Givin' My Feet a Super Sweet Treat

Am I the only one who's tired of Winter and has the hands and feet to prove it?  Oh my gosh, they're so dry and chapped, even with frequent applications of superior moisturizing lotion!  This dry, cold air is wreaking havoc on my skin, just as, I'm sure, it's doing to yours, too.

But there's hope.  According to the calendar (if not the meteorologist), Spring is a mere two weeks away - give or take a day or two - and soon after that, the weather will once more warm up enough for us to don the latest and cutest sandals, whether they're last year's cute Spring purchase or will be brand new this year.  Now, how to get your tootsies ready for those stinkin' cute shoes without breaking the bank on a salon pedicure?  Sweet Treats for Summer Feet is your answer!

Sweet Treats for Summer Feet will help you get those Winter-weary, dried out, rough-skinned feet back into prime sandal condition.  Each kit contains a hefty 5-ounce bar of shea butter and sugar glycerin scrub soap, a pumice bar to tackle those really stubborn calluses and 4 ounces of goat's milk and shea lotion, scented with a tingly essential oil blend.  I also include my tips for best results.  I'm following one right now, sitting around with white cotton socks on in order to allow my own body heat to help all that luscious moisturizer to do its best work.

After your feet are exfoliated and you've slathered them with a rich emollient cream, then you're ready to top those tootsies with some color.  I LOVE Sally's Beauty Supply for the best nail polishes!  Sure, they're a bit more expensive than you'll find at your local drugstore, but these are top-of-the-line, salon-quality nail polishes.  Can't beat them for sharp, long-lasting color and brilliant shine.

Today's Featured Soap

It has no frills, no fuss, no anything except for all-natural, vegan-friendly goodness.  It's Just Plain Soap.  I created this soap a couple of years ago to meet the demand for a moisturizing soap that's well-suited for people who are sensitive to particular fragrances.  Many people who claim they're "allergic to soaps" aren't allergic to soaps so much as they're allergic to the synthetic chemicals in detergent bars, likely including the perfumes used in them, the artificial fragrances.  Still, some people are sensitive to even essential oils, which are 100% natural and plant-derived.  So, for all those people who prefer unscented, natural soaps, there is Just Plain Soap.

Soaps and Lotions for Haiti

An earthquake hit, and hundreds of thousands of people died.

An earthquake hit a small island nation, and thousands more were injured.

An earthquake hit, and hundreds of thousands more are without homes, without clothes, without food, without water.

Then the call came - twice.  The first came through the WSP Soap and Candle forums via a post echoing an article in Saponifier magazine.  The second call came by email from Leigh O'Donnell, president of the Handcrafter Soapmakers Guild. 

The call came, and I answered it.

With the high number of injured people in Haiti and poor sanitary conditions following the earthquake, disease and the spread of bacteria are now rising as serious problems on top of the problems already existent.  The call that came through the HSMG and Saponifier magazine was for soap and lotions - soaps to clean skin, helping prevent the spread of diseases; and lotions to soothe dry, parched skin which, in turn, helps promote wound healing by keeping the skin supple.

I didn't think twice about it.  I had lotions that I'd made while we lived in Durham that were now over a year old, and I had soaps that were on clearance for the better part of last year that were cluttering up my website and taking up space on my soap shelves.  I had a choice to make:  I could keep these products for our own use, or I could send them to Haiti.  They have a much greater need for soaps than we do.

The above picture is of all the products that I sent to Haiti.  I couldn't tell you an exact count, but I'd guess there are close to 100 soaps there and over 40 lotions, in addition to close to 20 body washes.  They went in two separate boxes to Haiti.

The First 33 Pounds

The weight of those soaps boxed up came to a full 33 pounds, and there wasn't any packing material in the box; those 33 pounds were nothing but soaps and cardboard.  That box went to Missionary Flights International to continue on to Haiti.

The Second 16 pounds

All those unwrapped soaps and the lotions and body washes are heading to Haiti via Clean the World, an Orlando-based organization that sterilizes unwrapped soaps and lotions before sending them to countries where hygiene might be suspect. 

I ask for you to please pray for the people who will be receiving thes soaps and lotions.  Pray for healing, nourishment and allow them to be reunited with family.  Please pray for those at Clean the World and MFI who will be going through and sorting,  And lastly, please pray for those medical teams that are down there now, helping and serving those most in need.

A Little to the Left... Ahhh, there

From the moment we're born, touch is a major part of our lives.  We're wrapped snuggly in a blanket and placed in our mother's arms, where we're warm, secure and happy.  As we grow into children, that need and desire for touch doesn't disappear; it manifests itself in holding hands with our friends, hugging our parents (or, in my older daughter's case, hugging anyone who'll stand still long enough) and sitting on an available lap.  When we hit our teens, we're holding hands with members of the opposite sex, hugging our girlfriends, back-thumping our guy friends and still hugging our parents - when no one's around to see us.

Then what happens?  I don't know, but somewhere between going off to college and entering the "real world," we forget that we need touch, so we're often left feeling bereft, but not quite sure what's missing or how to fill that void.  Most of us date people, getting intimate touches.  We eventually get married, complete with its touches, and life continues with holding hands, kissing, making love, spooning at night and cuddling on the sofa while watching a movie.

How often, though, do we as adults get those soothing, comforting touches that were ours as children?  I'd suggest, not very often, and that's where a good massage comes in.  I'm aware that there's a split between those for massage and those against.  I'd suggest that those who are against it think of it as something dirty, something that's lurid and perverted, best kept to the back rooms of "massage parlours."  Those who think massages are wonderful recognize their therapeutic benefits.

There are three main types of massage for adults:  Therapeutic, relaxing and erotic.  Therapeutic massages are those that often work deeper tissues, working out muscle knots or cramps, maybe even alleviating headaches with the right touch.  I picture a tiny little Japanese woman walking on the back of the person she's massaging.  Relaxing massages aren't quite as deep, focusing instead on soothing tensions and using touch to lull a person into a state of relaxation and a cessation of tension.  Erotic massages are made to tease and tantalize more than relax.  The fundamental bliss of human contact is still there, but in this case, the emphasis is on paying special attention to the erogenous zones and using touch to heighten and enflame the senses.  Erotic massages often lead to a "happy ending," if both parties are in agreement about it.  (Google for more information on massages.)

My new massage oil is a proprietary blend of high quality, 100% natural oils chosen especially for the unique properties each one brings to a massage.  Some oils absorb quickly into the skin.  Others have a really nice slide.  Still others contain vitamins or antioxidants, making the oils themselves very good for the skin.  They come in a variety of fragrances and I'll soon be adding flavors.  I encourage you to pick up a bottle today and try it out.  They come in two sizes - an 8-ounce bottle for your bedside table and a 2-ounce bottle that's sized to fly to a romantic get-away.  You won't be sorry!

In a later article,I'll discuss the benfits of massage on babies.

Coming Soon! Edible Massage Oil

...But I need your help first.

Massage oils in scents is easy - unscented, lavender, rose, patchouli, vanilla and maybe some custom blends.

Massage oils in flavors is a bit more challenging, and this is where I need your help.  Please take just a moment to vote in the poll to the right here ------> Yeah, that's it... And let me hear your opinion on what flavors you'd want to use in a flavored massage oil.  This product would have the same luxurious benefits as regular massage oil, but with the added treat of being flavored with an ingestible flavor oil, making whatever may follow your massage more enjoyable.  'Cause, really, something may smell great, but it may not necessarily taste so great.

The poll closes in a week, on 31 January, so go ahead and cast your vote while it's still fresh on your mind.  You may vote for more than one flavor.

Thanks so much!  I appreciate your help. :-)