An Event for Your Calendar

Here's an event you don't want to miss! October 16 and 17 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds is the Fall Home & Garden show.

Even if you don't have any plans for home improvement projects, come for the "Back to Basics" section of the show. Demos and workshops will be going on all weekend, here are some of the subjects you can learn more about:

• Weaving
• Quilting
• Soap Making
• Canning
• Sustainable Living
• Jam Making
• Composting
• Gold Panning
• Raising Livestock
• Organic Gardening

I don't know about you, but ALL of these subjects sound super interesting to me. For the soap making demo part, well, I'll be your instructor. I'm on the schedule to do two demos, one each day. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, October 16, 1:15 - 1:45
Sunday, October 17, 2:00 - 2:30

Thirty minutes doesn't leave much time for question and answer, so if you have something specific you want to me to talk about, please post it on our facebook fan page and I'll be sure to address it during the demos.

The event is free (might have to pay for parking, I'm not sure about that). I'll also have my full line of soap (etc.) for sale at the event. So if you need to start your holiday shopping, we'll be there to help you out.

We had lots of fun at this event last year, hope you'll come on out and learn how soap is made...among other cool topics.

New Soap!

Summer has been busy for us! We acquired a couple more stores (A.P.P.L.E. in Nevada City, Eco Centric in Graeagle, and Davis Food Co-op in Davis) so I've been quite busy keeping things in stock.

However, I was able to carve out some time to create a new soap. I've been getting requests for a patchouli soap, just patchouli. If you are a customer of ours, you know I like blending essential oils and I don't use any single notes in my soap. However, I listen to my customers because they know best! So here is "Granite", steam distilled dark patchouli from Indonesia mixed with real (and it's beautiful stuff) Dead Sea mud from Israel. My inspiration for this soap came during a leisurely swim in the Yuba river this summer. If you're a local, you know that granite is sprinkled all over the river bed, it's just gorgeous. Anyway, I cut the soap today and it should be available in a couple weeks.

I'm mixing it up with my goat milk box set. I'll be keeping three of my original soaps: "Chilled Lavender", "Lemon!", and "Sweetheart". But the two other slots in the box will be filled with two new soaps! Not announcing them until they're ready, but they'll be nice compliments to the existing three.

In September we're launching a new product. It's been in development and test phase for over a year now, and I believe it's ready to meet the world. The clue is to "think outside the tube".

Summer cleaning

We did summer cleaning today in the workshop...since I missed spring cleaning. Average temps of 95 degrees, hubby and I were out there doing our twice yearly clean up. Wiped down counters, scrubbed the floor, installed a big new fan, put down an anti-slip mat (yeah!), and consolidation of supplies. It feels great to be organized and I cannot wait to get out there later tonight and make soap!

You'd hardly think I'd have the energy, I mean it was HOT today and we were both getting pretty sweaty and very dirty. But I've got a clean and organized workshop. I cannot express how happy and energized that makes me!

I have a long list of things to make this week. Starting with 'Pacific Blue' and 'Lemon Bouquet', then moving on to 'Yuba Wild' and 'Garden Mint'. Our shaving soap is coming back as I've had quite the demand for it lately. Pretty low on goat milk soap, all flavors. And I'd like to make a couple new ones...something with coffee oil and something with almond. This may not seem like a very big list to some, but for a one-woman-operation like mine, that's a pretty tall order.

I may be absent for several days, as it appears my schedule is fairly full.

Eco friendly packaging

I've been thinking about product packaging and shipping material a lot lately. Once you start down the road of all things eco-friendly, there really is no end. Once you find one solution, you want more!

I make a pretty good soap that meets my idea of sustainability, and a few years ago, I decided to change my soap wrappers to paper that was made with 75% post consumer waste and 25% hemp fibers. Awesome! But I wasn't satisfied to stop there. When I ship orders to my out of state customers, I used to use recycled packing peanuts (non dissolving kind). Not good enough. So recently I found this new packing product that I can get behind with a clear conscience. It's called "paper nuts". According to the manufacturer, they are:

"PaperNuts® are made from 100% recycled materials - old corrugated cartons (post consumer) and paper processing production waste (post industrial). PaperNuts® will begin to degrade when exposed to moisture."

So next time you mail order from Frontier Angel, you will find paper nuts in your box. Please recycle, reuse, or put them in your compost. I will still recycle traditional packing peanuts that I receive from supply vendors. A local shipping company takes these off my hands and puts them to use.

What's next in my journey down the path to sustainable packaging? My goal is to get rid of as much HDPE plastic packaging as I can. I am confident that I will find solutions for my eco-friendly packaging needs, I'm a pretty good problem solver.

Castile Soap

Have you ever tried castile soap? Traditionally, "castile soap" is a name used in English-speaking countries for soap made with olive oil originating from the Castile region of Spain.

My castile soap is made from locally grown and pressed olive oil...so what would you call that? Grass-tile? Anyway, it's 100% olive oil, which makes this soap super gentle. The kind of stuff you can safely use on babies and folks with extra tender skin.

In this batch, I have infused lavender, yarrow, chamomile, calendula, and nettle. Each of these herbs gives off it's own skin pampering essence. There is no scent to the soap, just a clean soapy smell. It's really quite decadent in it's simplicity.

Some extra care is to be taken with this soap. Since it is 100% olive oil, if you let it sit in a pool of water, the soap will get "snotty". Yes, a gross term but it is an accurate description of castile soap as it dissolves. Be sure to keep this one well drained and you are assured a long lasting, beautiful bar.

It's not ready for sale yet, since it will need a few weeks to cure. I'll be sure to shout it from the roof tops when it's ready. And as always, once it is ready, free samples at our market booths.

Our Newest Market...

I thought I'd post a photo of our set up at the Nevada City Farmers Market. Since I work the Grass Valley North Star House market at the same time, my husband Ivan works the Nevada City one.

We were at this market during it's very first year in 2008, we skipped 2009 but missed it so much (and the wonderful people that organize everything so well) that we decided to split forces and do both Grass Valley and Nevada City. So far, it's been going great!

Hope to see you at one of these markets, they both run every Saturday morning, 8:00-12:00 for Grass Valley and 8:30-12:30 for Nevada City.

Where did the time go?

Wow...was my last posting really in April?? Well, I apologize to anyone who may be out there reading. I'm more active on Facebook, it's easy to login in there and post a one or two liner. If you care to join me over there, just search for "Frontier Angel Soap" and "like" us. I'm on just about everyday for a minute or two, so I'm always available to answer any questions.

What we've been up to? Getting ready for the markets and finally working them all. We have quite a busy schedule this year. Check it out:

May through October
Nevada County Farmers Market
Every Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Northstar house off McCourtney (follow signs), Grass Valley, CA

June through October
Downtown Nevada City Farmers Market
Every Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
off Broad Street in Nevada City, CA

June through August
Thursday Night Downtown Farmers Market
Every Thursday, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Downtown Grass Valley, CA

June through October
Folsom Certified Farmers' Market
Every Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
East Natoma and Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA

I am loving these markets! Each one has it's own specialness and I really enjoy getting a chance to meet my customers and talk a bit. Hope you'll come see us and please feel free to ask for a free sample. We always have 'em, unless it's late in the day, we do eventually run out.