Monday, November 30, 2009

December!

December has arrived already! We've gotten through Thanksgiving, and are careening into the December holiday season. It's a busy time for most of us, and I am certainly no exception. I must admit, though, that I love the holidays, from Thanksgiving until New Year's. I must also admit, however, that I do get stressed over the busy schedules, more hours at work and at business, and fitting in decorating, cookie baking, and everything else that comes with it. I may never find a comfortable balance between all that I want to do and keeping things manageable. I feel like I have Martha Stewart desires without her helpers! How about you?

With my girls, I started the small project of painting our foyer. For a small project, though, there's a lot to do--move everything out, find all of the equipment needed, wash the walls and spackle, prime, and paint. I was hoping to do it all in one day, but now I hope it can be finished in two! This was something I should have done in September rather than late November, but here we are, nevertheless. Are you ever guilty of putting off a project, and then doing it at the worst times?

We all know that for those who celebrate Christmas, shopping is an important part of the season, and I would like to make it more enjoyable for you. Order online and skip the mall!

Here's the sale:

December is a month for giving, and I'd like to give to my customers. So, with any $25 purchase for someone else, (not including tax or shipping), you'll get something for you! Just tell me what you want when you place the order, and if I have it in stock, it's yours. If not, you'll get a 2nd choice, but it must be an in stock item.

In addition, Tuesday ONLY, get a free gift with any purchase!

Not on my site are:

Cinnamon stick bundles: A bunch of cinnamon sticks, about 12" long, with authentic cinnamon scent, and a little allspice for good measure, tied with ribbon. Just $5.00 each!
Bath salts: a tube scented with Sugary Spruce, Sweet Snowflakes, and Cranberry Spice, and tied with a festive ribbon. Perfect stocking stuffer. Only $4.00! (Pictures on last post)
Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in the seasonal Apple Pie, plus Gingered Orange, Summer Tropical, and Lavender. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.

Thanks for reading, and have a blessed week!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving Week





Thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite holidays. It's all about thankfulness, family, and food. I serve a very traditional meal, almost exactly as my mother did, and that's the way we prefer it.

Reading magazines and watching cooking segments on tv, there's always a twist on an old favorite or a new dish to make. Many of them look delicious, and might be good to try some other time, but not on Thanksgiving. If I made a meal with new dishes or barely recognizable old ones, I would not be a popular person! This is one day where we're not looking for novel, we're looking for tradition.

Why? I think it's because tradition is comforting. It serves a purpose in providing us with security and a set remembrance of whatever there's a tradition for. Our Thanksgiving traditions link us in several ways. It links us with our relatives, even between generations, with friends and acquaintances who share our dinner table, and even with the rest of society, as we join together in taking this day to do the same thing. We gather together to spend time with those who matter most to us, by sharing our homes and food.

I thank God this year for my husband, my three kids who are still living at home, and my dear friend, Janet, all of whom will be, Lord willing, at our dinner table on Thursday. Maybe they'll help with the dishes!

To explain the posted pictures: The first is Beau, my Peek-a-Poo who was just groomed. Look at that underbite!
The 2nd is the bath salt tubes I just finished. Only $4 each! Scented in Sugary Spruce, Sweet Snowflakes, and Cranberry Spice.
The 3rd is Roseberry Bath Whip. Decadent, but don't eat it! It has salt, sugar, and raspberry seeds for exfoliation.
The last is the beeswax ornaments I made recently. They are scented, and only $2 each. Make your tree or car smell good, or hang in a window to scent the room.

Since November is the official month for giving thanks to God for our abundance, I'd like to encourage us to remember what we're thankful for. Therefore, anyone who reads my blog and leaves a comment about what they're thankful for will receive a free bar of soap with any purchase! I do reserve the right to halt the sale if I need to, but I plan on running it through November.
In addition, at the end of the month, I will draw from the names of anyone who has commented on my blog and purchased from me, for a free box of gifts! Start thinking of Christmas giving.

Note: I am closed from Nov. 25 - Nov. 28, but any orders received during that time period are eligible for the special.


Not on my site are:

Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in the seasonal Apple Pie, plus Gingered Orange, Summer Tropical, and Lavender. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Family

I am so thankful for my family. I have a husband and 6 kids, as well as parents and in-laws and 5 grandchildren. All are a blessing.

My hubby of 30 years is such a great guy, working hard to be a good husband, father, employee, and now, business owner. He is extremely busy and stressed, yet he continues with it all and in caring for us.

Three of my kids are grown and married. They are all happy with their spouses, and for that I am thankful. I'm really thankful for the grandchildren. I had no idea how much fun it would be!

Three of my kids are still at home, and I'm thankful for their daily presence. They keep me on my toes and provide help, companionship, and love, even though they're teenagers. ;-) They even do some chores to help out.

What about your family?


The November sale continues!

Since November is the official month for giving thanks to God for our abundance, I'd like to encourage us to start thinking of what we're thankful for. Therefore, anyone who reads my blog and leaves a comment about what they're thankful for will receive a free bar of soap with any purchase! I do reserve the right to halt the sale if I need to, but I plan on running it through Sunday, Nov. 22.
In addition, at the end of the month, I will draw from the names of anyone who has commented on my blog and purchased from me, for a free box of gifts! Start thinking of Christmas giving.


Not on my site are:

Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in the seasonal Apple Pie, plus Gingered Orange, Summer Tropical, and Lavender. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.

Thanks for reading, and have an herbal week! Check out my site: www.SoapAndGarden.com

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veterans Day

I am glad that our nation has chosen a day in which to honor its veterans. So many of our citizens have sacrificed their freedoms to ensure that ours remain. So many others are serving now.

Thank you, veterans, for all you have done and continue to do for our country. You are not forgotten.

Families of veterans, thank you for the sacrifices you've endured also, in having your loved ones gone from you, protecting our nation and freedoms. You are not forgotten.

Monday, November 9, 2009

More thankfulness







It's my youngest daughter's birthday! I am thankful to have given birth to a healthy girl, and to have raised her to the ripe old age of 14. She is full of life, a real drama queen, really. She is a great person to have around when you're feeling tongue-tied, because she is never speechless. Well, it may have happened once, but I can't remember for sure. Her siblings and I hatched an elaborate plan for how we'd give her the gift we'd gotten. We had her convinced that she wasn't getting one for her birthday while we were planning to buy one all along. We decided that after dinner, we'd have her open a couple of smaller gifts and then move on to the cake business. At that time, Ethan, her brother, would call her new phone that had surreptitiously been placed by the computer she uses. In our busyness, we'd send Megan to get the phone. Once she found it, she'd see that it didn't belong to us, and would realize that it was hers. The plan went off without a hitch, and her reaction was priceless! Truly "America's Funniest Videos" worthy, as a matter of fact. That reminds me that there was a hitch--ds forgot to bring the video recorder home. Anyway, Megan came back into the kitchen, cellphone in hand, asking whose it was. We were all smiling big, me with the camera pointed at her face to capture her reaction. It was then she realized the phone was hers and she shrieked, started crying, and collapsed, "I have a cell phone!" This went on for several minutes before she calmed down enough to actually check it out. This, I think, was one of the best birthday reactions ever in our home. Thus, I am thankful not only for Megan, for the success of her gift, but for my family, showing their love in making things special for her. There's nothing like the love of a family.

What are you thankful for?

My Thankfulness sale continues, get a free bar of soap with ANY purchase! Just leave a comment on the blog what you're thankful for, and you're eligible.

Not on my site are:
Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - $2/ea.

Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4

Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7

Foaming Soap, just in time for the holidays: Lavender, Apple Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, and Gingered Orange. I have a couple bottles left of Tropical Summer for you tropical die-hards. It's a pineapple based scent. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.


I'm also posting photos of Megan's birthday and a photo display entitled, "November Flowers," the last few flowers in my gardens that have escaped the frost to send out their last blooms. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to rearrange the photos, so they are in backwards order. Sigh.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Giving thanks

It seems that we are so quick to complain and so quick to worry about what we don't have. I am far too often guilty of that, and I know I'm not alone.

Since November is the month of thanksgiving, I've decided to concentrate on things I'm thankful for--things I have instead of what I don't have.

First, I live in a wealthy nation and have material abundance that people in many other countries can't even imagine. Even the poorest among us have much in comparison. Furthermore, I am thankful that I am living in a country where my basic physical needs can be met. I am not starving and I have a roof over my head.

Secondly, I and my family are generally safe. I spend the day in my home and yard without fear for my safety. I go to work or to run errands, and outside of some practical considerations, like driving carefully, do not go in fear.

Our country is mostly safe. We are not living in the middle of a war as do many other families are, never knowing when the next hit will come. Yes, there are terrorists who came and rocked our world and who will attempt to do so again, but it doesn't haunt my every moment.

We still have freedoms here. I can say and do what I want, within reason, and pursue the kind of dreams I have for myself, and my children can pursue theirs. I can believe what I want to, politically, philosophically, and religiously. Tomorrow, I'll be voting with so many others across our country, for political offices. I show up at the polling place, show my i.d., sign my name, and go into the booth and vote. It's that easy.

At the outset, I had no intention of making this a patriotic piece for the USA, but that's where it went. I have more, of course, and will add to the list daily, or almost daily, and I hope you do, too! You don't have to live in the USA to do so, either, LOL, and my posts will cover all kinds of areas, so keep reading.

Now, for the gimmick. I want to encourage you to be thankful, also; so, I'm running a special offer this week. Leave a comment on something you're thankful for, and you'll get a free bar of soap with any purchase! It's just a little more fun this way. :-) Even if you don't make a purchase, I hope you'll participate by commenting. Oh, by the way, if I have to halt the sale because I'm going broke, I officially reserve the right to do so. My plan is to continue the sale through Nov. 8, however.

Not on my site are:

Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in scents listed on site. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.