Up to the challenge

Our family just got back from a week long camping trip. It was a blast! There was lots to see and do and room for the kids to explore, not to mention plenty of junk food to eat (thank goodness all the walking around we did seemed to counter-act much of the after effects of the junk food).

We stayed at a summer camp facility that is mostly used for church groups during the warmer months. Since it is the 'off season' for the camp, but there is still a caretaker to pay and upkeep for the grounds, they let family groups rent it out to help cover the costs in the down time. (Like our 'team' flag? It was raised proudly on Day 5 after winning the most over all points in the previous day's events. Yay Team Incredibles!)

Since it was an established facility, it also had established rules that we did our best to obey. Things like litter control, fire regulations, and very careful use of the commercial gas stove in the kitchen were all no-brainers. But then I was told there was 'no bar soap allowed'...huh?? I can only guess as to why, since there were no real explanations given. Being the respectful rule-abiding person I (generally) am, I left my bar soap at home (*tear*) and my family was faced with a week of cold mountain water with liquid store soap.

We got through Day 1 and Day 2 relatively unaffected, but as Day 3 hit, we were all becoming painfully aware of how many times a day we washed our hands. Each time I even looked at the sink, my hands felt the sting. My children started to complain about the 'itchies' they felt, and cringed with each washing. By the end of Day 3, everyone's hands were chapped, cracked, and in general unhappy-looking.

Fortunately, I had brought along an array of lotion, shea, and lip balm and it was all put to the challenge of counter-acting the store soap and cold weather combo. The results surprised me....

While the whipped shea and lotion provided some instant relief and seemed to keep the chapping from spreading any more, I discovered a wonderful surprise in my lip balm. While I should have realized it before, lip balm isn't just for lips! :) I started using it on every chapped spot I could find and the oil/ butter/ wax combo proved perfect for combatting the weather and store soap while providing relief for the already raw areas. I noticed that using it regularly throughout the day and after every handwashing really improved my stinging, itchy hands. I rubbed it anywhere that started to look even the slightest bit pink: my kids' cheeks, my lips and even a couple sore spots on my legs that popped up after a mid-week store-soap shower and under my nose.

So, there you have it, you cold-weather-soft-water-sensitive-skinned folk: If you're looking for a good 'seal and heal' treatment, try treating your chappies with a swipe of Tvala Shea Lip Therapy. It certainly made a difference for me and my family this last week! (oh, and in all possible cases, avoid the liquid store soap!)

Fun with colors, and the lack of

I've been making soap like crazy this week, gearing up for the April markets, and it's been fun. I did some re-stocking of my most popular soaps (so as to be sure there would be plenty Oatmeal, Milk and Honey, Cold Hard Steel, M-81 and Aphrodite on hand!), as well as a new addition, just for these markets.

I love the way the colors on my M-81 came out (swirls are hard to duplicate, no matter how carefully you follow your technique, and sometimes the results are better then you hoped for!). I also love the color combo of this new Prickly Pear bar. I was really hoping for a good cactus green and prickly pear fruit pink, and I think it's pretty darn close! The fragrance is quite unique; very herbal, like a fresh-cut stem with a little lightened floral note. Reminds me of a high-end spa or the like. I only made a limited number, and I'm sure I'll come back from those April markets empty handed on that one!

I also did a restock of my Tea Tree bar. After playing with colors all week, it was pleasantly refreshing to make a plain batch. The color is completely natural, with the creaminess coming from the added goat milk. The simplicity of the plain white soap is just as beautiful to me as the intricate swirling patterns (although honestly not as fun to make). :)

Have fun getting your hands on these soaps (or these soaps on your hands, as the case may be!).

Upcoming Markets

Anyone going to be in our area in April? Tvala will have a booth at 2 upcoming markets next month. Come see us at the Spring Family Celebration at Desert Mountain Park (located at Hawes and Ocotillo) on April 4th from 10-2. There will be tons of vendors, kids activities, and great music and food!

Next, we will be at the Queen Creek Farmer's Market on April 18th, from 8-12 at the town library. Again, there was a great turn out for the last market, with over 3000 attendees, 40 or so vendors, and of course great music and yummy food. :)

For both these markets, I will be offering our usual 5/$20 sale on soap bars, and I'll have a selection of lotion and lip balms as well. I'd love to meet you and I'm sure it will be a blast!

Green Sale

In honor of the Irish side of my heritage (and in an effort to help everyone save a little green) I'm marking down my green-colored products until St. Patrick's Day. Enjoy 25% off Cucumber Melon shea butter soap, top seller M-81 Woodland men's shower bar and Shea Skin Therapy Cream in Refresh.