The School Lunch Project

As a mom, I'm pretty interested in making sure my kids eat healthful, well-balanced meals.  So much so, that I never let them buy school lunch.  The thought of my kids eating low-grade hamburg cooked into various forms, tasteless, canned veggies, and fried chicken twice a week turned my stomach.  Ava and William were always really happy eating the foods I packed in their lunches, and seemed to prefer them over what the other kids were eating -- not to mention that they had an extra 10 minutes to eat if they were spared waiting in the cafeteria line.  But midway through the year they asked if they could buy school lunch sometimes, "maybe on pizza days and turkey dinner day," and I said yes. 
Can you can imagine how excited I was when I stumbled across the blog, "The School Lunch Project."  It's written by an anonymous schoolteacher from somewhere in the midwest who is eating, and blogging about, school lunch.  I know there are only a few weeks left in the school year, but I wanted to share her blog with you in case you hadn't heard about it.  You can find it here:  The School Lunch Project.
Happy Reading!

Gardening Makes You Smart

I'm not making this up!  Apparently, there are certain bacteria in soil that have been shown to have antidepressant qualities, and new research suggests it can improve learning abilities, too.  Long story short, Mycobacterium vaccae is a naturally-occurring bacteria found in soil that we breathe in or ingest when we engage in outdoor activities like gardening, hiking, or simply playing outdoors.  Previous research has already shown that this bacteria increases serotonin levels and decreases anxiety.  And last week Researchers Dorothy Matthews and Susan Jenks presented their latest research about Mycobacterium vaccae at the American Society for Microbiology meeting:  mice fed this bacteria -- in a tasty snack of peanut butter -- performed tasks twice as fast and had less anxiety than the control group.  What's more, the effect lasted for a few weeks. (You can watch the full interview here, if you're interested.)   Now I have a scientific reason to give my husband when I make him spend his few free hours on the weekends digging holes in our solid clay yard so I can plant a new shrub or veggie plant.   (It's good for you, Tim!)  So, get out in the yard, get gardening, and get smart!

A few fruits and veggies from one of my gardens...

   

One of  our delicious blueberry shrubs.




 




Purple Passion Asparagus
against a  backdrop of Strawberries.                       

Smells like Cheese

I've been looking to add a few new lotions to my product line, and have been tweaking recipes for about a year.  I was pretty excited about my Goats Milk Lotion recipe.  Goats milk, as you may know if softening to the skin, and, in my opinion, when mixed up in a lotion with natural oils and waxes, has a soft, soothing scent.  For the past few batches, I scented the lotion with either Fragrant Almond or Orange Cream... both awesome scents.  But, last week I left my batch unscented, and was about to finally hand out samples to my customers.  Well, turns out, that's not going to happen.  Why, you ask?  Because both of my kids, separately and without the other's knowledge, told me that I smelled like cheese.  And being told that you smell like cheese is not as funny as it sounds.
I know what you're thinking here, but I put some of the Unscented Goats Milk lotion on both of the kids' hands, and they identified the lotion as the cheese-y smell.
Since I don't like the idea of having customers smelling like cheese, I'm heading back to the drawing board on this lotion. 

Wilava Coupon Codes

 I told Wilava customers a few weeks ago that I was thinking of deeply discounting a product for Mother's Day and asked for suggestions.  The overwhelming response was Facial Products!  So here's a coupon code, good through May 31, 2010, for 30 percent off of facial products, including Milk and Aloe Cleanser, Balancing Facial Toner, Aloe Facial Moisturizer, and my best-selling product, Vitamin C Serum.  And, shipping is currently free on orders over $75!

Use Coupon Code:  FACES                                  

Strawberry Spa Day

I went shopping at BJ's yesterday and scored a huge, 4 lb. box of sweet, delicious strawberries for $5.  This was pretty exciting for me because strawberries and bargains are two of my favorite things.  So, the kids and I have pretty much eaten the entire box of strawberries in less than 24 hours, and we're left with a bunch of strawberry tops.  Normally I just throw these into the compost bin (and soon I'll be putting them into my new worm composter -- stay tuned!), but today I thought I'd have myself a Strawberry Spa Day.  Strawberries contain natural fruit acids which help brighten the skin and gently exfoliate.  Here are a few easy recipes you can do yourself with everyday ingredients you probably have in your kitchen, just in case you came home with your own Strawberry bargain yesterday, too.  Please keep in mind that this may be too harsh for those with very sensitive skin, and of course, it's not suitable for those with a strawberry allergy.

Simple Strawberry Exfoliator:
Cut the top off of a strawberry.  Eat the bottom.  Holding the leafy part of the strawberry top, rub the cut side of berry over your face, hands, feet, elbows, knees, etc.   Then rinse with warm water and pat dry.


Fresh Strawberry Hand/Body Sugar Scrub:
Save the cut-off tops from  a bowl of strawberries (about 15-20).  Remove leaves and mash remaining strawberry pulp in a small bowl (or puree if you're feeling really motivated).  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive or sunflower oil and 1-2 teaspoon sugar, depending on how much scrub you like.  Mix well to form a paste.  Massage onto wet skin.

Custom Strawberry Facial:
Save the cut-off tops from about 5 or 6 strawberries. Remove leaves and mash remaining strawberry pulp in a small bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon cream (dry skin), or milk (normal/oily skin), and 1 tablespoon rice flour (can sub cornstarch if you don't have rice flour), and add 1 teaspoon of honey.  Mix well. Apply to face and relax for 5-10 minutes, and remember to breathe deeply because it smells delicious.  Then rinse with warm water.

Easter Craft - Soap Jelly

The kids were so excited yesterday that Spring had officially arrived, so I thought I'd surprise them with some Easter Soap Jellies. Soap Jelly is an interesting concoction of gelatin and soap, and the end result is something like a Jello Jiggler or Knox Blox with some sudsing action. I've never made Soap Jellies before, but a friend gave me a recipe (thanks, Ann Cornell!), so I thought I'd give them a try.

For this soap craft you'll need:

--One small and one medium glass bowl or pitcher

--A stainless steel mixing spooon

--1 pkg plain, unflavored gelatin, such as Knox (not Jello)

--3/4 cup water (preferably distilled)

--1 tsp salt

--1/2 cup liquid soap or body wash (I used a handmade, sulfate-free shower gel)

--color, as desired (I used a blue ultramarine powder, but a liquid FD&C dye would work, too. Just be careful to use dyes sparingly -- too much will dye skin and tub!)

--skin safe fragrance

--molds

--rubbing alcohol (optional)

Step One: Heat the water to boiling in the small mixing bowl. I zapped mine in the microwave for 1 minute, 50 seconds. Then add the salt.

Step Two: Sprinkle the gelatin powder in the medium bowl, and Pour the salted water on top, stirring to dissolve.

Step Three: Add your liquid soap to the gelatin/water mixture and stir to combine. Then add your color and fragrance, and mix well, but slowly, so you don't overfoam.

Step Four: Pour into molds -- I used the Jello Jiggler molds you get for Free at the grocery store and a small Bunny mold designed to make ice cubes -- and refrigerate for at least two hours.


(I'm pouring with one hand, and taking the photo with the other!)

Step Five: Your Soap Jellies will likely have a bit of foam on top after the pour, and if that bothers you, you can spritz with some rubbing alcohol to pop the bubbles, but it's not necessary. Then place the molds in the fridge for at least a few hours to set up.



They're ready! I unmolded after two hours, but I think they could have used at least another hour or two. The small Bunny cavities were a bit of a disaster.

But the Jello Jiggler Molds worked out pretty well! Here's Ava with the "Easter Basket."

The Shower Verdict: I've got to say, these feel pretty cool -- just like Jello, but with suds! The kids were pretty excited to use them in the tub. Ava said, "These are so cool! They're so smooth and soft on your skin. I loooooove Soap Jelly!" William's kept slipping out of his little hand, which he thought was pretty great. He spent most of his shower cracking up. But between laughing, he said, "This is awesome soap, Mom. I like taking a shower with this stuff."

One thing is for sure though: They dissolve fast! I had to run back down to the fridge to get each of the kids another one to finish their shower. The Easter shapes were cute, but if I were to make these again, I think I'd just pour them in a slab mold and cut bigger squares so they'd last a little longer, or you could even pour into clean, recycled fruit or yogurt cups. I think I'd also reduce the water a little bit so they'd be firmer and possibly longer-lasting.

If you're going to make these at home, keep in mind that the recipe contains water and lacks a preservative (even if you're using a commercial, preserved liquid soap, it may not have enough to handle the extra water), so it's best to keep these in the fridge until use and use them up within a few days.

How Wilava became Wilava

Welcome to my inaugural blog post!

One of the first questions people usually ask about me about Wilava is how I got the idea to start my business. Actually, I didn’t get the idea at all.

I started making handmade soaps and lotions several years ago. My daughter developed severe eczema as a toddler, and doctors prescribed several different treatments. We didn’t see much improvement, but we did notice how much the creams and lotions burned and irritated her delicate skin, and how she screamed when we applied them. And it broke my heart to see my little girl in so much pain. So I started researching. I read dermatology studies and articles, and after several months came up with a recipe I felt confident would work. And the Intense Moisture Solid Lotion Bar was born! I applied it to her hands, and she smiled. No burning! But even better, after just a few days use, Ava’s hands stopped bleeding, and the eczema began to heal. And a few weeks later, her hands were softer than I ever remembered them to be! I knew I’d be making these Lotion Bars for years to come.

But, in order to get the best quality Shea Butters and Jojoba Oil, I had to buy in bulk. I could never use up all of my supply before it went bad, and a few times, I actually had to throw some out. What a waste of money. So, I started giving Lotion Bars to friends and family as birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, or just cause. And they loved it! From there I started experimenting with soaps and lotions, lip balms, and other tub treats. And gifted my extras, not thinking much of it. Then people started asking for more. “Can I get one of the bars in the tin for my mother? It’s her birthday.” Sure, I’d say. So I’d make up a little gift set and deliver it to said friend.

Then, “How much do I owe you?”

“What? You want to pay me?”

I hadn’t even considered that.

My friends were the ones who suggested I start a business. Soon word started getting out, and friends of friends would ask for a product, and then ask for a brochure. I had a lot to think about. Should I do this as a business? Would I have the time? How do I pay taxes? Will I need insurance? Are people going to buy my stuff? Will I feel weird accepting their money? Luckily, my husband is pretty supportive. It’s pretty daunting to put money into a new business, especially in this economy, but he said, in his nonchalant manner, “Just do it. You like making the stuff. People like it. They want to buy it. They’re asking for it. It’ll make you happy.”

And Wilava was born. Well, about five months later. ( I had to research insurance, federal guidelines, file paperwork, and the like.) And my husband was right. Whenever a customer comes up to me at a Farmer’s Market, sends an email, or chats me up when I make a local delivery and tells me my products are the best they’ve ever used, it makes me happy. Very, very happy.