Happy Thanksgiving

I'm very fortunate. I have too many blessings to count. It's nice to have a special day to remember them all. Ours has been wonderful. I hope yours has, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Little Gossip

Jessica Dougherty over at CraftGossip has put a nice little post about my new Sulfate Free Body Wash.

I love taking bubble baths when time permits. It’s a rarity, but when it happens I like to have some quality foaming bath wash on-hand. Manor Hall Soap Company posted about their sulfate-free body wash & foaming bath products and they sound wonderful. I’m sure we could all benefit from the relaxing Night Time blend after a long day.

CraftGossip scours the net looking for the best craft ideas and projects and review them for you. Jessica is the editor of the "bath and body" section and does a great job compiling all kinds of neat things, from homemade recipes to the latest and greatest in the world of handmade bath and body products. From her CraftGossip bio:

Jessica Dougherty began blogging in 2006 when she launched Funky Finds, a site dedicated to promoting independent artists, crafters and designers. She enjoys discovering new products that are unique and hand-crafted, as well as sharing those items with others. Jessica moved from Texas, where she was born & raised, to Pennsylvania in July 2009 where she resides with her husband, Joseph, and their two dogs, Abigail Raine & Beau Bradley. When she isn’t blogging or surfing the internet, Jessica enjoys scrapbooking, cross stitching and playing Skip-Bo.

Thanks, Jessica!

Gotta Hand It To Myself

I don't make posts like this often, but...

OMG!!!!!

Five long years I've tried for the perfect hand creme. I've played with all sorts of ingredients to get it right. This is so right.

More details to follow, but for now, I just had to share it with the world.

Up the Wall

Look over there, mugging for the camera in front of the famous Wall Street Bull. It's Spearmint Grapefruit, looking mighty imposing in another Around the World snap.

The Wall Street Bull, rearing back and ready to charge ahead, is an 11 foot tall, 7000 pound bronze statue. One of a collection of five such statues, it draws thousands of tourists per day and represents unbridled optimism in the heart of New York City's financial district.

At three inches tall and four ounces of olive, coconut and palm oil, Spearmint Grapefruit waves a heavenly scent and has the power to clean things up. I say the bull is no match.

November Freebie (Take 2)

Twelve days into the month and I ran out of this month's order box freebie. Honey Me Smooth has gone out the door with all the orders and has now been replaced with...

Every month I get to enjoy giving away a free bar of soap with every order. Never a mystery and always full size, the order box freebie for the month of November is a bar of Fragrance Free Soap. Check out the freebie page to see what else can be free inside your order box this month.

Rest assured, anyone who placed an order before yesterday will receive their Honey Me Smooth freebie. All orders yesterday and through the rest of November will receive the Fragrance Free bar, which is loaded with organic shea butter. Enjoy, everyone!

November Coupon

It's newsletter week and there's a huge sale going on at the Manor. 25% off your order, all week long. Just enter the coupon code GIVING25 at checkout to receive 25% off your order. (Note: Coupon does not apply to already discounted items, including Mischief Makers and Monthly Specials.)

And to help your holiday shopping dollar go further during the month of November, all orders will receive $6.00 shipping. Any weight, to anywhere nationally by Priority Mail. No coupon needed, our cart will apply the $6.00 shipping for you.

Island Beauty Face Mask

As the season of fall draws to a close, the face starts to feel the harsh of the colder, more biting climate. The dry of the winter months take their toll on the skin, and as dead and dying skin cells build up on the surface, a barrier is created. It is this hard layer of cells which prevents moisturizing cremes from penetrating the skin and realising their full potential, often resulting in the common complaint of a dull and lifeless complexion.

Pineapple is a wonderful ingredient for the skin. As well as having anti-inflammatory qualities and being a great astringent, it also holds an enzyme called Bromeliad, which helps shed the skin of dead and dying cells. Olive oil is a gentle hypoallergenic oil, rich in vitamin E to helps with skin restoration. Honey is anti-microbial and is a wonderful humectant, helping to hold onto moisture and lock it in.

This simple facial mask uses all three of these natural skin loving ingredients and can be made with ease from your kitchen cupboard:

Island Beauty Face Mask

You will need:
1/4 cup of pineapple chunks (fresh chopped or canned)
A small pour of extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle of warmed honey.

How to:
Whizz the pineapple with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in the olive oil and warmed honey, using the back of a spoon to incorparate. With fingertips, apply the paste gently to the face, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for about ten minutes. Wipe away with warm damp face cloth.

Notes: Always test for allergies first. Be sure to throw away any unused mask, as it is not preserved.