Weekly Giveaway, July 28-Aug.3rd--Win a Bar of Mint Julep Soap!

Enter to win a bar of our natural Mint Julep Soap! It is scented with peppermint essential oil--perfect for cooling your skin during the hot and humids!

Each week, we will be offering a Soapwerks' product as a give-away--it is our way of thanking you for your support of our blog and our store.
Contest Rules:
1. Visit our Etsy shop by clicking here: http://www.soapwerks.etsy.com/
2. Pick out your favorite item from the store.
3. Come back here and post a message in the comments section, stating what you like and why.
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail so we can contact you if you win.
5. The contest closes at midnight on August 3rd. The winner will be contacted and will be given 5 days to claim the prize. If we do not hear from him/her, another winner will be chosen.
6. Our give-away is open to anyone anywhere!

Winner of Our Weekly Giveaway!

Greenly won the bar of Phenomenal Woman soap! She has 5 days to contact us; if we don't hear from her during that time, we will draw another name.

Congratulations Greenly!

Hair Rinse for Oily Hair

My oldest daughter, YuLan, has really thick, beautiful hair. It's also pretty oily-so oily that by the end of the day, she looks like she hasn't washed her hair in awhile. My sister and I concocted a simple hair rinse that seems to be really helping. Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
10 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil

Put ingredients in a plastic bottle. Shake well. Use after shampooing. Rinse out.

Get Creative!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the obligations of your life--family, work, and community? Are you forgetting to tap into your wellspring of creativity because you don't think you have the time to do so? Many of us rush from one activity/responsibility to another, forgetting that taking the time to engage in creative thinking/doing will help you achieve a greater level of energy. Being creative puts you in touch with your Higher Self and thus unleashes hidden energies/meaning into your life.

Creativity Activity: Julia Cameron wrote the book, The Artist Way, several years ago. It continues to be a very popular read because it helps "blocked creatives" (that is most of us) to incorporate creative living into our daily lives. She debunks many of the myths surrounding being a creative person and provides tools for unleashing your own creativity. Check out her official website at www.theartistsway.com. I've taken the 12 week course described in her book--and I'm very glad I did!

Win a Bar of Phenomenal Woman Soap!

Enter to win a bar of our natural Phenomenal Woman Soap! The soap is scented with lavender, rosemary, and citrus essential oils--and is designed to boost your self confidence!

Each week, we will be offering a Soapwerks' product as a give-away--it is our way of thanking you for your support of our blog and our store.
Contest Rules:
1. Visit our Etsy shop by clicking here: http://www.soapwerks.etsy.com/
2. Pick out your favorite item from the store.
3. Come back here and post a message in the comments section, stating what you like and why.
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail so we can contact you if you win.
5. The contest closes at midnight on July 27th. The winner will be contacted and will be given 5 days to claim the prize. If we do not hear from him/her, another winner will be chosen.
6. Our give-away is open to anyone anywhere!

Winner of Soon To Be Famous Healing Salve!

This week's winner is blueviolet! Congratulations!

How To Create Recycled Gift Card Jewelry

Do you have a few spent gift cards lying around? Here's an easy way to keep them out of the landfill and get a cute new piece of jewelry! It's easy to do and doesn't take much time--I completed this piece yesterday in around 30 minutes.

Here's how to do it:

1. Cut your gift card into the desired shape using scissors (mine was a Foot Locker card with a referee on it--I turned it on its side and cut off his head (sorry)). Then, sand the edges and corners with an emery board.

2. Make holes in the card with a hole punch. If you want smaller holes, use a small nail and a hammer.

3. Wrap 24 gauge wire through the holes and thread beads onto the wire. I put a dab of glue on the back to hold ends of wire down.

4. Put a jump ring through the top hole and then attach a bale to that.

5. Thread a length of leather cording through the bale. You can simply tie the ends together or attach crimps and a clasp.

That's it! I've made earrings and a bracelet using the same basic techniques. People can't believe they are made from gift cards and they will think you are a creative genius!