Denise's Yadda Yadda on Soap Making & Life

St. Patrick Soaps: May Luck Be Your Companion

2012-01-28T14:31:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of fun mold designs from the Mold Market brand. This four leaf clover was cut-out using the molding smoother tool. The shamrock mold can be purchased here.

We used the molding tool to trim away the soap between the leaves.

Cosmetic glitter mixed in suspension soap base lends to the sparkles. Just be sure you allow the suspension base to cool down before mixing in the glitter and pouring into the shamrock mold.

The Celtic Flower is easily poured in two colors using the injection tool. So many color combinations and shades of green can be used for St. Paddy's Day. Kelly Green and Neon Bright Green are two of our top color choices.

I'll be posting some fun St. Patrick's day packaging ideas in the next couple of weeks.

My Standard "Before Work" Thursday...

2012-01-26T09:26:00.002-05:00

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Every Wednesday the grand kids stay the night to attend Awana Club. They've been doing this since toddlers. On Thursday mornings it's my job to get the kids dressed for school while Poppy (my honey-man) makes everyone's breakfast of choice. All three kids pick something different and Poppy is willing to oblige.

My grand daughter, Olivia, better known as "Miss O" or "Peanut", is obsessed with all things pink. Every Thursday, she picks special ribbons from my craft cupboard to put in her hair. And, if she's the special helper that morning, she gets to cut the ribbon with "big people" scissors which is a big deal for a six-year old.

This morning, Miss O picked a light and dark pink ribbon. She also selected the location for the above photograph. As I guessed, it was next to the Valentine ornament arrangement. It's her favoite because it is pink and purple. Imagine that?

This is the same centerpiece made at Christmas using repurposed wine bottles. Post-Christmas bulbs are replaced with Valentine ornaments purchased from Lillan Vernon catalog. The kids love the arrangement. On Valentine's day, paper hearts dress the the base of the arrangement with notes on where the kids can find special treats.

I will use this same wine bottle arrangement for Easter. You'll have to wait and see what ideas are jumping around in my head :))

Clear Cupcake Boxes & FREE Valentine Printables

2012-01-24T09:23:00.002-05:00

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GoPlanet's clear cupcake box is a perfect way to package your finished cupcake soaps. This clear 4 x 4 x 4 cupcake box with insert ships flat and easy to assemble.

The Mold Market cupcake soap molds fit this box: Item #276 (pictured above) and Item #211 (pictured below).

There are so many ways to embellish the box to fit your occasion. Below we threaded/glued felt/paper hearts onto twine and tied around the box. Ribbon, threaded buttons, ric-rac, imprinted paper bands...are just a few ideas.

Get your FREE printable Valentine Heart paper from the GoPlanetEarth web site. Print the PDF file onto card stock. Cut around heart shapes and apply to your packaging. A small hand held paper punch and double-sided tape is useful.

Packaging: Peacock Feather Gift Wrap

2012-01-23T08:55:00.000-05:00

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Packaging ideas are like a river that empties into a spacious sea and spills over to land... I think you get my drift. Packaging ideas are endless and the creation process is oh so fun. I studied interior design in my younger years, so color, texture and shapes are always dancing around in my head. I can't say what triggers a particular color concept, it just happens. This was one of those mind dancing moments.

I love natural peacock feathers. Every year the male peacock sheds his feathers (yep, he's a little naked man running around without clothes). I am all about re-purposing things, so peacock feathers were a great choice for snazzin-up (is that even a word?) my gift wrap. You can purchase peacock feathers here at a reasonable price. You may even find them at a craft stores in your area and forego any shipping costs.

I happened to have some turquoise grosgrain ribbon and paper cording hanging out in one of my craft drawers, so that was my color choice. Lime green would be another color option. The banded flower design can be printed from the GoPlanetEarth web site. I've included a turquoise paper ribbon in the template (in case you don't have any ribbon on hand). This printable design fits soap box BO-16.

Packaging: FREE Printables for Mother's Day

2012-01-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

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I am always seeking inspiration for inexpensive, creative packaging. If you are a regular GoPlanetEarth customer, you know I recently added a web page to showcase low cost packaging ideas.

Earlier this week the grand kids were here for dinner. I brought home sheets of white packing paper so the kids could color their own place mat. Watching my six-year old grand daughter draw and scribble on her placement, I realized how her simple drawing would make great gift wrap.

Don't dismiss the creative powers of a child. Little peeps draw, think, feel, believe and create from the heart and I based the above packaging ideas on that "heartfelt" attitude. I will be using this idea for Mother's Day packaging (May 13) this year.

This is the PDF link for the FREE printable wraps as pictured. The banded wraps fit our BO-16 Soap Boxes. You can purchase the gift tags from our web site or create your own.

Spiderman Alphabet Cards: Great Toddler Gift

2012-01-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

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I know the Christmas holidays are "over" and most have moved their creative thoughts to Valentine's Day. However, today, I am celebrating Christmas with my second daughter, Kristen, She has been my daughter's best friend since grade school. Both girls married their high school sweethearts which makes the friendship even closer.

I was brainstorming about what to gift Kristen's 3 year old son. I wanted to do something handmade. I remembered how much he loves Spiderman. My inspirational "ah-hah" moment was making the following Spiderman Alphabet Cards.

I have a 3 year old grand son who is enthralled with super heroes so I was confident the picture cards would score points with Spencer, and they did!

I used 28 blank playing cards and resized various Spiderman posters to fit the face of the cards. Double sided tape has become my best friend and at the rate I've been using it, I should be buying stock with the 3M company. Sure wish they would send me a lifetime supply.

The first card is shown above, and the last card is a picture of Spencer in his Spiderman costume. The remaining 26 cards have an alphabet letter secured to the back side of the card.

I printed Spiderman paper from the web and cut to fit the gift box from GoPlanetEarth. This gift box is perfectly sized for a deck of cards. Evenly align and punch two holes to the left of each card. One-inch notebook binder rings keep cards in place.

Vintage Packaging Ideas for Soap Makers

2012-01-22T00:05:00.001-05:00

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If you manufacture bath product, you know the importance of packaging to sell. Keeping the cost to a minimum to turn a profit is often a difficult task.

Here is an idea that may work for you. If you have a printer, you can make this happen. Ribbon, gift tags and twine will help embellish the gift wrap.

Cut and wrap the printed paper as a "band" around the box. This allows you to display the soap product and then easily slide it into one end of the box once purchased.

Our GoPlanet soap boxes are ideal for this gift wrap idea.

Print the FREE "vintage" paper here. Check out our other gift packaging ideas on our web site, including the gift tags, twine, mini clothespins and cotton string shown above.

Valentine Packaging: Lip Stick and Newsprint

2012-01-21T16:18:00.002-05:00

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Packaging can't get any easier or inexpensive as this. This Valentine packaging is courtesy of my grand daughter and her lovely lips....

Miss Olivia was quite excited about applying lip stick for this Valentine packaging idea. She is pictured above at the onset of the project and below after several lip stick applications.

I kid you not, this was what she looked like.

She was so proud of her kissable work.

She will tell you that a hand-held mirror is essential for lip stick application.
And, of course, more is better.

Here she is kissing the newsprint.

Trust me, she was all about the kissing part.

There you go... imprinted kisses for Valentine's Day.
Below is the final packaging results.

You can print-out the newsprint here, but you're on your own for the lip stick kisses! They fit our white window soap boxes. Just trim the paper to fit the front and back side of the box. The newsprint is cut as a band around the box. The sides of the box are not covered.

I'll have a blog post soon about the mini clothespins used to attached the gift tags. GoPlanet offers a gift tag set here.

No One Said We Were Neat!

2012-01-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Woooooowwww.... is all I can. On Friday afternoon, this was the outcome of one of our pouring work stations. TOTAL CHAOS!

Just wanted to let you know we're just as messy as most. Thank you, Kristy, for taking care of the clean-up so we can do it all over again next week. Some things will never change. Clean-up is one of them!

Making 3-D Caramel Apple Soaps

2012-01-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

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Pouring apple soap has never been so much fun. My staff was super excited about this soaping project and rightfully so. Geez, there are so many variations on using this new two-part "Mold Market" 3-D soap mold. The apple and stem were hand-cut and secured with clear soap base. A wooden skewer was used to make the leaf veins.

Tomato red soap colorant (in clear MP soap base) was used to color the apple. Pour each half in mold and allow to cool. Remove from mold and using the smoother tool, make a slit to insert the popsicle stick. Once the stick is secure, join the two halves with clear soap base that has been melted to a comfortable "pinkie finger" temperature. The smoother tool is ideal to shave off any extra soap at the joint seam.

We'll get the recipe for the caramel colored soap within the next week. Once the soap is melted and colored, dip the joined apple into the colored soap.

Immediately sprinkle on desired embellishments. We used sea salt, ground nuts and sprinkles. So many possibilities!

Keep checking the blog for easy packaging ideas for these apples. I have to tell you, the grand kids were all over these dipped apples. An ideal soap mold to use for birthday parties, Halloween parties, or just for the heck of it! Consider red colored apples dipped in both pink and white.The popsicle sticks are sold at GoPlanet in 50 count packages.

Soap Making: It's all about Cupcakes & Hearts

2012-01-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

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We recently showcased Mold Market's most recent cupcake mold design. Here's another design from the past.

Checkout the tutorial here.

The "Soap of Many Colors" is a customer favorite.

Soap of many colors.

Cupcake with Cherry Soaps

2012-01-19T22:43:00.000-05:00

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Mold Market does it again with this new cupcake mold design. The mold includes two cupcake tops and two cupcake bases PLUS two 3-D cherries. The wafer wedge was hand-cut from soap, the lines were imprinted using a wooden skewer.

My assistant, Kristy, has been working with the newly released Mold Market designs. She is sooo excited about this cupcake mold. The 3-D apple mold is another favorite and I'll blog about that later.

We are also making Whoopie Pie Hearts for Valentine's Day. I'll post more pics of the whoopie pies this weekend. Mold Market's plain heart or polka dot heart molds work perfectly. Just fill with a layer of our whipped frosting. Kristy and I have a number of ideas on the drawing board which I hope to have posted this weekend.

Say hello to Kristy. She has been with GoPlanet since 2007 and continues to be a valuable member of our team.

Revisiting Valentine Ideas: Drizzled Soap Hearts

2012-01-19T12:04:00.002-05:00

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Easy, easy, easy.There is still plenty of time to whip up a batch of these "good-enough-to-eat" Valentine hearts. So yummy looking you almost want to use a naughty word to get your mouth washed out with soap.

Our video tutorial is found here. Mold Market brand heart molds were used for this soaping project.

Packaging Soaps in a Book Purse

2012-01-17T18:34:00.004-05:00

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I am all over this idea. One of my workers, Nichelle, arrived today with a purse made from the cover of the current book she is reading. How awesome!!

Nichelle is an avid read and lover of all things creative (of course, that's why she works for GoPlanet). This is the purse she made.

Fabric glue and remnant material was used to line the inside of the book cover. When cutting the bag liner, you will need to leave extra "side-vent" material for the bag to fully open.

The purse handles were purchased at JoAnn's fabric. Nichelle estimates the total cost of this purse project. at $35, but that was purchasing the book new. I suggest shopping local thrift stores for your book covers. Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are other great shopping options. This particular book pictured had a 3-inch binding which is an awesome width for a purse.

What an incredible gift bag for soap and toiletry products or just to display products in a retail store.

Valentine Pops

2012-01-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

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As promised, here are examples of the butterfly and flower Charms Blow Pops I'm making for my grand daughter's kindergarten classmates. The printable cut-outs are linked below. You'll want to use cardstock paper. I went with red and pink colors.
Flower Cut-Outs

Butterfly Cut-Outs

You will need a box cutter to make the slits to insert the sucker stick in the butterfly. The cut-outs clearly defined the cutting lines. Tape a Smartie candy roll over the stick. The butterfly antenna is made with a pipe cleaner. I cut the pipe cleaners in half and twisted around a chopstick.

A hand-held hole punch is needed for the flower cut outs. Slide the pop into the center hole. I added two Lifesaver candies (I punched a hole in the plastic wrapper; through the center of the Lifesaver). Slide these onto the sucker stick. Use a piece of tape at the base of the Lifesavers to keep them from sliding off the stick.

Add curling ribbon under the flower cut-out (below the Lifesavers). The "FROM" tag can be positioned above or beneath the flower; it's your call.

Assembling the cut-outs is easy, cutting them out is time consuming. However, when I saw the look on my grand daughter's face, it was worth the time and effort. I have another Valentine project that I did for my 8 year old grandson on my BlimpyGirl.com web site. He preferred an candy airplane over the butterflies and flowers.

Handmade Valentine Cards & More

2012-01-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

I'm gearing up for Valentine's Day. This year the grand kids are making their own Valentine cards for school. Miss Olivia is doing butterflies and flowers with Tootsie Pop suckers (with gum inside) attached to each card.

The boys voted for candy airplanes. The kids are excited about the whole DIY yourself concept (makes me smile :))))). I'll post links for the templates next week. I first want to assemble examples of the final outcome before adding links. I'm still waiting on candy to arrive (yes!!! I ordered the candy online because I was too busy to shop Walmart!)

I will also be sharing ways to use these ideas to package and embellish Valentine soaps. Gonna be a busy, zany soaping weekend. I'm also squeezing in a live production of the "Wizard of Oz" with the grand kids. I'm a confirmed nut case, I know. But I'm enjoying life in all its madness.

Packaging to Sell: Polka Dots

2012-01-11T05:29:00.000-05:00

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Going dot, dot, dot crazy! I sent my honey man on a mission to the local paint store. HIS MISSION: Bring back paint samples. He was clueless about the "what for", but when he saw the finished packaging, he was impressed. Not that my honey gives a whoop about packaging, but the mere fact that he commented was a thumbs up in my mind.

I printed out some free vector backgrounds I found online and resized them to fit a sheet of paper (I used MS Publisher to resize the images). Once printed, I wrapped my box. I used a 1/2 pound candy box for this project. If you want to wrap something larger, visit your local dollar store and pick up rolls of gift wrap.

A 1" and 3/4" size hole punch was used to stamp out the circles. I attached the dots to cotton twine with double sided tape which allowed me to adhere the string of dots to the package. If you don't want to use gift wrap, just apply the polka dots to your box.

You can also use ribbon, jute twine or even strips of fabric to attach the cut-out dots. I can't wait to run with this idea and see the many variations I can create.

Packaging: Brown Bagging It!

2012-01-07T06:47:00.003-05:00

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I often pack cold lunches for my grand kids when they stay over on a school night. As I was packing my grand son's lunch this week I was inspired. Hmmm....there must be a more creative way to use this brown Kraft bag.

I started rummaging around for various ribbons, twine, gift tags and rubber stamps. If I really took the time to make the calculations, my guess is each decorated bag costs 45 pennies. Yep, that's right, PENNIES!!

A hole punch and several different decorative paper cutters were used (the type used in scrap booking). Your imagination is the only limitation to the many variations you can create. FYI, a 100 count package of lunch bags was $2.00. That's just 20 cents per bag.

Stock up on ribbon from clearance bins. Pick sizes that range from 1/4 to 5/8 inches in width. GoPlanetEarth sells a package of various gift tags and twine that is ideal for this project. All you need is assorted ribbon and an imagination!

Crafts: EZ Mat Board Note Pads

2012-01-06T06:58:00.001-05:00

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This is an easy project and the cost in minimal. How fun to gift this at showers, birthdays or other special occasions. You can whip up a dozen or so in just over an hour. Here's what you will need:

Mat board, the kind used for framing pictures
Scrapbook paper that coordinates with the mat board
1 1/2-inch Binder clips (I purchased mine at Staples)
7/8 inch ribbon to match your scrapbook paper. This is the ribbon that will cover the top of the writing pad. (about 12 inches, you can trim as needed)
Miscellaneous 1/4 and 3/4 inch ribbons that coordinate with your color theme. I used six ribbons in lengths of 4 1/2 to 6 inches. You can trim as needed.
5 x 8 writing pad
Double sided tape

How To

Cut mat board into 6 x 8 1/2 sections. Places like Michaels may do that for free if you purchase a full sheet. If not, the cutting fees are nominal. An Exacto knife and ruler or commercial paper cutter can also be used.
Cut scrapbook paper the same size as the mat board. Use double side tape to adhere the paper to the mat board. Align carefully. I prefer to cut the scrapbook paper slightly bigger than the mat board. I then adhere and trim the excess with an Exacto knife. This ensures that the paper is neatly aligned.
Using double sided tape adhere the 7/8 inch ribbon to the top of the note pad. Wrap around to the back side.
Cut the 3/8 and 1/4 inch ribbon and tie to the binder clip.
Using binder clip, attached the note pad to the mat board.

Simple, elegant, affordable and practical!

New Year's Breakfast Frittata

2012-01-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

Check out the recipe for this breakfast frittata made with asparagus and bacon (turkey bacon). The added cheese was low-fat, of course, as Blimpy Girl tries to make dishes that our both healthy and low in calories. It was a great breakfast to usher in 2012 especially when enjoyed with long time friends.

A tall glass of freshly squeezed OJ and a slice of toasted hard crusted bread (with a little jam) topped off the morning meal. I hope everyone enjoyed their New Year weekend. Now.... back to work. Whew! So much to catch up on after a week off.

New Mold Market Molds Have Arrived

2012-01-02T10:03:00.001-05:00

The holiday was so crazy, I didn't have time to "play" with the 7 new Mold Market molds received during our break. The new page on our web site displays these newest molds. I can't wait to work dig my soapy hands into experimenting with these molds, especially the cupcake and apple mold.

Hope everyone had an awesome New Year's. We are playing catch-up after being closed for 10 days. Be patient!! We haven't forgotten you. Orders are being processed in the order received while we had holiday down-time.

40% Off Select Holiday Molds

2011-12-30T15:14:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year. We are closing out select holiday molds at a 40% savings. This is the time to stock up for next year. Below is a link for the discounted molds. This savings runs through January 31, 2012. No back-orders. Limited to in stock quantities.

Check out the 40% holiday molds here.

My Reflections on 2011

2011-12-27T09:42:00.011-05:00

Perhaps it's my age or the hectic pace of running a business but this year passed in record time. As snow is falling outside my office window, I'm reminded of the four season cycle. In Michigan, we experience all four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. This week marked the end to the longest day of the year. Days will begin to be longer and nights shorter. More daylight and sunshine is welcomed in the Midwest. As I celebrate this change in Winter Solstice, I reflect on how the 2011 seasons applied to my life.

Spring was a reflection on growth and a renewal of hope, a reminder that planted roots can grow and mature to accomplish set goals. The yield received is based on how well the soil is cultivated for growth.

Summer was a time to face challenge. Whatever did not grow in the Spring was assessed and changed to promote future growth. Some of my ideas did not survive. That's OK, because Fall was a time of reflection. I consider it the "Golden Season". It's a time when ideas are ready to harvest and I reflect on whether business or personal goals were achieved.

And then along comes Winter. For me, it's a time of death. A time to let go of those things that did not work, resurrect ideas and reinvent a new business plan.

As 2012 approaches, I am re-evaluating both business and personal goals. I hope you do the same. It's impossible to grow if not reflecting on where you are and where you want to be. Life is full of change. But change often brings growth.

My New Year wish for those reading this post: Be true to yourself; don't compare yourself to others in the business.

As you work to grow your business and see others succeed in the upcoming year (while you are not)... HANG IN THERE! Understand the dynamics of the Cycle of the Seasons. It takes time to develop a business. Heck, it takes time to evolve into the person we hope to become. It's about pointing yourself in the right direction, surrounding yourself with good mentors and focusing your sights on desired goals. It may not be easy, but success is never easy. It's a work in progress.

I hope 2012 brings that "Ah-Ha" moment to you. The moment when you say, "Yes, all that hard work paid off".

Family Quilts: A Christmas to Remember

2011-12-25T17:10:00.006-05:00

It was a wonderful Christmas. The time and energy put into making it joyous for those I love was fulfilled. Pictured above is my 81-year old mother with a quilt. Before my grandma passed away, she gifted me with many quilt tops assembled throughout her lifetime. I promised her I would one day have them made into quilts. This was the year!

I gifted a quilt to my sister, daughter, mom and myself.

My mom reading my letter about the gifted quilt.

My Daddy passed away from cancer 3 years ago. My Mom misses the love of her life (56 years of marriage). This Christmas I wanted to give Mom something from my Dad. He loved eagles and collected all things pertaining to them. I gifted my Mom with an eagle lap quilt to cuddle under. It's a reminder my Dad is always near even though he is no longer with us.

The poem in the card my Mom is reading (above) was written as though in first person from my Dad. My iPhone played a song he dearly loved. The tears in my Mom's eyes were the best gift ever. She slept with the eagle quilt last night. I hope it brings her some measure of comfort as she snuggles beneath it next year.

My Mom and me, Christmas 2011.

Day Nine: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

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Last night the elves spent time coloring in oversize coloring books they left for the grand kids. There were also special magnetic alphabet letters. Each elf left a personal message for the kids using the letters. Carson's read: "Rock on Carson". There was also, " I love U" and "Are U being nice?"

Packaging for under 30 cents!

2011-12-20T18:24:00.011-05:00

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Ok... it might be a bit more if you don't have the rubber stamps, but once purchased, they can be used over and over again.

My daughter stopped by this morning on her way to work (for her usual morning coffee). She plopped a box of gooey putty containers on the counter and asked if I would wrap each one for my grand daughter's kindergarten Christmas party. How could I say no?

I struggled with how to wrap 25 containers. I didn't want to labor over something that cost so little, but wanted my grand daughter to be proud of the presentation. And then, like a vision in the night, it came to me (I just had to say that!) I remembered the white tissue paper in the warehouse. Small gift tags had just arrived (which we will be selling soon at GoPlanet), cotton twine and a drawer full of rubber stamps. It was everything needed to package a 50 cent gift.

I printed clear labels: From: Olivia and applied to each small gift tag (the label was angled to fit the tag). White tissue paper sheets were cut into thirds. Holiday word stamps were used in red and green colors (FYI: GoPlanet's liquid gel colors can be used to ink rubber stamp pads).

Each gift was wrapped in tissue and tied with cotton twine (gift tag attached). To add color, a snippet of grosgrain ribbon was used. A recycled Kraft bag was stamped with Christmas merriment to cart the goods to the classroom.

As I looked at this simplistic packaging, I realized how this could be used to wrap soap for gifting. Of course, if using melt and pour soap, you will need to wrap the soap in shrink or stretch wrap before encasing in the tissue paper. What an inexpensive way to present your holiday soaps.

I suggest cutting and stamping the tissue sheets beforehand if doing craft shows. Wrap purchased soap in tissue and dress with ribbon and gift tag.

Day Nine: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-20T07:10:00.006-05:00

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My, my, my... Olivia's elf, Giggles, decided to shower and put on make-up during the night. Fischer's elf decided to read A Redneck Christmas story to all of his toy friends. Take note the celebrity Buzz Lightyear showed up for the reading.

Carson's elf, Dimples, thought skateboarding in the house was a great idea. Not so sure what mommy thought about that. A nutcracker friend also joined in on the play time. Take note of the skateboard in the nutcracker's hand.

These elf events were not on the calendar I prepared for my daughter. They were her ideas and pretty clever. As a full-time working mommy of three, she counts on her own mommy to help her with elf ideas :)). I'm glad she had a moment to be creative with the elves.

The kids each received a light up snow globe from their elves (purchased at Kohl's on sale).

Day Eight: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-19T06:22:00.003-05:00

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Another night of mischief. The elves crept out of bed (even though the kids swear they were holding the elves tightly) and decided to play a few rounds of poker. They needed a fourth partner so solicited the help of one of NeeNee's nutcrackers.

The elves got into NeeNee's special glassware that are only reserved for the grand kids special sparkling juice. My 3-year old grandson was upset that the elves had not asked permission to use them (because the kids can only use them with permission). The drummer nutcracker decided to help himself to some eggnog from the fridge and used the cup Miss O had been gifted at our family party.

Thank goodness those elves went home with the grand kids last night. I told them I might have to lock them up in a closet the next time they come to visit NeeNee and Poppy. The kids would have no part of that!

Cheese Tower Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T05:27:00.000-05:00

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Love, love, love this! This was the cheese appetizer my daughter brought to our family Christmas yesterday. Everyone was in awe and snapping photos. She used four different cheese chunks (purchased pre-cut from Costco), parsley springs for the green, raspberries and sliced strawberries for the red.

What made this even more awesome was the cutting board used. My husband (the wine guy) received this from one of the wineries he represents. The grooved edge was ideal for arranging a border of cheese chunks.

I thought some of you might this idea useful over the holidays!

Coming Soon: Updates to Shopping Cart

2011-12-19T05:04:00.000-05:00

In January, look for some shopping cart upgrades. I believe you will like the change as you will be able to sign-in to our web site and create an account. Once signed in you will be able to:

Update billing/shipping profile
View order details
Manage recurring order details
Print past invoices
View previously abandoned carts

As with any change, it will take time to adjust. In the end, I am convinced you will find it an added benefit when shopping with GoPlanet.

$25 Holiday Giveaway

2011-12-18T08:15:00.000-05:00

This is the holiday scene Kimberly B. is seeing this Christmas (photo by Kevin & Amanda.com). She is the winner of the "My Family Christmas Holiday Tradition" contest which offered a $25 gift certificate to GoPlanetEarth. A trip to NYC at Christmas time is on my bucket list. Congratulations, Kimberly and happy holidays to you and your family from GoPlanet. Here is the winning submission:

"... my mom, three younger sisters and I start our holiday season by putting up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving. The family hangs out from early in the day playing games and watching holiday specials. Then, after eating and resting,we trim the tree and reminisce about years past.

Our tree has been around as long as I, 37 years, and we've both seen better times but continue to do our best each year. This starts the season with twinkling lights and positive intentions for what's to come.

Since we are all grown up and aren't swimming in a roomful of toys and clothes, we have started going out for holiday fun and giving mom a rest from the kitchen. We take in the traditional holiday sights NYC has to offer, like parades, department store window displays, Broadway shows and strolling the city streets just enjoying our time together. It has become just a spectacular as holiday sesons gone by with the knowledge that though gifts are nice, the real joy is spending time with my family."

Day Six: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-18T07:22:00.001-05:00

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The elves had an early morning breakfast but not without a few mishaps. It seems they spilled some milk and also made a mess pouring their cereal into the new cereal bowls left for the kids. Not only did the kids awake to new bowls, but also a Christmas cup and countdown to Christmas place mat.

Miss Olivia's elf, Giggles, helped herself to a snicker doodle cookie.

Day Five: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-17T07:16:00.001-05:00

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Well, Elf Freckles had some shower fun last night. Fischer (my 3 year old grandson) stayed the night with NeeNee and Poppy. When he awoke this morning to use the bathroom, this is what he found. As usual, he explained to us how his elf did this. I have a video clip link below of his conversation with Poppy.

According to Fischer, the elf climbed up the toilet paper to get to the top of the shower head. He is the perfect age for the Magic Christmas Elf. It's such a joy to watch the enthusiasm he conveys when finding his elf. When the grand kids stay over, they awaken extra early so they can discover what their elves did overnight. Sometimes they leave a gift, other times they just do mischief. You never know what those silly elves are going to do.

Day Four: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-16T07:03:00.002-05:00

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Those elves were up to something last night. It appears they found rolls of red and green crepe and decided to do some decorating. It was quite a display. There were jingle bells everywhere (which BTW, the grand kids loved!). They went around picking them up and collecting piles. The polar bears stopped by to get in on the fun. As you can see, they brought some North Pole snow with them.

Miss O was all about the snow. Carson was still half asleep and Fischer was talking non-stop telling me how the elves took the jingle bells off all the reindeer. He also had his take on how his elf got on top of the TV and proceeded to demonstrate how his elf moved furniture and then jumped really, really high to get up to the TV. That's Fish below explaining his elf philosophy.

Here is a portion of Fish's conversation about the jingle bells and his magic elf.

Here's my Countdown To Christmas...Bah Humbug!!

2011-12-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

10 days of high dose antibiotics and other meds to clear up a sinus infection. Not sure if I can keep track of what I'm suppose to be taking and when. I'm on seven different medications. So.... if I seem a little loopy over the next 10 days, and make a lot of k$adfioap[h sodrn (sorry, that was keying errors). You will know why.

Day Three: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-14T06:38:00.002-05:00

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Last night was somewhat tough. The idea was to slip tags over each elves head that read, "Look in your elf mailbox". Unfortunately, Carson and Fischer were clutching their elves so tightly while sleeping that my daughter couldn't get the tag over the elves's head. She decided to just place the tag on the elf's belly.

Well, that wasn't such a great plan because the boys toss and turn so much in their sleep the tags got lost under the covers. Thankfully, Miss O's elf, Giggles, had a tag and the boys started throwing back covers to find their own.

The kids ran to the elf mailboxes and found a message that told them where to look for a special gift. Carson received a small Lego set and the other two received holiday puzzles (courtesy of Target's dollar section).

I wish I could be there every morning to witness the grand kids excitement when finding messages, mischief or gifts from the elves. Anxious to hear what the elves did on the eve of day Four. My daughter is stopping by for her Blimpy Girl lunch this morning and she'll share the details (which I'll pass on to you elf followers).

Day Two: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-13T16:16:00.004-05:00

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On Day Two, the elves left each child a felt advent calendar. A stick of gum was inserted into each date pocket. As you can see, Dimples stacked pillows and hung the advent calendar from a light fixture.

My oldest grandson Carson, age eight, was concerned the elves had taken gum from NeeNee and Poppy's special cupboard when they stayed with us the night prior. We keep packets of gum in a cupboard above the fridge and Carson was right on; the elves had slipped gum in a back pack to fill the advent pockets.

Carson easily bought into this scenario but was concerned whether Poppy would be upset about the missing gum. I'll be leaving an apology note to Poppy from the elves. It will let Poppy know the heartfelt remorse the elves have for sneaking into Poppy's gum cupboard.

Miss O's elf, Giggles, was sitting on the kitchen counter surrounded by Pez candy and gum wrappers with a pink boa around her neck. My daughter calls me on her daily drive into work. There are no words to express the excitement she described when the kids awoke to find their elves this morning.

Business Paperwork Struggles: Are you With Me?

2011-12-12T11:52:00.027-05:00

As we approach the end of our company's fiscal tax year, we are in a time crunch to make sure all our ducks are in a row for Uncle Sam. Are you feeling the same way?

With the current economic trend, every one is stretched to find ways to cut corners without sacrificing customer service and product prices. Smaller businesses don't have the advantage of large volume inventory purchasing or the profit & loss margins to help them survive this next year.

In surveying my office this morning, I realized that there is plenty of paperwork needing attention before closing out year end with my accounting firm. I'm guessing many of you feel the same.

We have great accounting software and employee help; but, the paperwork is never ending. Customer credits, refunds, receipts and credit card processing all instigate a paper flow thread that seems never ending. The concept of a paperless company seems far-fetched. 99% of GPE customers still expect a packing list or receipt in every order.

Social media folk can talk all they want about new apps, programs and software that can promote greater revenue. I agree in part. BUT, there are a good number of customers that still have dial-up for Internet connection, do not have smart phones, can't afford the many Internet bells and whistles. Heck, most small businesses have little time to learn all the new programs while manufacturing their product. Let's be realistic here. We are in the midst of an ugly economy and those who have been online for years are clueless to the hardships and start up costs facing newer, smaller companies. There is pressure to be everything to everyone via social media, blog posts, face books, Pinterest and twitter. New social medias venues are added on a regular basis.

As I dive into this year's mountain of postponed paperwork, I consider those small businesses unable to employ accounting staff to help process paperwork. Many of those small businesses are my customers. Just trying to focus on order processing is a daily accomplishment, especially during this busy holiday season.

Here's my opinion. Find your niche! Work and develop that niche to a perfection. Don't sweat bullets about those bigger soap companies promoting the host of behind the scene workers. Do what you do and do it well. You'll succeed if you stay focused on your vision.

As for the paperwork: Find a bookkeeper that is willing to track and record your invoices, receipts and inventory paperwork. Then, on a monthly basis, send that info to a CPA accounting firm to make sure that all your tax deductions are accountable and deductible.

There are plenty of companies out there in our industry selling a marketing pitch. You should thoroughly investigate if their monthly or annual fees are justified. There are many in the soaping industry that seem to be your advocate. However, make sure you do your homework. Spend your marketing dollars wisely. Quite honestly, I would rather spend my dollars on good help than those that profess to promote my company online.

$25 Holiday Giveaway: Enter to Win

2011-12-12T07:08:00.002-05:00

FB Holiday $25 ONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATE GIVEAWAY starts today at 6:30 AM (EST) until December 16, 2011 6:30 PM (EST). Here's how to enter: Send an email about your favorite Christmas holiday tradition. I don't want any "made up" stuff, make it real. I want to know how you, or your family celebrate the season.

My workers will pick winner. Our mail addy is: info@goplanetearth.com. Include full name when sending entry. Winner will be announced Sat, December 17, 2011 via email and agrees I can post their entry on my blog. Good Luck!

NOTE: You must LIKE our face book page to be eligible.

Day One: 2011 Magic Elf Countdown

2011-12-11T11:32:00.018-05:00

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We weren't expecting to have the grand kids last night, but they arrived at our house with elves in hand. My oldest grand son (eight years old) even brought a bed for his elf made from a folded quilt wrapped in a blanket.

Those darn elves had quite a bit of mischief up their sleeves last night. Giggles and Dimples snuck downstairs and got into all the Wii equipment including my work out stuff. They opened a bottle of sparkling juice, found candy suckers, got into the snack cupboard, opened Cheez-its and put reindeer ears on Mr. Gingerbread Boy.

Freckles (who is the twin to Dimples and belongs to my 3 year old grand son) was the most mischievous. I folded clothes earlier in the evening and left them on the kitchen island upstairs. Can you believe that Freckles unfolded underwear and put bras on various nutcrackers? My six foot nutcracker was wearing NeeNee's bra with Poppy's underwear as a hat. Crazy!

So, what kind of Wii game were the elves playing? It appeared to be a sword fighting game. Of course, the kids wanted to play the game this morning before heading off to church.

The Elves Arrive: December 10, 2011

2011-12-10T23:49:00.009-05:00

The grand kids phoned this morning about the arrival of the Magic Elves. They received a letter from Santa the day prior confirming the elves's arrival date and could barely sleep in anticipation.

The elf sleigh landed in the driveway and those silly elves put on their ice skates and skated around the yard. Miss O was delighted the elves didn't have a crash landing this year. Last Christmas the elves parachuted in from the North Pole due to a navigational sleigh mishap.

Miss O and Fischer threw on their coats and ran outside to see if the elves had indeed arrived.

The elf passports and naughty/nice mailboxes were in the sleigh. Tonight the kids have an overnight with us (NeeNee and Poppy). I'm still up waiting for them to fall into a sound sleep to do my elf magic. My eight year old grand son has already been up once to use the bathroom and almost caught me in the act. WARNING: This elf mischief can cause sleep deprivation. The kids get so excited to catch the elves misbehaving that they barely sleep.

I'll post pics in the morning of the elves mischief tonight. I'm doing laundry and those darn elves have decked my big nutcrackers in bras and underwear. They are also playing Wii and having snacks. Stay tuned.

Gingerbread Man Soap: Run, Run As Fast As You Can

2011-12-08T11:46:00.007-05:00

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Mold Market's new gingerbread soap mold is adorable. My assistant, Kristy, poured up a few test soap samples this week. The use of the injector tool is still somewhat new to Kristy, but she did an awesome job.

The injector tool is necessary for the gingerbread trim details. For info on how to use this tool check out this blurb.

The little guys smelled heavenly in their gingerbread scent. I packaged one to gift to my hair stylist. I know she's going to think this is a fun soap.

A glassine bag, hole punch and grosgrain ribbon is a perfect way to package this guy. I put the soap in a 4 x 6" sealed plastic bag before sliding it into the glassine bag. Packaging the soap in a plastic bag will keep the soap oils and glycerin dew from staining the paper glassine bag. GPE resealable plastic bags are another option for sealing the soap.

No Kidding, Re-Purposed Toilet Rolls

2011-12-08T09:46:00.005-05:00

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Believe it or not, there is a use for those empty toilet tissue rolls you throw in the trash. I shaped them into small "pillow" boxes. I stacked them with double sided tape and tied together with jute cord (GPE will be offering jute cord very soon).

This is perfect packaging for things like lip balm or small bath teas. Great way to showcase small soap samples when using the Mold Market personal size soap molds. Fold the ends of the tube to form a casing for the product you will be putting inside. Oh, let's not fail to mention gift cards. How fun to place a $5 or $10 gift card inside each box. In fact, I'm getting a haircut and color later today. I'm gifting my hair stylist with the above package. Inside one box is a $5 Subway gift card. The other two boxes are filled with chocolates and candies. (It's national Hair Stylist day today!)

I attached a tag (which GPE will have online very soon) to the jute cording. A sprig of fresh greenery and printed vintage stamps complete the wrap. It would also be fun to glue some vintage stamps to the formed pillow boxes.

So many ways to make these re-purposed toilet tissue rolls make a statement in the traditional packaging world ;)

New Packaging Supplies Are Arriving

2011-12-07T06:16:00.000-05:00

This week we started receiving some of our recycled and "organic" looking packaging supplies. Over the holiday closure (December 23-January 1) I will be assembling ideas to showcase on my blog. GPE will be selling gift packs that include various items needed to put together your own touches to a natural type of gift wrap.

I'm excited to start working on some fun packaging ideas for your soap or toiletry products. With the trend for "green" and re-purposed items, I think you'll find some of the ideas a selling point for your product.

Postage Stamp Packaging

2011-12-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

Wait until you see what I'm doing with vintage postage stamps and recycled paper. Another creative packaging option that is easy on the budget. I will have pics posted within the next day or two.

Our new recycled card stock paper has arrived and will be online later this week. We're offering a 5-pack of recycled brown Kraft card stock or recycled taupe color. Both are pictured above.

Soap Sampler Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T08:38:00.014-05:00

This is actually a cheese tree from Cabot Cheese Company. I'm envisioning this as a spectacular appetizer for my family Christmas; one everyone will oohhh and ahhhh and say "how creative". Then my OCD brain grows feet and starts running with ideas of how this could work for soap. Honestly, I try not to think and sleep soap; it just happens.

The Mold Market brand of soap molds sells a 48-bar cubed tray. How perfect is that? If you are a retail store or offer soap samples at trade shows, why not use this holiday tree idea? Mold Market offers a star mold that makes a perfect tree topper. Swap out the red tomatoes in above pic for the star snowflake, small puffed heart, apple wedge or strawberry slice.

Placing sprigs of thyme or other fresh greens between the colored layers adds depth and a festive tone. I'm thinking bay leaves, sprigs of tarragon, pine sprigs... heck, the ideas are countless.

Display on something portable like a cutting board or sheet of corrugated cardboard cut from a recycled box. Wrap the cardboard in festive gift wrap. Forming a tree shape from cardboard with sides to support the soap might help keep the soap in place. As customers and buyers remove a sample, refill the void.

Under $6 Holiday Centerpiece

2011-12-05T07:46:00.008-05:00

Yesterday our family celebrated my Mom’s 81st birthday. Because her birthday is close to Christmas, I wanted a festive table setting without spending a great deal of time (or money) on it.

I grabbed one of my shorter flower vases and filled with clear glass pebbles. I did some snip-snip of pine branches in my yard and as a last minute thought clipped a few branches from a Japanese Maple. The void in the vase was filled with miscellaneous holiday ornaments and candy canes. A splash of water and I had a pretty awesome centerpiece in less than 10 minutes. It should last a week or so and when the pine needles start to drop, they will be discarded and freshly cut pine branches will replace them.

Don't dismiss holiday centerpieces as a means to showcase your soaps and toiletry products this season. Using a centerpiece, pine branches, holiday ribbons as a backdrop to your photos helps market product in an up-scale manner. Online customers rely on photos to determine if your product is something they want to purchase. This is especially true with finished bath and body products.

This centerpiece was inexpensive and items used were things I had on hand.

Brown Bag Holiday Gift Wrap Idea

2011-12-04T07:37:00.004-05:00

Now isn't this so clever? Recycled brown bag, recycled blue jeans, recycled tissue paper... VERY earth friendly and "green". I bet you have a slew of old jeans that don't fit (I do!). Or, jeans your kids have worn out by sliding across pavement, rolling in gravel... who knows how kids wear out the knees of jeans, especially boys. It's a mystery much like the missing sock the washer seems to gobble up.

Rebecca over at Older and Wiser offers this incredible packaging option to recyle denim parts.

Think soap here (not the chocolate bars). How fun to place a soap in the denim pocket and fill the bag with bath goodies (lotion, shower gel, body butter, room spray... you get the idea). Add colorful tissue and your own finishing touches and you've got yourself an "attention grabbing" package for little cost.

Absolutely Inspiring Soap Design

2011-12-04T07:05:00.004-05:00

This soap design by Omar is stunning. The colors are breathtaking and the shapes lend themselves well to the design concept. The soaps made by Omar are inspiring to say the least. They are true works of art. I hope this post inspires you to think outside the soap box and experiment with new designs, colors and shapes.

A number of years back, I remember a comment made to me by a colleague in the business. She said, "You can only do so much with soap and soap mold designs." Well, I think that's a bunch of hooey! I see individuals stretching the boundaries everyday. This is just one example of the talented soap artists in the industry.

Holiday Gift Card Packaging

2011-12-03T12:58:00.003-05:00

I am gifting a number of restaurant gift cards this year. What is a unique and creative way to make those gift cards stand out? This is my take.

Print out a 6 x 7 inch gift card announcement on plain white paper. Next, cut white card stock paper to measure 6.5 x 7.5 inches. Use a glue stick to adhere the plain paper printed message onto the card stock.

Measure a piece of corrugated wrap to fit the card. Adhere to card with double sided tape. Insert gift card.

My gift cards are for lunch at a local eatery which is why it reads "THANKS a lunch" (in place of thanks a bunch).

Glassine Bag Gift Wrap Idea

2011-12-03T06:52:00.001-05:00

When I spotted this creative packaging idea at Katherine Marie (she's a photographer), I immediately thought of the glassine bags GPE sells for soaps. These are white pastry bags, but glassine bags will work equally well. Slip a soap into the bag and tie with twine or butcher's cord (red and white colored cord is available). Add a small candy cane to the front and a printed Kraft label on back side.

The packaging will cost you about $1.10 per soap. Just make sure your melt and pour soaps are wrapped first to prevent them from sweating onto the bag. Shrink wrap or plastic wrap work well.

Glassine Bags for Soap

You will find butcher twine at Walmart (where you find plastic wrap) or do a Google search if you're looking for a red and white twine. There are plenty of places locally that sell butcher twine.

Gift Wrap: Using Dictionary Pages for Soap & Small Gift Items

2011-11-28T12:23:00.006-05:00

Financially, times are tough. We are all looking for ways to recycle, repurpose and put on our creative caps to save a few dollars. This year, I am focusing on ways to recycle or reuse items that would end up in the trash. Here is my take on zig fill for small gift boxes (like soap).

I shared a holiday wrap idea a few days ago. This goes right along with that theme. I paid a visit to the local Goodwill store. It's a haven for old books looking to be repurposed and very affordable. You can pick up a book for as little as 25 cents. I tore out pages from a dated dictionary and folded them into 5/8" to 1/2" strips. Once folded, I cut into lengthwise strips (see above photo).

I also used my handy-dandy tearing ruler to make strips of paper to wrap around the center of my gift boxes. See my prior post to understand how that works. As always, my choice of gift wrap is generally natural Kraft paper. There are countless rubber stamps that can be used on Kraft paper to jazz things up for any occasion. And, BTW, our liquid gel colors can be used to ink the rubber stamp pads.

Beyond Soap: Packaging to Sell

2011-11-27T12:08:00.006-05:00

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How do you make your soaping projects stand out from the rest during this holiday season? Here's one idea.

Wrap you gift box in brown Kraft paper. The above pic uses one of our white window soap boxes. Double sided tape was used to keep everything nice and clean looking.

The lettered paper was printed on white linen paper using the MS Publisher program. You can select whatever font size and type that suits your fancy.

The appeal to this inexpensive wrap is the brown paper coupled with the printed font sheets. A tearing ruler was used to cut the font sheets. Tearing rulers are available at scrap booking stores. The torn font paper lends itself to a handmade look.

Add grosgrain or double-faced satin ribbon and you've created a package that is inexpensive, yet exquisite.

Countdown to Magic Elf Arrival 2011

2011-11-26T09:01:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again. The Magic Elves are arriving the evening of December 10, 2011. This year they will be wearing ice skates and, of course, they will be in their usual sleigh. Not sure yet how they will all fit in the sleigh wearing skates, but I'll make it work. I found the skates at Kohl's earlier this season. They were somewhat pricey (about $10 per set), but I can also re-gift by filling each skate shoe with small lotions, shower gels and soap next year.

I have the first 4 Days of the Magic Elf agenda outlined below. I am honestly surprised at the email response I receive for this holiday event. I know it's not soaping related, but it's just as fun and creative as making soap. Guessing there are plenty of moms and grandparents that feel the same.

Last year the Magic Elves arrived with Elf Mailboxes that the grand kids decorated. The elf mailboxes will be arriving again this year. Of course, passports and Elf report folders are still in the mix.

2011 MAGIC ELF CALENDAR (first 5 days):
Hope this sparks some ideas for you this year. I'll post pics as the daily events happen and continue to post ideas until the elf departure on December 24.

THURSDAY, DEC 8
Letter from Santa about the Elves arrives from North Pole along with the Elf mailboxes.

SATURDAY, DEC 10
The three elves arrive in their sleigh wearing ice skates and Santa Elf hats to keep their ears warm. Passports will be sent with each elf. They need these to get back to the North Pole when Santa picks them up on December 24. I picked up the Santa Elf hats at Target in the $1 section. They were the perfect size.

SUNDAY, DEC 11
Grand kids awaken to advent calendars (that I also purchased in the $1 section at Target). There is a small pocket under each calendar day. I will be putting a folded stick of gum in each pocket (see the pocket dated the 11th). The elves will be sitting under the hanging advent calendars surrounded by plenty of used gum wrappers.

MONDAY, DEC 12
Elf wakes up in bed with child. A note around the elf's neck reads, Check your Elf Mailbox." The mailbox note tells where gift is hidden. A sample mailbox note reads as follows,

"Just wanted to snuggle tonight. I'm missing the North Pole. I left a gift for you. Can you find it? It's somewhere on your dresser shelf."

TUESDAY, DEC 13
It's countdown place mats and holiday cups at breakfast. Those darn elves had a late night snack of milk and cookies. These place mats were a great find at Target and can be used right up until Christmas. The kids will have fun moving the date on the place mat. I also purchased matching holiday cereal bowls to use on December 16 Elfcapades. (see below picture).

WEDNESDAY, DEC 14
The elve's are wearing slipper socks and the house decorated in crepe paper (red and green). I ordered 200 jingle bells to scatter on kitchen counter tops and floor. Also, some fake snow is in the works. I'm thinking a sink full of fake snow would be fun with one of the elves sitting in the sink making a snowman. I'll be sure to take pictures when this event happens so you can see how it all plays out.

I'll be posting the next Elfcapade Episode once the fun begins....

Everything's Coming Up Polka Dots

2011-11-21T08:19:00.003-05:00

I so love to see some of the handiwork and colors used for the Mold Market brand polka dot soap mold. Pictured above is Blueberry Bliss from The Soap Garden's Etsy Shop. Love the colors.

This Christmas soap is from Katy Star Smoothie Esty shop. You'll want to check out some of the other soaps offered. Nice job.

Pink...my grand daughter's favorite color. This polka dot soap is made by Moxie Makings Etsy shop.

The Mold Market polka dot mold is soooo easy to do in multiple colors. The dots are raised for easy filling. If you use the GPE injector tool, it makes the job even easier.

Awesome Stocking Stuffer Soaps

2011-11-20T18:52:00.002-05:00

Here's a shout out to Soapsations at Etsy. Great display of GoPlanetEarth's printable soaping paper.

Nice job, Melanie.

Black Friday Savings at GoPlanetEarth.com

2011-11-20T10:30:00.004-05:00

Here's the heads up on our upcoming Black Friday event. It starts midnight on November 23, 2011 EST. It ends Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

Pick your discount or use them all. It's entirely up to you. Here is the savings agenda:

All closeout Mold Market molds are just $1.25 while quantities last. If we sell out.... oh, well. Key discount code BLOWOUT when adding to cart.
10% off one-ounce fragrance oils. Key discount code FRAGRANCE10 when adding to cart.
8% off two-pound blocks of GPE olive oil melt and pour soap base. Key discount code OLIVESOAP when adding to cart.
20% off all regular price Mold Market molds. No back orders, limited to stock on hand. Key discount code MOLD20 when adding to cart.
Receive a $7.50 discount on shipping when placing an order of $100 or more. Key discount code SHIPSAVINGS at checkout.
PLUS... all qualifying reward points are applicable.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Remember, we are closed for the extended holiday weekend. Orders can be placed online, but we won't begin processing those orders until we return on Monday, November 28, 2011.

Wine Bottle Holiday Candle Centerpiece

2011-11-14T16:25:00.004-05:00

Well, the bottle cutter has come in handy. I found a place online to order these wine bottle candle holders. They aren't inexpensive (about $12 each w/shipping), but for me, they were a perfect fit for some of the holiday gifts I have in mind.

These bottles are currently sitting on my kitchen island. In the near future, I will be placing them on a holiday platter surrounded with greenery to make a nice table arrangement. Note of caution: The bottles get hot when burning the tea light candles. Use care when placing greenery, ribbon or other holiday ornaments near the bottles.

When the lights are dimmed and the tea lights are lit, these bottles look awesome. Even with the cost of the bottle candle holders, you've got a gift for $12.50 once you've purchased the bottle cutter. You can find tea lights inexpensively at dollar stores, Wal-Mart and Ikea. These make a great housewarming or holiday hostess gift.

SIDEBAR:
Consider wrapping silver wire around the bottle neck with beads or other small holiday ornaments. You can swap out the wire wrap for various seasons. How fun to do a Valentine centerpiece in February using heart beads.

Sharing Ideas: Repurposed Wine Bottle Centerpiece

2011-10-31T13:33:00.002-04:00

Most of my loyal followers are aware I have a Blimpy Girl food blog. It's a place where I share my personal weight loss journey and how I continue to maintain that loss. I won't go into all the details at this point, but I will say that the Blimpy Girl site does share some creative ideas (as time permits between soaping stuff).

I'm sharing this particular link because I feel it offers an inexpensive holiday centerpiece from repurposed wine bottles. Most of us are on a budget and recycling items for another purpose is a win-win situation. The household budget wins and you win by receiving the results of the crafted end product.

I hope you enjoy this idea and share with others.

Fun with Layering Single Bars of Soap

2011-10-30T07:33:00.001-04:00

Layering soap whether making a loaf or single bars takes time. Patience is key to making sure that layers are poured during the window period. If you pour too soon, the layers will bleed and migrate together and you won't get nice clean edges as pictured above. If you wait too long to pour the next color, you risk the chance of the layers not adhering together.

I used liquid gel colors in the GoPlanetEarth white soap base for these soaps. I elected to use the Mold Market Groovy Bar mold as it is deeper than most cavity mold types. After seeing the finished soaps, I wish now I would have used the injector tool and filled in the ridged area on the top of the soap in a coordinating color. The red color would have been nice. Oh well, next time!

Colors used for the soap: Red Oxide, Yellow Oxide, Kelly Green and Orange Oxide. If you are wanting deeper colors then use these colors in clear soap base. I wanted softer Fall tones and white base was ideal to achieve that look.

The soap pictured (right) was tilted and poured at varying angles. Experiment and have fun with layers. You can pour the layers in most any direction. You could even layer part of the short ends by tilting the mold slightly and then layer one of the long ends rotating back and forth.

To purchase everything used to make this soap as pictured, order below. Don't worry, you can remove items from the cart should you decide you don't want everything. But at least this BUY NOW button will allow to see all the items needed.

Green Apple Soap from Hemp & Mango Butter Base

2011-10-29T16:24:00.008-04:00

This weekend is an intensive soap testing weekend. I like to be certain that all of our soap bases our performing well for customers. The only way to know is to test each base in various applications. Because our Hemp Butter and Mango Butter are very "hard" bases, I was a bit concerned how they would fair in a loaf mold when sliced.

They were awesome. Although both bases crumbled when initially cut from the scored block, once melted in the microwave that all changed. The hardness of the soap makes for low sweating and once the soap set up, it cut easily. The above picture showcases how well both these bases worked.

This soap base was scented in green apple fragrance (my honey man's favorite). I've been promising him some new soap and his grin alone told me how delighted he was when presenting him with the soap slices. It's weird, guys don't like to admit it, but they really do like soap.

The green color is made with hemp butter base colored with lime green and a smidgen of neon green. The white band is the mango butter base, no color added. I give both of these melt and pour soap bases a thumbs up based on my test results from today. Don't let the initial cut into the cubed soap base fool you. Even though the base crumbled somewhat when cubing from the scored block, once I melted in the microwave, it was all I had hoped it would be.

FREE Holiday Gift Boxes with Loaf Mold Purchase

2011-10-24T13:52:00.005-04:00

Limited Face Book offer (only 9 sets available) as of today. Order the Mold Market brand square loaf mold and Mold Market will include 10 holiday Christmas gift boxes (includes lids). Each box will easily fit a loaf soap slice (even two). Fill the box with colorful holiday shred, shrink wrap your loaf slice and plop inside the box. Perfect gift, EZ gift giving. Boxes ship flat and assemble easily.

You MUST use the below link to receive this special offer. It is not available on the web site. Once you order, you can continue shopping from our web site for other items you may want to add to the cart.

Autumn Leaves Soaps by Fields of Ambrosia

2011-10-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

Look at these awesome soaps and the packaging done by Fields of Ambrosia. This is one of the Mold Market molds sold at GoPlanet. Deb, the owner of Fields of Ambrosia, has done a great job with the coloring and packaging. Love it!

A 4 ounce boxed soap is just $6.50 and available in Apple Cider, Cranberry, Maple and Pumpkin scents. Who wouldn't one of these lovely soaps peeking out of a Christmas stocking. Better yet, I think Blimpy Girl.com might just be using these at a table setting for a Fall Harvest dinner. I think they make ideal gifts for my dinner guests. Thanks, Deb for sharing your lovely soaps with all of us.

Princess Packers

2011-10-12T08:06:00.003-04:00

Meet the Princess Packers: (L to R) Annah, Nichelle and Courtney. We received a shipment of novelty toys that GoPlanet is donating to a local Trunk or Treat event. These princess tiaras were part of that shipment. Just goes to show you, no matter the age, we girls still dream of being a princess.

The girls were kind enough to let me snap a picture. So.... if you had a package ship yesterday, it was courtesy of a "princess". I would also like to welcome both Nichelle and Annah to the GoPlanet team. Both girls are in training as packers and doing an awesome job. Also a big thank you to Courtney, Kaylee, Chelsea and Kristy who are assisting in the training process.

Blimpy Girl Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

2011-10-07T07:49:00.003-04:00

I have plenty of other things going on in the background besides soap and grand kids. Imagine that! My BlimpyGirl.com blog site is part of that "other" background noise. I elect to share it with GoPlanetEarth readers that may be struggling to lose weight or maintain their weight. Even if you're at that perfect weight, you may find a new recipe or two in these Blimpy Girl posts.

This eggplant dish has become a staple meal in my household. It's a very easy dinner that is complemented by nothing more than a mixed green salad and toasted garlic bread. I hope you enjoy!

You can grab the recipe here.

Sleeping With The Enemy Might Be A Good Thing

2011-10-03T12:41:00.006-04:00

My grandson likes to play with small action figures. His favorite play station is my bedroom because it is a quiet retreat from his siblings. He uses my bed as the backdrop for his battleground drama. When passing by my bedroom door, I often hear a "kish", pooooff!, "coo!" sound or a shout of "man down, man down as he imitates noises and phrases heard in action movies. It has been amusing until recently.

On this particular night I was burning the midnight oil and working late in my home office. I finally called it a night and crept into my bedroom anticipating the luxury of my comfy bed. I threw back the covers, positioned myself and suddenly discovered I was sleeping with the enemy. Not just one or two, but the entire army. My grandson’s ‘bad guy” army had built a fortress under my bed covers.

In one sweeping motion I knocked the action figures into a crippled heap on the bedroom floor. I can assure you visions of sugarplums were not dancing in my head. As little character heads and arms went flying and all I could envision were action figures preparing to do battle on the woman who attacked them on neutral ground because she believed they were invading her territory.

Isn't that so like us in the business world? We believe that taking out opponents invading our territory will allow us to be the dominator. In the online business world this isn't the case. Pairing up with the competition (or so called enemy) may just help us win in the end. Sleeping with the enemy might be a good thing.

In the past, territorial boundaries in business have been well defined. We find ourselves competing to be better than the other guys and willing to succeed at all costs. The fact that two people can do the same thing and do it without conflict is inconceivable. And then along comes social media and networking. This shared community concept has turned everything upside down. Just like the farming community in which I live, information, equipment, knowledge and tools are being shared to allow everyone to succeed. Companies and individuals are joining hands and embracing the idea that survival in the small business arena means collaboration.

The days of working in isolation are long gone. The new age business concept has evolved into a “team spirit” mind set. It’s an environment that expresses, “tell me what you know and I’ll tell you what I know so we can both grow our companies and make a living”. The Evil Empire concept has been crushed. We are finding it necessary to merge with our competitors. We are coming to understand that our perceived (business) enemies are well informed and decent people who might possibly be able to help us.

As business owners, we need to grow through multiplication instead of division and turn our competitors into our best allies. It’s time to take a look and determine if sleeping with the enemy might be a good business move. As we begin to understand the product differences with our competitors, we can also begin to improve our own product and make it stand out.

Certainly there will be competitors that we do not wish to share information. Those would be the “bad guys”; the guys I wiped off my bed without thought or care of their outcome. In no way am I suggesting you wipe out your enemy or competition. What I am suggesting is coming to the realization that some competitors may actually help you in collaborating a new market or product in this ever changing online business world. Take a chance. Sleep with the enemy. Engage in a relationship with your perceived Evil Empire. You might be surprised at where it takes you.

The Journal: My Future Legacy

2011-10-01T15:52:00.014-04:00

I celebrated a birthday this week and this is one of the wonderful gifts I received from my daughter. She wrote the first entry in "The Journal" and I cried. What an honor to have someone speak this kindly about you. Especially someone who has lived with you and has seen not just good stuff about you, but also the bad and ugly things that we try to hide from the world.

This will be the one and only time that I share "The Journal" with you. It will now become a very private part of my daily life. It will be my legacy in writings for my daughter and grand children.

I am committed to writing in the journal in my own handwriting which is not exactly neat. Thankfully, The Journal has lined pages. I plan to make my first entry tonight. I already know what I want to share.

Life is an incredible adventure. When I lost my Dad a few years back, I wish there had been a journal that allowed me to remember his life... in his own words...in his own handwriting. With all the electronic devices on the market, we have lost sight of how much a handwritten page, thank you, poem, or journal entry can mean. It's our personal postage stamp on life. We write, we scribble out things, we have misspelled words, but it makes us human. It makes the reader believe what we have written. They become engaged in our thoughts and feelings at that particular moment because there is no "send" or "delete" button. Call me old-fashioned, but I like that.

The first two quotes listed in The Journal read:

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children; One is roots. The other is wings."- Hodding Charter, Jr.

"There is a point at which you aren't as much mom and daughter as you are adults and friends."- Jamie Lee Curtis

I've have always told my daughter, "If you weren't my daughter, I would want you for a friend." Lucky me to have both a daughter and friend. It was a good birthday. Not only because I was gifted this wonderful journal, but because so many other family and friends extended well wishes and made me feel that my life is important to them. I think that's all any of us can ask for. We want to know that we matter, that our life, our work, our talents, our efforts count for something. As the owner of GoPlanetEarth, I would like each and every one of my customers to know that you count and you're important.

Katie's Cupcake Soaps

2011-09-25T08:44:00.008-04:00

Some time ago, I sent my 11 1/2 year old great-niece a box filled with soap making supplies. It was a big hit and pictured above is one of the soaps that she recently made using Mold Market's cupcake mold. Here is what Katie had to say about her soaping adventure.

"This was the first time I used the cupcake mold, and I found the tutorial extremely helpful. I used the Fruit Punch fragrance when I made my cupcakes. They look delicious. The whole process took me about 30 minutes. The longest part was waiting for the soaps to harden so I could take them out.

Thank you for the soap supplies. I had everything I needed."

The one thing Katie did mention to me was perhaps including a small spritzer bottle for the rubbing alcohol. She makes a valid point. These small 2 ounce bottles are often difficult to find, especially with a sprayer. GoPlanetEarth sells the small spritzer bottles on for those having a hard time locating one.

Thank you Katie for sharing your beautiful cup cake soaps with us.

The Shoes

2011-09-21T10:04:00.018-04:00

What more can I say? THE SHOES. These size 8 toddler shoes were left in my laundry room this weekend because they no longer fit my youngest grandson. We took a trip to the local apple orchard to ride ponies and do all things related to an orchard, but he couldn't wear these shoes. They were too small.

My little guy had to run around the orchard in socks because his Mommy had let him pick out his own outfit that morning. Which not only included the wrong size shoe but pants that had to be folded up three times.

So why am I posting about these shoes? Because they signify change. We grow, move forward, and hopefully experience bigger things (in the case of my little guy, bigger shoes). That's life in a nutshell. That's business in a nutshell (or in this case, a shoe). We continually outgrow where we are and need to adapt to change. It's not always easy to make that change and we sometimes try and squeeze our foot into shoes that no longer fit. No doubt, I'm guilty. It's easy to walk in a place of comfort. No new calluses, no breaking in the leather shoes. We want to insert our feet with little effort into a familiar environment (shoe).

Recently, I have been stepping into new shoes and starting new projects. One of those projects is about weight loss. My BlimpyGirl.com blog site was launched earlier this month and will continue to be an ongoing project for me. Yes, it does take away from some of my soaping stuff... but, you know what? I need that. I am rapidly approaching retirement age and I am looking for projects, adventures, and avenues that will enhance those retirement years. I love soap making, but I love plenty of other things as well.

My new shoes are walking in unexplored territory. I will continue to move forward in the soaping industry, but with brand new shoes and blazing a new trail. As for the shoes pictured above, I will be washing them, spraying them with one of my handmade home fragrance sprays and stuffing them with new socks, photo memorabilia and other trinkets and gifting to my daughter for Christmas. In fact, I think I will do this with all the grand kids shoes for the next 5 or 6 years. It's a great reminder of how we outgrow things but in that process move on to bigger and better things.

Stepping Outside your Comfort Zone

2011-08-23T14:04:00.012-04:00

I am entering what I call the last “summer hurrah”. It’s those last few weeks before the fall season officially begins, school starts, boats are put in storage and we say farewell to summer (at least here in Michigan). I am preparing for my “last summer hurrah” which is a house boat trip with good friends. It’s a third trip for me down to Lake Cumberland. For some of the couples going on this trip, it's their first time navigating this pristine lake.

There is one comment that stuck in my mind as I prepare for this week long trip. It’s from a long time friend. This is her first houseboat trip. Her employer made mention that she wouldn’t enjoy this type of vacation. As I reflected on this comment, I was saddened that those close to us sometimes put us in a box. Why wouldn’t my good friend enjoy something new and unfamiliar to her? Why shouldn’t she step outside her comfort zone? As we approach the countdown, my friend is getting excited and making plans for this new adventure. I guarantee this will be a trip of her life. I am so proud that she has agreed to step outside her comfort zone no matter what.

My point: Don’t let people put you in a box. When you get the courage to step outside your comfort zone, run with it!! You may find that you have everything to gain, meet new friends, experience new adventures, and realize that YOU CAN do anything you want.
Are you willing to step outside your comfort zone? If not, who or what is keeping you from doing that? I hope your last summer hurrah is filled with fun, joy, living a bit on the edge, and making plans for a great soaping holiday season.

P.S. I will not be in the office next week (8-27 through 9-6) due to down time and Labor Day weekend. You can order online, but we will not process orders 9-1 through 9-5). Kristy and Chelsea will be taking care of usual business next Monday-Thursday. I will not have much access to internet on the houseboat trip. I will do my best to email as coverage and time permits.

Marketing: Driving Home a Point

2011-08-04T12:29:00.006-04:00

Last week my husband, Chris, showed up for his general sales meeting in a swimsuit and tie. His work attire is generally dress casual, but monthly sales meetings require a sport coat and tie. However, this month’s meeting was themed “Beach Party” so casual summer clothing was encouraged. With this in mind, my husband started working on his presentation and the best way to drive home his point to sales staff.

As brand manager my husband’s job is to develop and present unique marketing ideas to sell product. Although my husband has a marketing degree, it goes way beyond that. He also has the ability to think outside the box. If you are fortunate enough to encounter one of these gifted individuals’ run parallel with them. It’s a learning curve you will not forget.

As the meeting assembled, Chris, walked forward to address the group in standard business attire. He then turned his back to the audience and began undressing; trousers first, sport coat, then the button shirt. While disrobing and his back to his peers, he talked about his first week with the company and the many ways he could avoid wearing a tie. After several minutes, he slowly turned to face the group donned in a pair of swim shorts with a lone tie draped from his bare chest.

My husband’s opening line was, “Wow, it’s cold in here.” The immediate response from someone in the group was, “How can you be cold when you’re wearing a sweater like that (referring to his chest hair). “ It was the perfect ice-breaker. With the audience fully engaged Chris was able to drive home his point knowing it would be long remembered.

The point being made in that sales meeting is not important to us. It’s the way the audience [customer, employee] became engaged and drawn into listening to the topic presented. It’s about stepping outside the norm and doing something a little risky. There is no doubt that my husband had concerns about what his immediate boss and CEO might think. He also knew that he could make a pivotal point to his sales staff and it worked. He was applauded by his CEO for thinking outside the box and thereby generating an influx of new sales and company growth.

Are you thinking outside the box? If you are selling a product or service you need to understand the competition. There are thousands doing the same thing as you. What makes you or your company stand out? How are you driving home your point?

What is a Jicama?

2011-07-31T10:19:00.009-04:00

This was a question I posed to my husband last week? I needed a Jicama for a salad recipe I wanted to make for an upcoming dinner party. My husband is in a line of work that affords him opportunity to experience all food types; so, was able to answer. I placed Jicama on my grocery list and decided to learn more about this bulbous looking food. Here is what I discovered:

It is actually just that... a bulb and is part of the legume (bean) family.

It is primarily grown in Mexico and South America, though different varieties are grown throughout the world.

It has a crunchiness somewhat like a water chestnut.

Peeling it can be a pain. I learned that first hand as you will see in above picture. I tried to use a vegetable peeler. Not a good idea. The skin in tough and you will need a very sharp knife to peel away the outer skin.

It taste something like a cross between an apple and potato.

It is most commonly eaten raw though it can be cooked and eaten and prepared like you would potatoes.

It pairs well with salads and can be used as an appetizer for dipping. Just cut into strips and dip in a mango salsa. I noted that some suggest cutting and sprinkling with lime juice and chili powder. I even saw a picture where cookie cutters were used to cut out dipping shapes. Now that's a fun idea.

So how did I end up using this peculiar looking bulb? Below is the tropical black bean salad that I served this weekend for a dinner party. It was a hit and I loved the crunchy texture that the jicama added to the salad. By the way, the "J" is pronounced as "H"... hicama.

How about these apples...I mean potatoes...

2011-07-25T15:55:00.011-04:00

Most of the nation has been under a heat wave. Michigan is no different. 90 degrees plus weather every day and NO rain in sight. Walking on grass is like walking on a bed of pickers. Even with A/C, I am trying not to heat up the kitchen unless absolutely necessary. I've been preparing simple Blimpy Girl summer dishes that don't require the oven. This was my mid-afternoon snack today. It's a garden fresh potato salad.

I've posted the recipe below should you want to whip up a batch for yourself. EZ to do and most of the ingredients can be found in your garden or fridge. If you don't have all the ingredients, improvise.

Garden Fresh Tater' Salad (Makes about 6 servings)

9 Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 cup of:
chopped celery
diced tomatoes
chopped red and yellow pepper (combined)
chopped sweet onion
diced cucumber
frozen baby peas (thawed)
diced baby carrots (about 4-6 carrots, thawed and diced)

All the different colors give this dish an awesome eye appeal when served.

OK, cook up those taters (peel and cube before cooking) just until soften. Drain, but don't rinse. Once cooled, add all the diced/cubed/sliced/chopped veggies listed.

Add the dressing (I like to mix into ingredients with hands so that the taters don't get smushed.

1/4 cup low fat or no fat mayo
1/4 cup low fat or no fat sour cream
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon relish (the sweet kind)
Salt to taste

I like to put my tater salad in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Totally up to you. Add some garden sliced tomatoes and you are good to go. A full cup of this garden goodness is about 100 calories. Hmmm... you could add a grilled chicken breast and still be under 300 calories. You can even reserve some of the tater dressing for dipping the grilled chicken.

Mother Nature is Awesome

2011-07-23T08:20:00.002-04:00

Fresh cut flowers from my yard. Even in this ungodly heat, flowers prosper. Mother Nature is awesome. Have briefly turned off A/C this AM to enjoy the music of birds and the smell of the outdoors. Thankful for A/C but sure miss a summer breeze through open windows. Our current summer breeze stops you dead in your tracks.

Enjoy the weekend!

Pick Your Discount Week

2011-07-22T07:46:00.018-04:00

GoPlanet is offering several discount coupons this week. Pick the one that's right for you or use them all!

DISCOUNT OFFER #1
Mold Market's Funky Flower mold is a simple design that is easy to pour in dual colors. The flowers are deep enough to make a second color pour a breeze. Using GoPlanet's injector tool will help you keep nice clean lines around the raised flowers. Buy this mold and receive an injector tool for free. Key the following discount code at checkout FREETOOL4ME. We will include your free injector tool in the shipment.

Offer valid July 22, 8 AM EST through July 28 11:59 PM EST. If you don't key the code, you won't get the tool. No exceptions (so please don't ask :))

DISCOUNT OFFER #2
Buy one Mold Market Pebble Bar mold and receive a second one just $3.00. That's a $4.95 savings. Key discount code SECONDMOLD4ME at checkout. You must add (2) Pebble bar molds to the shopping cart to receive this discount. If you do not add two molds, the discount will be voided.

Offer valid July 22, 8 AM EST through July 28 11:59 PM EST. If you don't key the code, you won't get the mold. No exceptions (so please don't ask :))

DISCOUNT OFFER #3
Buy (1) soap cutting miter box and we'll take 50% off a Mold Market round loaf mold. A $6.38 savings. Key discount code HALFOFFLOAF at checkout. You must add both the miter box and the rounded loaf to the shopping cart to receive the discount. This discount will apply once the rounded loaf mold is added to cart. If you do not purchase the miter box, the discount will be void.

Offer valid July 22, 8 AM EST through July 28 11:59 PM EST. If you don't key the code, you won't get the discount. No exceptions (so please don't ask :))

DISCOUNT OFFER #4
Buy Mold Market Production tray (#111, #113, #115 or #236) and get a 20% discount off a double handled knife. Key discount code 20OFFKNIFE at checkout.

Offer valid July 22, 8 AM EST through July 28 11:59 PM EST. If you don't key the code, you won't get the discount. No exceptions (so please don't ask :))

DISCOUNT OFFER #5
Purchase $79 or more in product and receive a 5% discount.

Key discount code DISCOUNTME5 at checkout. Must key code to receive discount. Offer valid July 22, 8 AM EST through July 28 11:59 PM EST.

Life Can Change in a Heartbeat

2011-07-19T13:00:00.018-04:00

It is with much sadness that I write this post. Those of you following our Face Book page know that I returned from vacation facing devastating news. The letter below from my daughter explains the issues affecting our family.

I am very close to my son-in-law's family. They have been a part of my life for over 20 years. My daughter married Matthew 10 years ago after a courtship dating back to 8th grade. There is plenty of history and the fact that our families live just miles apart makes that bond even closer.

Blog posts may be minimal for the remainder of the summer as I try to help my daughter and son-in-law through this crisis. Someone needs to watch their kids as they donate time & pitch in wherever and whenever necessary. I will be placing soaping projects on hold until the Fall unless Sophie Soap Chick is able to assist.

For those of faith, I ask for your prayers. In just a heartbeat life has changed for our family.

My Daughter's Letter:

I would first like to thank everyone who has been praying for my brother in law. We all know that prayer can produce miracles…. And that is exactly what we need right now. I wanted to give you an update of what happened and his progress:

On Saturday evening, J**** was playing with the kids at the lake. He ran off the end of the dock to do a back flip (one that he has done a million times) and for some reason, he didn’t make it fully around. He hit his head on the bottom of the lake. He was conscious through the whole event. He knew he was under water, but couldn't move to get air. He was stabilized in the water until the paramedics arrived and taken to U of M knowing that this is where he would get the best care. He underwent surgery for his C5 and C6 vertebrae at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday. The surgery was completed at about 4:30 a.m. on Sunday. The doctor said that the surgery went well and only time would tell his recovery.

Since then, he has feeling in his legs and feet, but no movement. He can move arms, but has very minimal movement in right hand and no movement in his left. He is alert and in good spirits. He will see the physical therapist for the first time this afternoon to start his therapy. He has a very long road ahead.

Family is looking at how to make J****’s house handicap accessible. We are thinking that he will be able to come home in about 6 weeks. The occupational therapist must approve his home to make this happen. He currently lives in a two story home with a top upper lever bedroom and bathroom. We are looking at different options so that he can reenter his home in the most "normal" setting possible.

J***’s wife has been a rock for him. I ask that you pray for her strength too. They have only been married for three years! She will need a lot of support to stay positive. We have a very strong, tight family. They will do whatever necessary to provide support.

I appreciate all your prayers. We have no control over this situation. It has been placed at the feet of our Savior.

I will give updates to my mom to pass along as they come.
-------------------------

To my blog followers and FB peeps, I thank you for your loyalty to our company. My staff will continue to process orders as usual. The only difference will be the time spent in the social media arena. I appreciate your understanding as our families work through this life changing situation.

Treasured Family Poem

2011-07-18T11:16:00.006-04:00

Below is a poem written by my Uncle while serving in WWII. What a treasure when you find family history and heritage of faith tucked away in a chest or shoe box of memorabilia. This poem was discovered in my 92 year old aunt's belongings upon her passing.

I Prayed to God That Night

In southern waters, one darkened night
as eight o’clock was near,
Emergency called us from our sacks, and filled our hearts with fear.
For under the shelter of night’s darkened skies,
a periscope rose on the right.
As I followed its wake, the earth seemed to quake,
and I prayed to God that night.

Was there nearby, in days shortly past,
Had seven ships been lost,
and many a man for days and days
in boats and rafts had tossed.
“We’re doomed” came the cry of a nearby mate.
I wondered, “Could he be right?”
But sincere in need and steadfast in faith,
I prayed to God that night.

Then out of the skies
came roaring planes, an answer to my prayers.
In lightning speed, upon their prey
they dropped their bombs and flares.
The bombs gave forth a deadening blast.
The periscope sank from sight.
And there as I prayed, God sent us this aid,
and answered my prayers that night.

Meet Grandma: Treasured Quilts from the Past

2011-07-09T07:01:00.010-04:00

Many years ago, my grandma gifted me with 16 unfinished quilt tops. Since my grandma's death, finishing some of these quilt tops has been on my bucket list. The patterns contain dresses both my grandma and great-grandma wore when I was a kid. I can identify material used to make dresses for our baby dolls. There are muslin strips made of feed sacks in some quilt tops from my grandparents farm in the South. Everything about these quilts scream family history. These quilts are right up there with my Great Grandma Duley's blue jean quilt made from the retired blue jeans of the farm workers. And now I have more history and memories in these newly fashioned quilts.

This month the quilt tops were crossed off my bucket list. I had four of my most favorite made into "tied" quilts. I knew that no one would take greater care and pride in completing these legacy quilts than my cousin, Jan. She makes, repairs, and designs quilts for a living. She did not dissapoint me. These will be gifted to some very special family members later this year. I think my grammy would be very proud that I make good on my promise to one day finish the quilts.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Watermelon Soap

2011-07-09T06:52:00.003-04:00

We used the Mold Market square loaf mold to make watermelon soaps. Layers of green, white, and red soap were poured and randomly placed within the loaf while pouring. A sprinkling of black strips throughout makes the watermelon seeds and clear soap was used for the full pour. This is just one of the many ways to make watermelon soap. I have given instructions for another version using Mold Market's rounded loaf mold. You will find that here.

Fourth of July Soaps from Sophie Soap Chick

2011-07-08T07:10:00.005-04:00

I'm late in getting these pictures posted (sorry, Sophie). This is a loaf soap that Sophie Soap Chick made a few weeks back. I meant to have it posted pre-4th, but obviously that didn't happen. A half circle insert was created using one of our novelty loaf molds. The insert includes suspended glitter (use our suspension soap base). The half circle was then placed into Mold Market's square loaf mold and varying layers of red, white, and blue were poured around the insert. Sophie topped off the loaf with stars stamped out with cookie cutters.

Note the cute little stacked star soaps. They are connected with clear soap base. They look adorable displayed on a soap dish. Add a patriotic themed hand towel and your powder room takes on a festive look.

Warehouse #1 Reorganization Project

2011-07-02T13:13:00.004-04:00

I'm a confirmed nut case. We are in a heat wave of mid-90 degree weather & I decide to install some new shelves in warehouse #1. It's long overdue and I've been trying to get this project on the books before I leave for vacation on July 9. Today, I solicited the help of my husband (he was gritting his teeth). I had to promise him some boat time later this weekend. It's a total mess as the pictures indicate. By day's end, we should have most everything in place (I hope as it's suppose to rain and we've pulled a bunch of shelves out onto the pavement so there is no A/C going). I'll leave all the reorganizing for my staff when they return to work next week.

Hope you're all having more fun on this Saturday than I am.

Holiday Savings: 25% Off Shipping & More

2011-07-02T08:40:00.003-04:00

I am so geared up to enjoy this holiday weekend. Looking forward to family time, fireworks, and boating. But, before I sign out for the weekend, here are those holiday savings I promised!

25% off UPS ground shipping or 10% postal shipping when ordering $50 plus in product. Key HOLIDAYSHIP in the comment section at checkout. We'll review the order & apply discount manually.

Buy one and get one free on our discontinued molds. Make your free discontinued mold selection(s) in the comment section at checkout. Free mold is for a discontinued mold only, not regular stock molds.

10% off one ounce fragrance oils with $25 order (in product). Key coupon code FRAGRANCE1 during checkout.

No adjustments after order is submitted and not valid on previous submitted orders. If you fail to key the discounts, they will not be applied. If your free mold selection is sold out, we will substitute for another discontinued mold of our choice. These offers are valid through July 4, 2011, 11:59 PM ET.

Mold Market Soap Mold: Simple Design=Creative Possibilites

2011-06-25T11:37:00.005-04:00

This simple soap mold design offers so many creative pouring possibilities. We've only shown you pics of various color pours. But...consider adding glitter to the different layers, or...ground oatmeal, botanicals, and loofah. Use various color themes for the seasons. Fall colors, Christmas holiday colors, Spring colors, or just fun colors as Sophie Soap Chick has shown.

Socceer Ball Soap Mold

2011-06-25T11:30:00.002-04:00

Thanks to one of my staffers, Missy, for taking this photo of Mold Market's new soccer ball soap mold. EZ to pour in two colors and a generous 4 plus ounces. You can purchase this mold here.

Soap Molds: We want to Wish You A Merry Christmas

2011-06-23T21:55:00.009-04:00

Mold Market's new Christmas Tree mold is awesome. It's a plain tree that allows you to dress it up any way you want. Our Sophie Soap Chick gives you a few ideas. A plain Christmas Tree mold is shown on the right. Then Sophie kicks it up a notch and does some snazzy soap work using stars and drizzled soap (left). The top Christmas tree uses cut out circles for the bulbs. The decorating ideas are endless. Love, love, love this mold.

Mold Market Sponsors 2011 Soap Guild Conference

2011-06-23T20:58:00.008-04:00

Each year, Mold Market helps in sponsoring the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild. This year, Mold Market provided water bottles for each attendee. Each time you purchase a Mold Market brand mold, you are helping to sponsor future Soap Guild events. For the record, GoPlanetEarth carries the entire line of Mold Market molds.

Mold Market's center page ad at the conference is just another reminder of why you want to purchase these quality molds. The annual Soap Guild conference is a huge event and if you've not yet attended or are not familiar with this grand event, I encourage you to visit the HSMG web site.

Diary of a Blimpy Girl: Taco Thursday

2011-06-23T20:41:00.005-04:00

Tonight's dinner was a bean taco. Took about 10 minutes to prepare. I added a small side of baby spinach leaves and a juicy tomato slice along with an extra dollop of refried beans. This entire meal, as pictured, just a mere 225 calories.

My Blimpy Girl recipes have earned me a 28 pound weight loss. I've continued to maintain this weight loss since early February. If you're struggling to lose weight, message me via my business FB page. I will gladly share some of the recipes I've used in my weight loss journey.

Melt & Pour Soap Molds: Olive Branch Bar

2011-06-16T21:17:00.003-04:00

Just my personal opinion, but I think this olive branch mold from Mold Market rocks...big time. It's a generous size bar at 5 ounces. Easy to pour in mulitple colors.

Diary of a Blimpy Girl: Pear Ala Mode

2011-06-16T20:35:00.007-04:00

In my weight loss journey, I am learning how to create yummy low fat desserts. This is one of them and I'm very proud that it was my OWN creation. I was trying to use up food that was purchased before leaving for my extended weekend vacation in Disney. I had a pear on hand and thought...hmmm....why not do a pear ala mode. Here's the recipe and I must admit it was awesome with a capital "A".

If you add a generous scoop of fat free vanilla ice cream the total cal intake will be 280. If you substitute a generous scoop of frozen vanilla (fat-free) yogurt, you're looking at 250 calories. Not bad for a scrumptious dessert.

You will need:

1 medium pear
1 teaspoon Splenda sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Fiber One cereal coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
1/8 cup white wine
3/8 cup apple juice (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon sugar free maple syrup

Cut pear in half and scoop out the center of each half to form a hollow area.

Place pear halves in a glass microwavable shallow dish. Add 1/8 cup apple juice and 1/8 cup white wine and pour in and around the pears. Mix Splenda sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkel over tops of halved pears.

Coarsely crush 1/4 cup Fiber One ceral and add 1/4 cup raisins. Place this mixture into the hollow of each pear half.

Cover dish with wax paper and cook pears in microwave for 6 minutes. Don't worry if some of the filling falls out of the pear. You can scoop it up later and place back into the pear hollow. Let cooked pears set for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a serving dish. Pour off any remaining juices from the glass cooking dish into a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup apple, brown sugar and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat until reduced to a sauce like consistency.

Drizzle sauce over pear halves and serve with a scoop of fat free ice cream. Reserve some of the pear sauce for the ice cream :))

2 servings

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Hand Carved Gem Stone Soaps

2011-06-16T20:01:00.008-04:00

Woo Hoo...look at these little gems. Hand carved from blocks of colored soap. Our Sophie Soap Chick does it again. She took an idea and ran with it! Antique copper and turquoise liquid gel colors were used for these soaps. I'll have more details next week on the "how to" part. Soaps averaged between 1.7 to 2.2 ounces.

Our silicone or Mold Market square loaf was used to pour the big block for the carved soaps. The big block was then cut into smaller blocks to carve. Make sure you save all the extra soap scraps left from carving. You can use them for other soaping projects.

Meet Sophie Soap Chick & My Assistant, Kristy

2011-06-15T09:18:00.005-04:00

Our "Sophie Soap Chick" is home from University for the summer. She is working on some soaping projects this week. Today she is pouring up some samples soaps using our latest molds from Mold Market. Excited to see what she does. The above pic is of our Sophie (left) and my assistant, Kristy (right).

Kristy fell off a golf cart this weekend and is suffering from a fractured tailbone injury. She's been off a few days and Sophie has been filling in. Kristy is back to work today, but not without pain. She has herself propped up with pillows on a nice cushie chair. We couldn't convince her to stay home.

So...we are trying to work around all this "life happens" stuff and get your orders out ASAP. Remember, I am leaving for a brief Disney trip with my grand kids Saturday-Tuesday. Things should run as usual, but any international shipments received after Friday of this week will not go out until my return.

Blimpy Girl: Eating to Lose Tip #1

2011-06-12T16:43:00.005-04:00

Tip #1:
Set a table that makes you want to linger. If you plate your food for portion control and set a pretty table, you will eat slower and take time to savor the meal. It's like eating out at a fine restaurant. Flowers can help set the eating atmosphere.

I happen to have plenty of cut flowers in my garden this time of year. The top photo displays cut peonies and hosta leaves from my garden. I always keep vases filled with marbles or pebbles. Cut the flowers, fill with water and presto. Instant arrangement. The marbles inside the vase really help to keep your flowers in place.

No garden? No fear. The second photo are artificial Gerber daisies that I keep on hand. Add some green leaves from a tree and you're good to go. There is something about flowers that add elegance to a table. There are so many fun things you can do with flower vases. How about adding goldfish? I like that!

I'll continue to post table arranging ideas via my Blimpy Girl tips. Have any ideas of your own? Would love to hear.

My Newest Passion: Cooking to Lose

2011-06-12T15:31:00.017-04:00

If you follow my business FB page, you know that I have lost 27 pounds since mid-January of this year. An awesome accomplishment for anyone. I am continually asked, "How'd ya do it." The answer is found in the Diary of a Blimpy Girl Episodes which I am currently journaling. Besides a love for all things soap, I have acquired a new love to "Cook to Lose." My Blimpy Girl Episodes will eventually become part of this blog.

Trust me, I am NOT a cook, nor have I ever enjoyed cooking. This is a whole new arena for me and I look forward to sharing my journey with you. I know my blog is mostly about soap related things (and occasional posts about family). But this is a new chapter in my blogosphere. So many struggle with weight gain and if my Blimpy Girl Diary can help... I am there for you!

The photos shown in this post are from Diary of a Blimpy Girl: Episode 20 (Chicken China Town). This is an incredibly low calorie dish that is bursting with flavors. It has a little kick for those of you craving a hint of spiciness. This is actually my improvised version of a recipe I found in the HungryGirl.com recipe book. I found that recipe to be boring with no real flavors, so I added my own touch. I liked it so much, I am sharing.

This recipe makes 5 to 6 servings (1 cup per serving) at about 200 calories with the side salad shown. I must tell you that I could barely finish the full serving. I also added a small side salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio wine. Not a wine drinker? Pour yourself a glass of sparkling water in a wine glass.... zero calories!

Here's my Chicken China Town recipe:

Packet (about 1 ounce) dry fried rice seasoning mix

1 ounce rice noodles

Pinch or two of garlic powder
Pinch or two of ground ginger
1 Tablespoon lite soy sauce

2/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (not eggs whites, but the actual egg substitute)

2 cups diced carrots and peas

2 cups cooked brown rice

6 ounces chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

3 tablespoons tamari sauce (you can also use lite soy sauce)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

6 tablespoons white wine (you can substitute sherry if you don't have white wine)

2 teaspoons Splenda sugar substitute

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup fat free pork broth

2 teaspoons corn starch

1/2 to 1 yellow bell pepper cut into bite size chunks (you can substitute 1 cup bean sprouts or mushrooms)

1 scallion chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Scramble egg substitute in fry pan with non-fat spray oil and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside. Using same fry pan (lightly coated with non-stick spray oil) warm the peas & carrots. Remove from skillet and set aside in same dish as your egg bites.

Weigh the rice noodles to equal 1 ounce. Place noodles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain water and chop noodles into 1-inch lengths. Set aside with veggie/egg bites.

Respray skillet and cook chicken bites until slightly crispy brown. Add brown rice and seasoning mixture and stir. Add veggies, rice noodles and egg bites thoroughly mixing into the rice mixture. OK, now time to prepare the yummy sauce...

Sauce

Combine white wine, rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, tamari sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Stir well and pour over the skillet mixture. Allow this to cook for several minutes over medium heat. While cooking, add cornstarch to the pork broth. Whisk until blended. Pour broth over the skillet mixture and cook until thickened. Season with salt/pepper. Add diced scallions to each portion served.

That's it! Plate it up and enjoy.

Corrugated Paper Soap Dishes...Gonna Give it A Try

2011-06-06T16:43:00.007-04:00

I am always looking for ways to reuse things. Not sure how this will all pan out, but, I have a plan for using this corrugated wrap from some dinnerware that arrived today. I'm thinking about soap dishes for the smaller squares and bowl shapes. For the larger squares (at the bottom of the stack) I want to help my grand kids make charger plates. Here is the concept....

I ordered some mod podge which won't be here until next week :((, but once it arrives I want to paint the corrugated wrap in fun colors. Once dried, I plan to spray with an acrylic fixative to seal the paint. Once sealed, I'll do a couple layers of mod podge. It will somewaht primitive looking, but that's OK by me. I am sooooo open to suggestions and ideas before I give this project a try. Please share.

I am also thinking that these bowl type wraps would make wonderful pots for the grand kids to plant flower seeds. Once the mod podge is dried, I could drill a hole in the bottom of the bowl shape (for water drainage). A little dirt....a few seeds... and new life is birthed. I'll have to get back to you on this idea as I wait for the delivery of the mod podge AND I have a very busy couple of weeks. Heading to Florida for an extended weekend with the grand kids at Disney (weekend of June 18) and this weekend hosting a wedding appetizer party for my nephew.

In the meantime, if you have any ideas about this forthcoming project, I would love to hear from you.

Hello, Mother Nature: Tornado Brings Power Outage

2011-06-02T10:48:00.006-04:00

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms blew through our area over the holiday weekend. We lost power/phone lines/cable. Power was finally restored on Wednesday. Sooooo... if you wonder why orders are delayed, guess what? Mother Nature was in charge of the shipping schedule.

We are back to normal but still catching up due to the power outage and holiday weekend. Please be patient, we are REALLY trying to get orders out timely.

Holiday Closure

2011-05-26T09:12:00.004-04:00

We will be closed Friday, May 27 through Monday, May 31 in observance of Memorial Day. You may continue to place online orders during this closure. They will be processed by time and date received when we return on Tuesday. Enjoy this long weekend and remember to honor and give thanks for those that have served our country.

2011-05-25T10:32:00.003-04:00

It's my monthly Bunco Wednesday; the one night a month I get to hang with girlfriends & roll dice. It's a Bunco Bogo day for you. Purchase up to 3 Mold Market molds & we'll include a free mold of our selection for each Mold Market mold purchased. Remember, limit is 3. We promise to pick some real winning molds. Key BUNCOBOGO in the comment section at checkout to get your bogo deal! Offer ends today at 11:59 PM ET.

Why We Make Soap...

2011-05-24T09:12:00.003-04:00

My youngest grandson after a nose dive in the sandbox. He could be the soaping poster child. With those curly locks and blue eyes, he could charm anyone into making soap. Needless to say, my daughter wasn't so happy about all the sand on her floors. My buddy decided that the best place to wipe off the sand was once he walked INTO the house :))) That's a boy for yah!

What do you think about that spider tattoo he's got going on mid-chest area?

Why I Love the USA Soap Mold GiveAway

2011-05-10T00:01:00.009-04:00

And the winners are.....

Christina from TN and Jean from IA. Congratulations. My staff read every entry and, believe me, it was hard to pick. For that reason, I am sending every person who entered this giveaway an "appreciation gift". As for the winners, your molds and soaping apron are in the mail.

Here is what Jean had to say about the USA:

I love living in the USA because we have the chance to follow our dreams. Our country gives us a chance to pursue our dreams by providing educational opportunities for all, and the freedom to choose what path we wish to take. Here is how our family members have taken different paths to follow our dreams. My husband and two daughters are all graduating from college on the same day (Michelle Obama is scheduled to be the keynote speaker). One will get a doctorate, one a masters, and one a bachelors degree. Thankfully, all are gainfully employed : ) in the fields of their choosing. Meanwhile, our son is a member of the US Army. He chose that path as his way to a career and an education unlike any other. As he entered basic training, he commented that it's ironic that in order to defend freedom, he has to give his up. It amazes me that we have so many wonderful men and women who are committed to sacrificing their own comfort so they can defend the freedom that we enjoy. That is another reason I love living in the USA. Because of the freedoms we enjoy because of freedom defenders who gave up their freedom (and in many cases, their lives) in order to defend mine, I had the chance to attain my masters degree (I have no interest in pursuing a doctorate) and enjoy teaching online. Oh, and I also used my education and my freedom to pursue my dreams as I started my own small soap making business.

Thanks for the chance to tell what I love about living in the USA! God bless you, and God bless the USA.

And, this was Christina's entry:

I love living in the USA because of the freedom we are still allotted here. Freedom of religion is a great and cherished freedom that should never be taken for granted. Many Christians around the world are tortured and put to death for a freedom and privilege we in America take for granted every week. We are not punished, houses are not broken into, and we are not hauled to prison for praying or having a Bible in our house or car. So many times in other countries around the world people are dragged out of their houses or cars and either sent to a fate worse than death being a prison of such horrific conditions that they suffer with diseases for years prior to dying and are tortured daily for the "Crime" of having a Bible in their possession.

We also have a wonderful freedom called Freedom of Speech. We are allowed to say what we want when we want although some people do take that privilege to extreme but most of us use it wisely yet we take it for granted.

America is blessed with many privileges and freedoms we simply take for granted as The Constitution protects us and guarantees us these freedoms and privileges. Many people in countries that are not allotted these freedoms risk their lives time and time again to try to grant their families a taste of this freedom we take for granted everyday.

Thank you for our freedom and the privilege of living in the USA!!

Best Mother's Day Gift Ever!

2011-05-09T08:25:00.010-04:00

I enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day with my Mom, husband and daughter's family. My honey-man grilled out steaks and roasted veggies and I made an awesome low-cal/low fat "Fudge Brownie Blitz" for dessert. The weather was sunny & beautiful so we were able to eat lunch on the deck.

I am pictured here with a prized possession gifted to me by my daughter. When my Daddy passed away in September 2008, my daughter took only two keepsakes. 1) An undershirt (because she slept in one of grandpa's undershirts when she stayed the night as a young child) and, 2) all of grandpa's ties. Trust me, my Daddy had many as he dressed in suits every Sunday for church (he was a minister/pastor). The lap quilt pictured contains snippets of my Daddy's ties. My daughter also had quilts made for my Mom and herself. My grand kids each received a mini blanket as a keepsake. Quite honestly, this was the best Mother's Day gift I have ever received.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day as well. It's a busy day with lots of catching up to do from this hectic weekend. Sophie Soap Chick is now home from University and should be dropping in on occasion to work on some new soaping projects. I have some great ideas for her.... but, can't tell :)

I'll be posting the winners of the "Why I Love the USA" MOLD GIVEAWAY from last week. My staff picked two top winners.