Have you heard about the Co-Ed Bathroom/ Shower room/ Locker room law coming into effect for schools in the state of California on January 1st? Please listen and share!

From Focus on the Family and Privacy for all Students:

http://ow.ly/qiUFq

http://privacyforallstudents.com/

EVERYONE needs to hear this before it's too late!

This is SO worth listening to!

Inspiration and Encouragement from Patsy Clairmont:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HpRO8g9Qds

Hot off the Needles!

Holiday scarves, feminine and frilly. Approximately 60 to 70 inches long, made with a wool/ acrylic blend Italian yarn. Soft and warm, hand wash, lay flat to dry.

  $30.00

What's in YOUR cosmetics???

We love natural beauty!

If you are concerned about what is in your cosmetics there is some good reading over at the Wash Stand. We have posted links to some informative sites and to Skin Deep, EWG's cosmetics information site, and a video which has some interesting facts.

We have also posted a few simple recipes for those of you who like to make your own products. We make a number of our own creams, etc., for our personal use, and have saved hundreds of dollars over the commercial cost, PLUS we know exactly what we are putting on our bodies.

For more information go to:  www.washstand.blogspot.com.

My Beautiful Mother, 1914 - 2003

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden.

– Attributed to Claudia Ghandi

Watch and be inspired!

Super Quick and Easy Stove top Granola

We like granola, and almost every day we enjoy a healthy serving of juicy red grapefruit topped with a scoop of plain yogurt, a handful of granola, and a sprinkling of nuts for breakfast. Mmm mmm!

This morning, with my mind set on our usual breakfast parfait, and realizing we had finished off the granola and I hadn't had time to make any more, I suddenly had a brainwave! I decided to try toasting the oats in our cast iron pan on the stove to make a kind of instant granola so at least the oats would be a bit crispy rather than raw.

I'm pleased to say it turned out great! So I thought I'd share it with you in case you too have a day when you are pressed for time but have a hankering for homemade granola. I didn't measure anything so I'll try to estimate amounts but remember that granola is whatever you want it to be, and the variations are endless, so be creative and just use what seems good to you.
Ingredients:
oats (I use old fashioned)
oil, any healthy cooking oil (coconut would be wonderful)
maple syrup
coconut
dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, prunes, dates, etc)
nuts

I warmed the pan up first on medium heat then added about a cup of oats and stirred them all around. Next I drizzled about 2 Tbsp. of oil over the oats, stirred some more, and then turned the heat down quite low. Still stirring, I sprinkled about 2 Tbsp of maple syrup over it and continued. I didn't want it to burn so I stirred it almost continuously until the oats began to turn golden and start to crisp up. At this point I added coconut, again about 2 Tbsp, and continued stirring. The coconut browned up quickly so I didn't leave it on the heat for long because I like coconut with just a little golden colour. I quickly removed the pan from the heat and added the rest - raisins, cranberries, pecan pieces, and chopped dates. I forgot the sunflower seeds so next time I'll add those as well. When the mixture cools down it will be nice and crispy.

The whole procedure took only about 15 minutes plus a few more to cool down so we were munching on our 'nola parfaits in less that 25 minutes, and we still have some left for tomorrow.  The bonus is it didn't require heating up the whole oven and waiting for 45 minutes to an hour for it to bake so we managed to save some energy as well.

Fresh bread made easy

In Memory of Mum (press here to listen)

Amazing Grace was my mother's favourite song, and with her Scottish decent, and fondness of bagpipes, she would have especially loved this rendition. Her birthday is December 16th, and this year she would have been 96 years old.

We miss you mum xxxooo

Gourmet Hot Chocolate Mix

Those of you who have already had your tastebuds tickled with these delightful hot chocolate blends and gourmet snacks from Fates Creation will agree that they are simply the best! If you are looking for a unique Christmas gift for someone special, or a tasty hostess gift, or an 'out of the ordinary' beverage for your special gathering head on over to their brand new website. It is still under construction but you can email them for information and pictures. Be sure to have some on hand for the holidays!
http://www.fatescreation.ca/

We are OPEN!

After 16 years of making soap, and dreaming of some day owning a soap store, we have finally done it. Except that the product we are selling is not our handmade soap, and we do not have a store front. Instead, we have an online store and we are selling everything necessary for making soap!

February was our opening, and we've been on a learning curve ever since with getting a handle on everything from ordering stock and importing goods to shipping and website maintenance. We are enjoying it, and have met many lovely people from all walks of life, each handcrafting their own unique and beautiful soap and body products. We have been pleasantly surprized to find there are many more crafters out there than we had initially thought, and no matter where we go we can find chemical free, natural products.

The website has extensive soap making instructions as well as recipes for a variety of body products so if you want to try making your own natural products at home be sure to check it out!
http://www.islandartisansupply.ca/

Recycled Soap Bound for Africa

Recent research led me to an interesting article about recycling hotel soap bars for use in Uganda. The opening statements stopped me in my tracks. 
Follow the link;;
 http://www.allbusiness.com/society-social-assistance-lifestyle/philanthropy-charities/13202337-1.html

Soap!

Happy December!
It's always such a wonderful time of the year, and with the craft fairs to visit each weekend there is no shortage of aromas in the air. Soapmakers abound and the variety of bars is endless!
We visited 3 small fairs on the weekend and found 5 soapmakers and a vast array of beautiful products. I am very picky about the products we use, especially since I learned that 85% of everything we put on our skin is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. One lady from Union Bay, BC, sold me the best all natural handcream ever. It's amazing and my hands are loving it! I found one of my favourite soap scents, Raspberry, from Michelle in Royston, and a new one for me, Citrus Mint from Finlay Creek Farm, Courtenay.
The house is filled with the fragrance of handmade soap, what a treat and a lovely way to kick off December!

'Grand' band

Manny and Miranda keeping the beat with Katie on a sunny, fun Saturday morning.