The Valhalla Voice

Weird Stuff In My Desk

2008-04-18T17:05:00.003-07:00

Check out this great review on some of our products. We sure appreciate the kind words from customer Rachel and her great review on her fun blog; Weird Stuff In My Desk.

While your there take some time to cruise around the blog as there's lots of other really interesting stuff. You'll find book reviews, free stuff, shopping and product review and more.
Enjoy!!

New Shopping Experience

2008-02-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

If you've noticed that things have looked kind of sparse around the 'ole Valhalla website, well....you'd be right. We haven't done any updating since the holidays. That's because we have been very busy upgrading to a new shopping cart. We are very excited to be able to offer our customers a new, more efficient shopping experience.

With you register your new account, you can now take part in various services we were preciously unable to offer you. Some of these services include:

Permanent Cart - Any products added to your online cart remain there until you remove them, or check them out. This is a handy feature in case you get interrupted, or bumped offline.

Address Book - We can now deliver your products to another address other than yours! This is perfect to send birthday, Secret Pal, or other Holiday Gifts direct to the giftee themselves.

Order History - Can't remember the name of that great bar of soap, or the scent of that luscious lotion you ordered last time? Just look it up! View your history of purchases that you have made with us.

Products Reviews - Share your opinions on products with our other customers. When you share a review of a product that you have used in the past, we will send you a Coupon Code good for 10% off your next order.

Create Your Own Package Deals - Now you can save money and time by putting together you own packages. Select soap pages have matching lotions and body sprays right there at a discount on the same page. No need to wander all over the site looking them.

We've also added a few new soaps and are trying to get pictures done to get up on the site. So stop by and check out the new digs. For a limited time, when you Register with our new site, we will email you a Coupon Code good for 10% your first purchase.

Drop us line telling us what you think of the new shopping cart. We'd love to hear your thoughts. And don't forget to Register to get that 10% off coupon.

Blessings!!

Patience!! Part 2

2008-01-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

The saga continues all through the week, but yesterday was the icing on the cake. And a valuable lesson learned.
I opened the door to my workshop yesterday morning and the blast of hot air that hit me in the face sent an instant wave of panic though me. I immediately scanned the interior for flames. Whew!! No flames, no fire. That checked off, now I needed to find the heat source. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had forgotten to turn down to free standing heater when I closed up the workshop the night before (the shop has no independent heat source yet and in winter here it can get down to 20 degrees in there. So we set the heater low at night to keep the shop at around 50 degrees when no one is working). Instantly I begin mentally berating myself and playing the "what-if" game in my head. "You idiot, you could have burned the shop down. You would have lost thousands of dollars worth of supplies & equipment. All your inventory would have been lost. And possibly the cars in the carport. You know better! Blah, blah, blah."

While mentally abusing myself I was doing a once over of everything to be sure that the heat had not done any damage. All appeared to be well. That is until I turned to the stainless counter top. This is where most of the expensive equipment is; scales, microwave, industrial mixer, etc. I noticed what appeared to be a large pool of water over most of the surface area of the counter including under all of the equipment. I had left a 2 gallon container of distilled water on the counter the day before so I assumed that it has somehow expanded in the heat and sprung a leak. Ok, if that was the worst outcome of my absent mindedness, no worries.

However, there's alway a However, . I ran my finger through the puddle, and I realized that it wasn't water. It was oil. I buy all my fixed oils that go into soapmaking in large bulk quantities. But for easier managability, I transfer smaller amounts into 1-3 lb size bottles, buckets or bags and store them on the shelf above my counter. After inspecting the shelf I saw that my bag of pricey, decadent Babassu oil was empty where there had once been just a bit over a pound in it. Yep!! That pricey pound of oil was now all over my counter! It could not have been a less expensive oil, NO. It had to be one of the spendy ones.

It was a chore to clean up I tell ya. Lots of newspaper to absorb the mess. I was so disgusted knowing that this awesome oil was just being absorbed into newsprint and thrown into the garbage. Thankfully not of the equipment was damaged. It all has raised feet and kept it sitting up out of the oil. Just a little foot washing and it was l good as new, lol. And after cleaning up, my hands were very nice and soft ;)

Lesson learned: Don't leave the shop without going over the new checklist hanging by the door.

Lights off
Stove off
Small appliances unplugged
Refridgerater door closed
HEATER TURNED DOWN

Today is a new day. And I'm taking the day off. My husband has the day off, so we are going to the movies. We are trying to decide if we will see The Bucket List, or The Golden Compass. I'm not sure which it will be. But I am sure, that there will be no soaping disasters today. At least not for this soaper :)

Patience!! Part 1

2008-01-11T04:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gone through time when it seemed nothing went right? Everything you'd pick up you would immediately drop? Everytime you would go to turn around you would run into something or trip over the dog/cat? That items you ordered and needed to arrive on time would be late or backordered? Traffic would be backed up when you are already late for an appointment? I could go on but I think you catch my drift :) Well, this week has been a lesson in patience for me. Because it has been all of the above and more.

Lets start with soapmaking. As most of you know if you have visited our site lately, we are seriously out of stock on most everything. The holiday rush put the hurt on us (in a good way). So, I've been in a frenzy trying to get soap made to re-stock. We've gotten in some fantastic new fragrance oils for the new year and I've been itching to soap them so I made a deal with myself that I had to do two soap to re-stock per day if I wanted to soap a new one. So, that means 3 batches a day plus keep up with incoming orders. No problem when things run smoothly.

I was looking forward to showing my new helper how to make soap and I just new we would be caught up in no time and with lots of new scents to boot. Well, good and bad news comes along via my new helper. GOOD NEWS: She's pregnant!!!! YEA!!!! They wanted another baby badly. so this is great. We're all excited. BAD NEWS: A few days later she comes down with an upper respiratory bug of some sort and it has really kicked her butt. And on top of it, morning sickness turns into afternoon sickness with dizziness. Poor thing is double-whammied!!!

Ok, I'm on my own this week. No biggy, I was on my own before I can do it again. Monday comes and I knock out two out of stock soap and get ready to do a new men's scent; Cedar & Sage. Well, I recently decided to "color outside the lines" and try FD&C colorants. Until now all I've ever used are natural pigments. so, I'm thinking that I'll try and go for a redish-cedar color for this fantastic scent. The fragrance oil soaps up fine, it doesn't misbehave, I color it and it is a beautiful cedar color. In the mold it goes. Tuesday morning I'm anxious to unmold my masterpiece. I pull away the blankets and............WHAT?!?!?! Please NO!! Please mind, tell me I'm seeing things. Tell me that this soap IS NOT PINK?!?!?! But sadly it was. Actually kind of a pinkish salmon color. But not any where close to being the rich redish cedar color that it was the day before :(

So how am I to market a wonderful masculine smelling soap to men? When it is PINK!! If anyone you men are reading then and you are in touch with, or not threatened by your feminine side, lol, I've got a great smelling, awesome lathering bar of soap for you!! And who knows, you ladies just might like it too :)

Candle Blitz at Valhalla Soap Company!

2007-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

It's CANDLE WEEK at VSC!!!!

*Save 25% on 9 oz. and 16 oz. Candles!!!

We're excited about several NEW scents that past our tests like Nana's Sugar Cookie's, Happy Hour, Ancient Myrrh, Indigo Sugar, and Amber Vanilla just to name a few. So we wanted to celebrate with all our customers by having a sale. You don't need any codes, the price has already been reduced in shopping cart. Our candles can always be found on our Home Fragrance Page. To go shopping Click Here.

Hurry, sale ends Friday, December 9th, 2007 at 12:00 Midnight PST.

Free Shipping on U.S. Retail Orders over $65!

*Limited to stock on hand at time of purchase. Candle purchases cannot be combined with any other discounts. To use your valid coupons or discount vouchers, please put your coupon code in the comments box instead of the voucher box and will manually adjust your total.

Black Friday Sale!!

2007-11-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Winter is making a grand entrance here in northeastern Washington and it is cold! A mere 21 degrees as I type this. In this weather, who wants to go outside and fight the crowds, the cold, the wind to do your shopping? Not us! That's why we are going to try and help you out a bit by having our first ever Black Friday Sale. So you can shop from the comfort and warmth of home and save some cash too. We have added lots of new products since our last newsletter. So grab a cuppa and enjoy the savings.

Black Friday Savings!

Come celebrate Black Friday with us. Save 20% on all your purchases for One Day Only! Sale begins at 12:01 am and ends at 12:00 Midnight PST. We've added lots of new items to check out. So have fun shopping.
Our shopping cart stamps the time of the order, so no sneaky early birds *wink*

All Orders receive a Free Gift!*
All Orders over $50 receive a Free bar of soap!*
All Orders over $65 receive Free Shipping!*

With savings this great you can even pick up a few goodies for yourself.
Go ahead! You deserve it!

Save 20%

Use Coupon/Voucher Code: BLACK (at checkout)

Be sure to share the love with friends and family by telling them all about the One Day Black Friday Sale at Valhalla Soap Company!

Offer Expires: Nov. 23, 2007, 12:00 Midnight PST

As always, it is our mission to provide you with superior products, affordable pricing, and impeccable customer service. If you have any questions about our any of product offerings, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Donna Dimick &
The Valhalla Clan
Valhalla Soap Company

*Free Gifts will be our choice of item/fragrance/color. Free Shipping is limited to ordered placed in the Continental U.S. Only. Sales limited to quantities in stock at time of purchase. NO RAIN CHECKS will be issued. Shipping will be via US Priority Mail or UPS. When possible, we will use Flat Rate shipping for heavier orders and refund any shipping difference in applicable. All orders containing Roll On Perfume, or Silky After Bath Oil MUST be shipped USP Ground due to Federal Postal Safety Regulations. No Exceptions! Estimated turn around time on orders will be 3-5 business days. Orders will be processed in the order in which they were received. PayPal orders that are not paid at the same time order is website processed will be canceled.

We Welcome Fall!

2007-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a while. Things have been very busy over the summer. The Farmer's Markets kept us hopping and we are happy to see Fall and cooler weather. With it comes some fun new scents for both soaps and candles. It has been a delightful change of pace as all the new bottle of yummy, warm aromas arrive via UPS, and we are having a blast opening and sniffing every new bottle. Some of the new scents include Night Magic (seen at right), Spiced Pumpkin, Cranberry-Orange Harvest, Mystic Myrrh, Glow Wine, Apple Jack & Peel, Oakmoss, Blue Moon, and Iced Gingerbread (shown below left), just to name a few. Some have already
been made into soaps and/or candles and are available on the website. Others are still waiting their turn to be made into something delish!

We also have many new Candle scents available. Choose from Fall/Holiday scents such as: Apple Jack & Peel, Bayberry, Bewitching, Christmas Past, Cranberry Orange Harvest, Glow Wine (cinn.,cloves & spices), Iced Gingerbread Cookie, Jack Frost, Mystic Myrrh, Spiced Chai Tea, Spiced Pumpkin, and Valhalla Vanilla™ with more to come. As well as others in our regular line of candles like: Energize, Lacey's Apple Cobbler, Moonbeams & Magic, Raspberry Blossom, Raspberry Rush, Sea Island Grapefruit, Sexy Pink, Sweetgrass & Sage, and Very Berrylicious.

IN THE SOAP POT-
In the soap pot yesterday was another batch of our top selling Creamy Patchouli Butter Bar from Naturals Line. And a new one, a fabulous Oakmoss scent to add to our Mens Collection. If you have any ideas for a name for this new soap, please drop us a email with the words "oakmoss soap" in the subject line. We were thinking something along the lines of "Oak King", or "Lord/King of the Oaks", well you get the drift. If we pick your name, we'll send you a 10% Off Discount Voucher to use on your next shopping trip on our website.

ANNIVERSAY SALE?-
Keep you eyes peeled and your ear to the ground because before the end of the month we will be celebrating our 5th Anniversary with a Website Wide Sale. We'll announce it here as well as in our newsletter. So be sure and check back.

REVIEWS-
Want free product? Or 15% off your next shopping trip at Valhalla Soap Company? It's easy! Just email us a review of your favorite product that we can post on our website. Tell us which Thank You gift* you'd like; and we'll hook you up. It's that simple.

**Free gift includes (1) standard size bar of soap* of customers choice, OR (1) 4 oz. bottle OR jar of lotion OR cream in customers choice of fragrance*, OR (1) 6 oz jar candle in customers choice of fragrance*. Fragrance choices MUST be chosen from options listed on website, NO custom options available. Soap must be chosen from options available on website, no custom options available.

Farmers Market

2007-08-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

I've been doing two back to back (Saturday & Sunday) for the past 3 weeks. Saturdays is a drag. The town doesn't support it. Has tucked it away back on some side street where no one cane see it or knows that it is there. And the Pres/organizer is a mean, grumpy man. I hate doing that one. The energy there is always horrible. None of the vendors (the whole 5 of them) talk to each other. Everyone follows the Pres. moves. If he tears down early, everyone tears down early. Every week I say that I'm not going to do it again. But oddly enough, I still do fairly well at that market and seem to have a loyal customer base that comes back every week to get stuff or bring their friends to shop. I'm very torn as to what to do. This market keeps loosing more vendors every month. soon it will be dead I'm afraid. It's sad, as it used to be such a strong, healthy, vibrant market before this Pres.

On the flip side. The Sunday market; Humble Earth Farmer's Market is a breath of fresh air. Lots of fun, social, caring, and helpful vendors. Everyone helps each other set up and tear down. One guy who sells organic beef, bbq's every week and sometimes feeds all the vendors free. There is always live music and occasionally prizes given away to the crowd/customers. Free pizza coupons to the kids. Produce/food vendors accept WIC vouchers for mothers of small children and seniors. The energy at this market is all about community and togetherness, not survival of the fittest. And I do very well at this market. My prices are not questioned or frowned upon. I can leave them as is which leaves me room to do great "2/for" and "3/for" Market Specials that the customers love. Even Sunday in the pouring down rain, vendors were out there with happy faces. And the customers still came with umbrellas and money, and still the market did well. And I feel good when I'm there. With winter coming they will be doing a food drive soon. I really love that they focus so much on the community. It's just a fun place to be and be a part of. They also do a Thursday market on the other side of town that I'm seriously considering doing. There are more vendors and more traffic, and from what I hear from these Sunday vendors, the same "family" feel between vendors. Sounds like a winning recipe to me :)

The Lunatic is in the Hall....Er, Woods

2007-08-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

It started innocent enough. It was about 7 pm last night, and I was in the soap shop packing a few orders while a batch of lotion cooled. Then I heard the noise. It sounded like a low flying aircraft. Very low flying. So I poked my head out of the shop, and there it was, a sheriff's helicopter circling round to make a landing in the pasture behind us. A deputy came from the house nearby and met them. they talked for a few moments, then he climbed in and they took off. They then proceeded to fly low in a zig-zag pattern over the nearby and surrounding state forest. After about a 1/2 hour the came back, landed in the pasture again dropping off the deputy and took off for another search of the forest. Eventually we were told that some guy had threatened to harm the woman he was living with,set his truck on fire, and threatened to harm himself and others. He had run off with a big knife and was hiding out in the woods surrounding our houses. Oh Joy!

Today, they still have not found him. He showed up on one lady's back porch and she called 911. But he managed to get away again. They said that he is very familiar with and comfortable in these woods and suspect that he retreated back into them. they also suggested that we set up a neighborhood watch system. Not an easy thing to do since this is a rural area and we all live on acreage and are spread out, not in a housing track. They also told us that if we see him, he is dangerous to not approach him. DUH!!

Needless to say, I didn't finish my work out in the shop last night. And when Matt made his nightly call from work and I told him what was going on, he came straight home. Neither of us slept well last night. And he had to go back to work tonight so I won't be sleeping well tonight. And, I'll only be working in the shop during the day now, with the door locked behind me. I also now take the 3 dogs with me to do chores. Feeding the chickens morning and night, checking the garden, feeding the fish in the pond, filling the bird feeders. Where I once used to wander with thoughtless abandon, I now have my pack with me and my guard up. I do hope that they find this man soon, so that everyone that lives in this peaceful valley will have their peace back once again.

June 24th Freebie Friday Giveaway Winner!!

2007-06-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Renee Neuberger of New York. Renee wins this adorable Patchwork birdhouse donated by Stacy at EOSBGifts.

If you'd like to participate in the next Freebie Friday Giveaway, you need to be a Newsletter Subscriber. So, jump on over and subscribe and then then you'll get the details when the next one comes up. After that, they are fun and easy.

Many thanks to EOSBGifts for sponsoring our contest this month. If you would like to get some great exposure for your business by sponsoring our Friday Night Giveaways, please contact us.

Friday Night Giveaway's

2007-06-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the delay in our Friday Night Giveaway Contest. Life really got in the way the past month.
We lost our website host forcing us to change servers. This caused a nightmare of technical difficulties like you would night believe. At one point our blog even disappeared! We later found it. It had completely replaced our website!! ARG!!!! I'm happy to say (so very happy) that everything is running smoothly now.
We then had family fly in for a week. It had been many years since we had seen them so it was great fun to catch up. And to take them to do the sight-seeing thing.

However, now that things are back to normal (whatever that is) we've got some great prizes lined up from some great businesses that are sponsoring our Friday Night Giveaway. And the next one is this coming Friday. Remember, this is a contest for our newsletter subscribers, so if your not a subscriber and you want to participate you need to rush over to our website and subscribe before Friday. Because all the important details are going to be in Fridays newsletter :)

Friday Night Giveaway's

2007-06-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

We Have A Winner!!!

2007-04-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

For the Friday Night Giveaway that is.

And the winner is: Aliza Abbate

Congratulations Aliza!!

For those that are not aware of what's going on, you need to be a Newsletter Subscriber to enter the Friday Night Giveaway's. After that, they are fun and easy. This week all subscribers had to do was find answers to the following question someplace in our website.

Name 3 things that our family enjoys doing?

And then they just had to email the answers to us. The first 25 people to respond are enter into the drawing. It's that easy. Drawing are held on the following Monday evening.

This weeks prize was a 3 piece bath set which included:
8 oz. Original Formula Hand & Body Lotion
4 oz Bath Bar
2 oz. Silken Mist

Thanks to all those who entered and the personal notes sent with the entries. I loved reading them. It is fun to gain a bit of insight into our customers. Your all a great group of fun folks. The next Friday Night Giveaway is April 27, 2007. Stay tuned and stay clean :-)

If you would like to get some great exposure and free advertising for your business by sponsoring our Friday Night Giveaways, please contact us.

Beating A World Record For A Cause

2007-04-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

Something really amazing is happening in Spokane, WA right now as I write this. A local Radio DJ is trying to break a world record. Big Deal you say. People do that sort of thing every day. But this DJ is not doing this to bring notoriety to himself. No, he is doing it to bring notoriety of a different kind, to a local Non-Profit Organization.

See, recently a little girl named Summer Phelps, 4 years old was abused and killed by her parents. This case has sent shock throughout the community. Maybe had the parents known about the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery they would have gotten help. Maybe Summer would be alive today.

The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery is a friend to families in crisis. When families are facing any kind of crisis that impedes their ability to provide safe care for their children, they are here to help. They provide short-term shelter and care for children, and services to help parents create a more stable and nurturing home environment. They offer the services free of charge in a safe, non-judgmental and supportive atmosphere, such as 72-hour residential child care for children under the age of seven, Parenting classes, Referrals to other community services and resources, 24-hour parenting crisis line.

Enter Keke Luv, drive time DJ for Live 104.5 in Spokane. He too was moved beyond words by this tragic event and after touring the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery he had a vision. A vision to some how raise funds for the Nursery. And what better way than to use his skills as a Disc Jockey.

So, as I write this, Keke Luv is attempting to break a world record by staying on air, with a continuous spin of music for 125 hours. And he is gathering sponsors who will pledge money for each hour that he is successful. Every penny that is pledged goes to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Center. The response has been amazing. This city has "shown some love" by calling in with pledges of anywhere from 50 cents to upwards of $2.00 per hour, and even one time donations. This has reached beyond Spokane with calls and pledges coming in from as far away as Cincinnati, OH. And we want it to reach all across the USA. If you would like to sponsor Keke and cheer him on feel free to call the 104.5 listener line at 509-789-1045

At 8:30 am PST Keke hit the 68 hour mark making him more than half way to the 125 hours and we are cheering him on. We believe that he is going to make it. because he has a passion for these children. And so do we. That is why we are sponsoring Keke and going one step further. April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and we will donate $1 from every product we sell here at Valhalla Soap Company to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Center. That's $1 from every bar of Old World Soap, or Naturals, or Milk Soaps, $1 from any product in our Body Care Line, $1 from any product in our Home Fragrance Line or $1 from any product in our Gardener's Choice Line. If you purchase 4 items we will donate $4 and so on. So please join with us, Keke Luv, and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery to help prevent Child Abuse.

Thank You & Blessings,
The Valhalla Clan

2007-03-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

EARTH HOUR - 7.30pm to 8.30pm - Saturday March 31, 2007

Earth Hour is a fabulous opportunity for you and your family to do
something about climate change. On one night, in one hour, more will be
done, more will be demonstrated, and more will be learned than through a
hundred 'talk-fests'. And you can help make it happen.

What is Earth Hour?

It sounds simple, but it is very, very dramatic. At 7.30pm on March 31st
2007, we will be encouraging companies, government departments,
individuals and families to turn off their lights for just one hour. If
we meet our objectives during the first Earth Hour, the savings in green
house gas emissions will be the equivalent of taking 75,000 medium sized
cars off the road for one whole year! Now that's something worth doing.

Why?

The facts are alarmingly clear:

* The climate is changing! The 10 hottest years on record have
occurred since 1990. In fact 2005 was the hottest year since record keeping
began.

* More than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef will have been destroyed
by 2050 if carbon dioxide emissions aren't reduced. (WWF-International)
* One million species worldwide are facing extinction due to
climate change.

But not everybody listens to the facts. Earth Hour is your opportunity
to demonstrate how a simple change in our way of life could change, and
help save, our planet.

The goals of Earth Hour:

Households : Most of us use unnecessary electricity. Appliances on
standby, old style light bulbs, lights left on when we're not using
them. Earth Hour will help us all to realise just how simply we can make
a dramatic impact upon global warming (and our own power bills). We will
see it in action.

Companies : We want companies to be involved. If every company turned off its lights when the buildings weren't in use, and
combined it with energy saving technology, we would save between 2 and 4
million tonnes of greenhouse gasses every year. Earth Hour will show
companies just how easy that is.

To make it an annual event : Out of the 8,766 hours in a year, let's
give one back to the earth.

What you can do:

Sign up to Earth Hour and Pledge to turn off your lights on March 31st
from 7.30pm to 8.30pm by logging onto www.earthhour.org

You will receive all the information you need to make Earth Hour a great
success (and to cut your own energy bills in the long term). Pledging is
free.

Get off standby : Turn off all the electronic equipment and appliances
in your home that are not being used or are on standby. Computers,
televisions, stereo equipment, phone chargers, DVD or video equipment.

Tell a friend : Spread the word about earth Hour by involving your
friends, family and workmates. Get them to pledge at earthhour.org and
most importantly, turn off the lights at 7.30pm Saturday 31 March 2007.

Spread the word - Once you have signed up for Earth Hour tell a friend;
spread the word at work; tell your boss; mention it at school, at your
local sports club or society group, you can even run it past your
neighbours!

Make it an event. Get your family and friends to switch off their lights as well;

Take some binoculars and look at the stars; sit and talk by candlelight;

Explore your backyard by torchlight;

Have fun with sparklers; or just do something non-electric as a family;

Have a picnic-at-dusk; pretend you are camping; or have a candlelight dinner.

For more info on Earth Hour, check out www.earthhour.org

EARTH HOUR. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Money Soap

2007-03-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Our latest project is 100+ bars of money soap for a local organization that is doing a fund raiser. Of the 100 bars, four will have a $5, $10, $20, and a $50 dollar bill embedded inside. The remaining 96 bars will have $1 dollar bills embedded inside. Pictured are some of the Sea Island Grapefruit, and Waterfalls scented bars. Also poured are 20 unscented (at client's request), Almond, Milk & Honey, Lavender, and Cucumber Melon. This has been a fun project and we hope that it is a great success for our clients.

Bubble Bash

2007-03-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Mary & I did our first Bubble Bash. With 7 women and 2 men in attendance, the Hostess earned 20% off her order plus a $25 Gift Basket. I'd say it was a huge success.

What is a Bubble Bash? It is program that we have been developing for quite some time now. Think Tupperware, Home Interiors, and many other popular Hostess/Catalog type parties. Hostesses receive a percentage off their order according to how many party/catalog sales they had. Plus when they reach a certain amount in sales they start earning Free Product. Here are the details:

Host a VSC Bubble Bash and Earn Free Products

I'm sure you are familiar with how these parties work. You've probably attended most of the popular catalog parties and filled your cabinets with air tight dishes, your book shelves with snazzy memory filled photo albums, and your mantels with enchanting candles. So, why not fill your bath with BUBBLES!!!?? Your shower with soothing AROMATHERAPY!!!??

Here's how it works:

You host a VSC Bubble Bash at your house/chosen location. Invite your friends, refer them to our website ahead of time so they can Pre-Shop** Make it an inviting event, serve some simple snacks and drinks or make it a "finger-food pot-luck". Provide an "Ice Breaker" game or two and we will provide the prizes. It doesn't have to be expensive, just warm, inviting, relaxed and FUN. Key word here is FUN! Encourage your guests to bring a friend. If they do, your guest AND their friend will get a FREE gift.

What does a Hostess earn?

~Party Sales Chart~

$50 - $100 = 10% Off Your Order
$101- $150 = 15% Off Your Order
$151 - $250 = 20% Off Your Order + Gift Bag Valued at $25
$251 & Up = 25% Off Your Order + Gift Bag Valued at $35

All orders received from your Bubble Bash event will be delivered to you the Hostess. It is then your responsibility to call your guests and make arrangements with them for pick-up. A Valhalla Soap Company Representative will follow-up with you in a few weeks to make sure that your Bubble Bash was a success for you and your guests.

NOTE: Some Body Care Products are made to order so that we may assure that you and your guests receive the freshest products possible.

**A printable order form can be downloaded from our website at www.valhallasoap.com. You will find it in the top right hand corner.

That's it, simple as can be and lots of fun :) At this time Bubble Bash event's are only available in the greater Spokane, WA (Deer Park & Newport) and Priest River, ID areas. However, we are working on a program that will allow anyone in the U.S. to host a Bubble Bash Catalog Party. So stay tuned for more details :)

Are you an Organic Mom?

2007-01-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

Whether you're a full fledged organic mom or just looking to change your lifestyle to to BE more organic, we found a great site that we wanted to pass along.
Mom's Organic House has it all. Want the scoop on Organic Chocolate and the new Pomegranate craze, checkout In the Kitchen.
And while your there take a walk In the Garden and read up on the latest Organic Garden tips.
Trying to stay healthy this winter? Grab some great herbal ammunition from the
Herbal Remedies Page.
Are you a DIY kind of gal/guy? Did you know that, “Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, is considered to be one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes are among the leading causes.” You can find out more about Organic and All Natural Paint at Organic Living.
We can't cover everything here, this site is just chock full of great information. So go see for yourself, and add it to your bookmarks/favorites. You'll need to because you won't be able to see it all in a day :) And I guarantee you'll want to go back again, and again.

Lastly be sure to checkout a great review given us by the folks at Mom's Organic House. It came as quite a surprise and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for such a glowing report. We are so thrilled that they like our products :)

End of Year Inventory Reduction Sale

2006-12-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

A Very Snowy Greeting to You All!!
Just a quick note to announce our End of the Year Sale. Everything on Site is 20% Off (Gift Certificates excluded). Inventory time will be upon us soon and we don't want to count it. So to save us time we are passing this Great Savings on to You, our Valued Customers. We anticipate certain high demand items to move fast so hurry and get your favorites while they are still in stock.

To receive your 20% Off, Enter the following Voucher Code upon Checkout: 11206124

The estimated turn around time on these orders will 3-5 business days.

Thanks & Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!
Matt, Donna, & Mary
The Valhalla Clan

**Sale Ends Midnight PST December 31, 2006. All Sales limited to stock on hand, quantities limited. Sale Price not applicable to Gift Certificates. Any attempts to purchase Gift Certificates using discount code will have total manually adjust, and correct total charged. This sale Can Not be combined with any other sale or promotion. All Sales Final.

Botanicals & Creams

2006-12-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. I apologize for that.

We have been burried in wholesale orders the past two months. So, between that and the holiday shows, Mary and I hardly know what day of the week it is. The best selling product by far has been the Winter Bliss. We've been literally selling it by the gallons! And could make this stuff in our sleep now. It is quite remarkable the relief it seems to bring for those suffering from eczema. We are so happy and humbled to hear this kind of feedback.

Speaking of creams, we've been playing with some amazing botanical extracts that were purchased specifically for creams, lotions and such. Today we made a beautiful thick rich cream with White Tea extract and scented it with Aromatic Rose. White Tea extract has 10x the anti-oxidants of green tea! Plus we used Mango Butter for it's protective effects against UV radiation, moisturizing and smoothing of tough or rough skin, and it's ability to decrease fine lines and wrinkles that come with the normal aging process.
We are both really pleased with this cream. It soaks in nicely, doesn't feel greasy and smells heavenly. Now we just need to come up with a name. Any suggestions? Send them to us here. If we chose yours, it will earn you a 4 oz. tube of of this Lovely To Die For Cream :-)

Stay tuned, we have LOTS more Botanical Extracts to play with. And if you haven't been to the website lately, check it out. We've added a few new soaps. Such as Red Currant and Thyme, Royal Chai, Virgin Chocolate, and more to be added this week.

I promise not to take so long with the next update.

You Asked For It.....

2006-10-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

We've had so many requests so now we've delivered.

Valhalla Soap Company now has an awesome Affiliate Program!

No Inventory to Handle
No Overhead Fees
No Packing Orders
Earn Money

Sound Good? I thought so. Here's the short version of how it works:

All you do is place one of our cool banners on your site.
Tell your friends and customers about our products (which is easy since you already love them ;-) ).
When your friends and customers click on the banner, come to our site and it results in a sale, you earn Bucks!, Denero!, Smackaroos!, Dollars!, Greeenbacks! Well, I think You get the idea, lol.

For more information and to join click on the banner below.

A New Partner

2006-10-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

If you are on our mailing list then you know that we have been growing by leaps and bounds. Which has made the work days turn into nights. Who needs sleep right? It's boring and over-rated ;-)
Well, I'm thrilled to tell you that we recently moved my awesome mother and sister in law here. They bought the 10 acres and house next door. And Mary, my sis in law has joined the Valhalla ranks. Yea!! She is very excited to be a part of the 'clan', and has jumped in feet first having already made her first batch of soap. "Freesia Fantasy", an old standard that we are re-introducing.

And Mary is not unlike many other soapers that I've known. It only took one batch of soap for the "bug to bite" her, lol. When I asked her if there was a particular kind of soap that she wanted to make, she replied, "Besides everything?" Yes, I think that she will fit in just fine with the Valhalla Clan, don't you?

Mary also makes the most beautiful silk wreaths I have ever seen. They have depth, color and dimension not seen in most. She has been diligently working on fall colored ones for a show that we have coming up on Nov. 4th. However, she makes wreaths and everlastings that look stunning in your home decor all year round. I have a 28" Eucalyptus wreath hanging in my living room that she made for me about 5 years ago. It is still as gorgeous today as it was the day she made it.
So by now you are asking, how can I get my hands on these great home accents? Easy! We will be offering them on our Gift Center Page soon. There will be seasonal, holiday, and non-occasion home decor wreaths in silk and natural materials available. We will be sure to let everyone know as soon as they are available on site.

Fall Happenings

2006-09-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Fall is officially here and with it comes lots of new happenings on the website. Here is an update.

New Soaps

* Pepperberry - Spicy,warm & sultry
* Nag Champa - Just like the classic incense
* Osmanthus (sweet olive) - Green, fresh, think Woodland Goddess
* Pink Sugar (Aqualina type) - Sweet, sexy, playful
* Pineapple - Limited Edition at 40% Off!

Gift Center
We've added a Gift Center to the site. At the moment we have two styles of Gift Basket Boxes but will be adding much more in the days and weeks to come. We are busy looking for unique, quality handcrafted items that can be given as gifts of to gift yourself with if you been good ;-) Be sure to check back often as we get closer to the holidays and do some holiday shopping at our Gift Center.

New Home Fragrance Page
Our Candles Page has been changed to a Home Fragrance page. We have added Reed Diffusers and will be adding Pot Pourri, Room & Linen Sprays, Wax Tarts and other Home Fragrance items in the near future.

Get Scrubbed! Gardener's Hand Scrub Surplus Sale
With summer gone and and the harvest still going in many areas, now is the time to take advantage of our Gardener's Hand Scrub Sale. We have a Surplus of the popular scrub that was featured in Organic Gardening Magazine and it is scented in Ginger Lime. This is a perfect blend of the two scents with a hint of grapefruit and lemon thrown in. These limited quantities are 40% OFF so hurry and get yours before they sell out.

Watching the Blues & Pinks With a Special Drink

2006-09-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a long and busy few weeks around the soap shop. We are hustling trying to get ready for fall with lots of new stuff coming up. And I can't think of a better way to take a break than to sit back in the hot tub with a glass of Scent by Spirit iced tea and watch the sunset. I like to take two of my favorite teas from SBS; Green Tea Tropical Cyclone and Tropical Green Thunder Tea and mix them to make a killer pitcher of iced tea.
I've been shopping at SBS for about 3, maybe more years now. I first met the owner on a soaping list and we became quick friends because she is a warm, sincere, honest lady with a huge heart. Several years ago, I was very sick with a damaged nerve. Any kind of stress caused the nerve to flare causing me great, intense pain. The owner of SBS got word of my illness. Knowing how much I love tea, she sent me a whole pound of my favorite DECAF tea as a gift and get well wish. She has a kind and giving heart AND she has a phenomenal talent for blending tea.

If you don't know how to brew tea, not to worry. They have perfect little tea pots and no brainer directions that take all the thinking and confusion out of it. You can have the perfect cup of tea everytime. And if you like chocolate, they also offer a Gourmet Mexican Spiced Cocoa that will knock your socks off. Or a yummy French Creme Brulee Cocoa that is hard to resist.
One of our favorite things is to give SBS teas, cocoas, and drink mixes in holiday gift baskets. I have so much fun shopping for them and putting the baskets together. And the shipping from SBS is top notch quick. If you haven't tried a Gourmet Tea lately I encourage you to hop on over to Scent By Spirit Teas and do a little shopping.

Soaping Among the Wildlife

2006-08-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is why I love where I live. Looking out the soap shop window yesterday morning while making a batch of Pepperberry soap, this was my view. This fawn belongs to a Momma dear that comes in every morning and every evening. They drink regular from the pond behind the house, and then circle around to the front and nibble some of the scratch we leave out for the quail and turkeys. We also have a deer block out for them. That is various grains held together with molasses.

We also have a flock of turkeys that visit on a daily basis. I snapped this shot the other day from the door of the shop when I was whipping up some new Sea Kelp & Dead Sea Salts Scrub. These guys have gotten so used to us that we can walk right out to feed them and they just stand there and wait for the food. They also make the same rounds as the deer do. Around back to the pond daily and back up front to eat and then on their merry way until the next day.

But I have to say that some of my favorite times are the evening song bird rituals. We have a an above ground pond in the front yard. It is a temporary holding tank for the koi that we brought from our old house. The new pond will be dug and completed next spring. This temporary pond has a filtration system that includes a half whisky barrel filled with filter media and stones. The water recirculates from the pond through the filter media in the barrel and out the side of the barrel forming a small waterfall back into the pond. Well, I'm under the assumption that the song birds think that we brought this contraption here just for them. Because every evening without fail the bathing ritual begins. We have Evening, Pine and Black-Headed Grosbeaks, Towhees, Finches galore, Red Crossbills, multiple kinds of Sparrows & Juncos, Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, and Flycatchers (shown in picture). It is an amazing ritual to witness. As each feathered participant lines up on the edges of the pond awaiting their turn in the pool of the barrel. When each one has finished they flit to the nearby fence to ruffle out their feathers and preen themselves, before turning in for the night.

Allot of people ask me where I get my inspiration from. This is it. Nature! The call of the wild! I love it, and love being in it. I just recently had the joy of releasing back into the wild 4 baby field mice, that we raised. Their mother perished when they were just a few days old, they didn't even have their eyes open yet when we found them. So I bottle fed them, weaned them, and then released them. Taking food to them everyday, and then slowly pulling it away until they "learned the ropes". It was a very rewarding experience.

Well, I thought that I would give you a little glimpse "out my soap shop window" here at Valhalla. What I have the pleasure of seeing during my days at work. And a little insight too into who I am I suppose. I hope you enjoyed your walk in my woods.