Moody Glenn

Hi Clueless! Offer your husband to work along side you when starting out. Show him the steps involved beforehand in using the lye and all the safeguards you have in place (or will have in place) such as a SoapCalc recipe, gloves, goggles, accurate scale and lye-safe containers. Start out with a one pound recipe. Have him work beside you and take your time demonstrating the process. It's natural for him to be concerned about you but offer to have him work or be with you when beginning to make the soap. Lye is scary at all times to work with but with the proper equipment and procedures you become more at ease over time. But reassure him you will never be careless when using the lye. Have him think about this - the kitchen, home and outside the home are very scary places. Boiling water burns, hot oven and stove burns, broken glass hazards, possible salmonella contamination, falling down stairs, tripping over something, slipping in the bathtub or shower, driving the car while talking on a cell phone, even mowing the lawn. Just making this list has scared the hell out of me in doing anything!! Seriously though, most accidents occur when we are the least careful and preoccupied with other thoughts. Show him how focused and fearless you will be in making the soap. I hope my 2 cent advice helps you in some way!

Thanks Debbie for your 'heads-up' concerning Microsoft Security Essentials and the advise on using Avast. I posted a reply earlier (also about Malwarebytes Pro) but I also have the Essentials. So... it's time for a change to a better antivirus solution! Thanks once again for your posting.

I have gone through many programs - each has their pros and cons. I eventually stopped using the ones that have yearly fees. I now have the one time paid version (but there is a free version) of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (for protection against spyware and other nasties) and since I have a Windows computer I use the free Microsoft Security Essentials for virus protection. I figure Microsoft wants to protect it's products. Both programs work well together, have automatic updates and have proven to have instantly stopped virus and infected files for me. I have never had a problem using these programs - as compared to a few other virus and malware programs I used to use.

Hello! I use a heating mat and cover with some towels. My soap always wants to gel so I help it along to a full gel using the mat. I pre-heat my wooden mold with the mat then pour the soap batter in the mold. I then cover with a lid and some towels then leave the mat plugged in for a half hour. (For safety sake I also use a plugged in timer.) Depending upon your soap recipe you may need to cover very lightly, such as with milk based and some temperamental spicy and floral fragrance oils to prevent the batter from over heating. After turning off the mat I leave everything alone for about 16 hours or so. You would be surprised how long the heat holds for many hours. The result is a fully gelled and brightly colored soap. :smiley2:

Hello! I really love using Celestial Colors (www.celestialcolors.com). They are liquid colorants (FD&C and D&C) and are specifically made to used for cp soapmaking. By mixing the colors you can create many interesting shades.

Hello! Both are mostly similar but according to SoapCalc the flakes have a much higher stearic acid content and a lower conditioning value which will change the reaction and quality of your soap. Whenever making substitutions of oils or fats always double check your recipe with SoapCalc. Small changes are greatly magnified when making larger batches which could make a lye heavy soap.

Hi Dana! I am sorry for the long delay in replying back to your question. I retired from my flower nursery a few years ago and no longer had use for it (even though I have since started a soap making business.) I made a great catalog with the program. Today, I use my website for selling soap and do not make a catalog or brochure. A brochure would be very nice if I was to sell at craft shows and such. Overall I feel it is a good buy and has many powerful features.

Hello! I agree with Marie's excellent response. In fact, when I started to make soap I obtained pH test strips (the cheap kind) and all they are doing is taking up a small amount of space and gathering dust. Soap, when properly made, is very alkaline and, like Marie states, just be concerned about excess lye being present and carefully using the "zap test" (tip of tongue test). Accurate pH testing is better applied to making lotions and other leave-on skin applications.

Best of luck to you! As for the rain - here is something to consider: My community had their yearly yard sale recently. It is a fairly large event. It poured buckets almost all day BUT the hardy shoppers were out in droves looking for treasures. The "lookie-loos" stayed home. So, those that really want to spend money should be at your event. You should do well!

Maybe add that bottle of wine to your business expenses. Just say it is part of your business health care package (in glass). :>)

Hello! I had some legal work done a few years ago and decided to ask the law firm if they do LLC preparations for start-up businesses. They did and since I was a past customer I was able to use them. The best things were it did not cost me much, they knew the correct way to fill out the forms and I do not have to have a yearly fee as many of those online companies charge. So... maybe contact a local law firm or lawyer (or ask your friends or family members for a recommendation) and have a lawyer do it for you. Why use a lawyer? They can give you advise on using the LLC plus they act as a go-between in legal matters associated with the state and you. They can also come to your defense in case of a possible lawsuit. This may not ever happen but if it does you have a lawyer quickly defending you.

Congratulations for your business launch and for the baby (future helper)! You have the right attitude and plans. See how things go and later on you can also "change course" if need be. All new businesses have growing pains now and then. I do CP soap but have always admired the colorful creativity of the M&P soapmakers. You could start out making some M&P and later add some CP or HP (and hey, maybe some really great-scented candles) when that time comes. Always remember to take your time, continue planning, have fun and always be confident - especially in yourself.

Hello! I retired from my flower nursery a few years ago but for many years I relied on the PagePlus Desktop publishing program. It has been and still is highly recommended but strangely few people know about it. Here is the link: http://www.serif.com/pageplus/ I don't use it anymore but when I did it was a god-send. It costs $100 but if you are serious about making a very good catalog - both for print and easily converting to a pdf file (so people can download it) - I recommend this program. If you should consider this program contact the company that makes it - Serif - and see if you could get a percentage discount for becoming a new customer. It is worth a try. Please remember, if you go for a cheap or free program expect cheap results. You need to put your best foot forward in highlighting your products. Hope this helps you!

Hello! I am not great at this...but here is an idea: my first thought concerning your business name was an image of a navigational compass. It has the N,W and E for the compass directions but you could have a big "S" which could share with both Southern and Scents (top and bottom but both words sharing a big S. I hope you understand this. Since you make candles - candles were always used to help navigate a persons way in the dark. Again, this was just a quick idea. I also like your fleur de lis concept. This pattern was associated with French royal history - and with Southern history like Louisiana. I am babbling now, must stop. As for a program, Avery is good or try Online Labels label creation wizard called Maestro. (www.onlinelabels.com).

I am very fortunate to live about a half hour drive from the company so I can greatly save on shipping. The large building is out-of-place being in a rural location surrounded by cows and cornfields but it's a relaxing drive and well worth the trip. The people who work there are outstanding; very courteous, helpful and delightful to talk to. Their showroom is colorfully decorated, spotlessly clean and has a comfortable area to sit and 'nose-sample' all the hundreds of fragrances. They allow you to take all the time you need - no sales pressure - and when you decide what you want they quickly go and obtain the fragrances. I mention these observations because this demonstrates how proud they are of their company. Most of their business is via mail-order so you don't realize what the 'physical' company is like. Yes, their fragrances (as well as all other companies) are 'hit or miss' in how they behave in soap and candles but that's part of the fun in testing. I use several of their fragrances and am completely satisfied how they remain strong in my soap products. If you have never ordered from this company you really should. (PS: I sound like a 'paid spokesman' but I am not - just a happy, long time customer!)