Contest!

As announced in the April Newsletter, instead of a monthly contest this time, I will be doing weekly trivia contests all month long! Each week's question will be posted on Facebook on Mondays, and the answer can be found either on my LillaSyster's website, or here on the blog. To enter just send the correct answer to my email by Thursday of each week. The winner will be announced on Fridays! 

This week's question in case you are not on FB is "What does LillaSyster mean"? Remember, don't answer here, send it to the email listed above!

Good luck!

The "Backstage" Tour!

Today we are going on a "backstage" tour of my studio! Many of you have seen what the store-front part of it looks like, but only a few have actually gone behind the scenes to see where the magic is made.

I am very pleased with my workspace, as I started in my home kitchen. When it was time for meals, I had to pack everything away and unpack again the next time I wanted to make soap. And by packing away I mean putting it all in boxes wherever I could find space. My guest room was overflowing as were several other areas in the house.

In Jan of 2012 I was able to move into a small space downtown. The water and sinks were down the hall which meant I had to take home all of my dishes to wash every day. I also had no space for a store front, but it was heaven for awhile because I was able to get my house back from the soap monster.

In August of 2012 I moved into my current place. I now have a small sink and plenty of room to display my products!

This is my main work area. It may seem small, but again, it's so much better than trying to clear away in time for dinner, as I did in my home kitchen. Here, when I am done for the day, I can just lock up and go home. And I have a tiny kitchenette where I can wash dishes! Woo!

Here you see my curing racks. At the time the photo was taken, I had nothing curing, but now the racks are filled with soaps including some of those I have been showing on facebook lately. The tall green organizer is filled with my fragrance and essential oils.

This is my office/wrapping center. The rack on the far right holds all of my extra stock which is not out in the store front.

Hope you have enjoyed this little tour. I took these photos about a month ago, and now my layout is about to change again. My partner (Heather the massage therapist) with whom I have shared space since August, is closing her business. I will miss her, but it will also open up more space for me. Hopefully once I get everything organized again I can do another post to show you my new layout. I am planning to use her room as a curing/product room and therefore be able to expand my actual work space, which is badly needed!

Beta Testers Needed!

I've had a "to do" list of products to make ever since I began LillaSyster Soap Co. I want to offer only the highest quality products, so each new product must go through intensive testing to ensure that it's good enough for, you, my customers. Therefore I recruit beta testers to help me with this. 

What is a Beta Tester?

From my very first soap, I've had beta testers. These are eople who are willing to try my products for free in exchange for honest feedback. At first these were members of my own family, but as my business grew I involved my cutomers.

What will I be testing?

When a new product is ready to be tested I will send out a detailed email describing the product and scent. It could be sugar scrub, lotion, a new soap scent, etc. If after reading about the product you decide you want to test it, you will simply follow the instructions that will be included on what to do next to become a tester. If you don't want to participate in that round of testing you do nothing.

What if I don't like or use that particular product?

If the product is a lavender scrub and you can't stand the smell of lavender, then you would obviously want to pass on that particular test group. But if you happen to sign up for a product that you thought you would like but don't, you would still offer feedback letting me know what you did and didn't like about that particular product.

How often will I receive these emails?

Unlike our regular newsletter which is monthly, the emails for beta testers will be need based. You may receive a couple a month, or none for several months, depending on the need for testing. As always, your email is safe with me. I will never use it for any purpose except for what you explicitly agree to. You may unsubscribe at any time. 

Requirements for being a beta tester:

1. You must be willing to come to the studio within a set amount of time to pick up your product. If you live out of town, please don't hesitate to sign up, as often times I will choose out of town testers as well, especially when I want to see how well a product does in shipping. In that case I will pay for shipping of the product to you. 

2. You must be willing to offer timely, detailed feedback after using the product.
By signing up you are expressing your interest in become a beta tester. You will receive an email when beta testers are needed.

To sign up go here and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page..

Do Not Eat!!

I've always laughed at the silly warnings that come with some products, such as the hairdryer one "do not use in the shower" or for window cleaner, "do not spray in eyes." Ha! But I really think on this next product I need to attach a warning, "Do Not Eat!"

Seriously, I had to keep myself from licking my fingers while making it. What is it and if you can't eat it, what DO you do with it? It's a bath cupcake and is in the super early stages of testing, which  means I haven't even tried a finished one myself yet. The bottom part is a bath fizzy and the top is a bath melt. You put the whole thing in your running bath water at once, just like you do with a bath fizzy and lay back and enjoy the wonderful smell and silky feel of your bath water. Mmmmm!

I will keep you all updated on the testing process and of course let you know if and when they are ready to sell.

The Newsletter is Live!

The Newsletter is live! Woo! Or maybe after my last post I should lumber by with a creepy look on my face screeching, "It's Aliiive!"

If you haven't subscribed, what are you waiting for?  Is this teaser enough to convince you?

The Mad Scientist

I'm like a mad scientist in the soap lab today. My hair is sticking up everywhere, my body is jerking in odd directions and my hands are stained red. Am I creating a monster? No, just Valentine's soaps and sugar scrub! Oh and the jerky part is just me dancing to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Want to see pics? (Of the soaps, not me dancing.) You'll have to wait until the newsletter comes out in a few days. Be sure and subscribe here. For now, here is a teaser.

What is this? Hint; It's NOT sugar scrub!

My Favorite Things and a Contest!

I am often asked by customers what my favorites are among my own products. So today I thought I would share that answer with you.

First let me just say that I use every single one of my own products. I start my day in the shower with soap. If I shave that day, I use sugar scrub before shaving for exfoliation and then soap on my legs instead of shaving cream. Upon stepping out of the shower I moisturize my skin with body butter and then spritz on body spray.  On special days, when I relax in the bath tub, I will use a bath fizzy.  I also usually have a lip balm or 10 within reach, wherever I go. :)

I can't pick just one of my favorite products so I will share with you three of my current obsessions:

Margaritaville Soap - If I ever stopped soap-making as a business I would still have to make this for my own personal consumption. I love the smell and I don't ever want to go back to commercial soap.

Cotton Candy Body Butter - So very yummy and moisturizing. Could not live without this!

Peppermint Lip Balm - I love the cooling feel of this lip balm and I find myself licking it off my lips!

Now for the contest!

Win your favorite product! Reply to this post/or facebook telling me what your favorite LillaSyster Soap Co. product is, including scent or flavor, and why you love this item. If you have never tried any of my products, let me know which products interest you the most, and why. In a few days I will draw a random name and that person will win their favorite product!

My Storefront

You know those times when you start a blog and then write a satisfying first entry and months go by...

*crickets*

Yeah, me either.

Okay, guilty as charged. Many things have happened since I originally wrote that last entry but the big news is I now have a store front. WOO!!

I opened in September of last year. The location isn't all that great as there aren't any walk in customers. Those who come in already know about me. But it's a start! And it's awesome to have everything out of my house.

I'm open on Saturdays only right now until traffic does pick up, but am up there many days of the week working on products, so if you can't make it on the weekend, give me a call (check my facebook page for contact info) to see if I am there. Hope to see you soon!