SMF September 2023 Un-Challenge - Simple Pleasures

[dibbles]

@ScentimentallyYours, thank you for sharing your story. These are very special soaps and your mom will love using them. They are truly lovely.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thank you @CLMP The “dough” I used for the soap above wasn’t planned. The finished soap was remarkably pliable and easy to mold which was was strange because the batter accelerated and the soap gelled. It must have something to do with that particular FO. The soap I make with that recipe is normally quite firm within 18 hours. By any chance, have you watched I Dream in Soap’s YT video on making soap dough? For the most recent batch of dough that I made in August, I followed her method with my (almost*) normal tallow & lard recipe. I wasn’t sure it would work because the recipe has 29% palmitic + stearic. The dough is stiff, but becomes workable with a little kneading. *The one change I made to my recipe was to drop the lye concentration from 40% to 33%.

 

[CLMP]

Thank you @CLMP The “dough” I used for the soap above wasn’t planned. The finished soap was remarkably pliable and easy to mold which was was strange because the batter accelerated and the soap gelled. It must have something to do with that particular FO. The soap I make with that recipe is normally quite firm within 18 hours. By any chance, have you watched I Dream in Soap’s YT video on making soap dough? For the most recent batch of dough that I made in August, I followed her method with my (almost*) normal tallow & lard recipe. I wasn’t sure it would work because the recipe has 29% palmitic + stearic. The dough is stiff, but becomes workable with a little kneading. *The one change I made to my recipe was to drop the lye concentration from 40% to 33%.

Oh thank you so much I will check out the video and I might try my recipes at 33% in stead of 40% maybe that will work. Thanks for letting me know!

 

[Cindy D.]

Regrettably I'm not going to be able to make soap for this months unchallenge. It's been 2 weeks since I hurt my hand. The swelling has gone thankfully, but it still aches when I use it much.

All the soaps have been beautiful!!

Oh and regular rhubarb roots work to make pink if you have them growing. The best time to harvest is in the fall or early winter after the leaves are gone.

 

[CLMP]

@ScentimentallyYours I love your soaps I really like the way your Brown Chocolate Swirl turned out it's really nice! I'm always trying to get my mom to watch me make soap Lol unfortunately she says to me " it's not the type of thing I enjoy watching more than once " LOL I got her to watch twice . She loves and uses my soaps though and she enjoys giving them to her friends. Lol

 

[2lilboots]

@Cindy D. I am so sorry you hurt your hand. I hope you heal quickly. I liked your information about the rhubarb roots. Thank you.

 

[Ford]

Lurking on the side lines. Busy month for me. Major function each weekend. Plus house guests, along the way. But looking forward to next month. Just waiting on a theme. So I can get started.

 

[dibbles]

@Cindy D. I hope your hand feels better soon!

 

[Georgeandstella]

For my simple pleasure- I’m playing with toddler gift soaps for my friends’ grandkids.

I used beef tallow, coconut oil (reduced to 15% so not too cleansing), olive oil and castor oil, my usuals, and then added Shea butter for more creaminess. I used Kaolin clay for color, and just 1.5% lavender EO.

I was playing with using pink and blue confetti or the pools of white and blue. The blue is a mica. I think I like the pools of blue better.

I appreciate any comments and feedback on this as a toddler soap, good or bad, as I’m going to make some more, this is my practice batch.

I made sure the plastic toys didn’t have a drain hole in the bottom, which would have constantly drained water into the soap.

Anyway, I think they look happy!

 

[dibbles]

Really cute @Georgeandstella! I like the blue pools too, but I’m pretty sure the toddlers in my life would choose confetti. If there isn’t a choice they would be happy with either because duckie.

 

[Ford]

@Georgeandstella, both designs work. Why not confetti on bottom, with duck floating in a blue pool on top?

 

[dmcgee5034]

@Georgeandstella - oh how cute are those! 10/10 on the cute scale! I like the unicorns on confetti and ducks on blue ponds.

 

[melinda48]

For my simple pleasure- I’m playing with toddler gift soaps for my friends’ grandkids.

I used beef tallow, coconut oil (reduced to 15% so not too cleansing), olive oil and castor oil, my usuals, and then added Shea butter for more creaminess. I used Kaolin clay for color, and just 1.5% lavender EO.

I was playing with using pink and blue confetti or the pools of white and blue. The blue is a mica. I think I like the pools of blue better.

I appreciate any comments and feedback on this as a toddler soap, good or bad, as I’m going to make some more, this is my practice batch.

I made sure the plastic toys didn’t have a drain hole in the bottom, which would have constantly drained water into the soap.

Anyway, I think they look happy!

T

For my simple pleasure- I’m playing with toddler gift soaps for my friends’ grandkids.

I used beef tallow, coconut oil (reduced to 15% so not too cleansing), olive oil and castor oil, my usuals, and then added Shea butter for more creaminess. I used Kaolin clay for color, and just 1.5% lavender EO.

I was playing with using pink and blue confetti or the pools of white and blue. The blue is a mica. I think I like the pools of blue better.

I appreciate any comments and feedback on this as a toddler soap, good or bad, as I’m going to make some more, this is my practice batch.

I made sure the plastic toys didn’t have a drain hole in the bottom, which would have constantly drained water into the soap.

Anyway, I think they look happy!

These are simply adorable!

 

[Georgeandstella]

@Georgeandstella, both designs work. Why not confetti on bottom, with duck floating in a blue pool on top?

That’s clever, love it!

Really cute @Georgeandstella! I like the blue pools too, but I’m pretty sure the toddlers in my life would choose confetti. If there isn’t a choice they would be happy with either because duckie.

I think I’ll sprinkle small confetti on the top next time, to add more fun.

 

[janesathome]

I don't know if they are or not but I did notice that Ziplock now has these reusable rubber sandwich bags and they are expensive I'm now looking into getting some stainless steel containers for my son's lunches they are expensive too. My son won't eat sandwiches he likes left overs from the night before so I have to find some kind of container for him he also eats alot because he is a body builder so I need to find some nice big containers which I think I found some on Amazon. I still can't think of what to do for my soap making I might have to switch from plastic number 5s to glass and stainless steel. I do understand if Canada wants to get rid of plastic for the environment but it would have been nice if they could have warned us I have problems with change lol. I just hope I can find something nice for soap making.

I’m sorry you had an unexpected surprise about the changes to single use plastics - it’s upsetting the look for a product you use a lot and to find it’s gone missing. I am in Alberta and heard/saw lots of advance info about the upcoming changes - as it’s a federal initiative I would have thought the news and updates would have been national.
You could try looking at local thrift stores for containers for your son‘s lunches - or for soaping. Since I began soaping I have started shopping at thrift stores for many of my soaping needs!

 

[CLMP]

I’m sorry you had an unexpected surprise about the changes to single use plastics - it’s upsetting the look for a product you use a lot and to find it’s gone missing. I am in Alberta and heard/saw lots of advance info about the upcoming changes - as it’s a federal initiative I would have thought the news and updates would have been national.
You could try looking at local thrift stores for containers for your son‘s lunches - or for soaping. Since I began soaping I have started shopping at thrift stores for many of my soaping needs!

They finally got some Rubbermaid containers at Walmart but no ziplock containers so I am assuming they are only getting rid of ziplock so this I can live with lol.

 

[CLMP]

@Georgeandstella what a amazing idea I love it kids are definitely going to love those. I like the way the blue ones make it look like the ducky is floating on water and the confetti ones look really cool too!

 

[K.C.]

I just may squeak in under the wire. Shortly after signing up last Saturday my youngest started feeling sick, she's always kind enough to share. By the end of the week I have the two of us with bronchitis, my older daughter came home with strep on Thursday and my poor husband who never gets sick has pneumonia! We also had a monsoon here in NY yesterday ending this morning with almost 10 inches of rain in 24hrs.

As for my simple pleasure soap we live 2 minutes from the ocean and I've had a container of ocean water since the beginning of summer sitting in my studio waiting for me to make a soleseife bar. I went back and forth whether to use fragrance and figured my favorite lemongrass would be clean and light. I forgot it wasn't clear so I won't get those super white bars I was hoping for. I'll definitely make this again in the next few weeks. If all goes well I should be able to unmold them before the night is over and will post another pic. I also had to make some replacement lavender/lemongrass shampoo bars for an order this week.

 

[K.C.]

I just woke up at 11pm and of course what was the first thing I thought about, she looks better than I hoped!!

 

[Georgeandstella]

I just woke up at 11pm and of course what was the first thing I thought about, she looks better than I hoped!!

Lovely! And please tell us where you live by the ocean I have some seawater from a holiday I hope to make soon.