Aquarian Bath

Two Modifcations to Craft Passion's Facemask Pattern Make a Better Fit and Seal

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:02:00 +0000

Kudos to Craft Passion for making an awesome cloth facemask pattern. After working with the pattern, I have made small adjustments, which I think improve the fit and seal. First, it is hard to get the elastic length right, because head sizes are different, and elastic stretches out over time. A solution is to only tack down one end of each elastic and add a small elastic loop to the area where you would normally tack down the other end. This way, the wearer can fit it perfectly to their face by knotting the elastic to the loop, and also tighten it down later when it starts to stretch out after washes.

Second, the fit at the nose bridge of the original pattern is a bit loose. A solution is to add a plastic-coated twist tie or 16-gauge coated magnet wire so it sits between the two layers of fabrics. The kind of coated twist ties from bread bags will work. Bend the ends of the wire inward so they do not have sharp ends. Stitch the wire into a separate piece of fabric and then stitch that piece so that it ends up in between the two layers centered at the arch.

Thanks for reading.

Cory Trusty

Aquarian Bath

How Growing Native Plants Helps Insects and Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 19:09:00 +0000

Carolina Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) is one native plant found in our wildlife habitat. It provides Nectar and may attract Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds, Thrashers, Orioles, Sparrows, Vireos, Waxwings, and Wood Warblers

I went to an Audubon "Plants for Birds" program this Saturday and learned why native plants are important for birds. The presentation was given by Melissa Lammers of Halifax River Audubon at the Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center. The following stood out from the presentation:

Native plants are essential for healthy insect and bird populations, buy why? Ninety percent of plant-eating insects eat only native plants with whom they co-evolved. Ninety-six percent of land birds feed insects to their babies, who need the protein to grow. A nest of chickadees requires 570 caterpillars per day, which is 9000 caterpillars per nest. Common yard plants like Crotons and Philodendron do not provide food to insects, and 80% of the suburban landscape is sterile with these types of non-native plants. In contrast oaks support 557 species of caterpillars. Some common native plants for Florida are Live Oaks, Beauty Berry, Cedar, Pine, Magnolia, Spiderwort, purple Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) vine, Pine, Beach Dune Flower, Blanket Flower, and even common Ragweed. In a before an after “yard makeover” one household found that by increasing the number of native plant species in their yard from 2 to 60, the variety of birds species increased from only 4 to 18. A good goal for a yard or a lot is 70% native species of plants.

It's very simple to remember this way:
No natives, no insects
No insects, no birds

To find out recommended natives species of plants for your area visit: http://www.audubon.com/native-plants and enter your zip code.

Help Bird and Insect Populations with your Yard or Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:14:00 +0000

Florida Native Wildflower Monarda punctata (spotted Horsemint)

According to scientists who published in the journal Science this month the number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion over the past 50 years. That is nearly 30 percent of bird populations, and not just rare or endangered bird species but also common birds. Birds particularly impacted are those which feed on insects. This downward trend runs parallel to a downward global trend in insect populations. A few of the suggested causes for the insect decline include habitat destruction caused by urbanisation, pesticides, climate change, and artificial lighting.

There are two easy ways that you can help make a difference in healthy insect and bird populations. First, eliminate pesticides from your yard, and second grow a garden. Any size garden is helpful, even potted patio plants. Native plants for the yard are low maintenance and act as host plants for insects and pollinators. Another good place to start is with an Organic soil mix and seeds of native wildflowers. Look for native wildflowers and plants at your local farmer's markets.

Florida Wildflower Tropical Sage, photo by Carl E Lewis (CC BY 2.0)

Aquarian Bath is doing our part to improve habitat for birds and insects! We were recently featured in the Daytona Beach News Journal for creating a certified wildlife habitat though the National Wildlife Federation and the Florida Wildlife Federation.

Clip of News Journal Article "Local business makes a difference to protect wildlife" Sept 2019

Ormond Beach Lecture: Single Use Plastics: Understanding the Need for Commercial Composting

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:16:00 +0000

Saturday October 12, 2019 11-12 pm
Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center
601 Division Ave
Learn the facts about single use plastic and what you can do to make a difference.
Reserved your seat by calling 386-615-7081

Check out Mimosa Saturdays at Beehive Antiques in Daytona Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Start your weekend right with a free mimosa while sipping and shopping over a dozen great antique dealers and Aquarian Bath soaps and shampoos in the new Beehive Antiques 3000 sq foot location at 1019 Ridgewood Ave, Daytona Beach, FL.

Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 10 AM – 5 PM

Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 10 AM – 5 PM

Plastic Free July Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:08:00 +0000

Are you ready for a challenge? What plastic items can you give up during the month of July? Straws, cups, plastic shopping bags, something else? We would like to help anyone trying the plastic free July challenge by offering a discount on our products, because we have so many plastic-free bath and body items. Learn more about Plastic Free July and sign up for the challenge by visiting http://www.plasticfreejuly.org.

Aquarian Bath coupons

At AquarianBath.com take 15% off your order with the coupon code PFJ2019 valid now through July 22, 2019
At Aquarian Bath on Etsy take 10% off orders $20 and up with the coupon code PLASTICFREEJULY2019 valid July 1 - July 22

Limited Edition Silver Fir Shampoo bar

Zero Waste Soap Saver Set with shampoo bar of your choice

Go Drastic on Plastic Photography Challenge - Volusia County

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 13:26:00 +0000

Healing Arts Festival at Hot House Yoga:Sunday, April 28th

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Join Aquarian Bath at the Hot House Yoga studio on Sunday, April 28 from 4 - 7 PM.

We will be bringing hot/cold therapy neck pillows, eye pillows, soaps, shampoo bars, shea butter, lip balms, deodorant, tooth powders, and solid perfumes. Hope to see you there! You can RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Daytona Beach Earth Day Fest: Monday, April 22 at Cinematique

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 23:35:00 +0000

Earth Day is Monday April 22nd! Please join Aquarian Bath at this community event with demonstrations, vendors, open mic and free beverages. See you there from 3 - 9 PM. Aquarian Bath will be bringing our most popular ecofriendly items for sale. Brought to you by Permaculture Daytona! BYOC (bring your own cup)! Go green- Carpool, bike, walk, or bus!

You can RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Go Drastic on Plastic Event at the Ormond Beach Library April 28th

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 21:29:00 +0000

Go Drastic on Plastic Event at the Ormond Beach Library

Sunday April 28th 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm.

Educational film and guess speakers.

Raffle prize with plastic-free products by Aquarian Bath.

Soap Grafting, a simple zero waste hack to make your bars last longer

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:00:00 +0000

If you have one wet Aquarian Bath soap or shampoo bar sliver, you can easily fuse it to another soap or shampoo bars. Just squeeze the two bars together and set them aside to completely dry out. This is a great alternative to wasting the last bit of your soap or loosing a small piece of shampoo bar in your hair!

We also have Organic cotton/ Hemp soap saver sets to go with your soap and shampoo bars if you prefer.

Lavender Jojoba Hair Serum now available in Plastic free refill bottles and new scent.

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:22:00 +0000

Aquarian Bath's leave in hair serum is now available in a refill bottle with a metal lid. I also just added a new scent which is currently only available in the refill bottles: Patchouli Mint with Patchouli, Spearmint, and Peppermint essential oils. I have a similar blend that I was using for my hair that is constantly getting comment while I'm in the locker room or as I'm leaving the YMCA. I tried to recreate it as best I could!

Seaside Herb Society Faire Saturday March 30th in Ormond Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:04:00 +0000

The annual Seaside Herb Society Faire will be held Saturday March 30th from 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the regular location at the Bailey Riverbridge Gardens, 1 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach. We will be bringing our most popular Aquarian Bath soaps and shampoo bars, and any other items upon request. I have also heard that Meg from Herb and Spice Scentsations will return to the faire with her wonderful spice blends, which I'm looking forward to restocking. Mark your calendars and hope to see you there next month.

Short list of Aquarian Bath items to be available at the fair:

Unscented and Lavender Scented Eye Pillows

Gardener's Scrubby Soaps

Patchouli Soaps

Lavender Oatmeal Soaps

Lavender Patchouli soaps

Hemp oil soaps

Lavender Spearmint Salt Soaps

Vanilla Chai Soaps

"I heart MOM" Mother's Day soaps

Carrot shampoo bars

Neem Shampoo Bars

Lemon Vanilla Shampoo Bars

Microwavable Herbal Neck Pillows

Solid Perfumes

Lip Balms

Arts on Granada Holiday Market in Ormond Beach Saturday November 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:54:00 +0000

Please join us this Saturday in Ormond Beach if you are in the area. We made our Gingerbread Soap ornaments for the first time in a few years and are excited to have them for sale again this year. Below find a few other popular items that we will be bringing to the event including our Organic cotton Microwavable flaxseed neck pillows and Lavender Oatmeal soaps. Find us behind the Arts on Granada studio located at 67 W. Granada Ave from 9 AM - 4 PM.

Plastic Free July Beach Clean up - July 8 Andy Romano Park

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 21:19:00 +0000

Aquarian Bath is celebrating Plastic Free July by hosting a Beach Clean up at Andy Romano Park: 839 S Atlantic Ave, Ormond Beach, FL 32176. We chose the Sunday the 8th of July, because there is usually a lot of post-holiday firework plastic litter on the beaches right after the 4th of July. To join the clean up, arrive at Andy Romano Park by 9:00 AM. All you need are some gardening gloves. We'll pick up for about 45 minutes and then meet back at the park to check out what we found and take a few pictures to promote Plastic Free July.

Aquarian Bath is a Daytona Beach company, which sells plastic free bath and body products. Aquarian Bath will have a free shampoo bar for the first 25 participating households at the beach clean up event.

Plastic Free July is an annual challenge in which participants are encouraged to refuse single use plastics such as straws and cups for a week or up to a whole month of July. Take the Plastic Free July challenge and sign up here: http://www.plasticfreejuly.org

The alternate date for this event in case of lightning or thunder is Sunday July 15th. You can RSVP for this event and invite friends on the Facebook event page.

Plastic Free July 2017 Bath Set Giveaway Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 22:37:00 +0000

Have you signed up for the Plastic Free July challenge yet? It's all about refusing single use plastic. You can make it simple by refusing straws, plastic cups, and plastic bags. You can make it more challenging by refusing all single use plastic. Sign up for one day, or one week, or the rest of the month. It is okay if you didn't sign up at the very beginning of July. Aquarian Bath would like to make it easier for you to go plastic-free not only in July, but also year round. Therefore we are offering a coupon code this month and also sponsoring this giveaway, for one winner. You can use the coupon code "PFJ2017" at AquarianBath.com for 10% off through the end of the month.

This plastic free bath set by Aquarian Bath includes the following items:

Black Licorice Tooth Powder (paste alternative)

Lemon Vanilla Shampoo Bar (vegan, palm oil free, works well with most hard water)

Lavender Rose Geranium Soap (vegan, palm oil free)

Coconut Lip Balm (vegan)

Tea Tree Deodorant Balm sample (vegan)

Zero Waste Soap Saver (Organic cotton and hemp)

The more you promote Plastic Free July by tweeting or blogging, the more entries you can earn to win this price. Enter to win this plastic free bath set using the rafflecopter widget embedded below. This giveaway is open to those 18 and up; see widget for additional terms.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seaside Herb Society Fair Ormond Beach March 25, 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 20:41:00 +0000

The Annual Seaside Herb Society Fair is this weekend,

Saturday March 25th, 2017.

The Fair is from 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the usual location at the Bailey Riverbridge in Ormond Beach (1 N Beach St). In other words, the location is the North West Corner of the Granada Bridge (on the mainland side). Shop early for the best selection of potted herbs and other herbal products.

We are packing the following items for the fair. If there is something not on the list that you need from Aquarian Bath, please email me or leave a comment to let me know.

Olive Oil Soap - Unscented

Neem Oil Soap

Zeolite Detox Soap with Charcoal and Bentonite - unscented

Lavender Oatmeal Soap

Tea Tree Hand Soap

Gardener's Soap

Lemongrass Soap

Unscented Salt Soap

Lavender Spearmint Salt Soap

Vanilla Chai Soap

Patchouli Soaps - Small Quantity Low Stock

Carrot Top Shampoo Bars

Aloe Shampoo Bars with Lavender Rosemary Mint

Henna Shampoo Bars

Lime Eucalyptus Shampoo Bars

Lavender Jojoba Hair Serum

Spearmint 2 oz Deodorants

Tea Tree 2 oz Deodorants

Zi Cao Salve

Dragon Balm

Black Drawing Salve

Amber Perfume

Lamiaciae Perfume

Jasmine Rose Perfume

Lavender Orange Lip Balm

Lavender Rose Lip Balm

Thank you for shopping local!

Plastic Free July Coupon Code

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 18:34:00 +0000

We are participating in Plastic Free July again. The goal is to refuse all forms of single use plastic. It is not too late to join if you haven't signed up already. If you can't participate for the whole month, just try for a week or two. You can shop Aquarian Bath for lots of plastic free hair and body products with the coupon code 'plasticfreejuly' for 15% off through July 24th.

Echo Moth Caterpillar Sighting

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 23:20:00 +0000

My daughters and I saw this beautiful Echo Moth caterpillar after swimming lessons last week in Daytona Beach. The girls moved him from the hot patio outside the pool onto the ground. Tessa picked an oval leaf for the caterpillar, and he went to work on it right away. You can see the nibble marks in these photos that Moira took. Hope you like them.

Four New Organic Cotton Flaxseed Pillows and Pillow Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Tue, 17 May 2016 16:00:00 +0000

We had a rush on our Organic cotton Flaxseed neck pillows for Mother's Day. Some of our fabrics sold out, so we have added four new types and will be adding one or two more soon. The first two are sheep (top) and penguin (below) Organic cotton flannels. These are single layer pillows. I usually don't go for cartoon animals, but I found these irresistible. I thought the sheep would be fun for people who like to take their pillows to bed or who have trouble sleeping. We are partial to penguins, they being the Linux operating system mascot, so this fabric was a must have also.

The two pillows below are also new, they are part of our pillow line which has removable washable Organic cotton covers.

The floral print is also available with pink instead of turquoise flowers.

US residents, 18 and up, you can enter to win a Lavender-Rose scented sheep pillow with the rafflecopter form below. Raffle ends May 31, 2016

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Zerowaste Gardening Tip for Salvaging Bitter Lettuce

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Mon, 16 May 2016 21:27:00 +0000

If you have planted your lettuce to close together, if the lettuce has dried out a lot during the growing season, or if the weather is hot, you could easily end up with dreadfully bitter lettuce. It may look beautiful and lush like mine in the above photo, but it tastes just terrible. I couldn't stand the thought of composting the lettuce, so I went searching for a recipe. Even better than a recipe for bitter lettuce, I received a tip from @tryplasticfree on twitter. They suggested that I cut up the lettuce and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes. Luckily, I forgot and left the lettuce in the water for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the lettuce tasted much better, but a day or two later I tried with for only 10 minutes and it was still really very bitter.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any lettuce growing tips or lettuce recipes.

Three Easy Methods to Kill Leaf Miners with Neem Oil and Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 19:37:00 +0000

The most consistent pests we have in our garden are leaf miners, the larvae of moths that lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. Every few weeks, we treat the plants with neem oil in a couple different ways to eliminate leaf miners. You can choose the way that is most convenient to you. The first method is to put some castile soap shreds into a spray bottle and add neem oil to make a thick bi-layer. Then shake up the solution and spray. The neem spray method is also a good way to deter Tomato Horn Worms. The second method is to put one of our neem-olive oil soaps in a soap saver bag and gently wash the leaves with the soap saver.

The third way is to put a layer of neem oil in a jar with castile soap and water and us a paint brush to apply the solution. Stir up the neem well so that the soap disperses the neem bilayer into the solution. This is a good method for kids who want to help out in the garden, because it trains them to look carefully at the plants and conserves the neem solution. It takes a few days of regular treatment to eliminate the leaf miners. You know you can stop when the infested area turns brown and dries to a crisp. The plants below were treated by my kids with the paint brush method.

Leaf miner infested Tomato leaf before and after Neem- Soap treatment.

Leaf miner in Holy Basil leaf before treatment and after treatment.

Neem oil is one of the components of our Gardner's Gift Set. Be sure to check it out here.

Jeff Bridges Explains Plastic is Downcycled and Not Recycled

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 20:03:00 +0000

When did we become a plastic planet...

Three New Vegan Friendly Formulas

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 19:50:00 +0000

We have recently modified three of our long time formulas to make them vegan. We have thoroughly tested the new formulas and feel they are equal to or better than the previously recipes. First, our Sesame Aloe shampoo bar (above). This shampoo is specially formulated for those with very dry, flaky or sensitive scalp. The lather is a bit milder than our other shampoo bars, but it is still big compared to a body soap an other "shampoo bars" we have tried from other companies. It gets the job done with no SLS or synthetic ingredients.

Next we have had requests to increase the Frankincense concentration in our Frankincense and Myrrh Solid Perfume recipe. This solid perfume now has a higher ratio of Frankincense to Myrrh, and also includes Candelilla Wax instead of Beeswax.

Lastly, we shortened the tongue twisting Lavender Tea Tree Eucalyptus Lip balm to "Tea Tree Eucalpytus Lip Balm." There is still Lavender in this recipe together with menthol to sooth and cool blistered and sore lips. We have replaced the beeswax from the former recipe with Candelila wax and Castor oil, which helps the lips retain moisture. Our lip balm line is now 100% vegan friendly.

Florida Wildflower and Garden Festival April 2nd in DeLand

noreply@blogger.com (Aquarian Bath) — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 16:00:00 +0000

The Florida Wildlfower and Garden Fest is happening

April 2, 2016 9:00am-3:00pm Rain or Shine

West Indiana Ave., Downtown DeLand

We are not vending, but we will be there to enjoy the lectures and plants.

Check out the full schedule here.