A Fresh Start!
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a joyous holiday season. Are you ready for 2019?
I love fresh starts. When our children were little, my favorite time of year was September, when they would head back to school with new backpacks and clothes, and pencils freshly sharpened. While I enjoyed summer and vacation time, by mid-August I craved a return to routine, schedules, and order. The chaos -- albeit fun chaos! -- had become just a little too much for me by then.
In some ways, the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can also feel a little like summer vacation, without the heat of course, but with the same unstructured playfulness that often masks the true meaning of the season. It's fun and exciting and heady.
For me, when the Christmas decorations are all put away, the stray pine needles vacuumed up, furniture moved back to its usual place, and everything dusted, the home feels lighter and fresher. Perhaps even a little spartan. But that's exactly what I know I need, especially after several weeks of abundant decoration, loud and (mostly) happy crowds, spicy fragrances, and rich food in excess. I love it all but like most things decadent, too much of a good thing can end up not being such a good thing!
Do you also feel a longing for simplicity? By January second, I am craving simplicity and a return to some order and structure. My old September has become my January, and summer has replaced fall as my favorite season!
For me, having at least a little structure and organization is paramount to my mental well-being, and I use the month of January to organize and pare down closets, reduce clutter, and experiment with dishes that are comforting and simple. We are currently renovating part of our home, so keeping clutter down is a big challenge. What are your tips for staying organized?
It is also with this simplicity in mind that has inspired the coming new soaps, bath bombs, and other new products that will be introduced throughout 2019. Between now and January 15th, we will be introducing five new hand soaps that mostly feature lighter colors and fresh scents to join our best-selling "regulars". We are particularly proud of our new Alberta Strong soap, a nod to the hardworking men and women in the Alberta oil and gas industry. The other awesome soaps include another salute to our "oil patch" with a unisex fragrance in Drilling in Duvernay, Valentine-inspired, romantic scented Lovespell, and Cashmere, and a fresh Bergamot & White Tea, the latter sharing the same wonderful fragrance and name as our very popular holiday whipped body butter! These soaps will appear in our online store over the next few days for pre-ordering, and will ship out starting on January 28th.
New Products!
Soy Container Candles
We have two new products that will be in our online store by January 15th. Our advance test group have given rave reviews to them and we are so excited to share them with you! First up are our lovely soy container candles! These 8 oz mason jar candles feature all natural, plant-based wax that was selected for its "scent throw", and a cherrywood wooden crackling wick. Yes, the wick really does crackle! Soy wax is vegan and burns cleanly with little to no soot. Our container candles are poured in very small batches and will be available in a variety of seasonal scents.
Body Wash
Our second new product is one that has been in the research and development stage for months. We are proud to introduce our new line of liquid body wash soap, on sale in our online store on January 26th! We are featuring three varieties: a Cedar Leather body wash for men; an essential oil Orange Mint body wash; and an unscented variety for our customers with scent sensitivities. Our body wash is pure, gentle, vegan-friendly, and features a bubbly lather that is perfect in the shower!
Bath Bombs
We have a number of new fragrances lined up for bath bombs this month! From our very popular Blue Lotus, Cashmere, and Red Dragon, we are adding Sunshine Bliss, Lime in the Coconut, and Lovespell. We will be offering these six bath bombs in a beautiful gift box just in time for Valentine's Day. We are bringing the spa home to you, and a fragrant bathing experience is a great way to start!
Grande Prairie Women's Show - April 26-28, 2019 in Grande Prairie, Alberta
We are very excited to announce that we will be participating in the Grande Prairie Women's Show on April 26-28, 2019! This highly successful show features events and vendors with beautiful products. Grande Prairie is located in northwestern Alberta and just happens to be my birthplace. I am looking forward to this event and meeting with you there!
Until next time,
Shelley