Cathy Winsby!

Cathy, be thinking about your choice from my shop! I’m shooting you an email!

I was surprised to see how many people don’t know what SLS is. It’s not a big deal if you don’t know what it is. It’s just a VERY common topic of conversation among soapmakers, and I was curious how many “civilians” have concerns about it.

Here is an article I wrote about SLS: The Skinny on Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Thanks to everyone who entered! Check back on our blog from time-to-time. We’re going to be running contests regularly. In fact, the next prize will be worth over $50!

Take a second to answer this quick question and you could win a soap bar of your choice from my web store Soap Sushi. Here’s how to enter:

1. Take the poll
2. Leave a comment on this post with your contact information.
3. Please, please, PLEASE make sure your vote has been cast and counted if you leave a comment and enter the contest. Make your voice heard!

The poll will stay open through the weekend. I’ll close the poll and announce the winner Monday morning.

Oh, and by taking the poll and entering the contest, you agree that my decision on who wins the contest is absolute and final. No talking back, and no sassy mouths!

Sorry, the mom in me slipped out.

Good luck!

I just ran across the neatest site: Kiva. Kiva links entrepreneurs from developing countries to you and me, giving us an opportunity to lend money to them in the form of microloans. Kiva’s lending model is extremely transparent, and they partner with existing expert micro-finance experts.

The process is simple. Register with Kiva, choose an entrepreneur you’d like to sponsor, send your chosen loan amount in (can be as little as $25) via PayPal or credit card. Once the loan has been repaid, you get your money back. You may withdraw them, donate them to Kiva, or lend them to another entrepreneur.

Amazingly, the default rate so far has only been 1.8%.

I love this idea. I sponsor a sister in Kosovo via Women for Women International. I’m a huge fan of Women for Women, but I think I’d like to participate in Kiva’s programs too. After reading some of the profiles of small business owners, I discovered that a few of them are selling personal care products, just as I am. I’m thinking that I’d love to make the connection to that entrepreneur and help her grow her business.

The end result of programs like Kiva and Women for Women is true alleviation of poverty. Rather than have our brothers and sisters worldwide dependent on us for money and resources, investing in their independence will have a lasting impact on them–and the world economy at large.

I ran across The Toy Society blog tonight. I am completely in love with their idea. They have softie toy makers lined up in several major cities around the globe sharing their handmade love. The members drop free toys in various locations with a note “Take me home. I’m yours.” Inside the packaging is are email addresses and an invitation for the new owner to let the dropper know the softie has been found.

Isn’t it a really neat idea? There is a flickr group showcasing photos of the drops. I’m really feeling inspired by the idea. How about you?

I ran across Little Windows Photo Jewelry while poking around contest blogs. I am completely in love!

Pictured is their Make 3 Kit. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I said KIT! This kit contains everything you need to make 3 lovely necklaces, including two sterling silver chains and one black rubber necklace with sterling clasp. The price of the whole thing? Less than $50! Yep, that’s 3 gifts, less than $50. Does shopping get any better than that? Not to mention that there is enough contents in the kit to make extra “Little Windows” for magnets, key chains, or even more pendants. I hope my mom and MIL aren’t reading this post now, because I’m letting the Christmas gift cat out of the bag!

I’ve been really busy lately, and almost forgot to post about my latest new product: Pirate Booty, er treasure, Soap! I’m super proud of this one. It has a chocolate brown base with glittery coins piled atop. I scented it with bubble gum, but I’m also going to do a version in chocolate too (as in “chocolate coins”). What ‘cha think?

I have been researching sources of cheap or free advertising for you, my loyal readers! The Free Advertising Sites and Tips article on my website lists many sources, and I have to update it with this one:

I have stumbled across an interesting site, PayPerPost. There are two aspects to this site, one in which bloggers take assignments and write about a given topic. The blogger gets paid if they meet the specifications of the assignment. The other aspect of the site is one in which you can hire a blogger to write about your product or service. Both of these aspects are appealing to me, and I’m thinking they can be useful to you as well.

On the one hand, getting a little extra cash for blogging ain’t a bad idea. I mean, you peruse the opportunities, which gives you ideas for topics, and write an entry. You’d be writing anyway, right? Earning a little pocket change is a bonus!

On the other hand, and I gotta tell you that this is the one that intrigues me the most, PayPerPost is a virtual lair of bloggers clamoring to write about your product or service. You can browse bloggers, take a look at their blogs, check their Google page rank…basically interview them for the job. So, no, it isn’t free advertising. BUT- many bloggers charge only $5 to write about you. Find the right blogger, get targeted advertising.

Or, BE the right blogger, get paid to blog, and make money writing the targeted advertising.

Either way, PayPerPost can be a winning marketing strategy.

I just posted an article on my website detailing some sources of free advertising I have found lately. AND I promise that none of them involve ordering free business cards from VistaPrint! Some of them are pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself! Hop on over and check the article out!

Article: Free Advertising For Home Based Businesses

All four of us have been sick this week. I’ve cleaned up a lot of…stuff. The last mess I cleaned up was one of those messes that you just look at and wonder where in the world to start. If you’re a mom, chances are you’ve been there.

Well, this last mess, I just aimed my stain remover at it and started spraying. I patted the area down with paper towels, then sprayed it again. It was “lather, rinse, repeat” for about three or four cycles, then I started seeing the end of the tunnel. After a few more squirts and pats, I just blotted up the rest of the moisture. What was left behind? Amazingly, nothing. No smell, even.

I wanted to share this with you because I have found an amazing carpet cleaner that even cleans up gross sticky messes with relative ease. It’s Folex. I got it at Target, but I’m pretty sure it’s available nationally in other mass market stores. If you check out their website, they’ll direct you to a retailer near you.

Just thought I’d share.

Okay. Forgive me if you think this is a silly post, but I just have to share this. I just ordered a pizza online for the first time. Now, when I was pregnant with my son (a couple of years ago) I worked for a company that routed pizza orders to my home. It was a mess: people waiting a couple of hours for their pizzas, people getting charged too much, and on and on. So much mess that I have been reluctant to order from one of the big three since then.

Until tonight.

I just ordered from Dominos. It was kind of random, and I kinda like their thin crust pizza. Plus, they say I can get my pizza in about 30 minutes. After I checked out, I was directed to a page detailing my pizza progression. Seriously. Apparently, Bonita began prepping my pizza at 8:19 p.m., put it in the oven at 8:24 p.m., and the “delivery expert,” Manuel, left to deliver my pizza at 8:35 p.m.

Spooky…And a little reassuring. Nothing in South Florida moves that fast, or that smoothly. I’ll be amazed if…

Oh man! They’re here! Okay, I’m officially creeped out.

In a good way.