The Glad Heart

Happy Alaska Day!

2011-10-18T10:25:00.001-08:00

About:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Day

Local Closures: http://www.adn.com/2011/10/16/2123789/alaska-day-closures.html?storylink=tacoma

Store Pictures

2011-10-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

I have been meaning to post a few pictures of inside the shop at Cranberry Cottage…enjoy!

We love Autumn and it shows! We are so blessed with a nice, long fall season this year.

The perfect Fall fragrance; apples and spice…oh so nice!

And be sure to smell the Pumpkin Pie candles, just like the real thing (minus the calories)!

And a HUGE selection of Vera Bradley… all those colors just shout “happiness”!

Upstairs, Gathered Treasures, has all kinds of items for sale so that you can create a cozy corner like this one in your own home.

I’ll be posting more pictures soon. We are having fun here in our new space and are loving meeting all the new people as well as visiting with our some of our longtime customers. xoxo

Sunday Blessing

2011-09-25T10:37:00.003-08:00

~Psalm 100:4

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

~Psalm 100:4

Fall Fun Shopping

2011-09-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

Display of Woodstock Percussion Windchimes

It's a perfect fall day to come into Cranberry Cottage!

Upstairs is full of wonderful things, come read all the signs for sale, we have them for every style... and Liz has now brought in bagged candy, including flavored almonds in 6 flavors and 3 kinds of chocolate espresso beans...yum!

The newest patterns of Vera Bradley are in & with a $50 VB purchase, you receive a free gift. And I *love* the new Vera scarves in knit fabric!

As the weather cools down, take a warm bath in our "scoop your own bath salts", we have 12 scents to choose from. And the soap baskets are full!

Now OPEN

2011-09-01T11:47:00.001-08:00

We are now open in Cranberry Cottage located at 490 S Knik Goose Bay Rd, Wasilla.

We have a wonderful selection of soaps and lotions at this time as well as our other bath bliss. We will be continually restocking stock and filling up our room.

Please stop by and 'smell awhile' <smile>

Sunday Blessing

2011-08-21T10:29:00.001-08:00

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy word. "

~ Psalm 119 : 114

Sunday Blessings

2011-08-14T13:02:00.001-08:00

“He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

~ John 7:38

Photo Source: www.forestwander.com

Sunday Blessing

2011-08-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

“Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.”

Psalms 100:3

Photo Credit

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-08-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

This is the kind of news that you are going to want to share!

:::drumroll:::

Gladheart Acres will be partnering with Cranberry Cottage in Wasilla starting September 1st! The idea is that we will be moving into 1/2 of the front room concentrating on our soaps and bath bliss… then beginning January 1st 2012, we will move into the whole front room and hope to bring back some of your favorite products that we carried in our shop. I will personally be there twice a week to greet you! Please follow our Facebook page to see what my work days are or drop us an email at info@gladheartacres.com… of course you can come in anytime!

For those who have not yet visited Cranberry Cottage, it is located in a darling little yellow house at 490 South Knik Goose Bay Rd. And while they have MANY lovely items, their call to fame is the outstanding Vera Bradley selection. All the colors and patterns grouped together make a truly breath-taking display. I love it all! Also be sure to check out their Webkinz and Magnabilities Necklaces, both of which are extremely popular!

And, as if that isn’t good enough… my dear friend Liz Muth, formerly of Home Sweet Home and Raven’s Roost will also join us at Cranberry Cottage. Her new business is named Gathered Treasures which features gifts for you & your home, antiques and furnishings, the Williraye Collection, and Cheerful Giver Candles. You will find her and all her goodies upstairs.

We are so excited and honored to be a part of this exciting team! Please stop by sometime and say hi. We’ll be letting you know of upcoming events and shop happenings here and on our Facebook page!

PS Please tell your friends <smile>

Iced Coffee and Lotion

2011-08-01T12:59:00.001-08:00

Last week I discovered a really good iced coffee recipe which was perfect for keeping me charged up for all the fresh lotions I had to make. <smile>

This is a delicious iced coffee recipe. Straining the cold brew coffee took patience and time but it was soooo worth it. I also did what one commenter suggested and re-used the coffee grounds a second time. It worked perfectly. And go ahead and play with your ratios of coffee and the sweet cream, as you can see I like more cream than coffee! And speaking of yummy-ness...our newest lotion scent is Juicy Pink. To me it smells like a blend of puckering grapefruit and tropical papaya ... my mouth watered just making it! All of the testers here at home LOVED it! I hope to make this scent in sugar scrubs also... yum!

I showed you the iced coffee I drank while making lotions, a picture of the lotions, so I thought I would also share a view of what I look at while making the lotions... rough, isn't it? <smile>

Sunday Blessing

2011-07-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

" Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

1 Chronicles 16:29

Saturday Market

2011-07-30T10:16:00.001-08:00

You will find us today at the downtown Anchorage Saturday Market near 3rd & E. Our booth address inside the market is 150 E Bear Blvd. In addition to our soaps and bath bliss we have Alaska Chicks Tee Shirts and crocheted child headbands... both extremely popular items! It looks like a nice Alaskan summer day and perfect for visiting the market.

Hope to see you there!

Friday Flings

2011-07-29T12:11:00.001-08:00

One of our very favorite markets that we do is the Friday Flings in downtown Palmer. Palmer is the quintessential hometown USA and we are so very glad to be a part of the community.

Enjoy the pictures from "The Flings".

The view from the corner of our booth...see the gorgeous mountains?!

Friday Fling vendor

Inside the Pavilion

Fresh Matanuska Valley vegetables...yum!

Our freshly made lotion

Sunday Blessing

2011-07-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

New

2011-07-15T13:37:00.001-08:00

We have a new product! We have had so much trouble with our Body and Linen Spray containers leaking and yet our customers love wearing our scents soooo... introducing our Perfume Mists. These little beauties are easy to carry with you so now you can have a spritz or two of your favorite Gladheart scent, anywhere, anytime.

Currently we have these made up in: Lily of the Valley, White Ginger & Amber and Victorian Violets. We will be making more soon, I imagine that we will offer these in dozens of scents. They are available for the introductory price of $5 each.

Also new, is our Meditation Lotion Bar. We have made these solid moisturizing sticks for years and years and customers swear by them. They are an excellent moisturizer for those who frequently wash their hands and also for those dry, hard to reach places such as heels and elbows. We have made Meditation soap for a year or two now and are now offering the scent in our Lotion Bar. If you love earthy scents like Sandalwood, Nag Champa or Incense you will love Meditation. It is a very calming scent.

Note about picture: we tried taking this with a beautiful tealight candle holder we have that is adorned with several small crosses... but we couldn't get the lighting quite right and the full size picture looked rather 'Halloween-ish', so we cropped it and the result is above. :)

Sunday Blessing

2011-07-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. " Hebrews 12:2

Rhubarb Muffins

2011-07-07T22:41:00.001-08:00

Here is my annual rhubarb recipe to share. I shared the Rhubarb Dream Dessert recipe here last year and now am presenting this muffin recipe so I guess a tradition has begun at The Gladheart!

Rhubarb Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 TB baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 cups thinly sliced rhubarb

Directions:

Mix on low speed the oil, milk, vanilla and eggs. Add all at once all remaining ingredients except rhubarb, mixing on low speed. Fold in rhubarb. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full, and sprinkle each top with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake at 375* for 17-23 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Enjoy with generous amounts of butter and a tall glass of iced tea.

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T16:47:00.001-08:00

“Freedom is not the right to do what we want;

but the power to do what we ought”

Happy 4th of July

Be Happy * Be Safe * Be Free

Sunday Blessing

2011-06-26T08:36:00.001-08:00

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3

Have a wonderful day!

Beautiful

2011-06-24T11:24:00.001-08:00

I love Bleeding Hearts (inspite of the name!). About 2 or 3 years ago I planted a small Bleeding Heart by our outbuilding. I didn’t think it survived…never saw any growth that first year and then for a couple years I didn’t even see it at all; no green, no growth, you wouldn’t have even known anything was planted there at all .… until this year. The tenacity of my little Bleeding Heart plant is a picture of the resiliency of the human heart which may be broken, crushed, down-cast, bleeding and yet survives… to bloom again.

To become a glad heart.

Sunday Blessing

2011-06-12T07:56:00.001-08:00

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

Ephesians 5:2

New Scent

2011-05-31T16:51:00.001-08:00

One of our newest scents: the warm, feminine, and sophisticated White Ginger and Amber. So far it is being offered in our special Bath Salt blend and our Linen & Body Spray. We will soon be offering it in lotion and ooooh, how about a Sugar Scrub???

It is fantastic!

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:36:00.001-08:00

Have a safe Memorial Day

Our Alaskan Backyard

2011-05-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

It is hard not to have a GLADHEART when this is your backyard…

This is the view from atop our hill.

Sweet Hannah took this picture, it is one of my favorites, I love the look of the lacey tree leaves against the snowcapped backdrop.

Another look at our amazing view.

“Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” ~ Psalm 63:4

Lazy Day

2011-05-27T11:02:00.001-08:00

Hmmmm… I think today will be the quintessential summer lazy day (yes, I do know the calendar does not say summer yet, however it is supposed to be 76* today and the sun is shining, in Alaska that IS summer)… Got the girls off to Friday Fling (our local Farmer’s Market in downtown Palmer), beds are made, bathroom wiped down, floor vacuumed, and so forth. Hannah is the laundry girl today and the wash machine is whirring away. I know we are a large family but really, how can we ever keep up with the mountains of laundry we generate? Today, in addition to the normal clothing and bedding, we have blankets to launder. Blankets from a picnic last week, playing house in the woods, blankets, blankets, blankets. I have a few orders to box up and ship, a book to read to little Miss Sassafras (age 4), but that is about it. Not even dinner to cook, we are having a treat: pizza.

So today will be a lazy day spent dreaming (think Gladheart !) and sipping organic iced tea (try Newman’s Own Royal Tea). Perfect.

The sun through the trees. Picture taken by Hannah, 16 yo.

Prayers

2011-05-25T12:31:00.001-08:00

We are praying for all those affected by the severe weather in the Lower 48.

Happy Mother’s Day

2011-05-08T16:12:00.001-08:00

Mothers Are Special

Anonymous

There is no love like a mother's love,
no stronger bond on earth
Like the precious bond that comes from God,
to a mother when she gives birth.
A mother's love is forever strong,
never changing for all time
And when her children need her most,
a mother's love will shine.
God bless these special mothers,
God bless them every one
For all the tears and heartache,
and for the special work they've done.
When her days on earth are over,
a mother's love lives on
Through many generations,
with God's blessings on each one.
Be thankful for our mothers,
for they love with a higher love
From the power God has given,
and the strength from up above.

Happy Mother’s Day

Best Medicine

2011-05-05T07:28:00.001-08:00

Have a GLADHEART day!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T09:43:00.001-08:00

“Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...”
~Phillips Brooks "An Easter Carol"

Note: Happy Easter! We dined on strawberries and cream, hot cross buns (yum!), orange juice and vanilla lattes for breakfast. I wanted to create an atmosphere of celebration for the day. Easter, even above Christmas (although I love it!) symbolizes the hope and life of the Christian. He arose and so can we in this life (above our self and sin) and in the eternal if we trust in Him. The above picture is taken in our dining room. I love this little nook (even though the piano is out of tune). The local grocery store had a sale on cut flowers and I was able to splurge… they add a special beauty to the vignette. Below you can see an up close shot of the the picture that hangs above the piano. I bought the vintage print at an estate sale a few years ago and had it matted (in silk!) and framed. I love it so much, it signifies the prayer of my heart… to cling to Christ.

Meditation

2011-04-20T16:07:00.001-08:00

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” ~Psalm 19:14

*A favorite verse of mine *

PS It is April 20th and we have a few snow flurries…

On a Walk

2011-04-13T08:56:00.001-08:00

The weather has been so beautiful here the last few days. The sun is so energizing…the children have been taking walks and I am delighted to go with them when possible. The other evening, during such a walk, the older ones continued on while Hope, Helayna and I headed back home. On the gravel road we saw a beautiful multi-colored moth. We quietly watched it for a few minutes and then very gently moved it to the side of the road, out of harms way. It was a special moment, sharing the wonders of God’s creation with my children… the wonder of nature such a special part of childhood that I hope none of us ever out grow.

“For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9

An Array of Aprons

2011-04-08T21:11:00.001-08:00

Here, at Gladheart Acres, we wear alot of aprons… we find them indispensable for doing dishes, gardening, cleaning the house and of course making soap! (Soap is a clean business but does make quite a mess in the making process!). Below are some aprons that dear daughter Haylee has made to sell thru another venue but she will have some to offer our customers soon. (PS A couple of the pictures look a bit blurry here but were fine on the photo editing program…sorry about that!)

A blessing for today~

2011-02-04T11:26:00.001-09:00

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

Changing of season

2011-01-28T23:47:00.001-09:00

From holiday to holiday or just month to month one of our favorite things to do in our shop is change around our front table display. This month it has been filled with delightful products with the theme of a winter wonderland!! However as January passes into February and Valentines approaches men will need the perfect gift to give to their sweethearts. We will be moving from our *winter bliss* into our *Valentine bliss*, which will be a beautiful display of handmade products that will give you an excuse for a delightful shopping trip!!

We thought we would share with you a few photos from our display as it sits right now, but remember these amazing items won’t be out front for much longer, so come on by and treat yourself to any of these products…a lovely eucalyptus candle for a perfect breath of winter scents, or perhaps a bottle of delicious blueberry syrup for your warm pancakes, or perhaps a nice scarf or warm mittens to help keep out of the cold, or maybe a beautiful apron for that last winter open house, or wonderful winter greeting cards and envelopes, or some of the few last adorable snowmen to warm your home with thoughts of winter fun times…any items you need to make the last few months of winter just the best and most enjoyable ever!!!

Babes in the Woods

2010-09-23T11:28:00.001-08:00

Located in Girdwood Alaska is a fantastic little shop called Babes in the Woods, nestled among the white capped mountains and ski chairlifts. The owner, Shelbi Lynne, focuses on carrying handcrafted art, including our very own Gladheart Acres soaps and bath bliss.

Below are some pictures from her incredibly happy and colorful shop.

Babes in the Woods is located at :

109 & 111 Olympic Mountain Loop Girdwood, Alaska 99587

Phone #: 907-529-1992

9/11

2010-09-11T08:25:00.001-08:00

In remembrance of 9/11 our shop will be closed today.

We will never forget.

Store Pictures

2010-09-09T10:24:00.001-08:00

It’s been a while since I have shown any pictures from our shop. These were taken in early July when we moved everything around. With the holidays just around the corner (gasp!) we will be constantly shifting and moving everything…making room for more merchandise and filling the holes that are left after you buy it :)

Above are Alaskan Flower Pounded Tee Shirts… on sale for $10 each or 2/$18…great for you or to give.

And in the background Moonsisters Studios wonderful candles!

This So Called Love

2010-09-04T18:09:00.001-08:00

I can be there for you when it can’t get much harder.

I can cover your head when life starts to rain.

I can hold on tight when it feels like your falling.

I can bread-crumb the path when you’ve lost your way.

I can make you laugh when the whole world is crying.

I can build you up when you’re broken in shame.

But if all that we do is absent of Jesus,

Then this “so called” love is completely in vain.

By: Mercy Me “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”

Picture by Haylee Shields :)

Sunday

2010-08-22T08:25:00.001-08:00

Picture source unknown, but isn’t it lovely?

“Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people.”

Psalm 3:8

Blue Sky

2010-08-18T11:48:00.001-08:00

Blue skies and sunshine…these having been largely missing this summer but are making an appearance today :) We quickly did a couple loads of laundry and hung them up outside…nothing smells quite as nice as line-dried laundry. Tonight we are going to our friends property in the woods, building a bonfire and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Yum, summer at it’s finest…at last.

Hours

2010-08-13T09:40:00.001-08:00

Inside of our Saturday Market booth.

We will NOT be at Saturday Market this Saturday (Aug. 14th) because we are going to attend a wedding :) We will be open at our Wasilla shop 10-3 pm.

We have just filled our soap baskets and lotion shelves at the shop so come visit us, we would love to see you! :)

Happy Sunday

2010-08-01T10:34:00.001-08:00

“Nature is the handmaiden of the Lord”

Our Alaskan Backyard

2010-07-30T19:32:00.001-08:00

The following pictures were taken in our backyard by my very dear and gifted daughter Heather. It’s been a RAINY summer and everything is growing wild…but unless it’s the vegetable garden, the wildness is beautiful. Speaking of the garden, a moose ate all our peas! We have alot of potatoes still growing (amongst the weeds) but everything else is pretty water-logged. Enjoy the pictures :)

You have to look closely to see the stakes but this used to be our sled dog lot

Our Creek

Ok, so we have had SOME sun, we captured it on film :)

Rhubarb Dream Dessert

2010-07-21T20:41:00.001-08:00

In the summer around our house rhubarb almost becomes a food group in itself…we eat soooo much of it. Below is one of our favorite recipes, best served warm with Vanilla Bean ice cream or homemade whipped cream…yummo!

Crust:

1 cup flour

5 TBS. icing sugar

1/4 c. butter

Topping:

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 cups rhubarb (other other fruit; good with raspberries)

Blend crust ingredients. Press into ungreased 9x9” pan. Mix all topping ingredients and pour on crust. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

* recipe from Farmhouse Cooking

Hannah’s Pick of the Week

2010-07-15T23:36:00.001-08:00

Here is the long overdue and much anticipated pick of the week…

Onesies and toddler tees by Salty Starfish Designs!

Hannah loves these shirts, her favorite being the seahorse because the colors are so wonderful!

Salty Starfish Designs is a Wasilla owned business by busy mom Maria and we all love her tees because they are beautifully designed, locally made and include some Alaskana themes. They have been flying off the shelves and are reasonably priced at $15 each…great for gifts or an Alaskan memory.

Shameless Plug(s)

2010-07-08T09:39:00.001-08:00

There are 2 things we have always been told not to talk about: religion and politics. Well I have never paid much mind to the rule regarding religion (which by the way, I like to refer to as ‘relationship’ as in my relationship with God Himself…how awesome is that ?!?) … faith is interwoven into my very being and I am so very thankful. Buuut… regarding politics, I can usually avoid getting into passionate debates even though I myself have some very precise and pointed opinions regarding the subject :) But I must mention that last night some of my older girls & I went to a Meet & Greet with Joe Miller who is running for US Senate. He is a Christian, a Constitutionalist and an Alaskan… in otherwards, a wonderful candidate. Impressive.

Please check out his website www.JoeMiller.us

Also in other exciting news… at the above mentioned Meet & Greet we met 2 lovely sisters from the Alaskan bush village of Galena. They happen to be Gladheart gals (aka customers :) ) and they told us of an interesting and unique use for our Vanilla lotion…apparently vanilla is a gnat deterrent (and the bush is full of the nasty little biters). Simply slather yourself with our Vanilla lotion and the gnats will hover about but not land. And of course, it’s deet free :) However we cannot promise that our Vanilla lotion will keep anything else away :)

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T08:32:00.001-08:00

Have a safe and blessed 4th of July.

Notice: We will be closed Monday July 5th. See you Tuesday 10-6, come in and see what we have rearranged :)

Faith’s Fragrance

2010-07-02T10:04:00.001-08:00

“Faith smells the fragrance while there is yet no rose”

MIA

2010-06-21T21:42:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends,

I have been absent from my blog as we were having difficulties with the blogging program and since I am computer illiterate, I was at the mercy of my computer guru hubby. All is better now, complete with a beautiful new background, kudos to Shabby Creations for her beautiful blog design (and an updated website in the works!)

We have been getting some wonderful/lovely new goodies in the shop…little handmade birdie keychains and little pouffy heart pins, vintage style wrapping paper, more scarves (sold almost completely out of an order the day we put them out!) and locally made appliqued tee shirts for the little ones… and more! And more coming! Yay! (please let me know what kinds of products you would like us to carry, we would love to hear from you).

Yummmm, we have been experimenting with some new soap scents and will be offering them soon… I have a new favorite :)

On the home front, we continue to pack boxes and prepare our home to sell. I think we will be putting it on Craigslist later this week. We have been looking a little north of Wasilla to move to but have nothing specific in mind… I admit that it can be a little unsettling for this Mama!

We continue to love Saturday Market, this is our 8th year and it is going well (downtown Anchorage, we are on the back row) and we are also doing the Wasilla Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays (weather permitting).

And in the garden we have been enjoying a nice mixture of sun and rain; we have peas, potatoes, beans, zucchini, lettuce and herbs growing quite nicely, as well as a plethora of weeds, lol.

Several of our children are participating in the National Bible Bee www.biblebee.org and it is so nice to hear their precious voices quoting beautiful scriptures throughout the day.

A new Hannah’s Pick is on the way later this week.

XOXO,

Tammy

Hannah’s Pick of the Week

2010-06-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

For her week 2 pick Hannah chose our Simply Devine Electric Candles. We have carried these gems for years and they have continually been a best seller . Available in 2 sizes and a variety of yummy scents these are a safe way to gently scent your room. They are made of scented wax and then warmed slightly by the glow of a small bulb (dipped to look like a candle flame~how cute is that !?). After a few months the scent will fade, we have refresher oils and replacement bulbs. These are a ‘candle’ that can literally last forever! We love them and use them ourselves, we have several in our home but our favorite scent depends on who in the family you ask! Mine is Hazelnut Latte while Hannah swoons over the Vintage Vanilla and Sweet Pea ones.

Because these are so wonderful, unique, long-lasting and packaged in nice boxes, our Simply Devine Electric Candles make excellent house-warming, senior citizen, anniversary, birthday or ‘just because’ gifts.

And this holiday season be sure to check out our holiday scents! Hannah’s pick this week will certainly keep you glowing :)

Rubby Duckie

2010-06-07T16:05:00.001-08:00

We have a whole pond of these wonderful rubber ducks at our shop, aanndd we are expecting some really cool, brightly- colored polka dot ones any day! Wahoo, bathe away!

(From Sesame Street which I haven’t watched in YEARS but I still remember, with great fondness, this fun song)

Rubber Duckie, you're the one,
You make bathtime lots of fun,
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you;
Woo woo be doo
Rubber Duckie, joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Rubber Duckie, you're my very best friend, it's true!
Doo doo doo doo, doo doo
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yellow and chubby
Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!
Rubber Duckie, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you.
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yellow and chubby
Rubber Duckie, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of -
Rubber Duckie, I'd like a whole pond of -
Rubber Duckie I'm awfully fond of you!
Doo doo, be doo

Introducing Hannah’s Pick of the Week

2010-06-02T09:43:00.001-08:00

Hannah is our 15 year old daughter who works with me on most Saturdays. She is very creative, has an eye for beauty and is developing a good business sense. We have a lot of fun in the shop together. Recently Hannah got very excited when reading over the back of our Lavender Dryer Sachets and thus our idea for ‘Hannah’s Pick of the Week’ was born, we hope to feature each week a product that Hannah loves.

Aren’t these beautiful? The back of the package says:

“ Bring home the scent of lavender with our organic Lavender Dryer Sachets. Each sachet will last up to 6 cycles in the dryer and your laundry will be left with the scent of fresh lavender fields. Afterwards , the lavender will make a great carpet freshener—just open the sachet and sprinkle on your carpet before vacuuming.”

What Hannah loves about these: the beautiful packaging, the lovely lavender scent and the value.

Bathe Away

2010-05-24T20:16:00.001-08:00

“Noble Deeds and Hot Baths are the best cures for depression”. unknown author

Counting My Blessings

2010-05-17T09:45:00.001-08:00

My Mother’s Day Bouquet

Last week was very overwhelming… it seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. At times like that I often will take my eyes off of the Lord and focus instead on all that is going on around me… all the negative anyways. When at last it seemed that I could do no more, handle no more, think no more, I heard the still small voice of my Heavenly Father reminding me to count my blessings. Here is a short list in no particular order:

*Friends ~ we are incredibly and wonderfully blessed to be surrounded by loving, caring people including the family who loaned us their car (complete with a full tank of gas!) and fixed the brakes on our van without charge. And gratitude overflows from the depths of my heart when I consider the God who answers prayer and all those friends who are praying for us.

*Customers and a business we love~ it was a slow week at the store but there were customers and the Lord wanted me to remember that fact…. those who came in, who praised our store, who love our soaps, who spent their hard-earned money in our shop rather than somewhere else. We are still working with our hands, together, all these years later and in spite of slow times, in spite of supplier problems, in spite of rising shipping costs and shipping impossibilities, it is a blessing without measure.

* Home and hearth~ we continue to have a comfortable home, wood for the fire (yes even in May we sometimes need one!), food to eat and lots of love to share… the simple everyday blessings that so many around the world go without and yet we often take for granted.

*A royal court~ here in my home I am queen, the Mama who presides over her royal court along side her husbandly king. My husband and children are my family, my friends, my loves. I am treated far above my station and expectations and it is a joyous position I hold.

* The Word of God~ true spiritual meat, soul refreshment, encouragement in drought time, life and water. Who can put a value on the blessing of being able to hold God’s very word in my own hands? Priceless.

So just like the hymn “Count Your Blessings” admonishes : “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done”. Amen to that.

Happy Mother’s Day

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Mother Prayer

Dear Lord,
today we pray for mothers--
our own mothers, and mothers everywhere,
who have made such a major contribution
to the good qualities we have,
sometimes through genetics,
more often through great effort and patient instruction,
and who have done their best
to gently polish away our rough edges.
Lord, please bless our mothers
for the endless hours of time they spent
and the boundless energy they invested in us.
Bless our mothers for their sacrifices on our behalf
as they often gave up or deferred their own dreams
so that we could have ours.
Bless our mothers for always being there for us,
for being the person we know we can turn to
when we need comfort, encouragement, or just a hug.
Bless our mothers for making a home for us
where we could feel safe, where we felt we belonged.
Most of all, Lord,
bless our mothers for their unconditional love,
for loving us no matter what,
and for frequently showing love
in ways that make us feel valued and cherished.
Lord, please bless our mothers mightily.
Strengthen them, soothe them,
wrap them in Your infinite love
and shower them with blessings
too numerous to count, too magnificent to describe.
We love them, admire them, respect them,
and we wish that You would give them back
many times the good they gave to us.
In Jesus' name we pray; Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs

Mother’s Day May 9th

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We have lots of beautiful gifts and bath bliss to treat your Mama with and to give her a GLAD HEART. Our store hours are Mon-Fri 10-6 pm and Saturday 11-5.

And while supplies last we are having a give-away with every purchase.

Our Give-Away: One beautiful hand-dipped silicone light bulb in scrumptious pastel colors. These are perfect for nightlights, welcome lights, electric candles, etc.

One per customer please and while supplies last.

Spring Sale

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We have put these on sale so you can stock up! They are perfect for spring decorating and don’t forget Mother’s Day on May 9th.

These beautiful Made-in-the-USA heart shaped floral pillows are currently 40% off!

The matching table runners are also 40% off.

Shop Pictures

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We have been filling up the store with neat things and also have a large assortment of soaps, lotions, scrubs and other bliss back in stock.

Come visit us soon, we love to see you!

We have several locally made bunnies, all with their own personality, here to celebrate spring.

We have a pair of these handcrafted rockers for sale, buy the pair or purchase just one. And wouldn’t that bunny make the cutest Mother’s Day gift?

Just one of the many vintage linens that recently arrived.

Think pink and pretty.

More lovelies, to give or keep (smile)

Booth

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It was a lovely day for a drive to Fairbanks. The mountain was stunning and the sun shining. We are all set up and hope to see you soon!

PS This photo was taken with hubby’s I phone, emailed to me then blogged. Gotta love technology.

This Weekend in Fairbanks

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We will be at the Woman’s Show in Fairbanks Friday-Sunday April 8,9 & 10 at the Carlson Center. We will have a booth full of our soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, bath salts, lip balms, candles, and other bliss. Please stop by and say hi…we’re looking forward to seeing you again!

For our local customers, we will be open at our shop in Wasilla

Fri. 10-6 & Sat. 11-5

Wood Warmth

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Just had another cord of wood delivered…I am not sure how many cords we have went through this winter, close to 10 or more, but then it has been a windy one. Even though the sun is beginning to shine again it is still somewhat cold and we need to keep the fire stoked.

And the stockings were hung… We have a clothesline strung up by the woodstove. It’s a great place to dry mittens and stockings. I love the homey look of this picture.

Our hard-working Jotul woodstove. We have some stove black on order from Lehmans and when it gets here the stove will be getting a good rub down. We have a smaller white enamel Jotul woodstove in our shop, if we ever move it’s coming with us…it’s just sooooo cute!

This neat sign was a gift from Hubby & the children a couple birthdays ago. It hangs above our hearth. While some of the Lower 48 is seeing clear signs of spring with green grass and blooming flowers, we still are keeping our home fires burning and watching the snow melt into mud. But then, seemingly overnight, the trees will bud, the air will smell sweet, and the flowers will burst forth!

Think Green

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Here are a few pictures of our display table in front of the shop…we were thinking spring-y green thoughts.

PS The candles, soap and vintage-quilt heart pillows are all locally made…yay!

The Stream of Life

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“If it weren’t for the rocks in it’s bed,

the stream would have no song”

A Warm Glow

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While I am of the opinion that candles are a year round *necessity*, the recent snowfall has me snuggling in and lighting more fragrant flickering flames (say that 3 times fast, LOL). At our shop we have a variety of candles to choose from. My usual favorite candle scents are anything “bakery" (calorie free!) but recently I burned a Eucalyptus soy candle and LOVED the fresh clean scent.

We have shelves full of the locally & wonderfully made Moonsisters Studio candles.

Votives are always popular!

Our small handpoured soy candles are bargain priced at $4.95 each

My personal all-time favorite candle scent:

Red Hot Cinnamon

And our very own Gladheart Acres soy candles in convenient tins are always ‘dreamy’.

Snowy Days!

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We have been having a snow storm! Yay!

I LOVE SNOW!

We got several inches over night, more today and it is currently just pouring down…bring on the hot chocolate!

My little car had to be shoveled out this am in order for us to go to open our store

I LOVE trees laden with snow…usually doesn’t last long here with all our wind

A shovelful of fresh beautiful snow

Looking out our backyard at snowy wilderness… you can’t see Government Peak/Hatcher’s Pass in this picture, the mountains are cloud covered

Lifted Eyes

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I have not been able to keep up very well with the blog this week but want to share this picture (again taken by dd Heather) and a favorite Scripture.

Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

Did you know?

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…that our handcrafted soaps are made with lovely golden olive oil, gobs of cocoa butter and other skin loving oils for a rich, moisturizing lather with fragrance that lasts throughout the soap bar … skin yumminess! Most of our soaps are $5.00 each or 6/$25 (that’s buy 5, get 1 free!). The 6/$25 is honored in our shop, at shows & markets, through our website (even though the shopping cart doesn’t reflect it, we manually give you the savings!) and if you order via email. We have several scents to choose from so pick a pack and treat yourself.

Shopping for Baby

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Buying baby gifts is a favorite shopping experience for me and we want to offer you a nice selection of beautiful baby gifts at Gladheart Acres. We have the locally made Krafts with Kare blankets and fleece beret-style hats (too cute!), our own baby soaps and baby butters in 3 scents, handmade washcloth puppets, ducky pouffies for the bath, silver inscribed baby spoons and of course, Bink Links. These are wooden pacifier chains that hook the all-important “binky” to baby’s clothing. We first discovered these when our own dear daughter Helayna was forever dropping her own binky…

Bink Links are stylish, safe and affordable!

Hannah, 14 and former Bink Link user Helayna, now 3 years old.

Sunrise

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Dear daughter Heather took this picture a few mornings ago…

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised” Psalm 113:3

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Closed Monday

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Just a quick note to say that our shop is closed today for President’s Day… we thought we make it a holiday for us too. We’ll see you tomorrow when we reopen at 10 am. Have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Mama!!

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We want to wish our wonderful Mama the very best birthday ever!! May this day be joyful, happy, fun, and filled with love! Thanks for everything you do for us – you’re the best.

Love from your husband and children!

Check out this video...

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Scoop Your Own Bath Salts

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Our very popular “scoop your own bath salts” are now available at our shop, available in 2 sizes ; 1/2 Pint $5.00, Pint $8.00 & in 12 scents… go ahead and layer them or blend to create your own scent!

And if you have sickness going around your home like we have here, remember our Arctic Breathe bath salts… perfect for helping breathe again!

Fireproof

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Last night most of the children went to bed but Hannah wanted to stay up and watch a movie with Rick & I, above was her choice. I was reminded of what a wonderful choice it would make to watch for Valentine’s Day so I thought I’d remind you too. Rick and I first saw Fireproof in October 2008 at the theater… it was the first time in 20 years that we had seen a movie in the theater…talk about a shock to the senses (!)… still not sure if I liked that but the popcorn sure was good! LOL… The car wreck scene in the movie always affects me… I get goose bumps, my stomach flips and I hold my breath. I am sure all those sensations are not helped by the fact that we will soon have 3 dear daughters driving… ack!

Disclaimer: Fireproof deals with a failing marriage & the issues surrounding it, we don’t let our younger kiddos watch it. Also be sure to watch the “Fireproof in 60 Seconds” in the Fun Features section after watching the main movie. It’s a hoot.

Ah, it gives me a glad heart to be married to a good man.

Be My Valentine

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Valentine’s Day is less than a week away… and the store is decked out in red, pink and sweetness. We have a wonderful selection of soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs and more bath bliss in stock as well as other lovely gifts.

AND all furniture is currently on sale at 15% off!

Winter Weather

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The roads were a mess going to the shop this morning… snow was falling, wind was blowing and my window wiper was broken! It was a very slow, hard-to-see trip in. Hubby came later and replaced the wiper, the wind stopped and the snow plows plowed. The trip home was much more pleasant. We have about 6” of fresh snow…beautiful! Below is a favorite verse and a picture of our Alpaca display at the store. These items are here on consignment, all made with Alpaca fiber, some made locally and others brought in from a Peruvian women’s fair-trade co-op. All of it beautiful, soft and warm.

There is still plenty of winter weather left so bundle up!

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Pray for Haiti

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Remember to continue to pray for those in Haiti, both the victims and the rescue/aid workers. So many stories are being told, both the heart-wrenching and the miraculous.

Sugar Scrubs are Back in Stock!

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Wahoo! Currently available in Mango Smoothie, Lavender, Peppermint, Antique Peony and Northwest Blackberry… these are wonderful exfoliating, moisturizing scrubs. We blend them with loads of shea butter so there’s no oily pools on top. Just gobs of yummy smelling, skin loving, scrubby goodness! Hurry in, they are going fast… but don’t worry, we’ll make more!

MIA: Mama flu

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Ugh, I had to take an unexpected, unwanted blog-break. Last week, I got sick… fever, nasal drainage, sore throat, headache (!), etc. Ugh. The first few days my head felt so heavy and my neck so sore I didn’t think it was going to be able to hold my head up any longer. And while I certainly felt less than a queen, more like death warmed over, my family took such royal care of me.

Why the name Mama flu??? Well, in my family I am the only one even remotely sick and my dear kindred friend, Sandy, also a mother of many, has the same thing and no one else in her family is sick…. must be an illness reserved only for the Mamas… Ugh. Silver lining: Sandy and I each of lost 5 pounds. Ugh. (oh I said that already!)

Antiqued Store Pictures

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These were taken at our Wasilla shop by dear daughter Heather.

Catherine…

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Hmmm… what is our dear friend Catherine thinking about? Of the baby her & hubby Allen are expecting of course! Congratulations to some of our favorite people, we sure miss you now more than ever (they live in Georgia). Our family certainly rejoices & praises God over the news of your blessing!

Lotion is Restocked!

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Our ever popular, super moisturizing Olive Oil & Glycerin lotions are back in stock and available in both the large pump bottle size and the smaller travel tube and in your favorite scents such as French Vanilla Pear, Lavender, Jasmine, Coconut, Cranberry Fig, Orange Spice Tea, Mango Smoothie, Fresh Rain and Rise & Shine.

You can pick these up at our Wasilla shop or order via email.

PS I neglected to say that the New Year’s Poem I posted yesterday was written by our family’s resident poetess & daughter, Haylee-Jean (age 17).

A New Year’s Poem

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The Year 2010

The New Year is stretched before us

Like a cloak of fresh new snow,

Like a piece of unlined paper,

Like a field before it’s sown.

Like the waters of the ocean,

Like the wide expanse of sky,

Like the grasses of the prairie

Like the desert-though it’s dry.

Like an un-composed new chorus

Like a book before it’s wrote,

Like a tale before the telling

Like a word before it’s spoke.

And sometimes this can frighten us

To not know what’s ahead,

But here’s a quick suggestion

To keep our courage fed.

Let our Father up in Heaven

Be the One to hold the pen

That writes each smallest detail

Of the year two thousand ten.

Let Him be the One to hold us

When trials come our way

And we will have a joyful year

Through each and every day.

So may you have a Happy New Year

Filled with joy and peace,

And may the blessings of the Father

On you e’er increase.

New Years Store Hours

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Open Thursday, New Year’s Eve 10-4 pm

Closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Reopen Monday Regular Hours (10-6 pm) and we will be restocked with lotion!

Have a safe, wonderful weekend recounting the past year’s many blessings!

A Quick Link

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Here’s a refreshing ad that we love!

http://www.us.dockers.com/season/landing.aspx

Palmer Store Now Closed

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While our Palmer location is now closed we are open in Wasilla (and will continue to be). We are located at 1830 E Parks Hwy Wasilla, where the IHOP & Joanns are. Our store hours are Monday – Friday 10-6 pm and Saturdays 11-5, and the phone # is 631-4153. We have been restocking the soaps and there is a nice selection again and more lotions will be there later this week as will our very popular “scoop your own” bath salts. Thank you to everyone who supported our Palmer shop and for a terrific holiday season at both stores, at shows and online. You are all so wonderful and we appreciate you!

Tradition Day & Holiday Pictures

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First an explanation on our family’s “tradition day”… A few years ago our family started our very own tradition of allowing the girls 12 & over stay home the Monday after Colony Christmas (our last show of the year… this year it was December 14th) and clean the house (top to bottom just like a good old-fashion spring cleaning) and then put up the Christmas decorations. Rick, I and the younger children leave early in the morning and don’t return home for another 12 + hours. The girls turn up the Christmas music and are treated to a Jones soda & peanut M&M’s and have lots of sisterly fun (and hard work!). Since we are still making our soaps & etc in the kitchen and by this time of year it has overtaken most of the house, it is a good feeling to put the bulk of it away and scale back for the new year’s slower months. I can’t explain how refreshing it is to come home that Monday evening to a sparkling clean home lit with a bounty of white lights, delicious smelling candles and everything literally aglow. For everyone in the family, including the cleaning crew, this is one of our very favorite days and a lovely start to our own Christmas season.

Above: A precious gift from a dear friend and consignor at our shop. I love this and will treasure it always.

I am spoiled.

Above 2 pictures have Red Hot Cinnamon candles from Moon Sisters Studio. They are beautiful and smell so fabulous! You can find them at our shop as well as many other yummy scents.

(ok, I cheated on this one…it didn’t snow on Christmas, it was warm at 32* and windy…this picture was taken last week when we got tons of snow!)

Closing Sale at the Palmer Store

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Saturday December 26th, (10 am –5 pm) will be our last day in our Palmer shop. We are trying to make it a festive occasion (although I know I will be shedding a few tears!)… to thank you for being our loyal customers. We hope you will all come tomorrow and then keep coming to our new Wasilla shop…we are anticipating many happy years there.

Tomorrow in Palmer we are offering:

* 25% off everything (except Gladheart Acres products & furniture)

* complimentary cookies & candy (yep, more goodies!)

* a free gift sample of lotion

* punch cards for our Wasilla shop ($5 off every purchase of $25 or more, valid once a month January-May 2010)

~XOXOXOXO~

Very Merry Christmas to You

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Christmas Bells of Joy~

by Louise Pinkerton Fritz

Ring out today

Oh, bells of joy,

For there is born

A Baby Boy

The Savior of

The world is He

Who came to set

All mankind free

From sin, if each

Will trust in Him,

Open their hearts

And let Him in.

So ring today

Oh, bells of cheer,

Ring out this message

Loud and clear.

Merry Christmas wishes to each of you. May your day be filled with praises to our King and love of friends & family.

Store Closed Monday

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We will be closed Monday December 14th due to our family’s “tradition day” (description in a later post). Come see us on Tuesday though, we’ll have both locations restocked for your shopping pleasure.

Another Birthday!

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Today our 2nd oldest daughter, Heather, is turning 19 years old. She is a beautiful young lady whose interests are as varied as baking, watching children, taking care of animals, writing, survival/first aid skills and crocheting. She just doesn’t like sewing! She also likes photography and took the sunrise photo below last Saturday. Happy Birthday my dear daughter, I love you to Maine and back again, and again, and again, and again and forever!

(And don’t forget Colony Christmas in downtown Palmer today)

Birthdays!

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Happy Birthday to 2 of my favorite people…my wonderful husband Rick and my dear sweet Mom! I am so very blessed to have each of you in my life.

Colony Christmas Downtown Palmer

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Wahoo! One of our most favorite events is this weekend… here is a link to the Palmer Chamber of Commerce and the schedule of events.

http://www.palmerchamber.org/

(scroll down to the bottom of the page)

We will have a booth in the train depot (Fri and Sat.) and both of our retail shops will be open regular business hours. For the first time the Downtown Palmer Plaza will be hosting the cookie contest so come by and look (and taste!) all the wonderful Christmas cookies. Soap and cookies in the same spot… does it get any better than this???

There will be fireworks Saturday, we always joke that it is to celebrate our last show of the year <smile>. This is a great weekend to bring the family or friends to our picturesque “Norman Rockwell” town. Hope to see you there.

Wolves!

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Yesterday we tried laying down in the late afternoon for a much needed rest (we are all fighting head-colds and some fever). As soon as our heads hit our pillow, our dogs starting barking & howling. A quick trip to the front porch revealed to our ears that our resident wolf pack was indeed back in the area. All the canines continued their symphony until any idea of a nap was pure frustration.

Let It Snow!

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Actually we have already been having snow…several inches of it. Everything is blanketed in beautiful shimmering white. We had such a long nice fall, then windstorms, a couple weeks of minus 20 degrees, freezing rain earlier this week and now snow!

I love the snow!

This is the view from our backyard

And a view from our side yard

Colony High Christmas Bazaar

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Saturday, November 28th, we will be at the Colony High School Christmas Bazaar (in Palmer Alaska). Our booth is located in the big gym and we will be bringing a nice selection of soaps and lotions as well as our other bath bliss. We hope to see you there!

In addition both of our retail shops will be open 11-5. We are continuing to give a complimentary sample lotion to everyone who comes in to our Wasilla store. Tell your friends, or better yet bring them with you!

Our deep gratitude to each of you who support our family business! xoxoxo

Black Friday Sale

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Today, Friday November 27th, at our Wasilla store* we are offering $5 off your purchase of $25 or more plus everyone who comes into our shop receives a free sample lotion!

Shop local, support small business

* Located in the Creekside Plaza (where Joanns & IHOP are)

(907-631-4153)

Giving Thanks

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“ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I Thessalonians 5:18