Poll Results ~ Favorite Melt & Pour Colorants

And the winner for favorite Melt & Pour soap colorant is...
Bright, primary type colors in liquid gel form. These have always been a TOP seller for GoPlanetEarth.

Tied for second was Shimmery Mica colors {jewel tones or metallic types} and Food Grade Dyes. Followed by powder pigments (earthy color types) which tied with earthy color liquid gels.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Everyone's aware of the ecomonic woes facing our country. And, no one knows better than the suburban communities where I live. Forbes magazine just announced the Top Ten Worst Cities. My surburban community happens to be positioned midway between #6 (Flint, MI~pictured above) and #7 (Detroit, MI~pictured below).

The economic conditions and recent press on these two cities is so bad that when my husband and I travel and are asked, Where do you live?, we reply, "The North Pole." I'm not joking! I am saddened that these once thriving cities are on national display for government corruption & scandals, auto plant shutdowns, lay-offs, homelessness, foreclosures, and the list goes on.


I may not live in these cities, but I have friends and family that do. And, many of our surburbia neighbors commute to these cities for work, or at least they did before being laid off or let go from their jobs. From six-figure design engineers to hourly line workers, everyone is facing hardship.


Why do I share this news with you? To thank each and every one of my loyal customer for your continued business. I know that many of you are facing financial uncertainies and economic hardships. I want you to know that I value your business and appreciate that you have selected GoPlanetEarth.com as a supplier. We truly want to see your soaping business and soaping projects succeed.


In 2009, GoPlanetEarth will be showcasing many new resources to help you grow your business. Including FREE instructionals, tutorials, and special preferred customer discounts. If you haven't already signed up for our newsletter, you should. This will ensure you recieve notification of special discount offers. You can do this from the main page of our web site.

Here is a special Blog 8% discount valid through 2/15/2009 when placing an order with GoPlanetEarth.com. You must enter the following code during checkout to receive the discount:


BLOG210

Possible Retraction on Bath Soap Crayons??

Earlier today I posted about my soap crayon testing. However, the real testers were here this evening. That would be my grandkids. They immediately spotted a round blue ball in the bathroom. Yep, you guessed, it was one of the soap flake test crayons.

There are no word to describe how excited they were to try it out. They thought it was (and I'm quoting here) the coolest, most awesome soap ever! Since I used the term "bath crayon", they had a hard time understanding that they weren't suppose to be coloring the mirror, the toilet seat, the glass shower doors and walls. In their mind, a bath crayon was for coloring EVERYTHING in the bathroom. It took NeeNee about 2 seconds (nah... more like a 1/4 second) to make it VERY clear this was a crayon for the bath tub. Nixnay on the glass shower doors.

The kids did some coloring on the sink to see how the soap crayon worked. They left my house toting their little soap ball crayons home in plastic baggies for tonight's bath.

I must say that letting the soap crayons set for 3 days instead of 2 made a difference in the firmness of the crayon. I'll still do a 2nd test batch that includes other colors and hotter water. But for now, it was a hit with the 3-6 year old age group. I may have to issue a retraction on some of my initial test opinions.

Tutorial on Making Soap Crayons

I continually see recipes and rave reviews about homemade bath crayons made from soap flakes. What I never note are photos from these individuals who boast or post about the success of these soap crayon recipes. For that reason, I decided to give it a try. This tutorial logs findings based on my intial test.

A follow-up test with modifications is in the works. In the meantime, I believe this tutorial will give you a good idea of what to expect when making soap crayons from soap flakes.

If you have any follow-up comments, email or post on the blog. We have some way-cool soap crayon molds arriving soon and it would be great to have a perfected soap crayon recipe for use with the crayon mold.

A $100 cash-prize is in the works for that one special person providing a proven (GoPlanetEarth staff approved) soap crayon recipe that we can share with our customers. Look for an entry form to be posted soon.

Requirements:

a) crayons must visibly write on porcelain tubs/tiles

b) crayons must be soap based and lather when used as soap

c) contain colors that won't stain skin or tub

d) contain skin safe colors/ingredients

e) sample soaps must be submitted with recipe

This Week's Soap Making Poll ~ Soap Colors

Poll Results ~ Favorite Soap Making Scent

The results are in and Fruity Type soap making fragrances was the favorite. I love fruit scents but was still surprised with the results. I was expecting either Spa or Asian Type fragrances to be the leaders. The OTHER category included Citrus, Candy, Ocean, and Baked Good types. Thanks to all who participated in the poll.

It's Nice to be Appreciated!!

My son-in-law, Matthew, is a construction contractor and has been diligently seeking work in the Michigan area. Times are tough here in Michigan and construction/building is slow. This past week Matthew had a number of custom bid jobs. I helped him learn about zip files and several other speciality software programs to assist with those bids.

What a guy! In appreciation, he had this beautiful floral bouquet delivered. Everyone should have a son-in-law this special. So glad he's married to my daughter!!

How Fun, A Soap Crayon Mold

Mold Market's soap crayon mold is due to arrive February 14. These giant bath crayons are sure to delight any child under 3 feet tall. There are 5 crayon cavities per mold sheet. Each crayon measures 5 1/2 inches long x 1/2 inch wide x 3/4 inch deep.

Make Classy Deco Button Guest Soaps

Another classic design from the Mold Market people. This Deco Button mold is a perfect guest size at 2 ounces. Can't wait for it's February 14 arrival. Be checking the GoPlanetEarth website for updates on our newest mold arrivals.

New Ollie Octopus Mold from Mold Market

I'm absolutely luvin' this little sea creature! Mold Market releases their "Ollie Octopus" mold on February 14 and GoPlanetEarth will have it in stock and ready to ship.

Mold Market is a premium brand of plastic molds specifically designed for soap making. They offer over 200 mold designs and GoPlanet stocks them all. You can view the full collection of Mold Market molds here.

MP Valentine Soaps Good Enough to Eat

I was finally able to work on Valentine's Day soaps for gift-giving. Here's a sneek-peek of our "good enough to eat" melt and pour soaps. Look for a full tutorial within the next day. My very special helper, Carson, was Johnny-on-the-spot in lending a helping hand. He helped with drizzling soap onto the hearts. He had a few "big globs" here and there, but for the most part did a great job. Gotta love those grandkids; I'm thinking FREE labor!

This Week's Soap Making Poll

Cast your vote. Which of these fragrance group types do you like best. We've listed a couple of examples to indicate the types of fragrances you would find in each group. Goplanet offers a large selection of soap making and candle fragrances. Have a favorite you don't see on our web site? Let us know, we keep a customer wish list!

Last Week's Poll Results are in... Favorite MP Soap Base is...

This results of this week's poll question have been tallied.

POLL QUESTION:

"Which Melt & Pour base do you craft with the most?"

As you can see, clear soap base was the winner by a landslide.

MP Soap Tutorial Using Mold Market Cupcake Mold

Mold Market's cup cake mold is one of GoPlanet's top selling molds. Each sheet has 2 cupcake bases and 2 toppers. Our most recent soap making tutorial shows the basics on how to make these adorable melt and pour cupcake soaps. You can get way more creative than we did by adding glitter, layering soap colors, adding soap frosting, or even colorful sprinkles. NOTE: If you want to add sprinkles, but a layer of food grade sprinkles in the cupcake topper, then pour your soap over the sprinkles. You'll want to pour at a relatively cool temp to keep the sprinkles from melting.

A quick and easy project to do with kids and a great Valentine's Day classroom project. Have kids wrap finished soap in a sheet of cellophane and tie with ribbon. Make tags that read, "You're a cupcake of a Valentine." Just be sure to label it as soap so no one takes a bite out of it!

In the below tutorial, you'll learn how to attach the base and topper.

 

New Mold to Support Asperger/Autism Syndrome

In late February 2009, Mold Market will release a puzzle piece soap mold named Mattie Mo. Not only is this a fun mold for adults & kids alike, it also supports those with Autistic and Asperger Syndrome.

In 2003 my nephew was diagnosed was Asperger Syndrome. He's an incredibly gifted child, but exhibits deficiencies in the social skills expected for his normal age group. Asperger children display autistic-like behaviors that can range from mild to severe. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest, but can show exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. This is the case with my little nephew... he shows exceptional talent beyond his years. Thanks to the wonderful support of family, he was able to start Kindergarten classes within the mainstream school system. The program he attends makes modifications and adaptations to his special needs which enables our little Mattie to find balance in daily living activities. I am blown away by his abilities and skills. He truly wins your heart.

When you purchase a Mattie Mo Puzzle Piece Mold, Mold Market will donate 10% of the retail mold price shown (on your receipt) to Autism Speaks.


I hope you will join GoPlanetEarth and Mold Market in supporting this important organization throughout 2009.

Update to Mold Market Sheep Mold Post

After posting info about Mold Market's new sheep mold (due for release in late February), I received an email from a hotel in Ecuador. Andres, the owner of Black Sheep Inn, was interested in this mold to promote their hotel in the high Andes. What an incredible place!! I am committed to visiting this hotel within the next year. Awesome views, great prices, and on top of all that... they are an eco-certifed hotel with recognition for Best Green Ecological & Community Practices.



Perched on a hillside just outside of the rural village of Chugchilán, their guesthouse, hotel offers all the comforts of home while exploring the real Andes of Ecuador. Day hikes, open air markets, local artisans, and awesome views. A gourmet vegetarian DINNER, farm fresh BREAKFAST, and packed LUNCH; also free tea & coffee all day long, purified drinking water, hiking maps & hot showers. I am sooooo ready!!

Kristy ~ Thanks for the Cupcakes!

Yesterday Kristy, one of our morning college students, surprised us all with some delish cupcakes. Each was decorated a little differently and it was evident she had spent time making them look yummy. Kristy has been with the company for 2 years. She works in the mornings and attends university classes in the afternoon. She's a sweetheart and diligent about her duties at GoPlanetEarth. Regretfully, she may be moving out of state this summer to attend another university in the Fall. In the meantime Kristy, can we expect St. Paddy Day cupcakes? I sure hope so!

Mold Market to Release Baa Baa Sheep Soap Mold

Mold Market, one of the top mold companies worldwide, plans to release the Baa Baa Sheep design in late February. This lil' guy is cuter than the dickens and sure to win the hearts of kids and adults alike. Eight new mold designs are slated for release by Mold Market within the next month. We'll keep you posted.

Take our Weekly Poll, Give Us Your Opinions

Each week we will be posting a customer poll to get customer opinions and feedback. I hope you will take part in these polls as your input helps us make choices about product, instructionals, and service. Each weekly poll will be posted on the main page of the GoPlanetEarth.com web site (top left). I will also be posting the poll on my blog. This week's poll is below.

New Spa Fragrance Oil Added

Love it, love it, love it is all I can say about this newst addition to our fragrance line up. It's sure to be one of our all-time favorites (at least in my opinion). Cilantro-Wasabi-Guava is a perfect uni-sex blend with hints of citrus, fern and cucumber. It is currently featured as one of our web specials. The consensus of our staff is a Big Bravo!! We'd like your opinion.

The Best Ever Sausage Dip

Last night was Bunco night and there were appetizers galore. Occasionally, there's an appetizer everyone rants and raves over and it's usually one of the easiest to make. This was the case with Mo's Sausuage Dip. It was a hit!

I'm certain that we've all sampled a version of this same dip at some time or another. Perhaps, we Bunco girls were just particularly hungry last night. But, for whatever reason, we pounced on this dip like a racoon on garbage. I believe we would have licked the dish if we thought no one was looking.

Anyway, my good friend, Mo (short for Maureen) emailed this recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we Bunco Girls did.

Recipe:

5 green onions chopped
1 lb. roll of Bob Evans Zesty Hot Sausage
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 up parmesan cheese
2 oz jar chopped pimento (drained)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat, drain. Add everything but 1 onion. Put in 1 quart baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes, uncovered. Garnish with other green onion.

Hey...this is also great as a baked potato topping. DELISH!!

Too Cool! Frogs That Go Fizz in the Tub

Now this takes bath bomb fizzies to the next level. How cute is this? Found these on Etsy at Howard's Home Shop. It's a melt and pour glycerin frog soap with a bath fizzy inside. When warm water reaches the middle, pink guts ooze out from the froggie. My grandkids would go nuts over these soaps. Hmmmm.... maybe this is a project for the Spring "Girls Night Out" (GNO) soap night.

I'm guessing some kind of silicone mold was used for the frog and that a miniature bath bomb ball was tucked inside (between soap pours). I can envision how it might have been done, but I'm not so sure how you keep the bath bomb from fizzing when soap is poured over it. If you've ever made a bath bomb, you know, it doesn't take much to set off the fizzing process. Once it starts, the bath bomb takes on a mind of its own! I'll have to try pouring soap over our bath bomb mixture to see what happens.

What do you think? How does Howard's Home make these little guys?

Plop-Plop, Fizz-Fizz Bath Bomb Fizzie How-To

Soooo.... what's a bath bomb? That's what my husband wanted to know when I told him I was doing an instructional video on how to make a bath bomb. He was clueless as many of you may be as well.

The best way to describe this fizzing bath joy is to think of Plop-Plop, Fizz-Fizz anti-acid. Yes, really!! Drop this little guy into your bath and that's what you get. It's a giant, frothing, fragrant, fizzing bath pill that you plop into your bath tub. It foams and fizzes like crazy. Fun, fun, fun!

Check out our how-to instructional and see for yourself how this bath aid packs a punch and takes your bath to a new level. Kids love it! GoPlanetEarth has printable instructions here.

View the pictorial How-To video below. Many of the supplies for this project can be purchased at your local grocery store or pharmacy. The rest can be ordered online from GoPlanetEarth.com.

Office Floor Completed

It took our carpenter, Matt, a full day to lay the office wood floor. I was amazed at how he was able to work around a workstation that we insisted must be up and running. He managed wonderfully and we were able to do some basic work from our main terminal.

The floor is down but there's still plenty to do. Trim must be cut and painted, not to mention the custom built storage units. I'm hoping everything can be completed :). It will be a long day for Matt.

Office Renovation

The main office is undergoing some major renovations on Thursday and Friday of this week. As you can see, this is all that is left of the office furniture in the main office. It's definitely chaotic and we have limited access to main office equipment and supplies. We will be working from our remote work stations for the next couple of days which limits what we can do. Please be patient as we go through these growing pains.

We are installing wood flooring in the main office. There's just too much mud and snow from the warehouse area to the office and wood floors will be easier to care for than carpet. We are also having built in storage units constructed.

As you can see, we have office items everywhere which makes it a bit difficult to find things. We should have everything back to normal by Monday morning and be WAY MORE organized to better serve you.

Interview with GoPlanetEarth's Pin-up Soap Girl

Meet GoPlanetEarth's Soap Making Pin-Up girl for 2009. Miss O has natural curly blonde hair, striking blue eyes and a sassy personality!

Miss O shared the following up-close & personal interview:

Q: What's your favorite saying?

A: "Oh, man!" I say that when I can't have my way. I can really milk it and win hearts. I may be a toddler, but I know how to get my way.

Q: Who do you love the most?

A: I'd be in serious trouble if I didn't say my "NeeNee" and "Poppy". My NeeNee is the boss at GoPlanetEarth (and at home, but don't tell her I said that!). She always finds time to play with me. We had a tickle fight the other night. It was a contest to see who could tickle the fastest. Of course, I won. My NeeNee is much OLDER and slower than me.

Q: That's a pretty snazzy two-piece swimsuit. Where did you find it?

A: My NeeNee bought it at Target. That's her favorite store. She also loves WalMart. My mommy laughs at NeeNee because she sometimes calls it "Wal-Marts". Mommy reminds NeeNee that there is no "s" at the end of Wal-Mart. NeeNee pretends she doesn't hear.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: Let me see....last week I went to my first gymnastics class. Everyone had more experience than me. The kids did somersaults on the mat, then raised their hands and said, "Tah, Tah!!". I didn't know how to do a somersault, so I ran down the mat, fell to the ground on my belly, stood up, and said, "Tah, Tah!!". Must have worked because everyone clapped as I exited the mat.

Q: Do you have any brothers or sisters?

A: Yep! Two brothers, Carson and Fischer. I'm the big sister to Fischer. I like bossing him around, smothering him in kisses, and keeping my mom in a state of panic while I'm anywhere near him. He's 6 months old.

Q: What's your favorite movie?

A: Monster, Inc and UnderDog. Santa brought me Boo and Scully for Christmas this year. I've watched Monster, Inc at least 500 times at my NeeNee's house. I know she's sick and tired of the movie, but she still watches it with me. I've even memorized the lines from the movie. My NeeNee says that is not good. What do you think?

Q: Have you used any of the soap making products from GoPlanetEarth?

A: You're kidding, right? We have a stockpile of the coolest soaps & shower gels ever. I love the cupcake soaps and monster-be-gone sprays, PLUS those soaps with the duckies are way cool! My NeeNee makes special shower gels for my brother and I to use. My favorite is the bubble gum scent. Yum, Yum!!
Q: In conclusion, how do you feel the GoPlanetEarth Poster Girl will benefit you?

A: If it helps my NeeNee sell more soap supplies and I get more suckers, then it's a success. In fact, if sales are REALLY, REALLY good, I might get those suckers with gum inside. I can't have them right now because NeeNee and Poppy say I swallow the gum. But, if NeeNee sells more soap... I bet she won't care if I swallow the gum. Don't tell her I said that!

FREE Fragrance Samples...FREE Mold

We will continue to include FREE fragrance samples in orders as they are available. We try to keep a good stash on hand, but there are occasions when our stash is depleted.

Sorry, you don't get to pick the scents. BUT, this is a great deal considering you receive 1/2 ounce of useable fragrance at NO COST. Just another way GoPlanetEarth is helping you profit in 2009.

We also include a FREE Mold Market mold (our selection) when product totals $125 or more. That's a $7.75 value....FOR FREE (while quanties last). The Mold Market brand are awesome, quality molds and good for all types of soap making.

I'm Now a Tweeple

I'm an official Tweeple sending out Tweets in Twitter land. You can follow my twitter at www.twitter.com/TheSoapLady

So why Twitter. For me, it puts a human face on our company. It's like blogging but has a 140 character limit for each entry you make. The posts may not always have something important to say or of any real value. My tweet can be as simple as, "currently on flight to Washington," or "enjoying a cup of Starbuck's Java right now," or any random insight from my personal life. Tweets often seem trivial, but they also show me as a real person behind a corporate entity.

I want to directly connect with my customers and Twitter is a great way to do this. I invite you to follow The Soap Lady Twitter as I announce new products, sales, promotionals and share tweets that let you know I'm human, just like you. I hope you'll tweet back.

Happy New Years!

Here it is, 2009! Wow, this year sure blew by. Maybe it's age, but it seems like the years pass more quickly. GoPlanet would like to send out wishes to each of you for a prosperous and healthy 2009.

So, what does this New Year hold? The biggest concern seems to be the economy. You cannot turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper without encountering gloom and doom. When people perceive the economy to be bad, we look for what we can cut out of our budget. We tend to get in panic mode, over a major decline in business as we watch CNN or Fox News. There seems to be nothing but calamity and ruin in the future forecast. Maybe this is the year we stop tuning into every news show and realize that life is still good; life is still abundant.

Walk your dogs, make soap, enjoy your family instead of letting FOX news scarce the pants off you. Yes, you may have to cut back on spending, but don't stop the "flow" of spending. Stopping the flow could be America's demise. And, yes, I do have a clue about what I'm talking about. I live in one of the most economically depressed States in the US. Michigan is suffering all-time high layoffs. We are an automotive state and guess what? Cars "ain't selling, the Big-Three is looking for "bailouts", and friends and family are facing lay-offs or losing jobs. But there is hope.

In hard times, great men and women are shaped. Businesses become more inventive as they restructure, trim fat, and rethink ways to help customers save. All in all, I look forward to 2009.

Our staff wants to thank each and everyone one of our customers for your continued support. We will continue to look for ways to help you save and to offer exceptional product at the best prices possible. I encourage you to sign up for our newsletters for unadvertised savings.

You can sign up by visiting http://www.goplanetearth.com/

Shout Out and Thanks to Serah's Soaps

As a business owner, I am plagued with both the good and bad of owning a business. For the most part, it is good. Today was good. In fact, it was exceptional and reminded me why I love this business.

I received several gift packages this week from some treasured customers. One of those packages included a cupcake soap from Serahsonline.com. Lisa, the owner, included a note of thanks along with her gift. She wrote, "You are one of my biggest suppliers and your products help make my business a success."

The packaging of the cupcake soap was great! The container, right down to the label, was professional in every way. The hand-tied ribbon was an added touch that let you know this soap was packaged with care. Thank you, Lisa, for the gift. BTW... we had a special helper visiting us on Tuesday of this week (the niece of one of my workers). We presented her with this soap at the end of the day. She is a third grader and thought it was the "coolest" soap ever.


Be sure to shop GoPlanetEarth online December 26 through December 28 for great savings. The following promotions are in place on these dates:

Purchase $35 to $50 in product, receive $4 off order total
Purchase $50.01 to $100 in product, receive $7 off order total
Purchase $100.01 to $200 in product, receive $10 off order total
Purchase $200.01 or more in product, receive $13 off order total

No discount code required.
Don't delay! Promotion Ends at the stroke of Midnight (EST) December 28, 2008.

From all of us at GoPlanetEarth... Merry Christmas!

As Seen on Martha Stewart Show!

We were delighted to learn that Martha presented the Fish in a Bag project on her December 11, 2008 television show listing GoPlanetEarth.com as her choice supplier for this project. Thank you, Martha!

This project is just one of many featured projects on GoPlanetEarth's web site. This is an ideal holiday gift to do FOR and WITH kids. You will find a complete instructional here along with a list of supplies needed.

Olivia's Advent Calendar

Every year I put up an Advent Calendar for the grandkids to countdown to Christmas. This year Olivia (who is 2 1/2) is extremely excited about opening the little windows to retrieve a chocolate treat. She gets the concept that candy is hiding behind the window (go figure), but doesn't understand the whole "count-down" thing; nor, does she care. To her, the Advent Calendar is all about standing on her "special ladder" and poking little fingers into any window she can reach.

Here Miss O stretches her little arm to get that special chocolate square. I believe she's opening the December 24 window (which is way ahead of the countdown). She is clueless and could care less. She just knows that it's a part of the Christmas tradition when visiting NeeNee and Poppy's house.

Aaahhh.... I got it!

Family traditions are what the holiday season special. I hope that each of you take time to establish a holiday tradition with your family. Whether it's baking cookies, making handmade gifts with the kids, opening an Advent Calendar, or decorating your tree with ornaments collected through the years. Whatever tradition you establish, it's about spending time with family and making memories that will last.

At our house, it's nutcrackers. I've been collecting them for years. We spend an afternoon unboxing them, repairing the damaged ones, and then carefully arranging them throughout the house. It's a family affair and we cherish the time together.