Handmade Soaps, Dead Sea Salts, and Scrubs Pamper Yourself - Your Skin Will Thank You

Local Orders and Fundraiser Opportunities

2009-02-11T20:48:00.002-05:00

Adding a quick note for local purchasers. Please email us at hannahmadesoaps@gmail.com or call 478-394-0314 to oder and avoid shipping charges. As I play around with paypal I may figure out how to set up local orders. For now, it would just be easier to place your order directly versus using the shopping cart. Hopefully we will soon have a separate page for the 'store'. We are still seaching for the perfect fit for a blog redesign.

Also, I wanted to note that we have implemented many of the suggestions from the January contest. We are having other bloggers host our giveaways and contests. We are also seeking reviewers. Please email us your blog address and snail mail address if you are interested in reviewing any of our products.
Thanks to Nan's suggestion, we now have a Facebook group

And I loved Carin's fundraiser idea! We are putting together logistics, and would love to help you do a fundraiser with your group. We can do it completely online via a separate linked page and paypal set up, and/or we can put together something for your group to market locally. Please email if you are interested in this option. Keep in mind that we reserve the right to decline any fundraiser that would support a cause that we personally wouldn't champion. Selling all natural soaps and low cost luxury spa products would be so much more appealing to me than selling candy or wrapping paper. AND, we won't gouge your supporters either; we'll just share our profits and offer special sized products to maximize the purchase appeal while still giving you a comparable % of the sales. You can reach us at hannahmadesoaps@gmail.com if you have questions.

2009-02-07T22:03:00.001-05:00

Twitter Moms: The Influential Moms Network

January's Contest Winners!

2009-02-05T14:23:00.003-05:00

Wow, what a learning experience! I now understand why people randomly choose their winners. Coordinating with three judges, and getting a consensus wasn't easy!
Thank you all for your great ideas. We've implemented many of them, and were very pleased with the number of entries we received. Before I announce the winners, I'd like to also extend a special offer to everyone who posted a suggestion to help us increase traffic. Until Feb 14th, we will include a free heart shaped sample bar with any order (only for those who participated in Jan's contest.)

Also, you can visit http://www.4babyandmom.com/ and find us featured on day 5 of her February Fiesta which includes new giveaways daily. Don't wait - she's choosing a winner for the $20 gift certificate this weekend!

Our judges had their work cut out for them with all the great suggestions. I let them each vote separately, and then compared notes. I am very pleased to announce that RoguePuppet is the winner of our Sampler Gift Set. Call it the Law of Attraction, Good Karma, or fill in the blank, but I thought it was very apropos that Nan won this. She was one of our first visitors, first purchasers, AND she made the suggestion early on that we offer a Sample Set. How cool is that!

For our random winner I used Random.org First I verified all the entries were valid, typed them out in notepad (giving extra entries for orders placed as promised) and used the list generator. The #1 slot was my default winner. Like I said - quite a learning experience! I am going to reach out to other vetran bloggers and find a simpler way to do this. I suppose part of my issue is my need to ensure fairness. I also quickly realized why other contests require separate posts when you qualify for multiple entries.

Just so I can increase my learning curve a little more (and can dedicate more time to improving the appearance of the site) I have decided to have other more established bloggers host our giveaways. So, look for links to other sites for this month's freebies. I'll post them in the header so they'll be easy to find. I guess, you'd like to know who our Spa winner is, huh? Should I end the suspense, or drag it out a little more.

I could tell you about our new scents, or ask you to brainstorm with us as we develop a soap of the month club. We've had lots of requests for different scents, some of them a little on the strange side. One of my concerns with new scents is that *I* have to smell them while they cure. Imagine my horror when I had someone ask me for 'manure' - seriously! I am not joking!! We did order an 'earth' scent awhile back, and I assured him that it would fit his criteria of being an offensive smell. I agreed to make a small batch for him, but promply delivered it so it could cure in the coziness of his own home. I still haven't been able to comprehend his motivation, but whatever. It put money in Hannah's pocket, and he promises to be a regular customer.

I have never been very fond of the fruity or foodie aromas that are so popluar. I have tried to avoid including them in our line, but I also want to make our customers happy. We've had a lot of requests for peppermint and vanilla. These are two smells that I actually like, so those are now available. Buttons will be updated over the weekend.

Okay, alright already. I know you are really here to find out who the winner is, not to listen to me ramble. So, without further adieu, I'd like to congratulate hollistersuttonfamily. Again, I think it was a great random roll of the dice, since one of our judges picked her suggestion as her second choice.
I have emailed both winners and their packages will arrive well before lovey-dovey cupid day.

What Might You Win?

2009-01-22T11:27:00.004-05:00

Thought you'd like to see a picture.... Scroll down to the Jan giveaway blog to enter - be sure you read the directions carefully! This is the Grand Prize: Loofah Sponge, Dead Sea Bath Salts, Brown Sugar Scrub, Soap Holder, and a Bar of Cocoa Butter - Goat Milk Soap (your choice of fragrances.)

The Sampler Package

2009-01-16T16:37:00.005-05:00

Our small decorative hearts are perfect sample size - approximately .5 oz. In the give-away you'll receive: Creamsicle, Mochalatte, Rose, & Sensual. Also you'll receive a .5 sample of Energy & Lavender. Each will be individually wrapped in colorful gauze.

New Scents and Samplers Available Plus a Contest for January!

2009-01-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

We are gearing up for February orders. Today we made soap, with lots of Heart shaped Sample bars. Our newest scents are Rose, and Sensual (one of my favorites.) Next week we plan to make two more scents. Please be sure to chime in if you have a favorite scent that isn't listed.
I don't particularly like 'flowery' scents, but the Rose is incredible. My house smells like I have bouquets of fresh roses everywhere.

We are offering a Sampler Package too for those who just can't decide. All sample bars are Heart shaped, except Lavender and Energy. And best of all, when you order the sampler package you'll get a coupon for free shipping with your next order. I'll post a picture soon.

Watch for the announcement for a new contest. We are brainstorming for ideas. Maybe THAT should be our next contest! Okay so this IS the announcement for a new contest!

UPDATE ON CONTEST
Please read carefully - additional ways to garner entries have been added.

Here are the rules:
You leave us a suggestion on how to increase our traffic. We'll ask some of our savvy blog friends to help us choose the best suggestion. The winner will receive a Sampler Package with one of *every* scent we have available. Also in your comment tell us which scent you like best, and if there is one you like that we don't offer.
Though it isn't a requirement for this contest, You might want to follow our blog. This is the first of many give-aways, and we want you to know about all of them.

You can also enter to win a Grand Prize by:
actually helping us drive traffic by sharing our contest with your friends. The more friends you send to enter, the better your chances of winning!

You can twitter, link back from your blog, facebook page, stumble, digg, etc. Just leave us a comment with the link showing us how you are spreading the word. Only one entry per day, per method.
When you refer your friends or post about it, tell them to mention your name when they enter - that will be worth a double entry for each of you.

And since our main goal is not to just increase viewers, but ultimately increase sales - You'll get 10 entries for each purchase (and matching entries for any friends you refer that purchase - as long as they mention your name in the comment they leave us.)

The Grand prize will be a Spa in a Box - including a full size bar of soap,a soap holder, bath salts, a loofah sponge, and a sugar scrub, with scents of your choice. Get those creative juices flowing, and tell all your friends to enter the contest too (which will net you more entries!)

Contest ends Jan 31st or when we get 200 qualifying comments, whichever comes first. (I am sitting here thinking about the mental challenge of calculating entries, and decided to cap it lest it become more than my feeble brain can compute.)

And the Winner is.......(drum roll)

2009-01-01T08:31:00.003-05:00

......Momtoeli! Unlike everyone else who uses random.org to pick their winners, we did it the old fashioned way. Everybody's name went on a slip of paper (even yours Feathermaye) and my 3yo picked the winner. Not to be outdone, the little man wanted to help so we also have a 'runner-up'. Deb, we'd like to send you a sample bar. All of you can get a free sample bar by adding a picture link to our site. Just email us for details!

Happy New Year to everyone! May your 2009 be filled with overflowing joy and blessings beyond your wildest imaginations. We look forward to helping you pamper yourself!

Some pitctures of our latest batch of soap

2008-12-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

A few pictures of our latest batch of soap. These are cold processed, and are curing. Hot process is really my favorite, but HP doesn't mold well so the bars aren't as pretty.

Glass or Plastic?

2008-12-18T14:30:00.003-05:00

Up until recently we have marketed our products locally, and have always packaged our scrubs and salts in glass. Now that we are shipping, I am seriously considering plastic. We would love your input. Glass is typically prettier, and for those of us who are leaning more toward the greener side of things, considered safer. However it is heavier and more of a challenge to ship. Leave us feedback, and we'll enter your name in a drawing to win a free bar of soap! Please be sure you include an email address in case we aren't able to link back to your site for some reason.

Free Shipping & a Free Guest Size Bar of Soap

2008-12-13T09:09:00.003-05:00

Free shipping on all orders over $50. And, for anyone who would like to try a sample bar for free - add a picture widget linkback on your blog to our website, and we'll send you a guest size bar of soap for free. Email us at hannahmadesoaps@gmail.com if you are interested in taking advantage of this offer.

Updates coming

2008-12-12T09:48:00.003-05:00

We're still working some on the layout, and experimenting to see if our shipping costs are adequate. One thing we offer that is not mentioned is free shipping on orders over $50.oo. We will be assembling our 'Spa in a Box' packages this weekend, and will add it as a selection as soon as we have pictures. Also, watch for a sampler in the near future.

Why Goat Milk Soap?

2008-12-10T22:06:00.004-05:00

Why homemade? Our family strives to live a healthy lifestyle. Through research we have come to realize that all the chemicals we put on our skin can be harmful. Since our skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and it readily absorbs what we put on it, it only makes sense to be careful. Almost all commercially manufactured soaps, lotions, and creams have parabens in them, not to mention other chemicals that might be harmful to our bodies. In an effort to eliminate as many harmful chemicals as possible in our household, we began to make our own soap several years ago. Little did I know the incredible difference it would make! Once you have enjoyed the rich, creamy, nourishing characteristics of homemade soap, there is no turning back.
History books tell us that Cleopatra's Beauty Secrets included bathing in goat's milk. The nutrients in the milk actually nourish then skin. We use all natural ingredients in our unscented soaps, and only add the best quality fragrances to those that are scented. We also use only fresh goat's milk. We formulate our own recipes to create the richest, most luxurious creamy lathers, and choose oils which provide the best balance for all types of skin. We have had people with sensitive skin sing the praises of our soaps, and others with particular skin challenges tell us how much they have improved. Unless requested we don't color our soaps, preferring the natural and varying shades that are created when goat milk goes through the soponification process.
Handmade soap, especially goat milk soap, is softer than comercially processed soap. It will not dry your skin, nor will it leave it oily. It cleans without leaving a film or residue. Once you've tried it for yourself, you'll no longer question why it is superior to commercially milled soaps.

The Rest of the Story

2008-11-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

.......me for over a year to make soap before I finally relented. Soapmaking is an exact science, and the creation process can be daunting, and even a bit dangerous. After much needling, I finally ordered all the necessary supplies, and we began our soap making journey. We enjoyed the fruits of our labor for several years before Hannah decided that she'd like to try her hand at earning some extra money by developing her own line of soaps.As a mom who wants to help her children follow their dreams, we set out on a journey. Just by frequenting the local green market for a few months she was able to earn enough money to purchase a pony with her own profits. For months, she has wanted to expand to the world of online marketing, and again, I have been reluctant. Thanks to the encouragement of some Fabulous Friends, I am stepping out again, in hopes to help my daughter live her dreams. As adults, we typically see all the things that could go wrong, or all the challenges that a small business in the expansive cyberworld will face. Through my own personal development and growth, I am learning to not acknowledge those fears, and to focus on the dream. Dreams can only become realities when we stretch our wings and make a concerted effort to take flight.This is a site that is under development. Check back frequently. Because we make small specialized batches of soap, we are always willing to develop a soap to suite your fancy. Please let us know if there are fragrances that you prefer, or if you have a special blend of oils you'd like for us to use to develop a recipe. We might even name it after you!
Currently we are in the process of making several new batches of soap. All should be ready to ship by the end of next week in time for gift giving.

Please leave us comments, and become a follower so you'll get updates when we add new selections.