Goji Berries

New to me, I'm trying out this new superfood I've been reading about. I was able to pick some up at Mother's Market for a decent price.


Brand: Ultimate Superfoods
Name: Goji Berries (Lycium Barbarum)
8 oz

They taste a little bitter with only a slight sweetness. I'd say it's taste is similar to something between a raisin and a cranberry. But after you pop a few, they're just like any other snack, you can't just have one. I won't bore you with all the benefits of the fruit, there are plenty of videos and websites lauding their goodness. Google results.

Making Pico de Gallo (Salsa) - HOT!

Best site to check for the best air fares

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

Soap Making 101 Part 1 of 3

Sweet Orange Soap w/Shea Butter & Mango Butter

on the curing rack

The latest soaps:

• Sweet Orange Soap w/ Shea Butter and Mango Butter
• Lemongrass w/ Bentonite Clay and Mango Butter

Dreamweaver CS4 and Expression Web 2

I've been working on my website for several weeks now and it's close to completion. I've been using Dreamweaver and Expression Web for web development. As much as I like Expression Web 2, it hangs and crashes on some embedded JavaScript that I need for the shopping cart.

There is a workaround to not use that particular JavaScript code but I would be compromising on some slick development that I feel should be implemented on the website. If my intentions were to only use HTML, than Microsoft's Expression Web 2 would be the winner hands down because of the intuitiveness of the interface and ease of publishing.

For now, I'm using both but I'm hoping that Expression Web 3 is the be-all-end-all of web development.

The Stress Relief Soap

Made a vegan soap with three essential oils: Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint. Gives a refreshing slight tingle on the skin.

I should have these available online shortly.

Tumblr

Created a new account on Tumblr:

http://maestrosoap.tumblr.com/

Not sure how good it is yet but doesn't hurt.

Handmade Soap Cutter

Posted a video on YouTube on my handmade soap cutter.

Tasty tea out there: Owl Teh Tarik

For those who like Thai Tea, this might be something you'll enjoy. It has a similar flavor yet different enough to be something special.

I've checked the ingredients already, probably not good to be soap.

Soap Tip #1

Always put your soap on a soap dish so it doesn't sit in direct water. Not only will your soap last longer but minimize any cracking. Cracking occurs when a soap is consistently in and out of water. Colgate-Palmolive Co. inventors submitted a patent on what ingredients helped minimize this phenomena. More info can be found under U.S. patent 5017302.

eBay and their increasing fees

Although ebay remains to be a good resource for selling, I can't help but believe that this may be their demise in the long run. Here's a somewhat old but good article on ebay fee hikes of 2008.

Liability Insurance

Bomba Insurance Agency - specializing in home based business liability insurance.

Soapmakers Guild

I'm considering membership with this organization. They appear to have their ducks in a row.
More info can be found here.

Wicked Watermelon

Made an exceptional watermelon scented soap! Perfect time for summer. Ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, fragrence with shea butter for a 5% superfatting.

mino HD

So I got this mino HD flip recently which I'll use to post my videos on YouTube. It's been pretty impressive because it's so easy to use and it takes some pretty good HD video.

As I get more soap made and make more vids, expect my YouTube channel to swell with good stuff.

My YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/MaestroSoap.

Setting up my new blog

So I'm setting up my various accounts on various sites to start selling my soap!