My Assistant is a New Mommy!

My wonderful (and very pregnant) assistant, Jenni, helped me cut and wrap soap for the holidays on Friday. It was her last work day before her anticipated delivery. I received news today she delivered and both mommy and baby are doing well.

Jenni will be off work for the next month. My former assistant, Kaylee (who is currently in nursing school) is filling in for Jenni while she's off for Christmas break. A BIG THANKS to Kaylee.

Please have extra patience while Jenni is on maternity leave. She's my right hand gal and generally the person you communicate with when emailing or phoning the office.

Congrats to Jenni and Jay on the birth of Baby Lance! Lance will be hanging out with us at work in the near future while Jenni gets acclimated to her new motherhood schedule.

It's a Good Day When....

 ... gifted with a big cup of caramel flavored coffee from Biggby's. Thank you Gabby and Nichelle, a perfect drink to enjoy on this beautiful Fall morning. And yes, the 275 calories on the cup holder did not go unnoticed.

Melt & Pour: Summer Soap Camp

Every summer I have a few workers graduating from college. It's both joyful and sad as they move forward in their career path. We are like a family at GoPlanet, so when someone leaves us, there are tears. As we wipe the tears, we welcome our new replacement workers into the fold.

Part of their initiation rite is learning to make soap. We call it our Summer Soap Camp. I'm a firm believer employees must be equipped with knowledge to provide great service. Summer Soap Camp helps acquaint new workers with the business they represent.

Day One: Basic soap making techniques are demonstrated. This includes how to melt, color and scent melt and pour soap. Opacity is discussed and how it affects color outcome.

Day Two & Three: Three easy dual pour projects using Mold Market's Soft Serve Ice Cream mold (#239), Funky Flower (#267) mold and Button mold (#265). Pouring dual colors, monitoring pouring temps, demonstration on injector soap tool and importance of using rubbing alcohol to promote adhesion.

Day Four: More complex use of the injector tool for beginning soap makers. This included pouring a grape cluster soap. An introduction to pouring loaf soaps with embeds was also on the agenda.

Our GoPlanetEarth newbies had no problem grasping the techniques presented at each session. Everyone showed great enthusiasm and caught on easily to multiple color pours. At the end of day four, they were hooked on soaping.

Day Five: This was the final session allowed everyone to "create your own" soap. Two soaps that stood out were the granola bars and embedded loaf. These were rather advanced soaping projects for beginners, but the outcome was awesome.

Gabby's loaf mold was a partial success. It was a learning curve in the importance of pouring layers at the right temperature to ensure the each layer adheres. When the loaf was released from the mold and sliced, several slices separated.

I was impressed that she carefully monitored her pouring temps and none of the embeds had a melt-down. That alone is quite an accomplishment.

Chelsea's granola bars were quite impressive. I will be posting a future tutorial on how to make these yummy smelling bars.

It's been a fun week training staff. The excitment displayed when the finished soap is released from the mold reminds me why I love this business.

Melt & Pour Soap Molds: The Moose Hunt is On

Father's Day is rapidly approaching. Consider these Mold Market Moose molds for the hunter in your life. My personal assistant, Kristy, is leaving GoPlanet after four years of service. She is heading to the Northern part of Michigan where hunting is a BIG event. Kristy poured these soaps in tribute to her departure.

Thank you Kristy for all you have done to make GoPlanet a successful online soaping company. You have always remained committed to providing outstanding customer service.

How fortunate to have such wonderful staff through the years. They continue to embrace friendships even after parting ways as they move into long-term career paths.

Customer Service that "Meows"

We get some pretty unusual customer requests at time. However, this one wins the prize. My staff was cracking up as they were preparing to process the order. In the comment section was a note that read, "Please draw a cat on the outside of box." I personally would have ignored the request, but one of our packers wanted to have fun with it.

This is the cat she drew on the box after packing the order. Now don't go thinking you can request animal artwork when placing an order. Our UPS driver, Jeff, would think we had all gone mad if amateur drawings of elephants, cows, pigs, dogs or goats began appearing on the outside of boxes.

It did give us all a chuckle for the day. So, accolades to the customer making this odd request. I'm certain there was some logic behind the madness. Whatever, the madness, it made us smile.

Packaging Soaps in a Book Purse

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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.

Princess Packers

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.

Empty Pallets, Empty Cartons: Thanks Missy!

This has been a very busy stock week. Pallets of soap base and cartons of soap molds along with other misc shipments. Missy is in charge of incoming stock and she worked hard to get everything put on the shelves. The overflow of stock had to go to our second warehouse which meant having to use a dolly cart in pouring rain to move the stock. Our overflow warehouse is just a stones throw from our main place, but wouldn't you know this entire week would be rainy weather. Missy was a trooper and did what she had to do. Thanks, Missy for all your hard work.

Our new GPE soap bases arrived and are ready to ship. We now stock Mango Butter, Hemp, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Goat's Milk, Shea Butter, Clear and White bases in 2-pound scored blocks. We are also having a couple of new formulations done for us... I'll keep you posted on those at a later date.

Meet Missy.... she wouldn't let me take a picture of her face. She said she was too sweaty and it wouldn't be a complimentary photo. So instead, meet Missy's foot. The foot that bears the tattoo that I sooooo didn't want her to get. It reads "FAITH". I know, I know...I'm not a tattoo person. You will note that she didn't listen to her boss and got it anyway. Missy has been with GoPlanet for 7 years now. She is finishing up her teaching degree this year and will be student teaching in the Fall. I'm going to miss her when she leaves. I fully expect Missy's future children to work for me. She's like family at this point. Just wanted you to meet one of the great workers we have here at GPE. BTW, Missy is adorable with beautiful red hair, lots of freckles and an infectious smile and laugh. I call her my "3rd" daughter!

Bubble Wrap! Oh, What Fun...

It was a long, hectic, crazy week for all of us. On Friday afternoon we got a bit goofy. We had a delivery that included an incredible amount of "large" bubble wrap. By "large", I mean the bubbles on the wrap were BIG. We usually recycle the wrap... not today. It was an all out Bubble Wrap War to see who could pop the fastest and get the loudest bubble snaps. Yes, I am ashamed to say, this is what we were doing while packing your orders on Friday...BUT, we were still VERY attentive to processing your orders.

Kristy and Chelsea had a great time stomping on and finger crunching the wrap. It sounded like little firecrackers going off. Friday work days should have a "little" fun thrown into the mix, don't ya think?

Beyond Soap Making: Happy Birthday to Me!

It's been a whirlwind day. Between responding to the many wonderful birthday texts, FB posts, emails and deliveries.... I am ending my birthday with a big AHHH! It's so nice to be remembered. Pictured in this post is the cake and beautiful bouquet from my morning workers (Kristy, Chelsea, and Missy.... thank you!!!!!!!!)

My grandkids sent another lovely floral arrangement and many cards came by mail. It's been a crazy, busy day filled with so many grand surprises.

Hello Vacation!!!! A Recess from the Soaping World

Hello Vacation!!! Yes, yes, yes, I am so ready for some down time. As a business owner, it's important to step away from the business and regroup. That's what I will be doing next week. On Saturday morning, I'm leaving for a week at the lake house in Traverse City, Michigan. My grandkids will be there and it's a welcomed annual event. We fish, build sand castles, take boat rides, read books, and just hang out.

I have able staff that will be fulfilling orders. HOWEVER, and I emphasis the however, I will only be available on a limited basis to respond to emails and questions. Kristy, is my main girl, and she will respond to any order concerns. Please be patient this next week as we process orders as quickly as possible.

More Sophie Soaps: Colorful Retro Deco Bar

Our girl Sophie has done it again. She's taken Mold Market's Retro Deco Bar and created a colorful bar of soap using our Flower Child colors. There's a bit of shimmer in every bar since the Flower Child colors contain a hint of mica.

Sophie says it's easy to do. Here's how:

1. Melt clear soap in several microwaveable containers. How much soap you melt will depend on how many bars you plan to make. The Mold Market Retro Deco Bar has 3 cavities per sheet, so you can make three 4 ounce bars.
2. Next add color. In this project the Flower child colors were used, but you can use any of GoPlanetEarth's colorants.
3. Scent is optional. You can add fragrance before or after you add the color, it really doesn't matter. We suggest adding 2-3 teaspoons of fragrance per pound of soap base. You can keep it simple by first melting one pound of soap, add the fragrance, and then divide the melted soap into several pourable (micorwaveable) containers. You can then incorporate different colors into each container.
4. To get the graduated colors, Sophie tilted the mold each time she poured and let each color set up until a thick skin formed on the surface of the soap. She then liberally sprayed that layer with rubbing alcohol, tilted the mold in a different direction and poured the next color.
5. Continue pouring and tilting the mold until you top off the mold cavity.

It's that simple! We would love to see what colorful soaps you create using this mold. If you submit your finished soap pics, we'll post on our blog.

The Oops of Soap Making: Sophie's Learning Curve

In my last couple of posts, I've mentioned my college employee, Sophie. She's been learning soaping basics while working at GoPlanet this summer. It's been a learning curve for her and, thankfully, she's allowed me to show you some of her "Ooops!" This is one of them. Sophie's goal was to pour a series of 4th of July soaps using various molds. This particular soap (the Mold Market Polka Dot mold) got her quite excited. She couldn't wait to fill each dot to make a multi-colored red, white and blue soap.

As you can see, there was a slight problem when the soap was released from the mold. Some of the dots stayed in the mold. Those stubborn little dots, how dare they defy Sophie! Here's my two-cents worth on what happened (OK, with inflation, it's a nickel's worth).

1. This has nothing to do with the mold, it's all about you. And probably one of those times when you wished it wasn't all about you.
   
2. The dots were perfect but Sophie allowed them to set up too long before pouring the red background.
   
3. It's likely that she did not throughly dispersed the rubbing alcohol on the surface of the dots prior to pouring the red color pour. This is critical when pouring soap in layers. That isopropyl alcohol really does help that second pour to adhere to the first. If you miss areas when spraying, the first soap pour may not grab onto the second pour.
   
4. When releasing the soap from the mold, allow air to get between the mold and the poured soap. If you don't, it's not uncommon to have layers that stick to the face of the mold (like the dots that were stuck in the mold).

I've been in this business for many years and know that there are those who claim rubbing alcohol is not needed when pouring soap in layers. I say, PISH-POSH!! Not only does it help when pouring layers, it also eliminates any air bubbles on the surface of the soap.

Having fun is one way to relieve stress and make us more productive. The problem is, we don't do enough of that fun stuff once we become big people. There is a reason why schools have recess periods (besides giving the teachers a break!). Research shows that kids who participate in a brief recess, perform better. So why don't we big people take note? That's a good question.

Keeping our employees happy and healthy should be part of the overall spectrum of the work day. Allowing employees to get out of the office for a brief 10 minute recess a few times during the day may just prove to boost productivity. How about an outdoor water balloon toss, a game of crochet or bocce ball, playing a game of Apples to Apples, hop-scotch, or even an egg tossing contest.

My husband has always said, "Happy Wife, Happy Life". The same is true for a business owner and his or her employees. Happy workers translates into

• fewer errors
• better attitudes
• employee longevity
• willingness to go that extra mile
• more resilient to stress
• fewer sick and call-off days

GoPlanetEarth is dedicated to providing recess time to our employees. In the end, it works in the favor of our customers. Do you have a recess plan in place for your business?

Arriving to Work on a Snowmobile?

With the winter storm blast we received late last night and early morning it left few options for getting to work on time (if at all!). Some employees opted to arrive by snowmobile.

Please be patient with us as we process orders and unbury ourselves from this latest Winter blast. We have limited staff due to peak snowfall and everyone is working double duty. This puts us a day behind. We're doing our best to work around Mother Nature; ultimately, she's in charge.

Happy Holidays from the GoPlanetEarth Staff

Every year my company hosts a Christmas holiday dinner for employees. In the past, the dinner has been at a restaurant. This year, my husband elected to cook dinner for all of us and Chef Carson (pictured front) was his assistance. Carson welcomed each guest, took coats, handed out holiday slippers for everyone to wear, and was in charge of Bingo Bucks. Bingo bucks is something I occasionally do at staff luncheons. Everyone gets two bingo cards and there are two winners per round. The prizes include gift cards and cash and it has proven to be a big hit. It's just one of the ways that GoPlanet tries to show appreciation to our dedicated workers.

Chef Carson

Chef Chris

Christmas is only a few weeks away. We've all been working like crazy to process orders and ship everything timely. In the midst of all this chaos, I didn't want to forget to wish each of our customers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. May this season bring you joy and many wonderful moments with family and friends.

Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes Ship Today

Today, we started shipping Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes to Samaritan's Purse. There are no words to thank the many customers who generously donated $$'s for this worthwhile Christmas project. Each shoe box is filled with toiletry items, small toys, school supplies and other personal items and shipped to needy children around the globe.

We will continue to collect donations via our shopping cart until December 15. Any additional monies received will be sent in the form of a monetary donation to help under-privileged countries purchase basic medical supplies.

Missy, one of our long-time employees wore her "Pay it Forward" bracelet today as she packed the boxes. My staff jumped in 100% to support this project and are excited to track the boxes to find out their final destination.

The Bins are Stacked, We're Ready to Rock!

My staff is ready to rock. This is just one rack of packing bins ready for order fulfillment. Nothing makes us happier than using every available packing bin to fulfill daily orders! As we move into the holiday season, the employees of GoPlanet are working extended hours to ensure orders ship timely. Please allow a minimum of 2 days for order processing during this busy season.

Meet our Staff

MEET OUR STAFF

(L) to (R): Marissa, Chelsey, Kaylee, Denise, Kristen, Chelsea and Jen. Missing from photo is Jamie (our customer service advocate), Chris (our marketing guy), and Brie (packaging clerk).

We all had a great time at a local Mexican restaurant. It was our farewell dinner with Kaylee who is leaving us after nearly 5 years of service.

A Sad Farewell to Kaylee

Tonight we are hosting a farewell dinner for Kaylee. She has worked for me since she was a Junior in high school and this is a bitter-sweet parting. She is now in her senior year of college working toward a Respiratory Therapy and Nursing degree. Her upcoming classes have become so demanding that she will have little time for anything apart from her studies.

Losing Kaylee imparts many of the feelings associated with "empty-nest" syndrome. She is like a daughter to me and her loyalty to the company is something I wish my newer employees would embrace. I will miss K's beautiful blue eyes, her laughter, and the security of knowing that when I was away she could hold down the fort. It was such a relief to return from a trip knowing she had taken care of business.

Even though Kaylee is leaving us, she has agreed to fill in from time to time and help train our newest employee. I wish Kaylee the best in life. This gal is paying her own way through college while dealing with some very difficult family circumstances. I have every confidence she will rise above all the obstacles that life has thrown her way and will soon realize all her educational dreams.

Good luck, K. We love you!

The Gang at GoPlanetEarth.com