Finding Zen Again

I stepped into the soap shop this morning and was greeted by a soft, bubbly, babbling brook sound.  Very nice...I thought....but I don't remember buying one of those little zen waterfalls?   Was this an attempt by my family to get me to relax and unwind?  Then it finally dawned on me.  Of course!  Jory's compost tea!

This is the first batch of the season so I'd forgotten how pleasant that bubbling sound can be.  Maybe not as glamorous as a little zen waterfall (though that's debatable)...but far FAR more useful I'd say.  Our gardens beg to be drenched in it.  Our houseplants soar to new heights when they get a taste of it.  Our worms are more than happy to provide the microbes that form the basis of it.  And lord knows we've been able to catch plenty of rainwater to supercharge it with.

You know... if I stare out the open window at the twittering birds and scampering squirrels amidst the lush foliage that those recent rains have brought on....I can easily imagine that I'm sitting next to a peaceful babbling brook.  My mind begins to clear and my muscles start to melt.  That paired with visions of all the nasty artificial fertilizers that I know we're NOT poisoning our planet with...and hey...who needs those cheesy little zen waterfalls from China anyway?  The reality of compost tea is where it's at for me.  Babble on, baby.  Babble on.

The Earth Day UN-Sale

50% off?  Free shipping?  Buy 1 get 1 free?  Nope.  Not today.  Because the best thing we can do for Mother Earth today is to buy....absolutely....nothing.  That's right.  I'm asking you not to buy a single thing today.  Just think of all the electronic cash registers that's won't have to ring.  All the goods that won't have to be carted home in gas guzzling vehicles.  All the stuff UPS trucks won't have to pick up.  Over-consumption is a huge problem here in America. "Reduce" is the first and most important part of the 3 R's.  So take advantage of our 1st Annual Earth Day UN-Sale.  So far we haven't made a single sale on our website (which is unusual).  Works for me.  Happy Earth Day!

First Mater!

Jory just sent this over from the garden...the first tomato of 2010!  To anyone who doesn't garden, this probably isn't too big a deal...but to soapmakers who also wanna be farmers, this is a BIG DEAL.

As you can see, most of his tomatoes are growing in burlap bags filled with compost.  All that plastic will come off before too long.  It helps them stay nice and toasty during the cooler evenings.  With 90 tomato plants in the ground, we've only just begun!  Of course he has lots of other vegetables in his new circle garden too, but I'll tell you about those another time.  This day is reserved for the very first tomato sighting.  Oh happy day... and even happier days to come when we bite into that first vine ripened tomato!  Yummmm

New & Improved Woof Wild Dog Shampoo

Jory unmolded our very first bars of the new & improved Woof Wild Dog Shampoo yesterday.  Pretty cute huh?  But cute is not what they're really all about. By combining our 2 old tried and true recipes into one new super formula, our new dog shampoo bars are now one of the most effective natural dog products on the market.  Scented with a  refreshing herbal essential oil blend of lavandin, tea tree, cornmint, rosemary and cedarwood, they clean, condition, deodorize, and help repel bugs all in one step, while being extra gentle and mild.  Even dogs with serious skin allergies can use them!  Now that the weather's warming up, it won't be long before Fido needs his first bath.  These awesome new shampoo bars will be available on our website soon.  And let me tell you they smell...simply...FANTASTIC!

CNN Small Business Success Story

Soap Bartender Maggie Hanus' A Wild Soap Bar will be featured on HLN (CNN's sister station) during Robin Meade's Morning Express Show during the 6:00am eastern hour on Mon. April 5, the 6:30am eastern hour on Wed. April 7, and again during the 9:00am eastern hour on Thurs. April 8.  The producer recommends watching the whole hour because she never knows exactly when it will air.  But in case you're not an early bird, you can log on to CNN's website for a recap.

Born in the kitchen of Maggie's log cabin home back in 1995, A Wild Soap Bar's premium natural soaps and body balms can now be found at Whole Foods Market, Central Market, HEB Grocery, and more than 100 fine retailers across the country.  You can also purchase them in the Austin area at the Manor Farmers Market, Hope Farmers Market, and Barton Creek Farmers Market.  Stop by one of the local markets to meet the AWSB crew face to face, or visit their website to learn more.  Cheers!

Surf's Up!

Ok, maybe it's not quite as good as seeing the Virgin Mary on a tortilla...but I still wanted to share this soap bar with you...WIPEOUT!!!