My Bath Runneth Over!

Bird bath that is. Anybody else as tickled as I am that I don't have to fill up my bird bath anymore!!? Rain is a glorious thing! Here are some other cool bird baths in the Austin area, courtesy of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Master Gardener Tour. (Click the pic to get a better look.)  I bet they know what I'm talkin' bout!

Lovely Lantana

I can't believe how profusely our lantanas are blooming right now.  They have a spicy pungent aroma that I like, but some people find it fairly obnoxious.  Drought resistant Lantana urticoides is one of those plants with scarce and conflicting reports on it's usefulness in herbal medicine, so to be safe, I'm only going to discuss its topical uses here.  The berries are toxic and the spiny nature of the plants can cause dermatitis, but surprisingly, the leaf has actually been known to soothe insect bites, stings, cuts, scrapes, and rashes.  I can't say that I've ever seen a lantana leaf salve, but I'd like to stir one up someday.  Lantana leaf tea has traditionally been used in the bath to relieve rheumatism, arthritis, and other minor aches and pains.  Plus dried lantana leaves can also be burned as an incense that safely repels mosquitoes and other biting insects.  

Mostly, I'm just sayin they look lovely in the native landscape.

Symbiotic Relationship

What did the little green seedling say to the leaf?
"There's a fungus among us."

(I found this outside the soap shop front door....that seedling is actually growing up through the mushroom!  Awesome!)


But look what Jackie & Jory found this morning!  They one-upped me!!!

Global Handwashing Day Oct. 15

 The driving theme for Global Handwashing Day is children and schools, and the main objectives of this global celebration are: 

* Foster and support a global and local culture of handwashing with soap.

 * Shine a spotlight on the state of handwashing in each country. 

*  Raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap. 

Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at the critical occasions.  More handwashing with soap means lower rates of infectious disease.  

Clean Hands Saves Lives!

To Market To Market

I've been sinking a lot of time lately into the Manor Farmers Market, not because I think I'm going to get rich there or anything...but because I firmly believe that local sustainable agriculture and strong communities are our best bets for the future. Forget what crooked politicians and greedy ceo's are doing. They're going to do it anyway. I've decided to focus my energy closer to home because that's where I stand to make the biggest impact. That's where I can actually make a difference.

So here's Jackie and Jory and I selling soap at our market. There's only about 6 or 8 vendors there right now and maybe two dozen shoppers (on a good day!), but that's OK. I know that it takes time and commitment to build anything worthwhile.

Visit your farmers market, find out about your local harvest, and get out and meet and greet your neighbors. Communities working together for a positive future is what it's all about these days. Don't you think?

Easy Fall Fundraisers

Our unique, easy Fall fundraisers are an eco-friendly way to reap big profits for your organization. You'll feel good about promoting our family owned, handmade natural soaps and body balms and your parents, neighbors, coworkers and friends will feel even better about receiving them! Choose from 2 easy fundraiser programs.

Easy Resale Fundraiser Program

Your group purchases our products up front for 40% off the retail cost. You get a special discount code to use online. We ship one large order to your designated address. You resell the products at your fundraising events and keep all the proceeds!

Super Easy Online Fundrasier Program

Your group simply passes out the business cards that we provide and your supporters go online to place their orders using the special group discount code on the card that earmarks the sale for your group. At the end of the fundraiser you'll receive a check for 30% of the sales (before shipping) plus copies of all orders placed using your code. We ship the orders to the individuals as they are placed. You sit back and pat yourself on the back. Sound too easy? Well.... it is!

Visit the fundrasier page on our website to learn more.