SudsMuffin

Busy November!

2010-11-13T20:19:00.005-04:00

Well October was a huge success! Our 10 year month long anniversary sale proved to be loved by all. November is turning into quite the fun time too. I had an awesome SudsMuffin Spa Party on Wednesday evening (Thanks so much to Charlene for such an amazing turnout).

Saturday, MiniMuffin (she worked so hard) and I spent the day at St George Elementary School having fun at the annual St George Christmas Craft Fair. I must say the day was absolutely fantastic! MiniMuffin and I really enjoyed the customers and the vendors. I would like to thank the St George Home and School Association and Maxine J for a job well done. The ladies took excellent care of all the vendors and I truly appreciate their hard work. I can't wait until next year.

Sunday, I had a MiniMuffin Birthday Party that was so much fun and again my MiniMuffin was the best helper ever! The kids had fun and the youngest there was even asking when the MuffinMan could come back.

Now I am gearing up for Christmas and making lots of new products every day. Come on in and I will be happy to make up a gift basket for ready-made gift giving. We have lots of great stocking stuffers in store too, as well as a beautiful selection of handmade cards.

10 years!

2010-10-22T10:24:00.006-03:00

Wow! I have just come to realize that it has been 10 years that we have been making our products for wonderful people! We have come a long way in both our presentation and products.

We started with melt and pour soap and simple bath salts for gifts. Now we are the choice of gift givers near and far. We love creating our soap, perfumes, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, and bevy of other delights that help you "Feel Delicious".

Over the years, we have discovered that the best way for us to succeed is to help people the best that we can. One of the greatest joys we get from doing what we do is having our friends and customers tell us how much one of our products has helped them, be it for sore cracked heals or just a nice relaxing bath. We have enjoyed serving all of our customers' needs and hope to continue doing so long into the future.

Our products have gone through several different incarnations from little packaging with crude labels to our current professional style logo and labeling. We have gone from craft fairs and flea markets to the Saint John City Market to our own little shop at 135 Union Street, made visible by our big pink sudsy muffin sign.

We also went through a name change. We started out as Skinful Scentsations. We found the name to be cumbersome and hard to remember and spell. A sheer stroke of luck led to our current name. The folks at the market had taken to calling me Suds. One day as we were closing, a customer walked by and said goodnight Suds and my wife jokingly said "Aw, my little SudsMuffin." Bam! A star was born. We soon found great returns with our SudsMuffin Kids Parties (I have so much fun at them) and our SudsMuffin Spa Parties. We now even do wedding favors and you can buy melt and pour soap kits from us too.

To celebrate our 10 years, we invite you to come on in and take advantage of our $10 specials to the end of October. These specials change from day to day, but for the whole month we are featuring 2 of our awesome soaps for $10.00. As mentioned above, we also do Kids' Birthday Parties and for the grown-ups I do spa parties. Come check out the wonderful handmade greeting cards too.

For our friends in the St George area, we will be at the Christmas Craft show at the elementary school On November 13th, from 9-12. See you there!

Thanks to everybody for all your support and friendship throughout these last 10 years!

Harvesting the Arts Festival 2010

2010-09-10T12:57:00.006-03:00

Well this past weekend, we had the joy of being part of the Harvesting the Arts Festival in Saint John at King's Square. It was scheduled for Saturday but due to the impending storm, it was moved to Sunday. It was a beautiful day that proved to be sunny with not too much heat and a gentle fresh breeze in the air.

We arrived early to find a nice central area to set up our tent. We had our tent and table set up in near record time. MiniMuffin was also there, participating with her Karate school in an all day demonstration. We had a great day of sales and conversation. Mrs SudsMuffin even had the chance to take some photos.

There are a huge number of artistic stars in this city and they have to be seen to be believed. We made all kinds of new friends and even better for us: new customers. Don't miss it next year. It's just getting better and better every time we go.

Nectar of Isis Testimonial

2010-08-28T20:36:00.005-03:00

One of the reasons I do what I do is to help people even just a little bit. I love it when I receive emails like this one (I modified it just a little to keep out peoples names):

"My dear SudsMuffin. I am having a good day today, against all hopes, and it is thanks to you ~ your vision ~ your work. After working at the computer until 11 last night (a last minute project I had to finish) my neck was very stiff and sore. I took 2 Advils and rubbed the SudsMuffin Nectar of Isis a friend put in my birthday package last June. My neck is as good as new this morning. I thought for sure it would be as stiff as a board. Thanks a million ~ I have to work later today."

I am glad that we were able to help out and make someone feel better. If you have a testimonial about our products, please don't hesitate to send it to us. We will also keep it anonymous if you wish.

Busy Summer at SudsMuffin

2010-08-12T13:17:00.004-03:00

Wow! Have we ever been busy at the shop in the last little bit! With wedding orders galore and special request spa orders, I have been one busy SudsMuffin. I had one order go slightly awry due to a faulty scale but was still able to get the order off in time. I just got off the phone with our client in BC and her customer's bridal order arrived intact and she was thrilled beyond measure.

I love it when everybody is happy. I am so pleased with this partnership. It is proving to be great for everybody. If you are ever in Port Alberni BC, be sure to check out Allure Bath & Body and tell them SudsMuffin sent you.

On to other news, I have just recently enrolled in a correspondence course to help increase my business knowledge. I think that this is going to help me a great deal in future endeavors.

Stay tuned for great new things coming this Fall as well as our 10 year anniversary celebration in October.

Enjoying the summer.

2010-07-17T22:46:00.003-03:00

Hi there all you SudsMuffinites! I don't know about you but I have been enjoying the amazing summer that has graced us in Saint John this year. Although the heat has taken some getting used to, I certainly prefer it over rain. Take the time to drop in to our shop and pick up a treat for yourself and your skin.

A great afternoon!

2010-07-04T22:27:00.003-03:00

I want to thank Terri Munn from A Tanners Home Inn, for the invite to her Saint John 225 birthday party at the Inn's Garden Deck. It was a delightful setting with some of the best vendors around. The beautiful day was shared by people whom stopped by for cake and punch, then had the privilege of touring this amazing house. For those of you who have folks coming into town I suggest you turn them on to this awesome B&B. They won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Wine and Stein for the samples of incredible homemade wines I will be paying them a visit in the very near future.

What have we been up to?

2010-07-03T19:44:00.005-03:00

Well we have been busy little beavers. Things at the shop have been hopping, with dozens of custom orders for boutiques and weddings. We also ran a special on teacher baskets that proved to be a HUGE hit!

We now have a brand new scent to offer called "Cabana Boy". This awesome scent is reminiscent of a day on a sandy Caribbean beach with a delicious rum drink. Now I brought this in at the request of a customer who was looking for a real coconut scent. I think that she deserves a big thank you hug because this scent is off the hook! I think you will love this tropical delight.

The Cabana boy bath bombs and lotion are superb and I did something I never thought I would do; I added some of this scent to my Whipped Shea Butter and the result was Superfantabulous. Thanks goes out to LC for this idea. Cabana Boy is an excellent addition to my tropical line of scents that includes Satsuma, Key Lime, Melon Slush, and Yuzu.

I just love trying new scents and doing whatever I can to make the lives of my customers happier. I get excited when my customers suggest new products or scents. The most excitement that I get is when I have a new customer come in and tell me that their Mom, friend, cousin, Sister, etc, has been raving over this soap or that lotion. I love hearing these kinds of stories so please keep the feedback coming.

In the meantime, don't forget to come in and stock up on our tropical scents. You won't regret it!

Maritime Green Living Expo

2010-05-31T11:08:00.001-03:00

I had a super time at the Maritime Green Living Expo. A great big **Thank You** goes out to Terri-Ann from Naturally For Life. The turn out was better than I had expected and I know the next one will be even better. I had a good number of sales from the event and made some new friends and that is always good.

Thanks again to Terri-Ann for a ton of hard work in organizing this event. I featured most of my "green" scented line: soap, shampoo, conditioner, whipped shea butter, and bath bombs. The Rosemary Lemongrass proved to be the biggest hit.

Mother's Day Update

2010-05-15T10:04:00.001-03:00

Update: I have received enormous feedback from our Mother's Day baskets. Everyone loved them and I have had some recipients come in to replenish their baskets. Thank you so much to all who purchased from me.

The coming attactions.

2010-05-10T00:03:00.010-03:00

Mother's Day has come and gone and I would love to take the time to thank each and every person who purchased one of our great baskets for their mother, wife, other loved one in their life. I hope that the person receiving the basket enjoys using the products as much as I enjoy making them. Look for us at the Maritime Green Living Expo at the end of May at the Saint John Trade and Convention Center.

What a party!

2010-04-14T15:49:00.007-03:00

This past Saturday was a really new experience for me. For the first time ever, we held a birthday party right in the shop. Now this was no ordinary party. I usually do a party for 8 to 12 kids. This one was 16 excited little girls, all crammed in to my tiny little shop. It was a tight fit(ok it was a lot tight, sardines have more room) but it worked, and best of all, the girls all had a fantastic time! It required the moving around of the store, it was still cramped but we managed to make it work. The mother and father where of great help and there was an extra parent there also. Between the four of us we managed to keep order and the kids all had fun. I was really surprised by how well the kids followed instructions and obeyed the safety rules I laid down.
I want to thank this eager group of for choosing me to make their day special. I hope they had as much fun as I did.

I have been busy!

2010-03-18T11:41:00.009-03:00

Hi everyone! I would like to send out a nice heartfelt thank you to the wonderful people that hosted the two birthday parties this weekend. I had a huge amount of fun at both parties and know that the girls all had fun too. The Hostesses where both awesome and even helped with the projects.

The older girls made fizzy bath crystals, little vials of perfume, pretty soaps soap, and nicely scented lotion. The younger ladies had great fun making their soaps, fizzy bath salts and lotions. It was a hoot watching everyone working with great concentration to bottle the lotions. Everybody did well and only one mess was made.

I took some time this week to make a new product for our line: Whipped Soap. I think that they turned out quite nice. I still have to work on getting the color I want right but for this first attempt, I am pleased with the results. I have put a few in my window display for everyone to see.

I also have a brand new soap on the shelves. The new Key Lime is awesome! It has a bright natural lime scent and a dynamic yellow/green swirl. I really enjoy this one.

I have also just sent a new order to Allure Bath and Body in BC and have 4 other Soap Cakes curing for a trip to another client. I am also starting to prepare for a Wedding Favor order going to Pennsylvania.

Spring is just around the corner and the weather here is beautiful and record breaking for this time of year. I hope you can all get out there and enjoy it too.

Customer Service

2010-03-04T20:44:00.005-04:00

Customer service? What does it mean to you? How do you qualify exceptional customer service? I think that customer service is one of the hardest concepts to get right all the time. Why? Simply because of the main component of the equation: the customer. Customers are people just like business owners and each of them has an expectation as to what they think customer service should be.

I try to always go a little above and beyond that which most people might expect. I may print a Google map for somebody trying to make their way to another address. I may hand out a free sample if I think my product might help somebody. I might refer them to another business if I don't have what they are looking for. I may not be able to satisfy every customer but I always listen and do my best to make it right. I try to give my customers all the tools they need to make the best purchasing decision for themselves.

I always try to treat everyone that comes through my shop door with the same attention. Just the other day, a very elderly lady came into the shop. She was not really interested in buying but she was curious about everything in the store. I took the time to answer all her questions, in between listening to stories about her daughters and great, great grandchildren. She promised to tell them all about the store. I don't know if she will but I know that I paid her the respect of listening and giving her my time. To me the most important thing was her smile when she left.

Tell us about some of the great customer service you have received from a business. Or even let me know if there are ways that I can serve you better. I look forward to reading about it.

Taste Buds Jumping

2010-03-02T18:47:00.004-04:00

Those of you wonderful folks that know me well, know that I love food. I love all kinds of food and try just about anything. Well for supper last night, I tried something that I had never tried before. I know it would seem that I have tried just about everything in town, well I haven't and tonight my taste buds have been jumping for joy! They were treated to a parade of sensational, dynamic, and delectable flavors.

It all started with a simple tv commercial and fairly simple ingredients, including the key one that I had never tried. The ad featured a recipe for a creamy pesto sauce served over grilled chicken. Now, neither Mrs SudsMuffin nor I had ever tried Pesto before, but we enjoy all the ingredients that go into Pesto so we thought it sounded good. So I went to the City Market and picked up some freshly made Pesto at the Italian food stall, called "Sisters". I also picked up some spaghetti noodles, some fresh parmesan, a small ciabatta bread, some fresh veggies and I was set.

Once home, Mrs SudsMuffin and I started preparing our meal. She cut up the veggies (onion, mushrooms, green pepper & zucchini) while I started cooking the spaghetti. I warmed up and then sliced the ciabatta bread and Mrs SudsMuffin added garlic butter, freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese to each slice, then into the toaster oven it went.

I sauteed the veggies, reheated some leftover grilled chicken breast and started making the Pesto sauce. This consisted of a tub of cream cheese, melted in a sauce pan, then adding in some chicken stock and then a few spoonfuls of the fresh pesto.

I assembled our meal on a platter: first the cooked spaghetti noodles, topped with the grilled chicken, then the sauteed veggies, poured over the lovely creamy Pesto sauce, then sprinkled on some more fresh Parmesan. We enjoyed it all SO much, accompanied by the toasted garlic cheese ciabatta. It was a perfect supper and we will definitely be making this one again, but next time, we'll be sure to share.

So now, I'm a true fan of Pesto. I don't what took me so long to try it, or why nobody ever told me how good it was. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it.

The Soapmakers journey to higher learning.

2010-02-25T23:22:00.010-04:00

This week has been rather unique for me. On Monday, I was the guest speaker at the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ). I had been invited to speak on e-commerce and social networking. I found the class to be extremely attentive and really easy to speak to. I explained how we merged our marketing with social networking and some of the do's and don'ts of social networking. The class had some very good questions, which I was happy to answer. I had a great time, even though I was a little nervous. My time at the University did not end there.

Thursday afternoon, I had the privilege of being invited to a soap lab being performed by one of the biology classes. They distilled their own essential oils, which I found intriguing. I enjoyed giving advice on what oils to use and how much. I felt sorry for them as they had to hand mix their batches of soap to get them to come to trace. Some of them seemed to lose hope but they all did eventually trace (take on a pudding-like state). The lab was extremely well run by Leah (who had invited me). Her knowledge of the process was very good and she had obviously put a lot of research into the lab. I added a couple of safety tips to what she covered with the class. In the end, everybody managed to pour their soap into their makeshift molds. I wasn't there for the unmolding in the days following but I hope their soaps turned out well.

I want to thank everyone at both events for making me feel welcome and I hope that my information proved to be insightful.

And the winner is........

2010-02-15T20:22:00.005-04:00

We have just drawn for the winner of our 3rd Anniversary Giveaway. The winner was chosen via Random.org, from a randomized list of entries. And the winner is.... Patty D from Saint John, NB.
Congratulations Patty! I am sure you will enjoy it. Come on in to the shop to pick up your very own Sweetheart prize set next time you are uptown.

SudsMuffin makes Valentines Day special

2010-02-10T21:52:00.007-04:00

In store, our newest Foaming Sugar Scrub in Sugared Vanilla scent, made its debut along with our two newest Massage Gels: Cabana Boy and Sugared Vanilla, and bath bomb in Sugared Vanilla.

We had all kinds of guys in picking up our SudsMuffin Sweetheart basket sets, with included a handmade Valentine card, a premium silk soap, massage gel and bath bomb for only $20.00. They flew out the door yesterday.

Mrs SudsMuffin was a great help in putting together the baskets, and thought it was so cute to see these sheepish looking guys coming in looking for Valentine's gifts for their sweeties.

I made up a great Valentines morning breakfast, complete with my famous hash browns, scrambled eggs with sauteed veggies, toast, and sweet ham. It was fabulous, if I do say so myself. I even received a handmade card from my MiniMuffin, and the one from Mrs SudsMuffin was great, especially since it said that she loved me even more than peanut butter. Now that's a lot of love, coming from Mrs SudsMuffin.

We hope all you lovey dovies out there have a great Valentines Day and for those who bought from us, we hope it made it even more special for you.

Lots on the go!

2010-02-07T23:35:00.008-04:00

We have started supplying a wonderful store in British Columbia with our fabulous Soap Cakes. Allure Bath and Body carries great products from all over and we are happy to be added to their list of vendors.

On another note, I have just made the coolest new soap check it out. This is a picture of our fabulous new Chocolate Peppermint Soap Squares. These look and smell so good I can barely contain myself. I just want to start munching them with a big glass of milk. They are going to be shelf ready in about 2 weeks. I will also have a new Satsuma Incense ready in 2 weeks. Stay tuned!

Think Global,Buy Local

2010-02-03T18:46:00.007-04:00

The "Think Global, Buy Local" craft show was a great success for us on Sunday. I believe it was good for the other vendors too. I would like to thank Anna and Zoey for the invitation and for putting on such a well organized event. The staff at the Pavilion were also superb. Special thanks to Tracy. The girls arranged for live acoustic music for the entire day. That was a great treat. The meal I purchased from the café was delicious. It was a day for meeting customers both old and new. I just enjoy teaching people about my products. Thanks to the CBC for the short interview on camera. I had great fun and it was a great cause to support. I understand that a fair amount of money was raised for the school in Sri Lanka and am happy to have been part of such a noble cause. It is important to teach others how to be self sufficient in order to grow their local economy while branching out into the globe.

Keep in mind that the cold winter months are the perfect time to host a SudsMuffin Kids Party, even if is just to break up the winter blahs. A SudsMuffin Spa Party is a great way for the ladies to have fun and shake off their own sub-zero doldrums. Book a party soon by calling us at 672-9248 (in Saint John NB area only) to reserve your date.

Lily Lake Pavilion craft show!

2010-01-30T19:39:00.012-04:00

On Sunday Jan 31 SudsMuffin will be at the Lilly Lake Pavilion along with a myriad of other great talents for a mid winter craft show. Come on out and join us, there will be paper crafts, jewelery, and many others. This is a perfect time to get an awesome Valentine gift for the girl or boy in your life. I will have Soap, Lotions, Massage Gels and Massage Oils as well as Perfumes, Bath Bombs, and Bath Salts. There will be a limited amount of pre-made Valentine baskets for $20.00. I hope that you can make the trip out and enjoy a wonderful day. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you! This is a Fund raiser for a very good cause. Check out the link.

Anniversary Giveaway

2010-01-17T23:27:00.015-04:00

I want to kick off the new year by thanking all of the people who supported us this past holiday season. Your patronage and your enjoyment of our products was truly appreciated. We look forward to helping you all year long .

Keep us in mind for a special office thank you, for that emergency gift, a get well thought. Don't forget our awesome MiniMuffin Kids parties and SudsMuffin Spa parties. Our Kids parties are a blast for children aged 7 to 16. They make their own soap, lotion, and bath salts. Kids older than 10 can make items such as perfumes, lip balms and bath bombs. The SudsMuffin Spa Parties are a great way to get your friends together for some pampering and laughs.

Now for the Giveaway!

February 10th is our store's 3rd anniversary. For this momentous occasion, we are giving away the SudsMuffin gift package shown here. It includes the following:

Sweet Spot Lotion (our most popular scent)
Raspberry Roll-On Perfume Oil
Honey Glaze Lip Balm with shea and mango butter
Sugared Vanilla Bath Bomb (our newest fragrance)
Chocolate Frosted Soap Cupcake
All packed in an adorable heart shaped box

To be entered in the Giveaway, just do one or more of the following, then come back to this post and leave me a comment telling me what you did. You will entered for the Giveaway for every one you do:

Sign up for our newsletter
Tweet this blog post
Blog about this Giveaway
Facebook about this Giveaway
Follow my blog
Follow my Facebook group page
Become a Fan

You can enter from anywhere in the world. Just be sure that we have a way to email you so we can get your address, should you will. The Giveaway prize will be drawn on February 10th, so it won't arrive in time for Valentine's Day, but who says you need a special occasion to pamper yourself?

Good luck and thanks again for a wonderful 2009 and an even better 2010!

Spicy Scents Sale

2010-01-08T15:36:00.006-04:00

Our spicy scents are now 25% off! These include Spiced Pumpkin Soufflé, Sugar Plum, Coffee Cake, and Pear Compote. There are only a few of these items left so come and get them as soon as you can!

New Bath Bombs are just about ready for the shelves. The Yuzu is a bright citrus that combines tangy Mandarin with Grapefruit for a spectacular aroma. It is similar to our famous Satsuma but with slightly sharper notes.

The Sugared Vanilla is to die for! I am serious here my SudsMuffinites, this is one of the best Vanilla scents I have ever encountered! It is warm and sweet and delectable!

Keep an eye out for further announcements about our new scents!

Also just to let you know, fresh batches of Toasted Marshmallow, Sweet Spot and Kiss A Koala soap are curing on the shelf. They should be ready in 2 to 3 weeks!

Art Giveaway from Jessica Doyle

2010-01-02T18:26:00.002-04:00

Here is a great chance to win some great art from my friend and fabulous artist Jessica Doyle.
Check out her blog post to see what you need to do to win.

Randi Gallant is amazing

2009-12-07T20:31:00.005-04:00

We recently had the great pleasure of the visit of a magnificent photographer by the name of Randi Gallant. She came to our shop to give Mrs SudsMuffin a few photography pointers. We had the chance to peruse her portfolio. Her wedding shots were just amazing. Any bride would be well served by hiring her, at least that is our opinion. Randi was kind enough to take a few shots of the shop and product. Take a visit to her website: www.rgallantphotography.com. The photos are incredible!

Uptown Sparkles

2009-11-20T19:08:00.009-04:00

Wow! What a great weekend. The Uptown Sparkles Open House event was a great success for us, with lots of scented Christmas cards being made by visitors to our shop. I love the Christmas lights strung all around the store and the fresh evergreen boughs that are our center piece.

Thanks to the awesome customers old and new who walked through our doors. The party room is ready to host our first MiniMuffin Kids Birthday Party on the 5th of Dec. It is going to be great fun.

Good news for all the lotion lovers out there, my raw ingredients have arrived and new lotion will be on the shelf again very soon! First on the way will be Chocolate. Stay tuned!

Sorry folks

2009-11-15T18:16:00.005-04:00

Sorry folks, due to a minor technical glitch this week's video log is slightly postponed. With any luck I will be able to do it Monday.

So instead, I would like to get your opinion on something. What kind of things would you like to see me film? Drop me comment and I will see what I can do.

Why Poppies

2009-11-11T08:01:00.002-04:00

Why Poppies

We did not see the child all of sixteen years old,
with his jammed rifle still in hand.
We did not see the child's father lying in the crater.
We did not hear the yell of the commander
Advance! Retreat! Advance!

These were the men, who where brave and bold.
These were the men who had gone to the grave
fighting for a home far away.
Please be silent for the moment to remember
Flanders.

Look upon the crosses of those who have died.
Won't you you listen to their desperate cries!
Please! Oh please! Give us no reason
for bright red poppies.

Can those of us who had not been there
understand the pain?
Most of us take for granted that we have our liberty.
Please take a moment in prayer
to thank those who kept us free.

Remember the long ago soldier who died
upon the field.
Fighting in a senseless war
he did not understand.
So he could bring freedom
for his fellow man.

Always remember their final questions.
Why us? Why war? Why the need for poppies?
How come we can't have peace?

I.A.McCullough

I wrote this in 1985 in high school, after having a conversation with a very old fellow at the bus stop uptown. He was selling poppies and looked cold so I got him a tea. His story was sad and inspiring at the same time. I wish I had gotten his name. To this man and all the vetren before and after him thank you.

SudsMuffin Video Log -episode 6-deodorant

2009-11-08T23:06:00.003-04:00

Hi folks here is Episode 6 of the SudsMuffin Vlog enjoy. Any feed back would be appreciated. I welcome all comments.

On the Menu today

2009-11-07T08:18:00.003-04:00

In order to promote the use of reusable shopping bags, SudsMuffin is giving the first 20 customers today a free organic cloth shopping bag with every purchase. The bag features artwork by Nate Guimond. Come and get yours today!

We are open 10 - 5 today and have lots of yummy fall soaps in stock, like Pear Compote, Sugarplum, Coffee Cake, and Spiced Pumpkin Souffle. Just the thing to make you feel delicious!

There are 4 new scents of incense percolating in the back room, which means they should be available in a week or so.

Also, we have a handful of Body Shot microspray perfumes still available at 50% off. As a special bonus, we are also including a cool Sauza Tequila shot glass with the purchase of our Body Shot perfumes. A great deal at only $3.50 but they are going fast.

Be sure to look out for our weekly video again after the weekend. We hope you have a fantastic Saturday.

The SudsMuffins

Trying out the Thai fare

2009-11-06T11:28:00.009-04:00

I recently had supper at a restaurant that I had never been to in the city before, and before you get smart, there are still a few I haven't been to.

It was my brother in law's birthday so we went to Lemongrass in Market Square. I truly enjoyed the sweet & sour pork that I ordered. Everyone else seemed to greatly enjoy their food especially MiniMuffin, who had a plate of various appetizers that included firecracker shrimp, money bags, chicken satay, spring rolls and a big bowl of super yummy coconut rice that she absolutely loved. She even sampled bits of other peoples fare. You've got to love a kid with adventurous taste buds. There was also red curry and green curry, stir fried beef, garlic & mushrooms, and an awesome pad thai.

So a thanks to the staff at Lemongrass on a job well done. I am sure I'll be back some time for another wonderful meal. To all the folks out there, trust that when SudsMuffin says "it's good," then it's good.

SudsMuffin Video log Epidode 5 Unscented Soap

2009-11-05T00:06:00.002-04:00

Here is the next episode of the SudsMuffin Vlog- Enjoy

Put the good feeling back in Christmas!

2009-11-02T21:17:00.007-04:00

Now that the ghosts and goblins have filled their bellies for another year, it's time to gear up for the holiday season. I, for one, want to have a Christmas that is about spending time with family having some laughs, good food and presents. Oh yes, you gotta love the presents. I'm not talking about the mass manufactured gobbledygook of the malls. I love the feeling of getting something that someone else took the time and effort to craft with their own hands.

There is just something so very special in knowing that someone's talent, skill and imagination have gone into the making of a wonderful gift. There is also something to be said for the person who thought enough of me to take the time to go the extra mile to purchase a piece of someone's art for my enjoyment.

So when you're doing your shopping this year, keep in mind the hard working artisans who put their hearts and souls into their work.

As makers of fine products, we here at SudsMuffin are also proud supporters of our fellow artisans and encourage you to be as well. It will help you put the good feeling back into Christmas and the rest of the holiday season. I thank you in advance and wish you all a happy holiday.

You wanted it. You got it.

2009-10-29T19:05:00.007-03:00

For all of those who have been asking, I am pleased to report that we will now have available our own room for classes, MiniMuffin Kids Parties, and it can even be used as the host spot for a SudsMuffin Spa Party. The site has a washroom and a kitchen which will make it easy to prepare or store party goodies. There will be tables and chairs provided for all the activities.

There is no charge for using the space for parties. For classes, the cost of the space will be part of the class fee. As soon as I am able, I will post a tentative class schedule. Depending on the degree of interest, classes could include soap crafting, bath bomb making, lip balm making and more... In most cases, all materials will be included in the cost of the classes.

This is exciting for us and we can't wait to start holding classes and parties with you. Stay tuned!

Episode 4 -Vlog

2009-10-21T12:31:00.003-03:00

Hi folks! I was unable to do the vlog this week but my wonderful MiniMuffin filled in for me. Please let her know what you think of her video. We think she did a great job. Enjoy!

Love to excite!

2009-10-16T21:05:00.006-03:00

It has been another week of wonderful customers, many of whom were first time visitors. A couple of local ladies who had never been in before, came in to pick up a co-worker's order and fell in love with the store. I love to see new people share the joy that I get from the products I make. One of the ladies came back the next day eager to purchase a bevy of wonderful things. One of the things that we live for is the expression of total joy when a customer is tickled pink by their SudMuffin Products.

I am getting ready for the EMS Symposium at the Saint John Regional Hospital on Saturday and Sunday. Mrs SudsMuffin will be at the store all day Saturday so feel free to drop in and say HI.

Episode 3-SudsMuffin Vlog

2009-10-13T00:44:00.004-03:00

Hey everybody, here is episode 3 of the SudsMuffin vlog. I hope you enjoy it. It is all about our fabulous Nectar of Isis and even includes a surprise presenter.

New to the Shelves!

2009-10-09T12:06:00.006-03:00

Today I have two new soaps fresh from the mold. I have a delightful, fragrant and colorful Pumpkin Pie soap cake and a totally awesome Coffee Cake kitchen soap, with real ground coffee and topped with real cocoa. Both of these will be ready in a few weeks.

I have just cut and frosted two other cakes: Maple Sugar and Spiced Plum, Both are ready now. I am also offering my soap cakes slices in store for $5.00 instead of the regular $6.00 but only until end of day Saturday Oct 10th.

I also have made a new Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub that is just fantastic. This will be ready around noon on Saturday after labeling. Did I mention the Spiced Pumpkin Souffle room and linen spray too?

Hope to see you soon to try out the new scents. There are still a few spaces available for October and November for MiniMuffin Kids Parties. Call 672-9248 to book.

Urban Deli makes another winner!

2009-10-07T22:30:00.005-03:00

If you have been reading this blog for some time, you know by now that one of my favorite places to eat in Saint John is the Urban Deli on King Street.

This past Saturday, Mrs SudsMuffin and I were once again treated to first rate gastronomic delights. I indulged in an Urban Burger and Mrs Suds enjoyed a superior Seafood Chowder. This chowder was prepared just for her and I have never, and I mean never, seen a chowder (except one I made) so loaded with seafood (3/4 of a lobster claw for starters). The broth was perfectly seasoned and was rich and thick without being gloppy.

The Urban Burger! Wow, this was an amazing burger. The double patties, cooked to absolute perfection, on a delicious bun topped with truly scrumptious caramelized onions and a tantalizing garlic aoli. Of course, I had to have my serving of their amazing Urban Deli fries. Check them out. Thanks to Elizabeth and crew for another lunch well done.

Episode 2 - Sugar Scrubs

2009-10-05T21:16:00.007-03:00

Here is episode 2 of the SudsMuffin Video blog. I hope you enjoy it. It is about our wonderful Foaming Sugar Scrubs.
If you want to purchase a jar of our awesome sugar scrub you can get them here.

Brides Brides and more Brides

2009-10-04T10:25:00.019-03:00

Tuesday was the start of one of the busiest weeks we have ever had at SudsMuffin. That same day, I received a call from Mark Hovey, in charge of the upcoming Bridal Show at the Trade and Convention Center. I had turned down a chance not too long ago to attend this event thinking that it was too expensive. After a conversation with the organizer, I realized that this was an awesome opportunity to showcase my products to my target audience and so I agreed to go.

I quickly realized that I did not have anything ready to take to such a show. Thus was the beginning of a frantic week. Mrs SudsMuffin and I had to locate appropriate packaging and decorative materials and make plans as to what we where going to produce for this show.

After some late night deliberations, we came up with a list of great products and scents to use. The next day I started production at the shop, on top of my regular production schedule. That night everyone stayed later at the store. We then had to figure out how to appropriately display our products so they would be attractive and eye-catching.

We also realized that we did not have any good signage to use in our booth. We knew it was very short notice but we contacted Robynn at Super Cheap Signs and she was able to give us exactly what we wanted, at a really good price and right on time for the show.

Thursday night, Mrs SudsMuffin created a bevy of new label designs. She is so awesome! Friday (Show day) I made final preparations on all the favor boxes such as ribbons, filling, attaching tags, and packing the other products for the show. I picked up our new sign from Super Cheap Signs just before noon and I was extremely happy with the results. Thanks to Robynn and her crew for coming through for us.

Many thanks to Laura for covering at the shop for us and doing such a great job on such short notice. By 2:30, I loaded up the car and was off to the show. Once there, setting up was a breeze because I was given access to the loading dock. Special thanks to Dave the DJ for letting me use his extension cord. The table would have been lacking without the light.

At 4pm, the doors opened and initial slowness turned to organized chaos! My table was quickly swarmed with oodles of brides, bridesmaids, moms and moms in law. Everybody was oohing and ahhing over my favors, with many MANY saying that they would be in touch and that they had never seen some of the things that we had.

Overall, it was a very well organized and professionally run show. One of the best I've ever been to. The quality of the vendors and the location and booth setup was great! I look forward to the next one.

Amazing review of SudsMuffin

2009-09-29T23:26:00.004-03:00

Today we received the most amazing review on Listen to Lena. Take a moment to check it out and feel free to leave comments and enter her contest.

Rainy day Monday got me soaked

2009-09-28T18:41:00.012-03:00

Good evening all you wonderful SudsMuffinites! I don't know about all of you, but I have never been a fan of Mondays at the best of times. When it's raining, it's a double let down.

Well, it used to be a let down, until this morning. I was unloading the SudsMuffin Mobile and getting quite drenched in the process. I looked like a lost waif and felt like a drowned rodent. As I set the last box down, I caught the slightest drifting scent from the Kiss a Koala soap (Spearmint & Eucalyptus). It was at that moment, that splinter of time that I realized I was unloading from one of the most successful SudsMuffin Spa Parties ever.

I was also going to be making a new batch of Foot Cream to fill orders from the party. I was finding myself to be somewhat giddy because everyone had had so much fun. I also remembered how much I enjoy what I do.

I (we) strive to make people "feel delicious" and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from a smile or the laugh of a happy customer. Just on a side note I myself was a very happy Customer today to get our revamped sign back from Plasticraft today I love the new support brackets , I feel much more comfortable with the design and its built in safety bolts. Now back to the story at hand, I realize that I will not be able to please everybody every time, yet I look forward to the smiles and laughs that we can help create. Rainy day Monday or not.

Our new Video Blog

2009-09-27T22:16:00.008-03:00

Hey SudsMuffinites, here is a brand new thing that I am trying. It's my first ever video blog. Now keep in mind, this is just the first. They will get better and better, at least that is the plan. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

What an Incredible day

2009-09-26T22:40:00.012-03:00

Incredible! That is the best way that I can describe today. To start, we saw the most amazing sight on the way in to the shop, a young lady was walking her boxer pup and her raccoon pup. The raccoon was rescued after the mother was hit by a car.

At the shop, we restocked the shelves and made a wonderful new lavender orange deodorant. We finished wrapping bath bombs and made soy wax votive candles in a fantastic Spiced Coffee Cake scent. Our shop saw a bevy of delighted customers all day long.

To top off the day, we had a extremely delicious SudsMuffin Spa Party. The hostess was incredible and even prepared an amazing array of scrumptious pink goodies including, get this: a PINK CHOCOLATE fountain.

The ladies enjoyed themselves. Quite a few indulged in a foot massage and scrub given by the SudsMuffin himself (Me!). I want to thank everyone for attending and hope to see you in the shop in the near future so you can experience all the things that will make you "feel delicious".

Enviro Fair and Amazing Chase Update

2009-09-21T18:18:00.005-03:00

What a great day for the SudsMuffin clan. I spent the day at the Hampton Enviro Fair. It was a great time. I was able to speak to lots of people and received scads of information about a whole variety of super interesting things, from solar hot water to Reiki (which was awesome). Thanks Patty. (Check her out here.)

I had lots of new customers and even won a water filter for tap water. Kevin and the rest of the organizers did a wonderful job. The food was delicious and the whole event was done in an excellent professional manner. I was not able to attend any of the guest speaker talks but I did hear that they were all very good and informative. I think the town of Hampton and Hampton High School should be congratulated on a job very well done.

Meanwhile, back at the shop Mrs SudsMuffin and MiniMuffin were holding down the fort for the Amazing Chase. Other than a few issues with our hanging sign again, here is their report:

What a fun and busy day at the shop today. MiniMuffin was a great help with the Amazing Chase. She ran the whole challenge herself with all the teams that came in. She told them the rules and had them all participate in the challenge we had set up for them. The teams and organizers and helpers (including *my* little helper) did a great job and everybody seemed to have lots of fun!!

If you attended this wonderful event don't forget to fill out the survey.

And the winner is

2009-09-21T08:07:00.002-03:00

Satsuma! Thanks for all your votes for your favourite deodorant scents.

Thanks to Random.org, the winner of the Satsuma Deodorant is our Twitter friend boygirlboygirl. Check out her cute shop on Etsy. I LOVE her little hand painted high-top sneakers with ghosts on them.

Runner up scents were Pashmina, and Lavender so we will be making those as well.

So boygirlboygirl, I will be in touch with you for your address. Congratulations!

Radio ad

2009-09-16T20:46:00.004-03:00

I just want to thank all the people who left comments and called with congratulations on our radio ad today! I had a blast hearing myself on the radio.

I also want to let everyone know that SudsMuffin is sponsoring the Wave Winning Weekend on 97.3 The Wave this Saturday and Sunday. I will also be selling at the Hampton Enviro Fair and our shop is a challenge spot for The Amazing Chase, both this Saturday, September 19th.

Newsletter launched

2009-09-14T21:46:00.003-03:00

Headline: September 14, 2009 SudsMuffin launches revamped newsletter, called "Delicious Diaries".

Well all you SudsMuffinites, you have waited and waited for this newsletter and now it is available. It is super easy to receive the newsletter. Just join our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&gid=4513575663. Sign up to start receiving our Delicious Diaries for news and special list member offers today.

A Day Uptown

2009-09-13T13:07:00.010-03:00

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful sunny day! It was the perfect day for the Harvesting the Arts event in King's Square. MiniMuffin and I took time to explore and hand out SudsMuffin menus and party pamphlets. There were many things going on, from musicians and belly dancers, to karate and catered food. MiniMuffin had a great time in the hammocks and getting her face painted. For those who have checked out our party pamphlets, October is filling up so make sure you book soon.

Here are some pics of the day and of course I had to take a picture of the SudsMuffin pink hat.

Win a cool new SudsMuffin deodorant!

2009-09-10T19:02:00.004-03:00

Leave a comment here to let us know you voted for the fragrance we should make our new SudsMuffin deodorant in, and we'll enter your name in for a draw. You'll win a deodorant scented with the most voted-for fragrance, and that's nothing to turn your nose up at! We might even throw in a few extra surprises!

It's so simple to win:

Vote in our Deodorant scent poll on the right
Leave a comment on this blog post telling us that you voted

That's all there is to it! Good luck!

(contest closed when the poll does)

A long beautiful day

2009-09-08T20:00:00.001-03:00

We attended Art in the Park in St Martin's on Sunday. It was a wonderfully gorgeous day where we met new people and made new contacts. There was a good sized crowd with a lot of interest in the entertainment but not as much in the vendors.

On the way to St Martins, we took the Fundy Drive route and passed a tiny, old fashioned church that had been converted to a gift shop. The place was adorable. It was called "The Old Fashioned Steeple". If you're out that way for a drive, stop on by and say hello. Tell them the SudsMuffins sent you. By the way, the prices where very good on their merchandise.

Here are some of the photos Mrs SudsMuffin took of the Art in the Park event. The Fundy Trail Parkway is just breathtaking! Enjoy.

More re-labelling work

2009-09-07T17:38:00.004-03:00

Mrs SudsMuffin has now started to tackle all our soaps and what a job that is! She finished ALL the natural soaps today and a fair bit of the nearly naturals too.

Here's a glimpse of what's been done:

Art in Park today

2009-09-06T09:12:00.002-03:00

Having a quick breakfast then heading out to Art in the Park in Lot 6 of the Fundy Trail Parkway just after St Martin's. There will be artists and artisans and entertainment and food, all on a bluff overlooking the Bay of Fundy. The views are breathtaking! It's 1 to 5 pm today. Come on out!

What an awesome day

2009-09-05T19:41:00.005-03:00

Wow! I cannot believe the incredible day all of the SudsMuffins had today. To start off we got to sleep in. Even just a little while is nice ever now and then. We had a super breakfast and as we stepped out to go to the shop we were greeted to an incredibly warm and sunny day.

At the shop, the customers where plentiful and extremely excited. They purchased everything from soap to body frostings and were full of great conversations. Everyone from the young couple from Ontario to the family from New York (the dad traded bad jokes with MiniMuffin, much to her delight) enjoyed the shop and products.

We had an other incredible lunch from our new favorite eatery the Urban Deli. Mrs SudsMuffin had a delightful quiche and I had the best corned beef sandwich I have EVER had. The flavor was not overwhelming nor was it too subtle. It made my taste buds dance. The quiche was excellent in texture and flavor and the crust... the crust was simply amazing. Thank you once again Urban Deli for a great meal.

Work at the shop is progressing at a great rate. We have just about changed all of our old labeling out for our great new logo. Let me tell you it is a whole bunch of work and Mrs SudsMuffin is absolutely the best getting the old labels off, not to mention how awesome her new label designs are.

Well we are all packed up for another great day in St Martins at the Fundy Trail Parkway (lot 6), for Art in The Park. Hope to see you there tomorrow between 1 and 5pm.

Warning: It's a scam

2009-09-03T18:08:00.007-03:00

I had an interesting thing happen today at the shop. I received a call early in the morning from 1-800-931-1026 which displayed "goc-gdc" on the caller id screen. I answered and the caller hung up. This got me curious so I did a search and found the following information: this a legitimate Revenue Canada phone number!

The kicker is that someone seems to ghosting this number to gain information from the people they contact. The surest way to protect yourself is take a callback number and verify it with the number in the phone book or website. Also NEVER, EVER, EVER give your SIN # to anyone over the phone, unless you are doing the calling to a number that you have verified as being legitimate. Revenue Canada already has your info on file. If in doubt, check on 800notes.com or Canada 411.

Should you suspect a call is fraudulent, get what info you can, then call the police right away. Better safe than sorry.

A good time had by all

2009-09-01T21:52:00.008-03:00

Tonight was a blast. The party was a great rousing success. The ladies had fun sniffing and touching all the great SudsMuffin products and several brave souls received a wonderful foot treatment which they just loved. The foaming sugar scrub and peppermint tea tree foot cream combo left their feet like silk.

I am very glad that everyone had a great time. Any time you ladies need more pampering, just book your own spa party. I'll post pictures once the hostess sends them to me.

Suds just wanna have fun!

2009-08-31T20:37:00.007-03:00

I can't wait till tonight! A wonderful lady I know very well, is hosting a SudsMuffin spa party! It is going to be such a blast! I love our spa parties. I get the chance to show my awesome customers and their friends a myriad of bombastically brilliant products. I will be introducing a couple of new products but I'm not telling what!

Today will also be the day for our sign to be reinstalled and Plasticraft seems to have gone out of their way to ensure that it will not come loose again. I will be so glad to see our lovely pink muffin flying again.

A special thanks to all the people who are helping to spread the word about SudsMuffin. That includes Leanne, Sheila, Courtney, Darlene, Leisa and many more. We really truly appreciate all of your efforts on our behalf.

I also will be doing another fall scent soap cake today. I think it will be Maple Syrup! I know, I'm evil, but I wear pink so I can get away with it.

Taking care of those cracked summer heels

2009-08-30T16:03:00.003-03:00

Cracked Heels (ouch!)

Summer time will soon be gone and with the warm air came sandals and flip-flops. To go along with this style of footwear came the dreaded cracked heels. This is a malady that is both preventable and readily treatable. We will first look at how to prevent the problem, and then if you're reading this too late, we'll help you treat the problem.

Preventing Cracked Heels

Try to avoid open heeled shoes (sandals, flip-flops)
Daily preventative moisturizing with a moisturizing cream or for more intensive moisturizing use pure Shea Butter)
Exfoliate (pumice stones on wet skin, foot files and Ped-Eggs on dry skin)
Limit hot showers and sauna or hot tubs (hot hot water is your enemy)
Protect your feet in public swimming areas (wear water shoes or aqua socks)

Treating Cracked Heels

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
The main cause of dry, cracked heels is the loss of moisture.

Here are the steps to take to relieve your discomfort:

Soak your feet in warm water (never HOT water as this will dry your skin further)
Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes each day in plain water or with a foot soak solution
After soaking, towel dry your feet
While feet are still damp, use a natural pumice stone on the cracked areas, only going in one direction. Do this over a towel to catch falling dry skin.
Moisturize with a pure Shea Butter liberally all over the affected area and pop on some cotton socks for a few hours.
Daily treatments may be required for several days.
Once the skin is back to normal, a daily application of moisturizing cream should be used.
A once a week treatment of the heels in the shower using a pumice stone will help maintain your touchably soft feet.

NOTE- If your heels are flaky, burning, itchy and not just dry and cracked, this may be a sign of a fungal infection. See a doctor for treatment.

SudsMuffin products to help your feet and heels:
Spa Fresh Foot Soak with Peppermint Tea Tree
Peppermint Tea Tree Foot Cream with Jojoba Micro-Beads
Whipped Shea Butter

Re-labeling is a lot of work

2009-08-29T08:35:00.006-03:00

Now that we have our new logo all done, Mrs SudsMuffin has been working hard at changing out the labels on all our products. This ensure a unified look throughout the whole store. And let's face it, that bubbly muffin looks awesome! Here's a look at some of the products with their new faces on.

I don't know about you, but I love the look! Let me know what you think.

My Sign is Back and has a BooBoo

2009-08-24T17:11:00.008-03:00

Well our SudsMuffin sign was found and rescued and returned to us. It's a bit beat up from the obvious fall from the remnants of Hurricane Bill, but we'll see what Plasticraft have to say about it when they come by to check it out tomorrow. Overall though, I'm glad we have it back. I was a bit stressed about it today, to say the least. Welcome back home my beautiful bubbly sign!

**Aug 26- Update: We've turned the sign back over to Plasticraft and they are going to see if they can fix it. Stay tuned!

HELP!

2009-08-24T09:25:00.012-03:00

I just arrived at the shop and my beautiful sign is gone! If you have seen it, please let me know! It seems that Hurricane Bill treated it rather unkindly and it came loose and fell to the ground. If you know who has rescued it, please let me know as it is quite costly to replace. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, SudsMuffin

Dancing in the rain

2009-08-23T22:01:00.008-03:00

A few weeks ago, we were invited to participate in "Art in the Park" today on the beautiful Fundy Trail Parkway, just passed St Martins. Knowing that Hurricane Bill could be messy in our area today, we were told that if the weather was bad that the sale would be held in the Interpretive Center at the end of the Parkway. We packed up the SudsMuffinMobile with our favourite SudsMuffin products (and la familia SudsMuffin) and headed out for the 90 minute trek. When we arrived at the park, we were informed that the sale had been postponed until the following weekend due to the weather, which at that time was just a fair drizzle.

The Park attendant said that there was going to be a concert later that day in the Interpretive Center and that we were still welcome to go set up in there. So we decided that after driving all that way we would go and see what was going on. The folks at the Center apologized for not letting us know in advance that the event had been postponed but they welcomed us with enthusiasm and made us feel right at home. (The free coffee was nice).

We set up our display and waited for people to arrive. Although the crowd was small, we had a successful sales day nevertheless. Our MiniMuffin even got to view a huge tidal surge, safely of course. Moreover, there was a great deal of buzz created by our presence and many people are awaiting our return for the sale next week. This just goes to show you that when the weather isn't perfect, you just have to learn to dance in the rain.

A Father's Pride

2009-08-20T06:21:00.000-03:00

This past Saturday, I took my 11 year old daughter to watch the Pride parade. I felt that it was important for her to experience it. She really enjoyed watching all the colors and all the different people. We then went down to where the parade was culminating so I could meet my cousin, whom I did not know existed until about 2 months ago. My MiniMuffin had great fun mixing with the people, talking to those she knew and making new friends.

She was so excited to meet her new cousin that she jabbered about him all the way back to the SudsMuffin shop. She asked me what the parade was for so I did my best to explain it to her and I think she got the gist. She asked me what trans gender was. I explained my understanding to her and she came back with "so they just got put in the wrong bodies." The final question I asked her was "what was special about all the people in the parade?" She answered "nothing. They are all people just like me." Now, isn't that the whole point?

Shea Butter- Did you know?

2009-08-18T19:40:00.006-03:00

In the last couple of years, there have been more and more commercial products on the shelves of drug and department stores that contain "Shea Butter". These products extol the virtues of this purported miracle butter but do you really know what it is and where it comes from?

Shea Butter (pronounced shee as in tea) comes from a tree native to several West African countries including Ghana, Togo and Niger.

The Shea (or Karite) tree first produces its first fruits at about 20 yrs of age. At 45 years of age, the tree reaches full maturity. The tree will produce nuts for up to 200 years after maturity.

Shea butter is most known for its properties as a moisturizer and emollient. There have been unverified claims that it is also an anti-inflammatory agent. The current market for shea butter says that it is effective at treating the following conditions: eczema, burns, rashes (works for me), acne, blemishes, stretch marks, wrinkles, severely dry skin and chapped lips. Shea butter has natural UV sun protection but the amount can vary from nothing to approximately SPF 6, making it not the most reliable sun protection. Shea butter, if used properly and sparingly, absorbs into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling.

Shea butter is also favored among soapmakers because not all of its complex fats can be saponified (turned into soap), thus small amounts of oil stay in the soap, which in turn helps to keep moisture in the skin after bathing.

A word of caution if you have an allergy to latex: shea butter contains naturally occurring latex, though in minute quantities, but it can cause irritation or hives in people with this sensitivity.

Shea butter is also a very heavy butter and the adage of "less is more" definitely applies. Too much shea butter will sit on the surface of your skin and you may find the feeling unpleasant due to the excess greasiness.

Shea butter is melted and solidified in a very specific way so as to align the shea fibers and fatty crystals. If shea butter is remelted, it may form fatty crystals in it. These are harmless and can be massaged in to the skin but some people prefer their shea to be smooth and silky in texture.

If you want the best shea butter product, always look for it to appear high on the list of ingredients. This ensures a higher percentage of shea in the final product. Look for unrefined and fairly traded shea butter whenever possible. Unrefined shea maintains a characteristically nutty scent and varies from a creamy almond colour to golden or having a greenish tinge. Unrefined shea is closest to its natural form and is purported to be the most effective in this state.

Experiment with solid shea, whipped butters and other shea concoctions and see if it measures up to your own expectations. Personally, we are shea users for life.

(SudsMuffin whipped shea butter: get it here)

A True Story about Social Networking

2009-08-14T19:24:00.017-03:00

Ever wonder what the big deal is with social networking? What is the hype all about? Well here's a simple little story about it that relates directly to me and to my little soap store in a small city on the east coast of Canada. I think this will help get the message across.

Recently, a great little restaurant called the Urban Deli opened in my city. I tried the food there and loved it so I blogged about it [here]. Then I posted on Twitter about my newest blog post [follow me on Twitter]. A local Tweeter saw my message and re-Tweeted it. The Urban Deli folks saw the re-Tweet and they even blogged about it [here].

A few days later, a customer walked into our store and bought from us, saying that she saw us mentioned on the Urban Deli blog. So it all came around full circle, thanks to Social Networking.

Here's a visual aid I drew up to demonstrate how it worked for us.

It's Time to Party

2009-08-13T23:59:00.006-03:00

Are you at a loss for a great birthday party activity for your child's next birthday? How about an in-home MiniMuffin party with SudsMuffin? Kids from 8 to 16 will have a blast making their own bath and body products. It could be any three of the following: soap, lotion, bath salt, lip balm or perfume (depending on age). They get to mix up, color and scent their products from a variety of great choices.

The best part is we supply all the equipment, ingredients, packaging and more. The only thing that you need to supply is your home, eager kids, a kitchen table and a microwave (we will bring one if you don't have one, for an additional cost). Afterward we look after the clean up, and the kids get to take home a bag of goodies that they made themselves.

Book a party today. (Saint John NB and area only)

Just the Fax Ma'am

2009-08-13T19:55:00.004-03:00

Just a quick thank you to MP Rodney Weston's office for allowing me the use of their fax machine this morning. The young lady at the desk was very helpful. Thank you very much, once again.

I Support Local... Most of the Time

2009-08-12T07:42:00.001-03:00

I had to send a local fax last week and so I went to a local shop that offers those services. It was a 10 page document which I had printed on my laser printer so they were perfect originals. I arrived at the unnamed shop at 4:40pm and began scanning my document through. By 5:05pm, it was only on page of the send transmission. I couldn't believe how long it was taking and had I known beforehand, I would have gone elsewhere.

Finally at 5:25pm, my local, 10 page fax transmission was complete; a full 45 minutes after I had started. I was now late for another engagement. Mrs SudsMuffin had to leave without me to go pick up MiniMuffin from her day camp and then come all the way back into town to pick me up. What an inconvenience, to say the least. Then even with the painfully slow sending fax, this business charged me $1 per page (yes, for a local fax). I couldn't believe it. It's not the cost that I had an issue with so much as the fact that their fax machine was so slow that it caused me a fair bit of inconvenience. I would have been embarrassed to charge my customer for that fax, had I been that local business.

The next day, I met with the person I had sent the fax to. I couldn't believe what I saw. She had received 10 pages of a streaky mess. Every pages had streaks all the way down and across the entire page. When I asked her about it, she told me that the issue wasn't even on her end since she has "fax to email" from the local phone provider and that my streaky document is how she received it as the pdf in her email, before even printing it.

Later that same day, I went back to the business where I had sent my fax from, with a copy of my original and a copy of the received transmission. I went in very friendly (if you know me, you'll know that I'm pretty calm and low-key with things like this) and as soon as I started to show the business owner what their fax sent to my recipient, he got all defensive, with a fists on hips stance. He started sputtering that it was the phone line that sent it that way, that he has no control over the quality of the transmission, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

I didn't even get to the part where my recipient receives faxes electronically day in and day out. I just left. Mrs SudsMuffin is not pleased with that business at all. She has given them hundreds of dollars in business in the past year (they sell items there that we use), and even though they aren't the least expensive option, we have given them our business because we support local over big box stores. Mrs SudsMuffin has a list of things that she wanted to get from this business, but no more. I can't believe that a small business would risk so much in this economy over an $11 fax. Crazy isn't it?

Our Fall Lineup

2009-08-10T21:18:00.007-03:00

The summer will soon be drawing to a close and we can look toward what is my favorite time of the year. Autumn, the fall, the time that the most amazing colors start to take the place of our expansive green canopy. Then there are the scents, all of which bring out the most delicious memories. Apples, bright and crisp in color and taste, made into tarts, muffins and delectable, wondrous, awesome pies. Then there is my MOST favorite fall fruit of all, the amazing, versatile, divine, delightful, big, beautiful orange pumpkin. I can't wait for the scent of cooking pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin preserves and more. The mix of spices send me into a virtual euphoria of excitement. These are the kind of scents that you can expect from our new fall line, available soon. Currently on our curing shelf are our Frosted Spiced Pumpkin Souffle soap muffins, as seen in the attached photo.

What are your favorite fall scents and memories? Let us know by leaving a comment. We would love to hear about them.

A wonderful day

2009-08-08T21:03:00.009-03:00

The Muffin clan had a great day yesterday. At the store, we had more people in from the cruise ship than we have ever had! They all really enjoyed our store and all took home a menu to remind them of their visit. We also had the chance to enjoy some of the most delectable sweets in the city from "On The Sweet Side" in the Saint John City Market (Thanks Yolanda and Samantha).

For lunch, we enjoyed the awesome french fries from Urban Deli and fruit smoothies from Sagrati 's in the City Market. Later, MiniMuffin and I went out and about, handing out our SudsMuffin menus and party flyers, we found some that there was a free concert going on in King's Square. I listened to them for a while and MiniMuffin decided that she wanted to splash around in the fountain under the bandstand. It was so great to just be there in that atmosphere, with great music, and all the people just enjoying the warm sunny day in the Square.

Just as we were about to close up the shop, some nice folks from the cruise ship came in to see what we were all about. We ended up chatting with them quite a bit. They were from New York and just loved our store. Before they went on their way, they shared the name of a shop that they love in Virginia, called On A Whim Antiques. They are apparently situated in a big barn and have painted the silo pink with black polka dots. I don't know about you, but I think they would get along with the SudsMuffin just fine. Check out their blog and you'll see some of the great treasures they have.

Book Your SudsMuffin Spa Party Today

2009-08-06T07:00:00.000-03:00

Be the first to book a SudsMuffin Spa Party this month and receive an extra bonus of a basket of SudsMuffin Stuff worth over $40!

Read on:

Are you and your gal pals looking for something different to do? When was the last time you were pampered? Just book a SudsMuffin Spa Party and we'll treat you and your guests to a fun night of Spa treats right in your own home.

As the host or hostess, you receive:

A SudsMuffin T-shirt (pink or black) in adult sizes sm to xl
Credits towards purchase based on show sales
A chance to sample our most popular products
Hand and foot massages for anyone willing
Fantastic Hostess gift
And maybe more little surprises!

Reserve your date now at sudsmuffin@rogers.com

A SudsMuffin Soap Story

2009-08-04T20:31:00.016-03:00

Our soap starts simply; a carefully measured amount of pure water and sodium hydroxide (the magic ingredient that transforms ordinary elements into soap). To this mixture we add pure raw silk and a natural moisturizing agent. In a separate gleaming stainless steel pot, we melt solid oils, removing then from the heat when the last of the oils have slowly disappeared like melting ice. Now we add specially selected liquid oils.

We blend our very own original recipe of oils together, each one chosen for their unique properties that allow our soap to be so long lasting and very wonderfully moisturizing.

Now comes the tricky part of blending. It is this action where the transformation begins. The combined oils and lye water mixture have to be stirred until just the right consistency. This is called bringing the soap to trace. It cannot be too hot or too cool as this can cause unwanted reactions in the process. Once the proper trace has been reached, we add one of our amazing scents that we take great care and time to choose. There are many fragrances that have not measured up to our standards. Hundreds of samples have not agreed with our finicky noses. After all, you have to love it to sell it. We source from some of the best fragrance providers in the business. Our essential oils are from all over the world and are chosen for both their purity and aroma.

On with the soap magic. Sometimes it requires an extra step or two to bring about our wonderful creations. We may separate a portion of the traced soap from the main batch in order to add extras to it, such as any number of our glorious, vibrant colors, clays, oxides or botanicals. This bit of withheld soap is then mixed back in to make an eye catching swirl. It is somewhat like pouring a marble cake. Or the withheld soap can be layered in to give the illusion of frosting or to be one of the layers of a spectacular multi-layered soap cake, complete with soapy sprinkles, icing or "chocolate" curls.

Next it's time for the mold. Each of our handmade wooden treasures was created just for us by skilled local craftsmen to our exact specifications. Each mold is painstakingly hand lined for every pour. We reuse our mold liners as many times as possible to minimize waste and help do our green part.

The freshly mixed soap, now at just the right thickness and temperature, is ever so carefully and gently poured into waiting prepared molds. We carefully pick up the mold and set it gently into a low warmed oven to start the gelling phase. It is this gelling that completes the chemical process of turning all of the wonderful ingredients into SudsMuffin soap. The heat has to be just right and the process very carefully watched. The gelling process is something that is not always predictable so we take great care to watch it like a soufflé through the oven door to ensure nothing is amiss. Once the gelling starts, the change happens very quickly and within minutes the new batch of soap is ready to pull from the oven and set aside to cool so it can be cut the next day.

After cutting the soap with our special cutter, the new bars or cakes or muffins are then set on a curing rack for as long as four weeks until they are ready to be served up in your home for you to enjoy every last soapy crumb.

SudsMuffin Menus

2009-08-04T19:10:00.005-03:00

Introducing the brand new SudsMuffin menu. These were the brainchild of my brilliant Mrs SudsMuffin and I just love them. The main purpose of these was to provide our customers a quick reference guide to what we have in the shop, but something very neat has happened. Our customers love them so much that they want to take them home. We had not planned on that but are happy to hand them over. These simple little whimsical menus are proving to be quite the marketing tool. I found the response overwhelmingly positive on our customers' part. I am now handing these out pretty much wherever I go. Keep an eye out for me and ask for yours.

Happy New Brunswick Day!

2009-08-03T19:58:00.003-03:00

Just a quick note to say thank you to all of the great folks who came into the shop while we were open today. If anyone missed us, come by the shop any day this week between 10am and 5pm. I will be glad to help you with what you need.

A review - Urban Deli

2009-08-03T19:29:00.009-03:00

Wow! What a lunch! Anyone who knows me knows I love food. I love all kinds of food. I thrive on the not only the tastes, but the textures, aromas, the sound of food cooking, from boiling water to the sizzle of a beautiful cut of salmon under the broiler. I love food. That being established, I want to tell you about a place that is new to the uptown Saint John area. This wonderful spot is called the Urban Deli and it is located on King St, just down the hill from the Royal Bank.

I was in love the moment I walked through the front door. The ambiance and decor were just to my liking. The staff was extremely friendly, and the best part was you could see the chefs in action. The menu, while not complicated, is original and fresh, boasting marvelous soups, salads and bistro sandwiches that are to die for.

I had the most delicious grilled cheese ever. We are not talking run of the mill here people, I mean there were three totally divine cheeses in this huge sandwich (aged white cheddar, swiss and fontina), grilled just right and served with the best french fries ever. Mrs SudsMuffin had an amazing bowl of fresh macaroni in a double cheese sauce (aged cheddar and swiss). I was completely satisfied and will definitely be making a return trip to this most amazing establishment.

Thank you Urban Deli for a truly great food experience. You get 5 bubbles from the SudsMuffin.

The What and Why of Bath Salts

2009-08-01T01:33:00.008-03:00

Salt, Zout, Sel, Sale, Sal, Saill or Salainnich... however you want to say it, this natural mineral found all over the world in a variety of forms has been used for centuries for relaxation and healing. There are many uses for salt, including but not limited to the following: bath salts, deodorant and the most widely know use as a flavor enhancer.

Today I am only going to be speaking on bath salts. I use sea salt and a salt called Magnesium Sulfate, commonly known as epsom salt. The benefits of using bath salts are as follows:

Softens hard water
Helps improve circulation
Reduces tenderness to bruised skin and muscles
Aids in healing dry skin (making it more supple and soft)
Helps with irritations like insect bites, minor rashes or foot calluses
Has been noted to reduce bacteria count on the body, giving the immune system a helping hand

Please note: Persons who are pregnant or have high blood pressure should always consult with their medical practitioner before using bath salts. Also when using bath salts, make sure your water is not too hot. Very hot baths over long periods will dry out your skin and can lead to dehydration.

Bath salts made with essential oils may have the added value of aromatherapy. If you have a specific need, contact a certified aromatherapist or natural practitioner and they should be able to recommend the most appropriate oils for you. A few commonly used essential oils in bath salts are peppermint for a refreshing cooling bath, lavender for a relaxing bath, and eucalyptus to ease breathing and congestion.

Always follow safe usage and dilution practices when dealing with essential oils, and check with your physician prior to using them if you are pregnant or have any persistent medical condition.

Our ever changing store

2009-07-30T00:29:00.007-03:00

Wow! What a great week so far. First was the addition of our new t-shirts, which feature our way awesome new logo, designed by Cindy Price of "3 Cats and a Designer". Thank you so much Cindy. Our shirts come in a variety of sizes, in both SudsMuffin Pink with a black logo and black with a pink logo.

Next was the installation of our new hanging sign, designed also by Cindy Price and made for us by Plasticraft. Shaun from Plasticraft came today and was quick, efficient and very pleasant. It took all of about 30 minutes to install and the new sign totally exceeds my expectations. Thank you Plasticraft for a job well done.

Show your skin some love

2009-07-25T21:32:00.006-03:00

Your skin: How often do you give more than a casual glance to the organ that surrounds you and holds you together? Many times we fail to even recognize the fact that our skin serves as more than the bonding agent of our physical being. Our skin is the primary defense of our delicate inner organs. Our skin can detect large degrees of temperature change that our brains can interpret as safe or dangerous. Many times what we tend to do is completely ignore these signals as they sometimes tend to interfere in our activities. We ignore these signals at our own risk. If your skin starts to approach a level of exposure that is dangerous, it will let you know by sending out a signal that says "Hey! Feel that! I'm burning here! Fix it or get me out of here!"

There are several steps that you can take to help your skin be as effective as possible at doing its job. One of the best ways to help your skin is to stay moisturized. This will allow your skin to keep its elasticity and keep it from cracking, which could allow infection causing pathogens into the skin.

Here are some key ways to avoid drying out your skin.

Water: Drink lots of it. Two 250ml glasses in the morning, 1 at lunch, 2 at supper and 1 at night before bed. I know that seems like you might float away but if you replace drinking soda, coffee or tea and other liquids with water, you may not notice at all.
Bathing: Try to limit long, very hot baths or showers, and soaking for more than 15 minutes in the sauna or hot tub. I know, I'm a spoil sport.
Sunblock: Pretend you're corn on the cob and sunscreen is butter. Slather it on people. The higher the SPF (Sun Protection Factor), the better.
Moisturizer: Make use of a high quality moisturizer or facial serum before bed.
Soap: Use a good quality handmade soap that is rich in natural oils instead of commercial detergent bars, which are not soap at all and can just dry out and irritate your skin. Visit our website for a selection of natural or nearly natural soaps.

As a treat to all you wonderful readers, I am including a recipe that you can make at home. This cream should keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Aloe & Cucumber Cream
Aloe has long been noted for the soothing effects of its juice and Cucumber has been recognized as a natural skin refresher and toner. The oils are used to moisturize and the honey and beeswax will provide softening and heavy smoothing. This is an awesome hand and body cream.

You will need:
30 ml (2 tbsp) aloe vera gel
1 medium peeled and seeded cucumber
30 ml (2 tbsp) apricot kernel oil (available at SudsMuffin)
15 ml (1 tbsp) coconut oil (available at SudsMuffin)
59 ml (4 tbsp) beeswax melted (available at SudsMuffin)
5 ml (1 tsp) honey

After cutting the cucumber into several pieces, use your blender or food processor to puree it. Strain the liquid and add the aloe vera gel to the cucumber juice and mix very well. In a double boiler on the stove, melt the beeswax and honey. After the wax has melted, slowly add both oils while stirring, then gently stir in the cucumber aloe mix a little at a time. Remove from heat and cover, stir slowly every 4 to 5 minutes until cool. Once cool store in the refrigerator.

Take a virtual tour of our shop

2009-07-25T12:19:00.004-03:00

Party, Party, Party

2009-07-21T13:39:00.003-03:00

The SudsMuffin is now free to do in home SudsMuffin Spa Parties and MiniMuffin Kids' Parties so be sure to book yours before the spots are all taken. We will come to your house and take care all the details. Contact us for further info at SudsMuffin@rogers.com

Would like to have your testimonials

2009-06-30T13:23:00.004-03:00

HI to all you SudsMuffinites.

I am currently looking for real testimonials from you, my loyal customers both old and new.

I would like to hear from each and every one of you. What did you love best about the product, did you find the service good, was the product priced right, how did it help you (if it did), etc. I just want to know how you enjoyed your purchase. Perhaps you gave it as a gift or received it as a gift. Let us know how that was received.

Thanks!

Our incense sticks are back

2009-06-05T10:57:00.003-03:00

I have several brand new batches of my famous Incense Sticks now on the shelves. I have the long-standing favorites of Chocolate and Coconut Cream Sky, plus several new ones including the awesome Fresh Lilac, the delightful Field Berry, the sensuous Sandalwood, and the gentle musky Orange Wood. To complement these great incense sticks, I have procured a limited supply of beautiful soapstone Incense burners made by craftsmen in India. These burners are magnificent yet very simple in design. Each Incense burner sells for $15.00 or you can buy a burner plus 2 packages of Incense for only $20.00. Each Incense pack holds 20 sticks and costs $5.00. See you soon!

Birthday thanks

2009-06-01T08:13:00.003-03:00

Don't you love this picture? Mrs SudsMuffin insists that the balloon boobies were completely unintentional. I don't know but she was the one with the viewfinder. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyhow, a great big thank you to all those who came in to the shop on Saturday for a piece of birthday cake and to wish me a Happy Birthday. It was nice seeing so many people and fun to share with you all. I had a great day, capped by a fun night at the drive-in movies with the family. Thanks again!

A question for you all

2009-05-30T15:27:00.003-03:00

Mrs SudsMuffin and I are working together at the shop today and are thinking about making new products. One item that Mrs SudsMuffin suggested was natural deodorant scented in our ever famous chocolate fragrance. If we made this, would you buy it? Is there a different scent you would be interested in? A different product maybe? Let me know.

The lengths our customer will go for our soap

2009-05-23T14:17:00.002-03:00

A great couple just left our shop with a bag full of SudsMuffiny goodness. They are on their way from Maine to Virginia and wanted to bring some chocolate soap to their daughter. They came to New Brunswick Canada, looking for this elusive soap. Their first stop was to the Chocolate Museum in St Stephen. They referred them to a shop in St Andrews. That shop who then sent them an hour's drive up the coast to the City Market in Saint John, looking for a business that doesn't exist. While walking around the market, they spoke with a girl who told them about us just the next street over. We're so amused with the chain of events that led them from one place to another to finally end up in our shop. We were happy to meet these folks and hope they have a great trip to Virginia.

Another Great MiniMuffins Party

2009-05-23T10:00:00.001-03:00

I would like to thank Jill and Stefan for asking me to host their daughter's birthday party. I had a great time and I think the kids did too! Everyone was attentive, listened well to instructions and they all did a Suds-tastic job! They made soaps, bath salts and yummy smelling lotions. Happy birthday to the Birthday Girl! I hope you all had a blast.

New Packaging

2009-05-20T11:05:00.005-03:00

Just a quick note to let all you loyal SudsMuffinites know that we now have new packaging for our soaps that I am just in love with. I think you will love it too. It's practical, visually pleasing and best of all, it's made from recycled materials! I think you will find that the new boxes will protect your soap, both in-shop and during shipping. It minimizes handling from avid sniffers, keeps it cleaner from dust and looks beautiful even before it's unwrapped. To celebrate the launch of our new packaging, until June 1st 2009, we'll include one of our new jumbo bath bombs with any purchase of $20 or more. Just mention the blog when you order or buy from us.

Super fun Soap kits!

2009-05-20T10:39:00.005-03:00

You asked and I answered. I am very happy to bring to you the news that you and yours can now have great fun crafting soap in your own kitchen! This fun comes in the form of our awesome do-it-yourself soap crafting kits! You can choose your own scents (from 10 fantastic varieties) and colors (blue, red, yellow, green and even pretty glitter). We provide the molds (reusable even!) and you can choose white or clear casting soap. Two droppers are also included to help keep things neat and tidy. We include an instruction sheet that includes hint, tips and ideas of other things to use for molds that you may have around the house. Additional items may be purchased separately.

I am also looking to gauge the interest of anyone looking to take a class in soap crafting. If you are interested, just let me know at sudsmuffin@rogers.com.

New perfumes in great new bottles

2009-05-17T21:10:00.011-03:00

I looked and looked for these all over the place and poof, I found them. These bottles scream SudsMuffin! They looked so awesome that I just had to fill them with some of my best scents. So here you go folks, introducing our new pink bottles of roll on perfumes in these great fragrances. Raspberry, Amor Mio, Sweet Spot, Purple Lilac, Flutterby, and Watermelon.

We also have great new modern spray bottles in brush aluminum. They are both practical and beautiful. To top off their sleek design, they are filled with some of the greatest body and linen spray I have ever made. Choose from Chocolate, Vanilla Cream, or Raspberry. Be sure to get in and try one today, or maybe try two.

Back by popular demand is our Fresh Lilac solid perfume. It smells so true and clean, you will swear you`re in a lilac grove.

SudsMuffin Summer Tips

2009-04-26T11:52:00.009-03:00

Cracked Heels (ouch!)

Summer time will soon be upon us and with the warm air comes sandals and flip-flops. To go along with this style of footwear comes the dreaded cracked heels. This is a malady that is both preventable and readily treatable. We will first look at how to prevent the problem, and then if you're reading this too late, we'll help you treat the problem.

Preventing Cracked Heels

Try to avoid open heeled shoes (sandals, flip-flops)
Daily preventative moisturizing with a moisturizing cream or for more intensive moisturizing use pure Shea Butter)
Exfoliate (pumice stones on wet skin, foot files and Ped-Eggs on dry skin)
Limit hot showers and sauna or hot tubs (hot hot water is your enemy)
Protect your feet in public swimming areas (wear water shoes or aqua socks)

Treating Cracked Heels

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
The main cause of dry, cracked heels is the loss of moisture.

Here are the steps to take to relieve your discomfort:

Soak your feet in warm water (never HOT water as this will dry your skin further)
Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes each day in plain water or with a foot soak solution
After soaking, towel dry your feet
While feet are still damp, use a natural pumice stone on the cracked areas, only going in one direction. Do this over a towel to catch falling dry skin.
Moisturize with a pure Shea Butter liberally all over the affected area and pop on some cotton socks for a few hours.
Daily treatments may be required for several days.
Once the skin is back to normal, a daily application of moisturizing cream should be used.
A once a week treatment of the heels in the shower using a pumice stone will help maintain your touchably soft feet.

An investment for the future

2009-03-03T21:48:00.003-04:00

Maybe I'm crazy but I came upon a great deal for 2 retail display cabinets that I just had to buy them. The crazy part? They are much too big for my current shop and I have no plans to move any time soon. Ah, but when the time comes, I won't need to shell out big money on display cabinets because I will have these babies in storage. What do you think? Good move?

Another Ice Storm and Power Outage

2009-03-03T07:29:00.003-04:00

It was a miserable weather day today, with freezing rain off and on all day long. This meant an armour layer of ice on the car, that required chipping off a few times throughout the day.

On the way home, we noticed truck from the local power utility working on power lines by the breakwater. So for the rest of the drive home Mrs SudsMuffin looked at all the houses for some sign of light within. Nothing. Once we pulled into the driveway, it was obvious that the entire neighbourhood was without power. I got out and quickly shoveled the wet crusty snow from the walkway, getting drenched by the pouring rain in the process. It was then that Mrs SudsMuffin suggested that we just go out for a quick supper. So we went back out and hit the drive through at the local Arby's and headed back home to eat by candlelight.

I left for the evening and Mrs SudsMuffin retired to the bedroom with MiniMuffin and a laptop and they watched The Incredibles from the bed. Apparently they had fun, with an oil lamp lighting the room, the cat snuggled at their feet and the two of them snuggling under the blankets. When the laptop battery died, they switched to the iPod and watched Discovery Channel podcasts that we had downloaded, until that battery died.

Happily the lights came back on just in time for Mrs SudsMuffin to record my favourite shows while I was out for the night. It`s looking better out there today. Safe driving and see you at SudsMuffin!

Winter is never going to end

2009-02-23T07:47:00.003-04:00

Well at least that's how it seems here. We are on our 10th storm of the winter today, and actually the second storm in a week. Approximately 8 inches of snow fell last night with another 8 or more expected today. I'm not sure where to put the snow anymore. As usual, SudsMuffin is closed today (every Monday in fact) and that's probably a good thing given the current weather.

I just wanted to give you all an idea of what's in store for SudsMuffin very soon. We recently marked the second year of our store in Saint John NB. We are working on a sign to go above the window of the store. Hopefully that will make us even easier to find as folks drive by. We are going to be replacing the carpet in the shop and will be bringing in new products, scents, packaging, some larger sizes of bath salts at an even better value price, and as previously mentioned soap crafting supplies, crafting kits and new Party in a Box sets for kids birthday parties you can do yourself.

Stay tuned for more news!

Welcome to a new SudsMuffin

2009-02-20T01:05:00.005-04:00

Wow! wow! wow! Have we got some great news for all you SudsMuffin fans! We are in the midst of a brand new relaunch of our shop and one the major changes that we are going to be making is the addition of soapmaking supplies and kits. That's right, we are going to be carrying melt and pour casting soap. We will be doing take home party kits so you can host your own SudsMuffin birthday party or just for a fun day with some friends. Keep an eye on the blog to see when all this will be available.

Christmas come and gone

2009-01-05T23:44:00.001-04:00

Well another Christmas has come and gone and I am happy to report that the shop was very very busy over the holidays. I would like to extend a super huge thank you to our friends and customers both old and new, especially the folks who drove from Sussex in a snow storm to get to us before we closed! We at SudsMuffin hope that you and yours had a wonderful and safe time this Christmas.

Sign up for our SudsMuffin Group on Facebook

2008-12-01T09:39:00.002-04:00

If you haven't yet, make sure you sign up now! Every signup gives you a chance to win our fabulous SudsMuffin gift basket (pictured in the previous post). If you invite your friends, not only do they get a chance to win, but you get an extra chance for each person who signs us that you invited. Just drop me a line with the names of the friends you invited at "sudsmuffin @ rogers.com" (remove the spaces on each side of the @ symbol) and I'll take care of the rest.

Good luck!

Rolling into Christmas

2008-11-28T19:39:00.008-04:00

In a few days it will be December already. Where has this year gone? It's been a crazy, busy year, that's for sure. We are making more and more products, have added lots of new scents and introduced popular new items too (like our Sweet Spot and Chocolate Sugar Scrubs).

We are currently preparing for a pre-Christmas Open House in our shop. There will be hot chocolate and shortbread cookies, a pink snowflake cutting table, a giveaway of the fabulous $100 gift basket shown here, and special deals for our wonderful customers.

Sign up for the SudsMuffin Newsletter for a chance to win this basket. Receive an additional chance to win for every person who signs up for the newsletter indicating they were referred by you. Good luck and happy holidays!

Another Craft Show over

2008-11-20T23:52:00.001-04:00

Well the Pioneer Christmas Craft Festival has come and gone. I want to thank all of my customers, new and returning, who helped to make it such a great success. A special thanks goes out to Ashley for watching the table on one day while I attended another craft show about an hour away in St George, and Mrs SudsMuffin tended to the store. I would also like to extend a big, BIG thank you to Maxine for the repeat invite again this year. The St George folks were just as wonderful as last year.

On another note, our new 6 packs of bath bombs were a huge hit, as well as the new Sweet Pea and Winter Whisper soaps. We look forward to seeing all you folks in our shop before Christmas.

Ashley & the Pioneer Christmas Craft Festival

The St George Craft Show & our new Bath Bomb 6 packs

Asian Fruit!

2008-09-12T00:56:00.004-03:00

I made a double batch of soaps today. The first was of our ever-popular Satsuma Sunrise (pictured here) . I've been having a hard time keeping that one in stock. It rightfully flies off the shelf. The second was our of brand NEW Fuji Ginger Apple. This excellent two-colour soap has a bright apple overtone with a slightly spicy ginger backnote.