Choosing a Gift Shouldn't Be Difficult!

Its that time of year again...Mother's Day! 

What do you get the lady who has everything?  Or how do you shower her with love and affection all year long?  Well, we have the solution/gift just for such an occasion.

A lotion, Versatile Wash, Candle, Reed Diffuser or a Big Box of Pampering Goodies should do the trick.  Did you know that we personalize several of our products for free?  Yep, our Versatile Wash (shown above) is the gift that keeps on giving.  Include a sweet message or an inspiring quote so she knows she is loved every time she goes for a squirt. Simple, sweet & to the point!

Happy to help and get that squared away for you!  Can't decide exactly what product? Then spoil her with our Mother's Day Gift Box!  We have taken our most popular products and boxed them up for SUCCESS!

 www.hazelwoodsoapcompany.com

SOY WAX CANDLE

Wondering why we are featuring a vase with flowers?  If you look closely, this is what usually houses our Soy Wax Candle.  

Here's a couple of things to know about HSCo's Soy Wax Candles:

• We use Natural Soy Wax
• We use Skin Care Safe Fragrances so you can really freak your dinner guests out if you dip your hand in your soy wax candle and proceed to moisture your skin (its fun to watch...try it)
• Our candles burn CLEAN down to the bottom.  No waste!  No tunneling like the cheapos that you find elsewhere
• We use a Cotton Wick avoiding unnecessary nasty chemicals
• We have chosen glassware with a purpose.  Once you have burned your candle CLEAN down, remove the tab with a spoon & wash it out.  Our family does NOT have a dishwasher (I know ridiculous with four kids) and we can get these suckers clean within 5 minutes.  Make it your quest to collect 5 or 6 and then have a party.  They make great wine glasses or vases (as seen above)
• They are grrrreat hostess gifts!  
• We offer free personalization on the label.  Makes a wonderful wedding gift too, the happy couple can light it on their honeymoon and continue to use it or maybe save it for their anniversary each year!  The possibilities are endless!

We would love to hear your feedback as to which one is your favorite and why!

SHEA BUTTER SUGAR SCRUB

This product was recently included in Real Simple Magazines 2012 Online Holiday Gift Guide for a reason! This gem is composed of Dead Sea Salts, Sugar (of course), Whipped Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and lots of love!  Here's the low down...

How to use it:  

• Go in the shower, rinse, scoop some out with your hand (making sure you avoid getting tons of water into your jar)
• Scrub from shoulders down to your feet.  I personally do not use it on my face, but there are some that do and love it! 
•  Once you rinse the scrub off, you will see that the luxurious oils are left behind to use for moisturizer.  Really, no lotion needed after using this scrub!
• Put your lid back on your jar and get ready to use it tomorrow

A couple of tips to consider:  

• Avoid extreme temps such as extreme heat or extreme cold.  
• Shelf life is approximately 3 mos.  
• Avoid getting huge amounts of water in your jar, make sure you put your lid back on after use
• Use it often!  It really makes a difference!  I use mine everyday

Of all the products that we make, this one is my favorite.  I don't have much time to pamper myself, but this is the ULTIMATE multi tasker!  Its a one and done kind of product!  Plus, the smell lingers a bit so its nice!  If you use it before you go to bed your sheets will smell like the scrub!  

Looking forward to hearing lots of comments and suggestions on how YOU use this product.  Help those who don't know about this product!  They are really missing out!

A FRESH NEW START!

We are well into 2013 now!   We are getting excited for the warm weather, birds chirping daily and new Spring scents as well as seeing our "campers" return to their summer homes! Its always an exciting time of year because we draw a lot of inspiration for our business from our surroundings. The cool crisp mornings, a gentle breeze from a walk around the lake, the invigorating mountain creeks that we find everywhere, the random wild flowers blooming, even the local breweries all contribute to our Product Line!

We are very thankful for each season, but we really love some Spring! As we get ready to dive into new scents, products and daily events, we thought this might be a good time to focus on our product line and give each one of the products its own "Blog Time". So stay tuned each day as we make up our own kind of "Soap Opera" featuring all of your favorite characters! Yep, we get a little bit attached to each and every product we place on the shelves.  We look forward to sharing with you and most of all we look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions!

Our first "spot light" will be our fresh, new website!  Take a look and tell us what you think.  Be sure to click on the videos to see what the shop looks like, some of our product descriptions etc.  There are more of those to come!
 www.hazelwoodsoapcompany.com

Now go get dirty!




~HSCo

One Year Down...

Rut Row...its been a while since we last posted and our goal for 2013 is to try and be a bit better about the updates on our Lil Ole Soap Family.

Its officially been a year now since John has been working with us!  We continue to work hard, purposefully put out good products & keep up with the wonderful demand you have all created!  Its been a good year thus far and we feel a ridiculous amount of gratitude.

As we nearly finish up the 2012 year, we have to express our thanks to all of those who have supported our family business.  We realize every time you purchase products from us, whether it be in store or via the web, you are investing in our family.  We do not take this lightly and feel that in turn we have an obligation to make sure we provide great products, be good stewards of the money that is generated and keep the dream alive!  Yes, a small family owned business STILL can thrive in America if we allow them to. 

So, as the holidays approach us again...I want to encourage you to buy local, buy with a purpose & support your family owned businesses.  There are lots of them (not just ours) and it makes a huge difference!

Now, go and get dirty!

~Diana

Full On Family Owned Business!

Happy New Year! We are gearing up for another great year! Thanks to all who have supported us & continue to do so! We have lots of new goodies on the shelves and can't wait to see you!

Other news.... John has been able to sign on with us full time! He actually started on October 1st, but we didn't want "sympathy" buys so we didn't make it completely public! So we are officially a Full On Family Owned Business from start to finish. Even Big Bob (John's Dad) has come out of retirement to help out at the shop.

The decision to leave a "secure" job for John was not an easy one. But the quality of life for our kids, our marriage & overall health of our family unit was begging for Big Daddy! John has been an incredible asset to the business throughout the years with his Chemistry skills, overall knowledge of each product & belief in our success. It only makes sense that he is here full time.

There aren't many couples that can work together all day and still like each other, but apparently we got it! We feel really blessed to have this. We work better as a cohesive unit and know that this is the right decision for our kids and family life. Paying the bills is overrated right? Ba ha ha ha ha!

So in a day and age, where sometimes hope and encouragement seem to be lacking at times, know that there are still families working together and trying to make a good, hard go at it!

Is it scary? Yep.

Is it worth it? Yep.

Are we going to give up because its hard? Nope!

So go on and get dirty and know that when you need a gift, a good ole fashion bar of soap or just someone to chat with... we are here in little ole Hazelwood. (HazelHood to be exact!)

Family Owned Businesses not only exist, but thrive if you let them!

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