Beets

Oatmeal + beets + cherries = awesome skin.

Yes you read that right...I said beets. Why beets...cuz its great for the skin. Beets are anti aging. Everyone knows how great oatmeal is for sensitive skin....but check out the power of beets:

Top 3 Anti-Aging Benefits of Beet Juice

Fight wrinkles and skin conditions naturally.

Prevent age-related macular degeneration.

Improves circulation.

Cherry Bomb soap is made with beet juice...it gives it this unique color but more importantly, it imparts its nutrients into the skin. The cherry scent....fun idea...but after the reaction to it....I will always make this soap. This version is melt and pour....there is a cold process version in the works...it will be ready in 8 weeks.

Boxes and soaps

My skin has taken a wonderful turn...making my own soap has been great for my complexion. I found these wonderful soap boxes that accommodate most of my soaps. The oversized mp soaps get wrapped in plastic so its no big whoop. The wonderful thing about the boxes....they are made from breathable recycled paper and has an open window. No plastic lining. These boxes will allow the soaps to continue to cure while they are being processed to sell. That allows me box them up on the cure date and store them....then use the curing rack for soaps that need to be on the rack right now. Currently there are 5 batches of soaps curing on the rack....when they go into the boxes with labels....I can fill the rack back up with new batches of soap.

Getting past that awkward stage

So...your curly hair is long enough for a ponytail but keeps pulling out of the ponytail holder. Or if its liike mine....broke the ponytail holder and had to use some random piece of string. What to do? Box braids....or.....cuz I found the box braids too thick...micro braids.

The box braids though fine....where about the width of a pencil and forced the hair to hang strait...effectively removing the asthectic curl of my hair... I split the box braids into 2, 3, and even 4 sections and rebraided them. Now when I wet my hair...it follows the natural curl pattern of the hair. I can roll it, wear it in a ponytail...that won't pop aloose or let it hang. After finishing the hair, coat it with moisturizer, put a bonnet on and let the hair soak it up. Protective styles need to be protective and allowing for dryness isn't an option. The smaller the braids...the more moisturizer needed.

My "new" soap supply rack

Those who were evicted from my rack are being petty that I'm now using all 6 rungs of a rack I've owned for years....instead of just 2. But they wanted my stuff off the table so ummmm....ya.

Originally....they fussed cuz I wanted to put the rack in the kitchen so it got placed on the edge of the kitchen in the dining room. The 2 shelves I was using was for fo's and mp soap supplies. Now I make cold process and it takes much more room. There's a shelf for everything. There's now a place for my oils, freezer paper, plastic wrap, gloves, masks, labels, fo's, lye, vinegar, distilled water, stick blender, etc.

The things that got evicted....mail from folks that no longer live here, toys grandkids left here, a tea maker with so much dust on it from non-use that it would make more sense to throw it away...esspecially sense we use boiling water or the microwave to make tea anyway...goofy things like that. Their main argument against me taking back my rack was "everything had a place." Well....now that stuff has a difference place, cuz its my rack and I don't need permission to use it.

Bad batch...what to do!

As a responsible soaper....your priority one is to create a safe product. When that doesn't happen....your responsibility is to dispose of it safely.

Look at my beautiful loaf of soap in the mold....it started its life with my bad attitude....I ran short on oil....when I realized I was short by 6 oz...instead of running the existing amount thru the soap calculator or saving what I had until I could get the correct measurements for the batch...I flippantly said, "oh...it'll be ok" ...it wasn't. It was caustic mush...took 3 days to get hard enough to cut into bars...which tested at ph 13 in some places, ph 8 in others. This could not be rebatched....could not be used....safely. I was a little weary of the idea of turning it into laundry soap. There was just no safe option other than to toss it.

Tossing it however...whole 'nother set of issues. Regulations, ground water, waste management and such. Then there's the local wildlife, the local nosys...can diggers who will actually go thru your recyclables and trash looking for cans, kids, the sanitation workers....I'm not trying to feel responsible for causing them harm in any way, form or fashion.

If your bad batch is caustic...mushy or solid....and you determined that it can't be saved, repaired or rebatched, get it into some leak proof plastic bags, pour at least a cup of vinegar on it....with gloved hands, massage the outside of the bag attempting to work it in. Vinegar neutralizes the lye. Your goal is to get any touchable surface to a neutral state. Drop a ph strip into the bag....see if it turns green. Don't drain the vinegar...tie a knot in the top of the bag, then put in a new bag. Now you can throw it out. Do this to each bag. Be responsible when it comes to your crafts.

In other news....malfunctioning crossbucks at the tracks...gates down, lights flashing, no train in sight....folks driving around the crossbucks onto the track to cross....and obeying the traffic lights in the process. I watched someone stop ON the tracks with a car ahead of them and a car behind them....no place to go if the train comes. Please don't do that! NEVER EVER EVER stop on train tracks...malfunctioning or otherwise. If there isn't room for your vehicle to clear the tracks with 15 extra feet....stay on the other side.when its time to go....continue completely across. Do not stop or change gears on the track (which can stall your vehicle) and don't put your self in a dangerous situation. Be responsible when it comes to your safety. Always.