Lucy Kat is Going Non-Toxic!

Did you know that Europe bans 1,371 toxic chemicals from their personal care products and that the U.S. only bans 11?

About two years ago, I became interested in making things from scratch. I started with food and gradually I began to make my own cleaners using natural ingredients. My newly potty-trained daughter had developed a rash on the back of her legs and buttocks, and I suspected that the commercial cleaner that I was using to clean the toilet seat was the culprit. My suspicions were confirmed right away when my cleaning solution of water, borax, washing soda and essential oils (adapted from Wellness Mama’s recipe) put a stop to her red and painful rash! This victory and my growing interest in using ingredients from nature to create things that I use every day quickly moved me to make my own bath and body products. I began making my own bar soap, bath bombs and bath melts and now sell them through my own business, Lucy Kat Soaps. 

Fast forward two years...

I have been up and down on the “natural” train. Like a growing number of people, I am becoming increasingly wary of the myriad synthetic ingredients found in our food, skin care, and household products. But it's kind of a pain in the butt! (Am I right??) Credible and unbiased information is hard to come by, and deciphering those ridiculously long ingredient lists on the back of shampoo bottles – especially when you have two whiny toddlers in the shopping cart – is nothing short of excruciating.

Enter Ava Anderson Non-Toxic. 

I am grateful for this company for so many reasons, but the primary reason is their passion for presenting credible health information about some of the worst offenders in our products in a clear way. It is a company with a clear mission and a leadership determined to increase awareness about the poisons going into our everyday products, and create healthy, toxin-free alternatives that nourish your body.

“We do not share this message about toxic chemicals to sell products, we created the products to share this message.” Ava Anderson

My friend invited me to an Ava Anderson party that she was hosting because she knew that I shared her interest in safe ingredients. I accepted, thinking I might purchase a couple of items and pick up a few natural tips and ideas for some of my Lucy Kat products. Instead, I was so inspired by the mission of Ava Anderson Non-Toxic that I decided to sell the products alongside Lucy Kat! 

Knowledge = Power! 

If you are interested in learning more about Ava’s mission or products, please email me. We are always looking for health-minded individuals who are passionate about spreading this important message!

Handcrafted & Hand-Milled - A Lovely Combination

I am very proud to share my latest creations! 

Handmilled Vanilla & Honey Soap

Made using my signature recipe of skin-loving oils and butters, this lightly-scented soap is given an extra boost of love with a generous amount of cocoa butter and local honey. A gentle line of mica takes this soap from luxurious to almost needlessly fancy. Almost.

Essentially Yours - Hand-Milled with Love

This beautiful soap is completely natural from start to finish. Made using my signature recipe, I infused my olive oil with alkanet root to give it its gorgeous violet color. I wanted to create a floral fragrance using essential oils, so I added a combination of lavender, geranium, and orange. The result is floral and heady - a perfect welcome to the gorgeous colors and fragrances that fill our senses this time of year. 

What is hand-milled soap? 

Hand-milled soap is soap that has been made once, shredded down and gently heated, enhanced with additional skin-loving oils and butters, and allowed to cure. The result is a soap that is every bit as luxurious as my signature soap - often moreso! 

(Because of the additional time and ingredients used to craft the soap, hand-milled soap is typically a little more expensive.)

Psst! This is what you should get your Valentine...

I have a confession to make. Although I love my husband more than my luggage, I hate buying for him. For such a laid-back guy, he can be really particular when it comes to the things I get for him. So for this reason, I usually take advantage of the long-standing (albeit old-fashioned) tradition of not buying him a gift on Valentine's Day. 'Tis better to receive than to give. That's been my motto.

This year, I am partnering with local macaron aficionado Corrie Ruppel of Something Yummy to create a couple of great gift options to satisfy all the senses - even the persnickety ones. It takes a skilled baker to master the art of "macaronage" (this is a real thing, I promise). If I had to decide what my last meal would consist of, it would probably be a glass of wine and a sleeve Corrie's macarons.

To order: Follow the link for the item you want that is listed in the description below, or click here to go to Lucy Kat's online store. If you are having trouble finding the right item, make sure to click the link for "View All Items", then select "Gift Box Sets."  Be sure to look at the other items for sale as well - you can order many of the items a la carte, including the Signature Macarons by Something Yummy.

Large Valentine's Day Basket - $55
(Order by February 1 and receive a free gift from Lucy Kat!)

When you purchase our large basket, you will receive 8 Signature Macarons by Something Yummy, 4 luxury Bath Melts plus one extra-large Bath Bomb by yours truly. On top of all that, you will also get a bottle of something special (wink). You will let us know upon ordering if you prefer a bottle of red or bubbly. (If you are not at least 21, please choose our Non-Alcoholic Bubbly or No Beverage option at check-out.)

Large Valentine's Day gift basket comes with a bottle of wine or sparkling beverage, 4 luxury Bath Melts (two Natural Lavender and two Salted Caramel), 1 extra large bath bomb scented with sensual Sandalwood, and 8 Signature Macarons (flavors are: Strawberry/Champagne, Earl Grey & Lavender filled with a local honey buttercream, Lemon, and Chocolate Caramel & Sea Salt).  Packaging may vary.

Valentine's Day Gift Box - $25
(Order yours by February 1 and receive a free gift from Lucy Kat!)

Indulge someone special with our Valentine's Day Gift Box! Each box comes with four Signature Macarons and two Bath Melt Bon Bons (each Bon Bon is the equivalent of two bath melts - yes please!!). These boxes are also great options for your mom, favorite teacher, co-worker or best friend.

Our Valentine's Day Gift Box comes with four Signature Macarons (flavors: Strawberries & Champagne, Chocolate Caramel & Sea Salt, Lemon, and Earl Grey/Lavender with local honey buttercream) by Something Yummy and two large Bath Melt Bon Bons (Natural Lavender and Strawberries & Champagne) by Lucy Kat Soaps. Packaging may vary.

Pick up will be on Friday February 13 from 5:00-7:00pm and Saturday February 14 from 10:00am-1:00pm in Round Rock. 

Don't forget to order by February 1 for your free gift from Lucy Kat!  Go forth and spread the love!

Why Soap? Because sleep.

People have asked me why/how I started making soap and other bath & body products. This is a totally legitimate question because 1) soap making isn't mainstream, although it is gaining in popularity, and 2) my background is in social work and public policy; not soap, not business.

The truth is complicated, so I often say that I got the idea from watching the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black. (The main character, Piper, has a soap making business with her bestie but has to put it on hold to serve time in prison for crimes committed in her youth.)

Soap making was not a predictable path for grown-up Kelly. In hindsight, I should have started making my own bath and body products as a teenager. I would use all the different bath products available to me, even if I didn't know what they were for; oils, bubble bath, splashes, salts, fizzies, loofas, pumice stones, back scrubbers - all in one bath. I cared not for protests of "excess" or "you'll scrub yourself raw" or "you stink - go wash all that stuff off."

It didn't occur to me to create my own products - my brain didn't work that way. I was a consumer and not very creative, at least not as defined by my ability to draw anything beyond stick figures. Also, take a look at the ingredient lists on bath bars and other products that you buy from large retailers...

I'm not picking on Dove - this was our preferred bar before I started making soap for my family. But that is an intimidating list of ingredients for someone who is not a chemist and is considering developing a craft, and I hadn't yet been enlightened about the difference between real soap versus "bath bars" or "beauty bars," which I now know are actually detergents, NOT soap. (Haughty sniff).

But I digress.

Flash forward 20 years and I have two diplomas of higher education and two beautiful and demanding children, ages five and two. I had always looked forward to devoting myself entirely to my family: breastfeeding, meal plans, daily walks, scheduled and supervised screen time, weekly mommy & me yoga classes, strictly-adhered to schedules for housekeeping (change sheets on Monday, clean bathrooms on Tuesday and so on). I had no idea how I would be affected by total and uncompromising submersion into domestic life, sleep deprivation, post postpartum hormones, and frankly no experience with meal planning and home economics. I am no stranger to depression, but the stakes seemed higher somehow knowing that I had two little mini-me's to look after and inspire.

But I was inspiring nobody, least of all myself. I played with hospital volunteerism, considered returning to work part time, thought about going into business with a friend. Nothing stuck.

And then I received the best gift I could have ever hoped for. My husband actually took me off the clock at night so I could finally sleep. At this point, my daughter was three and my son was eight months. Blessedly, the baby's nighttime needs were very little at this time; but my daughter still woke up multiple times at night.

Side note about sleep deprivation in new parents: It is debilitating and it can seem to last an eternity when you have not yet made it through to the other side at least once with a previous child. That is to say, had my daughter become a solid sleeper before my son was born, I may have had a different perspective on sleep by this time. One more along the lines with, "Treasure these nighttime cuddles...before you know it, she won't need you anymore." Also:

“Understanding that one can end a [sleep] study, and being certain of the temporal parameters of potential sleep deprivation, imbues the experience of sleep loss with a level of controllability that new parents seldom have. That is, (most) new parents realize they cannot opt out of the sleep disruption experience, and they have no certainty about when they may have an opportunity for sufficient sleep. The stress  literature has suggested that such uncontrollability could amplify the mood and physiological consequences of sleep deprivation.” (The Science of Parenting blog. http://scienceofmom.com/2013/05/14/sleep-deprivation-the-dark-side-of-parenting/)

The transformation was almost immediate and it.was.powerful.  I became more organized, more productive, more cheerful. I also became inspired.

And that's how it started.

1. First, I started sleeping. 
2. Second, I began searching for inspiration - something I could do for myself . 
3. Third, I had my "Aha!" moment while watching guilty-pleasure Netflix drama. 
4. Fourth, I got in touch with Lisa Chouinard of Feto Soap through an online ad for soap making classes and ended up as an apprentice. She taught me the basics about the art, science, and business of bath and body production. (Lisa is a wonderful teacher, eager to share her wealth of knowledge, passionate about her craft and forever thinking of ways to take her business to the next level. She is always looking for eager, hard-working apprentices to help her with holiday rush time.)

 Somewhere during this time period, (let's call it Operation Let Kelly Sleep, or "LKS", which also happens to be the acronym for Lucy Kat Soaps. Coincidence? I think not!), my husband and I were out on the back porch after the kids had gone to sleep and discussing life, plans for the future, etc. I don't really remember all the details of this talk, but I do remember telling him that I finally understood the expression "I am rediscovering myself", and that feeling of change and elevation continues to motivate me today.

I'm curious - what was your "Aha!" moment? Please share!

Website a work in progress. In the meantime, here is where you can go to order from Lucy Kat...

I admit it. When it comes to web developing, I am slightly challenged. However, I know how annoying it must be to not be able to order something right away. (What? You don't want to have to spend half your day PMing me on Facebook and waiting for me to see your message and reply back so that you can get your bath melts? I'm SHOCKED.)

If you are one who likes to have that extra personal touch, PLEASE don't stop messaging me! I am more than happy to help you create your order via private message, e-mail, text or phone. However, if you know what you want and need to move on with your day, please visit my online store here. This will be especially useful for orders that need to be shipped.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

PS Check out my fun Dinosaur Soap while you are there! :)

Baby, it's cold outside! Warm up and simmer down with my Lavender Bath Melts (BOGO 1/2 Off)

Even in Texas, January can be pretty cold. Sometimes the only way I can beat the cold is taking a long, hot bath. But I don't even want to consider taking a bath anymore without one of my super luxurious and moisturizing bath melts. 

This week because it's cold and because I want to clear out some space for my new products, I am offering a clearance sale on all things lavender! If you haven't yet tried my bath melts, now is the time. 

Email me at LucyKatSoaps@gmail.com or message me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lucykatsoaps) to order!

Stay warm!!

New Year, New Goals for 2015

Happy New Year!! I had a fabulous time celebrating the holidays this year. The kiddos are at such a fabulous age - everything is magic and sparkles and joy. Please tell me this part lasts forever!

2014 was an amazing year for Lucy Kat Soaps, and I have you to thank for that! Of course, I would still find joy in making soap without customers, but the best part is knowing that other people are enjoying my creations!

Early in 2014, there emerged a real excitement among fellow bath junkies for my bath melts. These little drops of heaven are made with white kaolin clay and skin-loving butters that continue loving on your skin well after the bath is over; customers began requesting varying quantities and fragrances. I currently make Lavender and Salted Caramel-scented melts, but I could be persuaded to play with some new blends soon...

In addition to the Melt-a-Palooza, I had an amazing year of growth, learning, and creative discovery making handcrafted soap. I began the year having only a few batches of soap under my belt. By the end of the year, my "soapertoire" looked something like this:

I had so much fun planning and making these soaps. I experimented with different additives like oatmeal, ground coffee beans, spearmint tea, various types of clay, and honey. I also had fun with colors, especially natural colorants like the alkanet root infusion that I used to color my lavender soaps and a kelp infusion that lent a very light and almost translucent hue to my Woodland Spice soap. 

And my favorite part - the smells! I had so much fun experimenting with essential oils and various fragrance oils. I am very interested in essential oils and briefly considered using them exclusively in my products until I remembered that they haven't yet figured out how to distill the cocoa bean in any meaningful way, so until then I choose to keep my options open. I will continue to expand my knowledge of these ancient aromatics, and essential oils will remain a key ingredient in several of my products moving forward.

So what is in store for Lucy Kat Soaps in 2015? First of all, I will continue with the bath melts and am adding a shower-friendly version of the bath melt - if you aren't excited about that  yet, you will be! I am also narrowing down my bar soap inventory to a few select fragrances that people were extra-excited about this year - be watching for a separate post for the big reveal! I will also be developing a line of fun novelty soaps as well as some fun soapy gifts for the kiddos - more on this later!!

There will be some small pricing changes, effective January 1. The price for a four-pack of bath melts will now be $8 (down from $10), and my handmade soap will be $6/bar (up from $5). Sales tax will apply to all purchases. 

Finally, my website: I hope that it will be ready to launch by the end of January. Once my website is up and running, ordering from Lucy Kat will become much easier! 

Again, thank you SO much for following me and supporting my soaping endeavors. It goes without saying that I couldn't do this without you, but I just have to say it anyway because I APPRECIATE YOU!! Cheers to feeling good and smelling even better in 2015!