New Garden Video

In order to show off my pumpkin patch I made this little youtube video. I'm really not a video expert. It was the first time I made a public youtube video, so my notes were a little off. I was getting used to the editor. I hope you like it though. You will be able to get an idea about how I am growing the herbs and pumpkins that I use in my products including Holy Basil and Calendula. I wasn't able to point out every herb, maybe next time.

Winter Blog Hop with Aquariann

My Etsytwitter fairy artist friend Aquariann is hosting a winter blog hop. Check it out by following the link to her blog.

I've been hunkered down here since Sunday trying to get over a winter cold. Thankfully I'm just about there. While my list of products that I'm running out of grows I've been resting and watching movies. I just found yesterday that the full Mists of Avalon series was on youtube, so that was fun to watch.



While I was sick and resting I also came up with a last minute gift idea in my Etsy shop. Can you believe there is still time? I made u-print Aquarian Bath gift certificates for my Bath and Body shop. They are in $20, $30 and $50 (for 45) denominations. Each gift certificate is personalized same day with the the giver and receivers name and a numbered code to use at redemption.



Hope you have a great Christmas and don't have too many last minute errands to run!

Manatees at Blue Springs

Lucky me I got to see manatees at Blue Springs yesterday. I was so happy we finally got to see some up close. Here is Tessa telling us to look!



Coming up for air...



Rolling over, maybe to get that black fish out from underneath her.



We also saw a group of 5 manatees, a mother and 2 that were very young. Unfortunately the pictures of them didn't turn out as well.

On the way home I got lucky, Tessa fell asleep, so I was able to stop and pick up more silicon molds while Daddy waited in the car with her. The blue sun shaped molds are for my re-vamped lotion bar kit and the trees will be for next Christmas's soaps. I love planning ahead!



Check out the new look of my lotion bar kit on AquarianBath or at Etsy if you have an old web browser.

Giveaway Monday – Cloves from Mountain Rose

Win 8 oz of cloves from Mt. Rose

Giveaway Monday – Cloves from Mountain Rose

Occupy Free Energy

Love this... from the thrivemovement.com people. Be sure to check them out.

Making Shampoo Bars and Soaps with Fresh Aloe

I use fresh homegrown Aloe vera in my Vegan Aloe Shampoo Bar and my Sesame Aloe Shampoo bar for Sensitive Scalps. Yesterday I restocked my Sesame Aloe Bars so I harvested from this Aloe in the planter box outside my front door. The yeild was about 8 oz. I also harvested a couple large leaves from my mother plant in our raised bed, for about the same amount of gel by weight. After I cut the leaves, I let the yellow orange sap drain out for a while.



Then I slice off the spiny edges, the tips, any other irregular areas. Then I separate the green leaves from the inner gel.



I weigh out approximately one part fresh gel to 2 parts distilled water and put it in the bender.



Then I have a beautiful frothy bubbly liquid for creating a 28% Sodium Hydroxide solution to mix with the base ois.



The rest is just basic cold process soap making.

Today I cut the bars and they will be curing for about 4 weeks. In the meantime I still have 2 of these Sesame Aloe Bars in stock.

Here is some feedback on this shampoo bar from one of my customers:

"I LOVE the aloe vera shampoo bar. I have been facing itchy and flaky scalp for years, since I still used commercial liquid shampoo. After I switched to shampoo bars, the itchiness hasn't disappeared but it did lessen a bit, and some shampoo bars did actually clear the flakiness away. Since the first time I tried your aloe shampoo bar, the itchiness disappeared! The flakiness disappeared too! I have used it 5 times with very satisfying result. It also gives my hair volume and doesn't dry out my hair. Amazing! I wonder what your secret is for creating such a wonderful shampoo bar :)"

Now you know one of the secrets!

Thanks for reading. If you have an older browser and had trouble viewing the products at AquarianBath.com, then you can also find my shampoo bars on Etsy.

HandmadeBits4U: Cyber Monday at UWIB

HandmadeBits4U: Cyber Monday at UWIB

I missed this blog!

I have tried to get into a groove with the new blog at my new AquarianBath website. So far I haven't managed to post much at all. I miss this blog. The format is so easy and I'm somehow attached to it. I haven't decided yet if I want to switch my RSS feeds back here or not, but for now if I feel like making a blog post here, then I'm just going to do it!

I'm busy today trying to tie up loose ends before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I'm making cranberry sauce. I found a recipe for herbal cranberry sauces here. I'll also be making pumpkin pie with my Seminole pumpkins from this summer. Right now I have a yard full of green pumpkins that I hope will be ready by Christmas or New Years at the latest.



Starting on Friday I will be having a 10% off sale with my Daytona Etsy Team Mates. You can use the coupon code "2011holiday" through December 2nd at AquarianBath.com. Check out all the Daytona Etsy Shops participating below:

Visit My New Store and Blog at AquarianBath.com

This is a quick blog post to let you know that I have a brand new online store at http://aquarianbath.com. There are a lot of cool features at the store including an integrated blog, a pick up option for Daytona Beach locals, and an affiliate program. My next step will be to transfer RSS and email subscribers from this blog to the new blog (fingers crossed to figure out that next step). If you have subscribed to this blog by google connect and would like to keep up to date, you can visit the new blog and subscribe by RSS.

Custom Party Favor Soaps for Weddings and Parties

It's wedding season, and I'm excited to show of this batch of mini soaps that I just delivered last week for a bridal shower. I made 40 of these soaps for a garden-themed bridal shower. They were castile bars colored sage green with French Green Clay and scented with Lavender and Spearmint Essential oil. What a treat. The bars were also stamped with Dragonflies also, one of my favorite insects.



I even had a few bars left because of the way that my mold is shaped. So the bride got a surprise large bar, and I have a few in my Etsy shop also.



If you would like a special batch of soaps for your upcoming event I would be happy to work with you. I need a one month lead time to prepare and cure the soaps when working with in stock materials. For specialty scents or custom stamps, I need an additional 2-3 weeks.

If you want to go all out, how about matching lip balms too? These Sweet Orange lip balms are the result of a 50 batch for another event earlier this month. I made them for a Women's Conference in South Florida and added "Handmade in Florida" by request. I can certainly customize labels with Bride and Groom names and dates as well. You can find more of these lip balms and other flavors at my etsy shop.



This blog post is a part of our monthly Unique Women in Business Blog hop. The theme is Wedding Bells. Be sure to check out the other posts from the talented ladies below.

Rita Wetzel http://RitasCreativeNest.com
Judy Woodley http://WellspringCreations.blogspot.com
Ann Rinkenberger http://harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com
Nancy Pace http://NancysWildWireJewelry.blogspot.com
Trudy Miller http://MommaGoddessTreasures.blogspot.com
Linda Stranger http://capecoddreamer.blogspot.com
Wendy Kelly http://blog.vintageday.com
Miriam http://goldcrestbags.blogspot.com/

10 Tricks for Growing Basil Indoors

Basil is a marvellous herb, and one which can easily be grown both outdoors and indoors. Basil is a well-known herb, known for its fragrant and tasty leaves which can be used for raw salad, or cooked with tomatoes to make tomato and basil sauce. There are, of course many other uses for the herb, classed as an essential by culinary experts worldwide. To grow basil indoors one should become familiar with these 10 tricks which will have anyone on their way to growing indoor basil within no time.

First ensure that its soil has adequate drainage at the base of the pot. This will allow the roots to develop properly and the plant will benefit from it as the excess water will be able to exit into a dish or saucer.

Second, know the pH level of your soil. Basil grows best in soil which is between 6 and 7.5 on the pH scale.

Place a few seeds in each pot. Sow them thinly, and the plants will have the right amount of space to germinate properly. This should happen around a week after sowing.

Once the plants have grown two proper leaves, you should remove the two weaker plants and leave the strongest in the pot.

Monitor the pH level of your soil every 4-6 weeks, and change it if needed using half-strength organic fertilizer. You should add a small amount of fertilizer every month or so to give the basil the nutrients it needs.

Make sure that the plant pots get enough light from the sun (about 6-8 hours a day). This can easily be achieved by placing the pots on a window sill where the sun will provide the basil with the energy it needs to grow and mature.

Water your basil at the base of the plant – do not shower the leaves and stems.

Water about once a week for the best effects.

Remove any flowers as they appear, as this will keep the basil’s flavour, and promote its growth even further.

The beauty of basil is that it can be grown all year round. Lastly, do not harvest a complete plant, but to take a few leaves off of each, starting from the top of the plants. That way further basil can be harvested as and when needed.

This guest was provided by Danny Ashton who talks about Growing Basil at his blog.

Coming of Age Gift Ideas and Remedies for Young Women

This blog post is part of my Unique Women in Business Networking group's monthly blog hop. Our theme this month is Celebrating Womanhood. I'm really curious to read what the other ladies in the group have to say on this topic. You can find links to their blogs at the end of this post.

Celebrating womanhood to me is about celebrating the coming of age for pre-teen and teenage girls. Many traditional cultures have rituals or ceremonies for girls at coming of age. However you choose to honor a young woman at this stage her her life, you may wish to offer something practical for the physical and emotional changes she may be experiencing.

Warm heat can help to relax the uterus to prevent cramping pain. These flax and lavender wraps are great for relieving cramps when heated in the microwave.



No microwave? This warming pain relief balm is also great for reducing pain from cramping. Both of these are all natural pain relief methods that may help avert a cycle of Ibuproferin, Advil or Motrin use which can be hard on the Liver.

Another natural remedy I like for emotional issues around menstruation is Leonurus cardiaca AKA Motherwort. Motherwort is exceptionally helpful for balancing emotional issues in women such as anxiety or irritability, whether related to PMS or menopause. It also helps smooth the menstrual flow for uterine cramping. For heavy bleeding or pregnancy this herb should be avoided. This is a picture of one of my Motherwort plants from this winter season. It likes the Central Florida Winter Weather. I have been making Motherwort tincture with these plants and will have it available in the Extracts Section of my Etsy shop later this month. You can leave a comment below if you would like to be updated when my Motherwort tincture is ready.

Rita Wetzel http://RitasCreativeNest.com
Audrey Fetterhoff http://AudreyGardenLady.blogspot.com
Linda Stranger http://capecodjewel.blogspot.com
Judy Woodley http://WellspringCreations.blogspot.com
Janet Bocciardi http://www.honeyfromthebee.com
Ann Rinkenberger http://harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com
Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri http://ElephunksTrunk.blogspot.com
Wendy Kelly http://blog.vintageday.com
Karen Terry http://jmjcreations.blogspot.com

Find me at Access to Organic's Earth Day Celebration and Seed Swap this Saturday in Daytona Beach

This Saturday from 12 to 4:30 Access to Organics will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration with Workshops, Vendors, a Seed Swap and Free Seedling with purchase while supplies last. I hope you will join us if you are able. I'll be bringing my Musk Melon, Luffa, Dotted Horsemint, Brocolli, Candlebush and Amaranth seeds to swap. I will also bring body products including a limited amount of soaps, probably just the salt soaps and the Easter Soaps in order to protect my inventory from the heat. If there are other soaps or shampoo bars that you would like to pick up from me on Saturday, please send me an email at aquarianbath @ gmail.com and I will have them ready for you during the event.

April 23 Earth Day Celebration and Seed Swap. Noon to 4:30. Free Tree

seedling with purchase while they last,

Demonstrations, Seed Swap, special deals. Come have Fun!

Phone: 386.236.9447 Fax: 386.236.9717

347 Mason Ave.

Daytona Beach, FL 32117

The Farmer Fred Rant: Crop Rotation Plan for the Home Garden

This is a great gardening blog post I found on crop rotation. Hope you find it to be a good reference.The Farmer Fred Rant: Crop Rotation Plan for the Home Garden: "         Why rotate your backyard garden crops? Many of the plants that are in the same 'family group' h..."

Ancient Healing Turmeric Recipe and Culinary Herbalism Course with K.P. Khalsa

I was just reading an article in Herb Companion tonight about Turmeric and was thinking to myself that I need to use this herb more often. This plant is similar to ginger, and I have grown it here in the past. So I was excited to receive an email tonight from John Gallager from LearningHerbs.com with this cool recipe that Rosalee de la Forêt learned from herbalist K.P. Khalsa. I'm happy to be able to share it with you.

Golden Milk: An Ancient & Healing Remedy

by Rosalee de la Forêt

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years for countless ailments. In recent years it has also caught the attention of western researchers and there are many studies touting its many benefits.

Some benefits include...

• Digestion and the liver (Ulcers, diverticulitis, flatulence, leaky gut)
• Heart heath (High blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol)
• Immune support (Cancer, colds and flu, bronchitis)
• Musculoskeletal strength and flexibility (Joint disorders, arthritis, pain)
• Nervous system (Pain, Alzheimer's)
• Wound healing and healthy skin (Eczema, psoriasis)
• Diabetes and Menstruation difficulties

Turmeric is pretty astonishing!

I learned this basic recipe from Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa and I often suggest it to my clients with a lot of success.

K.P. Khalsa has a new course coming out this week called Culinary Herbalism.

This recipe is in two parts. First we make the paste and then we’ll explore how to use it.

To make the turmeric paste you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of water

Measure out the ingredients. The additional pepper makes the turmeric more bioavailable, meaning that you use less for better results. At these measurements the pepper is about 3% of the mixture.

Next add the powders and the water to a small sauce pan and mix well. Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly until the mixture is a thick paste. This won’t take long!

Let this mixture cool and then keep it in a small jar in the fridge.

Now we’ll look at a variety of ways to use this mixture.

Golden Milk

To make Golden Milk you’ll need...

• 1 cup of milk (or milk substitute if you don’t consume dairy)
• 1 teaspoon almond oil, ghee or olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon or more of turmeric paste
• honey to taste

Combine all the ingredients (except honey) in a saucepan and while stirring constantly heat the mixture until just before it boils.

Add honey to taste.

Other suggestions... this could be made into a smoothie. When blended it creates a beautifully foamy drink. Fruit could be added. Cinnamon can be sprinkled on top, etc. Experiment and enjoy!

Other options for turmeric paste

• Add a small dollop of the paste on top of crackers and cheese.
• Spread the paste on sandwich bread and continue with sandwich ingredients.

The best way to get our medicine is in our food.

Please check out this new course with K.P. Khalsa ALL ABOUT Culinary Herbalism. There is a video on making this recipe in the Culinary Herbalism Course.

Weekend Herb Fair Photos

I just wanted to share a few photos from the herb fair last Saturday. I had a nice time and plan to be back again next year as usual.

Above herbs sold out from the Herb Society.

Above a selection of herbs from Access to Organics. I picked up some Organic Lobelia, Spilanthes and Nasturium seeds from their booth.

Here are my honey bunny and Easter Egg soaps on my usual necklace rack. I'm shipping out 8 today, but I still have some left for sale online at AquarianBath. :)

Have a great week.

Seaside Herb Society Fair This Saturday in Ormond Beach April 2nd

It's that time of year again. The Seaside Herb Society Annual Fair is this Saturday from 10-3 in the usual place at the corner of North Beach street and Granada. Come early to get your pick of the best plants! There will be free speakers and a yummy herbal lunch. As usual, please put your order in with me in advance for this event if you know what soaps and shampoo bars you want to stock up on. I bring a limited amount of soap and shampoo bars to protect my inventory from the heat. All those making pre-orders will receive a free gift with their order. My up to date inventory can be found here at AquarianBath.com.

Spring Herbal & Soap Classes with Aquarian Bath in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine

April 9th 2011 at MaggiesHerbFarm.com Saturday 10-2 Herbal Medicine Making: Tinctures, and Syrups
Location: Maggies Herb Farm 11400 County Road 13, St. Augustine, FL call to register 904.829.0722 Learn the basic methods for herbal home medicine making for your family. This is a hands on class in which you gather herbs from the farm for making tinctures and a Thyme cough syrup. We will focus on methods for making preparations, properties, of herbs used during the class including Motherwort, Yarrow, Skullcap, Holy Basil and more. Fee $35. bring a sack lunch. A hands on workshop.

April 23rd, 2011 Bath & Body Easter Basket Workshop at Hobby Lobby in Daytona Beach 1-4 pm $20 In this workshop we will make a bath & body Easter Basket. You will make:
~ Aromatherapy Bath Salts
~ a Chocolate Easter Egg Lotion Bar made with Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter
~ 1 Chocolate lips balm
~ 1 Aromatherapy lip balm
Register online or call 310-919-0220

May 14th 2011 Soap Making For Sensitive and Problem Skin Types Saturday time 10:00
AM-2:00 PM Location: Maggies Herb Farm 11400 County Road 13, St. Augustine, FL call to
register 904.829.0722 Learn to make soap from scratch using the cold process method and the specialized hot process method for sea salt spa soaps. We focus on hypoallergenic formulations for those with sensitive skin and those well loved by persons with multiple problems, including acne. Specialty herbal additives for problem skin types in formulations will be discussed. Bring lunch, safety glasses and gloves, and a small cardboard box. Fee $35

May 21st 2011 Milled Soap Making for Sensitive and Problem Skin Types in Daytona Beach
at the Hobby Lobby 1-4:30 $30In this class we will be using the gentlest type of natural soap base: Castile soap which is made with 100% olive oil in the oil phase. You will take home two types of soap for sensitive and problem skin types as well as recipes for natural and gentle milled soaps. You will also learn about various natural additives for natural soap making including essential oils, clays, herbal powders and more. The soaps that we create in class will be chosen from a range of natural ingredients and will be determined by consensus among attendees. Register Online or call 310 919 0220

Gaia's Gifts: April Giveaway: Artemis Elixir Tea and 20% off

My friend Darcey is having a tea giveaway contest on her blog. You can enter and check it out here. : )

Gaia's Gifts: April Giveaway: Artemis Elixir Tea and 20% off: "Its time to announce the April Giveaway!  I'll draw a name on April 15 2011!  You've got a good two weeks!  Spread the word! ..."

Spring Seeds Free with Purchase

Spring planting is well underway here in Central Florida. I had most of my seeds planted by the beginning of March including Holy Basils, Musk Melon, Amaranth, Tomato, Black Eyed Peas, Squash, and Pumpkin. The latest garden adventure was a pineapple planting frenzy. We found some live pineapple tops discarded for compost and decided to plant them at Lions Share Community Garden. Here is part of the row.



The sweet pea spiral is coming along. No flowers yet, but we are watching closely:

For most of the US and Canada you still have plenty of time to get your Spring Garden on. I would love to help you out with that. When you make any purchase from my Aquarian Bath Etsy shop, just request a free seed pack in the comments section at check out. I currently have Musk melon, Thai Basil, Dotted Horsemint, Candlebush, and Luffa seeds in stock.



Since it is Spring planting time if you mention this blog post at check out you may request up to 3 seed packs for free with purchase instead of the usual 1 free seed pack with purchase.

Be sure to check out all my fun new Spring items like this sweet Honey Bunny Castile Soap on a Rope while you are seed shopping.

This blog post is a part of the Unique Women in Business Networking Group's Spring Blog Hop. You can visit the other Spring blog posts by other ladies who participated this month by following these links:

Audrey Fetterhoff http://AudreyGardenLady.blogspot.com
AnnRinkenberger http://harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com

Birgitte Hendrickshttp://SewDanish.blogspot.com

JanetBocciardi http://www.honeyfromthebee.com
RitaWetzel http://RitasCreativeNest.com
JennNolda http://brynnsbeautifulbows.blogspot.com
RobinKoehler http://www.nestlingsbyrobin.blogspot.com
LindaReynolds http://bellalindadesigns.net
Wendy Kelly http://blog.vintageday.com
LindaStranger http://capecodjewel.blogspot.com
KarenTerry/McDuffie http://jmjcreations.blogspot.com
JudyWoodley http://wellspringcreations.blogspot.com
TrudyMiller http://mommagoddesstreasures.blogspot.com/
Nancy Pace http://nancyswildwirejewelry.blogspot.com
Lois Stifel http://foxygknits.com
Jenn Brockman http://alexshares.com

You can join the UWIB team on Etsy. Mention my blog post when you join.

Florida Wildflower Festival in DeLand March 26th

This year I'm excited to be attending the Florida Wildflower Festival. I won't be vending this year, but maybe next year. I have heard great things about it. My friends Dora from Maggie's Herb Farm and Melanie from Almost Ancient Pots will be at this event as vendors. I'm planning to attend the Bee Keeping workshop and there will be many other workshops also. Click on the flyer for a larger view.

Florida Wildflower & Garden Festival

Recipient of the Florida Secretary of State's Award for Outstanding Special Event

March 26, 2011 9:00am-4:00pm

West Indiana Ave., Downtown DeLand

Free Parking and Admission

Winter Chamomile Harvest is Winding Down

The winter harvest season is winding down here in Central Florida. We've had a steady supply of brocolli, lettuce, calendula, and collards. My favorite plant of the Winter season though was this beautiful Chamomile plant. I've been picking flower buds twice a week over the last few weeks. Moira and Tessa both like to help pick the delicate yellow and white flowers. I'm looking forward to doing something special with these dried and drying buds. Maybe I will make a lavender chamomile salve. I made those a few years back and they were really wonderful and smelled strongly of chamomile flowers.

Microscopy Photos from the Daytona Homeschool Social Group

Moira and her homeschool friends meet at the Daytona City Island library the second Tuesday of the month at 10 am. The kids in the group are about age 4-7 years. The parents in the group and I have been taking turns giving presentations to the kids. This month Scott and I gave a presentation on the history of the light microscope and the kids brought samples in for us to check out under our digital light microscope. My favorite was the first picture above. Look closely, you can find a spider habitat in this piece of drift wood that one of the kids brought in.

Another of my favorites was this rose leaf. The variety of this rose is "Don Juan."

Here is a part of a blossom from my orange tree. The blossoms smell so good. Just a few blooms left out there now.

If you are homeschooling in the Daytona area and have a child age 4-7 and you would like to participate please join us. Next month will be a creative writing class, and we are ready to add other parent led activities to our schedule.

   
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New Spiral

DSCN6514
Originally uploaded by sundialer

This is the new spiral I've been working on at the Chile's Academy garden in Daytona Beach. So far if it is planted with Lemongrass, Eggplant, Tomato, Green peppers, Zuchinni, Oregano, Rosemary, various basils, Amaranth, Yarrow, Artichoke and beans. Can't wait to see it grow up.