Happy Holidays

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday

and happy new year!

Etsy Treasury Feature

Our plaid soaps were included in another Etsy treasury. Lovely, fun colors! There are some really interesting products featured here. Take a peek. :-)

And the Winner Is....

We have a winner for our giveaway.

Audrey's Country Crafts

will receive one set of 2 guest size plaid Christmas soaps and a matching soy candle tin in her favorite scent: Winter Wonderland, Home for the Holidays, Cranberry Fig, or Frasier Fir.

Audrey, please contact me at bonniebath@bellsouth.net with your scent selection and address and I will get your prize out to you right away.

Don't worry everyone! I will have more giveaways, specials, discounts, articles, recipes, and more. Stay tuned!

Winter Frost Etsy Treasury

Our Sweet Jasmine bath salts are shown in the upper right corner of this Etsy treasury entitled "Winter Frost." One picture is missing, apparently a known Etsy bug, but the overall theme can easily be observed.

Giveaway - Holiday Soaps and Candles

It's a Holiday Giveaway for our followers. We are giving away one set of our new Plaid Christmas guest soaps in your choice of scents - Frasier Fir, Home for the Holidays, Cranberry Fig, or Winter Wonderland with a matching 6 oz soy candle tin.

2 Guest Soaps in a Red Organza Bag

6 oz Soy Candle in Tin (shown here in Jasmine)
May be red, green or white depending on chosen scent.

What do you need to do to enter? First follow our blog through a newsfeed like Google Reader or select the Follow widget on the side bar. Then post a hello telling us you are a follower and want to win. Invite friends to follow us for extra chances to win. Just post an additional comment for each friend that follows us that was referred by you.

Deadline to enter is December 10, 2009 at 11pm. We will randomly choose a lucky winner and you'll receive your prize by Christmas. Start posting your comments now!!

PS: I've fixed the posting issue, so you should have no problem posting a comment now.

New Plaid Soaps

New plaid soaps for the holidays. Check out our new Christmas Plaid Soaps on our Etsy shop (click here) in Frasier Fir, Home for the Holidays, Winter Wonderland, and Cranberry Fig. New gold and silver plaid coming soon.

Our soaps are featured in this lovely Etsy treasury. Everyone's products are just amazing. I'm honored to be included.

SALE Black Friday - Cyber Monday

Don’t miss our sale Black Friday through Cyber Monday, Nov. 27th-30th. Free shipping on all orders $75 or more. Lots of items on sale. www.etsy.com/shop/bonniebath or http://www.artfire.com/users/BonnieBath.
The Bonnie Bath Co. products include cold-process soaps, bath salts, lotions, bath teas, bath melts & bombs, sachets, body butters and creams, bath & massage oils, milk baths, body scrubs, candles and specialty items for children and our gentle Wee Bonnie Baath baby line. Scents include: Mountain Heather, Fields of Lavender, Wild Irish Rose, Brigid’s Amber, Sweet Jasmine, Lemon Lavender, Orange Blossom, Scotch Pine and Whisky, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Wildewood Mint and Nettle, Celtic Sea Mist, Irish Cream, Guinness Spice, Fresh Irish Moss, Highland Fling, and more.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Celtic Treasures from Etsy

It's time to think about the holidays. Our gift guide is almost ready and will be mailed shortly. If you are not already on our mailing list, please email me and I will make sure you are placed on it. Our website is in the final stages of production. We have new items coming out soon, including solid perfumes, shaving soaps and accessories, Tartan soaps, and magical kids products. And we have listed many of our products on Etsy and Artfire.

Here is a treasury on Etsy featuring Celtic designs. Our soaps are in the center surrounded by some amazing products for the Scots, Irish, and Welsh, or anyone that loves Celtic wares. Enjoy!

Veteran's Day

Freedom is Not Free
by Ashley Persyn

There is a price we pay for freedom
For it is not truly free
But rather paid for by the contributions of veterans
To buy our liberty

As their blood drains from their body and runs like a river through the grass
Over the years it's forgotten, war is placed in our past
I don't think we all realize the importance veterans play
as they voluntarily serve America each and every day

We should honor the veterans for they act like a shield
Protecting us from danger, keeping America healed.
So if you would take a second to commemorate
You will instantly see
We owe veterans our gratitude
For they are the reason we are free

Etsy and Artfire Shops Are Up

Our website is almost finished. As part of our promotional campaign, we have also opened shops on Etsy and Artfire. Have you been hanging on to your coupon code from an event for your holiday shopping? Well you can use it at either of these sites or our very own website.

Take a peek at our soaps and gift sets. We have lots more to put in the stores, but this will allow you to start shopping (or window shopping) now!

Artfire is easier to use the coupon code. http://www.artfire.com/users/BonnieBath

But on Etsy you can convo me and I will refund the difference. http://www.etsy.com/shop/BonnieBath

Stay tuned for more news! Happy shopping!

Our Sympathies For Fort Hood, TX

We would like to pass our sympathies to all affected by the attack on Fort Hood, TX today. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured and peace to the families that have suffered a loss.

Coming soon...

Our website is nearing completion now that we finally have a little spare time to start handing over the product photos and descriptions to the web designer. We still need to finish writing a few more pages of information.

Also, on it's way is our gift giving guide. Find something for everyone on your holiday list. If you are on our mailing list, you will receive a guide soon.

Stay tuned. We just wanted to let you know, we'll be up and running soon. Thanks for your patience.

Happy Halloween

And the Winner Is...

For those of you that attended the Stone Mountain Highland Games, you may know that The Bonnie Bath Co. was raffling off a wonderful gift basket of lavender goodies valuing $55 to one lucky winner that signed up for the mailing list. Well, we drew the name at 4:30 that Sunday and have our winner.

Congratulations to Anita C.!

This loaded gift basket is being sent to Anita as we speak. Thank you to all that signed up for our mailing list. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of other contests soon.

Stone Mountain Show a Success

I'm finally back (well in body, not in mind) from Stone Mountain where we sold our products at the highland games (we have an extensive line of Celtic designs and scents). Everything was awesome except I was freezing. When I left S. FL, the temp was 90 degrees. It was in the 30's and 40's at the games. While the temp itself wasn't bad, that mountain wind had me shivering the whole day.

Our sales were high, the area was stunning, we had great fun, and the people were so nice. It was a very pleasant experience all around. Here are a couple photos of my display, which was literally slapped together, so don't judge me too harshly. I hope to refine it at our next show in January at the South Florida Scottish Festival and Highland Games (try saying that 3 times fast).

It's great to be back. I am now working on getting my website finished once and for all. I promised everyone at Stone Mountain that my website would be up the first week of November, so I need to get a move on, so stay tuned!

Getting Ready For a Big Event

We are busy getting ready to sell our products at the Stone Mountain Highland Games this weekend. The games take place on Sat and Sun, Oct. 17-18th in Stone Mountain, GA. The weather will be in the 50s which is a bit chilly for South Floridians, but we welcome the change as the temps have been in the 90s lately. The leaves should be changing colors, something I have never seen in person, so it will be a very exciting.

If you can make it to our tent at the games, mention my blog and receive a 20% discount. I will post some pictures of the event and such for your viewing pleasure, so stay tuned.

Sneak Peek - Candles, Sachets, & Lip Balms

More sneak peeks from The Bonnie Bath Co. - A little home fragrance and some natural lip balms.

More sneak peeks coming soon!

Sneak Peek - Salts and Lotions

Lots of pretty colors. These salts and lotions are bottled and just need the label and finishing touches added, as we count down to the Stone Mountain Highland Games in just 2 weeks.

More peeks coming soon!

Sneak Peek - Soaps and Bath Bombs

While I was shifting stuff around, wrapping soap, and packaging products for a huge event in 3 weeks, I thought I would snap a couple of photos to keep you all mildly (barely) entertained with some sneak peeks while I continue getting ready for my event.

More peeks coming soon!

Sneak

While I was shifting stuff around, wrapping soap, and packaging products for a huge event in 3 weeks, I thought I would snap a couple of photos to keep you all mildly (barely) entertained with some sneak peeks while I continue getting ready for my event.

The First Day of Autumn

"In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfies
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
the grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all,
Flowers in the summer
Fires in the fall! "

- Robert Louis Stevenson, Autumn Fires

How to Set the Scene for a Relaxing Bath

If you’re as busy and stressed as most of us, you may not take time out to care for yourself very often, but to maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit, you should incorporate some time into your schedule for relaxation. A bath is a great way to unwind at the end of the day.

Here are some tips for setting the scene. Choose the ones that you are comfortable with using.

1. Time for privacy. You cannot relax if you are being interrupted. So it's important to keep the phone out of the bathroom, tell your spouse to watch the kids, or avoid interrupting, and lock the door.

2. You may enjoy music. Set up a portable radio or CD player AWAY from the tub to listen to some relaxing music. While this is a great relaxation technique, it's not for everyone. So if you prefer quiet, skip this step.

3. Use candles or dim the light. Candles are excellent for promoting relaxation, especially if using aromatherapy candles or a scent that brings you positive feelings. Hey, if grandma's cookies relax you, get a candle in a cookie scent.

4. Get out your bath products. Bath salts, milks, teas, melts, bombs, oils and bubble baths are wonderful bathing experiences. Choose from one of our products or use your kid's Mr. Bubbles. Anyway you can enjoy yourself in the tub will reduce stress.

5. You can use some treatments while you're at it. Pampering yourself will certainly make you feel better and should be a part of a regular routine. Scrubs and polishes, masques, or even a good bath brush are perfect ways to pamper yourself during your tub time.

6. While you are in the pampering mood, you can slather yourself with oils, lotions or butters after the tub, giving your skin nourishing vitamins and minerals and locking in moisture.

Set a schedule each week for a relaxing bath. Keeping a schedule will keep your stress under control. Don’t feel guilty about it either —you deserve it!

How to Read a Label - Part One

How to Read a Label

by the WebMD Medical Reference

Confused about all the competing information on your cosmetic and skin-care products these days? Don't be. Here's our simple guide to reading cosmetic labels.

Alcohol free. In cosmetic labeling, the term "alcohol," used by itself, refers to ethyl alcohol. Cosmetic products, including those labeled "alcohol free," may contain other alcohols, such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl or lanolin alcohol. These are known as fatty alcohols, and their effects on the skin are quite different from those of ethyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol, which some consumers may think of as drying the skin, is rarely used in cosmetics.

"Cruelty-free or Not Tested on Animals." Although this statement implies the product hasn't been tested on animals, at some point most ingredients have been tested on animals. Look for the words "no new testing," or "not currently tested." The FDA also notes that there is no legal definition for these terms.

Hypoallergenic cosmetics. Products that manufacturers claim produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products. However, there are no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term or ensure that these products are less irritating to sensitive skin than others.

Ingredients. The FDA requires that cosmetic manufacturers list all ingredients on the labels of cosmetics sold on a retail basis to consumers- even if the label states "For professional use only." Ingredients are listed in order from the greatest to the least amount.
Noncomedogenic. Suggests products do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients that could result in acne.

Shelf-life (expiration date). The amount of time for which a product is good under normal conditions of storage and use. Storing cosmetics in damp, warm places like a bathroom can lead to earlier expiration.

Essential Oils, Absolutes, Resins & Hydrosols

Essential oils, absolutes, resins, and hydrosols can be found in many of our products. They have all undergone a process for extracting the essence of plant materials while maintaining the therapeutic properties of the plant. These are not methods that commonly can be used at home or in a small shop. These methods require vast amounts of plant substances, such as flowers and leaves, which are placed in large distillers, only to produce a small amount of oil. This explains why a bad crop or a rare plant will lead to extremely high prices for an essential oil or hydrosol.

Essential Oils
You may already be familiar with essential oils. An essential oil is a liquid that is distilled, typically by steam distillation, from the leaves, flowers, stems, roots, bark, or other parts of a plant. The distillation process allows the “essence” of the plant and its therapeutic qualities to remain intact. Essential oils are highly concentrated and should be used sparingly. Lavender and Tea Tree oil are safe for direct skin contact, but all other essential oils must be diluted before applying to the skin. They are used for both their aroma and their medicinal qualities and can be used in most of your products.

Fragrance oils are artificially created or contain synthetic substances and do not offer the therapeutic benefits that essential oils do. Either manner of scenting products is perfectly acceptable, but if you are looking for natural ingredients with therapeutic qualities, essential oils would be your choice.

Absolutes and Resins
Absolutes and resins are similar to essential oils. Absolute oils are extracted from flowers, leaves or bark. While essential oils are produced by steam distillation, flowers that are too delicate for this process, such as jasmine or vanilla, are extracted with a solvent, usually alcohol. Absolutes are very concentrated as well. While they do not maintain the qualities of the plant to the extent that essential oils do, they can be used to make perfumes and are soluble in alcohol.

Hydrosols (Floral Waters)
Hydrosols, or floral waters as they are sometimes called, are also produced from steam-distilling plants. They are similar to essential oils but less concentrated. Be careful when you look for hydrosols, as many companies sell essential oil diluted in water and call it a hydrosol or floral water. You want true steam-distilled hydrosols that contain all the beneficial components that essential oils possess, with less concentration. Hydrosols are usually a by-product of essential oil production, but some high quality distillers choose to specialize in making only hydrosols. Since hydrosols are not very concentrated, some can be used directly on the skin, such as rose hydrosol, which makes an excellent facial astringent. Their scent will not hold up well in cold-process soaps, but they are great in lotions and creams.

Remembering September 11th

Remembering the victims and the heroes, the survivors and surviving familes, the devastation and the unity of our nation on the anniversary of September 11, 2001. We'd also like to thank those brave men and women in the armed forces who continue to keep our country safe and work to rid terrorism with each small step.

The Bonnie Bath Co. Scents and Designs

As I await the completion of my website, I thought I would give you an idea of what products we will have and the list of scents.

Products we will be offering:

Bar soaps - Swirled, layered, and solid, many with dried botanicals and herbs on top.

Celtic soaps - Many Celtic designs in solid colors with gold or silver mica dusting.

Lotions - Goat's milk and Shea butter

Body Butters - with Shea butter

Body scrubs - Both sugar and salt scrubs with Shea butter and oils

Lip Balms - natural flavorings with honey and beeswax

Bath Salts - Dead sea salts with essential oils and botanicals

Bath Teas - real tea for the tub, lots of botanicals and essential oils

Bath Bombs - Fizzing tub bombs and Celtic tablets with botanicals

Bath Melts - with Shea butter

Massage/ Bath Oil - Infused with botanicals

Salves/ balms - with Shea butter and beeswax

Sachets - lovely toile prints with botanicals

Candles - Soy wax candles in tins

Our scents include both classics and Celtic inspired fragrances, made of natural essential oil blends.

Brigid's Amber
Celtic Sea Mist
Fresh Irish Moss
Guinness Spice - made with real Guinness beer
Highland Fling
Irish Cream
Fields of Lavender
Lemon Lavender
Mountain Heather
Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey - natural scent, no essential oils added
Orange Blossom
Scotch Pine and Whisky - made with real Dewar's Scotch whisky
Soothing Skin
Sweet Jasmine
Wild Irish Rose
Wildewood Mint and Nettle

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