Soap + Bath Tea Giveaway!!

soothe bath tea by Product Body (coming this week)

We have a giveaway, a giveaway, a giveaway!  You could win:

1.  TWO handmade cold processed bars of soap (of your choice) from Product Body, and 2.  TWO of our not-yet released bath teas... (sealed in tea bags!  yay!)

All you have to do to get entries is “LIKE” Product Body on Facebook, if you haven't already, then go to our website, view our handmade soaps here and comment below with the two soap scents you’d like to try.  That's it! Come to our website to browse to see which soaps float YOUR boat, then leave your comment back here.   

You get an extra entry for blogging about this giveaway (just comment back that you did so we know about it).  If people comment and say that you sent them, you get an additional entry!

Bath Teas with be put on the site this week, hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday.  These tea bags are chock full of skin softening powers and will make your skin feel better than it has for years. They include a citrus-y coconut milk, orange peel and sea salt blend, and a soothing bath sea salts, with milk, lavender, calendula, chamomile botanical blend and lastly, a botanical-free tea bag:  coconut milk, oatmeal, sea salts.  They will be sealed in a naturally biodegradable tea bag that will not spill the flowers, peels and petals into your bath.  You get the benefits of the ingredients without them all floating around and leaving you with cleaning up the "exploded garden" in your tub.  Just let the botanicals steep and the sea salt, oatmeal and milk dissolve.  You will be in heaven. and when you're finished with your tubby, simply toss it or re-use it.  Easy-peasy!

A winner will be chosen at random and notified on Thursday, December 15th, 2011.  

Good luck! xx

Update on Ingredients - ORGANIC!

Product Body is now using organic high oleic sunflower oil across the board replacing all high oleic sunflower oil that we have been using prior. This change began in April and the website shall reflect this as soon as we can update this. We are also now using organic palm oil that is also farmed using sustainable farming practices.

We try to use natural and organic ingredients when it is feasible, but we also try to maintain fresh, quality products at a reasonable price. I read an interesting article today "Being Organic Or Natural Won't Necessarily Make A Product Green". You may be interested in it. Sometimes natural practices without thought can create an even bigger problem.

As product manufacturers, we need to look at the larger picture.

This organic news is good news. The palm oil especially. You can read a bit about the Orangutan species and why buying sustainable palm oil is important over on my soap blog here and here.

Watermelon Brilliance

Fussy shared this and I am passing it along. It's too cool.
You can see the other watermelon brilliance here at the Watermelon Carving Contest.

Safe To Consume - Great News!

The Beloved Bar Of Choice. Yum Yum Yum

HERSHEY, PA., January 17, 2009 - The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today issued a statement related to peanuts:

The Hershey Company Does Not Purchase Peanut Butter,
Peanuts or Peanut Products from Peanut Corporation of America
All Hershey and Reese's candies are safe to consume

(say what?!?!?)

No products made by The Hershey Company, including items and brands in the iconic Reese's franchise, are affected by the recent recall related to peanut butter. Hershey does not purchase any peanut butter, peanuts or peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America. Peanut butter for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is made in Hershey facilities under the most stringent safety and quality standards.

All of our products are safe to consume. This includes all items sold to other food companies and used as ingredients in other products.

Consumers with any questions regarding this issue should call our Consumer Relations line at 1-800-468-1714.



Thank you, Oh Chocolate Lord Of Mine they are safe because I think I'd need intervention without them!

Last Days Before Troops Donations Get Packed Up

On the 3rd of July, my company, Product Body, set up a way for everyone to pitch in to add additional products to a huge yummy box of Product Body products to be shipped to the troops in the Middle East.

Here is an explanation of the promotion...from our blog post "A Care Package To The Troops":

"We've decided to send a care package of our products to the servicemen and women stationed in the Middle East in the hope that it can provide them with a few moments of relaxation and luxury. Who wouldn't need a little pampering after being in the desert in one outfit, with one bar of soap?

So for the month of July, every time anyone makes a purchase on our website that totals $40 or more, we'll add another product to the box. If you want us to include a message from you, just put it in the comments field during checkout. We'll also list (first name, last initial and hometown unless you tell us otherwise) the name of every customer that helped make the box bigger.

So help us make them happy! They deserve it."

There are four more days of shopping at Product Body in order for your donation to be included. All purchases over $40 will be qualified through August 31st.

We will be announcing the troop's name and location as soon as that is cleared for us to do. Thank you for your support.

Really.

Suspect And Fugitive

I am inspired. I found a great blog created by an amazing artist who makes temporary food art from the most common things. You MUST check out Suspect And Fugitive and also go see the entire collection of amazing portrait art on flickr.

"suspect and fugitive is a year long project where i make an item a day out of suspect (questionable) and fugitive (non archival) materials."


Here are some of my personal favorites...

Andre The Giant made from pez candy:


Inigo Montoya made with Hello my name is labels:


George Washington made with mouthwash:


Clint Eastwood made with dye on dryer lint:


Cheetos Britney Spears:

Bone In The Fan Tears Archuleta A New.....

This post is written by my husband, Brad. You can read it on his blog Bone In The Fan, here.

American Idol Finals Magic: David Archuleta Makes Me Throw Up In My Mouth

December 8, 1980, New York City: Mark David Chapman murders John Lennon on a street in front of his home. The world mourns.

May 20, 2008, Los Angeles: David Archuleta murders "Imagine" on national television. I puke in my mouth.

I almost didn't watch it. My 11 year old daughter wanted to watch the Idol finals (she's a David Cook fan thank goodness, given the other option), so I put it on and bailed for coffee, a pathetic and insipid version of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me reaching my ears as I ran from the house. I suppose the name American Idol is apt (which is horribly sad when you think about it), but somehow I stupidly hope it will be about and originality and depth, not the search for America's next Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product. So yes, I'll confess to having been sucked into the show in the past. Last night though, as I drove off in my Jeep listening to Joe Jackson's "Night Music" CD, I was asking myself quite earnestly what had become of me that I had actually watched more than zero episodes this year. The audition process can be amusing in a pathetic schadenfreude way, and it's certainly always fun to wonder which Paula Abdul will show up (Will she be high? Will she behave like an over-affectionate alcoholic? The kind that wraps her arm over your shoulder at the bar and tells you how much she loves you, man. Will she drool over the teenaged contestants like a deranged cougar?) but I'm disgusted with myself all the same. So as I say, I left the house and went for coffee.

I got home shortly after the show ended. My wife Joanna had not shut off the DVR. Which meant that I could, if I wanted, rewind to the show and watch some of it. Here's the thing about me: a few weeks ago I had the opportunity, while I was speaking with a police accident investigator, to either look or not look at photographs of a particularly bad motorcycle accident. Faced with the choice of more information versus less information, I always have to choose more (frankly, I'm an information slut) so I looked at the photos. And last night I rewound the DVR.

(to read the full article go here to Bone In The Fan )

Fun 'Buildings Around The World' Writing

Bummer.  The "T" got cut off because it doesn't fit....you get the idea, though.

Go visit GeoGreeting to make your own name out of buildings from around the world!

Chicago's Gone Green For St. Patty

For over 40 years, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers turn the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick's Day Parade celebration. This was created by Mike Butler and his crew beginning in 1961. You can visit Mike at his web site for more river dying information at, www.greenchicagoriver.com.



Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

International Green Sugar Delights

creamy korichio drink

Green Tea-ramizu (P95), a Kozui spin on the traditional Italian dessert

Click The City- (TOKYO) Everything at the cafe is made with green tea. I'd love to try that!

The Scent Of Green Bananas Blog has Tortoro matcha green tea cupcakes with pistachio cream frosting (GUAM) There are recipes on how to make them there.


Matcha Green Tea Cupcake

Food Lover's Journey blog has green tea cupcakes (AUSTRALIA)



Green tea baozi

Found this at Life Of Guangzhou -The inside is filled with a sweet taro pudding and the outside provides a wonderful clean green tea flavor

I watched a show last night with a famous chef traveling through Hong Kong and even though I had just eaten dinner, I got famished for delicious foodie delights! Yum.

Shea Shea Shea

THE PLANT: Shea Tree Order: Ebenales
Family: Sapotaceae (Chicle, Gutta-Percha and Sapodilla)
Genus: Butyrospermum or Vitellaria
Species: Butyrospermum parkii or Vitellaria paradoxa

I read an case study called: " Research by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) into the cultivation and processing of shea nuts as an alternative to cocoa products." along with some other interesting articles on the web an found out some things I didn't know about shea.

The Shea Tree is a wild tree, which are pollinated by bats and grows very slowly. It grows from 25 to 75 feet tall and bears fruit (seed) that contains four times more Vitamin C than an orange, but doesn't bear its fruit until it is between 15-30 years old.

Uses:

1. Despite the increased use of shea butter in cosmetics, statistics show that the shea butter from more then 90% of all marketed shea nuts is used to replace cocoa butter in the chocolate industry.

2. People have been cooking with shea for years and is the main edible oil for the people of northern Ghana, being the most important source of fatty acids and glycerol in their diet.

3. The healing properties of shea butter are believed to be partly attributable to the presence of allantoin, a substance known to stimulate the growth of healthy tissue in ulcerous wounds.

Whipped Shea Butter (Product Body)

If you'd like to learn more about the process of production of shea or the women of Africa and their role in shea nut production check some of these sites:

http://www.solutions-site.org/cat11_sol119.htm

http://www.africa-ata.org/mali_business.htm

http://www.batplants.co.uk/sheanuttext.htm

Want To Cry?

This is a ten minute Japanese short film which I watched this 

morning. I wasn't going to be touched.  

And then I couldn't help it....

Thank you, Dooce for making me cry this morning!

Clorox Buys Burt's Bees! (a reprint)

This is reprinted verbatim from Soap & The Finer Things

Bleach manufacturer Clorox is the latest big player to muscle into the naturals market with the acquisition of Burt's Bees for $925m.

Large companies are beginning to pick off small natural and organic personal care firms to capitalize on the growth of the niche market and ultimately boost its top-line growth.

On its current double-digit growth path Burts Bees is set to achieve sales of $170m in 2007, which is around five times less than the price Clorox paid for the company.

Justifying the high price is the sales potential of Burt's Bees. Clorox expects the acquisition to provide an additional two points of sales growth in the fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

Clorox CEO Donald Knauss said: "This acquisition allows us to enter a growing market that's consistent with consumer megatrends."

"The Burt's Bees brand is well-anchored in sustainability and health and wellness, and we believe it will benefit from natural and 'green' tailwinds"

Organic Monitor director Amarjit Sahota told CosmeticsDesign.com that Colorox will also benefit from the green image of Burt's Bees.

As for Burt's Bees, Sahota questioned whether the move would be in the long-term interests of the firm, despite the deal meaning that Burt's Bees products will be sold through mainstream retail channels.

He said: "We expect Burt's Bees to become damaged by the acquisition because of its impact on customer and retailer perceptions of the brand."

In a recent interview with CosmeticsDesign.com Sahato expressed concern that multinationals with strong established retail channels are marginalising smaller brands and selling diluted natural and organic products.

He called for tighter regulation of the naturals market to prevent companies from selling 'natural' cosmetics that contain relatively few natural ingredients.

Burt's Bees, which was previously owned by private equity firm AEA Investors, has been a strong campaigner for greater regulation of natural and organic cosmetics in recent times.

Sahato fears that may not continue after the latest buy-out because of the demands of the mass-market and the fact that Burt's Bees new parent company has no history of selling natural or organic products.

The takeover of Burt's Bees follows two major acquisitions of natural personal care players last year, namely L'Oreal's acquisition of Body Shop and Colgate-Palmolive buy-out of Tom's of Maine.

Thank you, Anne-Marie, friend and guru of all things, soap and biz related.

Lip Balm In Rare Form

I have been creating a lip balm for myself and looking for a unique container for it. I am pretty bored of the typical tube or hard to open metal disc-like holder. I came across this great wristband with flip-up lip balm container. Or solid perfume, or whatever else you could put in there. It's genius!

Lip balm addicts: this may be the most accessible lip balm container ever. You don't have to fumble through the enormous pile of crap in your purse, your desk, your nightstand.... just accessorize with it and it is at your fingertips in a snap.

Unfortunately it is available on Alibaba, which is an international e-commerce place of suppliers and manufacturers from all over the world. If someone is looking for a specific item they want to import, usually in huge quantities, one would visit alibaba.com. I have never taken part because usually the companies require a minimum purchase of 100,000 units. So if anyone finds this in the States, let me know. I would love to make Product Body lip balms in wristband form.

Attention Beauty + Product Junkies!

Anyone who has a plethora of soap, shampoo, body products that you don't want, here is a place you might want to send them to. I share this letter from Outside In that I received and I think you all may have something in your bathroom you can give up if you feel this is a cause you'd feel good about. I know I will.


Dear Get Product,

The experience of being homeless is frightening, debilitating and fraught with risks. Access to basic survival needs such as food, clothing and shelter are daily challenges. The added challenges of neglect and abuse in early childhood, medical and mental health needs and emotional trauma make a life off the street seem almost inconceivable. But if given the chance, and offered the right resources, building a sense of confidence that moves homeless youth into employment, college, stable housing and improved health occurs every day.

Outside In’s mission is to address the changing needs of homeless youth and other marginalized people as they work toward self-sufficiency and improved health by providing them innovative social, medical and mental health services and material resources. The Employment & Education Program enhanced and expanded learning and employment options for 336 youth this past year. 50 youth completed an advanced Job Readiness Training curriculum, learning critical skills to obtaining and maintaining employment. 91 youth received educational services, including 22 youth attending college. Along with extensive training and support, our Employment & Education Program provides homeless youth with basic hygiene supplies.

Any donation of soap or other hygiene supplies to Outside In would be sincerely appreciated. It would be great to get travel size soaps or a large piece and we can cut it for distribution. If you have any questions or want to learn more about Outside In, please contact me at 503.535.3866. www.outsidein.org

Sincerely,
Matt Weatherly
Development & Communications Assistant
____________________________________
Matt Weatherly | Outside In Development & Communications Assistant
1132 SW 13th Ave | Portland, OR 97205
www.outsidein.org Direct:503.535.3866


Help spread the word. Change can happen when people know about it, so post this on your blog or pass it along to someone.

Good Search

This was sent to me by my most excellent cousin, Leslie in L.A.:

"GoodSearch.com is a search engine (“powered by Yahoo”) that donates money to your favorite registered charity each time you search. I changed my home page to GoodSearch. Thought you might be interested in the possibilities, either to supporting a cause already there, or getting a non-profit that you love registered for fundraising purposes."

I chose Friends Of El Faro (FOEF). Their goal is to purchase land and build the orphaned children of Casa Hogar Sion a new home. In the mean time there are hungry children to feed, to shelter, keep safe and send to school. So if you feel the need to give while you search anyway, use GoodSearch and fund FOEF unless there is another non-profit you'd like to help.

Let's all do our part. (This one requires no work at all, so there is no excuse.)

I'm Not A Plastic Bag

The re-usable tote bag has become quite a fad these days, but a fad that helps the environment is a win-win situation for everyone. Any "un-plastic" bag can be re-used to carry home groceries and limit the ever polluting plastic bags that we, as consumers, use for grocery shopping.

The two here are quite sleek and not at all frumpy like the older canvas Barnes and Noble ones we had in the 70's (did I just date myself??). There are quite a few out there that have hit the market and have become wildly trendy, such as the "Paper Nor Plastic" bag (below) that has sleek lines and is more sturdy looking than the Anya Hindmarch's bag (shown to the left).

The "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" says, “We are what we do” on the back and is made of polyester and vinyl, it's sturdy, and doesn't create the hassle of storing a bunch of bags in your kitchen pantry (or wherever you stuff them all). The bag was designed by Anya Hindmarch in collaboration with We Are What We Do, a group dedicated to change for the environment, communities and health. It's an interesting organization or "movement" as they call themselves. "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" can be found at the Anya Hindmarch site.

The "Paper Nor Plastic" bag can be found here at papernorplastic.com. They have a section on their website that sheds light on the impact we are having on the planet. I will quote directly:

"According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the United States in 1997 alone used 955,000 tons of paper bags. That means approximately 14.8 million trees had to be cut down.

+ According to the EPA, 11 barrels of oil are saved when one ton of plastic bags are reused or recycled. One ton is equivalent to approximately 132,000 plastic bags. And according to the ELC (Environmental Literacy Council), it is estimated that somewhere between 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed each year throughout the world. Can you imagine how many barrels of oil can be saved?

+ According to the San Francisco Department of the Environment, San Francisco shoppers consume about 50 million bags each year. An environmental study also shows that the city spends $8.5 million each year to dispose or remove bags from streets
and storm drains.

+ According to the EPA, ELC, The Ocean Conservancy and many other agencies, plastic bags pose a threat to marine life. Sea turtles and whales have mistaken plastic bags for natural prey like jellyfish and squid. Ingesting plastic bags can cause blockage to the digestive tract which leads to starvation. In 2002, a whale washed up the coast of Normandy had 800 grams of plastic elements, including plastic bags, in its stomach."

They are originally $15, but are on sale for $10, and buy three get one free. So if you want one, go get them while they are cheap!

Enough said. I remind myself all the time about everything in life: Baby steps. Baby steps.

I'm Back

I was on vacation for 4 marvelous days at a family reunion. We were nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina near Black Mountain, where I spent every August as a young child.

We came together for so many reasons, including my grandfather's 97th birthday, my cousin's baptism and an all around celebration of family. Goodness, we had grandfathers, fathers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, friends, uncles, aunts and nephews and we all stayed in one house except for two who had a small cabin to themselves. The house sat near Lake Logan (Camp Henry) up in the mountains with the occasional clouds nestled in between the ridges and on the lake. Oh so beautiful!

I will write soon, once I have caught up more.

A Letter About El Faro

Back in May, I blogged about a great group, Friends Of El Faro, an organization who work with orphaned kids in Tijuana. My dear cousin, Leslie, told me all about the cause and her immense participation in it. Thought I'd share this letter from her to me:

-----------

Hi Jo Jo,

I just got back from spending yesterday in Rosarito and Tijuana. We had a big excursion and took the kids to Fox Studios Baja (where they filmed Titanic) then headed back to El Faro to hang out. I thought you’d like to see a few pictures of some of us with the kids, just a representative sampling. You must feel like you’re getting to know us a little by now!



Cooper Fan Club – Stephen & Hannah are our FOEF (Friends Of El Faro) staff. They met through FOEF, and are now married. Cooper is their 8-month-old son. Here with some kids at EF.






Dat Dat – Stephen playing one of the hand-clap games with the kids.





Gena & Jenny – Gena is your big Product Body fan. She and Jenny here in the toddler room.

James – On the EF playground with one of the boys.

JJ Silly – Juliette in the toddler room.







None of me. I’m the photographer! Thank you so much for supporting our kids! Can’t wait to see you in July!

Love you! -Les

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Saipua - Soap And Flowers

Saipua is derived from the Finnish word for soap, and it's also a really cute store in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York where I lived about a block away a few years ago. A cute store, lovely products and beautiful flowers in my old neighborhood. You should go check out the shop online, or if you live in NYC, go stop in and see them.

They make handmade soaps wrapped in artistically designed handmade papers and create unique and stunning floral arrangements. Next time I visit, I will take a peek. I bet the place smells yummy!