Mother’s Day Flowers, originally uploaded by SoapChickAsh.

We sure hope that all the moms out there were spoiled rotten with fabulous gifts, lots of whine-free hours and sticky, peanut-buttery hugs and kisses from kids.

I am hunkering down for a wet and rainy Easter, which is perfect since I have it on good authority that the Easter Bunny is bringing everyone rainboots this year.

For the rest of you, Soapchix Ash and I wish warm breezes, blue skies, and lots and lots of fun!

These wonderfull springtime pictures are courtesy of the lovely and talented ladies we’ve been inspired by over on our Serendipity Bath Co. Flickr group. Click through to see links to their individual photostreams. And, if you are on flickr, go join our group and add to the fun!

–Soapchix Tiff

(PS…speaking of rainboots, check out this group of cute boots, and even Target is getting in on the action with their selection of cute styles! I think I just found my new obsession, soap friends. Let the rain begin!!!

Baths are magical things.

And I don’t mean just for our kids, although I spent a lovely hour listening to my 4 year old talk to me about mermaids when she was bathing. It was happy and peaceful until she announced it was time to get out, “before the megalodon gets me!”

When was the last time YOU took a bath? If it’s been a while, might we recommend you try one again? Heavens knows there is enough going on in the ‘real world’, everyone could use a little down time! So claim your bath as a refuge again! It’s hard to feel weighted down when the gentle buoyancy of the water is making you weightless. Pop in a bath bomb or two (now on sale!), or, if you’re really feeling indulgent, add a capful of Honeybuns oil into the water.

And if you’ve really forgotten how to relax in a tub, just do what my daughter does: lean back until your head and shoulders are being held up by the water…submerging your ears so everything is muffled. Breathe big, deep breaths and listen to the air go in and out of your lungs. Close your eyes and smile. Then…and this is the most important part…dream. I don’t mean dream that you have a million dollars, or that your car was paid off, or that you never had to make breakfast again. Dream like you did when you were little. Dream a mermaid dream!

Happy soaping!

The Soapchix

Soapmaking, originally uploaded by SoapChickAsh.

……you get a voice mail message from your mother. In it, she tells you in a very soft, sweet Southern accent that something just awwwwful alllllllmost haaaaapened todaaaaay. Well, hearing that gets one’s attention! The rest of the message was that my dear sweet father went to the grocery store (the Piggly Wiggly, of course) to buy some soap—–the detergent-filled not-made-by-his-daughter-kind! My mother wanted to know in her voice mail why I hadn’t sent them any soap in a while and just how-in-the-world could I expect them to use store-bought soap!? Well, of course, I don’t! I’ve just been a bit busy, that’s all. (And I feel like a teenager again being chastised for leaving wet towels on the floor).

When I called my mom back, she let me know that true harm never came to Dad. She told him to back away from the overly-processed soap and she found a bar of Rosemary Mint in the linen closet. Honestly, I don’t think he knows they have a linen closet. Or that soap could be hiding there….Anyway, crisis averted!

Now, Mom I just want you to know that several bars of lovingly-crafted soap is on its way. Go have a glass of sweet tea and relax and know that your support–and Dads—is truly appreciated!

St. Patrick’s Day Bling, originally uploaded by SoapChickAsh.

We hope that everyone has their Irish groove on today and is celebrating in style. Have a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day!

Soap and Bubble, originally uploaded by SoapChickAsh.

Another great reason to use (our) soap: the environment. I just read a great article in Country Living Magazine called the Country Living Eco-Challenge. According to it, if each American household used bar soap rather than liquid soap, 2.5 million pounds of plastic would be kept OUT of landfills. Most liquid soaps come in bottles made of un-recyclable plastic. Who knew?

So now that you are feeling greener, are you ready to raise the bar…(OK, bad pun), check out Serendipity Bath Co. for great handmade soaps!

glowing soap, originally uploaded by SoapChickAsh.

I just wanted to share this photo of my 4 year old holding some of our Night, Night, Baby! soap. Apparently this stuff is so good heavenly rays of light will shine upon it! :)

A truly ridiculous thing happened to Tiff and I a couple of weeks ago. I personally think of it as a small miracle, my husband with his oh-so-logical mind would call this a sign of the apocalyptic sort rather than a miraculous sort. OK, that’s an exaggeration but honestly, I’ve avoided telling him this because I can forsee (and want to avoid) the eyeroll.

Tiff and were chatting on the phone about our newsletter for this month. We wanted to profile the Sweetheart Baby soap since it was, well, an obvious choice for Valentine’s Day. I was beginning to panic about it though because I wasn’t sure we had enough and knew there wasn’t enough time to whip up some more. So while we chatted I was in the soap lair taking a mental inventory (and fretting) when I saw a basket filled with little packages of sample soaps. So I am telling Tiff, “ooohh…we have these sample soaps….let’s give them away! How did I forget that we had these….” when I saw them. They were playing peekaboo from the bottom of the basket…..more Sweetheart Baby soaps! And boy did they smell delicious! I swear angels started singing..or was that just Tiff and I laughing our butts off at this Happy Find?

And yes, we do recognize that our Happy Find is also an indication we need better inventory control. Lesson learned!

What made me laugh the most was how we both said at the same time, “A Valentine’s Day Miracle!” I could imagine her doing a happy dance all the way over in Colorado as I was here in Illinois. So some things remain the same: despite being miles apart we can still manage to be on the same wavelength and share a laugh.

So there it is. Our little Valentine’s Day miracle!

Happy Valentines Day from the Soapchix!

For some reason, all day I’ve been singing “Let Your Love Flow”…that old song by someone I can’t remember. The pictures I took of the balloon hubby got for me go perfectly with the lyrics:

“Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine and you’ll know what I mean
That’s the reason…”

I hope you’ve let your love shine today!

Tiff and I are always interested in reading about and meeting other entreprenurial moms, especially creative ones. We’ve mentioned the Farm Chicks, whom we adore (and we highly recommend that you check out their site.) and now we have a new blog we’d like to mention. It is called A Bushel and a Peck and the owner is a mom and fellow Coloradan (for Tiff, that is!) that makes adorable aprons, frames and paper goods. And seriously cute handmade kids clothes that I’m sure certain little Soap Chicklets would look very cute in.
I liked this picture frame:

Right now, she is celebrating one year in business (Congrats!) and is having a huge giveway. Check out her blog, leave her a nice comment about something great on her site that you have seen and you will be entered to win a gift certificate to her sweet etsy store. Cool, eh?! Plus, you just never know what perusing her blog will inspire you to do. So check it out and let her know the Soap Chix sent you!

In fact, once I hit “publish” on this post I’m going to do a bit of shopping myself.