New Soaps Available!

We are in the process of putting up a new website, so I'm not adding the new seasonal soaps I made to the old one. But, I wanted to share them with you and give you the opportunity to get yours since they won't last long. If you are interested in any of these, feel free to send me an email at hmwalls (at) honunaturals (dot) com, or message me on facebook.

Pumpkin soaps, made from locally grown pumpkin!

Chocolate Pumpkin soap that smells so good you might just need to lather again. Buy two and store one in the closet until you need it, no need for scented fabric softeners :)

Pumpkin Lager is made with beer and pumpkin (it just seemed appropriate), but it smells delicious. The perfect blend of sweet and spicy and yummy! It even comes with a foamy top, just like your lager!

Pumpkin Spice soap is made with cinnamon, ginger, clove, and a touch of orange.

Christmas Soaps

Reindeer Poop is a special gift from Rudolph to anyone you know that should be on the naughty list or anyone you know that loves great smelling handcrafted soap :) Reindeer Poop smells better than you'd think, it is a sugary blend of spruce and vanilla. It even comes with a special poem on the back.

Coming Soon: Cranberry Fig

All seasonal scents can also be special ordered as fizzy tub treats or wax tarts for candle warmers.

In The Mold HP Soap

I have tried hot process soap in the past. While I like that the soap is ready quicker, I haven't been thrilled with the texture of the soap. It always felt a little spongy to me. I have worked really hard to packed the soap down to combat this. The was much mushing of soap, banging of the mold, more mushing, and more banging. But, it just wasn't as smooth and glossy. Although, you can still do very nice swirls...

I read about "In The Mold" hot process and couldn't really try it because the molds I was using were not up to a trip through the oven. I started using a silicone log mold and asked the wonderful BB customer service peeps if it could make it in the oven. They said as long as it was under 200, it would be fine!

So, I made a batch of my Naked Shea soap. Dumped in the mold. Put the mold on a baking sheet. Set my oven for 170. AND in the oven it went. I set the timer for 2 hours, but I ended up checking on it every 15 minutes anyway. After about an hour is had completely gelled (it is a smaller mold) and by an hour and a half, it was starting to bubble. I turned off the oven, left the door closed and pulled the soap out the next morning. It was a little funny looking on top, but it was very solid. I didn't have time to cut it, but I was very concerned. I had seen lots of bubbles and was worried about those staying behind. However, when I cut it that afternoon, it was lovely! No air bubbles at all! Just beautiful, smooth soap that is already hard and completely ready to go. It did feel a little oily on the surface, so I put it on some paper bags to "dry" out.

I have to say that I'm really impressed. I know it won't work for all soaps. 170 is too high for some essential oils and even some fragrance oils, but for unscented soaps or scents with high flash points, this is a great way to get your soaps some quicker.

Last night, I made a batch of Chocolate Pumpkin soap with orange and black swirls. It looks and smells great! I made too much black soap, so the orange is a little hard to see, but that has nothing to do with the oven.

If you want to try the make hot process soap in the mold, here are my tips:

• Double check the flash points for any scents. It should be higher than your oven temp.
• Set your oven between 170-185 and watch your soap the first time. The size of your batch will affect cook time.
• Leave your soap in the oven to cool slowly when cooked.
• Ask your mold maker if it will withstand the oven temps (that would be messy).
• Protect your oven with something under the mold.
• If you try this with a milk or honey soap, come back and tell me how it worked out. I'm nervous about trying it :)
• Remember, one way or another it will be soap, even if it is ugly soap.

Do you have any soap making tips to share?

Big Changes

So, some of you may have noticed that I've been very absent lately. While it is true that I have been really busy with school, that really isn't the only reason.

I have also been struggling and not feeling my best lately. I have been fighting off nausea throughout the day. Sometimes it would last for long periods of time and make me want to curl up in the fetal position under my desk. That will get you some funny looks from the students for sure! Other times, it is mild and passes quickly. I've also been battling fatigue. One day, Hayden and I were sitting downstairs watching Elmo. I feel fast asleep within 2 minutes. Luckily, the toddler decided to wake me after Elmo was over and not get into trouble. I have had nights in which I'm in bed by 8:00! While that sounds great, it means that all of the things I need to do for school and Honu are piling up a bit. I wasn't lying when I said I'm constantly behind. I really am because I often don't have the energy to do what I need to; it is all I can do to get under the covers before I fall asleep.

What other problems have I been having? Let's see, my multivitamin makes me sick because it makes me burp icky fishy something. My pants are starting to get too snug. It doesn't matter what I do, they are just getting more and more snug and I don't really want to get a wardrobe. I can't take a long hot soak in the tub. I can't have caffeine. I'm not supposed to be gaining any weight, so I'm supposed to avoid carbs, but eats lots of low-fat protein and veggies. I have a toddler that thinks the best game is to jump on mommy, but that is suddenly more painful than it was. I tried making soap the other night and the scent made me sick so I had to stop (maybe I should make some more ginger soap).

I know some of you have already figured out what all of this means, but for those of you who haven't quite gotten there...I am pregnant. Hayden will be a big brother in April. We are very excited and I'm working on dealing with the side-effects. I'm almost 12 weeks along, so hopefully most of the symptoms will let up through my second trimester. That will get me through my busiest season! Past that, we will have to see what life brings.

Thank you for your patience and support through this. I promise, I'm not neglecting you or my soaps. I'm just making sure I take a little bit more care of us :)

Declutter Challenge: Update

I know I haven't posted an actual weekly update in a while, but there is a good reason. It isn't just that I've been busy. Really, we're all busy, there are just times when we happen to be busier than others.

I have been decluttering! I promise. The reason I haven't posted an update does have to do with having little extra time, but it also has to do with the fact that right now everything is just random odds and ends that I'm finding. I have a box sitting the office area (yeah, like that isn't clutter!) and I just dump stuff in it when I decide it should go.

For example, last week I pulled two shirts out of my closet and in they went to the box. I pulled a pair of ripped pants out and put those in the trash. I pulled out a pair of not-so-warm gloves and they went into the box. I have added several other things that I just picked up and moved. The box is almost full, so it will be donated soon.

I don't have a picture to share, so I'm distracting you with a toddler and a puppy!

So, I really haven't had an update to give you because I haven't spent a lot of time on  decluttering. BUT, it is still happening. It isn't requiring much thought at all. If I see it and have thought about giving it away, I just pick it up and carry it upstairs to the box. It is almost like putting your toys away when you are done. Just pick it up and put it where it goes :) I have found this to be very effective for those hectic times in your life.

Have you found any easy way to declutter that you'd like to share?

School Has Started

If you are a teacher or a parent (or you know a teacher or a parent) then you know how crazy the first of the school year is. I know everyone thinks that teachers work 7:30-3:30 and then take off for lazy afternoons, but that just isn't true. We have everything that we did last year to get our kids into the swing of things to do all over again. Notebooks must be set up, gradebooks must be set up, classrooms must be set up, and we have to set the students up for a successful year! If you have kids, you know how hard it can be to get 2 or 3 organized. Now, imagine doing that for a class of 25!

I feel very fortunate to be teaching at the school I am teaching at, but it is a big change from most other schools (keep in mind, I had only taught high school before this). As a small charter school we spend a lot of time with our students making sure they do all of the things that students are just expected to do on their own at other schools. I actually think it is a good thing. We don't just throw them into middle school and say "good luck!" We spend a lot of extra time showing the 7th graders what to do to be successful. I'm happy to do it, but that means a lot of extra work for me and a lot of time at school after Hayden is asleep.

That also means less time for things like blogging and making soap :( Luckily, the students catch on quick and we are all getting into the swing of our new year, so I'm finding more time for the rest of my life! I have resumed my decluttering. My soap room is clean again. I have even managed to find time to write a blog post. I have some soapy plans for the week. And, I'm not at school when Hayden is asleep.

So, forgive my recent absence. We are rockin' along in our new school year and I will be around more often now!

Babassu Oil

I've been looking into substituting some of the oils I use for other oils that would offer more skin care benefits and enhance the quality of my products. I've also been looking at creating products that contain more tropical ingredients because I want to tie everything into the name of my company.

One of the oils I came across is called babassu oil (Orbignya martiana). It comes from a palm tree in Brazil and can be used in place of palm or coconut oil in cosmetics. I like that it can be used in place of palm oil in soap, but I will admit, I haven't tried that yet. According to what I've found, babassu oil is good for all skin types. It is can be used on dry/damaged, mature, and even oily skin! It is so versatile that people are using it in all of their products.

I decided to try it in a lip balm. I substituted the hydrogenated soybean oil for babassu oil and I LOVE the feel of the lip balm. Soybean oil makes a good lip balm, but I have found that many of my customers were questioning whether it was non-GMO soybean (I was assured by the supplier that it was). Soybean is a good oil for normal skin, but doesn't offer that many extra skin care benefits. It really is a good, skin-softening oil, but I want to find some that are better.

The lip balm with the babassu oil has the same consistency, which I really like. It goes on just as smooth and stays on for a long time. However, my lips really do feel softer when I'm using that one! I use several different ones throughout the day, so I notice the slight difference between the new formula and the old.

The only lip balms currently made with babassu oil are my Orange Cream lip balms, but as I make new batches of the others, I will be substituting babassu oil for the soybean oil!

I can't wait to see how it feels in lotion!

Whirlwind Week

You may have noticed that I have not posted anything all week. I didn't even get my Declutter Challenge done last week! I don't think I'm going to get this week's done either :(

Last week was pretty packed.

Wednesday was my normal market day from 3-7 and I'm usually wiped out afterwards anyway. But, I also received a call letting me know that my 97 year old great-grandmother had passed away. It was hard and very sad, but she was 97. She outlived my grandmother by 30 years, her husband by 20 years, my mother by 15 years, another daughter by a year, and several other children and grandchildren by many, many years. She is at peace.

Thursday, we had a going away party for the middle school aide. She found a job teaching math and science. We'll miss her, but I'm really happy for her too.

Friday was date night and it was a much needed time.

Saturday was my market from 9-1. When I got home, I took a short nap and then packed so we could head to Lubbock for my grandmother's funeral. We got to Lubbock around 3 on Sunday morning. I usually do my decluttering on Saturday or Sunday, so it didn't happen last week.

Sunday we spent with my dad and stepmom and they got lots of Hayden time.

Monday was my grandmother's funeral in Muleshoe, TX. We had to leave around 11 to get there for lunch before the services. Services ended around 4 and then we stayed to visit. We left Muleshoe around 6. We got to Colorado Springs around 2 Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was my first day back for teacher inservice, for which I was an hour late because Hayden and I fell back to sleep. I went to bed around 7 Tuesday night. I was a tired puppy.

Wednesday was the first chance I got to get on my computer, so I did a few things, but my brain was still wiped out.

Thursday was more of the same at school. BUT, my turtle tank was stinky! So, I spent some time cleaning it. We went back up to school Thursday night to clean out the filter and the tank because Open House was Friday and I didn't want parents coming in to a stinky room. We got everything cleaned (I bought a nice new vacuum for the gravel) and the filter hooked back up. We plugged it in and it chugged for a few minutes and died. It was old and turtles are hard on filters, but did it have to die AFTER we cleaned it?

Friday was a long day because of Open House. I enjoy meeting my new students, but it makes for a long day. Then, some of us went out afterwards :)

Saturday was a busy morning filled with getting new school supplies, our awesome board gave us gift cards to help us out, and a few new clothes. Yesterday afternoon, we went to the zoo because I needed a break. I was productive last night...I balanced the checkbook and paid bills. I hear they like it when you do that :) So, no decluttering.

Today, we hiked Seven Bridges, which was really pretty and Hayden had fun in the water at the top. But, we all needed a nap when we got home. This afternoon, I went to school because I was nowhere near ready for the first day of school, but now I am. I got home just in time for dinner and then I played with a toddler. So, I didn't declutter today either, but I made my little guy giggle right up until bedtime, so I'm okay with that.

The first couple of weeks of school are usually the craziest, so please bear with me. I may be absent more than usual.