Denise's Yadda Yadda on Soap Making & Life

The Secret Santa Elves Arrive by Sleigh!!

2009-12-10T16:24:00.008-05:00

Giggles Twinklewink, Freckles Mincemeat and Dimples Tumblefluff arrive tomorrow via sleigh to my grandkids home. For those of you following my blog, you know that there are two things I love in life... SOAP and my GRANDKIDS.

The secret elves is a new tradition this year for the grandkids and it's truly been a labor of love considering my busy work schedule. My daughter is a K-8 Assistant Principal and as a Mom to a six, three, and 18 month year old, I knew she would never have time to put this whole event together. Every extra minute I've had to spare has been commited to this 14-day Secret Elf event.

Tomorrow the elves will land on the front porch of the grandkids home along with passports, naughty & nice folders, and a letter from Santa explaining their arrival. The Magic Elves will remain with the kids until Christmas Eve at which time Santa will collect them as he make his deliveries. Any mischief or acts of naughtiness will be recorded in the journals and a report will be given to Santa on who has been naughty and who has been nice. These Magic Elves will explore the house from top to bottom to make sure that everyone in the family is behaving themselves.

Of course, these Magic Elves can be very mischievous and I have a whole agenda of what will transpire. I think the kids will get a big kick out of this new holiday tradition. If you would like to see the letter I composed from Santa and the passports/naughty/nice folders I designed, please email me. I would be happy to share.

A Helpful Soap Making Tip for Adding Color

2009-12-10T15:12:00.005-05:00

When you work with Melt and Pour soap, you typically melt the soap base, then stir in the color and fragrances. If, however, you overheat your product, the heat can negatively change the nature of the color. The most common problem is with speckling. Speckling is flecks or clumps of color that will not dissolve into the soap base and no amount of stirring will help. The above photo is a perfect example of "color speckling".

The hotter the medium, the worse the speckling. You will not know if your color is sensitive to excessive heat until you run into the problem. If you do, try working with lower temperatures. We have found that the powder pigments present the greatest potential for speckling though it can occur with certain liquid gel colors as well.

Before adding any color (gels, liquid, or powder) we suggest allowing the soap to cool down to a temperature of 140 degrees. If you can comfortably dip your pinkie finger into the melted soap, it's a good temp for adding color. GoPlanet's Neon purple and Chromium Green Oxide have been known to speckle when we have added the color at high temps. If using these colors, allow soap to cool until a thin skin of soap forms on the top. Break through the skin to add the color and stir until you no longer see any color flecks. You can then reheat the soap to a pourable temperature.

Use patience when working with colors. Keep in mind that colorants are raw materials and there can be inconsistencies with their use, i.e., speckling or dots of undispersed color. With patience and the right pouring temp you can overcome the speckling issue.

Happy Holidays from the GoPlanetEarth Staff

2009-12-08T08:39:00.006-05:00

Every year my company hosts a Christmas holiday dinner for employees. In the past, the dinner has been at a restaurant. This year, my husband elected to cook dinner for all of us and Chef Carson (pictured front) was his assistance. Carson welcomed each guest, took coats, handed out holiday slippers for everyone to wear, and was in charge of Bingo Bucks. Bingo bucks is something I occasionally do at staff luncheons. Everyone gets two bingo cards and there are two winners per round. The prizes include gift cards and cash and it has proven to be a big hit. It's just one of the ways that GoPlanet tries to show appreciation to our dedicated workers.

Chef Carson

Chef Chris

Christmas is only a few weeks away. We've all been working like crazy to process orders and ship everything timely. In the midst of all this chaos, I didn't want to forget to wish each of our customers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. May this season bring you joy and many wonderful moments with family and friends.

Bath Butter Scrub Recipe

2009-12-02T08:47:00.009-05:00

It's time again for my annunal Holiday Soap Night with the Bunco gals. Tonight we are doing 3 projects. Soap crayons for the grandkids and 2 projects for us girls... a Bath Butter Scrub and Body Butter Lotion. When you get to be middle-aged, you need all the pampering you can get.

Below is the Bath Butter Scrub recipe that we are using for Soap Night. If you would like to purchase the entire kit, you can do so on the GoPlanetEarth web site. A limited number of kits are being offered until the end of the year. You will want to order early to ensure you get one. The kit includes labels, jars, and all the ingredients needed to make (4) body butter scrubs. The only thing not included is the sugar which is readily available from your pantry or a local grocer. There are two fragrance choices offered with the kit: Japanese Cherry Blossom (makes a pink color body scrub) and Olive Asian Tapenade (makes a yellow color body scrub as shown below).

The finished product is perfect for gift-giving. This type of scrub sells for up to $30 a jar. Make your own for a fraction of the cost!

RECIPE:

Fills two 8-ounce jars

16 ounces of bath butter
2 1/2 tablespoons of glycerin
8 drops of DWP colorant
2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of fragrance oil
3/4 cup sugar (we used standard white sugar that you bake with)
1 cup medium coarse sea salts

Whip the bath butter with electric mixer unitl it begins to get smooth. Then add the glycerin, color and sugar. Continue mixing until light and fluffy. Fold in the medium coarse sea salt and fragrance. Spoon mixture into jar.

NOTE: If you find it difficult to get the mixture into the jar, do the following:

Scoop all of the mixture from the mixing bowl into a 4-cup microwaveable dish. A glass measuring cup works well. Set microwave on medium heat and heat the mixture for 3 minutes, remove and stir gently. Place back in the microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes. DO NOT OVERHEAT. Every microwave heats differently, so keep your eye on the mixture. You just want the mixture soft enough to pour into the jar.

Are you on the CYBER MONDAY A-LIST?

2009-11-29T21:24:00.003-05:00

Our Annual Cyber Monday Newsletter just went out. Were you on the A-List to receive savings of up to 20% on products and shipping? This year, we are also offering FREE gifts to the first 25 shoppers who find the special check mark hidden within our web site.

If you aren't already signed up to receive our newsletter, this would be the time to do so. Throughout the year our newsletter subscribers receive many perks and savings not offered to the general public. You will also want to sign up for our "Preferred Customer Discount (PCD Program) that offers a 3% savings on all online orders of $35 or more in product.

Drop us an email ane we'll send you more info about the PCD program.

Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes Ship Today

2009-11-20T17:38:00.004-05:00

Today, we started shipping Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes to Samaritan's Purse. There are no words to thank the many customers who generously donated $$'s for this worthwhile Christmas project. Each shoe box is filled with toiletry items, small toys, school supplies and other personal items and shipped to needy children around the globe.

We will continue to collect donations via our shopping cart until December 15. Any additional monies received will be sent in the form of a monetary donation to help under-privileged countries purchase basic medical supplies.

Missy, one of our long-time employees wore her "Pay it Forward" bracelet today as she packed the boxes. My staff jumped in 100% to support this project and are excited to track the boxes to find out their final destination.

2009-11-17T15:29:00.003-05:00

Send a Christmas card to our soldiers!

Here's an opportunity to show your apprecation to our military personnel this holiday season.

1) Select a postcard

2) Personalize a message

3) Send

Thanks to Xerox for their "Let's Say Thanks to Our Troops" Christmas card program.

HO,HO,HO~ Skating Reindeer Melt & Pour Soap

2009-11-09T08:16:00.005-05:00

A simple beginner's project that uses Mold Market’s duck pond mold and a bendable reindeer. Add a few sprigs of pine, a sprinkle or two of mica flakes and you’ve got a great soap for holiday gift-giving. Goplanet's FREE tutorial video will show you just how easy it is to make this whimsical soap.

Why I Love my Job

2009-11-08T22:09:00.004-05:00

Today I recieved a letter from a customer that touched my heart. A soulful reminder that this company is commited to offering inspiration and the sharing of new ideas. In doing so, it is my hope you find all things are possible if you only believe in yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Ms. D!

I just wanted to let you know the bath bomb molds arrived on Saturday – and I couldn’t wait to “play”! I located your recipe for the bombs on your site, cleared off the kitchen counter, sanitized my work area and away I went! This is the first time I made these things and let me tell you, I felt like a kid again playing in the sandbox. Laughing and giggling as I filled the molds where thousands of fragrances combinations were running through my head. I wonder if this is called “the bomb rush”? J What a fun and easy way to be and get creative.

Being in my early 50’s, I can’t tell you how your inspirational articles have touched my heart…especially the one about “Reinventing Yourself”. I read that article several times finding the tears rolling down my face and a lump in throat. It was if you were talking to and about ME! I’ve never been “creative”, but always challenging myself to try. Now, between your website content, your beautifully written articles and a heart FULL of wanting to establish a business..Here I go!

Thank you so kindly for somehow reaching inside of me and showing me “I can do it too!”

Blessings!

2009-11-06T09:06:00.003-05:00

Below is a excerpt from a letter enclosed with this week's employee paychecks. Every year, GoPlanet selects a number of worthy causes to support with monetary or gift donations. This is the second year we have elected to support Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization led by Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham).

Dear Employees:

Attached is a check for you to cash and shop for your "Shoebox Christmas Child". It is your responsibilty to shop on your own time and to fill your shoe box with items appropriate for the age of the child you select. I will provide the plastic shoe box.

The shoebox relief program is part of your partnership and employment with GoPlanet. As you know, GoPlanetEarth is commited to giving to those in need locally and around the world.

Denise

~~~~~~~~~~~~

GoPlanet welcomes your donated $$'s to support this project. We are shipping the shoe boxes on Friday, Nov 20th. Our shopping cart includes an area for those wanting to donate to the Samaritan Project. Our staff will put together additional shoeboxes based on the dollars received through customer donations. Each shoebox will contain approximately $25 in items. My staff is especially excited this year as Samaritan Purse is following our boxes so we can discover their destination.

Whether you donate to this cause, or others, I pray you uplift those in need this holiday season.

Donating for a Cause

2009-11-04T11:57:00.006-05:00

A good friend phoned last night to ask if she could stop by before I started my work day on Wednesday. I hadn't seen her in a while and wasn't sure what the visit entailed.

My friend and her husband owned a very reputable Kitchen and Bath company in our area. Through the years, their company has done a tremendous amount of work for me on both a personal and business level. Last summer, their company went out of business. The economy was so distressed that they couldn't stay afloat. Like so many, they are living paycheck to paycheck (if there is a paycheck that week) and looking for ways to pay for their son's upcoming college education plus all the expenses that go along with having a high school senior. Oh, and did I mention the family has no health insurance? The job she was able to find at a local credit union pays minimal wages with limited hours and no benefits. Her husband is taking every odd job he can find but there is little work in Michigan for even the most industrious worker.

Why am I sharing this? Because this dear friend who is struggling to keep her home from going into foreclosure, put food on the table, and find a means to just pay for health care basics (like a mammogram) was asking for help. Not for herself, but for others.

Her current employer is offering a Home for the Holiday Home Giveaway. This project will provide two area families with quality homes (mortgage FREE)! These are foreclosure homes that will be brought up to code and are receiving structural and cosmetic improvements. The purpose of my friend's visit was to see if my company would be willing to donate.

How selfless! Even in the midst of her own hardship, she is working to make sure the needs of others are met. It was a reminder that the happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply, and give until there's nothing left to give.

Yes, our company donated!

The Bins are Stacked, We're Ready to Rock!

2009-11-03T21:20:00.005-05:00

My staff is ready to rock. This is just one rack of packing bins ready for order fulfillment. Nothing makes us happier than using every available packing bin to fulfill daily orders! As we move into the holiday season, the employees of GoPlanet are working extended hours to ensure orders ship timely. Please allow a minimum of 2 days for order processing during this busy season.

Soap, Soap, Soap. That's my Life

2009-11-03T21:01:00.007-05:00

SOAP~SOAP~SOAP accurately describes my life. Maybe that's one of the reasons I love this new mold from Mold Market. Oh, and did I mention it's easy to pour in dual colors, has great depth, and releases like a breeze. The finished soap fits nicely in our clear BO-7 box.

Flower Power Soap Colors Rank #1

2009-11-03T09:00:00.005-05:00

I will forever be a late 60's and early 70's hippe child. I loved the bright, vibrant colors displayed on all the posters from the 60's (especially when placed under a black light!). Perhaps this is why I favor GoPlanet's new Flower Child soap colors. They are proving to be a #1 top seller with our customers. These liquid gel, dye-free, cosmetic grade colors are made exclusively for us. Purchase them individually or in a BEST BUY 7 pack.

The colors shown were added to our ultimate clear soap base and were poured into Mold Market's new Retro Curved Top mold.

These colors are everything you want in a soap base and more... the more meaning they can be used in CP soaps as well.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: It's Easy as Pie

2009-11-03T08:31:00.004-05:00

Mold Market's newest tray mold is topping our list! It's a pie heart. In one pour, you can make 8 pie slice soaps. The PJ injector tool (from our PJ Professional Soap Tool Kit) was used to fill in the white areas. It was a snap and took no time at all.

We used only white soap to fill in the ornate areas, but consider using multiple colors to fill in the ornate areas of each pie slice. Think holidays! How about red & green or royal blue & silver. To package, place each soap slice into a clear "to-go" pie box and serve it up as a holiday hostess gift, secret Santa gift, or stocking stuffer.

Meet our Staff

2009-10-26T21:38:00.004-04:00

MEET OUR STAFF

(L) to (R): Marissa, Chelsey, Kaylee, Denise, Kristen, Chelsea and Jen. Missing from photo is Jamie (our customer service advocate), Chris (our marketing guy), and Brie (packaging clerk).

We all had a great time at a local Mexican restaurant. It was our farewell dinner with Kaylee who is leaving us after nearly 5 years of service.

A Sad Farewell to Kaylee

2009-10-26T11:45:00.005-04:00

Tonight we are hosting a farewell dinner for Kaylee. She has worked for me since she was a Junior in high school and this is a bitter-sweet parting. She is now in her senior year of college working toward a Respiratory Therapy and Nursing degree. Her upcoming classes have become so demanding that she will have little time for anything apart from her studies.

Losing Kaylee imparts many of the feelings associated with "empty-nest" syndrome. She is like a daughter to me and her loyalty to the company is something I wish my newer employees would embrace. I will miss K's beautiful blue eyes, her laughter, and the security of knowing that when I was away she could hold down the fort. It was such a relief to return from a trip knowing she had taken care of business.

Even though Kaylee is leaving us, she has agreed to fill in from time to time and help train our newest employee. I wish Kaylee the best in life. This gal is paying her own way through college while dealing with some very difficult family circumstances. I have every confidence she will rise above all the obstacles that life has thrown her way and will soon realize all her educational dreams.

Good luck, K. We love you!

The Gang at GoPlanetEarth.com

A Grandkids & Me Weekend... YES!!

2009-10-25T17:55:00.006-04:00

My honey man and I had all 3 grandkids for an overnighter this weekend. I have blogged about taking "ME TIME". Well, this was a "me-time" weekend. Above is pictured the Fall leaves that the grandkids picked. We dipped them in melted wax and made placemats.

Our next project was to carve pumpkins. This was quite a feat considering we were working with a 3 and 6 year old. I must admit Poppy was a big help and NeeNee (that would be me) cleaned out most of the pumpkin "innards". I had to Google to be sure "innards" was even a word... it is!

Above is Carson's scary pumpkin and below is Olivia's skull pumpkin. I think the credit really should go to Poppy. Next year it will be foam stick-ons to decorate pumpkins. This whole pumpkin carving thing is waaaay tooo much work.

Finally, Poppy made a couple of pumpkin pies from scratch. Literally, from scratch. He and Olivia cut up a pumpkin, simmered it on the stovetop to make "real" pumpkin pie. We even froze some of the pumpkin pulp to make pumpkin pudding at Thanksgiving.

What a fabulous weekend!! We made a fire in the fireplace Saturday night, watched "All Dogs Go to Heaven" and popped popcorn (with lots of butter!). Life is good. The older I get, I realize more and more that it's the little things in life that bring the greatest joy. So.... if I didn't answer your emails this weekend, you know why. I was having a little "me time". Thanks for understanding.

New Soap Molds Arrive in Time for the Holidays

2009-10-23T10:44:00.005-04:00

Our staff is busy today putting away 53 boxes of molds. Included in this shipment are the newest designs from Mold Market. You can check them out here. We hope to have all the "BUY NOW" links online by this afternoon.

Here are some of the newest molds from Mold Market. There are a total of 7 new mold designs including the opposing right flip flop to our Top Selling (Left) flip flop.

Helloooo Evergreen, Colorado!

2009-10-13T10:38:00.006-04:00

I'm flying into Denver on Thursday for a family wedding in Evergreen, Colorado. With so many 16 hour days under my belt, this is a well deserved mini vacation. My honey and I are flying with a host of other family members for a weekend of festivities. The fact that so many family members are on the same flight is frightening! But, I love the craziness of big families and this extended weekend will prove to be a blast.

I have left my staff in charge while I'm away. I have complete confidence in their ability to keep the ship afloat. I will have portable devices and laptop at hand, but can't guarantee I will be available for immediate replies. Afterall, this is a family retreat and I want to make the most of it. Certainly, no one will suffer long-term damage if they don't receive an immediate reply to an email.

In addition to all the craziness of preparing for this trip, I'm having new carpet installed, wallpaper stripped and a number of rooms painted. Yes, I am certifiably crazy!!!!! All this while trying to pack, oh, and did I mention the cleaning service is cleaning during all this chaos.

Once I return, I have two new tutorials to share. The Christmas Curl soap (pictured above) and the Agate Soap Spheres previously posted here.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Agate Soap Spheres

2009-10-06T00:09:00.006-04:00

Our newest tutorial is coming soon: Agate Soap Spheres! Be sure to check back for updates.

A Shout Out to 2VirgosDesigns Esty Shop

2009-10-05T07:27:00.005-04:00

These beautiful soaps were made by Esty shop owner 2 Virgo Designs using the Mold Market Holiday Wreath mold. If you're looking to purchase ready-made soap for holiday gifts, I encourage you to pay a visit to this Etsy store. At the time of this post, there were 6 in stock so you'll want to snatch them up before the holiday rush.

Does this soap inspire you to make your own? Then you will want to view the FREE tutorial offered at GoPlanetEarth.com. We provide step-by-step instructions on how to make a holiday wreath soap using the Mold Market soap mold.

There's Nothing Wrong with ME time

2009-10-04T17:44:00.008-04:00

A day at the local Apple Orchard which included pony rides.

Since losing my Dad to cancer last year, I have become much more aware of how I need to have more ME time. This means getting away from work on a regular basis. No computers, no emails replies, no blogging, no tweets, limiting week-end work time and phone calls, and spending more time with family, friends and grandkids.

I sometimes find myself getting side-tracked and gravitating back to my old ways. But the past few weeks brought another awakening. I attended 4 funerals within 10 days. This was more than a gentle reminder. I believe it was my Dad shouting down from above, "LIFE IS SHORT. NO ONE IS GOING TO REMEMBER YOU FOR YOUR WORK". So in these past few weeks I have renewed my vow to commit more time to ME.

Apple Cider & Donuts... YUM!

As I watch my grandkids I am painfully aware of how fast they are growing. Before too long they will be at an age when they won't want to spend time with their NeeNee. I don't want to have regrets about missing out on these wonderful, joyful years when they still want to hug my neck, let me kiss them goodnight, and are visibly excited to spend the night.

Having said all that, here are a few photos of the fun things I've been doing with my ME time. I hope this will prompt YOU to commit to more ME time. Don't let yourself get caught up into reading what everyone else is doing, blogging about, making, creating, selling, tweeting, or promoting. If it's only one day out of the week, make it yours and yours alone. Make it your ME time!

Making Halloween cupcakes with my Grandson.

Decorating pumpkins with the grandkids.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: More Halloween Soap Ideas

2009-09-21T06:25:00.006-04:00

This weekend was devoted to making fun soaps for my grandkids. I've already shared the bloody, slimy brain soap in a previous post (tutorial is upcoming). Here are 3 more soaps designs that I played with and that the grandkids loved. The bendable skeleton soap is very easy to make and ideal for younger kids ages 4-7 (with adult supervision, of course!). They especially like applying the blood colored soap. It can be done in about 30 minutes which is geat since kid's attention span is so short lived.

The two soaps pictured below are more time consuming due to the multiple colors used in the skull. You can definitely shorten the time involved by pouring the skull in one color. I hope to have the FREE tutorials for these soaps up this week. All of the supplies used can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com. You can find countless other soap making tutorials in the PROJECTS section of our web site.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Bloody, Slimy Brain Soap

2009-09-20T08:12:00.010-04:00

I made this soap for my six year old grandson who is staying this weekend for an overnighter. We are decorating for Halloween today (yes, I know it's early but the grandkids were begging to get out all the Halloween stuff) and I thought this soap would add to the fun and grab his attention in the shower. Unfortunately, I only made one and my 4 year old granddaughter was quite distraught that she didn't have one too. She may be a princess, but when it comes to things like bloody, slimy brain soap... she's all over it.

Inside the brain soap is a hidden treat: kid-safe slime. The great part about the slime is that it will dissolve in the bath or shower as the soap is used. However, you don't know there is slime buried in the middle of the brain until you start to use the soap. I'll have a project posted this week on how to make this bloody, slim delight. I'm letting my grandson use the soap this weekend so I'll also keep you abreast of his opinion. As you know, if you want an honest opinion, ask a kid!

The mold is available from GoPlanetEarth. It's found here.