The Funky Fairy Shoppe

News & Updates

2012-08-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

A bunch of news lately!

First off, after almost 5 years, I've decided to shut the website down. I was making more money attending local shows as a vendor than I was through the website. Plus the cost of owning the website was outrageously expensive compared to its income. So, it was a bittersweet moment last month when the site officially closed.

However, I am in the process of making a store site through Google and I have one started at Facebook's Payvement Mall. As soon as the kids are in school, I'll be getting down and dirty with both of these sites to get them up and running. It's a slow process for me. Those of you who know me personally will know that I take on a lot and then things have to be shuffled around to make room. Unfortunately, it's usually my store that gets sent to the back of the line.

And some good news! I will be attending the Spokane's Metaphysical Research Society's fall fair as a vendor. The fair is on October 20th, 10am-4pm. $20 gets you in the door and you get as many readings and healings as you have time for. If you're looking for anything specific or special, please let me know as soon as possible and I'll be sure to have a selection there for you.

I have been debating about being a vendor at the Spokane Holistic Chamber of Commerce and the Coeur d'Alene Holistic Chamber of Commerce fall fairs. Both have pretty hefty vendor fees. But I did really well at both of them last year so the chances are good I'll be going. The Spokane HCC's fair is November 10th. No word on when (or if) Coeur d'Alene HCC is having a fair this fall. I will keep you posted!

I think that's it for now. It's been a whirlwind of a life this year and I thank you all for your support and encouragement.

Enter to win an iPad2!

2012-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

Rafflecopter is an easy and fun way to enter giveaways, and right now they're giving away an iPad2, and if you refer the winner, you'll win a Kindle Fire. Pretty cool, right? So enter to win below, and put my name, Alena Orrison, as who referred you. Maybe we'll both be winners! And, if you suggest the winning name for their mascot, you'll win a Kindle Fire.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free BJ's Trial Membership

2012-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, so while this is normally NOT what my blog is about, I like good deals. I like it even better if I can pass on good deals to others. We're all trying to make our money stretch as far as it can, right?

So, you can now get a free trial membership at BJ's. It's a wholesale club similar to Costco or Sam's Club. Here's some benefits:

BJ's VALUE
BJ's Members can save over $500 on groceries a year!*

BJ's is the only club to accept manufacturers' coupons!

BJ's BABY
BJ's carries top brand names like Pampers®, Similac®, PediaSure®, Safety 1st®, InSTEP®, Little Tikes®, Eddie Bauer®, Disney®, Gerber® and more!

BJ's even carries products you can't find anywhere else, like Pampers® Cruisers® +Ultra Absorbency—extra-absorbent zones help give up to 12 hours of protection against leaks!

BJ's BEAUTY
BJ's has a great selection from the leading brands of hair care, skin care, oral
care, deodorant and vitamins, even some cosmetics.

BJ's LOCATIONS
Shop any time, anywhere at BJs.com

BJ's Wholesale Club stores are only located in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia.

To get you free trial membership, just click on this post title or click here. Enjoy!

Goals

2012-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

Magickal Graphics

Happy New Year! It's going to be a great one!

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to make goals each month and track my progress using a spreadsheet that I've printed out and put in my day planner. That way my goals are always with me and I can check in any time.

Goals for January:

Exercise daily. This is something I was doing before taking a 10 day cruise with my husband. Since returning home, my body is still in vacation mode.
Meditate or do spiritual work daily. This is something I've been struggling with lately. Well, for about a year now. I keep telling myself I don't have time due to homeschooling or appointments or any number of things. Those are excuses, not reasons. My spirit needs nourishment & exercise, just like my body.
Work on the store daily. I'm shooting for 30 minutes a day, but know that some days the store might only see 10 minutes. And that's okay, as long as I'm trying. Blogging, posting on FaceBook & Twitter, updating inventory and sending out newsletters all count for this one.
Talk to my friends at least once a week. I realized the other night that it's been over 2 weeks since I talked to one of my friends, over 2 months for a couple other friends, and almost 6 months for someone I was becoming friends with but hadn't made it that far yet. That's just sad. See #2 for my excuses list that applies to this one as well.
Read daily. When I wrote this one down, I thought that it was pretty obvious. I love to read, so why wouldn't I do it daily? Well, I go for days without reading anything besides email and homeschool materials then spend all weekend doing nothing but reading because the library book is due back soon or I'm just tired of all the technical reading. So I figured if I read a little every day, I won't spend all weekend doing nothing else and it will provide a little daily stress relief, which is important.
Craft daily - for January I want to crochet a hair wrap headband. A previous good friend (we had a falling out) made something similar and I loved it. I found a pattern and want to make one for me and one for my daughter. Due to time contraints, it might take me all month just to make one, but I'm hoping to get two done so I can do something else next month. I'm buying yarn and the right hook size when I go to town on Wednesday. Wouldn't you know, I have every hook size but E.

Notice anything about all my January goals? Yep, there's a theme. I need more time for the things that are important to me. Of course, my family will always come first (which is why I take really long breaks from the blog), but I need to pursue my own happiness as well.

MRS Spokane Fall Fair

2011-10-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

This Saturday you can find me at the MRS Spokane's Fall Fair. $20 entrance fee gains you access to all the healings & readings you have time for. Plus you can stop by and say hi to me and you might get a little free gift for mentioning the blog.

Holistic Fair-First one of the Fall!

2011-10-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

I attended, as a vendor, the Coeur d'Alene Holistic Chamber of Commerce's Fall Fair this past Saturday and had a blast! This was the Chamber's 3rd Bi-Annual Holistic Fair. I don't know what took me so long to get there! I had the pleasure of meeting up with some other vendors I have chatted with at previous fairs as well as meeting new ones. Everyone was so amazing, kind, and thoughtful. I also reconnected with a couple of friends I hadn't seen for a while. On top of all the wonderful conversations and fun, I did some steady business.

I consider this fair a success!

Today's Top Pick

2011-08-24T11:24:00.001-07:00

Diana Moon Earrings

The Great Debate

2011-08-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking.... I know, it's scary. But I've been debating about changing my store up a bit and just carrying those items that are hard to find or unique. This means I won't carry any of the more common items that you can find at just about any store, online or otherwise. I'm not sure it's a good move for me. But keeping up with the wholesalers' inventory is a never ending task and I am barely able to do that. Which is part of the reason I don't post very much here. Or send out newsletters on time.

IF I go unique, I will still keep my accounts with the wholesalers open so I can have some of the common items at the trade shows and eventually be able to carry them in my shop.

Does anyone have an opinion either way?

Google Checkout

2011-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was spent installing and testing Google Checkout. If you already use Google Checkout (or want to) this is a convenient way to purchase all those fun items you've been drooling over. Google Checkout stores your payment and shipping information. Simply confirm your information and your order and click Complete Checkout. Then you're done! I don't have access to any of your payment information and Google Checkout is 100% secure. It's a great alternative to my regular checkout process.

It was a wonderful time!

2011-06-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time at the Spokane Holistic Chamber of Commerce fair this past weekend. I was able to meet lots of amazing people and had some very interesting conversations. A few conversations ended up being networking with other folk in the area.

Barbara Lee from Intuitive Reflections and Wild Wood Botanicals has offered to partner with me in offering astrology charts. We also made a trade - she offered me 3 bottles of her lovely massage lotion in exchange for a deck of Faerie Tarot Cards. I was, honestly, hesitant at first because I really need to make money, not trades. But I agreed and then Sunday I was grateful for the exchange. I was outside too long in the sun and ended up sunburned. I used her lotion and my skin instantly felt cooler and less stressed. Thank you, Barbara!

I also met and chatted with Kristen L. Dodson, a licensed hypnotherapist. She is a very sweet lady and I've promised to come up with some incense that won't trigger her allergies.

And there was a talented young lady who was doing henna tattoos. Of course I had to get one - I got the triple moon with a pentacle as the full moon on my left wrist. I've always wanted that one there and now I get to try it out before I make it permanent. If you're in the Spokane area and want a good henna tattoo artist, check out Randi Dickinson. She has an Etsy shop called Eco Twist that you can contact her through.

And, I hate to admit it, but I failed to get some contact information for a very nice couple who have Native American curios for sale, including dream catchers and fans. Which is a bummer because we were talking about doing some consignment of their items on my site. They took a couple of my business cards so I'm hoping I'll hear from them soon.

Finally, I'll pass on some information for a Health Forum that's coming up. It will be on Lymes Disorder and Alternative Treatments, information presented by Dr. Terri Turner and Hubertus Pofello. June 30, 2011 at 6:30pm at the Rock Point Towers, 316 W. Boone #270, Spokane, WA 99517. Admission is free.

Wait! Not "finally," not yet. I have one more thing. The winner of the drawing for a $10 gift certificate is Connie S. of Spokane. Which is really cool because she's an acquaintance of mine and has been through some tough health & financial challenges the last couple of years. At the fair, she asked me about a healing pendant or charm. I'm so glad she won this certificate because she can use that towards a healing pendant. Congratulations, Connie!

Herbs, Oils & Incense!

2011-05-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today I'm working on updating & adding herbs, oils & incense. There are so many that we can offer, this is a huge project! It'll probably take a few days.

As a quick note, I'm only listing 1 oz packets of herbs. If you need bulk herbs, minimum one pound, please contact me and I'll give you pricing. Most folks only need an ounce or two of herbs so I'm saving myself some headaches by not listing the bulk prices.

And, as usual, if you're looking for a specific herb, oil, scent, or anything else, just let me know. I either have it but not on the store site yet or I can get it for you. Special orders always welcome!

Fairs and More Fairs!

2011-05-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy couple of months! If you're a friend of mine on Facebook, you'll know that a little over a month ago I tried to cut the tip of my finger off with a kitchen appliance. Yeah... it's really important to unplug appliances with sharp blades before you try to get food unstuck...

Since then, the kids have had swimming lessons, soccer, and voice lessons. Not to mention school and library programs and play dates. It's been a little crazy at my house.

However....

The Funky Fairy Shoppe did make an appearance at the M.R.S. Spokane Spring Fair on May 7th. We had a blast meeting new people, visiting with folks we met last time and even managed to get a couple free readings. The next fair for MRS is on October 29th. We are so there! And we'll have some special items just in time for Halloween.

The next fair we'll be attending is coming up June 4th. It's for the Spokane Holistic Chamber of Commerce. It will also be held at the Unity Church at 29th & Bernard in Spokane, Washington. This is our first time attending this show so I hope it's going to be good! From what I've heard, it's a lot of fun. I can't wait!

And, as a quick note, we have a new format for the newsletter and the latest issue just went out today. If you missed it, you can see it on our Facebook page.

Credit Card Processing Security

2011-03-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

There's been some discussions lately about how secure your credit card information is when you purchase online or at a merchant who uses the swipe reader attached to their smartphone. VeriFone, a leading provider of card processing for merchants, actually tested out Square's security. Basically, Square is a new card processor that you can use for free. Yup, that's right, free. Sounds good, right? I actually considered using them for when I attend shows - makes it easier for customers to pay, might generate more sales. I decided against using Square when they wanted some personal information because the information that I provided about my business when I signed up didn't match their records. What records?? I told them to cancel my account immediately. And I am so glad I did.

In VeriFone's security tests, they were able to write a hacking program in an hour - one that would steal a customer's credit card information as it was being swiped on the Square reader. Yikes!!

I want to assure my customers that I've found a better way to accept credit/debit cards when attending trade shows. I'm going to use my current merchant provider, ProPay. This is who I use when customers decide to use their credit card on the website. They're encrypted, secure, and it doesn't store payment information so I can see it again. I can ask that it store payment information if I have a repeat customer who always uses the same card - but all I see is the last 4 of the credit card number and the expiration date for validation.

How does it work?

Basically, I enter in the card information as it was given to me in the order and ProPay charges the card, I pay them a fee, and voila! I have income. Now, as further reassurance to my customers, when you use your credit card to pay for things on the website, yes, I see your card number. I have to be able to process it somehow and I haven't managed to figure out how to get it to process automatically like some of the big merchants, like Best Buy or Overstock. (I'm not a computer coder, I'm learning as I go, and I don't want someone else having access to the back office of my store's website.) So does my website "store" your credit card information? Yes - but only until I process the card. Then it disappears and I can't see it again unless you make another purchase. And my website is also encrypted and secure.

But wait, what about the onsite processing at trade shows? Well, ProPay recently developed a mobile website. It's got all of the security features of their main website, but it's made for the smartphone. And since it automatically logs me out after no activity for 3 minutes, you can rest assured that your credit card information is safe. And ProPay has developed an app for the iPhone and has one in the works for Android phones, which is what I currently have.

Worried about the app being secure? I'm not. Why? Because I've been using ProPay for 4 years now and they are constantly updating and increasing their security precautions. And because I plan on making sure that the app I download is from ProPay, not a look alike that some people downloaded and got their smartphone hacked.

Being as I have an online store but I also shop online, I'm conscious of the risks involved and try to make shopping on The Funky Fairy Shoppe as easy and secure as possible. If you ever have a concern, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for spring! This winter has been horrendous over most of the world and the weather has taken a serious toll on my family's health. We've all been sick in some form or another since Halloween. It has definitely not been fun.

This month, I'm offering a special for returning customers and FaceBook followers who post comments. If you're a previous customer, you should be receiving an email very soon with the details.

My goals have flown out the window from when I first started this blog, haven't they? Lately I've been focusing more on my health and my family than the store. So I've decided to set a new goal. I'm going to post on the blog and FaceBook once a week for the next 6 weeks. Then after that, hopefully it will be a natural habit and I'll be able to keep you all informed.

Another goal I'm starting is to make sure to add new items to the website each month. I have access to thousands of items but it takes time to put them on the site. Then there's the items that are no longer available for one reason or another and they need to be removed from the site. It's a lot of work! So I'm starting small with a goal to review current offerings and add at least 5 new items once a month.

What would you like to see on the store? What do you normally shop for when shopping online metaphysical stores? Incense? Oils? Herbs? Cauldrons? Athames? Wands? Give me some ideas for February's new items, please!

Tea Leaf Readings

2010-09-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased and excited to announce that The Funky Fairy Shoppe will be hosting Tanya Lester, a renowned tea leaf reader. She's coming to Spokane to share her amazing talent. She will also have her new book available for purchase for $13.95. Tanya will be here one day only, so call or email me to set up your appointment for your own tea leaf reading.

When: Oct. 11, 2010

Time: Noon to 8pm

Where: The Cummings Room, Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W Fort Wright Drive, Spokane, WA 99224

Cost: $20 for 15 minutes (sometimes isn't long enough for a proper reading); $40 for 1/2 hour or $65 for an hour.

How to make appointments: Call me at (208) 819-5394 or email funkyfairyshoppe@gmail.com

Also, I will have a special discount code for each person who makes an appointment or purchases Tanya's book. This discount code will be good online or at the MRS Fair on Oct. 16th.

Summer Vacation

2010-08-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

This summer has seen our family taking a camping trip, going to Seattle for a vacation, and lots of sports for the kids. We've also been gearing up for homeschool and I've been taking a break to work on my spiritual health.

I've been reflecting on the store and where it's going, where I want it to go. I've been thinking for the past couple months that I should close it down as my time is limited. I can't dedicate myself 100% to the store. I have small children to take care of, health issues to deal with, a garden to raise and harvest, and a commitment to SpiralScouts International. I feel as if I'm taking on too much. My health prevents me from doing a lot of what I want to do. I am unable to walk very far for very long. I can't sit at a computer for long periods of time any more. I get worn down and have severe pain if I do too much physical activity.

However, I've decided I will continue to keep the store open with the goal in mind that eventually I want to have a physical store. Even if it's a very small one only open a few days a week to start. I will work on the website when I can and start looking more toward local events where the people who live here can get to know me and my products.

To that end, The Funky Fairy Shoppe will still attend the MRS Fair in Spokane in October. Also, in the near future I hope to make a very special announcement about another event in October. Please show your support in at least attending the MRS Fair and stopping by to say hi.

We'll be at the October MRS Spokane Fair!

2010-06-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE!

On October 16, 2010, The Funky Fairy Shoppe will be at the Metaphysical Research Society of Spokane's Fall Fair. And you're invited!

When: October 16, 2010, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Where: Unity Church of Spokane, located at 29th & Bernard, Spokane, Washington
Cost: $20.00 per person

For just $20, you will receive all the readings and body work you have time for and access to attending vendors. Types of readings available are tarot, numerology, psychometry, angel cards, Egyptian Cartouche and much more. Available body work/healing includes reiki, bio-electro-magnetic-energy-regulation and gem stone healing. Other vendors that have been at past events and are probably returning are Inner Journeys Center, JJ & Company, and Inland NW Pet Food, just to name a few.

While we can't bring every item we have available, we will have a premium selection of items handpicked just for this event. As a bonus, we will also have some quality hand-crafted items made by local artists. Also, if you're looking for something specific, send us an email and let us know. We'll do our best to have the item available for purchase at the fair.

If you attend the MRS Fair, mention that you saw the announcement on the blog and receive a free 1 oz bag of loose incense, $3.95 value, free with any purchase of $5.00 or more. We will also have entry forms for a drawing, prize TBA, no purchase necessary to enter.

If you're in the Spokane area, we would love it if you stopped by just to say hi! We're really excited as this is one step closer to having our own brick & mortar store!

Over 50 new items!

2010-06-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you thought our store was getting a little stale, you weren't the only one! Nicole & I have worked really hard the last few days to update the inventory and as a result we're bringing you over fifty new items to drool over. And this is only the first of the month!

Keep checking back over the next several weeks as we include more products to tempt you.

And watch the blog for a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT later this week.

Coding errors

2010-05-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that there are some coding errors with the ReCaptcha when you try to open a new account or send us an email through the Contact Us page. Some times the error makes it impossible to do either while other times it just shows some html coding on the page. If it just shows the html coding, you can go ahead and proceed as normal, nothing will be affected and your information is still safe. If you get the error that doesn't allow you to do anything, please post a comment or send us a direct email at funkyfairyshoppe@gmail.com.

We are working to resolve this issue.

New Artist in town!

2010-05-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, everyone, you HAVE to check this out. Right now, do it. Before you forget or get sidetracked. My soon to be business partner and Bestest Best Friend now has a blog for her art. I love it! It's about time, and she's an amazing artist. She's gifted me with several of her works and they are by far my favorites. And not just because she did them, but because they're THAT GOOD. I've been doing my best to encourage her to do more with her art and I'm so thrilled to see that she is. You'll have to read about her journey on her blog. I don't want to spoil any of her surprises.

So go, right now, to The art and pagan life of Nicole Stankowitz

Feeling Productive

2010-05-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

I just spend time with my best friend/ex business partner/soon to be business partner Nicole and she's agreed to come back and help me with the store! Woot!

In fact, in just one day, we managed to come up with a way to get free investment money for starting the brick & mortar store and we now have a game plan for being vendors at a couple local fairs. On top of that, we managed to narrow down what items we'll be offering at the fairs and we both worked on our art.

I feel like I got a lot accomplished! I feel rejuvenated again - and very excited! - to be working on getting a physical metaphysical store in the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene areas. You wouldn't believe how many phone calls I take each week where I have to disappoint someone when I tell them The Funky Fairy Shoppe is currently an online only store.

And for those of you who may be wondering how to start your own business, I recommend visiting the Small Business Administration and Score. They both have tutorials and resources that are extremely helpful.

A Glimpse Into My Life

2010-05-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a typical weekday at my house:

5:30 am - I get up, get a shower & get dressed.
6:00 am - I start cooking breakfast (yes, every morning. Cereal just doesn't fill my kids up)
6:15 am - I get the rest of the kids up as my oldest daughter is pretty good at getting up on her own. I think this is so she can have some uninterrupted time in the bathroom to do her hair as she really loves sleeping in other days.
6:30 am - We sit down to breakfast.
7:00 am - Kids brush their teeth and rush around the house making sure they have all their school things. I clean up after breakfast and help the youngest brush her hair.
7:10 am - We leave the house. Getting in the car can be an adventure, especially if my 4 year old feels she didn't get enough sleep the night before.
7:30 am (approximately) - Drop the oldest off at school. Then we either head to my mom's to hang out for a bit, do an errand if there's time, or just wait at my son's school.
8:25 am - Oldest son can now go in for school.

From here on, it depends on if we have appointments or other errands to do in town. If we do, then we don't get home until around 11:30 am. If not, we're home at 9:00 am. Either way, the schedule stays pretty much the same with the exception that the events from 9:00 am to 11:00 am are missing if we have errands/appointments.

9:00 am - Get the younger kids started on preschool and start laundry while their working. Work on preschool lessons for an hour.
10:00 am - Computer time if I feel up to it, otherwise I try to do some sort of crafting. If I'm feeling really bad, I just curl up with a book. The little ones play in their rooms or have races with cars down the hall.
11:00 am - I start fixing lunch.
11:15 am - Lunch time. My kids are always starving by now. Or at least they think so.
12:00 pm - I let the kids play either outside or on the computer/video games for 1/2 hour while I clean up from lunch, deal with the laundry again, and do whatever other cleaning I think I can get done. Sometimes I end up in the garden during this time too, especially if the kids want to ride their bikes.
1:00 pm - Nap time (my favorite time of the day!). My 5 year old doesn't take naps every day, but I make him lay down for an hour to recharge a little. Gives me some quite time to either take a nap myself if needed or work some more on the computer.
2:30 pm - Wake the kids up (if they went to sleep, that is!) and get ready to go pick up the other children.
2:40 pm - Leave the house. Again probably with some drama as the 4 year old has to be first out the door and first in the car. We're working with her on this one.
3:20 pm - Pick up oldest son from school. Fridays I go in and help him clean out his desk and Thursdays I don't have to pick him up as he has Lego Club after school.
3:30 pm - Pick up oldest daughter from either school or my mom's house, depending on what she has going on that day. She sometimes stays after school to get help with homework, help other kids with their homework, or choir practice.
3:45 pm - Head home. Yay!
4:15 pm - Get home. Do some pre-prep for dinner, get the kids going on homework and chores.
5:00 pm - I start cooking dinner. My husband gets home anywhere from now until 7:00 or 8:00 pm depending on the job for that day.
6:00 pm - Dinner time. We don't wait for my husband to get home anymore. We used to, but sometimes he gets home so late that by the time we eat dinner, the kids are falling asleep over their plates.
7:00 pm - I clean up the kitchen while the kids finish their homework or chores, if needed. If not, they have free time.
8:00 pm - We start getting the kids ready for bed. This can be a major event as sometimes the boys want to go first to brush their teeth and sometimes they're mad when I tell them to go first. I seriously can't win.
8:30 pm - Bedtime for the kids. After singing them a lullaby and kissing them goodnight, I collapse at the computer for another round of checking email, checking on the store, checking the bank account. Always something that has to be checked on.
9:00 pm - I start getting ready for bed. So why am I still typing this when it's almost 9:30 pm? Because my husband just got home and just had his dinner and I wanted to spend some time with him. But he's participating in online gaming at the moment so my spending time with him consists of both of us sitting at our computers in the office. Hey, it's better than nothing.
9:30 pm - I'm normally in bed and reading. I read for 1/2 hour and then it's lights out for mommy.

Notice I don't mention anything about watching television? That's because we don't have any channels to watch. Sometimes I'll watch a television show on the broadcasting website, but look at my schedule - when do I really have time for that?

I am making an effort to make more time for visiting my friends and taking care of me. After all, if Mommy isn't happy, nobody's happy. This normally happens on the weekends when my husband is home to oversee the children. He gets some time with them without me, and I get a much needed break. Win-win!

Next Glimpse into My Life will have some information on why I need naps - no, it's not because I have 4 children and we're always busy - and soon to follow that will be what I like to do in my spare time. Yes, I do have spare time. It's just very, well, sparse.

The Tenth Muse Books: A Spiritual Garden: Looking Through Children's Eyes

2010-05-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share this as SpiralScouts International sent it to me. Have your kids submit their writing by August 31st to be considered for submission. Very cool!

Welcome to The Tenth Muse Books: A Spiritual Garden: Looking Through Children's Eyes

Discount code!

2010-05-17T17:12:00.001-07:00

Secret discount code (are you reading the blog?) is Soap25. This will get you 25% off any order $15.00 or more until July 4, 2010.

Also... I will now have a special discount code ONLY for you and any friends you refer to the store that open a new customer account, no initial purchase necessary. This discount code will get you 1 free item of equal or lesser value with the purchase of an item and a free surprise gift. To get the code, refer your friends, have them sign up a new account, then they need to email me or leave a comment on the blog letting me know who referred them. You will then receive an email with the code.

Laundry Soap Recipe

2010-05-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked me for my laundry soap recipe so here it is:

1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated
1/2 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda!)
1/2 cup Borax
2 gallon bucket

Put the soap in a sauce pan, add 6 cups of water & heat until soap melts. Add washing soda & borax, stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Allow to sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Use 1/2 cup per load.

This laundry soap has been tested in 3 different high efficiency washing machines and does not cause any damage. It's naturally low-sudsing. I've done a cost analysis for my family of 6 and it's about $3.50 for 3 months worth of laundry soap.

You can add your favorite essential oil if you like your laundry soap to be scented. Lavender is a good one. So is orange if you want that fresh laundry smell. Recommended amount is 20-30 drops. Play around with it so you get the amount of scent that you like. I add mine after I add the soap mixture but before I add the rest of the water so it gets mixed in very well.

Recipe compiled from several different sources including www.livingonadime.com and www.thefamilyhomestead.com