A cancer-themed birthday party for an 11-year old a huge hit

In my family, we've had some great parties. Great surprises, personally meaningful, just-great-to-be-together good times. My niece, Isabella was born on my sister Marie's birthday, so the occasion of their birthday is especially cause for celebration.

A story about a singer, Alastair Moock, who writes songs to help his daughter cope with her illness caught Issi's attention and even though she's just 11 years old, she wanted to shave her head in support of his daughter Clio, and to raise money for cancer research. You know, it's important for parents to recognize and appreciate when their kids act selflessly, if only because it's such a rare and (honestly beautiful) thing! So, as a surprise for Issi's birthday, it was arranged for Alastair himself to come to her birthday party and perform for the many friends and families who came to celebrate the mother-daughter birthday. It was just an incredible time for everyone.

We enjoyed a personal, intimate concert right in the living room and Alastair opened with the song that he's well-known for, "when I get bald". He talks about standing tall, being proud, using his hair to make a nest for birds, reminiscing about the hair he once had, and painting a face on the back of his head and doing all kinds of funny things.

 

He commended Issi for being such a special girl for wanting to shave her head and raise money for cancer research, and commented, that it's pretty unusual for an 11-year old to have a cancer-themed birthday party! What followed were delightful and fun songs, getting the whole party to flap their arms like a chicken, sing along, and playing Clio's solo part on kazoos. Interspersed were songs that would be so helpful for a kid, a hilarious tune about being brave at the doctor's, and an empathetic piece about understanding feelings of jealousy, and an insightful "kids, take care of your grownups" about the flaws and struggles grownups have, to which Alistair commented, "I've never had the adults in the audience boo at those lyrics before, that's a first". lol, you just have to know my family. 

 

http://www.moock.com/bio.php

well loved children

I was so inspired at the market by a young man who was enthusiastic about my soaps but didn't have much to spend. He later came back with his bother and made two more visits to my table with both his brother and sister, smelling every product and evaluating which their mom would like best and what the scents reminded them of her. She retired and moved to the South Carolina with their dad..., she was a nurse and loved to garden (so the lavender would be good because she loved growing flowers, but then again the soap with the fall leaves will remind her of fall in new England; oh, hey, smell this one... on and on it went)... They spent so much time delighting about how pleased she would be with their gift, and they ended up putting together a small basket of 3 soaps, one chosen by each. I'd love to meet this woman who I don't know, but I do know this... she raised her children with love and in turn is very well loved and appreciated. And even if they're not her perfectly favorite products, she's really going to enjoy her soaps just knowing that her kids were thinking of her and wanted to make her happy. Wow, some customers really make a lasting impression.

 

The best skin care product I've found

I never expected to be struggling with acne as an adult and it was so disheartening to often have blemishes on my face, especially for those important times like when meeting new people. It wasn't such a surprise as a teenager, but well into my 30's was a big disappointment that even acne skin treatments failed to cure. And not only that, but my pimples really hurt, when they made their appearance, they we red and sore and really painful!

I remember when it came out that vitamin A was found to be helpful in resolving severe acne, and I'd never thought about even taking vitamins. The only time I had taken vitamins was when I was pregnant and nursing and I never thought of it as a necessity, but now I thought I might just try taking a daily and see what happened. I found out that what you put on your skin is not nearly as important as what you put IN your skin.

There wasn't any kind of dramatic change, but after a while, I remember looking into the mirror and noticing that it had really been a looooong time since I had a zit! I was so pleased, but occasionally I would neglect to take my vitamins and then sure enough the blemishes would start, so I was convinced that I was getting a definite benefit out of taking a daily vitamin - clear skin!

From time to time, it happens, I forget to take my vitamins or maybe I have run out and haven't picked up a new supply yet. Sure enough, when I feel a breakout starting, I get back on track with taking my dailys and it starts clearing up like magic. Now I'm interested in finding out what exactly would be the best vitamin or supplement to improve the dryness of my hair and I've heard that cod liver oil gives excellent results.

Want to know a great trick for remembering to take your dailys? I was terrible at remembering and my daughter said to me, "you pour water into the coffee maker every morning, so why don't you put the vitamin bottle on top of the coffee maker?". You know, that little suggestion works perfectly and I rarely forget anymore. Just put your vitamins on top of or in the way of something you do every morning and you can't avoid remembering.

One last note is I've also learned that we need to pay attention to what's in the vitamins we take. There have been studies that the fillers used in common vitamins may be harmful, and taking a small amount of a harmful substance on a daily basis over decades is really cause for concern. I prefer the whole food type of vitamins rather than the traditional type and look for companies that account for the ingredients they are using. It's a great trend that we care about what goes into our food and skin products and our daily vitamins should be a part of that, too.

What's in the soap that I'm making?

People are understandably concerned about what’s in the products they’re using, and that’s really nothing new. Years ago, I questioned why formaldehyde was in every shampoo on the market, and in Art school, I expressed concerns about the toxic discharge of raku kilns next to a hospital and students mixing chemicals such as arsenic for glass blowing.  Later in life I thought it unthinkable that the company was spraying my office with the now-banned Malathion while employees had left cups and dishes of candy on their desks, and I was told that it was perfectly safe; I was always made to feel like I was the only person ever concerned about these things. Still, I fought for the Children's Protection Act to stop unsafe spraying of pesticides in schools and on school fields without parent's knowing even though my daughter was nearly grown at the time.

You might say things have changed, but I rather think that there are far more like-minded people shaping the commercial production of the products we use. Thank you for your voices, even if it is only sounded by the choices you make in the products you buy!

I’d like to share some information about what goes into the soap I’m making.  I use three vegan friendly types of soap bases of the highest quality, my basic glycerin soap base, the extra clear soap base and the three-butter soap base and I also use a popular goat's milk base.

The basic glycerin base is detergent-free and contains no sodium lauryl sulfate, so it’s great for people who have sensitive skin or react to SLS or other detergents. The glycerin also leaves your skin feeling soft and has some protection from the dry air. The ingredients in this soap base are sodium cocoate (this is the fatty acid salts of coconut oil), proplylene glycol (a stabilizer, preserative and moisturizer; it’s an ingredient in food and supplements that’s non-irritating to the skin), sodium stearate (a type of surficant, an agent that makes it easier for water to remove dirt from your skin), glycerin (good for sensitive, easily irritated skin because it prevents skin dryness with its moisturizing properties), water, and sorbitol (sugar alcolol, used to keep the soap in a dry state).

One other base I use is the extra clear soap that I use more for the fun designs of my novelty soaps, such as the rainbow soaps. If you have sensitive skin, the basic glycerin soaps or the three-butter soap is probably a better choice for you. This soap base has all the same ingredients as my basic soap base, except that it also contains sodium laureth sulfate (a foaming agent and emulsifier that’s less irritating than sodium lauryl sulfate), sodium myristate (a fatty acid cleansing and emulsifying agent used in soaps and flavorings), sodium cocoyl isethionate (a sodium salt derived from coconut oil that helps water cling to the dirt and oil on your skin, allowing it to be washed away. Because of it’s mild nature, it’s often found in toothpastes and baby soap) and  triethanolamine (a pH balancer).

The most luxurious of my soaps is made with a three-butter blend soap base that contains shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter. It made with all the same quality ingredients as my basic soap base and also shea butter, cocoa  butter, mango butter and titanium dioxide (white coloring).  The shea butter is from Ghana, West Africa and is expeller pressed, not extracted with chemicals such as hexane. This allows the shea butter to retain its beneficial properties. Shea butter is said to be beneficial for many conditions, such as dry skin, eczema, blemishes, burns, and aging skin, and is a beautiful moisturizer for healthy and baby’s skin as well. Cocoa butter creates a barrier between sensitive skin and the environment, helping to retain moisture, and also is known to relieve symptoms of dermatitis and eczema. Mango butter is full of nourishing antioxidants, is used to treat skin rashes, reduce wrinkles and has a protective effect against UV radiation. Basically, you’ll probably  find that my three-butter soap is the nicest soap you’ve ever used!

Any of my soaps can be made with a variety of fragrances, or just using natural essential oils, or unscented. Most of the colors I use are mica, which is the highest-quality coloring used in eye shadow and other high priced cosmetics. I use other natural additives such as calendula petals, ground bamboo and mint leaves.

You can shop with confidence at www.SavonSalon.com Thanks for visiting!

The interesting story of Argan Oil

The recent popularity of Argan Oil would have you wondering whether Argan Oil is the new Shea Butter. The valued oil’s antioxidizing effects benefits the hair and skin, it’s rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids providing unbeatable softness and shine for your hair. The oil nourishes and moisturizes the skin and it’s said the anti-inflamitory effects can reduce and heal redness and scarring. It’s nutty flavor also makes an excellent dipping oil for bread. If you’re concerned about the safety of your cosmetic products, it’s nice to know when the product you’re using on your skin and hair is safe enough to eat!

The interesting thing about Argan Oil is how it was originally harvested and the economic and social impact it’s popularity has had on the region where it’s produced. It comes from the Argan tree which is native to Morocco in Northern Africa. Because the tree is specially adapted to grow in drought and harsh conditions, at one time it was found all over North Africa, but today, Argan oil is one of the rarest oils in the world because of its limited growing areas.

In ancient times, the oil was produced by collecting the pits of the Argan fruit from the waste of the goats that climbed the trees to eat the fruit. Contemporary production uses the pits of the fruit directly from the trees, but the cracking of the nuts to obtain the kernels is still a manual process, making the oil very expensive to produce.

The popularity of the oil has helped prevent the trees from being cut down and initiatives to plant new trees have been undertaken.  It’s had a beneficial environmental impact; the tree canopy provides shade for other agricultural products as well as the leaves and fruits providing food for animals. Socially, the production of Argan Oil supports millions of people living in the region, and much of it is produced by women’s cooperatives. This gives the women a source of income to support their families and to educate themselves and their children.

How many products are there that are so good for your body and support the environment and provide a social benefit, too?

Sea Glass Soap

After making this sea glass soap for a customer to use to make wedding favors, I started thinking about other ways to incorporate sea glass into my sea-inspired product line. I made sea-glass soap bars and they were very popular at a craft fair on Cape Cod this past weekend.

It's been many years since I was a student at Mass College of Art where I learned so much about glassmaking, and the idea of sea glass brought about a whole host of ideas as well as bringing back childhood memories. I loved glass from the time I was a teenager, and would had covered the inside of my bedroom window with bits of sea glass, pieces of stained glass, and nautical glass balls.

The idea of collecting sea glass is so nostalgic, add to that our attraction of the sea and it's no wonder so many couples have beach-themed weddings. Sea glass soaps are the perfect favor or welcome bag gift for those who share a love for the ocean.

What makes us feel so connected to the ocean?

On a beautiful summer day on the 4th of July, the people that are a part of the landscape at the beach are so diverse, yet it seemed like every person belonged there, as if coming to the beach was an integral part of their lives. Everyone there was so very different, and there for different reasons, yet everyone of them would feel they were missing out on something if they weren't there for the day.

 

I had come to the beach to go windsurfing and had been invited to a 4th of July cookout by someone I hadn't met, so I unpacked my car, rigged up and tried out my new board. There was no tension at all, kids in the water, people out in kayaks, swimmers, and no one intruding on anyone else's pure enjoyment of this perfect day. I was made to feel most welcome by a family that had brought a trailer full of fun, including grills and a feast of middle-eastern food, and kids in tow that were well loved and carefully looked after. Just a beautiful day!

 

For me, I had a wealth of troubles to leave behind when I went to the beach that day, but feeling the sand surround my feet kept me in the moment and by the time my body was surrounded by the warm water, I had nothing to fell except relaxed and refreshed. I think this is what we all have in common, the need to refresh and feel like we belong here, and to completely forget about what time it is until the sun starts to get low in the sky. I had taken my product along to take some pics for my website, and my new friends even loved my soap and I made a few sales and I collected seashells for my craft.

 

The day had its excitement with a rescue of a boy who had gotten too far downwind and wasn't able to get back to the beach in the light wind. His mother pointed him out to me and I quickly realized he was in serious trouble. I directed her to seek the help of the family that had invited me, and indeed, they were extremely skilled at the sport and were able to tow the boy to the shore before he was swept out to sea. The ocean gives as easily as it takes away. I'm certain, though that the experience didn't take away the boy's love of the ocean or the sport of windsurfing. I had a similar experience exactly on the 4th of July in South Boston, and yet, I was there to help on this day two years later.

 

~Jeynaba