New Yummy Soap

Yummy soap freshly made

Friday was a good day for me..very little back pain and no arthritis flare ups.  The weather cooperated and we didn't get the predicted rain in our otherwise waterlogged region, at least where I live.  The day started off in the low 60's so I was ready to start working on at least one batch of soap and concluded the day with 5 new soaps. 

Earlier today I posted a picture of the cut bars from this log to our Facebook page and asked if anyone could guess what fragrance was used in this soap. 

Freshly cut bars of new soap

What fragrance do you think it is? You can certainly leave a guess in the comments on this post but be sure to  Find us on Facebook to see the answer and to participate in future guessing contests and soap giveaways. 

What a View Challenge

Scenic Lookout on Rt. 2 in Danville, VT

This past weekend we went on a road trip to visit the Grandgirlies and their parents and this is the view we came across as we made the journey.  I love this view, and always like to make a quick stop to snap a photo.  The snow covered mountains in the distance caught our attention, and it was a unanimous vote to stop and capture the moment.  Having grown up in the midwest where the closest thing to a mountain is an ant hill, I never tire of the ever changing mountain views in Vermont. 

My soap shelves are bursting at the seams and one lucky blogger is going to be able to enjoy a preview of the new soap formulas and new soapy designs (Free soap!).  Do you have a favorite scenic view/site where you live that you would like to share?  I would love to see and hear all about it.  Simply write a blog post referencing "What a View Challenge", then come back here and post the link to your blog post in the comments. 

Encourage your blog readers to join the "What a View Challenge" linking back to your blog along with the link to their "What a View Challenge" blog post in the comments for this post and you will earn an extra entry for every one of your readers that accepts this challenge .

The "What a View Challenge" will end on April 10, 2013 and on April 11, 2013 we will select one lucky winner from all of the entries who will be the proud recipient of some special skin loving soapy bubble love from Vermont. 

Maple Sugar Heaven

I just love Maple Sugar....Yummy Maple Sugar dripping all over pancakes or poured over snow, maple cream on toast, or perhaps a candy treat....and now, you can bathe and scrub in the essence of Maple Sugar year round. There's nothing like the smell of boiling sap in a sugar house each spring and these products capture that essence dead on! Great gift idea for the Maple Sugar lovers in your life.

We've taken our Whipped Soap and combined it with some sugar ~ creating a fabulous exfoliating scrub! Leaves your skin feeling clean, soft and moisturized. Best of all, this product is Paraben Free. A little goes a long way with this fabulous Whipped Sugar Scrub. Simply remove desired amount of Whipped Sugar Scrub from jar. Rub into skin; add water to create a delightful bubbly sugar lather and rinse off.

Our Maple Sugar Whipped Sugar Scrub comes in two convenient sizes. If you are not quite sure about our Whipped Sugar Scrubs, the 4 ounce jar is perfect for you! This size also makes for great stocking stuffers ~ hint, hint! :) If you have come to love our Whipped Sugar Scrubs or you are a Sugar Scrub "Junkie", then the 8 ounce jar is just the ticket.

We certainly could not make a scrub without offering a luxurious bar of Maple Sugar Handcrafted Soap. This superfatted soap formula is made with Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Shea Butter. It will leave your skin feeling extra pampered and loved. Each handsome handcrafted bar of soap weighs between 4.5 to 5 ounces.

Best of all, our US customers have really been enjoying FREE Shipping on our regularly priced products. Yes, I said FREE Shipping! Each of these Maple delights will ship for free if you reside within the US.

Feeling Springy

The weather has been absolutely glorious this week! It is rare in Vermont to see so much ground and so little snow this time of year. My lilacs are budding out (YIPPEE), and I see signs of my herb plants in the garden poking their noses through the soil once again. I ditched my trip to the exercise room this afternoon in favor of getting outdoors to enjoy the fresh air. It was delightful, indeed! With the ground warming up, any snowfall that might come our way is sure to melt quickly, which warms my spirits.

Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence

All American Mom

Earlier this month in celebration of my Birthday I was given this awesome Teddy Bear ~ The All American Mom Bear ~ my FIRST EVER Vermont Teddy Bear! Back track to the last week in June when we had a friend fly in for a week and took her to see the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. See that big Teddy Bear she's cuddling up to?
Now, I've been to this factory MANY times over the years without buying a bear, but this time I immediately fell in love with one of the bears on display because of the Patriotic dress she was wearing. She would fit right in with my kitchen decor and jokingly told Ashley the bear would make a great Birthday present (hint, hint), never dreaming she would actually purchase one for me.

These Vermont Made bears are the bomb! Very well constructed and come with a lifetime guarantee. If anything ever happens to your bear, just fill out the hospital admission papers and in a few weeks the bear will come back to you all fixed up and ready for more years of loving. These Teddy Bears come in a box with an air hole, so they can breathe. A snack in case they get hungry on the way to their new home, and some road trip games stamped on the inside of the box in case the bear gets bored. Here's a Question ~ What's the official beverage of Vermont? Answer ~ If you guessed Maple Syrup you are correct! The inside of the box is also stamped with the History of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and also some alternative uses for the box. One suggestion is to use it as a fish tank but warns it may only last 10 minutes, 15 if you plug the hole in the box.

As further proof that this is indeed an authentic Vermont Teddy Bear, you have to look very deeply into her eyes...
Yup, she was "Born in Vermont", which means she's the real deal!

Cruising Lake Champlain

For the 4th of July we attended a lovely wedding on board a dinner cruise boat on Lake Champlain, Vermont. The dock where we boarded the boat was the same dock used by one of the ferries that goes between Vermont and New York. We watched several ferries coming in and out before we were permitted to board the boat. It was cold, windy and we were dodging raindrops but spirits weren't dampened by the weather. Fortunately they found a location somewhat secluded from the wind to set anchor for the ceremony. After dusk there were several firework displays around the lake that we were able to view from the boat. Here are some of the views of the lake from the window inside the boat while we were having dinner.

Summer in Vermont

Summer is here! The school where I work has been out for a week, now. YEAH! Time to get down to some fun in the summer sun....wait, we haven't had much sun or heat yet!

In a nutshell, summer in Vermont is never warm enough or long enough to appease me. But, I didn't move here on account of the weather, it came with the package so to speak. While most of the south is sweltering and stuck indoors with air conditioning, just last week we were still running the woodstove to take the chill out of the air indoors.

Ponds, lakes and even the ocean in nearby New Hampshire and Maine is never warm enough to suit me. First time I took the kids to Hampton Beach, NH the natives of this region were walking in and out of the water as though it was a tropical beach. I was fooled...you know it is cold when you take a step into the icy water and your toes cramp up immediately. We're talking skin is red from the icy cold. No comparison to warmer climates where the ocean waters are warmer. Despite the cold water, it is always great fun to hang out on the beach for a day.

My favorite beachy place to visit is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. The family fun atmosphere includes an amusement park, lots of eating establishments and live entertainment. The Pier is awesome, and one often hears live music from establishments within the pier while hanging out on the beach.

Tapping toes, anxiously awaiting the arrival of some sun and heat so we can get out and enjoy our summer of fun!

What a Beautiful Sight in My Flower Bed Today

Winter Storms ~ Just in time for Christmas

We've been stuck in a weather pattern since December 12 where we have had a significant winter storm every other day. Each storm bringing more precipitation than the last. Friday's storm left us with flurries into last evening, as the Nor'easter started dumping upon us early this AM. I just went outside my kitchen and took a few photos of the snow.

~~~*Veteran's Day Sale*~~~

☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:VETERAN'S DAY SALE:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆

SPOTTED COW SOAPS is having a big sale....

Good November 11 Until 5 AM Eastern Time Wednesday, November 12

·:*¨¨*:·.THE.·:*¨¨*:·.MORE.·:*¨¨*:·.YOU.·:*¨¨*:·.SPEND.·:*¨¨*:·.
·:*¨¨*:·.THE.·:*¨¨*:·.MORE.·:*¨¨*:·.YOU.·:*¨¨*:·.SAVE.·:*¨¨*:·.

10% Off purchases up to $19.99 (Before shipping; Custom Orders not included)
15% Off purchases $20.00 - $29.99 (Before shipping; Custom Orders not included)
20% Off purchases over $30.00 (Before shipping; Custom Orders not included)

Soap, Toiletries and Bath Accessories all Handcrafted in the heart of the Vermont. 100% Pure and Natural the way Mother Nature intended it to be!

Sale Discount will be calculated before shipping and cannot be combined with any other discounts and does not apply to custom orders.

*•-:¦:-•Free Sample with every order.
*•-:¦:-•We can fit up to 8 bars of soap in a flat rate envelope.
*•-:¦:-•We will combine shipping fees and will refund the difference.
*•-:¦:-•We do ship Internationally


Please mention "Veteran's Day Sale" in comments on order to receive discount. When you are ready to check out, simply pay for your order and we'll refund discount via Pay Pal. OR, if you prefer, wait for a revised invoice before paying. Just let us know if you want a revised invoice in comments on order. Happy Shopping ~ Your Skin Will Thank You!

☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆:*¨¨*:★:*¨¨*:☆

Hubby's Moose

I realize that everyone does not embrace hunting. My husband is an avid hunter and was thrilled to have had his name drawn in the Moose Lottery this year. It has been a life dream of his to go on a Moose hunt. Second day of the first season his hunting adventure was a success. Just before 6 PM my technology disadvantaged husband in an attempt to save the image of his moose to his cell phone accidentally sent a text and image to me. Now I, this technology disadvantaged cell phone user, can't figure out how to get the image off the phone and on the computer so we took photos at home when he finally made it home this evening. I'm great on the computer, these cell phones and text messaging capabilities is something new to be discovered.

What are the chances that our son would also draw a tag for second season. This will not be Josh's first Moose hunt, he took a cow moose 4 years ago with his first Moose Tag. If their hunt is a success, we will not keep this second moose as Josh has invited one of his closest friends and his father to go with him on his hunt with the goal of them keeping the moose. Due to sticky state hunting regulations, hubby cannot hunt with Josh.

I Did It!

A Scenic View of Fall Foliage in Vermont

Friday afternoon I left work early with the mission of picking up my oldest daughter for the weekend. My son certainly didn't mind having to leave work early to help with the driving. I'm still not 100% to be driving long distances by myself and find myself zoning out when my brain has absorbed all it can take for the day. While my son drove, I took aim with my camera and attempted to capture the breathtaking beauty of the Autumn Foliage. I apologize for smudges on the windows of the car, and in some instances not being able to fully capture the awesome beauty.

Tough Buzzard Not Open for Any New Ladder Tricks

The fog in my head is subsiding, I am able to focus a bit clearer and the headache is beginning to subside...unless I'm getting used to the pain. The stitches on my head are beginning to drive me batty but my kids will tell you I was already batty, so...

Thankfully there are no broken or fractured bones to speak of. I've been told my bone density is excellent for my age, which is reassuring. Or perhaps that means I'm just a tough buzzard? The pain in my hip persists and I'm looking at physical therapy but I've chosen to at least hold off until the stitches are removed on Monday(hoping the pain will let up).

Did I mention there won't be any more WWE ladder tricks for this chick? If I can't reach it from the floor, it ain't gonna be reached! And that doesn't lend much distance considering I'm 5' 2"! Someone taller and/or much braver than I can do the ladder tricks.

Fortunately I was able to bring paperwork home to make final preparations for the new school year. Much quieter at home, less distractions, anyway. The Intenet is a wonderful tool linking home to work in a matter of a few clicks. Amazing!

The menu planning for the first month of school took longer than normal as more of the 2005 dietary guidelines are implemented and taken into consideration ~ lower fat, sodium, sugar and higher consumption of fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains AND targeting specific nutrients and vitamins to ensure they are being served the appropriate number of times per week. I spent two days earlier last week in training classes to help create this menu. This menu will be compared to the menu I had planned for September 2007 to see how well I have "changed" my menu planning techniques. More time and thought was put into this menu plan but now that it is finished I will be able to copy and paste (for the most part) and eventually put these daily items into a "cycle" menu in a creative way so it doesn't appear to be as such.

My Poor Garden

Aside from being over-run with weeds, it has suffered massive amounts of water, as well as lack of sun and heat. The tomato vines are full of fruit, but they aren't ripening very fast. You can faintly see the tinges of yellow that the fruit is thinking about ripening.


The squash has suffered some issues with all this rain.


Out of all my pepper plants, this is the first hint that peppers are going to be coming along...maybe in time for the first frost?


My poor flowers have suffered dearly as well. This is the only bloom on my Hydrangea, and it is only about the size of a 50 cent piece.


The only thing thriving in all this rain is the kale.

This is some GREAT stuff!

One of my MIVEST friends, Zeke, lives a "little" jaunt north of me on an island in the middle of Lake Champlain with his owners, Jim & Ellen. They offer some great wood turned products along with handspun and dyed yarns, knitted items and more.

They also happen to make some of the most excellent Hot Sauce ~ Macanero Hot Sauce to be exact!


Now, I love heat but so many hot sauces on the market have entirely too much salt and vinegar in them that it sets my mouth on fire and I can't enjoy the experience. This sauce doesn't do that! It's a sweet heat that is out of this world. A delightful combination of Macintosh apples, maple syrup and a nice assortment of hot peppers. Splash it in a bowl of chili to kick it up a notch (yum!), or on a pile of scrambled eggs(yum!). Either way you won't be disappointed when this sweet heat delivers a treat on your taste buds. Stop on over to Yellow Dog Farmand say hi to Zeke. He'll set you up with some of the best hot sauce in Vermont!

Wet Wednesday

Thank GOD it has stopped raining for now.