Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving we put up or decorations, played in the snow and cross country skied today.

For your holiday shopping pleasure, the Green Springs Elves have been busy in the workshop creating lots of new soaps, individual bath scrubs and more!

 As as thank you to all my wonderful customers I am having a sale at www.greensprings0.etsy.com : ♥GREEN SPRINGS BLACK FRIDAY THROUGH CYBER MONDAY SALE♥ Free local delivery with  shipping refunded via paypal.
~ Nov. 26th through Midnight PST on Nov. 29th~
20 % off entire store and a free gift with every purchase. Use coupon code: GREEN4THEPLANETANDU at checkout.

Combined flat-rate shipping on up to 7 soaps is only $4.75 within the US, $11 for Canada and Mexico, and $13 for everywhere else. Shipping overages over $1.00 refunded.

Wildcrafting in the Green Springs

Summer is my busiest time of the year,  but also my favorite.  This is the view that greeted me this morning on my search for arnica, elderflowers, and St. John's Wort.  I get up early and hop on my Mountain Bike with 3 cloth bags and the search is on.  All of these herbs are quite beneficial and I use them in my skin care line.  I infuse the fresh St John's Wort in organic olive oil and it turns this beautiful red color.  I also mix it with the lye to get a reddish orange colored herbal soap. 

Today I also made a new perfume for an online perfume swap I am participating in.  It's a winner so look for it to be listed on Etsy once it's married and mellowed a while.  I will also  be listing affordable samples of my 4 signature perfumes once I get around to taking pictures.  If you are in the Rogue Valley (Or.), please stop by the Growers and Crafters Market and say hi.  I am at the Ashland Armory on Tue. Medford Armory on Thur. and in Ashland on Sat. next to the Post Office.

Have a wonderful summer and don't forget to smell the roses!

Desert Solitude

My dad passed away last month so when I returned from his funeral in Florida I was in need of some solitude. We traveled to Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Park for some r & r. Being out of cell phone
and internet range for one week really helped me to relax and reflect. Our days were spent hiking, climbing, biking, relaxing, and getting in touch with nature. Not many flowers were blooming yet so we were really excited to find this one cactus (pictured) blooming in a vibrant shade of red. After four days camping in Death Valley we headed for Joshua Tree for some rock climbing. Joshua Tree is named after the tree with the large white flower pictured. Look for more pictures to be posted on my Face Book page. Many of these beautiful trees are dying because of Global Warming. We are committed to doing everything in our power to stop Global Warming which we see happening all around us. As Earth Day draws near I hope that everyone will make an effort to help save our precious Earth for future generations.

Safeteam Gift Guide and Weekend Sale

This weekend some members of the SAFETEAM are having a weekend sale. http://etsysafeteam.blogspot.com/ Just in time for the holidays I am having a 20 % off sale ending November 15 at midnight PST. So hurry over to my shop and check it out. Also check out the Safeteam mens gift guide, my Vanilla Mocha Soap is featured. Look for Whipped Shea Butter, Essential Oil Perfumes, Shampoo Bars and more to be listed soon. So check back often or click on the Etsy link on the right.

Bath Time

Fall is the time I get back to taking long luxurious soaks in my claw foot tub. When we were building our log cabin, one my first priorities was finding a big old claw foot tub. This weekend I made up a batch of vanilla and lavender scented bath salts. The following recipe makes enough for many baths: I use 1 cup of dead sea salt, 1 cup of epsom salt, and 1/2 cup powdered organic milk. I place everything in a large zip lock bag and mix well. Then I add a small whole vanilla bean scraped and cut into little pieces and lavender essential oil, I use a teaspoonful but you may want to ad more or less. I shake the bag daily for a few weeks then it's ready to use. Once I draw the bath I add a tablespoon or two of the bath salts and soak my cares away.
Sometimes I will ad dried rose petals or hollyhocks for a spa-like experience. Now is the perfect time to treat yourself to Clean and Glow, my oil based cleansing method and don't forget Green Springs skin softening goat's milk soap scented only with essential oils and or herbs. Goat's Milk exfoliates naturally. Treat your feet to a rub down with our Shower and Glow made with dead sea salt and herbal infused organic oils. Relax and let the salts and essential oil do its work. Sweet dreams!

The Three R's

This mama bear visited our campsite in the Sierras after our dogs scared her up the tree. After a few hours she came down and was on her way. We were lucky to see three other bears during our trip and a mother deer nursing her fawn. Camping and being out of cell and computer range for two whole weeks is just what I needed.

Days were spent hiking, biking, swimming, reconnecting with my husband and just plain relaxing. Our tent has a mesh top and we watched the stars in the comfort of our sleeping bags.

I spent a lot of time thinking about my business and the direction I want it to go. I tend to try to do to much and get burned out. I'm an Aries so that may explain it! If someone asks why I don't have a certain scent of soap or lotion, I always need to make it and list it in my store, even tho that person sometimes never comes back to buy it. More often than not it sits in the store a long time before someone does buy it.

This is how I came up with the Three R's. You have always heard of reduce, reuse, recycle, my three R's are relax, reconnect and reinvent. Relax: is something I do not do as often as I should, but on vacation it felt so good to just do nothing. Reconnect: I am painfully aware how short life is and my goal is to reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors regardless of how busy we all are. So friends and family be forewarned, I will be bugging you to get together more! It's really easy to become isolated in our busy lives, but what's life about without, family, friends and neighbors. Reinvent: realizing that "less is more" I have decided to cut back on offering so many different types of products and only focus on the ones that I and my customers love the most. This will free up quite a bit of time so I can relax, reconnect and reinvent my shop and product line.

So if you don't hear from me or see as much in my store online, know that I am living my life to the fullest and enjoying it as much as I can which will make me refreshed and focused so that I can continue to make amazing organic eco friendly products. Also now I can spend more time trying to save the planet for my grandkids. ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!

P.S. Don't worry I will still be making FACE FOOD.

Back By Popular Demand

Rose Complexion Bar is back in stock. This organic bar is a labor of love. It starts with 100% Goat Milk from Nubian Goats (see post below). Nubian goat milk has high milk fat producing a super rich bar. Goat's milk is high in lactic acid which naturally exfoliates your skin. The organic oils used in this soap are infused with herbs and the most fragrant rose petals saved just for this soap. The oils are solar infused for six weeks and smell heavenly. Just before pouring the cold processed soap I add a generous amount of rose absolute, rose geranium, and palmarosa essential oils. The bar is then cured for about a month producing a gentle, long lasting bar. I love to use this decadent bar all over my body, try it your skin will feel the difference!

ECO LAWN MOWER AND WEEDEATER

My daughter's Nubian Goats bring new meaning to the phrase "will work for food". Besides furnishing us with delicious goat's milk that we drink and cook with, makes fantastic cheese, and super rich goat's milk soap, they are also tireless lawn mowers. Right now they are busy clearing the field of blackberries! The herd is very affectionate and love to go on walks with the kids.

On the curing rack is my favorite soap, a wonderful batch of my 100 percent goat's milk soap scented with neroli and rose absolute. Look for that to be listed again on Etsy in 4 more weeks. A long cure makes for a milder long lasting bar. Next up is East Meets West goat's milk soap. This is my next favorite soap, scented with patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, lavender, and lime, the scent is exotic and unusual. Customers who hate the smell of patchouli always love this soap.

Guardian of the Spring

This majestic Ponderosa Pine stands guardian over the spring I posted about below. The picture on the left was taken at sunrise, the right was taken before sunset. This is the view we have from our bedroom window and is one of the reasons we chose to buy land 5 miles up a bumpy dirt road.
This beautiful tree is over 200 ft. tall and the bark smells just like vanilla.


A few years ago the dogs and I came face to face with a cougar walking up the road around 10am. He or she turned to face us and I just about had a heart attack, the dogs started barking like crazy and it bound over a fence and was gone in a flash. I have always wanted to see a cougar and finally got my chance, I just wish we had been safe and sound in the car. We routinely see coyotes, bobcats, red fox, great gray owls, blue herons and the occasional rattle snake and black bear. Living in the mountains can be hard and sometimes lonely, but thanks to our wonderful neighbors, both human and not, there is no other place I'd rather be.

Purchased on Etsy for my Valentine's Day Ambush

I purchased this on Etsy for my Valentine.
Scentual Soundtracks: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6371978 offers decadent
sensual ingredients in her skin care products.
Money is tight so my plan is to ambush my husband and give him a candlelight dinner and his very first spa treatment. More about that in another post.

I choose this Facial Mask because of it's wonderful chocolate scent and it looks just like chocolate! The skin pampering ingredients are: rhassoul clay, powdered coconut, powdered chocolate, ground flaxseed, and jojoba oil. It comes in a beautiful eco-friendly cobalt blue glass jar. All you do is take out a level teaspoon of the mask and put it in a small container. Measure 2-3 tsp. of liquid, I plan to use whipping cream, but the possibilities are endless. Buttermilk, yogurt, olive or jojoba oil, honey, milk, green tea, or water, are all good choices. Add liquid, stir and microwave 10-15 seconds. I don't have a microwave so I just put the mixture in a double boiler over water and simmer gently for a few minutes. Apply to face or body and leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water,
then tone and moisturize. It leaves you skin feeling silky soft and clean. I just love it and want to share with my hubby and you!

Check back next week for my full ambush spa plan!

Our Holiday Greeting

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1675916744561&source=jl999

Green Springs is Featured in ETSY Storque Article

We are featured in the ETSY Storque article "Shop Local Oregon":
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/gift-ideas-shop-local-oregon-with-thisisalliknow-2980/
This article features sellers from the Pacific Northwest, we are pictured under Green Springs Bodyworks. Check it out! Well I better get some z's my eyes are closing and it is way past my bedtime.

Organic Soap Sale

Hurry over to www.greensprings0.etsy.com for this fabulous deal on organic soaps for your holiday gift giving. Scented naturally or with pure essential oils, no artificial colors or fragrances.
YOUR SKIN WILL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!

Our Holiday Gift to You

Hurry over to www.greensprings0.etsy.com for your free organic lip balm with every order over $15.00.
I can also fill a first class priority envelope with up to 8 soaps for only $5.00 shipping.

ORGANIC SOAP SALE

Hurry over to www.greensprings0.etsy.com and get 4 big bars of organic soap for the price of three! Sale ends at midnight 11/27. Organic and scented with pure essential oils or unscented for that special person on your holiday list. Great gift for teachers too.

I am in The Little Black Box!

The Little Black Box: http://www.thelittleblackboxes.com/ goes on sale today November 7 th.
I have sent 3 of our products to be included in the boxes. The Little Black Box website lists all the shops that are participating.

Check out my Etsy shop: http://www.greensprings0.etsy.com for your holiday shopping needs.

Purchased on Etsy

My huskies loved these sweet peanut butter piggies I purchased from organic dog www.organidog.etsy.com. The price is very reasonable, and best of all it's ORGANIC!

Our Best Friends Eat Organic

Our two huskies thrive on a organic raw meat diet. The larger one is twelve and the smaller one is a year old. Ever since two of our other huskies died at a fairly young ages of cancer we switched to making our own dog food.
Their diet consists mainly of organic raw chicken necks which they eat whole. Every so often I give them free range ground beef. I buy my chicken in a 40 lb box. When working with the raw meat I always wear disposable gloves. The chicken is put into zip lock bags and frozen until needed. The box costs $40.00 and is enough to make meals for one month. They get whatever organic vegis we are having, sometimes cooked, but mostly raw. I top of the meal with a sprinkle of Healthy Powder which consists of ground up egg shells (baked), nutritional yeast, kelp powder, ground flaxseed and a small amount of vitamin C. This recipe is in the book Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn.
There are excellent recipes in the book. Dog Biscuits Deluxe is their favorite biscuit recipe. I would be happy to answer any questions and comments.

Be sure to check out Ticked-off our all natural insect repellent listed on Etsy.