new ideas out there. It's not so much about "what" you do as it is about "how" you do it. You need to have a detailed business plan on how you will execute your product to the marketplace. You could even make "customer service" your niche. Out service the other guy!
  
  
• Change your behavior and attitude to meet the needs of your customers, not the needs of your company. This is a tough one but will ultimately yield a big return. You may have the skills to do your job, but does your behavior and attitude lend themselves to generating new business?
  
  
• Make use of social media marketing... like Face Book. With so many hand-held search devices, you can't afford to not diversify your search marketing options. For small companies, this can become all consuming. This is where you might want to earmark some funds to hire someone to help you set up a social media network.
  
  
• There is nothing wrong with NOT expanding your business. Sometimes it's easy to look around at what everyone else is doing and believe you should be doing more. It's OK to reach a point in your business where you have no desire to expand. Hey, I'm in my mid-fifties and quite honestly, I want to retire at some point and expanding the business will no longer be a priority.
  
  
• Join a network of people that can help you grow your business. Brainstorm with these individuals. Bounce your marketing ideas into their arena for shared input. Find out what business growth strategies have worked for them and learn from their experiences. LinkeIn.com is a starting place for networking with others.
  

I am getting ready to sign off the computer for today as I prepare to entertain a few friends for a New Year's Eve dinner party. I hope that each of you have a safe New Year's Eve and a joyful and prosperous 2011. All of us at GoPlanet will be back to work on Monday. We look forward to servicing your soaping needs in the next year.

Life Happens at the Most Unexpected Moments

This weekend my husband and I hosted our annual family Christmas gathering for his side of the family. Apart from my brother-in-law (a Colonel and Doctor in the army), and one nephew and his family from Seattle, the entire family was present. There were 53 of us gathered at my home on Saturday.

Sadly, in the midst of our Christmas Celebration we received news that my husband's Mother passed away at the age of 92. It was quite unexpected, and was a sad note to our family celebration, yet, there was comfort in having our entire family together at a time of loss. We shared a prayer and thoughts about the life of someone that we loved.

Not only are we preparing for the holiday closure, but I also am preparing to bury someone very dear to my heart. I will do my best to make sure your orders are processed before our closure, but at this point, I can't promise. Please understand that this is a difficult time for my family and sometimes life happens at the most unexpected moments.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.

Denise

Those Darn Magic Elves! Always Into Something

Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, the Magic Elves have arrived. Yes, by parachutes no less. You know those dog-gone elves are terrible sleigh drivers. The sleigh crashed, and thankfully, Santa made sure they each had a parachute... just in case. The grand kids rescued all of the elves and brought them inside to decorate their Elf Mailboxes.

I honestly thought that my 7 1/2 year old grandson would not be as excited this year. WRONG to the nth degree!! He is more involved with his Elf than ever. He loves the mailbox because he can send messages to Santa or his Elf. The day after the Elves arrived, the grand kids stayed overnight. Those darn Elves got into the pantry and found everything they needed to make s'mores. The next morning we found them in front of the fireplace. They had roasted marshmallows and even brought Baby Jesus in from the cold. Marshmallows were everywhere as were chocolate candy wrappers and graham crackers. It was a mess!

My grandson, Carson, printed out a note to his Elf. It is shown below (via interpretation by his Mommy).

Can you talk to me You thre elfs pleys And santu can you Bring me a wolit with A chane on it and A blak jakit with Scine jens

Interpretation:

Can you talk to me (meaning can his Elf talk to him). Your three elves play. And, Santa, can you bring me a wallet with a chain on it, and a black jacket with skinny jeans?

Called me crazed, but this is what I am going to do.... Carson so wants his Elf to communicate with him. As adults, we know that isn't possible, but I think I've figured out a way to make it happen. Remember that talking toilet paper roll that I blogged about back in 2007? That's the ticket! Freckles will leave a message on the toilet paper roll and then Carson can record a reply. Below is the message Elf Freckles has left...

Elf Freckles Message to Carson

Carson will be here on Wednesday for Awana's. While he is at class, I will flip the on switch for the pre-recorded message. Won't he be surprised the next time he uses the bathroom?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Order processing might be a little slow tomorrow as we could be wading through up to 8 inches of snowfall through the evening hours. Fortunately, we aren't getting nearly as much as some of the surrounding Midwest States. Minnesota has had upwards of 20 inches of snow falling since Friday.

I know everyone is in a time crunch to receive their holiday shipments. However, it is VERY important to realize that inclement weather conditions could slow down the expected arrival date of your package. Some things, such as bad weather, are simply out of our control. Sometimes life (and weather) just happen!

BE PATIENT, PLEASE!!

Experimenting with Soap Colors: Missy's Test

It's been so hectic at GoPlanet fulfilling holiday orders that we're finding little time to play with some of our newest Mold Market soap molds. Hopefully, between the Christmas and New Year break, we'll have more time to experiment. That's the part I like the most about this business, but the part I rarely have time for anymore ;(

One of my workers, Missy, did some experimenting with a few of the molds just to get a feel for different colors that we might possibly use when doing the final soap pours. She used the Plum Leaf mold, the Pebble Rock Bar, and Oblong Leaf. The plum leafs are very elegant and if using the "injector tool", very easy to fill in the high ridges with a contrasting color. This was Missy's first time using the injector tool and it took her some time to get the hang of it. The secret is having the soap base at a high enough temp to fill the tool and then quickly use the syringe mechanism to fill in the areas you want to color.

I immediately fell in love with the Pebble Rock Bar. The creative possibilities are endless and I'm excited to see what natural stone combinations we can come up with. Although, the red cabbage and antique silver combination shown above looks pretty neat. Below this same soap was poured in jade and antique gold stones and filled with a yellow oxide colored base.

I have some unique color combos in mind for the Oblong Leaf mold. I want to do something that's out of the ordinary....not the colors you would normally expect to see in a leaf. Stay posted. As time permits, I will be working with some of our newest molds, including the Tic Tac Toe mold.

Baby Jesus Arrives!

Baby Jesus Arrives!! This morning I showed my grand daughter, Miss O, the Baby Jesus doll for the manger I will be displaying outside my front door this year. I kid you not, she cradled him, cuddled him, and asked me if we could put the manger (which her Daddy is making) in front of the sofa so everyone could see him. When I mentioned the manager would be outside, she was aghast... "How can you leave Baby Jesus out in the cold?"

Yes, I realize that many of you may be of different faiths and beliefs, but it doesn't change the fact that I believe in Jesus AND this is my blog.... so yadda, yadda, I get to post about things that suit my fancy just like you can do on your blog.

Miss O and her Mommy.

After viewing the video from Becky Kelley called "Where's the Line to Jesus", I was touched to make a new family tradition to help my grand kids remember the true meaning of Christmas within our family. This year we will have Baby Jesus outside the front door of our home. He will be in a manager (built by my son-in-law) along with a sign that reads, "Here's the line to see Jesus".

The grand kids, as well as adult family members, will be leaving a "Gift for Jesus" at the base of the manger. It will contain a box of affirmations. Affirmations and commitments for what we can do to show love to others. Examples would be helping a needy family, working at a soup kitchen for a weekend, donating food/clothes, raking leaves for an elderly person.... the list goes on. But, these are all ways we can help to make our world a better place.

STRUT YOUR STUFF: SherrisScentsandSoys

What an amazing Candy Cane soap. And, it's scented with none other than, YEP, you guessed it, candy cane fragrance! I will be ordering a few bars today from Sherri's Etsy shop for stocking stuffers. There's still time... so check out some of the other cool soaps Sherri offers.

This is an Oatmeal soap made with one of our Mold Market molds. It's scented with oatmeal, milk and honey fragrance and also contains goat's milk.

Lump of Coal Soap: A must have for that naughty boy or girl on your Christmas list. These Lumps of Coal soaps contain genuine activated charcoal. The activated charcoal helps to lightly buff and detoxify the skin. How fun to give and not to mention very useful.

STRUT YOUR STUFF: Brigabauble Esty Shop

OK. If you follow my blog, you know that my honey-man is in the wine biz. One of GoPlanet's FB friends is making this wine cork necklace. It caught me eye because I never know what to do with wine corks (and we have a kazillion of them!). Brig from Brigabauble Etsy Shop has this item for sale. What a unique holiday gift for that wine geek in your family or, for that matter, anyone on your shopping list!

Brig originally opened BrigaBauble on Etsy in hopes of selling her handmade jewelry to feed her bead-buying obsession. Since then, she has expanded her crafting and wares to include cuff links, bath & body goodies, magnets, bottle-cap jewelry, rosaries and more. Every time she gets a sale, she does a little dance of joy. Let's help Brig do that dance of joy this holiday season.

Creating Your Own Bath & Body Labels

Last week, a customer emailed the following:

I would like to know how to find labels that are round, different shapes, etc...where do i find the paper for those? Could you toss me a few tips on how to make nicer labels? I would appreciate that!

Although GoPlanet no longer makes ready-made bath and body products, we have certainly had plenty of experience through the years. In years past, there wasn't nearly the label selection that is offered today. I have pictured a few of the labels that we have done for our annual "Girls Night Out" soaping event. The labels on the jars were created using MS Publisher. The labels were ordered through OnlineLabels.com. They have labels for just about everything and offer a comprehensive selection of labels that include waterproof, fun shapes and assorted colors. They also offer templates and software that you can download to create some pretty awesome labels (with little effort!).

If you are getting serious about your soaping business, I suggest that you invest in a Color Laser Printer as the ink doesn't smear and labels are resistant to light and water (to a certain degree). Here are some tips from my point of view, and I welcome any input from others:

• Keep the label design simple and to 2-3 colors
  
  
• Be sure to include ingredients for the product being sold
  
  
• If you are reselling the product, you will want to have your company name and contact information on the label. I am not going to get into the details of FDA regulations for retail products in this post, but I do suggest a book that provides easy guidance about the technicalities of bath & body labeling: http://www.forsoapmakers.com/books/
  
  
• Use a design theme that works with your company logo and design concept. Select a font type that fits your company image. If your company is fun and whimsical, then select a font type that depicts that image. Are you wanting to create a more up-scale image, then lean toward a font type that has a more classic appeal.
  
  
• Be careful with images. I, personally, like to use fun shapes as opposed to detailed photos. That's a personal choice. As you will note with the above labels, basic shapes were my option.
  
  
• Do your homework. Take a look at some of the bath & body labels you find online. What jumps out at you, what do you not like? Take notes and then design your label based on those assessments. It's always good to get a few opinions. Create a couple of different label designs and then ask family and friends what they like best. Afterall, these people are going to be some of your best consumers and advocates for your product.
  

STRUT YOUR STUFF: Eastwind Soaps

Kate is one of GoPlanetEarth's FB friends. I recently visited her EastwindSoaps Etsy store and found the following soaps. I loved this personalized bar. Very classy looking, and can be personalized with anything you wish.

How about this ice cream soap? Great job Kate. I love how you have the soap coming over the edge of the cone. Very nice.

And then the soap crayons. What teacher OR student wouldn't get a kick out of this?! Pay a visit to Kate's Esty shop and see what you might be able to pick up for gift giving.

STRUT YOUR STUFF: Vegan Kitty

Strut Your Soap Stuff is part of GoPlanetEarth's Christmas countdown (and yes, I will use the word "Christmas" instead of "Holiday" because I really have grown tired of all this politically correct rhetoric).

I recently posted on my FB page that I would showcase some of my customer's favorite holiday soaps, lotion, gels, or anything that appropriately fell into the handmade gifts category. I know that many of you are out there in cyberspace shopping for unique gifts. I will be doing random posts on what I believe to be ideal holiday gifts at affordable prices. If you are a customer of GoPlanetEarth and want a business shout out, now is the time!

Vegan Kitty shared some of her favorite handmade holiday soap slices. You can purchase these soaps at Nikole's Etsy store. The soaps showcased are scented in peppermint which is ideal for both men and women. Each bar weighs in at a generous 5 ounces.

Best yet, each bar is handmade with nothing less than 100% vegan-y goodness containing a generous amount of moisturizing Shea Butter soap along with natural, pure and moisturizing Veggie Glycerin, including added Aloe Vera and Vitamin E!

Lessons Learned from my Grand Kids... And, I Love My Daughter

When I look at pictures of my daughter at this age, I see so much of myself. She loves to wear hats, and when I was her age (with longer hair), so did I. It was my trademark. I love watching my daughter blossom into a beautiful, successful woman. She is no longer my "little girl", but has evolved into a woman, mom, and wife. Both her and my son-in-law are a handsome couple (in my opinion). The fact that they have given me 3 beautiful grand kids definitely scores points.

Having said that, I must share this morning's events about my youngest grandchild (he is 2 1/2 years old). He stayed with me last night. This morning "Poppy" was tossing him toward the ceiling and helping him do a back flip. After a few times, Poppy was done. My little guy turned to me and said, "NeeNee's turn,". I showed him my meager Popeye muscles and told him I was not strong enough. In a split second, he was running down the hall to the grand kids bedroom. He opened a drawer and took out a small jar with a lid. I kid you not, this is what he said, "I have muscles in here NeeNee." He proceeded to take the cap off the jar and tipped it toward my bicep muscles. "OK, now you are strong, NeeNee. You have muscles."

When his mommy picked him up later for pre-school, he wanted NeeNee to carry him piggy-back to the car (he was still in footed PJ's and couldn't put on his shoes). I hedged a bit and said I wasn't strong enough. He immediately replied, "Yes, NeeNee, I gave you strong muscles!"

It is my grand kids comments that keep me smiling amidst some of the "ugly" holiday attitudes experienced this time of year. Sadly, this year I'm seeing more of this ugly: hate the world, hate your company, hate your shipping, hate your service, hate my life...., than ever before. I try not to take it personal. Like my grand kids, I try to see life through the eyes of a child. Here are 5 things I have learned from my grand kids:


1) There is good in everyone if you care to look.

2) Life isn't perfect, kids never expect it. Why is it we adults do?

3) Make the best of a bad situation. Sometimes there is really no one to blame.

4) When life is ugly, watch a movie that makes you laugh.

5) We don't always get our way. This is a tough one! We so love to put the blame on someone else (or a company) even when the results are directly related to our actions or choices.

Bottom line: assume that most everyone wants the best for you. That's how my grand kids see it, and that's how I am going to move forward this holiday season.

Christmas Countdown: STRUT YOUR STUFF!

STRUT YOUR STUFF! Here is a chance to showcase your handmade soap or toiletry goods. Email your best holiday wares. It can be lotions, gels, body butters, soaps, sprays.... we will be showcasing them on my blog. A great opportunity for a business shout out. I will be showcasing the best of the best and posting every day until Christmas. What are you waiting for? Strut your stuff! This is part of our Christmas countdown.

The Ultimate Fortune Cookie Soap Recipe

In a prior post, I shared what I was planning for my Annual Girls Soaping Night Out Event. This weekend, I've been finalizing the projects AND most importantly, have fined-tuned the fortune cookie soap. After several less than perfect batches, I have finally arrived at the Ultimate Fortune Cookie soap. It's very easy and once you make a trial and error batch, you will get the hang of it very quickly.

For my event, I elected to prepare all the fortune cookie soaps ahead of time. We have a number of projects and our time is limited. Having to melt, color, scent, pour soap... then, wait for it to set up, form the cookies, insert the fortunes.... too much time for a large group. Instead, I put together a kit with 6 undecorated fortune cookie soaps, a clear take-out box, ribbon, a colorful gift card (blank), label that also lists the ingredients, a clear cello bag, and a small amount of white paper fill.

Pictured above is the fortune cookie soap kit each lady will receive. Their project will be to decorate their six fortune cookies. I'm keeping it simple by drizzling dark chocolate and mocha colors onto the front and back sides of the soaps. A sprinkle of cinnamon powder and those cookies will be looking fantastic and good enough to eat. You could decorate with any colors you like and even add a few sprinkles. But our event goal is KIS (Keep It Simple).

The other projects include a layered body butter whip, s'more soap, and a gelato bath fizzy. OK, enough said. Let's give you the ultimate fortune cookie soap recipe.

• Melt 12 ounces of white FLX soap base in the microwave (the FLX soap base is a must as it allows for more flexiblitity in forming the cookies). Do not overheat. I use a 5 setting on my microwave. Cubing the soap first, helps the soap to melt faster.
  
  
• Remove from microwave and stir. You want to ensure there are no unmelted lumps. Once you have a smooth consistency, add 2 teaspoons of water and 1 teaspoon of liquid vegetable glycerin. Mix well.
  
  
• Now add color and fragrance. I used 1 to 2 drops of Leaf Brown colorant to help diminish the starkness of the white base. You can color however you like, but I do recommend using the liquid gel colors that we offer. I used 3 teaspoons of our Cinnamon Bun fragrance oil.
  
  
• You're ready to pour. I used both the 9 inch and 8 inch jelly roll pans. I wanted to test both pans and they work equally well. The 9 inch pan yields five circle cut-out when using a 3 1/2" round cutter. The 8-inch pan yielded four. When pouring, you want to keep the layer relatively thin (around 1/8" in thickness). The 12 ounces of melted soap will easily filled both the 9-inch and 8-inch jelly roll pan.
  
  
• You can use a smaller circle cutter though I don't recommend going less than 3 inches in diameter. Experiment with different size circle cutters to determine what works best for you. You can even use a plastic cup. You will be amazed at how many items you have around the house that might work well as a circle cutter.
  
  
• You will want to pay close attention to your poured soap at this point. You need to remove it from the jelly roll pans while it is still pliable but not so pliable that it hasn't set up. The first time you release too early... you will immediately get a feel for you next batch. Don't despair, you can remelt the soap base and start over. Just don't add any additional water, glycerin, color or scent.
  
  
• Turn out the soap onto a cutting board and cut out your circle shapes. Fold the circle in half and gently pinch the outer edges together (gently!) You will have a half moon shape. Place your index finger in the center of the soap (where the fold is) and gently fold the soap into a fortune cookie shape. It might take a few tries, but you'll eventually get the hang of it. If you do have any flub-ups, just remelt when making your next batch.
  
  
• Place the extra soap from the cut-outs onto a soap scale to determine weight. Add the difference in FLX white soap base to equal 12 ounces. Place this back into your glass measuring cup for your next batch. You will need to be careful when reusing the soap base from the cut-outs. This base has already been scented, colored, and contains the water/glycerin additives. You may find it easier to just save all the soap scraps until you have enough to equal a new batch and instead use a fresh batch of the FLX white base for your next batch.
  
  
• I found it much easier to make the fortune cookie soap first BEFORE adding the printed fortune. After letting the soaps set up for 5-10 minutes, I then inserted the printed fortune inside the cookie. Gently separate the fold of the cookie and slide in your fortune.
  
  
• Decorate your soap cookie any way you like. In fact, you may elect to not decorate at all. The possibilities are endless.

I told you it was easy. Good luck and BTW.... I am including a link for you to print out fortunes!

A Little too Much too Drink? Hmmmm....

OK, call my family a bit kooky, but that's what you get when you have a husband in the wine business. This knight sets outside our front door and generally holds a bottle of wine. It was part of a wine display that my honey man brought home a few months back.

I had the great idea of hanging this beautiful Christmas wreath on the knight's arm. You know, right next to the bottle of wine that he holds in his other hand. Well.... as you can see, my knight in shining armor may have had too much to drink.

When the guys from my carpet cleaning service arrived this morning, this is what they found. Their first comment was, "I think the man outside your door had too much wine yesterday". Sure enough, there was my knight face down on the deck and definitely two sheets to the wind. If he's going to be drinking until he passes out, I'll make sure he only drinking the cheap stuff!

Hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend.

DIY Gourmet Sugar Scrub Kit...Coming Soon

Last holiday, we offered a Do-It-Yourself Body Scrub kit. It was a big hit and we're offering that same "sugar-salt combo" body scrub kit for a LIMITED time this holiday season. Once we sell out, these kits are gone. I suggest you snatch up your kit today. Whip up a batch for co-workers, use as a stocking stuffer, or give as holiday hostess gifts. We even supply you with the labels. Come'on it doesn't get any easier. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at making your own bath products.... this is the kit for you.

We are offering two kits: Orange Sherbet (layers of white and peach sherbet colors) and Chocolate Marshmallow (as pictured above). Each kit contains enough product to make 6 jars. Priced at $39, you can make these body butter scrubs for $6.50 each AND have the privilege of saying it's handmade.

Kit includes:

• (6) Jars/with lids
• 10 labels (we include extra...just in case). Label includes ingredient listing to meet FDA guidelines.
• Body butter whip
• Fragrance (either Roasted Marshmallow or Orange Sherbet)
• Colorant
• Sea Salts
• Glycerin
• Sugar
• ....and of course, instructions!

All you need is a mixing bowl, microwave, and hand-held mixer!

What Soap Molds Stack Up As the Best? MOLD MARKET!

Yes, we may be prejudice, but in our opinion, the Mold Market brand of soap molds stack up as the best! Their 4 mil plastic is durable, the mold designs are innovative and creative, and the quality is hard to beat. This new design is just one of the many reasons our customers give accolades to the inventive designs that are introduced every 3-4 months.

Just look at the border edge detail. The leaf impression is incredible and lends itself to a "stamped" bar look. Very natural and organic looking. This new 2.5 ounce Grape Fern Leaf guest bar is one of my personal favorites. Think this was an easy design to create? Think again. The border edge alone was more complicated than you care to know. Mold Market has one of the best designers in the industry and it shows! GoPlanet is delighted to stock these molds and we think you will be delighted with the quality.

Our girl Sophie was home from college this weekend and was kind enough to pour these soaps in some "earthy" soap colors. Very nice, Soph!

Signing Off for the Holiday...

Dear FB Friends, Blogger Friends, and wonderful customers,

I'm signing off for the the holiday weekend. I'm pooped! Literally exhausted and need this weekend to regroup. My staff is finishing up orders and shipments before our Thanksgiving closure. We will be back full force on Monday. May you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving weekend. I'm off to my Mom's tomorrow and then heading to the west side of the state to spend time with my husband's family.

A big "gobble, gobble, gobble" to my Turkey loving friends. For my vegan friends (including my honey-man!) a big "gobble the mashed taters and tofu turkey".

What's Up This Year with the Elves?

So.... what are Santa's Magic Elves up to this year? Thankfully, my oldest grandson (who is 7) does not follow my blog. If he did, he would be disappointed to know that his NeeNee is the wand behind the elf magic.

Last year the elves got themselves into a heap of trouble. This year, we're down playing the mischief acts and incorporating some new ideas. You might wonder what all this has to do with soap making. The answer is NOTHING! Believe it or not, I do have a life apart from my business. There are also a good number of blog "followers" that have incorporated the Magic Elf idea into their own Christmas tradition. This post is for them and for the kid in each of us.


Here are this year's Elfcapades:

• December 10: Elves arrive by sleigh, but will be parachuting in due to unforeseen landing issues.
  
• December 11: Kids decorate their Elf mailboxes. The Elves will be in a basket hanging from a self-made zip line. Won't the grand kids be surprised when they awaken to find a zip line strung from one room to the next?
  
• December 12: I am putting $5 inside small zippered stockings along with a note that the Elves want the kids to shop for a gift for the local Angel Tree.
  
• December 13: The Elves will be decorating the house with tinsel in all the unusual places. There will also be letters in the Elf mailboxes for each kid. They will be printed in "mirror-image" and the kids will have to use a mirror to read the message.
  
• December 14: I purchased small fishing poles for each elf. The kids will find them fishing in a goldfish bowl (yes, live goldfish... and I did check with Mommy to be sure this was OK!). There will be goldfish crackers and some magic Elf dust scattered around. The magic Elf dust is what made the cracker goldfish turn into "real" goldfish".
  
• December 15: Grand kids come for the night. Those little mischievous Elves will have a ladder in the middle of the great room. It will be strung with giant lights and assorted Christmas decorations. I guess the Elves thought we needed to do a little more decorating!
  
• December 16: I purchased an Elf Hat and Elf Shoe Covers. Those darn Elves will put them on Daddy while he is sound asleep. Just wait until Daddy wakes up and walks to breakfast dressed in Elf attire.
  
• December 17: The kids will awake to the Elves unloading the dishwasher. After all, it's all about helping Mommy and scoring points with Santa. Inside the dishwasher is a new Christmas DVD to watch as a family.
  
• December 18: The elves have snow globe nightlights. All the stuffed animals and action characters will be lined up in front of the nightlights while the elves read them "Frosty the Snowman" book. Mommy and Daddy can read the book at bed time later that night.
  
• December 19: Nothing like an Elf snowball fight with cotton balls. A little bit of spray snow to add effect. Guess the Elves are missing the cold North Pole Winter.
  
• December 20: Elf antlers (for the boys), jingle bell tutu (for my grand daughter)... ballerina shoes.... what in the heck were those Elves doing last night? The kids will enjoy the light up head bopper antlers and Miss O will love the jingle tutu.
  
• December 21: Oh no, the toilet outlined in Christmas lights... toothpaste squirted on the bathroom counter in the shape of a Christmas... new toothbrushes....
  
• December 22: Elves roasting marshmallows over the fireplace... really! Camp chairs, marshmallows, open bag of chocolate bars and graham crackers. Guess the Elves needed a little midnight snack.
  
• December 23: Can you believe those Elves have decorated the windows with snow spray and that there are candy canes leading to an early Christmas gift outside? I wonder what it is?
  
• December 24: Tonight the Elves must prepare for their North Pole departure. Passports in hand and tucked safely inside their sleigh beneath the Christmas tree, they must bid farewell. But not before leaving a special message inside their Elf mailbox to each grand child about the real meaning of Christmas... the birth of Jesus.
  
  

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Soap Gelato Recipe #2

I'm a bit behind in posting this recipe and I apologize. I have had a number of emails asking for the Gelato Recipe #2. This recipe omits the citric acid (which gives the Recipe #1 some fizzing action in the tub).

Recipe #2 is more of a body butter soap. You are going to want to let this recipe set up for a while before you scoop into your gelato cup. If you try to scoop too soon, you may find the mixture too soft and you'll end up with a Gelato Glob. That's not exactly the visual effect you are hoping for. However, don't let it set up to the point that it is firm. Then you will have on heck of a time trying to make your soap scoops. Once the soap scoops sets up, they will be firm and when used, the scoop will be like a ball of soap. There is no fizzy or foaming action.

RECIPE #2
(all of these items are available on our web site, including the Gelato containers)

• One pound body butter whip
  
  
• 1 pounds of opaque (white) melted soap base
  
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin Start with 2 tablespoons, but you can add an additional tablespoon of glycerin if your mixture seems overly pasty.
  
  
• 1/4 cup white sugar (yep, the kind you use in your morning coffee!)
  
  
• 3 Teaspoons of fragrance oil
  
  
• DWP soap colorant. Add a few drops until desired color is achieved.

Place your body butter whip into a mixing bowl. A stainless steel mixing bowl is best. Using a handheld mixer, begin to whip on medium speed. Once whipped add the melted white soap base and fragrance. Incorporate the melted soap into the whipped body butter and then continue whipping on low speed adding the liquid glycerin and any colorant in the process. Slowly add the sugar , folding it into the mixture just like you would do if baking.

Let the mixture set up for a brief period (suggesting 30 to 45 minutes) before you start scooping. Do a test scoop to see if the mixture is firm but still somewhat pliable. A squirt of Pam inside the ice cream scoop can help with release issues. Sometimes the mixture gets a bit stubborn and doesn't want to release. If you don't have Pam on hand, just rub the inside of the scoop with a very thin layer of vegetable cooking oil.

That's pretty much it. Scoop the mixture into your gelato cups. You can do one scoop or two. Remember, this recipe is type of soap scrub. It is for cleansing and not for making fizzing bath water. Enjoy!

PS: Check out the wooden spoons we sell for the gelato cups. A nice finishing touch to your handiwork. We place the wooden spoon lengthwise into the soap scoops and the secure the gelato lid to the cup.

Mold Market's S'more Soap Mold Scores a 10!

A couple of my workers came in after hours last night in preparation for our upcoming Ladies Soap Night Out. It's an annual event that I host the first week of December. The number of attendees is limited so it has become a coveted event. This year, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mold Market's new S'more soap mold. It arrived on Wednesday, and I was not disappointed!

• Pour the graham cracker part using 2 parts clear to 1/2 part white soap base.
  
  
• Add a small amount of Yellow Oxide liquid gel to the melted soap. If you happen to overcolor, you can add a small amount of Snow White liquid gel colorant or add more white soap base.
  
  
• Pour into the graham cracker mold cavities.
  
  
• To make the chocolate centers, use clear soap. Add chocolate brown liquid gel color until you get the chocolate color to look realistic. You really won't need much. These mold cavities are less than one ounce, so keep that in mind when you are preparing and melting your soap base.
  
  
• Pour the chocolate color in the mold cavity.
  
  
• While your S'more pieces are setting up in the mold, begin preparing the marshmallow center. You will need whipped body butter, some melted white soap and liquid glycerin. How much you whip up will depend on how many S'more soaps you are making. We were able to make marshmallow centers for about 6-8 soaps with the following recipe below. Whipped the body butter in a large mixing bowl using a hand held mixer. Gradually add the melted soap base and vegetable glycerin.
  
  

One pound body butter whip

1.2 pounds opaque (white) melt and pour soap base

2 Tablespoons vegetable glycerin

• Reserve a little bit of the white melted soap base (about 1/2 to 1 ounce). Leave it in a microwaveable dish. I like to use glass measuring cups for melting my soap base.
  
  
• Once your graham crackers pieces are firmly set-up, remove from the mold. To assemble your S'more place one graham cracker face down and apply a small amount of white soap to the surface of the soap. This will be used to help seat the chocolate piece. Now place the chocolate piece on top of the graham cracker.
  
  
• Drizzle some more melted soap base onto the chocolate piece and the add a "blob" of the marshmallow using a small spatula or spoon.
  
  
• The final layer is the graham cracker bottom. Drizzle a bit more melted soap onto the marshmallow filling, then seat the graham cracker bottom.
  
  
• As a finishing touch, we added a smidgen of cinnamon.

You can scent your S'more if you wish. For the chocolate centers, we used Chocolate scent with just a tad of cinnamon bun. The grahams crackers and marshmallow centers were scented with Roasted Marshmallow scent.

If You Do Nothing Else Today, Watch This

As we approach the holiday season, let us not forget our troops. If you know of someone serving, I plead with you to do something extra special for that person, or their family. It could be as simple as sending a Christmas card overseas, or giving monetarily or of your time to the family of our service men and women. Never forget that the freedoms you now enjoy are at a cost. A very precious cost... the lifes of sons, daughters, dads, moms... the lifes of our fighting soldiers.

It's Magic Elf Time Again, Register to Win

For those faithful followers of my blog, you will remember that last year I posted about the Magic Santa Elves. They arrived by sleigh for each of my grand kids and stayed until Christmas Eve. Their job is to monitor the behavior of the grand kids and report back to Santa. This year the Elves will be arriving on December 10. Elves are not the best sleigh drivers so this year Santa is dispatching the elves with parachutes... just in case. And, of course, there will be a just in case incident.

I plan to have the elves hanging from parachutes in tree branches or in the grand kids play house. Poppy and I will be making the parachutes from garbage bags and string. A wrapped package will be nearby (along with the elf sleigh). Inside the wrapped gift will be Elf Mailboxes, Elf Passports and this year's Santa letter. The Elf mailboxes are new this year and are one of my wild ideas for the grand kids to communicate with Santa via Elf Mail.


Inside each mailbox is an "Elf Report" Folder which will allow the Magic Elves to take notes on the grand kids naughty or nice behavior and report to Santa. There is even a mailbox that's coming special delivery from the North Pole to NeeNee and Poppy's house. We must have an Elf Mailbox at our house for when the kids come to stay. The kids can also use the mailboxes to send messages to Santa.

You really must read last year's elf events (open link and scroll down the page to read all of their elfcapades) to understand how this all works. If you've not done this with your young children or grand kids... YOU MUST! It's fun and a tradition they will remember forever.

Tomorrow I will be posting some of the Elfcapades that will be happening this year. In the meantime.......REGISTER TO WIN A BOY AND GIRL ELF. GoPlanetEarth is giving away two elves for you to begin your own family tradition. The drawing will be held Thanksgiving day and the Magic Elves will ship out November 29. Sorry, but we are only shipping within the USA.

Here is how the FREE drawing works:

Place an order of $100 or more in product between November 16, 8 PM ET and November 24, midnight ET. Key the words MAGIC ELF in the comment section during checkout. Your name will be entered in the November 25 drawing. YOU MUST key MAGIC ELF to be eligible. There are no exceptions, so please don't ask for one.

Feeling Unsuccessful? Watch This Video

Thank you Donna Maria from the Indie Beauty Network for sharing this video with the soaping community. I am passing it along so that my customers can see and BELIEVE that we are all more successful that we realize. We are a very blessed Nation and each of us need to grab ahold of that truth and appreciate the many blessings we so often take for granted. My prayer for you today:

May the LORD bless you and keep you;
may the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
and may the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

Customer Service: It's All In the Eyes of The Receiver

FACT: Customers behave and react to their needs and expectations when placing an online order. Sadly, as retailers, we don't know the needs and expectations of each and every customer. It is safe to assume that customer will expect "bare-bones" customer service such as shipping an order timely, or responding to an email about a product. But, how a customer reacts and behaves to order errors is hard to predict. Some are just plain "ugly" and unforgiving. And, then, there are customers like this. Here is an email I received this morning:


Hello,

What wonderful speedy service, however one item must have jumped right out of the box on you! I did not get the Water dissolving paper, 3 sheets ordered. None in the box. :-(

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, thanks for the vanilla and fudge brownie sniffies. They are great!

Blessings,
Carol


Wow, an email like that is refreshing. One of my staffers messed up, but here is a customer who throws in a twist of humor. Here was my reply....

Hi Carol,

You are so right... the paper did jump right out of the box and right back into the packing bin! Imagine that, I believe a little elf was up to some mischief. The paper was sent out yesterday by first class mail (large envelope). One of my workers found it in a packing bin the next morning. Big oopsie!

Thank you for your kindness and fun nature in addressing the missing item. It's very refreshing on our end.

Kindest Regards,
Denise M.


THE POINT: Customer Service is in the eyes of the receiver. Another customer may have reacted differently. As business owners, we should offer top-notch service and strive to be error free as humanly possible. Sadly, none of us can predict how any given customer is going to respond when service or an order error fails to meet their expectations. Our company is diligent about fulfilling orders and responding to service requests. Yet, there will be those times when our best isn't good enough based on the eyes of the receiver. When those times happen (and they will), I will remember customers like Carol.

Enjoy your weekend!

Mold Market Introduces 9 New Soap Mold Designs

Mold Market has released 9 new soap mold designs that are sure to please the heart of many soapers. They range in style from classic, to kids, to just plain fun (as in their s'more mold!). They include a pebble rock mold (pictured above) and a plum leaf (shown below).

As always, Mold Market pushes it to the cutting edge in mold designs and the grape fern with border (shown below) is a perfect example. In a future blog post, I will have to talk about what it takes to create one these mold designs. It's not as easy and straight-forward as you may believe it to be.

You can check out the 9 mold designs here. Other new designs include a S'more mold (based on pre-orders, an expected sell out). There is Homer the Fish, Whale Willie, Assorted Easter Eggs, Oblong Leaf, and a Tic Tac Toe mold.

Mold Market is one of the leading soap mold companies in the US. They are a strong supporter and sponsor of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild year after year. Quality follows their name. You won't be disappointed with their mold line AND all molds are made in the USA!! I know ya' all are jumping up and down about silicone molds these days. But, 99% of silicone molds from are NOT made in the USA. They are manufactured in Mexico, China, or other countries that are not supporting the US economy and our workers. Go ahead and shoot me now (I know I'm going to get email feedback on that one), but I have to call it like it is.

Soap Making Recipe: Fortune Cookie Soaps

As promised, here is the recipe used for our fortune cookie soaps that will be featured at the annual "Girls Night Out" holiday soap making event sponsored by GoPlanetEarth. Below is the recipe we will be using.

• 12 ounces FLEX white soap base
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon glycerin
• 3 teaspoon fragrance oil (you may use less depending on the fragrance type)
• few drops of Leaf Brown color (we wanted a creamy looking base so the leaf brown took the edge off the sharpness of the white base)

A thin layer of the melted, scented and colored soap base was poured into either the 8 or 9 inch silicone jelly roll mold. Once the soap set up (about 10 minutes depending on the pouring temp) we use a 3 1/4" round cutter to stamp out the circles.

I found this recipe to work very well as long as you keep a eye on the poured soap. You will want to release as soon as the soap is firm enough to not show "crinkles" when removing from the mold. Immediately stamp out the circle area, fold in half gently squeezing the edges together. I used my finger to place an indent in the center of the soap and then folded into the fortune cookie shape. You need to work fast. The soap needs to remain pliable when making the fortune cookie folds.

Here is a great link for printing fortune sayings to place inside your soap cookies.

Good luck!!

Holiday Decorating: Business Shout Out

One of my most favorite online stores is CB2. They have some of the most hip house and kitchen ware items ever!! This is just one of the clever holiday decorating items offered on their blog. Easy and actually quite inexpensive.

Just think of all the ornament types you can hang from the sprayed tree branch. I have a big floating island in the lower level of my home. It seats up to 10 people. I am going to spray a branch in the same silver as shown and then drape ornaments from the branch to match my table decor (might even hang some soaps as hostess gifts). Oh, what fun. I can't wait to see how it all turns out. My honey man and I host a number of dinner parties during the holiday season. This idea will allow me to switch up the table decor to fit the event.

Melt and Pour Soap Making: Fortune Cookie Soaps

This weekend I've been working on Christmas gifts. One of those gifts included fortune cookie soaps. I'll have a tutorial posted on the web site soon, but here is a sneak peek at the soap cookies. My annual "Ladies Night Out" soaping event is coming up soon, and this will be one of the featured projects.

I'll be making a number of different fortune cookie types, but this first go around was a cinnamon chocolate scent drizzled with both chocolate and vanilla colored goodness.

I had a dinner party to attend the same day I made these soaps and needed to bring a hostess gift. I quickly packaged the finished soaps to hand out at "treats" to the guests and then put together a Chinese take-out gift box for the hostess. I packaged two cookie soaps in each glassine bag and then printed up labels to seal the bag. Ribbon was applied to the outside of each bag using double sided tape. The final presentation was quite impressive.

A printed fortune was placed inside each cookie. The trick to this project is having the soap base the precise consistency to fold and bend each cookie into its shape. And yes, there were plenty of blunders when doing this project. The good news... the iced topping helped to cover those blunders. I'm off now to do another batch to ensure that the recipe I post is accurate! Wish me luck.