My Cold Process Soap

So I'm finally back with that gorgeous soap picture, I made it and felt confident enough to post its picture here for all of you to see and comment, I used a lemongrass essential oil in there and it smells good. My DS says it smells different in the soap than the way it did in the bottle but I'm not sure if that is the way it's supposed to be.

I used the following recipe:-

548 grams coconut oil

188 grams olive oil
250 grams distilled water
119 grams lye
At trace: 22.5 grams fragrance oil of choice


I am so exited, in fact I tried a few batches but the one in the picture is the one I'm truly happy with. Considering the sides and corners, the color and texture I'm quite pleased with it. And Ooh yes, soap making is seriously addictive, I don’t seem to be thinking about anything else. I feel like trying all the other techniques and see how it goes, I can't wait until it's time to soap again.

My soap is peacefully curing now & will be ready to try it out in six weeks :)

Soapmaking, there is a whole world out there

Soapmaking Safety Do's And Dont's (Creative Crafts)

So I've been really busy trying to figure out this cold process soap making business, and I can confess now, I'm totally hooked. The first time I saw my soap attempt turning into real soap it blew my mind. I bounced all over the kitchen for the next 5 minutes and kept on making soap (trying to get it right) ever since (you know, that was a couple of weeks ago).



I shared this safety and precautions video first as it's by far the most important part of learning how to make soap, you have to be really careful with lye, and do not underestimate its ability to hurt you. The only way to succeed is to gear up for that corrosive chemical and enjoy the privilege of being safe, and only then would you be able to gather your thoughts on what to do next.



The first batch was an instant success, the second though turned out very light in color and it's still fading. My third batch is missing the fragrance as I forgot to add it. My fourth attempt went into a gel phase very quickly and overheated, thus unmolding it was a disaster until a very kind lady at the Soap Making Forum http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/ told me to put it in the fridge and it worked. My fifth batch turned out very fluffy like damp chalk, and I had to experience my first rebatching attempt then (still waiting for it to harden). Well, my sixth batch changed color considerably due to a 60% olive oil recipe (the olive oil was a very dark yellow, closer to green). And finally, my recent batch (the seventh) had the oozing problem but not the very serious one… so it survived.



Well, you see know how busy I was ha ;)

I will hopefully upload some beautiful shots of some gorgeous soaps eventually, we'll wait and see..



Wish me luck :)

Thought for today - Oprah.com

“You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on to them, to feel the pull of their weight and allow yourself to follow where they lead.”

— Marcus Buckingham

How to lead a well-balanced life?

Martha Beck - Insights on how to lead a well-balanced life.

Getting to Know My Howlite Better

When I started talking a lot lately about gemstones and their mystical properties after attending an Introduction to crystal energy for emotional wellbeing WORKSHOP by Julie Lomas I started gradually discovering the true beauty of these magnificent creatures, and to my surprise after being mocked by a number of people over going on and on about the little beauties; my brother approached me one day with a howlite in his hand> I as usual surfed all over Google to read whatsoever relates to it and found pretty much exactly what I've been looking for.

Mystical Properties:
Howlite is known for it's strong associations with self-awareness, creativity and improving ones emotional attitudes. It enhances character building, and a sense of decency; in encourages desirable personal attributes. Howlite aids in dispelling anger, resentfulness, selfishness and allows one to look inside for answers, aid in communicating the negative emotions with a clearer emotional expression, which will result in calmer confrontations.
It decreases the over critical mind, rudeness and offensive behavior, increasing subtly, decency and tact. It is also quite helpful for those who tend to procrastinate.
Meditating on a piece of howlite can assist one in journeying outside the body and gaining insight from ones past lives. Place upon the third eye, it opens memories of previous times and lifetimes.

And as I suffered bad knees recently what I found about its healing Properties came in extremely handy; as its said Howlite is predominantly a calming stone, it will aid in sleeping, calming the overactive mind, eases insomnia, dreaming, dream retention and stress relief. Physically it calms the whole body and releases muscle tension. It eliminate pain brought about by stress, and is said to aid in healing stress related injuries such as ulcers, heart problems and rashes.
It is helpful in balancing the calcium levels in the body as well as strengthening teeth and bones.
Along with my beloved Citrine; Howlite is quickly becoming my favorite.

Happily Living The Moment

Being quite new to the optimism family, I got into the habit of goggling happy terms such as relaxation tips, breathing techniques, mindfulness and flowing; that’s what I would cheerfully describe as swaying with the day's events like a misty leaf of an enormous tree. Having undergone several phases where I faced depression, resentment, lake of patience and rage, I'm now finally capable of assigning a name to what was going on inside my head. I was somehow unhappy, craving more of life, constantly craving the next success once I gain what I've been stumbling all over the rat race in order to achieve.
The good news is that I found enough resilience in myself to halt and take a look back. What I found out shock me back to earth, I've been wasting the now either wasted in the past's regret or the unexplained fear of future.
My child needed me, I could imagine him envying other children being actively involved (emotionally present and enjoying their moment and reaping its fruity, strawberry scented rewards).
That’s how I'd describe time spent with my child now being blessed with the moment's tinniest joys.
I found great help from various breathtaking places to reprioritizes one's life and relearn how to actually live.
Martha Becks graceful daily tip makes my day every day http://www.marthabeck.com/
I can't thank you enough Martha, love you ;)