Wett Giggles Soap

10 Interesting and Fun Facts About the History of Soap

2012-01-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

Want to know more about the soap that you use to wash your hands clean? Here are 10 fun facts about the humble “cleaning bar”.

1. The earliest users of soaps were the Celts who referred to it as “saipo”. Not much of a difference in its name, huh?!

2. The first soaps were made by boiling oil from the olive plant or tallow {animal fat} with lye water leached from ashes of wood fire to dryness.

3. Early soaps were mainly used for cleaning clothes and not so much on the bodies.

4. The first civilization to use soap on the bodies were the Romans who, then, spread the soapmaking and using skills all through Europe.

5. Soap making was concentrated around Marseilles and later spread to Genoa and Venice.

6. Around the 13^th and 14^th centuries, soap was considered a revenue source by the British government and it was taxed.

7. The manufacturing of good quality soap started only around the 18^th century when it was discovered how to make large quantities of caustic soda.

8. Pears Soap dates back to 1789 and by 1700, there were over 63 soap companies in London.

9. By 1890, there were many types of soaps available and the 5 big soap companies included Colgate, Albert, Morse Taylor, Pears and Bailey.

10. According to a 2009 survey conducted by Soap magazine(yes, there is a magazine named Soap), the world production of soap is around 10,000,000,000 Ib. per year (of which the U. S. makes and uses about one-third).

Keen to know more about soaps? Check out this post that offers trivia about soaps andsoapmaking including why Palmolive is called Palmolive!

Want to know what makes Wett Giggles soaps super fun and sudsy too? A careful process of making each bar by hand, with natural glycerin, essential oils and shea butter that makes them perfect for children’s sensitive skin.

With scents as appealing as blackberry, coconut banana, watermelon and more, these fun, natural soaps come with a nail brush and are super-affordable at just $10 a piece.

Plus, this month, we’re offering 20% discount on all orders and a flat $4.99 shipping rate as well, so go ahead and get yourself a fu, animal or planet soap that cleans and entertains as well!

Don’t forget to sign up for the Wett Giggles Newsletter to get more special offers and fun tips and ideas.

4 Fun Simple, Surefire Ways to Encourage Hygiene in Kids

2011-12-15T21:10:00.001-08:00

Keeping children healthy involves ensuring that they follow good hygiene habits. Yes, you know. Washing their hands. Sneezing in their elbows. Blowing their noses in tissues. Yes, good, ole’ basic hygiene.

Keeping good hygiene ensures that infections don’t get passed around as much and last for shorter durations as well. So, how does a parent ensure that kids develop good hygiene. By telling them, for sure. But we all know how effective that is. Instead, if you make learning about health and hygiene fun and interesting, they would be more inclined to remember what you “tell” them.

So, here are some fun and yet effective ways to encourage good hygiene in your child:

1. Make Hygiene Habits Fun

Begin by creating an element of fun. Our fun animal and planet soaps make it super-easy to do that. Kids enjoy washing their hands with a cute li’l cow or sweet li’l frog that smell as good as they look. Bring these in and they’ll never complain about having to wash their hands..again.

2. Add Toys and Games

Does your child run a mile at the thought of a bath? Throw in some toys or make it a game of bathing the doll or washing the truck and sit back and watch them have fun splashing about and having a blast getting rid of all the dirt and grime.

3. Bring in Song and Dance

Is brushing teeth a dreaded chore? Liven it up with fun songs or even, a dance. Just take any nursery rhyme such as “A, B, C” and add your own words for brushing. Kids Soup, for instance, has some fun songs to help make brushing teeth really fun and interesting.

Let your little ones swing and sway while you sing in the background and before you know it, teeth brushing would be something they’ll looking forward to.

4. Read about Hygiene

Finally, end the boo-boo around hygiene with books. Brush, Brush, Brush by Alicia Padron and Germs are Not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick are just some books that you can check out when adding to your child’s library.

Hygiene is essential but it doesn’t have to be boring and tiresome. Adding simple elements of fun can ensure that kids not only remember what you teach them but they do it happily, making life as a parent so much easier.

So, how do you make learning about hygiene fun for your kids?

5 Reasons Why Handmade Soap is the Best Stocking Stuffer Idea

2011-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

It’s the holiday season and while I’m sure you’re busy ticking off errands and must-dos off your holiday chore list, I’d love for you to get your stocking stuffers for kids too.

Why?

Because we generally forget about stocking stuffers until its too late and then, we end up buying stuff that really no kid needs. Think candy. Yes, I know. We’ve all been there and done that.

So, this year, let’s re-launch the Wett Giggles blog and talk about why natural, handmade soap is a fantastic stocking stuffer for kids of all ages:

1.Encourage Clean Hands in a Fun Way

One of the best parts about choosing a Wett Giggles soap as a stocking stuffer is that you’ll never have to worry about grimy hands and nails. These cute animal- or planet-shaped soaps will win over kids instantly and have them actually rushing to wash their hands.

The manicure brush ensures that nails too are clean and germ-free. A mother’s dream come true!

2.An Affordable Stocking Stuffer

Stocking stuffers should be super-affordable and your Wett Giggles soaps cost just $10 which makes them a steal, considering they are a toy-soap-manicure brush, all-in-one cute, little sudsy bundle.

Plus, to make these even more affordable, we’re giving you a cool 20% discount on all orders. So, yay!

3.Natural, Safe and Totally Mom-Made

You know how you cringe each time you buy a soap that has ingredients you can’t even pronounce let alone know about? Yes, Wett Giggles mom, Karen St.Clair too felt the same way. That is why, each soap is made of all-natural ingredients that you know and love. Think shea butter, natural glycerin, essential oils.

Also, each soap is carefully made by hand and yes, with lots of love.

4.Unusual and Unique Soaps

These fun, natural and handmade soaps are a great option when you need variety. With 9 animal soaps and 3 planet soaps, you have plenty of choice. Depending upon a child’ s favorite animal, planet or even, color, you can get a handmade soap to brighten up their bathrooms.

Meet all the Wett Giggles soapy animal characters and planets too.

5.A Range of Soapy Options

Want the soap but not the brush? Okay. Want the toy but not the soap? That’s fine too. We want to make sure that you get a stocking stuffer that your kids would love and enjoy, and so offer a range of options for you to choose from.

So, head over to Wett Giggles and get your cute, natural, handmade childrens’ soaps NOW!

The Summer Solstice is here!!

2011-06-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

The longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year.

It arrived June 21^st at 1:16 PM (EDT)

At the same time winter officially begins in the southern hemisphere of the world.

Solstice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning “Sun to Stand Still.”

As the days lengthen the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the Sky.

Since the early times people have been celebrating this event.

In New York the Summer Solstice was brought in with a yoga celebration.

Whether you celebrated or not summer is here and for many New York kids

That means “No School” staring next week.

Enjoy the season.

Spring is in the air...

2011-03-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

You can smell it

Feel it

Touch it

Birds are chirping

Bees pollinating

Flowers budding

Blue skies with fluffy white clouds

Spring is here

Don't miss it!

The New Year is upon us...

2010-12-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Love, good health, rich opportunities, prosperity and abundance.

May all those things find it's way to you.

May the peace of God be with in 2011.

Keep it Simple

2010-11-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year when leaves fall with all their pretty colors. We get out the hats, scarves and gloves, if we didn’t lose them from last year. My son never seems to keep a pair gloves or hats around for the whole season.

It’s also that time of year we sit down with family or friends with good food, warm drinks and laughter.

I’ve learned over the years, or should I say I get my cue from the way nature works. Keep it simple...Simplicity is a great word to have in your vocabulary.

You can have the best time with family and friends by not complicating things with too much fuss.

Remember the reason for getting together…

To Love.
To be grateful.

To be kind and forgiving.

Ok and maybe the occasional what did I just eat. Keep it simple this year and your body and soul will thank you.

Be Well.

It's that time!

2010-08-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Remember this:

They might cry and moan, but it's that time of year again. It's time to get up earlier, and wake those sleeping, grumpy children. It's time to pack lunches and backpacks...and let's not forget homework.

Because if your children have homework you have homework too!

Moms and Dads while preparing your children for school it's important to make time for your soul and mind. It's difficult to nourish others if we don't take care of ourselves. It's very easy to get frazzled while everyone in the household is adjusting to the back to school schedule.

What works best for me is getting up early before anyone else is moving in the house.(5am-5:30am). This is time for me. As soon as my feet hit floor I say thank you. I say a prayer/mediate and give to thanks to a new day. I read positive quotes to feed my mind and soul.

After that I put on a pot of coffee. While that's brewing I take some bread and nuts to feed the birds and squirrels. All kinds of birds appear Robins, Cardinals, the occasional Blue Jay and many sparrows. I love to watch the animals eat while I sip my coffee before the sun appears.

It's a beautiful time of day.

Now I'm ready to start my day. Got to drop my son off and catch the early morning train. May you find your peace.

Namaste

Hot fun in the summertime!!

2010-07-02T01:43:00.000-07:00

No more staring at the clock waiting for the work week to be over. No more squeezing into the subway car like sardines, dreaming of your nice comfy couch. It's Friday, and the long Fourth of July weekend awaits. The holiday offers an excuse to gorge on hot dogs, steak, corn, seafood, cake and anything else that fits in our mouths. Time to relax in the back yard with a nice cold drink. But what do you do when you hear that little voice say, "MOM!! DAD!! I made a mess." The little one comes running to you with hands full of dirt, juice, food and that slimy stuff that only kids can find. What are you going to clean it with? How about one of our soaps. Check out our products at http://www.wettgiggles.com/products.htm. Have a great weekend!!

Summer is on the way!

2010-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is on the way.
And with it comes all the joys of warmer weather-picnics,pool parties,flowering trees and the end of another
School session.I hope you take advantage of this time to enjoy the great outdoors before the humidity and
mosquitoes take over!

Here are a few timely articles to inform and entertain you.

Landscapes that Attract Nature
Did you know that certain bushes,trees and shrubs can attract beautiful birds such as cardinals,woodpeckers and hummingbirds to your yard or balcony?(I have Blue Jays and Cardinals in my yard) Berries are a big hit with birds and butterflies enjoy flowers with nectar,which they suck out of the blossoms with their long tongues.

If you have a dead tree limbs in an inconspicuous place in your yard,consider leaving them there ,as allowing them to remain can attract chickadees, nuthatches and several woodpecker species.
Naturally, the ever popular butterfly bush will certainly attract tons of various butterflies and will act as a vibrant
spot in your garden as well. Use your garden space wisely and fill it with plats that will bring nature up close and personal in your daily life.

Planet Soaps by Wett Giggles

2010-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Introducing our new Planet Soaps!

As we roll out our newest soap offerings,Earth,Mars,and Jupiter to be exact,we thought it would be fun to
offer some cool facts about theses planets that you might not be aware of.Feast your mind on these fun planet facts and treat your skin to our new planet soaps!

Earth
Our home planet,Earth ,is estimated to be about 4.5 million years old.Wow! Now that is wear and tear that even the most involved facelift couldn 't undo! Earth's atmosphere is about 80 percent nitrogen while most of the remainder is oxygen.Only 3% of the
water on Earth is fresh,the rest is 97%.(So the majority of our water is perfect for cooking pasta! I like mine
al dente)

Mars
Mars is the only planet whose surface detail can be seen from Earth. The poles of Mars, like those ,are covered in ice.The gravity on Mars is 38% of that found on Earth. If you weigh 100 ponds here on Earth you'd be a svelte 38 pounds on Mars; imagine that.How soon until the Hollywood celebs want to relocate to Mars? Are you ready for the' I lost weight on the Mars diet!! 'ads? This whole gravity vs.weight thing could give new meaning to the 'Mar's bar'.

Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and is the fifth planet from the sun. Becasue it rotates so fast, a day there lasts only 10 hours. Hmmm. That would force one to bring multitasking to a new level. Jupiter 's Giant Red Spot is actually a storm and it has been brewing for over 300 years. The television weather people
would have a field day with that! Always something to talk about. Continual weather alerts~watches and warning would never cease!

Anyway ,the Giant Red Spot is huge,it's got scale galore.

You can visit our website to learn more about the newest addition to our Wett Giggles products,our planet soaps. They 're out of this world!wettgiggles.com

Fun Soap Facts

2010-02-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone uses soap, in one form or another,but do you know how exactly soap came about or that June weddings were popular in the 1500's because in those days most people only took one bath a year and it was in May? (Bridal bouquets were used to distract from odors the bride might be expelling. Who knew?)

The name 'soap' comes from ancient Roman legend. On Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed, rainwater washed down the mountain. It flowed through a mixture of melted animal fats and ashes into the Tibet River below. As women washing their clothes noticed them becoming cleaner as they were exposed to this mixture, it
became known as soap. It seems that soap making originated with a combination of animal fats and various ashes, depending upon the region. The Romans preferred goats milk varieties, while the French gravitated to soap made with olive oil.

When it comes to mass produced bar soap that you may buy in the grocery or drugstore, it is mostly detergent,that's why it bubbles up so much.
Other fun facts about soap:Palmolive was named after its most popular soap, made with palm and olive oils.
Murphy's Oil Soap is the most commonly used cleanser to wash elephants.Did you realize that bars of Ivory soap were never meant to float? The company was overmixing the soap formula creating excess air bubbles that caused it to float. Customers gave the soap an overwhelmingly postive reaction, so the company never changed a thing.

Sometimes it's best to leave perfection alone.

Wash Your Hands:Still the Best Way to Combat Germs!

2010-01-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

Ah, Soap. It's there at almost every sink we see, in some form or another,and it still can't be beat when it comes to fighting germs.Whether it is solid or liquid,soap is effective because it rids your hands of germs that you can spread when you touch your nose,mouth,eyes or other people.

Soap does a superior cleaning job because it acts as an emulsifier,meaning it can successfully unite two unblendable liquids.The oils in soap(which act like a magnet for dirt) don't logically mix with water but soap actually works to coax the dirt and oils into the water so they can be washed away.It is important to note that regular soap is just as effective as the antibacterial variety when you are killing germs.

With the threat of the normal cold weather flu,not to mention the dreaded H1N1 powerhouse illness,it is more important then ever that we protect ourselves as much as possible.When washing your hands ,wet them first,
and then apply soap.Wash for at least 20 seconds, making sure to rub the "webs" between fingers, the back of hands and your wrists.Dry hands thoroughly with a towel or air dryer.
If you are in a public bathroom, you can use the hand towel to turn off the faucet.

Isn't it nice to know that hand washing with simple soap is still at the top of list when it comes to protecting ourselves against germs? By making a habit of washing your hands,you can save your self many sick days and enjoy a much healthier lifestyle.

Coming Soon Planet Soaps by Wett Giggles.

http://www.wettgiggles.com/