The Trick To Creative Treats For Halloween!

Do you have kids? Do they have classrooms? Then it's inevitable: you're gonna have to come up with some kind of Halloween treat. Cupcakes? Candy? Pencils? Stickers? They're all so, so, done before. My daughter and I came up with a great idea to make little soaps for her classmates.

I know what you're thinking, "Well yeah, that's easy for you to say; you make soaps all the time!" True, but the fact is that there are many, many little crafty things that can be done in a jiffy that your kids' pals will love. Here are a couple to get you started:

• Little soaps. Look for one of the new silicone cupcake/cake bites pan at a discount or crafts store. These make great molds for little soaps. You can pick up melt and pour soap base at any craft store as well, along with color and fragrance oil. Just follow the directions on the soap package to melt, color, and fragrance the base, then pour it into the cavities and allow an hour for the soap to solidify. Pop them out of the mold and wrap them in a little plastic wrap. Drop them into a cute goody bag with a few pieces of candy and tie with a ribbon.
• Witches Brew Fizzy Bath. This is really easy to make (I promise!). The ingredients for these are simple: baking soda, citric acid (you can find this at a health food store, a wine making shop, or in the spice section of the grocery store as "sour salt"), and a fragrance. Mix 3 parts baking soda to 1 part citric acid and mix it well. Add a drop or two of fragrance oil. Keep it simple by putting a few tablespoons in a goody bag with directions to sprinkle the mixture into the bath for some "double double toil and trouble/fire burn and cauldron bubble..."

With just a little imagination, you can come up with some really cute ideas for Halloween treats. With just a little effort, you'll be the hit of the classroom, and your little monster's hero!

It's a little known fact...

That in addition to making soap, lotion, scrubs, and anything else that can be smeared on one's body, I'm also a scrapbooking fanatic! I started six years ago when my daughter was born. It was my therapy: I relaxed while scrapping, and I also "processed" the events in my life. I was able to think about what really mattered to me and the kind of family I wanted to create. Plus, I loved all the cute little trinkets I could glue on my pages! :)

I've realized that I haven't taken the time to work on my scrapbooks since the early part of this year. I have had a lot on my mind: changing careers, a new baby, my in-laws moving to the area, my daughter starting public school, and now we'll be planning a move right around Christmas time. But, I have decided to get back into scrapping. It's something that I really enjoy, and I miss it when I'm not doing it. It's one of the things I do just for me.

What about you? What are the things you do just for yourself, and are you doing them now? I watched Oprah a couple of days ago, and the author of Eat, Pray, Love was on. She was talking about how she had lived her life ambivalent about many of the decisions she made. She had forgotten who she really was, and how to really enjoy her life. I have been there. Although I have been "sure" about all of my decisions, not all of my decisions have been in my best interests, and I have certainly not considered what I really, really, really wanted. Now, I do try to keep my desires fully center in my life: living my true passion, raising awesome kids who love others and themselves, and actually having a relationship with my husband (after all, I married him because he was my best friend!).

I have learned after many years of doing what was "right" that life is meant to be lived. Life is meant to be creative, dynamic, and amazing. Life is meant to be full of love--not the shallow "at first sight" love--but the deep kind of love that allows us to accept ourselves, our children, our families, and our--gasp--spouses, just as we (they) are. I'm learning that this is the deepest, most challenging, love. And it's also the most fulfilling.

Start by loving yourself just as you are. Don't notice your appearance, your shortcomings, your disappointments. It doesn't matter, because you are perfect just as you are. So, what are you going to do today to let yourself know that you love you? Once you learn to accept yourself, you'll know how to accept others and offer them the grace you have granted yourself. It's not selfish to love yourself because loving yourself is the most challenging task you can take on. It teaches you how to love the unlovable because no one knows better than you how "unlovable" you can be at times.

I challenge you to try it. Think about this: what would it mean to your husband if he no longer had to validate you and make you feel loved, attractive, and important? What would it mean to your children if they did not have to perform in a certain way to please you? What if no one had to do anything to convince you that you are a great wife, a wonderful mother, a good daughter...because you already knew you were these things? Let me tell you, taking this pressure off your loved ones is the most loving thing you can ever do for them. And how will you do it? You will have to meet your own need for validation, love, and security. You're back where you started: loving yourself.

Try it and just see if you don't change your life. I'd love to hear about your experiences. Email me or post your comments below.

The perfect gift...

It's really tough to think of the perfect gift, isn't it? Everyone seems to have everything already; these days if you want it, you go ahead and get it, right? Either that, or money's tight. I seem to operate under both conditions every year, even though I always vow to plan better, save more...

My mom can be the toughest to buy for. Turns out, she has an affection for a particular brand of porcelain dolls (which aren't manufactured anymore). Ebay.com is an ideal place to find odd and discontinued merchandise. I have to admit, I love, love, love eBay. If you can't find it on eBay, you can't find it!

There is a trick to buying on eBay, though, and until you get the hang of it, it can be a daunting task to "win" an auction. Here are a few tips to help you along your way:

1. Regularly do searches, sorting the results by "time, ending soonest." This will provide you with auctions that are ripe for the snipe. Sniping is the term for bidding at the last moment of the auction, thus outbidding the highest bidder before s/he can bid a higher amount. I'll explain sniping more below.
2. Search completed items to get an idea of items' selling prices. This will also give you an idea whether the item for which you are looking is rare or common. It will be easier to resist the temptation to bid too high should a bidding war break out. Or, you'll know to fight like heck to get an item if the listings are few and far between.
3. Buy It Now! If you don't want to wait for an auction to end, don't feel up to a bidding war, or (for some crazy reason) don't like to or don't want to snipe, use the Buy It Now option if the seller offers it.
4. SNIPE! When I first started with eBay (almost 10 years ago, LOL!) I was constantly frustrated by more experienced buyers coming in at the last second and stealing my auction away. I had to learn to snipe fast. The process is simple, but it's not for the faint of heart :). Depending on the speed of your internet connection, you wait until the last few minutes (or seconds) to place your bid. You must balance two things during sniping: your bid amount and the time left in the auction. Start your snipe late enough to keep others who may also be sniping from "picking" at your bid, i.e. determining your max bid by placing higher and higher bids of their own, but early enough to place another bid or two in order to outbid any current high bidders. This takes practice. I nearly always watch any items I really want end, just in case someone tries to snatch them away.
5. Call Me! No, don't call me (I'm probably busy sniping your auction!). Sign up with Unwiredbuyer.com. This site is integrated with your "watched items" on eBay. Log in to Unwired Buyer, and click "Update Auctions" under the Watched Items tab. Then, click Detail under each item. You may choose to have Unwired Buyer call you about an item you're especially wanting. Unwired Buyer will call you three minutes before an auction ends and allow you to bid on the item right from your cell phone! I have bid on items while out of town and away from my computer. I have been awakened in the middle of the night to bid on an item. I love this service! It frees buyers up to enjoy their lives, and win eBay auctions at the same time!!

This season, have some fun buying your holiday gifts! If you aren't shopping at Swanky Suds (although we are a great one-stop shop for all your buying needs!), then give eBay a whirl. Good luck!

Do you like the holidays?

I really do. I went out today and began thinking about what kind of gifts to get for my little babies. Well, one little baby and one honorary little 6 year old baby. :)

My favorite thing to do around the holidays is make gifts. I have had an insatiable drive to make things since I was an honorary little baby myself. For the past several years I have given handmade soap to my relatives. My grandmothers have come to expect it, and they rave about how they love the scent and how it makes their skin feel.

This year, I'm making gifts for my customers as well! A couple of years ago, I made microscope slide ornaments for my family with these really cute collage sheets. I'm making them again this year, and they'll be free with any purchase. What will they look like? Well, I'll get a couple of images up within the next couple of days. You're gonna love them!

Moving to South Florida....

Hooray!!! My husband just got a promotion today. He is now a market coordinator for Miami. He works for Nielsen Media Research (the TV ratings people). We'll moving to South Florida at the end of this year.

Now, I'm not necessarily a small town girl, but I am a small state girl. I've lived in South Carolina all my life, and even though I've lived in the two largest cities in the state, let's face it: South Carolina ain't South Florida! Luckily, I've visited the area we'll be moving to several times. It's nice. It also has the best scrapbook store I've ever been to. I'm still using some of the goodies I bought years ago!

Another positive note: there is a really great soap making supplier located in Miami. It'll be so nice to have a supplier close by for a change!

So, if you have any tips for great places to visit, let me know! We're only going to be there for a year, so I figure we'll treat the whole thing like an extended vacation (although my dd will be in school and my husband will have to go to work, LOL!).

Wish us luck!

Be Still....

This is a fabulous article. I'm taking several hours today to devote to what I love: my business and my blog. I've retreated to the neighborhood Panera Bread restaurant for some quiet time to just think. I find it incredibly energizing to be away from the interruptions and distractions from those wonderful people I call my family...

How do you know if you need to take time to be still?
By: Lisa Akers

We’re living in an outcome-based society. If what you’re doing isn’t producing a result, chances are you’re going to quit doing it. We're just too busy to keep doing things that don't make something happen. When you started pruning your to-do list, I would bet that one of the first things you quit doing was taking time for you. It could be that you quit reading for fun or that you quit a hobby that you enjoyed. You may have quit spending time alone and watching the sunrise over a cup of coffee. You may have quit taking a long bubble bath. Looking back on that choice, has it served you well? What have you lost as a result of not pampering yourself for a few minutes each day? You may not know, but you should think about it.

If you’re like me, you are looking for a way to find that connection to yourself and to really feel energized each and every day – no matter how many times you were up overnight feeding a baby or comforting a child after a bad dream. How do you know if that personal time you chose to give up is really important? There are a few symptoms to look for.

The first is that you’ll feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to get it all done. This feeling of being overwhelmed is one of the first signs that you need to take some time for yourself. During this quiet time, you can take a step back from your frantic schedule and evaluate what is important and what is just something sparkly that distracts you. When you take a short breather, you can return to your to-do list with a renewed sense of clarity, focus, and energy.

The second symptom is that people begin to irritate you and you feel that they are putting you behind schedule. You may get angry easier than you’d like. Your impatience shows and you may snap at those you love or those who just don’t deserve it. Being impatient is a sign that you have scheduled too much in your day and that you don’t have room for contingencies. Taking a few minutes to be still can help you look at things with a new perspective. Does getting angry really make it better?

A third sign that you need to schedule some self-time to be still is that you feel tired. No matter how much sleep you’re getting at night, you just feel exhausted all the time. This isn’t so much a physical exhaustion as it is a mental one. You need to rest your mind and spirit just as much as you rest your body. When you give your mind a break by taking 20 minutes to focus on something that you enjoy – to really focus on the present moment – you will let your brain process all it’s functions in the background. Your subconscious will be able to put those memories and activities in the right storage place in the brain instead of trying to keep them all in the conscious memory. You may not think this is so important, but after you have spent a week or so deliberately spending time being still, you’ll see how much better you remember things.

Another symptom of needing to be still is that you feel like nothing gets done, even though you are always busy. This is a common symptom in moms. Doesn’t it seem like that you work all day and at the end of the day, the laundry is dirty, the house is a mess, and the dishes are piled in the sink? It is a common source of frustration for moms who feel like so much of what they do gets undone so quickly. Taking some time for yourself every day to be still will bring some wonderful benefits (as outlined above) as well as give you something each day that cannot be undone by someone else. A final symptom of needing to be still is that you may be seeking a deeper spiritual connection or a stronger intuition. Do you feel something is missing in your life? Do you see others who enjoy their intuition and you wish you could as well? Do you sometimes feel that there must be something bigger than this? It could be that you are seeking a stronger spiritual connection and you just don’t have the tools for finding it. One of the best ways to make this connection is by taking time to be still. Dr. Wayne Dyer suggests that it is in the silence of the universe that God speaks to us. We never hear what we are supposed to hear unless we spend some time enjoying the silence of the universe around us. If you’re looking to meet your higher self or to listen to what your intuition is saying, then it is essential to spend some time listening. It will be hard at first, but if you will set aside a few moments each day to just listen, you will hear the message. It helps if you have something you can do with your hands while you sit. I like to knit, but almost any handcraft will do.

Do you find yourself in the symptoms here? I often find myself in each symptom on different days. That’s how I know that it’s time to take some time for myself. It isn’t selfish, it’s survival. You’ll have a much happier life, your family, friends, and colleagues will enjoy you more, and you’ll be energetic, patient, and fully alive. I challenge you to spend a week and see what happens when you sit deliberately still for 20 minutes a day.

If you need an excuse to spend time for you, then consider doing a craft that keeps you in the present moment. Most crafts are this way - knit, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, woodworking, and even candle and soap making. I even find that people making jewelry enjoy the serenity of the moment. It's a great way to take that time for yourself and get a chance to make something beautiful for yourself or someone else.


Article by:
Lisa Akers is the president of Be Still & Knit. Her company teaches women how to find peace and stillness in their lives through handwork. By discovering knit and crochet, women develop a new way to take time for themselves and share the love they have as warm clothing! Find out more about Lisa at www.bestillandknit.com or listen to her podcast at www.peacefulknitter.com.

Gift Idea Article

I was surfing around and found an excellent article about gift ideas for teen girls. DD is only 6, but I DO have a couple of cousins that are teens, and I struggle with gift ideas for them!! You know, a lot of these ideas are great for guys too!

Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas for Teen Girls
By: Rachel Paxton

It's fun to buy stocking stuffers for teen girls. I always use this time of year as an opportunity to give them the little treats they want and/or need throughout the year but that I don't want to spend the extra money for. Here are some items our teenage daughters will find in their Christmas stockings this year:

$5 Starbucks card
AA batteries for portable CD player/MP3 player
Matching knit camisole/panties
Fun fashionable socks
Small hoop earrings
Chocolates and hard candies

I try to find them things that they can use but will also not necessarily expect in their stockings. Listen for clues for what to get when you're out shopping with them. They really make it quite easy! Here are some other ideas:
Movie tickets
Fast food gift certificates
Perfume/body spray
Lip gloss Nail polish/manicure set
Disposable camera/film
CD cleaner/scratch remover
Journal/pen
Small inspirational book
Tear-off calendar
Car or room air freshener

Article by:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.

Can you tell I've been swamped?

Well, I've been losing my mind! I got my daughter in school a MONTH ago! You would think I'd have more time, but it feels as if I have NO time now. Can you believe kindergarteners have homework????

I have had time to make some delicious new soaps, though. So far, my Margarita soap slices are a huge hit and are flying off the shelves!

I just came up with a new product, and you're the first to hear about it: scented custom poured crayons! I think I'm having as much fun making them as you'll have using them. You can say you're buying them for your kids if you want (and then play with them while they're at school).

I'm working on a few big orders right now :) but I'm still working on my new soaps. Most of them are VERY kid-friendly, so stay tuned for great gift ideas for those nieces and nephews!

I'm going to make a tentative pledge to you: I won't be so neglectful of my blog (is neglectful a word?). Although I have to tell you: as I write this, my chatterbox daughter is chattering away, my 10-month-old will wake up from his nap any minute, the cat is outside meowing to come in, the laundry is piled on the kitchen table, my husband is going out of town tomorrow morning, and I STILL have soap orders to fill! LOL!

Sex On The Beach...

Yeah, I WISH! Actually-on second thought-I'd probably rather not have sand where sand wasn't meant to be. LOL!

No, my SOTB is in a bottle! A lotion bottle. I mixed up some lotion a week or two ago with SOTB fragrance oil. I have to tell you, I wanted to lick my arm. Oh man, it was coconut and something sweet. But not too sweet. I've never been a coconut person; no cocoa butter on my stretch marks, even. Just couldn't take the smell somehow. But my SOTB and also my Pina Colada lotion is really ringing my bell. Sometimes I just walk by and sniff the bottles of fragrance oil.

Mango is also yummy. I saw a pineapple fragrance oil somewhere too, and it's calling my name. I can barely wait until fall (it's my favorite season) and all I can think about is tropical scents. Is that weird?

The best thing about making soaps and lotions is the way my house smells. Every day I have a new scent floating about. Yesterday it was peppermint essential oil. Today it was a really snappy cranberry. Tonight I have a batch of Monkey Farts. Go ahead and snicker; it is a funny name. I'm probably going to get it into bars tomorrow morning. So what will be wafting through the air tomorrow? Well, tomorrow has yet to be determined. I'm open to suggestions, though. Feel free to post your comments here and we'll see what we can do!

Hello!...Anybody home???

Yuppers, I have been completely off the grid lately. I've been getting my dd into K-5, helping her adjust to public school, and somehow trying to get Swanky Suds moving. WHEW!!!

One good thing about my dd going to school (besides the obvious quieter house) is the wait in the car rider line. No matter what timeI get there, I wait about 20-30 minutes before she actually gets into the vehicle. I've been spending the time with my notebook and vendor lists planning my GRAND OPENING which is slated for September 1.

I'm really excited about the plans for Swanky Suds. We're not just your everyday bath and body company, we're working on some really unique product lines. I have our Happy Hour line in the works: all of your favorite cocktails in toiletries form. Of course, we have our Everything Chocolate line, and I'm working on a really fun line of candy scented products (like Banana Taffy and Jolly Ranchers!). I coined a phrase this afternoon: Olfactory Dessert. That's what we are at Swanky Suds. So, you can start your day with dessert--because life is short, right?

My 5 Year-Old Entrepreneur

My daughter is so funny. She's helping me with my biz. Last night she screwed caps on lotions for me. She "chooses" the colors and scents for me too.

She is almost as obsessed with business as I am. Right now she's making books to sell. She wants to make money, money, money! I'm trying to find a way to get her involved in the biz because it's a perfect time for her to learn. She's so enthusiastic!

Her K-5 teacher has informed her class about a selling contest. Camille (my dd) says her teacher told her they have to "Sell! Sell! Sell!" punctuated with a fist pounding her palm. *sigh* I really hate how they use kids to sell--pardon my french--crap. But there's really no way to explain this to Camille, because she throws her whole heart into everything she does. What to do with a sweet earnest little one? I guess I have to bite my tongue and encourage her.

And, get her involved selling something real (like our stuff!).

And now it begins...

I just got my first gift basket out a couple of days ago, and today I mailed out a box of samples that will be given out at a scrapbooking crop. I think I'm planning a grand opening launch of my website for Sept. 1. I'm hoping that will give me enough time to get the website up and going.

In the meantime, sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know about specials and to receive subscribers'-only coupons. You can click on the subscribe button right here on my blog!

And now, I'm off to get my website up and running...

Wish me luck!

Working on my first sale!

I'm working on a gift basket for a fantastic lady. She's sending it to a customer of hers; her customer is celebrating her first anniversary in business. Isn't that so sweet? If you want to see for yourself how great she is, pop over to her website: http://www.onecreativebug.com . She sells some really unique scrap supplies and has a summer shipping special going on now.

So now is a really busy time for me. I've got the ladies at Scrapbiz volunteering to be my R&D department, so I have to get samples out to them. I have to get the basket finalized and mailed out. I also need to get some samples sent out to Christy's crop next weekend. There will be 30 potential customers there! AND, since I'll have customers coming to the site, I have to get it up and going.

And did I mention that I have a 5 year old (home from school until the 20th) and an 8 month-old (who wants me to pick him up every time I pass by)?

It'll work out. It always does. I'm just excited that things are taking off so quickly!

My life is over...

And I'm totally psyched!

It's my beadmaking life that I just packed up. I'm selling all of my equipment: torch, tools, glass, and everything else to a great beadmaker in Atlanta. It has been what I did and who I was for-goodness!-almost 10 years! My daughter is a little upset. She has watched me make beads "to get money" all her life. Of course, I "got money" to take her to McDonalds and Toys R Us, at least in her world. Isn't the preschool mind awesome?

I've struggled for years to find out what my true "passion" is. I thought it was beads, but making them was always a "chore." I got into it so I could work from home, be my own boss, and stay home with my children. Beads gave me everything that I wanted. I just want more now.

It has been said that your passion is what you'd do for free. In my case, I realized that it was what I was already doing for free. I love making soap, reading about soap recipes, lotions, creams, butters-if you can smear it on your body, then I'm into it!

The money I made from my beadmaking equipment I'm pumping right into Swanky Suds. I couldn't be happier. I already have a customer requesting a custom gift basket. It's Swanky Suds' first sale. WOO HOO!!

What's In Your Shower?

What kind of personal care products are your favorites? Do you go for all the bells and whistles (or in this case scrubs and creams) or are you keep it simple?

Me, I'm a simple kinda gal. I buy a 2 in 1 shampoo. I lather once and don't repeat. I use my peppermint soap. It's a strong soap that can kinda heat up sensitive areas. My husband doesn't really like it so strong, but I'm no softie when it comes to peppermint soap.

I do like a yummy smelling lotion, though, after I get out of the shower. Makes me feel like a woman, LOL! I know my lotion is good when my clothes smell good going into the washing machine after I've worn them.

Have you ever noticed how much scent changes mood and even brings back memories? There's a shower gel I took with me on my honeymoon. Whenever I use it now, it takes me right back to that time--the excitement and wonder of what will be. It has been eleven years, and I can still go right back to that little cabin in July, with the window open and a soft breeze floating in.

It will be interesting to see what scents take me back to this time in my life. Will peppermint soap make me think of a time when my children, ages 6 years and 8 months, were young? Will the lotion my mom brought me while I was in the hospital with my newborn son make me think of that time?

It's easy to see why we love scent in our homes, our soaps, our lotions, and perfumes. It's woven into our lives with threads that elevate our mood and make our days just a little better. It's a little luxury we can enjoy in the midst of our hectic lives. So put a little something in your shower that makes you smile. You spend your days making others around you smile; it's time you did the same for yourself!

Why Shea Is All The Rage

Have you ever wondered what makes shea so great? Now you find shea everywhere--heck, they're putting it in baby wipes!

While I'm not really sure that the Shea in baby wipes is all that effective, Shea, be it in butter or oil, is fabulous in personal care products. I have a Shea glycerin soap base that tempts me to like it better than my own recipe (but my vanity won't let me!).

Take a look at the following list of oils we commonly use in our soaps. Each oil lends its own magic to each bar:

• Shea Butter/oil: The majority of skin-nourishing ingredients Shea lends to a bar of soap remain after reacting with lye in the saponification process. Shea soothes and moisturizes, protecting irritated skin.
• Coconut oil: This is where the magic begins. Coconut produces a delicious lather. We're talking big explosions of bubbles. Not even hard water or salt water affects its lathering abilities.
• Sunflower oil: Sunflower is a favorite of ours. This oil is high in essential fatty acids and vitamin E. It's good for moisturizing and regenerating skin.
• Palm oil: Palm is a very mild oil that helps soap saponify quicker. It makes a hard, longer lasting bar.
• Olive oil: Olive prevents skin from losing its natural moisture and attracts additional external moisture to your skin. Olive makes an exceptionally mild bar.
• Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter lays down a protective layer that holds moisture in the skin. It also assists in producing a harder, longer lasting bar of soap.