Diary of an Anarchist Soapmaker

New USPS Rates Beginning Jan. 22, 2012

2011-11-23T15:36:00.001-08:00

Priority Mail
Priority Mail Retail prices will increase an average of 3.2 percent, while the average price increase for Priority Mail Commercial Base will be 3 percent. Commercial Base offers lower prices to customers who use online and other authorized postage payment methods.

Seriously? ETSY you have gone too far!!!

2011-07-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Forgive me if I think that Etsy Sellers AND Etsy have stooped to an all-time low here. I'm all for following your creative muse folks. Seriously! Get your creative freak on and make some money off it if you can. But it is just down right wrong, sick, twisted, BEYOND freakish to be inspired to create and then make a profit off the death on a child. Shame of you crafters that are doing so and worse yet, shame on ETSY for allowing this kind of shit.....yes SHIT, FODDER, GARBAGE, to be listed!!

http://jezebel.com/5819064/there-are-plenty-of-casey-anthony-crafts-for-sale-on-etsy/gallery/1

Casey Anthony Court Room Diorama $450

Casey Anthony Bumper Sticker $1.99

Matt & I have long been considering pulling all of our products from ETSY but I have been dragging my feet......procrastinating......as we do get a good amount of sales from some really awesome customers there. But this callous disregard for life on the part of ETSY and many of it's sellers has just given me the needed push to stop procrastinating and follow what my intuition told me to do long ago. We have worked our asses off to build a respectable reputation for our company, and don't want to be affiliated with any organization that places the almighty dollar (by allowing these heinous listings) than the life of a helpless and innocent child.

Adios ETSY! You've gone way too far this time. Thank you to ALL our amazing ETSY Customers that have supported us over the years. We hope that you will understand our decision and follow us to our main site.

From here on out, all of our products can be found HERE on our maine website.

Blessings & Peace to you All,
Donna & Matt
www.valhallasoap.com

Hemp History Week: 7 Uses For Your Health

2011-05-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

It’s the second-annual Hemp History Week! Below are seven uses of hemp for your health.

Interestingly, when Dr. Oz says something is good, everyone relaxes. Finally, whatever stigma hemp food products had, which contain no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the pschyotropic agent), can be put aside as its rich history and health benefits are brought to light. Oz chose hemp milk as his favorite milk alternative. It seems hemp milk prices have decreased, possibly due to more recognition and sales.

The founding fathers and other notable people throughout history, absolutely cherished hemp. Our declaration of independence was drafted on hemp paper, which resists yellowing and is often used to make Bibles. Hemp has reportedly been grown for thousands of years for its fiber and food uses. Hemp clothing is stronger, longer lasting, and is more mildew-resistant. The word “canvas” is rooted in the word “cannabis,” perhaps because of hemp’s importance in making sails, rope, and clothing. George Washington Carver and Henry Ford (both friends), experimented its use for fuel and auto body manufacturing. It is believed that there are up to 50,000 product uses for hemp.

~Health Freedoms

Hemp For Your Health: 7 Uses

Hemp has been generating a lot of buzz recently, and it’s not because of marijuana. Hemp food products, which contain no THC, are hailed by many in the mainstream as being good for your health.

Case in point: On a recent episode of “The Doctor Oz Show,” the medical celeb (and HuffPost contributor) touted the health benefits of hemp milk, which is made by crushing the seeds of the cannabis plant and mixing them with water. Oz himself singled out hemp as his favorite milk alternative, while Samantha Heller, R.D., spoke about some of its reported benefits. “Hemp milk is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which have been found to be good for both the heart and brain,” she said.

In addition to Omega 3, which studies have shown can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, hemp is said to be high in Omega 6 fatty acids, and also contains all of the essential amino acids. Amino acids help form protein in the body and are key to tissue repair as well as overall growth.

Curious about incorporating it into your diet? This week marks the second-annual Hemp History Week, put on by hemp advocates to promote hemp farming and manufacturing in the U.S. Here are some of the categories on the market.

Seeds: Hemp seeds, which can be purchased shelled, can be eaten raw by on their own. Like many other seeds, they can also be sprinkled on salads or cereals.

Milk: Hemp milk is made when the seeds of the hemp plant are ground up and mixed with water. There are both sweetened and unsweetened versions on the market, as well as flavored varieties, like chocolate and strawberry.

Oil: Hempseed oil is pressed from the hemp seed and according to at least one manufacturer, is best used as a finishing oil. It can also be taken as a gel capsule.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ MORE:

Hemp History Week: 7 Uses For Your Health

Important Announcement! Triple Butter Whip

2011-05-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

We've received a few concerned calls/emails in the last week or so from customers who have ordered the Triple Butter Whip. Seems that their Whip arrived completely melted, in a total liquid state. And they were not able to rewhip/stir it back together again. And we have replaced these at our cost.

This is the result of the product being exposed to extreme heat. This can be from a number of different reasons. It may have sat in a hot shipping warehouse over a weekend, in a postal/UPS truck, or left for delivery on a porch in direct sunlight. The package may have been picked up from the post office and left in a car until after work. The reasons are myriad really. Bottom line is that we cannot control what happens to the package after it leave here.

Understand that this product is NOT an emulsified product containing water and emulsifiers like some other products that called body butters but are in truth creams or thick lotions. Our Triple Butter Whip in made strictly from luxury nut/fruit butters and skin pampering oils. When it comes in contact with your skin (98.6 degrees F) in melts and soaks in beautifully. That is why so many of you love this product. *smile* So naturally if it sits in a car, or on a porch, or is a mail truck, it is going to melt and break down.

So, like many other companies in our industry, we have made the difficult decision to only ship this product during the cooler months of the year. Thus protecting the integrity of this fabulous product for both our customers and ourselves. We will stop shipping beginning June 1, 2011 - October 31, 2011. And will resume shipping on November 1, 2011. It will still be for sale locally and available for local pick-up and delivery.

We so appreciate all of YOU our awesome customers for your love and support this past year. And as a way to say thank you, the Triple Butter Whip will be on sale from now until the end of May so that you can stock up on all your favorite scent to get you through the summer.

Buy Triple Butter Whip on our Main Website

Buy Triple Butter Whip on Etsy

I'd also like to suggest that during the summer months, you try our lighter emulsified Botanical Body Cream. This is a beautifully, rich and thick body cream that glides on smoothly with no drag, leaving behind a nice moisturized finish. And it's packed with vitamins and botanical extracts which nourish your dry summer skin.

Thank you SO much for your understanding and loyalty.

Blessed Be,
Donna & Matt

Three Days of Foody Soaps

2011-04-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today I did something I've been wanting to do for several years and have just never gotten around to it. Banana Soap! I've been trying to get some "down" time to do this for a long time. And I decided this week that if I kept waiting for "down" time to come, it would never happen. So, I just decided to DO IT!!

I also wanted to make some yogurt soap again. I'd made some many years ago and it was SO yummy on the skin. so I just combined the two. Using my tried and true Mango Butter soap recipe I added the banana and yogurt puree to the oils and gave them a good stick blending. I then added my essential oil blend and gave that a good buzzing. Then in went the lye water and I blended again. It traced in a reasonable amount of time. Not to fast, not to slow. I'm very anxious to cut it in the morning. I'll post a picture :)

Tomorrow is a re-stock of our Creamy Carrot Castile. It's made with Organic Buttermilk, Carrot Juice and Carrots. It's a beautiful orange color and scented with one of our own loverly essential oil blends.

Making Lime Sugar & Grapefruit Soap

2011-02-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

I made a batch of Lime Sugar & Grapefruit Soap today and I wanted to share the details with you. I hope you enjoy watching the process.

PART 2

Check back tomorrow to see this loaf of soap being cut into bars. Revealing the layers of color on the inside. for information on this soap, or anyof our products, please visit our website or email us.

Thanks for visitng and watching.

Blessed Be,
Donna & Matt

Website Update

2011-02-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

A few days after the first of the year, our main website went down. Having been the victim of numerous hacks in the previous months, caused too many corrupted operating files which resulted in a crash. At which time, we set our domain to redirect to our Artfire Store. Understandably many of our main website customers opted not to make the switch. I apologize for your inconvienience.

I’m thrilled to say that we finally have a brand new website up. And I’ve been busy in the evenings uploading product information. ValhallaSoap.com is once again live and working beautifully! So feel free to check it out and place orders for those products that have been uploaded thus far.

Thank you so much for hanging with us during this time of rebuilding. We appreciate your continued support.

Blessed Be,

Donna & Matt

Valhalla Soap Company

What for Dinner?

2011-01-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Try this tasty dish. And while your checking out my great friend Joe's recipe, please be sure to vote for him while your there. Joe is an excellent cook, grillmaster and owner of Tango Spice Company.

Wolfgang Puck Tortilla Lasagna

To Vote & See Recipe Click HERE

Last Sale of the Year - SAVE BIG!!

2010-12-31T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to save big on our Year End Sale. We've just made further mark downs up to 75% off some items. Save on select soaps, bath bombs, tart warmers and more. You won't want to miss out on these great savings.

Hedge Witch Creamy Cocoa Butter Bar 60% Off

Rose Vines Tart Warmer 50% Off

So you don't have to go wandering all over, all the sale items can be found HERE

Have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Snow Magic

2010-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I DO NOT like snow. Repeat, I DO NOT LIKE SNOW! It's cold. It's a pain to work and live in. It's a danger and a menace to society (people are idiots when it comes to driving in it). And it outright makes me grumpy every winter. So, we usually head off to Sedona for a week or two for a break from it's dreariness. But this year there is to be no escape to a warmer haven.

So, here I am, working and into my email box come this little ditty titled "Snow Magic". Intrigued I open and read. Hum...think Mother Goddess is trying to tell me something? Probably. This is usually how she works. So, I thought that I'd share it with you as well. Maybe you too have a "snow 'tude".

Celebrate the snowy season with magic!

When winter rolls around, in some parts of the world there is an abundance
of wonderful white stuff - snow! If you live in one of those areas, it makes
sense to take advantage of snow's natural properties and work those energies
into your magical endeavors. Think about, for starters, some of snow's
physical characteristics. The most obvious one is that it's cold. It's also
white. Sometimes it's light and powdery, other times it may be heavy and wet

How can you incorporate these into your magical workings?

A.. If you're a fan of candles, make ice candles - they're are a lot of fun
and easy to make during the winter months.
B.. How to Make Ice Candles
Ice candles are a lot of fun and easy to make during the winter months.
Since February is traditionally a snow-filled time, at least in the northern
hemisphere, why not make some ice candles to celebrate Imbolc, which is a
day of candles and light?

You'll need the following:

A.. Ice
B.. Paraffin wax
C.. Color and scent (optional)
D.. A taper candle
E.. A cardboard container, like a milk carton
F.. A double boiler, or two pans
Melt the paraffin wax in the double boiler. Make sure that the wax is never
placed directly over the heat, or you could end up with a fire. While the
wax is melting, you can prepare your candle mold. If you want to add color
or scent to your candle, this is the time to add it to the melted wax.

Place the taper candle into the center of the cardboard carton. Fill the
carton with ice, packing them loosely in around the taper candle. Use small
chunks of ice -- if they're too large, your candle will be nothing but big
holes.

Once the wax has melted completely, pour it into the container carefully,
making sure that it goes around the ice evenly. As the hot wax pours in, it
will melt the ice, leaving small holes in the candle. Allow the candle to
cool, and then poke a hole in the bottom of the cardboard carton so the
melted water can drain out (it's a good idea to do this over a sink). Let
the candle sit overnight so the wax can harden completely, and in the
morning, peel back all of the cardboard container. You'll have a complete
ice candle, which you can use in ritual or for decoration.

C.. Build a snowman as a very large magical poppet. Assign a snowman the
magical task of being a guardian at the entrance to your property.

D.. Got a bad habit you need to get rid of? Form that bad habit into
snowballs, and throw them as far away from you as you can.

E.. Snow quartz crystals are often associated with fulfillment of hopes and
dreams. Use actual snow instead of crystals in workings related to wishes
and goals.

F.. If someone is bothering you and won't leave you alone, try this simple
bit of magic. Write their name on a slip of paper, and pack it in snow in a
zip-loc bag. Place the bag in your freezer, and leave it there until the
person "chills out."

G.. Go for a walk in the woods on a day that it's snowing. Enjoy the silence, and the magic of the snowfall - some people report that they have experienced messages from the Divine as they walk on a snowy day. Perhaps it's because we're better able to hear the gods when it's quiet!

Intent is Everything

2010-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

(I posted this in my notes on Facebook, so some of you may have already read it. But, I thought that it also deserved a place here on my blog because it was just "that" profound and awesome.)

I read this today, and I found it to be not only profoundly enlightening, but very encouraging for the year to come. So I wanted to share it with all the amazing friends that I am so blessed to have. May you all find your hearts desires for the greater good of you higher selves and that of Mother Earth in 2011.

Intent is Everything
Copyright Mellissa Seaman 2004 All Rights Reserved

What do you want?
You can’t take any action at all unless you know what you want. Every action begins with the intent that drives the action. Before you take a step forward, you intend it first, even if this is a fleeting unconscious process. Many of our daily intentions are made unconsciously. You don’t really think about taking a step before you put out your foot to move. And many of our actions are done unconsciously as well, and for good reason – no need to consciously consider each step as you walk down the street. As you walk, as long as you have a general direction, you’re moving in the right direction. But without at least that direction, you’re lost, wandering, or stopped.   This holds true for your spiritual practice as well. Without direction or Intent, you are lost, wandering or stopped. What you want is important. Knowing what you want is an art. This is the Art of Intention.

Free Choice
As human beings, we have the gift and burden of Free Choice.   We choose what we do, under our current circumstances. Sometimes our choices are limited by circumstances, but we do have choice. Always. And no one in the heavens or on earth can predict what a human is going to do. We make some pretty wild and crazy and illogical choices. Our choices are so unpredictable that even Spirit doesn’t know which way we’ll go next.   This is our divine gift. Free choice is a primary law of earth. Our guides can’t come down to help us without us making a choice to let them in. “Ask and ye shall receive.” “Turn your life over to your Higher Power.” The great truths make it clear that it takes human Will to open the door even to God. God does not come down and meddle and fix everything. This Earth is our playground to explore and learn. We are the ones in the bodies, so we are the ones in charge down here. If we want help from the cosmos, we must ask. Asking for help from the angels opens a great big door above me to all of the angels who would love nothing more than to help me, and needed only to be given permission through my asking.
Directing this power of Free Choice is also called forming and stating an Intention.

What is Intent?
In shamanic practice, Intent is everything.
Intent, or intention, is an expression of what you want to happen. For example, in writing this article my intent is to provide you, the reader, with information and tools that you can take into your life and utilize on your unique spiritual path. Without this Intent, I would have no motivation to write this. I would have no help from my Spirit Guides in setting out these words, because I never would have known what to ask them for. I simply would not take the time to do it. I wouldn’t be motivated.
In shamanism and prayer and magical practice and anything else, your Intent is the steering wheel for your work. It provides the direction for your energy. The more specific and motivated you are in your Intent, the more power you have in moving forward.
Intent is comprised of two aspects, the specificity of what you want in accordance with your Highest Good, and how much you want it – your desire.

Specificity
A specific intent gets specific results. So the first question you must ask yourself is what do you want? This seems deceptively easy. You may ask for a loving relationship to come your way. This is a relatively general request. Or you may focus your request to ask for a committed loving relationship that leads to the formation of a family with a couple kids and a dog. This is a bit more specific. Or you may ask for a red-headed Irish spouse who loves shortbread and playing checkers.
Picture a broad laser beam searching your world like a roving spotlight. A general intent is like this wide laser beam that illuminates many things. A very specific intent is like a narrow laser beam that cuts sharply and distinctly through the Universe, attracting only that very narrow choice or outcome. At this point, you my hear your Grandma’s voice in your head warning you about the dangers of choosing what you want in life… “Be careful of what you ask for – you jus t m ight get it!” There is a balance between being specific enough in our choices and intentions that we draw the desired result to us, without being too specific to exclude an unexpected opportunity or surprise gift from the Universe that doesn’t fall within our limited parameters. This is where it is helpful to understand and utilize the concept of the Highest Good.

Intend the Highest Good
One kind of general Intent is to state your intent for the Highest Good. This is like praying to God “Thy will be done” – a conscious statement that you are not sure which choice is best, but you want the best result for everyone. The Highest Good is the perfection of the Divine Plan, leading to peace, love, unity… the good stuff. Your own Highest Good is that which leads to your personal evolution as guided and directed by your Higher Self – the over-reaching part of your soul that knows all about the lessons you are here to learn, who wants you to learn them in the best way possible resulting in the most good for your spiritual evolution. Your Higher Self is the one who knows what’s in your Highest Good. Your conscious self doesn’t always know this, because your conscious self is the one here on Earth with the desires, hungers, passions, and distractions of living a material life in a physical body. While we’re here on Earth, we can’t see the bigger picture like our Higher Self can. But we CAN choose what is in our Highest Good, provided we do not restrict the results too much.    For example, “I intend to find the career that serves my Highest Good at this time…. unless i t m akes under 50K, has no benefits package, or is more than 10 miles drive from my house.” Um, now you’re restricting the access of your angels and helpers to direct you towards the job that is in your highest good if it does no t m eet with all of your demands.
I recommend that you, right now, state out loud your Intent that everything in your life from this point forward be guided in the direction of the Highest Good – for yourself, and, if you are willing, for Highest Good of the Earth and all of her children. You may choose to make this an overriding Intent, so that whenever you ask for specific things, there is an agreement between you and Spirit that if what you ask for is not in your Highest Good, you don’t really want it. I have found this a very useful “catch-all” for when I’m praying and manifesting. It prevents me from using my shamanic tools to do something that is not in my Highest Good, or that could upset the balance of the Earth and the others I share her with.

Desire
Desire fuels intent. It is the motivation for creating intent in the first place. Intent is driven by your wanting. Intention answers the question “What do you WANT?”   The more you passionately desire your objective, the more power is behind your Intention. Following with the laser beam analogy, if specificity controls the intensity of the laser beam, your passionate desire for the intended result is the light source for the laser beam. The burning desire in your heart drives the brightness of your laser beam. As you see in your day-to-day life, people who are passionate about their projects tend to be more successful than those who piddle around with a hobby. Passionate desire fuels dedication, and it powers your Intent.
Faith
Faith removes obstacles and skips over your own self-sabotaging techniques. Your Faith that all will be well, that all will be according to the Highest Good, is the closest thing to a guarantee you’re likely to get in this world. Your Faith can move mountains – mostly the mountains your ego has painstakingly created to make sure you’re not too effective in life.
We sabotage ourselves all the time. It’s part of our training from early in life. We are encouraged to fall in line, to do as we are told, and to not shine too bright so as to attract attention. All of these self-sabotaging energies must be dealt with as you move forward on your path to wholeness. Your best tools to overcome self-sabotage are Faith and Courage. Even when your brain is telling you you’re crazy, and your ego is afraid of looking foolish, and your academic mind is complaining about the lack of evidence to back all this up, your Power is in the background with full Faith and Courage pushing you onward into the Great Unknown because it is in your Highest Good to go there.

Intent Transmission is Constant & Universal
We are constantly transmitting our Intent out into the Universe. Each thought we have, all day every day, is sending out a laser beam of Intention. Each person walking the earth is constantly transmitting lots of laser beams outward, and these are affecting the energy all around them.
As a woman appraises herself in the mirror and finds herself beautiful, she sends that transmission outward. Other people resonate with that transmission, and find her attractive. As she swears in her car at another driver she imagines is purposefully torturing her with inattentive driving, that transmission is sent out, and others who resonate with the judgment against other drivers are drawn to her. She will likely encounter more frustration on the road that day, since that is the energy she is calling in.
You can probably feel this in your day-to-day life. Some people walk into a room with such positive vibrations, that everyone in the room perks up with a smile. Other people carry such negative transmissions that, without even “doing” or saying anything, they can irritate people in the room. Some people are so comfortable with money and wealth that they transmit abundance to the Universe, and abundance always finds them. Some people with the opposite transmission are stuck in Poverty Consciousness – a term that is more & more widely known as people open up to their responsibility to co-create their own lives with the Divine. Someone stuck in Poverty Consciousness is constantly pinching pennies, living as if they will be destitute tomorrow – regardless of how much money they actually have in the bank. This attitude transmits lack of abundance into the Universe, and so people, situations, and opportunities that resonate with lack of abundance come back to that person.
Part of the Shamanic path – or any spiritual path, really – is to take responsibility for the Intent you are transmitting into the Universe on a constant basis. The challenge is to become conscious of what you are transmitting. Most of our thoughts are unconscious defense mechanisms. When we are willing, however, to see our own challenges and difficulties – our “imperfections” – without shying away, then we can dissemble these defense mechanisms, and become more conscious in our thoughts and actions. From a place of consciousness, we can then choose to change our thought patterns to ones that support the Highest Good.
Affirmations, positive attitude, meditation to clear the negative thought patterns, prayer, and consciously shifting from negative to positive thoughts are all ways to consciously utilize the truth of transmission. Because we have Free Choice, we are capable of literally changing our minds, of choosing our thoughts, of choosing which emotions to give energy to. Through focusing our Intent, we have the power to shape our own Lives.

----------------------------------
Mellissa Seaman is a co-founder of San Diego Circle and founder of Heart Wisdom. She provides profound energetic healing sessions, teaches workshops, leads rituals, and writes articles on spiritual awakening, healing, and sacred living. Reach Mellissa at info@heartwisdom.net
Visit her website at http://www.heartwisdom.net/

Copy & Paste the link below into your browser to read more about Mellissa
http://www.heartwisdom.net/mellissa.htm

Copy & Paste the link below to see more articles written by Mellissa
http://www.heartwisdom.net/articles/index.htm

Positivity Cross image from the amazing website Symbolika.com

Year End Thoughts & Sale

2010-12-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

Once again we face the end of another year. Time to sit back and reflect on the past year. Did things go as you had hoped? Did you stick to the plan decided upon at this time last year? Where you successful with your New Years resolutions? If not, it's okay! Don't fret. Now is the time to set those goals again. Make a list of what worked and what didn't. And your ideas as to why. Maybe re-evaluate those goals that didn't quite meet the mark and make some more realistic ones. Be kind to yourself. And above all, LOVE yourself.

I'm happy to say that because of YOU, our fabulous friends and customers, we were able to meet the goals that we set for this year. For the first time ever we had a very successful year. Accomplishing more than the goals we set and realizing a few dreams that are still coming to fruition. More to come on those at a later date :-) It is very exciting and rewarding to finally see the fruits of our labor finally coming to fruition. However, we are very aware and acknowledge that it would not have happened without the continued support that you all have provided us over the years. Many of you have been with us since the beginning and that is amazing and humbling to us. Just know that we appreciate you all. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

Now a quick note about our Year End Sale. We're clearing our the shop to make room for the New Year and new ideas. Plus we don't want to count all this stuff! LOL. So, we've marked down selected items that need to be cleared out. Some are marked down as much as 50%. Some will not be brought back next year. Some are subject to further mark downs if they don't move as fast as we like. We want them gone! ALL sale items are pre-made, in stock items. And quantities are limited. When they are gone, that's it. We will not make more. No rain checks. So grab yourself a cup of your favorite brew (I suggest any tea from SBS Teas), turn on some favorite music (I'm crazy for Adele at the moment), and partake in some post holiday shopping therapy.

We wish you much good health, happiness, peace, joy & prosperity in the New Year.
Blessed Be,
Matt & Donna

#!!$#%@ Spammers!!!

2010-11-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

I HATE Spammers!!! They are the lowest of the lowest life form at the very bottom of the food chain. Actually I'm not even sure that they qualify as a life form. Spammer and hackers have cause more trouble for us here at Valhalla in the past 6 months than I even care to go into. That said, we've been hit again by the dirty rotten < BLEEP>.

If you have been to our website (and I hope you have) then you've seen the Tell A Friend button on every product page. These buttons are there so that you can quickly & easily share product information about products you love with a friend. You just type in their email addy and a short note and hit send. Well, a spammer decided to use this feature to send out hundreds of emails from our website with their own spam note attached.

When we came online this morning this spammer was still at it. We nipped them in the rear mid-stream. But not before this scumbag sent out over nearly 300 of these "recommend a product" emails with their own spam message in the body. We have found no evidence that any secure areas of website were compromised. After a thorough Admin sweep all appears to be safe and secure. However, if you received a Tell A Friend Email from our website last night/this morning that contained a spam message we sincerely apologize. And recommend that you log-in and change you password settings.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email us. We are always happy to chat with you and will do all in our power to answer your questions and address your concerns to the best interests of all.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Matt & Donna

Sugar Suicide & New Containers!

2010-11-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited about the new scrubs that I worked on today. We're calling them "Sugar Suicide Exfoliating Scrubs". Because they are so decadent that you run the risk of committing suicide by sugar overdose when using one! Though they are basic enough that you can use them 2-3 times per week, they are still very decadent and yummy with rich skin pampering ingredients like hemp and apricot oils. They are a medium consistency scrub and they come in an array of bright, bold colors and fantastic scents. And they come packaged in these great new recyclable containers with a snap tight lid to guard against leakage. Here is a picture of the new container. It's the smallest one on the bottom right. They hold 12 oz. of yummy sugar scrub! I'll be trying to get a few listed tomorrow.

Have you tried our Whipped Cream Soap? If not, your missing out on a really special, super delightful, bath time treat. Stay tuned for a special Blog Post highlighting this amazing Bubbling, Foaming Fluffy Stuff in the next few days.

If you have tried our Whipped Cream Soap, we would love to hear from you. Please jump in here and leave a comment telling us about your experience with it.

25% OFF! Last Push for Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

This Weekend Only everything in ALL our stores is 25% Off. This is our last big push of the year to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness. 10% of all our proceeds for the month of October w

ill be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

If you or

someone you know, has been effect by this horrific disease, then you under

stand the importance of not just finding a cure, but also the support that the SGK Foundation helps to provide those who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. They are a wealth of education and referral resources in addition to the research for a cure.

This past year, my own mother in law was stricken and underwent a radical mastectomy. This was a very difficult ordeal for her and the family. The year before her sister went through the same thing. For two women in the same family to endure such illness and heartache is tragic.

For any person to endure this disease is Tragic! And we have got to find a cure so we can end this senseless tragedy! So please join us Today & Tomorrow in raising funds to end this senseless disease.

25% Off in ALL Stores!

Now is a perfect time to start that holiday shopping and know that your shopping dollars are also going towards something really important.

Use the following coupon codes:

ArtFire Studio - Most up to date. No need to be a member to shop.
http://www.artfire.com/users/goddessbath
Coupon Code: THINK-PINK

Valhalla Soap Company (Main Website)
http://www.valhallasoap.com
Coupon Code: THINK-PINK

Etsy Shop - Must be a member to shop. Discount given in the form of a Paypal refund.
http://www.etsy.com/store/valhallasoap
Type the words ' THINK-PINK ' in the customer comment box at check out. We will issue a refund via Paypal.

Thank you all for your generous spirits and your continued support and patronage.
We love you all!! You RAWK!!!

Blessed Be,
Matt & Donna

Spokane Public Market.....A Dream Come True?

2010-10-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today I sent in my "Intend to Vend" Form along with my Annual Membership Fee. What this means is that the Spokane Public Market (SMP) is indeed drawing closer to becoming a reality. The acquisition of the property at 22 West Second Street was officially signed Friday Oct 15th !! The SPM finally owns a building to house the many vendors that have been dreaming about this coming to fruition for almost 2 years.

It all started for us when vending at a local farmers market, a kind gentleman approached. He quietly looked over our setup and products and then asked a bit about us; where we lived, that sort of thing. Then he asked if we would be interested in vending at a full-time indoor market. My heart skipped a beat! Was he serious? We have dreamed for years of having a "store front" of sorts. However, the overhead these days is just, well, over our heads. And our goal when we started was to never go into debt via bank or small biz loans. A full-time, year round, indoor market place would be ideal in every way. It didn't take more than a few seconds for me to say, "Absolutely, we would be interested." So, he took down our contact information and said he would be in touch. I can't even tell you how excited we were. And are even more so now since Matt became disabled. Valhalla Farms will become a bigger part of our livelihood than ever before.

And then there was the waiting. And more waiting. But while we waiting, the powers that be were hard at work behind the scenes. Finding property, negotiating with the city, and all the legal stuff that goes into something as grand as this. It is NOT a small undertaking! To really get an idea of just how grand and wonderful this will be not only for the vendors, but for the entire Spokane community, hope on over to the Spokane Public Market website and have a look. See the vision for the Market, how it will benefit the community and the downtown area and YOU! See how you can get involved and support the Market. Sign up for the Mailing List for important updates and Become a Facebook Fan. And lastly, Spread the Word!! Tell you friends, you mother, your brother, your dog! EVERYONE!!!!

The goal is to have the Spokane Public Market open to the public by mid spring of 2011. To do this, the Market needs support. Support in the way of publicity and fundraising are paramount at the moment. If you'd like to have access to an awesome market such as this in Spokane, I ask that you show your support in any way possible. And if you can swing a few bucks that would be fantastic! Even $10 helps the cause. And it's tax deductible.

Matt & myself thank you for your loyal support of us over the years. And we thank you in advance for your support of the Spokane Public Market. A cause that is very near & dear to our hearts.

See you at the Spokane Public Market!

Donna & Matt

What the Heck Has Been Going On?

2010-10-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

I suppose by now, many of our loyal, long time customers are scratching their heads and saying "what gives?" Wondering why the activity on our website has gone down. Why we haven't stayed on top of updating it. Why we haven't sent out any newsletters lately. Why we have been promoting our Etsy & ArtFire Shops? Well, this Blog Post is a bit overdue, but it will answer your questions.

After our last website update we ran into a few glitches with out main website. We worked hard with our host to correct those glitches and they assured us that everything was "good to go". Then we went down again. And again. Then we notices some security issues and worked on those with our host. Then when we would try to send newsletters we would get errors and they would send to only half of our newsletter list. Part of the reason for this blog post. We can't send out a newsletter. We have tried numerous times through numerous methods to resolve these issues. When we get one issue resolved, another crops up. Suffice to say, something is just "buggy" as hell.

In the meantime, we must use alternate venues to bring you our fabulous skin loving goodies *smile* Loving and caring for you all the way that we do, we would not want your skin to go into shock, or withdrawls from not getting it's daily fix of scrumptious Valhalla treats *grin* So, we have given you two alternate shopping options, because we like variety.

Shop for Valhalla Goodies at Goddess Bath on ArtFire.
Unlike Etsy, you do not need an ArtFire account to shop at ArtFire.

Shop for Valhalla Goddies at ValhallaSoap on Etsy.

Now on to yummier topics! WHIPPED CREAM SOAP! Have you tried it yet? If not then you MUST!!

We have small 2oz. Trial sizes available in either of our above listed stores for only $3.99. I just have to tell you that I'm ADDICTED, yes I said ADDICTED to this stuff!! I sware it's like crack, or what's that other hard to kick drug? Heroine? Whatever! I just know that it's like a freaking drug. I can't get enough of it. And we are getting the same feedback from customers who have already tried.

So don't miss out on the HIGH. Get your's today! I suggest the Sweet Pumpkin.....um delish!!

Until next time...
Love, Laughter & Lather! Lots and Lots of Lather ;-)
GW

5th Annual Black Cat Bash

2010-10-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we participated in our first Pagan Packs Faire. These are unique events like I've never seen, but they are fun. They are held in the chat room at the Pagan Packs Forum. Vendors have signed up ahead of time and are offering crazy phenomenal deals usually accompanied by Free Stuff! Everyone visits, gets to know each other, tells jokes, gets a little punchy, lol. We play games for prizes donated by the vendors (we donated a variety pack worth over $20). Attendees bounce in and out of the chat room to shop the great deals offered by the vendors. The games are great fun. I won a round of Witchy Bingo and got a gorgeous Hand Panted Meditation Cloth as my prize. Plus there are two Raffle Give Aways. Though this is a unique event, it is loads of fun. And we will most likely participate as vendors again next month.

I've carried over the deal that we were offering for the event to last through out the weekend. Since I was lax in promoting the event. So if you'd like to partake of this great special, here are the details:

25% off in our ArtFire store (prices are already reduced).

Plus a Free 2 oz. Whipped Cream Soap with all orders over US $25.00

Or

A Free Roll-on Perfume with all orders over US $40.00.

AND

A Free Gift with every order! Includes Custom Listings!

http://www.artfire.com/users/goddessbath

This sale ends Sunday Oct. 17, 2010 at Midnight PST

Treasuries Galore!!!

2010-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

My oh my the past two months have been stellar for us when it comes to Etsy Treasuries! We went on and on forever without being featured in any and now we are enjoying the honor of some steady features in some very beautiful treasuries. So, I thought that I would share them with you here and let you see some of the amazing talent and handmade products available to you and just the click of your mouse!

AUGUST TREASURIES
Our Ambrosia Blue Handmade Natural Soap for Men was featured in this "Fresh And Lively" Treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c6d74e796c68eef84d6b20a/fresh-and-lively#4c6d750f96c68eeff2e0b20a

Our ChamOats Handmade Herbal Glycerin Soap was featured in this "Great Etsian Collection of Glycerin Soaps".
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c719c0cfb0d6d9118ba1956/great-etsian-collections-of-glycerin

Our Best Selling Men's soap Thor's Thunder found a place in this great treasury titled "You are the Thunder and I am the Lightning".
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c75c0d55e828eef427ca2ee/you-are-the-thunder-and-i-am-the

SEPTEMBER TREASURIES
Our Handmade Goat Milk Soap was included in this beautiful "Delicious Scent Experiences" treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c64a9bfed3e8eef2bafae7c/delicious-scent-experiences

And lastly a fun treasury of bath & body items titled "Scrub a dub dub" added our Hey Sugar, Sugar Soothing Oatmeal Milk Bath.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c8706ea56b18eefb0879e1e/scrub-a-dub-dub

It has been tons of fun going through all these treasuries and clicking on my fellow artisans items to experience their shops. It is truely amazing the amount of stellar talent we have in the handmade industry. Please do the same and visit the shops of these fine artists. And if you find something that rocks your world (I just know that you will) please purchase it from them. Many of them count on these sales as their main source of income.

Blessed Be!

WOW Contest Sept 1 - 3rd - WINNER ANNOUNCED!!

2010-09-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

The winner of last weeks WOW Contest Treasure Hunt is: Staci B. Congrats Staci, You've won a $25 Gift Certificate good towards anything in our Webstore at Valhalla Soap Company!! Below are the results from Random.org.

Here are the pages that all the graphics were found on:
Fall Leaves:
Falling Leaves Handmade Glycerin Soap
http://www.valhallasoap.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=38_4&products_id=321

Pair of Pumpkins:
Ancient Myrrh Handmade Natural Soap Glycerine & Shea
http://www.valhallasoap.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=38_4&products_id=323

Pumpkins for Sale:
Gourmet Coffee Exfoliating Sugar Scrub
http://www.valhallasoap.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_40&products_id=27

Fall Trees:
Soy Tarts Fall/Winter/Holiday Category
http://www.valhallasoap.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_9&products_id=194

White Holiday Pilar Candle:
Wicked Candy Apple Whipped Cream Soap
http://www.valhallasoap.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_53&products_id=320

I'd also like to thank Heidi H. for participating in the WOW Treasure Hunt. And since there were only two contestants, Heidi will also receive a Gift Certificate for $15 towards any purchase from our Webstore at Valhalla Soap Company.

Thanks everyone for a fun game!!

WOW Contest Sept 1 - 3rd

2010-09-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Our Whacked Out Wednesday Contest is a Treasure Hunt of sorts. I've hidden 5 Fall themed graphics on our website within the product pages. Your goal is to find all 5 Fall Graphics (seen below).

Rules:

1). Find ALL 5 Fall Graphics hidden within the product pages at http://valhallasoap.com/

2). Send me a message on Facebook or email me at sales @ valhallasoap.com (remove the spaces), with the name of the products pages that you found the graphics on.

3). The Winner will be chosen Randomly from the First 10 Correct Entries. We will use Random.org

4). Contest Start NOW and ends at Midnight PST Friday Sept. 3rd. (Due to some confusion as to how the contest was played, we are extending the contest through the weekend. It will now end at Midnight PST on Sunday Sept. 5th)

5). Winner will be announced on our Facebook Fanpage and on our Blog on Monday, Sept. 6th.

PRIZE: Winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate good towards anything of our website. Shipping NOT included.

BONUS: A special Viking cartoon graphic (seen below) has been added to one of our products on our Etsy page at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Valhallasoap . Find it for an extra Bonus Mystery Prize.

Ready......Set.....GO!!!

The 44 Pound Hammer!

2010-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

A dear friend sent this video to me this morning. And while I'm not a huge country music fan (you wouldn't have guessed right? LOL), I give Bryan Glover kudos for having the courage to stand up for what he believes in. Even if it did cost him his job. Yes, that's right folks, Bryan was fired because of this song. Because of freedom of speech.

Now, everyone knows that I'm so NOT a Tea Party supporter of which I'm sure this song is birthed from. However, it really pisses me off that apparently now we American Citizens living in a country "supposedly" governed by the US Constitution can now be fired from our jobs for living according to that same constitution!! Which is exactly what this man did. He lived according to the rule of Free Speech grated u by that Constitution. And now it is called "political Incorrectness"?? WTF??!

As of yesterday, my credit union will no longer allow me to access my account online without "registering" my computer with their main computer. Excuse me!! WTF?! So according to them, it is a new mandatory security rule. To me, it is just another freedom relinquished. Another invasion of privacy mandated by our new government. Just exactly what kind and how much access does this registration give to my credit union? Or to be more exact, the Feds?

If ever we lived under a Stalinist Rule it is now folks!! The US has grown into a Fascist Pig obese from consumerism and corporate rule! Welcome to communist America. Oh! did I say that? You bet your ass I did! If you have a problem with it, take it up with #44!

Fascism, pronounced /ˈfæʃɪzəm/, is a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to organize a nation according to corporatist perspectives, values, and systems, including the political system and the economy.

As always, this is just my own personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of my family, friends or co-workers.
Blessed Be,
GW

The Bunny Factor

2010-08-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Bunny Effect of The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010
At Valhalla Soap Co. we have always made it our mission to bring you safe, natural, quality products, while leaving the smallest impact on Mother Earth as possible. Along with that, we have been and will always be opposed to animal testing in any form. Why should a product made for humans, be tested on innocent animals? Many of you have been our testers at some point or another. I find it interesting that the government can sanction animal cruetly, torture and the like in the name of "testing". But the general public is arrested for lesser degrees of cruelty towards animals. What is the difference?? Cruelty is cruelty! Torture is torture!! It's dispicable and disgusting regardless of who the perpetrator is!!

That is why I was stunned when I had read that Anne-Marie of Brambleberry uncovered how the EU Initiative increased the number of animal tests, rather than what I thought the EU was committed to doing, which was decreasing the number of animal tests.

We have always strived to bring you Cruelty Free Products. However, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 will force our industry into even more testing on animals than the EU Inititative has caused. Certified Vegan and Cruelty Free Cosmetics will become virtually non-existent if this bill is passed. And it will not make personal care cosmetics any safer for human topical use with the passage of HR 5786. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!

We urge you to please read the Bunny Factor (below) and then vote to Oppose The Safe Cosmetics Act with these action steps. The testing required by REACH is significantly less than what would be required here in America to comply with HR 5786.

The Bunny Factor
Source Anne-Marie Faiola

When the European Union passed REACH, the proponents of REACH legislation suggested that the testing would use 9 million laboratory animals and the ongoing costs for conducting the tests would amount to €1.3 billion. The study now published by Costanza Rovida and Thomas Hartung suggests that the testing required would involve 54 million vertebrate animals and that the costs would amount to €9.5 billion (20 times more animals and cost 6 times as much as previously stated). Animal testing is the most viable form of testing for many of the allergen, toxicity, reproductive health (etc.) issues that HR 5786 purports to protect against, yet the very bill that is requiring the testing is calling for a decrease in animal testing and in fact is requiring a testing method that is ‘superior in scientific quality’ to animal testing. Unless humans can be used, sadly bunnies and primates are still the ‘gold standard’ for safety substantiation of data.

• C. Rovida & T. Hartung: Re-evaluation of animal numbers and costs for in vivo tests to accomplish REACH legislation requirements for chemicals – a report by the Transatlantic Think Tank for Toxicology. ALTEX 26, 1/09.

• T. Hartung & C. Rovida: Chemical regulators have overreached. Opinion in Nature, vol. 460, 27 August 2009.

• Nwaogu, T. & Vernon, J; European Commission Directorate General Enterprise and Industry: Impact of European Regulation on the EU Cosmetics Industry September 2007

• Source: UK Department of Trade and Industry (2004): Final Regulatory.

• Frost & Sullivan: Active Ingredients – Key Drivers, Constraints and Challenges in the European Markets

**Original Blog post came from Essential U Blog. I've paraphrased, edited and added my own 2 cents :-)

The history behind Friday the 13th

2010-08-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th is widely considered the unluckiest day of the year. But why?

We all have a dose of friggatriskaidekaphobia - or the fear of Friday the 13th. People have for centuries. In fact, the original thought behind why the date is so unlucky can be traced back to 1700 B.C. The number 13 has always been regarded as doomed. The ancient Babylon's Code of Hammurabi omits the number 13 in its list of laws. Many tall buildings still to this day do not have a 13th floor.

The number is not the only thing with a negative connotation. Fridays, in general, have had a heavy cloud hanging over them for decades. Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales, and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.
What about the tie to Friday specifically? Another theory given by author Charles Panati, one of the leading authorities on the subject of "Origins," maintains that the superstition can be traced back to ancient myth. In Norse mythology, Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil — a gathering of thirteen — and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as "Witches' Sabbath."

Another theory as to why Friday the 13th has a bad rap is due to a monastic military order in Jerusalem in 1307. The Knights Templar became extraordinarily powerful and wealthy with their order to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades. According to one expert, King Philip was threatened by that power and eager to acquire their wealth, so he secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 - Friday the 13th.
Jesus also died on a Friday and there were 13 people at the Last Supper. That is not the only calamitous event in the Bible that occurred on a Friday. Eve offered a devilish apple to Adam on a Friday. The Great Flood started on a Friday. The confusion at the Tower of Babel also happened on a Friday.

A further theory goes back to a combination of Paganism, Christianity, and the Battle of Hastings. For many, the number 13 was considered a lucky number (such as 13 lunar cycles each year), but with the efforts of Christianity attempting to degrade all things Pagan, they promoted 13 as an unlucky number, with Friday thus also being considered a bad day of the week. However, on Friday the 13th of October 1066, the decision was made by King Harold II to go to battle on Saturday Oct. 14, rather than allow his troops a day of rest (despite his army having made a long and arduous march from a battle near York just 3 weeks earlier).
Thirteen is so unlucky, in fact, that in 1881 an organization called the Thirteen Club attempted to improve the number's reputation. At the first meeting, the members (all 13 of them) walked under ladders to enter a room covered with spilled salt. The club lasted for many years and grew to more than 400 members, including five U.S. Presidents: Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

Here are other superstitions that many people observe:
•Don't walk under a ladder

•Don't let a black cat cross your path

•If you break a mirror, you'll have seven years bad luck

•Don't open an umbrella indoors

•Step on a crack and you'll break your mother's back

•It's bad luck to sing or sleep at the table

•A bird that comes in through a window is bad luck

•Don't refuse a kiss under mistletoe

•Don't chase someone with a broom

•Don't drop a dishcloth

•Only get out of bed on the same side that you got in bed

•Don't rock an empty rocking chair

•Don't wear an opal unless it's your birthstone

•Don't smell dandelions, otherwise you'll wet the bed

•Don't give someone a wallet without money in it

Source: http://www.woodtv.com/dpps/news/strange/the-history-behind-friday-the-13th_3544981

WOW Contest Winner!

2010-08-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

As promised, we have a winner for our first WOW (Whacked Out Wednesday) Contest which was held last Wednesday.

As you can see from the screen shot below from Random.Org, the Winner is Sian O'Brien (#1 on the list) with her whacked out "Call of the Wild" fragrance blend. Which really isn't whacked out at all with its earthy blend of Lavender & Cedar resting on a soft bed of Almond & Shea and sultry notes of Nag Champa & Ambergris. Wild indeed!! We are very anxious to get this blended and see how it performs in the new Limited Edition Products that Sian will be receiving FREE! The rest of you won't want to miss out on this fabulous Limited Time Edition of "Call of the Wild". We will be in production with it for a few weeks, but will alert you all ASAP when it is on the website and ready for purchase.

If anyone has any ideas for another fun WOW game for this week please send them in. You can email us or post it to our Facebook page. Or leave a comment here on our blog. We would LOVE to hear your ideas for any kind of fun games/contests for our Whacked Out Wednesdays!

Oh! And I almost forgot, for the rest of you that played our fun little WOW game, there will be consolation prizes for you all as well. Thanks for participating and making it so much fun!!

Blessed Be,
Donna (GW)

New Contest! Whacked Out Wednesdays!! Starts TODAY!!

2010-08-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

We've been doing some chatting and came up with what we thought might be a fun little contest/game to play on Wednesdays. Here's how it works:

Whacked Out Wednesdays -
Our Role:

Every Wed. morning we will randomly pick 12 fragrance and/or essential oils from our inventory using Random.org. We will then list them and their descriptions on our Facebook Fan page and our Blog.

Your Role:

1.) Players are to chose 4 (exactly, no more, no less) options from the list.

2.) Formulate a new scent from their choices. For example:

3 parts Ambergris
2 parts Lime
1 part Bay Rum
1 part Ocean

3.) Give your new scent a name.

4). Email us ( sales at valhallasoap dot com ) or message us here on Facebook the formula (recipe) for your new scent and the name you chose for it.

**All entries will be due every Friday at 5:00 pm PST. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced on the following Manic Monday.

The winning scent will be made into a Limited Edition Gift Set (soap, lotion (4 oz), bath bomb). The winner will receive (1) FREE Limited Edition Gift Set.

We think it will be great fun to see all the Whacked Out Wild & Crazy Scent blends that everyone comes up with, lol. So put on your Mad Scientist coats and get to formulating. Happy mixing!!

This weeks list of 12 random scents and thier descriptions are listed below.

1.Iced Gingerbread - fresh baked gingerbread cookie fragrance with the creamy sweet white icing notes.

2.Ethiopian Myrrh - Ethiopian Myrrh is warm, rich, and spicy. Soothing and calming with its slighly balsamic undertones giving depth and balance to this aromatic fragrance oil. A great blender with other fragrance oils such as Roses, Honey, or Neroli.

3.Coffee Caramel - sweet caramel notes swirl around rich roasted coffee notes with a frothy top. Vanilla and milk add creamy smoothness, enhancing this sweet fragrance.

4.Coconut Lime Verbena - a citrus bouquet with its soft floral undertone on a background of musk and sandalwood

5.Ocean - Cool, clean, ocean air.

6.Lemon Verbena - citrus and flowery springtime all at once. Lemon Verbena is fresh and sharp, but beautifully balanced with crisp herbal notes. A bright clean, bodacious lemon scent.

7.Neroli Blossom - a haunting floral scent of fragrant white orange blossoms, velvety magnolia and just a hint of white musk.

8.Lavender & Cedar - Floral-woody top notes of lavender essential oil open the fragrance, along with natural oils of cedarleaf and rosemary.

9.Black Raspberry Vanilla - blend of fruity notes (including: raspberry, peach, lemon and strawberry) on a bed of florals, with a musk bottom note

10.Almond & Shea - mild notes of almond and botanicals with just a hint of vanilla.

11.Nag Champa - An oriental bouquet of Musk and Patchouli with the sweetness of Sandalwood and Rose on an Orange Blossom background.

12.Ambergris - Deep, rich and exotic. A very heavy, warm, musky scent. A great blender for floral scents.

GOOD LUCK!!

Confirmation is Awesome!

2010-07-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

It's always awesome when something comes around to confirm to you that you did the right thing, made the right choice, took that right step. Today was one of those days!

About a month ago, with knees knocking, I humbly walked into a local organic market with product in hand. See this market had asked me over a year ago to bring my products in. They repeated told me how much they loved my products and that customers were asking for them. I had sold previously at their weekly farmer's market. But the idea of putting my products into a store that I had such high respect for sent me into a frenzy of fear and self sabatoge. Add to it that I was laid up for month from a very traumatic surgery. But the truth is that it was mostly the fear and self sabatoge. How could my products possibly "hold their own" and find favor amoung some of the areas most well respected organic icons?

Today I as I was labeling more soaps to take into this awesome store and thinking to myself, "what on earth are they going to do with more soap?" what should arrive in the mail? A check!! My first check from this store!! Imagine my shock. It was the last thing in the world that I was expecting! I was so overjoyed and still am. You see, it proves to me that folks in this area DO want my natural products. The ones that DON'T have scents like you find at Bath & Body Works. the ones that are a little bit more pricey due to the organic ingredients and high quality essential oils that go into them.

This have given me new strength, a new vision, to continue in the vien of a more natural product. What my heart has been screaming for all along. To work with more essential oils! I'm glad that I listen to my intuition and took that fearful step that day a month ago. Because confirmation can be awesome. But it can also be a wonderful beacon to light your way!

Blessed Be!
GW

HR 5786 - Hidden Agenda?

2010-07-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

A dear friend brought my attention to a video he thought I might be interested in today. As I watched, I could not quite figure out just why he sent it, knowing where I stand on the use of toxic chemicals and the FDA's corruptive ways of getting products approved for use by humans.

As I watched I was pretty much on the womans side about how bad and toxic the ingredients were and how corrupt the FDA was until the end of the video when she started plugging for HR 5786. I have to give kudos though. She does a great job FOR the feds and the FDA just by appearing to be against them. And the man does just as great job FOR the FDA by attempting to prove that none of the toxic chemical used in OTC cosmetics are dangerous at all.

If the average consumer, not educated in petro-chemicals, preservatives, emulsifiers, sulfides, etc. were to watch this video, they would be left SO completely confused that they mostly likely would go away from the stores not knowing what to do. Which is precicely the intent. To remove the focus from the really glaring negative points of HR 5786. Which can be found HERE. What a nasty ugly campaign this is.

Last year the feds inacted a similar reading bill that attacked the small businesses that make toys and childrens clothing. Vurtually shutting down hundreds of small mom and pop businesses. Completely erradicating the only source of income for many. Adding even further to our already stressed ecomony.

We; the Cosmetic Formulators that you have come to know. Whose products you have come to love, postponed the the feds from enacting as similar bill that would do the same to us. Remove YOUR freedom to chose which kinds of cosmetics, soaps, lotions, etc. that you buy and WHO you buy them from. Now they are busy back at work with HR 5786 working to shut us down.

And it won't stop here folks. They will continue until they have shut down every small business and cottage industry in the nation. If you own a small business, it could be YOU on the chopping block next year!

It's about more than safe cosmetics. That is a smoke and mirrors game! It is SO much deeper! It's about the rights and freedoms to free enterprise for the small/micro entreprenuer. It's about your freedom of choice. It's about your rights. Your right to chose products made in the USA. It's about our rights afforded us by the constitution of this United States of America that our fore Fathers fought for. Maybe even your own great-great-great Grand-father. Fighting for the right to keep and work his land. Like the farmers today must do just to grow non-GMO crops! But that is a blog post for another day.

Please stand up for your right to chose! Share this with your friends and encourage them to sign this petition.

Go Here to sign Petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oppose-hr-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/

Blessed Be!
GW

Bath Bombs Question

2010-07-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

QUESTION: We now have Bath Bombs available. They are shaped like a very large Tablet. We can make them in Medium (2" in dia. x 1.5" tall & 3.5 oz), or large (2" in dia. x 2.25" tall & appox. 5 oz).

Do you like this shape? Or do you prefer the Large Round ones?

Many have said that they prefer round ones because they like to watch them dance around in the water. However, we have tested this shape and find that they also dance around on top of the water.

Or are you the person that says "as long as they are awesome it doesn't matter". We would love to hear your feedback on this. Please leave a comment for us.

CLICK HERE to see our Bath Bombs.

A Shiny New Look!!

2010-07-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce the unveiling of our bright and shiny New Web Site! We are very excited about our new look and invite you to take part in our New Web Site Celabration by saving 15% on all web site orders this week (through Sunday July 25th).

Just enter coupon code SHINY at checkout.

In addition we've added lots of new products in the past two weeks. So if you haven't visited lately, stop by and see What's New. Like this great new earthy bar in our Men's Collection. Or this fantastic morning wake up bar in our Valhalla Naturals Line. Those are just a few of the new items added in the past few weeks. Be sure to check them all out. And don't forget to pick up one of these while your there.

Black Raspberry Vanilla Fizz Bang! Bath Bomb

Dark As A Dungeon

2010-05-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine's husband put together an incredibly moving video that I feel is very poignant on this Memorial Day.
I know that there is allot of emphasis put on military personnel during Memorial Day and rightfully so. But this year, I encouraged folks to also remember the Blue Collar Worker. The man and woman that has no choice but to toil away the days and nights in a factory under less than desirable conditions and often times less than safe.

Without these ever faithful workers, the white collar man could not read his Wall Street Journal everyday, we moms would not be able to drive our children to school everyday, and some would not be able to heat their homes on those cold winter nights.

So tonight would you please take a moment to watch this amazing video. If it moves you, please rate it. And also take a moment of silence to remember those who have lost life and limb at their jobs while serving the "Man on the Hill", and You.

Happy Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Sale at Valhalla Soap Company - Save 20%

2010-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!!

First and foremost let me say THANK YOU!! to all of our military that have gone before and that are presently serving and sacrificing for our country. You are loved and appreciated, honored and respected. You are my Heros!
Happy Memorial Day to you and your Families!

I trust that everyone else has there own plans for this Memorial Weekend. Be it visiting loved ones, camping, boating, bbq'ing, or spending time at home with the family. All of us at Valhalla Soap Company wish you a fun, memorable and safe holiday.

We hope that you will find a moment to check out the new items we've stocked and take part in our Memorial Day Sale* and save 20% off your entire purchase. Everything throught our website is 20% Off. Just use Coupon Code MEM10-20 at Check Out.

Have a great weekend and be safe!
Blessed Be!

*Sale begins May 28, 2010 & Ends at Midnight May 30, 2010

Pour Some Sugar On Me Handmade Soap

2010-05-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

As Promised, here are some pics of yesterdays batch of the LUSH Dupe HIWTK. I call it Pour Some Sugar on Me. And I'm telling you, if I did not know for a fact that this was a dupe, I would not be able to tell the difference. It smell dead on!! And HIWTK is my all time favorite LUSH scent so you can't fool me when it comes to this particular scent.

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Hey! Sugar, Sugar!!

I had a hard time getting any decent photos for this one because it's rainning today and I've been taking most of my shots outside. So, my creativity for this set up was on the pitiful side, lol.

Because this particular soap and scent are in such high demand, we're going to go ahead and make this soap available right away for our Memorial Day Sale starting Friday. It is very much safe to use, but still needs some time (about 8 more days) for some more water to evaporate out of it. That gives you a much harder, longer lasting bar.

You can find this lovely handmade soap for purchase up on the Valhalla Soap Company website HERE. Just remember that when you receive it, unwrap it and let it set in a cool (not cold) dry place for another 5-10 days before using it.

Whats New in the Valhalla Soap Company Work Shop?

2010-05-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

Ambrosia Blue
Dark vanilla blended with intoxicating cedar and tonka bean.
Ambrosia Blue is our version of Aquolina's Blue Sugar for Men.

Caramel Latte' Handmade Soap

Skin loving olive oil, moisturizing cocoa butter, therapudic

wheat germ oil and shea oil. With the mild scubbiness of organic fair trade ground coffee on the bottom. This luxury soap will be available by the end of next week.

"Fruit Bomb" Whipped Soap that Floats

Just like a popular commercial brand but much kinder to your skin.

Lavender Goat's Milk Handmade Soap

Skin soothing goat's milk, moisturizing cocoa butter, therapudic

wheat germ oil. This 100% Natual Soap will be available by the end of this week.

Pour Some Sugar on Me

In the oven cooling as I type. I will update with pictures tomorrow.
Pour Some Sugar on Me is our version of LUSH's Honey I Washed the Kids. It will be ready 10 days from now.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our lucious matching Whipped Body Butter.

Since When Does NO TRESPASSING not apply?

2010-05-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

We filled out our census. Didn't want to, but there was that whole "punishable by law" statement emblazoned on the envelope. Damn government strong arm bully tactics!! We answered the questions we felt were important and left the others blank. We just didn't feel like the majority of questions were any of their damn business! We mailed it in. A long time ago in fact. Okay, glad to have that over with.

So today, a strange as in unfamiliar blue SUV come down our driveway. Which is some distance off the main road mind you. And posted at the top with several No Trespassing signs. Of which they obviously ignored. THIS irritated me to no end. And I had no problem with expressing the this woman my irritation that she had just trespassed on private property. She said she was an Official Census Taker. That they had not received our census form (which I'm sure is a bunch of B.S.) and that No Trespass signs don't apply to "official government employees. Excuse me!! What makes a freaking census taker so "official", so "governmental". It's not like she was the freaking FBI. Or ATF!!! She was just an average ordinary Jane standing in the unemployment line who got a job going door to door filling out census forms invading everyones privacy!! Hell, we don't even know what her background is. She is a stranger, coming onto MY property. THAT is Trespassing!

She insisted that we answer the questions verbally & she would fill in the form. For all the good it did her. We still refused to answer the same questions as before. So she had to mark the rest of the questions "refused".

I expect a higher ranking census "official" to show up next. This time the driveway cable will be across the driveway & padlocked!! We'll see if THAT applies to them! GRR!!

Drinking My Breakfast

2010-05-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is day 2 of drinking my breakfast.
The doctor told my hubby to loose 50 lbs in the next 6 months. He has a bad knee due to a work related injury. Doc wants to take some of the wieght off of it. So, I'm trying to walk this new diet path (lifestyle change) along side my hubby to support and encourage him.

If your interested, here is our breakfast:

4 oz Organic Soy Milk
6 oz Organc Plain Yogurt
1 Scoop (28 gr) Soy or Whey Protein Powder (make sure it is a brand with NO SUGAR)
1 tsp. Wheat Germ
1 tsp. Flax Seed Meal
1 Handful Frozen Mixed Fruit

I place all of this in the large blender container for my Magic Bullet and blend until smooth. However a regular blender works great too. I personally think that this is quite a tasty smoothie. But I've done this sort of thing in the past when I wanted to loose a few pounds. Hubby on the other hand is not as impressed, but still sticking to it :)

To Your Health!

Earth Day Special

2010-04-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!!

Today thru Sunday Only!!

All orders over $50.00 receive a $10 Off !!
Good towards Anything in our Home Fragrance Department.

Your choice of Environmentally Sustainable Soy Candles and Tarts. Also included in this promotion are our adorable Tart Warmers.

Use Coupon Code: LOVE-MOTHER-EARTH at Check Out.

I'm Finally Satified.....I think....Maybe....

2010-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yes!
I have changed my blog layout AGAIN! I know, I know. Your probably all sick and tire and tired and sick of coming here only to find yet ANOTHER, whacked out layout with elements all screwed up because they aren't compatible with the new layout. But Hey! It's a girl prerogative to change her mind right? Ok, maybe not so much!

the good news is that I think I've finally found a layout that I'm happy with. It's nice and simple with clean lines. Which is SO not me. However, it does appeal to a certain OCD part of me, lol.

So, I think after about 2 hours of fiddling with I've gotten all the bugs worked out and I'm going to keep it......for now ;-)

New Bath Treats Available

2010-04-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

FIZZ BANG! BATH BOMBS

Mixed Fruit Tsunami is mixed up melle' of tropical fruits, hand blended in house. Citrus, mango, starfruit, watermelon, plum, and strawberry to name a few. We've added a helping of skin soothing tropical coconut milk to finish off this delightful bath bomb.

BATH MELT COOKIES

Frolick in a tub full of fun, frothy, silky bubbles. Linger in the silky, soothing water as your skin soaks up the yummy goodness of pure unrefined cocoa butter. All the ingredients in these decadent delights disolve nicely in the water to create a soothing spa of softness for your skin! Each 2 oz cookie will last for two bath by break it in half and using one half per bath. Or use the entire cookie for a really luxurious experience.

Keep a close watch as we will be adding more of these fun Bath Treats in different "flavors" to our website soon. And as always, thank you for your support and continued patronage. We adore you all!!

Price Reductions

2010-04-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to be able to share with you that we've been able to reduce the price of a few products after finding a better resource for raw ingredients.
Our Botanical Body Butters have been reduced by almost 50%! These are emulsified butters, not the oil only butters. They glide on like a very heavy cream and they soak in relatively fast leaving no greasy feeling behind. They are fabulous and you really don't want to miss at least trying one. I promise your skin will love you for it :)

And our Sea Witch Foaming Scrub has been reduced by $2.00. Keep an eye on this one as it could drop in price even more as we continue to look at the costs on this particular product.
And just as a side note, our Sea Witch scrub was featured in an Etsy Treasury this morning. As were many other very talented Eastern Washington Street Team members. Please check out the treasury, and show them some love by clicking the photos to visit each shop :)

Sorry, the treasury has expired. But thank you for visiting my blog :)

Fragrance Re-naming Contest!!

2010-03-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

We have a slight dilemma and we need your help. We just got in a few new LUSH fragrance duplicates, but due to copyright issues we cannot use the LUSH names. So, we need to rename them. This is where YOU come in. And we thought that we'd make it fun and turn it into a little contest. So here's the scoop!

The Fragrance: LUSH's "Honey I Washed the Kids"
This very popular LUSH duplicate has....top notes of citrus and a honey-floral bouquet......middle notes of warm summer peaches, crisp apple and rich, buttery toffee......with bottom notes of earthy woods & sexy musk. For me, it's just heaven in a bottle, LOL!

The Prize: Pure Decadence Whipped Body Butter (Full 2 oz size - not a whimpy sample)
I just finished formulating the most decadent whipped body butter. It's loaded with yummy butters like shea and mango as well as macadamia and other exotic oils, plant extracts and luxurious virgin coconut oil. It will be available in 2 oz jars, and is scented with our new LUSH duplicate of "Honey I Washed the Kids".

HOWEVER, we need to decide on that new name for the HIWTK's fragrance first......So get your ideas in here.....We've only got a few hours left!!! That's right, this contest only lasts 48 hours!

So, hurry and get your ideas for a new name into us at CLICK TO EMAIL

OR if your on Facebook come join the contest and the fun at our Facebook Fanpage at:
http://www.facebook.com/ValhallaSoapCo

We're excited and looking forward to all the fun new names that you all come up with.

Contest Ends March 16, 2010 at 6:00 pm PST

Blessed Be,
Ghost Wytch

Serial Killer in Teddy Bears Clothing?

2010-02-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Most who know me know that I'm a strong opponent against Aspartame. When I discovered it's dangers, I had just recently purchased a case of diet soda and I promptly disposed of it. To hell with the loss of money it cost me! This fake sweetener is as deadly as it's manufacturers are deceitful! And it appears that they are up to their deceptive way again. Be informed and read on.

Artificial sweeteners especially aspartame has gotten a bad rap over the years, most likely due to studies showing they cause cancer. But not to worry Ajinomoto the company that makes Aspartme has changed the name to AminoSweet. It has the same toxic ingredients but a nice new sounding name.

And if you or your child happens to be allergic to Aspartame, well don’t take it personally it’s just business.

Despite the evidence gained over the years showing that aspartame is a dangerous toxin, it has remained on the global market . In continues to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things.

Most consumers are oblivious to the fact that Aspartame was invented as a drug but upon discovery of its’ sweet taste was magically transformed from a drug to a food additive. HFA wants to warn our readers to beware of a wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing or in this case Aspartame dressed up as Aminosweet.

Over 25 years ago, aspartame was first introduced into the European food supply. Today, it is an everyday component of most diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and chewing gums in countries worldwide. But the tides have been turning as the general public is waking up to the truth about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the harm they cause to health. The latest aspartame marketing scheme is a desperate effort to indoctrinate the public into accepting the chemical sweetener as natural and safe, despite evidence to the contrary.
Read More...

Please Help Us Name.....

2010-02-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Aquolina's Pink Sugar dupe is one of our best sellers. It's the one on the right (bright pink top) in the photo below. However, due to copyright issues we cannot use the Pink Sugar name. We have tried several names in the past that just have not "stuck". So we decided to get your (our customers and readers) input.

Love Sick Silk & Shea Soap Log (left)

Pink Sugar (type) Soap Log (right)

So please help us out by casting your vote in the poll which can be found in the column to your left on this blog page. We are very interested in and appreciate your input.

Thanks!!

My Sweet Clementine

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

What was it last week? I honestly don't remember, my favorite's change so often and so fast! However, as of this mornings soap batch unmolding, my newest swoon worthy fav is what we're calling "My Sweet Clementine".

You know that wonderful sweet orangy scent that embraces your senses when you peel a clementine orange or a tangerine? It's nothing like peeling any other kind of orange! It is a unique citrus scent all unto itself. And one that I loved as a young child growing up in Santa Monica, California when peeling a cute little tangerine while sitting on my grandmas porch looking out over the ocean. It's funny how fragrance can elicit a memory. Sorry for the digression :)

Anyway "My Sweet Clementine combines that incredible orange with a hint of french lavender and a bevy of other lovely spa scents. I just know that are going to love it as much as I do.

So, here is a sneek peek of the freshly cut bars which will be ready for use around Feb. 13th.

While waiting for MSC to finishing drying, be sure to check out two other new soaps on site. A new glycerin soap called Cucumber Melon Berry. A visually stunning piece of soap artwork.

And a new luxury soap called Cucumber Aloe. Loaded with yummy skin loving cocoa and shea butters.

Yes, I'm sure you are seeing the trend here. We've kind of been on a cucumber roll the past week in the shop. And we still have a few more cucumber fragrances to get to ;)

Judgement, Relationships & Risk

2010-01-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it seems like friends are only friends until you no longer suit their needs/wants. I've discovered this multiple times over this past year.

First there was the one that decided after 10 years of very close friendship that because of our spiritual views she just could no longer be around us. Regardless of the fact that she and her family had previously embraced us with our spriritual views. Nothing had changed in us. We were the same that day as we had been the day before, and the week before, and the month before, and the year before..... So what changed in her? She has recently apologized to my husband. But I take being judged for my spirituality very, very personally. As I would NEVER judge anyone for theirs. And I'm just not ready to "bury the hatchet" so to speak.

And then there was the man; a long friend of almost 30 years. Who told my husband that he had his job cut out for him because his wife (me) was a pagan and had lowered herself to the status of cavemen who didn't know any better than to deficate right outside the door of their own dwellings! Funny, he didn't seem to understand that my husband is a pagan as well.

Now, I'm all of a sudden the enemy of another "friend"! Because I don't shop at walmart, and I'm opposed to the government, I'm "a negative person", and she has said that because of my anti walmart/government views, that I've somehow all of a sudden insulted what her husband does for a living (he is in the military). She and her family no longer want anything to do with us. WTF???? Why am I the enemy now, and I wasn't 2 weeks ago? Or a year ago, or 2 years ago. My views on the government or walmart are no different now than they were when we met.
Thus it sometimes seems as if people are friends as long as you suit their needs/wants/ideals, etc. When they have used up whatever resources/energies they can get from you, be it emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually, etc. then you will be kicked to the curb! It is human nature. So how do we as humans combat this? How do we change this "survial of the fittest" instinct within us so that we do not continue to create a bruised, broken, and bitter race? What is the answer? Do we just forgive and forget? Or become complacent? Or do we risk and do as one of Sarah McLachlan's songs says "If I shed a tear, I won't cage it. I won't fear love. If I feel a rage, I won't deny it. I won't fear love."

What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.

For the record, I think that I will follow the advice of the song lyrics, and not fear love. I shall continue to risk my heart being stepped on, bruised or battered. Without the risk, we cannot experience the joy. Nor can we experience the true essence of ourselves.

Blessed Be Always!
GW

2010-01-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

These cute little Bubbling Bath Melts are now available on our site for purchace. Just in time for a quick little Valentines Gift or even a nice, decadent gift to paper yourself :)

Just drop one or two in your bath and let the bubbles and moisturizing cocoa butter soften and spoil your skin while the sensual scents of Sex & Candy or Chocolate Fetish tantalize your senses.

SEX & CANDY BUBBLING BATH MELTS

CHOCOLATE FETISH BUBBLING BATH MELTS

Bubbling Bath Melts are approximately .7 oz. each and come in sets of 4. Each set is packaged in a pretty organza bag with satin draw string. They retail for $5.95 and can be purchased HERE

More Valentines gift goodies coming soon :)

Waiting.......

2010-01-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at the hospital waiting today. My mom's husband was just called back to be prepped for surgery. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer last week. The cancer is apparently isolated to the lining of the bladder. So today they will attempt to remove it. They will also do some exploration of the prostate to assue that no cancer has effected it. If it has, they will do what is necessary to repair that as well. Needless to say, he and my mom are very scared, as are we all. We would appreciate any prayers, healing energies, lit candles and what not that those reading might feel lead to offer.

In the meantime, I thought that I'd show you what I did yesterday for a custom order. These are glycerin soaps. The copper moon is a cocoa butter/shea butter blend. The silver moon is a mango butter/shea butter blend. Both are scented with Amber Vanilla.

Cocoa Butter/Shea Butter Blend with copper penny mica moon.

Mango Butter/Shea Butter Blend with antique blue mica moon.

All total I made 4 bars that are 4.5 ounces each. I really hope that the customer likes them. I was going to just pour them into plain molds, but a bit of whimsy struck me at the last minute :)

Need Input on Some New Ideas

2010-01-08T22:50:00.000-08:00

We've been tossing around some ideas the past few weeks for some new offerings to you, all of our awesome, loyal customers. And we thought that we would add a few polls here on the blog to get your feedback.
If you look over to your right there, you will see the two Polls Boxes. At the bottom of each box is a link for you to leave a comment if you wish to expound further on your vote. Easy!

Here are some of the things we have come up with and we would love to know what you think.

Soap by the Log/Loaf - in 2.5 lb logs you can cut into bars yourself
Foaming Bath Whip - It's great for shaving :)
Moisturizing Bath Salts
Whipped Butters - As in Shea, Mango, Kokum, Cocoa, etc.
Expanded Line of Foaming Sugar Scrubs - In new yummy scents!
Lip Balms
Scented Shampoo & Conditioner
Bath Bombs
Bubble Bars

So, there's the results from our brainstorming. Let us know what you would like to see by voting in our polls. If there is something that you would like to see that isn't listed in the polls, please DO leave feedback in the comments section of this post or in the polls themselves. I LOVE comments :) I read them and try to respond to them all. And we will add your ideas to our list and take them into consideration. It is our goal to meet your needs, to make you happy. When your happy, we're happy :)
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Blessed Be!
GW

Bubbling Bath Melts & the Balance of Life

2010-01-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on Bubbling Bath Melts for Valentines Day. Here is a picture of the ones scented in Sex & Candy.

I wrapped them in purple foil (it really is a pretty purple, but it looks more blue in this picture). They weigh 20 grams each and will be available in sets of 4.

I think they turned out really cute and tomorrow I will work on one scented in Love Sick. I also plan to have Chocolate Fetish available and maybe one other scent that I've not made up my mind on yet.

Would have liked to have gotten more done today, however, I found out mid day that my Mom's husband has cancer. This news comes on the heels of my youngest sister being diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis. She is only 30 years old. And then two weeks ago finding out that my Aunt has stage 3 brain cancer. I sort of feel like some unknown force is waging war on my family. And it all kind of caught up with me today :(

On a brighter note, I did get a call from my son who is expecting his first child (he has two step-sons). They called from just having an ultra-sound and it looks as if I'm going have my first (biological) grand-daughter the first of June! Finally a baby girl to dress up in frilly, pretty things :)

So, as is so often in life, where there is sadness, there comes joy. Such is the balance of life.

Blessed be!

A Wild Urge Came Over Me.....

2010-01-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've done anything like this. Years in fact!!

It's called Oven Hot Process Soap. But for some reason today I had the urge, the drive, THE OBSESSION to do a batch of soap by this method instead of my beloved Cold Process method. Hope my old method doesn't get it's feeling hurt ;)

So, I mixed it up, with yummy things like cocoa butter & babassu oil. Then added some goat's milk and some honey. See, when these kinds of urges, these kinds of deeps dark compulsions strike it causes one to do all kinds of crazy things. *giggle*

Now it's in the oven getting all hot and bubbly! And there's just one BIG problem. I have no idea what to scent it with. I'm wanting to use some that is oh so decadent. Oh so sinful. If you have any ideas, chime in. It will be in the oven for an hour :)

Thought that I'd post a few more pics of the stages that hot process soap goes through while in the oven. So here are two more pictures.

You can see the honey (the dark swirls) turning brown from the cook. Yummy!

Now it's ready to stir, add the fragrance, stir again and GLOP! into the mold. I'll report back shortly on what I scented it with.

Etsy Treasuries

2010-01-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to share with you all that one of my products was chosen for an Etsy Treasury. It's always exciting to find out that someone admires something that you created with your own two hands enough to include it in a collection of their favorite things :)

This particular treasury is really astounding in that the artist featured have some amazing talent. Take the Salesea Shell Neckwarmer for instance. My Gods!! Is it simply gorgeous!! I had no idea that crochet could be so beautiful. And by clicking on BeAdorned's Jasper Necklace I discovered that this talented beader lives right in the same small community as I do. It really is a small world huh?

Anyway, please stop by this treasury ans show some love to these amazing artists and indies by clicking on each photo which will increase the number at the top on the photo. And you'll see my Pumpkin Pie Slice soap that was featured while your there :)
Here the link:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=81677

Blessed Be!

Here We Go Again....

2009-12-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

So it's happened again, just as it does every year around this time: A concerted effort to subvert the real meaning of the holiday and twist it into something far removed from its origins.

To take an ancient and revered celebration and rebrand it.

That's right – it's the annual War on Wicca.

No, no. Just kidding. What I'm really talking about is the annual War on Paganism, of which Wicca is a small subset.

That's right: Every year, pagan symbols and festivities stretching back thousands of years are co-opted in the name of Christmas. Without thanks or barest acknowledgment.

Christmas trees everywhere, but no mention of the pagans and their reverence for evergreens or lighting the yule log to chase away midwinter gloom, and whose "Yule" is now synonymous with Christmas.

No gratitude for evergreen wreaths and holly – pagan symbols of the feminine and masculine and of sacred cycles.

None for borrowing Santa Claus – an iconic figure in various pagan cultures, from a fourth-century Turkish bishop to Father Yule, the Winter King.

Mistletoe today may reference chaste romance, but it echoes the earthy sexuality of pagan Saturnalia celebrations in mid-December to honor the Roman god of agriculture. Saturnalias were jolly days of feasts and exchanging gifts.

Winter Solstice has morphed from a pagan mid-winter festival of the birth of the sun into a celebration of the birth of the son.

And December 25 has gone from the birthday of the Roman god Mithra to ... well, you know.

"Most religions – one is built on another, built on another," notes Betsy Ashby of the Pagan Resource Center. "Anybody who thinks their religion is original is deluding themselves."

The resource center was located in Windsor, but recently relocated to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Ashby declines to say how she and her family celebrate Solstice – "For us, it's a time of family; we do not do the commercial thing."

Lots of Christians would applaud this. Of course, many would also say she's on the path to eternal damnation. If only she believed in eternal damnation.

The good news about the perceived marginalization or under appreciation of Christmas is that complaints have declined in recent years.

They do still crop up now and then, as in this Feedback complaint in Monday's paper, from a reader upset about a general decline in wishing others "Merry Christmas":

"Why is there a systematic campaign to destroy the roots of Christianity?"
READ MORE.....

Last Sale of the Year - SAVE BIG!!

2009-12-28T23:31:00.000-08:00

INVENTORY CLEAROUT SALE!!

Select Handmade Soaps as low as $2.36 each!

Clearance Soy Wax Container Candles up to 70% Off!

Select Lotions 30% Off!

LAST SALE OF THE YEAR! This is your last chance to grab your favorites at the lowests prices ever! Turn around times are sitting at about 3-5 business days.

Thank you to all our fantastic customers for another fun year. We have enjoyed getting to know you all. And we look forward to the coming year with lots of new ideas and products. We wish you all the very best in 2010!! May you and yours have an abundance of peace, health, love, and prosperity!!

Blessed Be,
Donna, Matt & Crew

The Best Video Ever!!!

2009-12-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

This has to be the best video I've seen in a very long time. It brings a smile to my face, and warms my heart that so many participated in this project to help promote breast cancer awareness. Something that is very close to home for me, as my Aunt died from cancer that started from breast cancer and over the years just kept moving to different parts of her body. I myself have had several fibroid cysts removed and there is nothing like the fear that one endures while waiting for the lab results to come back with an answer of "yea" or "neah" on if the tissue is cancerous or not.

Please watch this video and pass it one to all you know :)

Blessed Be!

Black Friday Bonanza!!

2009-11-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Black Friday "Get 1 Free" Sale Spectacular!

Buy 3 Soy Tarts Get 1 Free

(tell us your scent choice for free tarts in comments section)

Buy 5 Soy Tarts Get 1 Tart Warmer Free

(Warmer of our choice)

Buy 2 Soy Candles Get 1 Soy Tart Free

(tell us your scent choice for free tarts in comments section)

Buy 3 Bars of Soap Get 1 Free

(our choice)

Buy 2 Sale Body Lotions Get 1 (2 oz) Dry Oil Perfume Spray Free

(tell us your scent choice for free Dry Oil Perfume in comments section)

Early Bird Gift Bag Special! Free with $20 Purchase to First 20 Customers!
Gift Bag will be scented in one of our Spring Preview Fragrances.

Gift Bag includes:

1 (6 oz) Shea Butter Glycerin Soap

1 (2 oz) Dry Oil Perfume Spray

1 (4 oz) Botanical Body Butter

Sale begins at 6:00 am 11/27/09 and ends 12:00 am 11/29/09

Shop early. Limited quantities available. Sales subject to stock on hand.

http://www.valhallasoap.com/

Thank You & Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Valhalla Soap Company!

Coach Holiday Handbag Giveaway

2009-11-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

Coach Holiday Handbag Giveaway

Coach has partnered with The Fashionable Housewife for an amazing giveaway! We are one of Coach’s 30 favorite bloggers and have partnered with them for their Holiday Blog-a-Day promotion this year! We are so excited to be a part of such an amazing group of bloggers and have the opportunity to show you a few pieces from the Coach Holiday collection and give one lucky reader the chance to win the fabulous Amethyst Texture Metallic Audrey Shoulderbag!!!

If you visit www.coach.com/holidayblog each day during the promotion, you can read what this group of truly talented fashionistas have to say about Coach, including giveaways, reviews, pictorials and more!

The winner will receive the Amethyst Textured Metallic Audrey Shoulderbag ($598)

So head on over to the Fashionable Housewife Blog to enter. You have 26 different ways to Enter. I LOVE this Bag!!!!!

New Lower Flat Rate Shipping Fees

2009-11-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

We've just lowered our Flat Rate Shipping from $10.50 to just $7.95! That's a $2.55 saving over the old price.

It's our way of saying "Thanks!" to those that are continuing to shop and support online retailers and the small businesses during this difficult economic climate.

So THANKS!!!!

And we hope that the extra savings is a little extra money in your pocket for those little extras this holiday season :)

Blessed Be,
Matt & Donna

It's My Birthday Saleabration!!! 12 Hour Sale!

2009-11-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday and I'm DONE getting older!!!!

So I'm celebrating by setting back the hands of time! As of today, I'm 35 years old again! And I will remaind 35 for eternity!!!

And I'm inviting you to my Saleabration 35 Again Party!

For the next 12 hours, when you spend $35.00 or more you will get a 35% Discount.

And I'm giving everyone a FREE Birthday Gift with every purchase.

This Saleabration is Webstore Wide! But HURRY! Sale is only 12 HOURS!

It starts NOW and ends at MIDNIGHT Tonight!

So, come join the party and use the following Coupon Code:

35AGAIN

Thanks for celebrating with me :)

Fun Holiday Treats

2009-11-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Introducing two new Fun Holiday Products!!

PUMPKIN PIE SLICE SOAPS

It looks like a slice of pumpkin pie, it smells like a slice of pumpkin pie, BUT PLEASE DON'T EAT IT LIKE A SLICE OF PUMPKIN PIE :)

So realistic that our grandson actually thought it was a real slice of pumpkin pie! Set one on your bathroom counter in a pretty plate and fool your guests this holiday season!

Read more about this bubbly Holiday Treat HERE.

GINGERBREAD MEN GUEST SOAPS

Yes, they look like Gingerbread Men with their chocolate chip buttons all in a row.

Who wouldn't want their own bubbly, sweet smelling man for Christmas ;)

These sweet smelling guys make charming little guests soaps for the holidays!

To find out more about these adorable Holiday Dudes, CLICK HERE.

BUBBLES & FIZZ COMBO

Bubbles & Fizz in Chocolaty Mint for a perfectly invigorating bath time duo. A great bar of soap and fun bath bomb for a super price!

We've paired up our popular Handcrafted Chocolate Mint Glycerin & Shea Butter Soap with one of our decadent Milk & Honey Fizz Bang! Bath Bombs.

You can beat this Sweet Treat of a Deal!

Purchase the Bubbles & Fizz Combo Here.

Stay tuned for more fun holiday treats coming soon!!

Win a Free Kindle

2009-11-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to pass along that Bitten by Books just shared a link to win a free Kindle 2 !!

Enter Here:

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12677

Good Luck!!

Facebook | My Links

2009-11-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Facebook My Linksmyspace.com/reverbnation/alleyway7upper/cig7upper

Going Out of Town

2009-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

We'll be out of town for 10 days starting Wednesday the 14th. We'll still be accepting orders on our website and for the October Spotlight sale and will work fast and furiously to fill and ship them when we return.

Will see you all when we get back.

Take care & Blessed Be!

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT SALE!! SAVE 15%

2009-10-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

For the month of October our Spotlight will be on the new fall scent “Toil & Trouble”. A dark intriguing blend of patchouli, cinnamon and cedarwood. All known for stimulating a sense of arousal and euphoria.

All products on our Spotlight Products Page are 15% Off through the month of October. You MUST purchase them from the Spotlight Products page ONLY. The discount will NOT apply if purchase from any other area of our website.

Thanks for all your support :)
Blessed Be!

Flu Vaccine Exposed

2009-09-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu, nor Protect Against the Vast Majority of Flu-Related Deaths

"Studies show that flu vaccines are unsafe and ineffective. This presentation by the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute includes a visual depiction of flu vaccine production -- how the flu vaccine is made and what it contains."

Flu Vaccine Exposed:

Making Good on a Dare

2009-09-20T14:43:00.001-07:00

A good friend a customer told me recently that though her husband tells everyone to buy our soaps, he won’t use them himself. When asked why, he said that they smell too “foo fooey”. I told him that we have several manly scents that he could choose from. But he said that they smell “foo fooey” too. So I told him, I was sure that I could make him a soap that smells like dirt. He said “Go for it! I dare you. I double dog dare you!”

Not one to pass up a challenge, I went in search of a dirt scented fragrance oil. Founding just what I wanted, I’ll be heading out to the shop one day this week to see what kind of dirty trouble I can get into.

Will post pics of the end results here when I’m done :)

Blessed Be!

Blogger Labels: Dare,friend,customer,husband,soap,dirt,fragrance,shop,results,fooey

New Fun Product - Available Soon!

2009-09-16T15:31:00.001-07:00

I've been bored out of my mind just sitting and laying around while recovering from surgery and was itching to get back into the shop. However, I'm still restricted from doing anything strenuous and cannot stand for more than a few minutes at a time.

So, my daughter and I found a fun project that would allow me to sit and we spent some time in the shop the last few days making some fun new goodies! The results were these cool little Single Use Sugar Scrubs. The original recipe came from a post found on Soap Queen's Blog. And being the mad scientists that we are, we played around with it and did some tweaking to come up with what you see here.

Sugared Pumpkin & Hazelnut Sugar Scrub Squares

Raspberries & Cream Sugar Scrub Dots

After testing among friends and family it is unanimous that they little sugar scrubs sensations are keepers! And they were so much fun to make I promise that you will see them very soon on our site in many fun and delicious scents.

Blessed Be,

Donna

Blogger Labels: Product,surgery,shop,Single,Sugar,recipe,Soap,Blog,Pumpkin,Hazelnut,Scrub,Raspberries,Cream,friends,sensations,Donna,keepers

Walmarts Greed Shines Through

2009-09-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

Walmart's Project Impact: A Move to Crush Competition

Walmart loves to shock and awe. City-size stores, absurdly low prices ($8 jeans!) and everything from milk to Matchbox toys on its shelves. And with the recession forcing legions of stores into bankruptcy, the world's largest retailer now apparently wants to take out the remaining survivors.
Thus, the company is in the beginning stages of a massive store and strategy remodeling effort, which it has dubbed Project Impact. One goal of Project Impact is cleaner, less cluttered stores that will improve the shopping experience. Another is friendlier customer service. A third: home in on categories where the competition can be killed. "They've got Kmart ready to take a standing eight-count next year," says retail consultant Burt Flickinger III, managing director for Strategic Resources Group and a veteran Walmart watcher. "Same with Rite Aid. They've knocked out four of the top five toy retailers, and are now going after the last one standing, Toys "R" Us. Project Impact will be the catalyst to wipe out a second round of national and regional retailers."
READ MORE....

Fall Scents

2009-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I had been working on new Fall Scents with the first batch of "Toil & Trouble" Rune Soap poured, unmolded & stamped. I had every intention of pouring "Eye if Newt" and "Cerridwen's Cider" this past week. Then my body betrayed me, and I ended up in the hospital and underwent major surgery.

Needless to say, the fall scents may run into the release of winter scents. I hope that my recovery is quick and I can get back into the shop soon. But after over doing it yesterday, it seems that recovery will not be as rapid as I would like.

So please bear with us as my daughter and myself try to keep up with orders and production at my much delayed, and slow pace.

Decorating for Autumn

2009-08-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Autumn is such a fun time of year to decorate with the rich color schemes.Natural elements fit in nicely with the rustic fall colors, so there are many ways you can inexpensively decorate for the season. Instead of using your glue gun to make seasonal decor consider buying grapevine forms-wreaths in different shapes and small swags, then use ribbon and seasonal picks that you weave in and out of the grapevine, rather than gluing. You can then remove and replace these for the new seasons. You won't end up having to store the wreaths or wall decorations, instead just keep the small items in a shoebox size plastic tub for each season and switch them as each holiday approaches. When they start to look worn, you can always give them to the kids to try their hand at making their own seasonal decor!

Gather pine cones, seedpods, acorns and fall leaves to put in wicker baskets. Use these on the porch or in entry ways for simple, rustic decorations. You can also use small branches with the pine cones and/or leaves still attached and place them in vases and crocks. Potted mums this time of year are the same prices as cut flowers, or cheaper, so why not buy several, pot them up and place them around your walks, steps and porch. Tie autumn themed ribbons around the base of the pots. If you have room plant them in the ground after the blooms are gone and lay down some mulch(grass clippings or chopped leaves) for the winter.

Go for a rustic but yet dramatic look by placing a large grapevine wreath in an empty space such as the peak of the garage or the house. You don't need a bow for fall, and at Christmas you can attach a large red bow. It's simple, but adds so much!

Pumpkins and Gourds Galore! Put them everywhere. Try to find a grower or farm market instead of buying them at the garden center or store. You'll find some great buys on the "less" than perfect ones, but they are still great for decorating. We buy small and medium sized pumpkins for .50 and 1.00 each year. Grandpa always grows a biggie for the kids too! Put your gourds and pumpkins in groups...place some on upside down pots to raise them up to different levels in a grouping. Mix a mum or two in with them, and tie a few bows all around!

Winter Squash--Look for Hubbard and Turban squash. They have an interesting texture and a neat look to them. Decorate the porch, but don't allow them to freeze, and afterwards you can eat them for Sunday and holiday dinners! Group them in a large wicker basket.

Garland-Make a garland of smaller gourds with the long necks and Indian corn still in the husk. Use jute or twine and alternate between corn and the gourds. Measure a section of your porch. I have arches and hang garlands in each one. In the middle of the garland make a bow from raffia and pieces of torn rust or orange colored fabric. You can also hang the garland from a porch or deck railing.

Rustic Scarecrow: Instead of stuffing clothing, take two pieces of scrap wood and nail together a cross formation. Take a piece of muslin and place it over the top piece of wood-tie it at the "neck" and draw on a face with a waterproof marker. Dress your wooden friend in clothing, a hat and you can even put hooks on the end of each "arm" and hang buckets of flowers, a birdhouse or other fun items. Turn your scarecrow into a country lady by dressing her in woman's clothing and giving her a gardening hat, gloves, and small garden tools. The great thing with this is that you literally can use scrap wood and old clothing,and go wild with your imagination!

Tin Can Fun: Save those cans! Prime them and go to town painting them in fun fall colors. You can plant mums in the larger coffee type cans and in the others place wildflowers, dried grasses and branches to decorate outside.

Milk Cans: If you have any old worn rakes, shovels and other lawn tools laying around, put them to a decorative use. Place a couple of cornstalks in an old metal milk can, behind the tools, and tie a big fall themed bow around the milk can! You can do this with a large bucket or basket too.

About the author: Brenda Hyde Autumn is a wife and mom living with her family in the Midwest United States.She is also a freelance writer and the editor of Old Fashioned Living.

Blessed Be!
Ghost Wytch

In the Molds

2009-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished pouring a 5 pound batch of "Toil & Trouble" into the mold. And it is the most delightfuly wicked shade of boiling cauldron green you've ever seen. I'm praying to the God and Goddess that it stays this color. It does have a bit of patchouli in it so I'm hoping it does morph to a darker brownish green. At any rate, it should be ready just in time for the Spooky Shopping Season :-)

I also cut up yesterdays batch of unscented Castile. I wish I could come up with a catchy name for the fast selling Castile. I make so much it and palin old Castile is so boring to put on the labels. I need something fun as I'm feeling particularly wicked as of late. It must be the feeling of fall in the air.

Blessing Be!
GW

Game Called On Account of...........

2009-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Bad Sportsmanship!!

This Ghost Wytch could have been and started out being a great ally to the honest, hard working stiff. We traveled this journey with it's highs and lows (more lows than highs) as comrades in support of one another. But now the journey must come to an end. It was a great ride, but unfortunately someone spiked the fuel tank with sugar.

It seems that not all are the honest, hard working stiffs they were assumed to be. And someone (most likely several someone's) do not know how to play the game as a team. They are self-seeking, and self-serving, which makes them untrust-worthy. So just who is who? And who isn't?

Remember the days in school when you would pass notes in class? Seemed like the teacher (the old witch) always caught you and made you read it aloud for all it's secrets to be revealed. Then you were embarrassed for days (maybe weeks or months) because everyone knew what you did or said. Hum...funny how that thought just crossed my mind.

As I looked over the pasture this evening I could see hazy layer of smoke resting upon the meadow. Hum....there must be a firestorm brewing....

Ghost Wytch Blessings!

Dream Pillow Testing

2009-08-18T18:14:00.001-07:00

My Amnesia Sleep Dream Pillow Blend has been "brewing" so to speak for a few weeks now so that the herbs could meld nicely together. It is now ready for testing. I will be testing tonight on my husband because with all the stress he has had lately I thought that he would be a great test subject for this blend.

The intended purpose of this blend is to make one sleep so soundly that when they wake the next morning, they would remember nothing but their head hitting the pillow the night before. And my husband could definitely use a night of peaceful, blissful, baby like, TKO sleep.

So, I shall report back with the results and if all goes well, you shall see the made up pillows available on the website soon!

Blessed Be!

Green House Days 2 & 3

2009-08-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

It’s been a few weeks since I posted about the greenhouse. The project did not stall out, hubby just needed a few days off. And let me tell you he got allot accomplished during those few days!

On Saturday our good friend and neighbor John came over to help set the huge and very heavy windows while I was gone to my nieces baby shower. I really had no idea how different it would look once the windows were in, but it just really changed the whole appearance of the structure so dramatically.

East side door. West side door.

Windows done, the roof went on. This is where we recycled, using the metal roof and siding from the old chicken coop. It had been previously attached with screws as opposed to nails, so it was in really good shape. It was a bit of a tedious job to remove from the coop, but it was well worth salvaging. To have a metal roof that allows the snow to slide off of, instead of having to shovel it off, is a real asset around here. And it saved us a chunk of change by not having to buy it.

Full bank of windows. Total southern exposure!

On day two John came back over and wired the building for lights and power. John is an Electrical Engineer and we are SO very grateful for his talents, time and help. He also wired a few more outlets into Matt’s shop while he was here. He’s a great guy! And we owe him a case of Dos Equis at the very least!!

Wiring for outlets and overhead lighting. North wall, west and east corners.

Then it was time to put up the insulation. What an Un-fun job that is. But thankfully the insulation is finished. Now all we need to do is put up the interior walls, lay down the weed block and gravel, hang the doors and paint. I think that’s it anyway.

Light switch on east wall & insulation in ceiling & walls.

We even have enough lumber left to build potting/growing tables for the inside. And I would like to find some siding to match the house for the few areas of exposed exterior wood.

I am SO excited I can hardly stand it. I want to rush out and buy seed starting soil NOW! I do plan to at least grow greens for salad during the winter in this baby. We plan to heat it will a self contained oil heater. They are safe and efficient. And I think will heat an area this small and insulated quite nicely. I will have a small barrel pond inside as well as I hope to winter over some of my non-hardy pond plants in the greenhouse. My hope is that the mini pond will help keep the humidity level up. And of course there will be a fan to move the air.

So, there is the update. And I'll let you know how the growing goes :-)

New Valhalla Forum!!!

2009-08-12T17:33:00.003-07:00

We are very excited to announce that we now have a forum!!

The Valhalla Circle is a fun community for customers, friends, fans & others of Valhalla Soap Co. to chat, learn, grow & support one another. There are a multitude of subjects to chat about that are not limited to VSC products, including General Off Topic Chat, Cooking/Recipes, Crafts, Spirituallity, Humor and more.

We are still adding more interests and would love for you to join with us in this new and exciting project. We are looking for category ideas and moderators. So please browse on over the The Valhalla Circle and join the Tribe! We look forward to seeing you soon :-)

Impressive Meteor Shower Tonight!!

2009-08-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. The only things that puts a damper on the August show are bad...........Read More.

Welcome to August! & July's Blog Winner!!

2009-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

First a few anouncements, then I will post the August correspondences from PaganPages.org

Our Blog Follower Winner for the month of July is:

Bitten by Books
(chosen by the list randomizer at Random.org)
Congrats!! Please contact us HERE via email with your mailing address so we can send your goodies :-)

Now on to the August Corespondences.

August
Originally called Sextillis by the Romans, was later named Augustus in honor of Augustus Caesar.
August is the eighth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month of Summer’s rule.
Traditional birthstone amulets of August are the peridot and the sardonyx.
The gladiolus and the poppy are the month’s traditional flowers.
August is shared by the astrological signs of Leo the Lion and Virgo the Virgin.
During the month of August, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Lammas, one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.

Gathered harvest are celebrated during August.

Corn Moon
Astrological Signs: Leo, Virgo
Nature Spirits: Dryads
Herbs:Chamomile, St. Johns Wort, bay, angelica, fennel, rue, orange
Colors:Yellow, gold
Flowers: Gladiolus, poppy, sunflower, marigold
Scents: Frankincense
Stones: Peridot, sardonyx, cat’s eye, carnelian, jasper, fire agate
Trees: Hazel, alder, cedar
Animals: Lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon
Birds: Crane, falcon, eagle
Deities: Ceres , The Corn Mother, Demeter , Diana , Ganesha ,Hathor ,Hecate ,Lugh ,Nemesis ,Thoth and all Goddesses who preside over agriculture.

From: http://paganpages.org/

Don't Tread on My Garden!!

2009-08-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

There has been a very active conversation going on one of my herb lists. The conversation stems from a large soapmaking supply company’s blog post which implies that anyone who makes and sells herbal products for the health benefits of humankind is in effect and I quote "a drug dealer", and "in violation of FDA regulations".

So, to simplify this statement, If I make a salve that is infused with herbs that are reputed to help soothe and heal minor scrapes, scratches, and skin irritations. Though I make no claims that MY product will "heal" anything, only what the herbs themselves have been believed for centuries to do. According to the above mentioned article I'm a "Drug Dealer" and to the FDA this violates theirs regulations.

Now I find out that if we make soap that is moisturizing, or skin-softening, or has any kind of “special” qualities beyond just cleansing the skin the FDA now considers that not a soap, but a cosmetic, and thereby they have the right to regulate it.

This kind of legislation makes me crazy!
Just because a bar of soap is superfatted or still has the natural glycerin intact and therefore is more moisturizing than the average bar, does NOT make it a freaking bottle of lotion, face foundation, or a damn tube of mascara! If I eat a damned hamburger, does that make me a freaking hamburger until it is digested and comes out the other end? For cripes sake!!

And to go one step further into the land of petty ridiculous government interference…..you’ll love this. Now the FDA wants us to be mind readers. We can make and sell a product that has herbs in it but make no specific herbal claims. However, if the end user (customer) buys said product with the intent to use it as a natural healing product, then we the manufacturer of said product have just violated FDA regulations. WTF!?

Now for all of you that are saying, “Oh, the FDA is just trying to protect the consumer. We need to have some kind of regulatory system in place. Blah, blah, blah.” Let me refer you to the following articles:

Aspartame - Rumsfeld's Bioweapon Legacy
http://www.rense.com/general67/rum.htm

Some of you may be old enough to remember the big gumball marketing push for Aspartame. Gumballs of every color in the rainbow were mass mailed to homes all across the U.S. Perfect! We could consume artificial coloring and sweetener all in one step! The timing just so happened to coincide with the ban on stevia. Coincidence? I think not!

Stevia & the FDA
http://www.feingold.org/PF/pf_stevia.html

Interesting how we are now seeing products like Truvia on the market that have been released by the big box companies like Cargill, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. For years the FDA claimed that there was no solid evidence to prove that Stevia was safe for human consumption as a food additive. And now all of a sudden the big companies with the big money have been given the approval to use it as such! Hummm???

Bush/Monsanto Push to Give FDA More Power
http://current.com/items/89162342_bush-and-monsanto-pushing-to-give-fda-more-power.htm

One question? Who is regulating the FDA?

Roundup—the American Weed-Killer—Is Likely Killing American People, Too
http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/roundupthe-american-weed-killeris-likely-killing-american-people-too/

We can’t use stevia as food additive. We can’t put herbs in our soap. But our neighbor can spray poison on his lawn and the shrub between our houses with no regard for which way the wind blows, thus potentially causing Sally two doors down to miscarry her first child, or Joe across the street to suddenly become afflicted with prostate cancer. And worse yet possibly contaminate the ground water in the area causing birth defects in children born to families on that block for years to come!!!

Still think that the FDA, EPA and the government in general is “just trying to protect the consumer”? Well, if so then I dare say that you are very naive indeed! The FDA is nothing more than another corrupt money making entity for the government. And we are just guinea pig pawns to be used for their experimental money making ideas.

Between this and the recent fear mongering blog posts I've been seeing lately from others in this industry, pretty soon there will be no such thing as the soapmaking cottage industry, or any other small business/cottage industry. And then big brother, big box manufacturers, and big pharmacology will have won and the general public will have no say over what they can and cannot use on/in their bodies, what they can eat or drink, etc. Gods forbid that anyone should have the audacity to think for themselves, or any little cottage industry of should possibly take one dime out of big commercialisms pockets!!

I have a cousin (in-law) with a very large farm (around 100+acres) and the flipping government pays him NOT to farm it! What is wrong with this picture? He is one of many farmers in the U.S that Monsanto and the FDA do not want to compete with. So the farmer is simply paid off instead. And we wonder what has happened to American Pride. The government has paid its people not to have any!!

What’s next? Will the government be mandating what we can and cannot grow in our own gardens? Oh, I forgot. They already do!!

Breakfast Visitors

2009-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Thought that I'd share a few photos of the visitors that stopped by today while we were fixing and eating breakfast this morning.

The first arrival appearred to be alone. We watched her/him from the kitchen window for quite some time while we were cooking.

And then another appeared around the side of the shop. And we realized that there were twins. It was a joy to watch as they ran and played and grazed but we wondered were Mom was.

Then low and behold she came from the other direction and rounded up the kids. The play time stopped and they made way for home. It was a perfect start to our day as we ate our breakfast and watched this beautiful 4 legged family eat their breakfast as well.

I feel so blessed to live where I'm at and to be able to take in the beauty of nature on a daily basis. I am usually just bursting to tell or show it to someone. So, I hope you enjoy the times and photos that I share with you.

There's Gold in Them Plants!

2009-07-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, I've been harvesting St. John's Wort blossoms. Yesterday on a break from the greenhouse construction, I quickly picked a pint of blossoms from a bush that is growing right near where the back door to the greenhouse will be.

Later in the evening when it was cooler, that pint of blossoms turned into about a half gallon of blossoms. And I laid them out on my drying screen on some paper towels to dry. I just love the bright, sunny yellow color of the SJW flowers. Not only does the herb naturally enhance and improve your mood when taken as a dietary supplement, but how can one not smile when you look at these adorable, bright yellow flowers.

It did not take these little gems of goodness long to dry out in the 90+ degree temps that we have been having. And after drying, I was right back to where I started from with a pint of flowers! So into a jar they went. And I poured beautiful golden jojoba oil over them.

And now they sit in all golden and pretty as I watch and wait for the oil to turn from golden to a fantastic, rich, deep red. Which when used as a muscle rub is believed to help repaire soft tissue damage and help with the pain associated with such injuries.

This is always the hardest part for me. I can hardly wait for the oil to start to change color! It's like waiting to open a present! Gifts from the Goddess!!

Building the Greenhouse - Day 1

2009-07-26T22:33:00.001-07:00

I don't think I've ever been so excited about a construction project before in my life. It all started when we found 5 large windows for sale on Craig's List for only $100. That Ad put our dreams for a greenhouse within reach. So we picked up the windows a few months ago and they have been tucked away safe in the carport. Hubby got his normal week off for the month and we had the amount of money we needed saved so yesterday we headed for the lumber store. Thank goodness we have a big truck!

Construction started early this morning. And between the two of us (yes I do know how to swing a hammer and dig a post hole), within a few hours it was already starting to look like the bones of bones of our dream greenhouse with great southern exposure.

We kept asking Mother Nature for overcast skies and a cool breeze to get us through the day. And thankfully she obliged for the majority of that we were working. Although my dear hubby did suffer some aches and pains and a wee bit of a sunburn to the backs of his legs. Some white willow bark spray and ice packs for his knew and a bit of cider vinegar for the sunburn had him feeling better. And he felt relief and a sense of accomplishment that a long overdue and postponed task was on the way to fruitition.

I also managed to harvest a pint of St. Johns Wort Flowers from that bush that you see in the above photo right to the left of my husband. But I'll blog more about that tomorrow J

As the day wore on, we took an iced tea break in front of the pond in the front yard, and were blessed with a visit from our resident squirrel. We had fun watching him stuff his face with sunflower seeds from the platform feeder and then take a siesta of his own on the nearby fence railing.

An hour or two more of work in the cooler evening hours and we were both ready to call it a day. And we were quite happy with the amount of work completed for Day 1 of our newest project.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our exciting new project! We will keep updating as things progress.

Blessed Be!

Multi Herbal Skin Soothing Salve

2009-07-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I made an herbal salve that we have been using around the house with great results. I just drew from batches of olive oil that I'd previously infused. Taking infused oils of lavender, calendula, chamomile, comfrey root and plantain. To those I added aloe vera oil, wheat germ oil and mango butter for their skin moisturizing, protective and restorative properties, as well as oat kernel extract for its skin soothing nature. I also wanted this to be a product that was totally vegan so instead of using the standard beeswax, I opted to use candelilla and soy waxes instead.

Herbal Properties:

Lavender- Believed to be an excellent topical aid for soothing minor skin irritations such as insect bites, or minor burns.
Calendula- Reputedly known for its skin soothing effects, calendula also acts as an antiseptic promoting cell repair. It is used most commonly for skin irritations, burns, bruises, sores and in cosmetics.
Chamomile- Reputed to have a higher than normal amount of essential oil acting as a natural anti-inflammatory and skin soothing agent.
Comfrey Root- Due to the presence of allantoin in comfrey it is believed to aid in repairing damaged tissues caused by sprains, bruises, and muscle injuries.
Plantain- Reputed to have soothing, anti-inflammatory properties when used on minor skin irritations and wounds.

I'd like to post a picture here for you, but I realized this morning, that my husband took the camera to Utah with him and it has my as yet un-uploaded photos still on it. So, when he returns I will post a picture here.

I'm very happy with the way that this herbal salve turned out. We have been using it on everything from minor scrapes and scratches to chapped lips and mosquito bites and have been very happy with the results. Next on the list of salves will be St. John Wort as we have a huge crop of it this year.

ISP Woes

2009-07-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

My Wi-Fi has been down again for over a week now. Not just the normal sporatic, slow, worse than dial-up type of performance that we have dealt with since February. But completely down. As in no service whatsoever! I've been relying on back-up dial-up. Which means that I can't upload/download much of anything, especially photos to any of my sites/blog, etc. As I type this I'm getting a blasted error message that say "Blogger could not save.....check your internet connection."

I called tech support the middle of last week and they said that they finally had all the parts, and the mountain was clear so they could get to the tower and were repairing as we spoke. that it should be back up and running by Thursday or Friday night. Yeah!!

Then I got a call yesterday from one of the field service dudes. Seems that the tower collapsed when one of the guys was up repairing it. Yes, he was injured. Not seriously. However he did suffer a few broken bones. Now service would not be restored until Friday or Saturday night. Well, here it is 10:30 Saturday night and still no service. I called tech support again for an update and at this time, they don't have one. Great!

They did however mention that customers were going to be issued a credit for the time that service was down. Well, I suppose that does help. But honestly, I'd rather just have my service back and running efficiently for once.

I suppose it's the price I pay for refusing to live in the city. We don't get cable, DSL, or cell phone signal out here. It's DISH or DirecTV for television. And for internet your choices are Dial-up at 21 bps, HughesNet, WildBlue or Wi-Fi. So, you just kind of have to deal with whatever happens. Like storms that knock out power/phone for days. Or when lightening hits the only Wi-Fi tower in a 100 mile radius.

Here's to hoping we have a faster connection tomorrow.

Moving Blog

2009-07-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of moving my old blog over from Valhallasoap.com/blog to this one. The old one was a custom design made about 6 years ago. And while it is pretty and matches the website, it lacks the ability to do anything creative.

So please bear with me while I'm working on this.
Thanks for your patience.

Happy Summer Solstice

2009-06-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. In short, it is a celebration of thankfulness to the god from bringing summer and the Sun. We will be getting together with friends and neighbors for a Summer Solstice Ritual and I thought that I would share a nice easy ritual I found for those that may want to do the same. It makes for a very nice special day for the family.
Here is a link to a page with a great easy to follow ritual that I started out with a long time ago and have just adapted over time for our own liking. Enjoy!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2051483_perform-summer-solstice-ritual.html

Why Handmade Soap?

2009-06-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

As usual business is slow during the winter months. Sometimes painfully slow. Generally we can always look toward the spring and summer months to breath new life into things. However, this year the recovery has not been as quick when everyone is suffering the effects of rapidly declining economy. And face it. Our product is not one that most would consider to be a neccesity. Most who do not know the health benefits of using naturally handmade bath soap consider it to be a luxury item that gets pushed to the back of the budget in these economic times.
Let's examine some of the reasons to consider handmade soap a regular commodity to be added to your normal shopping regimine.
NO DETERGENTS OR SYNTHETICS
These days the majority of commercial bar soap and most all liquid soap found on store shelves are actually synthetic detergents. According to the FDA, it no long fits the deffinition of "true soap".
NATURAL SKIN HYDRATING GLYCERIN
As is the way of big business, commercial soap manufacturers found a way to make and sell two products from one. When soap is made a natural occurance is the formation of Glycerin; a humectant. One molecule of glycerin is created for every three melecules of soap. So commercial soap manufacturers remove the glycerin, replacing it with synthetic ingredients. They then sell off the beneficial glycerine to pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. Thus making double the profits from one original product. It's quite brilliant.
QUALITY CONTROL
Most handmade soap is made is smaler batches. Any where from 5 lbs to 50 lbs at a time. As opposed to thousands if not millions of pounds at a time. By making smaller batches it is much easier to control the process from mixing of oils, to molding, unmolding, cutting, etc. You can rest assured that your handmade soap was "supervised" from start to finish.
PASSION
Yes, I said passion. Handmade Soapmakers are passionate about their skill. Not only do they take classes and stay abreast of the lastest in handmade soapmaking technology. But they love what they do. Yes, one can make a decent live at it. But few do it just to make a living. I've been a soapmaker for 13 years, and soapmaker that I've met is passionate about his (yes their are men in this industry) or her skill. They just plain enjoy making soap. Learning new methods such as "Funnel" soapmaking. Yep, pouring various colors of soap through a funnel into your mold so as to achieve a certain design in the outcoming cut bars of soap.
SUPPORT
So you can buy synthetic detergent bars or bottled lyquid in the store. But your just not going to get the love and passion, and energy put into a wholesome, healthy, beautiful bar of handmade soap full of skin hydrating glycerin like you would if you purchased some great handmade soap from a skilled, passionate Soapmaker at your local Farmer's Market. Or do a web search for Soapmaker in your area. Or go to The Soap Guild and look for a Soapmaker in your state. Be patriotic. Please support local small business and buy MADE IN THE USA!
And if you live in the Greater Spokane, WA area come see us at the Community Roots Farmer's Market every Sunday from 11 am till 4 pm. Mention this blog and receive a 10% discount on your purchase!
Shop Local, Shop USA!

Todays Drying Rack & Memorial Day 25% Off Sale

2009-05-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today's soaps are made with essential oils only. This means that the fragrance used to scent them is not man made but instead comes expressly from plant materials via distilation or expressing. They are colored with natural earth pigments. These soaps can therefore be labeled as 100% All Natural.

Rain Dance All Natural Handmade Soap

Green Magic All Natural Handmade Soap

I'm still as yet undecided on a name for this one. It has a very green scent to it. And I was initially going for a green, herbal, garden feel for the scent. Unfortuantely my green soap set up faster than I wanted and I was not able to swirl it like I wanted. So it came out as you see it. And I'm not sure the name now matches the look AND the scent. Oh well, it still smells very nice.

These two batches will be ready in about 2 weeks.

Until next time. Hope your Memorial day was great. And if you have time, stop over at our website to take advantage of our 25% of Sale that ends tonight at midnight.

Something Old, Something Blue.....Or Lavender

2009-05-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

I'm late as usual reporting this news. However, though our son Brandon and Ariel are already married, they finally were able to throw a formal affair with the white dress and white tux last summer (told you I was late posting this). It was a beautiful lavender accented event held in her parents lovely backyard in Medical Lake, WA. Vows were said under a flower entwined white iron gazeebo. The bride was blushingly beautiful and the groom was handsomly nervous. Just as it should be!

Diary of an Anarchist Soapmaker

New USPS Rates Beginning Jan. 22, 2012

Seriously? ETSY you have gone too far!!!

Hemp History Week: 7 Uses For Your Health

Hemp For Your Health: 7 Uses

Hemp has been generating a lot of buzz recently, and it’s not because of marijuana. Hemp food products, which contain no THC, are hailed by many in the mainstream as being good for your health.

Important Announcement! Triple Butter Whip

Three Days of Foody Soaps

Making Lime Sugar & Grapefruit Soap

Website Update

What for Dinner?

Last Sale of the Year - SAVE BIG!!

Snow Magic

Intent is Everything

Year End Thoughts & Sale

#!!$#%@ Spammers!!!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email us. We are always happy to chat with you and will do all in our power to answer your questions and address your concerns to the best interests of all.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Matt & Donna

Sugar Suicide & New Containers!

25% OFF! Last Push for Breast Cancer Awareness

Spokane Public Market.....A Dream Come True?

What the Heck Has Been Going On?

5th Annual Black Cat Bash

Treasuries Galore!!!

WOW Contest Sept 1 - 3rd - WINNER ANNOUNCED!!

WOW Contest Sept 1 - 3rd

The 44 Pound Hammer!

The Bunny Factor

The history behind Friday the 13th

WOW Contest Winner!

New Contest! Whacked Out Wednesdays!! Starts TODAY!!

Confirmation is Awesome!

HR 5786 - Hidden Agenda?

Bath Bombs Question

A Shiny New Look!!

Dark As A Dungeon

Memorial Day Sale at Valhalla Soap Company - Save 20%

Pour Some Sugar On Me Handmade Soap

Whats New in the Valhalla Soap Company Work Shop?

Since When Does NO TRESPASSING not apply?

Drinking My Breakfast

Earth Day Special

Happy Earth Day!!Today thru Sunday Only!!

All orders over $50.00 receive a $10 Off !!Good towards Anything in our Home Fragrance Department.

Use Coupon Code: LOVE-MOTHER-EARTH at Check Out.

I'm Finally Satified.....I think....Maybe....

New Bath Treats Available

Price Reductions

Fragrance Re-naming Contest!!

Serial Killer in Teddy Bears Clothing?

Please Help Us Name.....

Love Sick Silk & Shea Soap Log (left)

Pink Sugar (type) Soap Log (right)

So please help us out by casting your vote in the poll which can be found in the column to your left on this blog page. We are very interested in and appreciate your input.

Thanks!!

My Sweet Clementine

Judgement, Relationships & Risk

Waiting.......

Need Input on Some New Ideas

Bubbling Bath Melts & the Balance of Life

A Wild Urge Came Over Me.....

Etsy Treasuries

Here We Go Again....

Last Sale of the Year - SAVE BIG!!

The Best Video Ever!!!

Black Friday Bonanza!!

Coach Holiday Handbag Giveaway

New Lower Flat Rate Shipping Fees

It's My Birthday Saleabration!!! 12 Hour Sale!

Fun Holiday Treats

Win a Free Kindle

Facebook | My Links

Going Out of Town

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT SALE!! SAVE 15%

Flu Vaccine Exposed

Making Good on a Dare

New Fun Product - Available Soon!

Walmarts Greed Shines Through

Fall Scents

Happy Earth Day!!

Today thru Sunday Only!!

All orders over $50.00 receive a $10 Off !!
Good towards Anything in our Home Fragrance Department.