Thankful...

As we continue forward with our 5th retail year, its hard not to think back on all of the many days at the good ole Soap Co.! When we remininsce over all of the memories and efforts throughout the years, it always comes down to feeling an enormous amount of thankfulness!

This week my sweet Teague was down & out. He just felt like poop! Unfortunately, the bills & life do not go away when one of my little ones gets sick. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to have my rugrats by my side and even luckier to give them all the TLC they need while mixing and pouring away. We live in a town that not only respects our way of doing things, but actually cheers us on. My Teagan has grown up in this little soap shop. He has learned how to crawl, walk and now take orders from customers! :) He has been the taste tester (yikes), the label guy, the sweeper and my right hand man Monday-Friday at the soap shop. He IS, along with our other 3 children, what our shop is all about!

When we started out on this venture, we did not know what to expect. What we have gotten in return these past 5 years is a whole lot of support, love, loyalty & community. We certainly have had our fair share of stories to tell, but not without laughing! So we may not be millionaires, but we work hard, love our kids like crazy and appreciate what a community does and is for our family.

I will always cherish this picture (above) because it will keep me grounded on days where things feel overwhelming. On a tough week when my main man was down & out, I was still able to give him a big ole hug and say "its gonna be alright" because I had him right there in my lap.

Thanks to all of you that allow our family to just be a hard working family! Thanks for always getting really dirty and letting us supply you with some goods to get you all cleaned up! It is not about the money you accumulate, but about the relationships, experiences & wealth of love and support you find in others. We are wealthy beyond belief!

Happy Spring!!!

~The Laursen Clan

"Debbie Downers" this one is NOT for you! (or is it...)

Have you ever had one of those hours, days, weeks or months when everything seems to be going wrong? You wake up and the coffee bag is empty, you're alarm clock didn't go off and if your kids have one more tardy for school DSS might be called in or how about if you finally make it out the door to only forget that TODAY is the day your boss is going to be making his rounds to make sure everyone is doing his/her job. Whatever! Or...maybe your best friend was just diagnosed with cancer or your other friend's child is dreadfully ill. Or how about you are just sick of NOT seeing the sun! If you feel the need/want to just do something, we may just have the thing/things for you! Pictured above is our little "Pick Me Up" collection. 5 invigorating scents with 5 inspirational words to get you going in the morning or after a long day! Its the little things that make a difference and maybe, just maybe a little bottle of wash labeled OPTIMISM will do the trick. This little package also makes the perfect addition to an Easter Basket. Its the treat that keeps on giving! How great are these for the lonely traveler or the homesick college kid!

Sass it up with some Spring Scents!

Are those individually wrapped soaps featured above? Yep! They sure are. As if I don't have anything else to do other than wrap each soap tediously by hand. But, these little treasures have kept me from going insane! With Spring just around the corner, we were hit yet again with the dirty 4 letter word yesterday...SNOW! Yikes! I lost it. I lost it big time. But this morning is a new day with sunshine and now beautifully wrapped Shea Butter Soaps! These beauties are just the thing to get you in the mood for Spring! They are bright, cheery, smell good & look wonderful just sitting there.

So, for now...I will continue to wrap each soap until Spring begins! If you know of anyone who suffers miserably from the last dribbles of Winter...why not pop into the shop and pick up one of these soaps. It is sure to put them in a better mood!

Buy Local Movement

I have decided to do an entire blog post on why I have chosen this one item to carry in our shop. For obvious reasons, its a sassy tote that gets the message across LOUD & CLEAR! On another note, not until you actually pick up the tote and look inside in the tag do you realize how significant this one tote can be in your life.
These totes are going to retail in our shop for $18. WHAT! $18 for a tote bag? In the day in age where you can get a recyclable tote just about everywhere from grocery stores to gas stations, why on God's Good Green Earth would we carry such an expensive tote bag? (and I will tell you I am not even going to be making a good profit off of these at all, well not a financial profit that is).
It all starts with a "practice what you preach" moment I had. It is January and I am searching for new products to sass up the shop and get folks excited. I come across this one company, I'm Organic and I am intrigued. I go further and start snooping around. What I find is a company that has an honest mission statement to make a difference. They are a small business trying to do the right thing. Their bags are made in the US, 100% certified organic and SWEATSHOP free! So as I am making the decision to buy these, I consciously decide that YES, we will join the movement to try and make a difference and practice what we preach. I am supporting a USA made product that has put thought, concern and most of all hard work into a product. Will I have these totes still on my shelves come December? Who knows. One thing I do know is that Small Family Owned Business are STILL ALIVE and we depend on your support! So buy local, buy USA made and do your part to keep local businesses alive! Now, go get dirty!
till next time...
~Diana

We Continue To Prepare For SPRING!!!

Only 7 more weeks until Spring! ONLY! Whew...we are ready now! I get it, I get it...we are supposed to be patient. Well, nothing teaches me patience more than my good ole fashion Shea Butter Soap Recipe. These bars take 6-8 weeks to cure. We are just about there.

I have decided to spend most of my time when I have been able to get into the shop, making lots and lots of bar soap. It makes me so happy everytime one of these babies are sold! They are made with so much love that it just gives me treat feelings everytime someone expresses how much they love them. I will save my comments for those who think otherwise. :)

I also love having tons of bar soap in stock because it reminds me of our humble beginnings. "One bar at a time" was my motto most days and that is exactly what we have done to build our business. One bar at a time!

In order to try and get out of the "Winter Funk", I have been focusing on SPRING SCENTS!!!! Pictured above is our Zucchini Flower & Honey bar soap. Cherry Blossom, Basil & Herb Gardeners Soap, Earth Blend and a couple of others will be out on the shelves in just 2 weeks. We are NOT waiting 7 weeks until Spring over here! Thanks for all of your continued support and loyalty. Now, go get dirty!

Till next time...

~D

A New Creation Has Been Born!

Inspiration has arrived! And with this inspiration we give you...Nitty Gritty Body Scrub! That's right, its time to get to the "Nitty Gritty" of the situation! Whether you don't have time, have neglected special spots or just have never had an interest to exfoliate, may we suggest our new Nitty Gritty Scrub. Ah...there are so many good things happening with this one little jar of goodness. This Northerner is getting down to her Soulful Southern Roots! It will be a fierce competitor to the Infamous Sugar Scrub. But have no fear. If you choose to indulge in this exfoliating treasure, rest assure you will not be disloyal to your favorite Sugar Scrub. They are completely different in components, but so similiar in that they leave you a new person!

Included in this recipe is a list of goodies. Dead sea salts & grits to exfoliate, honey to soothe, milk to soften your skin & of course a healthy dose of whipped shea butter and luxurious oils. Seriously, your mouth and pores will be drooling! More info to come when this bad boy or "Southern Charmer" I should say will hit the shelves.

Till then...

Getting Ready for 2011!

As the snow melts (please Dear God let the snow melt) we continue to find inspiration for 2011! We continue to blend, pour and label our staples that everyone loves and adores and then go a step further and create some new goodies.

With a shaky economy and harsh winter, we realize that it is very crucial to stick to wonderful products, but affordable products. We are gearing up to offer lots of new things via travel size.

If you have any words of wisdom for this lil ole soap gal, we would love to hear them. We have been very fortunate to have our company grow with the support of our Soap Fans! Keep the comments coming, the suggestions and more than anything please go and get dirty!

Till next time...

Get Us Out of This Snow!

Yike-a-rama! Snow, snow, snow. If only we had our sodium hydroxide up here to make a special "Fresh Snow" Soap then we would feel useful! We have over a foot of snow and not looking so good for the ole soap production. The shop feels a million miles away at the moment. But, we are getting very creative over here. We continue to plan & create from our "ice cave"! If you check out the website www.hazelwooodsoapcompany.com you will find that we have put a special up. Its the Get Us Out of the Snow Sale. We are offering our Summer Scents on special. Yep, we are going there. We need some kind of hope. Coconut Lemongrass seems to be it! But once we regain our composure, the sale will be over. So cash in now while we are still going stir crazy.

As always, we would love to hear your feedback. What is your favorite scent? Favorite product? And if I should be so bold as to ask "What can we improve on for 2011"? (I am actually really nervous about the last question...serious people pleaser here people! )

Okay...Enjoy your warm cozy homes, the snow & the what the future holds. Only 9 more weeks till Spring. That's what we are looking forward to!

Till next time...

~D