Well it is about time!

Well here I am once again. I know, I know, it is about time. Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions is making quite a few positive changes. I have several new soap ideas and am currently planning my new bars. One bar I will be making soon actually has beer in it. The rest will remain a secret until their unveiling this year. Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions now has a new domain BlissSoap.net. I will be adding an email address for orders etc. shortly. One huge thing we will be doing this new year, drum roll please; we will be adding a website. You can still place orders at BlissSoap.etsy.com or Blisssoapsandshampoos@gmail.com.

One unfortunate event happened, but I guess it depends on how you look at it. My hard drive decided it was upset with me and died. It is now happy once again and working fine. The real unfortunate part is that all of my labeling is now gone along with quite a few photo shoots. I am working with a designer now and we will be having a bit of a new look. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.

Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions will now be using in addition to our all natural essential oils; a new line of phytate free fragrances. Although there isn’t any (current) information to show true toxicity, I feel it is better to be safe than sorry.

If any of you want to add a few new ideas to our brainy musings feel free. We are always open and may even use some of your ideas.

Blessings to you and yours,

Shireen

Frugal Musings day 2.

Ok this is where the rubber meets the road so to speak.  “Paper towel” trial run actually was quite successful.  I made 12 of these wonders yesterday.  I have 32 cut out and ready to serge.

Here are my first twelve “Paper towels”.  These are folded in half, then half again.

Here is the "paper towel" unfolded.

Remember that I cut the flour sac into four even sections.  Here us one of those sections.

Here is a closeup of the serged edges.

Now I woke up eager to try these little wonders out.  I must confess that I could hardly wait until someone made a spill.  No on was co-operating however so I needed to make some messes of my own. 🙂  Imagine all the times I have bemoaned our so many messes and now  I was eager for the kids to make messes and no one would co-operate!  At last some spilled milk!  Yeah!  The cloth paper towel picked it up eagerly and still had room to spare.  Ok so I started to do some dishes.  Everytime I do dishes I get water all over the place.  So here I go again, my used cloth paper towel to the rescue.  At this point my cloth paper towel is not completely washed up yet so I decided to keep it on the counter until I needed it.  Finally it has been used enough so I throw it into the laundry pile.

Well I needed to make a batch of soap today, Kodiak to be exact (to see more about this here is the link to my etsy shop.  BlissSoap.etsy.com)  Well during the process of soapmaking there can be quite a few nice little messes.  My cloth paper towel was eager to help.  Boy I never thought I would be eager for messes.  Hmmm, I wonder how long that will last?  I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed using the new improved frugal paper towels.  I don’t think I can come up with many downfalls to them.  Maybe one of them would be that they do take a bit of time to make and then you do need to wash them.  Since 12 of these towels took under 10 minutes to serge maybe that isn’t so bad after all.  They also won’t take up much room in the washer either so that is not too much of a concern.  I do believe that you would have to have quite a few of these just to make it worth your while though.  When finished I will have 44 of them available.    I think I will still have some of the not so frugal paper towels still available for really gross messes.  We don’t seem to have many of these anymore so the roll should last a really long time.  My kids didn’t seem to be put out at all about using the new cloth version.  I think they are kind of used to my attacking certain items in our household by now.

I do encourage any of you to try this.  I would say that the cloth version truly picked up the messes we had today without any problem and was better than its paper counter part.  For its size it truly is more absorbent than the paper version as well.  I could also use it as cheesecloth as well and maybe to strain yogurt too.  If you have a puppy or a baby you might want to keep a roll of paper towels at hand for those kinds of things.  I no longer have either so I will be curious to see how long our paper towels will now last since they are no longer going to be so popular around here.  I do need a name for the new towels though.  Any Ideas?

Remember the Lord wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us.  It truly is fun to get rid of some of these items that really just end up in the trash.

Love,

Shireen

Frugal Musings!

Well I think I may be going off the beaten path but, I’m up for it if you are.  Frugal, what a word.  It has so much power in its utter simplicity.  Well something you may not know about me is I like to be frugal.  All though there are times when frankly I am not.  I suppose however that most can identify with that except say the Frugal Zealot.  I will say however I got three of her books from a friend who got them at a garage sale for $1.50.  Now that is frugal!

Anyway every now and then I take one of the items on my grocery list and get obsessed about ATTACKING it.  Last year through my efforts I was able to save approximately $89.00 off of our grocery bill a month.  At least in theory.  Some of those items, well one in particular I am a bit wishy washy with it.  Bread!  Homemade bread, sometimes I make it sometimes I buy it.  Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions was born out of this inner need.  I can’t remember the last time I bought shampoo.  I love my shampoo bars and we all use them faithfully.  My soaps, we do the same with.  I am a bit of a soap snob actually.  Someone recently gave me some glycerin soap and well I have to say I didn’t care for it and well un-frugally pitched it in the trash.  I have however never done that before.  I love homemade soaps and purchase some to try on occasion or trade mine for others at craft fairs and such.

The item at hand however is paper towels.  I have been thinking of ridding ourselves of this nicety for a year or more.  I just can’t seem to do it however.  When ever I see a child grab four or five pieces of this expensive wonder to pick up a tiny little spill only a tablespoon big, well I come unglued.  I explain to the offender the incredible expense of their mischievious choice and the cute precious little one looks up at me with those soft boiled egg eyes dazed over and I wonder if I am getting through.  Does he know the err of his ways?  Does he understand that poor tree…. Nope I will not go there, that isn’t my real concern actually at all.  My real concern is that I have only so many rolls of this stuff and these precious rolls need to make it to the end of the month or more.  I hate buying them.  I never really know why I do!  What possesses me when I am at the grocery store to throw my money away on these expensive pieces of waste.  Ok now if I ever come to your house don’t worry I really don’t care if you have paper towels and I won’t rip them off the wall and rant and rave at all I promise.  They are simply on my current “hit list” so I need to really hate them for a while so I can get rid of them.

Ok now for my idea.  I purchased at Meyer some flour sac towels pretty cheap.  You can get all sorts of colors, I chose white probably because I at least want them to look like papertowels for a while at anyway.  I cut each one in four pretty even pieces.  Nope I did not use my rotary cutter and mat, I just eyeballed it.  Remember I am just making papertowels here.  Maybe in another life or if I decide to sell them 🙂 I will use my rotary cutter and mat, but for now nope I didn’t.  Two of my edges were already finished.  I finished the other two with my serger.  Voila’ I finished twelve of these in under 10 minutes once cut on my serger.  Well I haven’t used them yet but I feel as though I am saving already.  Tomorrow I am going to use them so stay posted I will let you know what I think of these little wonders.

Offering some frugal love to you my fellow musers,

Shireen

Soapmaking dreams and some soapy ideas.

Sometimes we dream in color, sometimes in smells.  Well at least I do.  I don’t know how many times I come across a certain scent and then a wonderful memory follows.  The most recent was at a graduation party I attended.  I literally smelled my grandmother, (she passed away several years ago) in this ladies bedroom and then bathroom.  As I sit there 🙂 I was wondering where this smell was coming from and started to sniff in doggie fashion and came upon the night gown, there it was my grandmother.  I love the smell of her.  No I will not make a soap with her scent as of yet but, maybe I will.  Anyway this is now going to becoming a slower part of year as far as soapmaking is concerned but it is a time of soapmaking dreams and some soapy ideas.

 

So I thought many heads are better than just one.  That is where you come in.  If there is a soap you would like me to carry or a certain scent please let me know.  I have several floating in my head one such is a chocolate coffee espresso.  I actually did make this one but I didn’t like the color, so back to the drawing board with that one.  The recipe actually had a whole pot of coffee in it.  Hmmm, very invigorating!  I’m thinking a pine bar, a very colorful bar (kind of like a flower child look), a lavender bar, rose scented bar with rose petals etc. etc. etc.  Here are a few of mine.  What are your ideas?  If I use your idea I’ll send you a free bar.

 

I’m looking to expand my product line for next year.  My lotions are becoming popular along with my shampoo bars.  I’m hoping to perfect my powder and possibly make some lip balm.  Ever use a lip balm only to have it dry out your lips?  Yuck! Well I’m going to try and conquer this one along with a yummy hand lotion bar.

 

Please help!!

 

Love,

 

Shireen

Christmas is around the corner!

I went in to see my “stores” of soap today in the ole basement and wow we are bursting!  I have a ton of soap just waiting to be purchased or given depending on who you are.  It smells wonderful around here, lots of choices.  We have some wonderful fall/winter choices.  Autumn spice with a pumpkin apple cinnamon scent is simply delightful.  Autumn Solstice also with a pumpkin apple and evening mocha scent without cinnamon and a lighter color.  Neither of these are listed yet on my etsy site.  Waiting patiently for the husband to get around to writing descriptions for these.  Peppermint love, wakes up the senses on those groggy mornings and has a bit of fun color in it kind of like a peppermint stick.  Three Kings with a bit of body safe glitter and scented with you guessed it, frankincense and myrrh in a gold bag.  These last two bars are listed on my etsy site.  I am offering a wordpress special.  If you mention wordpress in the notes section of your order on my etsy site BlissSoap.etsy.com I will give you a free bar of any of the above soaps.  So, no more “depending on who you are” .  Everyone gets a freebie!  Simply buy a (1) bar of soap and get (1) free simply for mentioning wordpress.  Oh ya, I would like some followers too.  So please do that as well.

Thanks for listening.  By the way, remember Jesus is the reason for the season.  May you know of His Joy that is everlasting.

Blissfull Blessings,

Shireen

Going Places!

Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions is now going places.  Actually we have been for a little while.  We have been at Good Hart Market Days for the summer and fall.  Unfortunately it is now over (sad, sad).  Shireena and I  went most Saturdays and sold our wares and even had a few repeat customers.  I have to say this adventure has been a lot of fun.  We met some wonderful people and vendors.  The owners of Good Hart General Store are simply wonderful.

Here are a few places that now carry Bliss Soaps, Shampoos, & Lotions products:

Good Hart General Store

Mishiikhen Studio in Alanson

The Bliss Store

Main Street Market Place in Cheboygan

We will be at a few craft fairs this November as well.

Fall Festival Arts & Crafts Show at the LTBB Government Center in Harbor Springs on November 5th at 10:00 – 4:00.

The Christmas Holiday Arts Crafts & Gift show on November 19th from 9:00 – 4:00 at the Petoskey Fairgrounds Community Center

31st Annual Indian River Christmas Craft Show on Friday November 25th at Inland Lakes School from 10:00 – 4:00

I hope to see you at any or all of these events, they should be wonderful.  By the way I have quite a few new soaps for the fall and Christmas time and many gifting options.  Come See.

Love,

Shireen

New Soaps

I thought it might be a good idea to post some pictures of Shireena and I making a batch of soap.  Here we are making Hello, Lady.  It smells wonderful around here.  I made an essential oil blend that I put in this batch with some lavender, lemon, eucalyptus and mint.  Mmmm!!  I have made a few new soaps since this time that are absolutely wonderful.  It has been fun creating new scents and recipes.  In search of the perfect bar (one that lathers nicely, lasts long and keeps its scent, I have had to create my own signature recipe.  Voila!  Done!  If you try some of my soaps let me know what you think.  I think we have hit it on the nose.

This is my new "getup"!

Well this looks a bit scary.  I do however value my lungs, eyes, and skin and this really helps I actually have been known to do this while cutting onions and jalapenos too.

The molds that Ken and David made me.

Here is where it all begins. First we prepared our area with newspaper, set up the molds and sprayed with cooking spray so the soap won’t stick.

Here is a closeup of my wonderful soapmolds.

Next we prepare the sodium hydroxide by mixing it carefully, very slowly with cold water.  This has to be done in either an enamel pot or stainless.  The lye needs to cool to about 80-100 degrees depending on your recipe.  Meanwhile lets mix the oils together.

Here is my cute little helper Shireena trying to get into the coconut oil.  Buying bulk oils is so much fun.

Now we need to melt our oils.

Oils are starting to melt!

Done!

Now we add the liquid oils and the fun begins.  Saponification is what we want, so into the mixer we go.

Here I am pouring oils into mixer at just the right temperature.

Now we add the lye (sodium hydroxide), all soap needs it.

Sorry, I’m missing some pictures here.  Next we mix it up until we see a slight trace (when we drizzle some of the soap onto the rest and it sets for about half a second before disappearing into the mix).

Here is some ground up lavender buds, ready to be put into the soap.

Lavender being poured into an already full mixer. Love my Bosch!!

Now we add the special essential oil blend I made up (Inspired by God is more like it).  We are now ready to pour into our soap molds.

The glorious pour!

Here we are! Hello, Lady smelling oh so nice, saponified and poured.

Now we cover with plastic wrap, place newspaper on top of that, then a towel on top of that so it can do its thing.

Twenty-four hours later we now have soap.

Cut up and ready to air dry for a few weeks.

Maybe this isn’t all that scary after all.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  We enjoyed making the soap.

Love,

Shireen

Go here to see Ken’s wonderful description of Hello, Lady.

BlissSoap.etsy.com

Soaps & Bubbles

I am now at the Bliss Store in Bliss Michigan.  I will also be in Good Hart at the Good Hart General Store starting in 2 weeks on Saturday the 16th for their Market Days.

I have made some new soaps Hello, Lady which has a nice clean fresh scent with lavender buds and Heaven’s Blend also with lavender buds and has a lavender peppermint scent and a bit of interesting color for fun.  I will also have my shampoo bar, Morning Glow, some Vanilla Truffle and possibly a new soap a kind of caramel apple fun bar.  I sure hope some of you might make the trip to come see us.  If you want a beautiful drive just go through the Tunnel of Trees to the Good Hart General Store and we will see you there.  Oops almost forgot, I will also have some new knit and crocheted face cloths and some of my new Chamolave  Baby powder.  All of this can be mixed into some beautiful gift baskets for a special someone you love.

Hope to see you there,

Shireen

Overflowing with Joy!

Hello Again,

 

Wow this blog thing is real catchy!  I am so excited!  I just uploaded another bar of soap on my etsy site BlissSoap.etsy.com .  I tried to upload it this am before I went to town and after waiting an hour I left.  Several hours later I came back and my pics still hadn’t loaded up.  Bummer!  So I closed it down and talked with my computer savvy son and even he was a bit confused.  He mentioned going and using someone elses internet or just waiting a bit.  Well I waited and puff it started working.  My internet is a bit moody at times.  It is able to sense frustration then it thinks “wow you shouldn’t be frustrated right now, I think I will have to teach you a lesson” and so it goes.  I am truly overflowing with joy, I can hardly wait to put in my banner.  I have discovered a wonderful lady at thegirlmakesbanners.etsy.com , she is truly amazing and is currently working on my original one of a kind banner.  It matches my etsy banner and also my business cards.   For now I have 2 bars on my site and I am really excited to be putting some powders on real soon.  Shireena and I are going to try and figure out how to take some decent pics.  If that doesn’t work out then I call my friends daughter Alivia who took my soap pics.  She is really good!  It is real nice to have such talented friends.

 

Enough about soap, now truly the Joy of the Lord is my strength.  This adventure is full of ups and downs but in all these things;  The Joy of the Lord is my strength.  If you do not know Him He is available to you if you just ask.  You can find Him in His Holy Word, the Bible.

 

Love,

 

Shireen

Hello world!

Well I am starting a new adventure!   I feel like Ellie from the movie UP.  I love to make soap and my husband Ken has encouraged me to do so.  So I opened up an etsy website: BlissSoap.etsy.com and now this.

So far I have only listed 1 bar of soap on it though.  A very nice bar I might add.  I make the soaps and my husband names them and writes the descriptions.  That is his bag.  He is really good at it too.  I am not.  So I guess that makes us quite a team because he can’t make soap.  He does however love to use it.  What a lovely relationship we have!

I purchased some materials to make some more soap, so I will try to take some pics and load them up here.  Again a new adventure.  I will be making my shampoo bar Morning Glow and a delicious looking bar I call Vanilla Truffle.  Again my dear husband named these.  Stay tuned to find out on etsy how he describes them.  He is very good with words.  One of the reasons I married him.  He is also really cute which helped, but most importantly he loves the Lord and so do I so God gets the glory there and here as well.

Thanks for taking a look and joining me on my new adventure.  Lets praise Him to see where He takes us and where this goes.

Love,

Shireen