Christmas Wreath Soap

I'm not very innovative with my soap naming so this soap is Christmas Wreath. I think that is ok, though, because the names are pretty self-explanatory, which makes for easy shopping, especially online.



This soap smells just like a fresh wreath you would hang on your door for the holiday! Yes, those lovely greens that brighten up the whole house and bring in crispness and freshness.

I know that I love those holiday greenery scented candles, so I thought a soap would be just as delightful.

And, it will make your bathroom smells so nice and seasonal!



Don't fear the glitter! It's really just on the tops of the bars! But, hey, doesn't everyone need a little sparkle once in a while!?!?



Get ready for more holiday soap scents! It's that time of year!!

Recap

Sorry I was MIA over the long holiday! I struggled with a really bad cold/sinus infection for most of the holiday, which put me out of commission for most of the time, but we did get to enjoy some lights here and there with family and friends!













And, for New Year's Eve we had a great dinner at PF Chang's together where we got our fortunes! Pretty good ones too!

A Cheerful Holiday Giveaway!

Hello to you friends! Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I'd like to introduce you to Melissa of Bay Candle Company by Sweet Melissa's Fragrance Factory!

Melissa contacted me a short while ago thanks to our mutual friend, Jennifer Warthan, of Warthan Farms Photography, and we chatted about ourselves, our businesses, and our plans. From our first conversation I could immediately tell how passionate and dedicated she was to her business and her family. Bay Candle Company by Sweet Melissa's Fragrance Factory produces high quality, clean burning soy candles that you will adore. And, who doesn't love candles!?!?

To quote her website: "We are America's sweetest scented candle brand, and our high quality soy candles and unique designs are popular on the East Coast!  We are humbled and grateful by the sweet comments and support we have received since unveiling our first collection to the market in 2013.

Our Signature Collection candles boast two-toned soy wax; multiple sweet, aromatic fragrances, and our two-wick system for a clean, efficient, and beautiful burn."

Melissa's candles smell delightful and many who smell them say they bring to mind wonderful experiences in their lives. You can find Bay Candle Company Candles in 9 retail locations in Virginia and North Carolina. Her candles are also available in her online store. I'd like to invite you to visit her blog to read about the very latest with Melissa and her lovely candles. More importantly, I encourage you to read her personal story about how her logo was chosen. It brought tears to my eyes!

When you read her website you feel like you know her and her lovely family! She is dedicated to providing the very best customer service, which is our ultimate goal at The Daily Scrub as well. So, when Melissa asked me to partner with her for a holiday giveaway it was an easy 'yes.' What a honor to partner with another local businesswoman with such a fine product.

We are excited to offer one lucky fan of The Daily Scrub and Bay Candle Co. one of Bay Candle's beautiful Classic Christmas candles from their Celebration Collection and a package of our wonderful Holiday Cheer Soaps (2 soaps)! What a great way to kick off the holiday season!

To enter simply visit both The Daily Scrub and Bay Candle Co. on Facebook (click on the name links) and 'Like' both pages. Comment on one of the giveaway posts, either here or on Melissa's blog telling us what you love best about the holidays!

We'll choose a random fan on Tuesday, November 12th! For extra entries, please share our giveaway post and let us know that you did so!

If you just can't wait for our giveaway to end and would like to order any of Bay Candle Co.'s gorgeous candles or our soaps, please visit our stores here and here.

Candles and handmade artisan soaps make wonderful holiday gifts!

From Bay Candle Co. and The Daily Scrub, we thank you for your support of our local businesses!

Have a happy holiday season! 

~The Daily Scrub & Bay Candle Co.

(Rachel & Melissa)

And, the winner of our Cheerful Giveaway is…

Stephanie VanWagner! 

Stephanie writes, “I love the cooler weather here in Houston, and more than that, spending time with my family and friends.”  Thank you Stephanie for sharing what you love best about the holidays!  We are excited to send you two of The Daily Scrub’s Holiday Cheer soaps and one of Bay Candle Co.'s Classic Christmas candles!  We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season, and we thank you so much for your support!  Please message us with your address.

Congratulations Stephanie, and may your holidays be merry and bright!

Friends, all of The Daily Scrub’s beautiful soaps are available online at http://www.dailyscrubsoap.com.  All of our candles are available in one of our 9 retail locations as well as our online store at http://www.BayCandleCo.com.  Remember to stop and enjoy the little things in life friends!  Do something sweet for yourself today.  Take care, and happy holidays!

Get your cheer on!

I know it's not even Halloween and we're making holiday soap! But, it really is that time of year! And, time to be thinking about holiday presents and craft shows!



As you know it takes 3 to 4 weeks for each batch of soap to cure! So, we have to do a lot of planning in order to be able to have soap ready for the holidays!

But...who doesn't love some warm vanilla and cinnamon? Are you cozy yet?

The holidays are happy times! Time to be with family and friends! Time to be thankful! Time to eat good food too!



This bar says "holiday" to me! With the warm brown and red with some light green! And, of course, GLITTER!!!! Makes me want to set up my Christmas tree right now!

And, don't forget that we're going to be at the Petersburg Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon!!

Holiday recap #2!

Our new tradition is to rent a tandem bike and ride around Anna Maria Island one day of our trip!



After we picked up our bike we grabbed a bite to eat at the Anna Maria General Store with my parents!



It's a cute little place with lots of goodies!





We have soooooo much fun riding around and stopping in the shops! It's just so much fun to be together! All of the bikes have a parrot horn!



I bought a turtle for my bike! I can't wait to use it on the trail!

After a quick bite we headed to our favorite spot (notice my concentration)...the point!



The point was gorgeous! It's where the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay meet!





Immediately we started shelling!



Dynamo is such a good sport helping me to hunt for shells! Like I need more huh?

We found lots of sand dollars! Little ones!



It was like we were meant to find them! My most favorite shell of all and we must have found almost 20 of them. They were all officially dead (white) so don't worry!

We walked and walked and found some cool sand sculptures like this turtle...



And, an alligator!



People are very creative!



Another self portrait!



On our way back to the bikes we noticed a Great Blue Heron! He was very interested in being photographed!



And, off on our bikes for more adventures... (Dynamo took these pics while driving the bike)





We ended our day at the waterfront near the pier!





Back at Beach Bums we waited for our ride...



We had a comfortable seat while we waited!



Notice we were hitchhiking!

Be merry!

We wish you and your families a very joyous holiday! I'm taking a mini blogging vacation until the first of the year! Enjoy being with your loved ones and count your many blessings one by one!

Easy to make rag ribbon wreaths

So, my mom surprised me with this beautiful rag ribbon wreath!



She had seen some online for sale, but just knew she could make it herself. So, she did! And, it turned out lovely.

It gave me an idea to make a couple as thank you gifts for my volunteers that recently helped me with the Fair. So, here are some of my creations...



I had some ribbon stockpiled along with some tule, so I went to town!



All you have to do is get a grapevine wreath or a foam wreath form and some coordinating ribbon.



Simply cut strips of ribbon and start tying knots side by side around the form. Keep the knots tight together. This will help the wreath to be full and poofy!



Stagger the knots so that the ribbon sticks out at different angles to give it fullness and personality! I think it's easier to see on this fall wreath I made...



It's so simple!!



Ribbon is not cheap, but if you catch the seasonal ribbon on sale or get lucky and find some at a thrift store, you're good to go! I also attached some spiders and other embellishments to make it spookier! Just use some fishing line hold them in place!



My mom is so crafty and clever! What an inspiration to me for this project! And, I just love Halloween, so it was extra fun! Email me if you have questions!

the finale to a great holiday

When we got home we had to get back in gear! That meant biking! So, last Thursday we brought out the bikes for a spin at Poco.



The weather was chilly, but bearable. I was feeling good. I had one of my best rides ever on the Lakeview Trails. I was so proud of myself. We moved so quick I didn't really get many pictures.

I really utilized my downhills properly and didn't lollygag on the flats. I pushed myself and let my "trainer" - yes, that's Dynamo - push me a little harder than usual.

It felt good. Real. Good.



Last Friday we got to see our adopted nieces for our Christmas visit! They are always such a treat! I finished their annual memory books (again, I didn't get pictures). Each year I put together for each of them a scrapbook of our time together over the year. So, every visit with them I take pictures and then put them in a book so they can look back and remember their time with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Jeff!



And, there was no better way to ring in the New Year than to ride! So, we pulled out our riding shorts (and Dynamo's snowman socks) to go enjoy the 60 degree day at the Park. We rolled pretty quickly (for me at least) at a 9.8 mph average for 20 miles! I stayed consistent, which was a goal of mine.



After I was done I asked myself, "Where has this Rachel been?" Clearly, this Rachel has been taking Sunday strolls! So, I'm making it my new goal for 2012 to push myself harder and harder each time I ride. I have to get faster and better. I.will.get.there.