Oh What Fun To Suds Up With Holiday Cheer!

Hello Friends,

Winter, the season when the natural world hunkers down and takes a nap under the quiet hush of a fresh blanket of snow. The people, however, take this time to stack all their holidays in a row. Cooking and baking, shopping and decorating, working ourselves into a whirlwind of activity and celebrations.

And the holiday-ing is glorious! Packed full of traditions, cherished memories, treasured time we share with the people we love most. And after we’ve jingled the bells, flung the poppers and toasted each moment, we flop on the couch and get back to winter-ing.

The natural cycle of all things requires rest before renewal. There is such peace and comfort in the quiet moments. Snuggling by the fire in flannel jammies, or trudging outdoors on a snowy day, there is time for relaxation and reflection. For just a brief season, everything slows down and it feels, maybe possibly, even a little bit, like peace.

WINTER HOLIDAY SEASONAL SOAPS

Winter’s special magic, both indoors and outdoors, are the inspiration for these new seasonal soap scents. Making spirits bright, oh what fun to have a little stash of treats on the shelf waiting for you. Or share some of your very favorite things with a friend. ($6.00 each)

WINTER SOLSTICE – This beloved favorite is a deep, woodsy, forest scent – elegant, and enchanting. It’s our best selling winter scent, back again by request. Rich balsam cedar and bright juniper greens with base notes of earthy moss and stacked firewood. A deep green color, this scent brings all the cabin in the woods vibes.

MIDNIGHT SNOWFALL – How is this possible? To capture that silent moment when you look up into the heavenly midnight sky, huge flakes of downy snow falling from above and kissing your face? This is that magical scent of chilly night air with hints of woodsmoke, damp earth, and cold snowflakes - in a word, bewitching. Vetiver, oakmoss, amber, and blonde woods are the earthy base notes, with tingly wintergreen creating that perfect twinkly icy wonderland feel. Maybe the word is mesmerizing? I don’t know. I can’t stop sniffing this one.

HOT TODDY – Happily repeating this fragrance from last year! A cold winter’s day is always better with a nip of hot toddy. A warming, comforting mug of liquid gold – lemon, cinnamon stick, a pinch of clove, with deep notes of whiskey and honeyed apples. A little toddy for the body sure brings the holiday “spirit.” It’s cheery, uplifting, and just begging for a little Frank and Bing soundtrack.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE SPICE - The holiday season is jam-packed and jelly-tight with delicious, tempting treats. “Celebrate” means cooking, baking, eating, over-eating, and then polishing off those leftovers too. So I’m sneaking a little yummy into the soap menu too. Fudgie brownie laced with cinnamon and clove plus a dash of orange - just like a Mexican Hot Cocoa, it will definitely spice up your soap dish with sweet indulgence.

SPRUCE MINT – A walk in the woods on a wintry day, this is a lovely forest scent with the icy crispness of snow. A simple blend of evergreen and mint, with spruce and fir branches, sweet spearmint and cool peppermint in a beautiful moss green bar. Bring the clean, pure, freshness of the outdoors into your shower.

P.S. CRANBERRY APPLE MARMALADE was the most popular scent on our fall menu and sold out too quickly, so we’re making more batches and keeping it around for a couple more months.

HELPING HAND SOAPS - A GIFT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Our popular mini soap sets are back with new scents for the season. Helping Hand Soaps are a set of 5 small square soap bars in different scents (2 oz ea), a sampler of our very best seasonal soaps. While we’re continuing to re-invest our loans to Kiva from past purchases of these soaps, this season we are donating half the proceeds of these sets to World Central Kitchen. Racing around the world to feed people in the wake of devastation and support those local communities, these people are doing essential work. They are more than a charity, they are the best of humanity, and we have chosen this organization to fund this winter.

Stacked up and tied with bakery twine, this charming package has scents of: (top to bottom): Flannel Jammies (ivory), Walk in the Woods (green), Candy Cane Marshmallow (tan ), Orange Clove (orange), and Merry Cranberry (red). Cleaning up not only does a body good, it makes a difference in people’s lives too. ($12 each)

WINTER HOLIDAY AROMATIC SPRAYS

It’s just not the holidays without all the delicious smells! Add a little festive spirit to your home with one of our Winter Holiday home fragrance sprays. Holiday Spice has been our own little tradition around here forever. Orange zest, tart red berries and mulling spices festooned with fresh evergreen garlands for that perfect scent of holiday magic and delight.

Our more recent Winter Forest scent is gorgeous too – natural evergreen boughs of balsam, spruce, fir needles, juniper and warm woods bring the peaceful scent of a walk in the winter woods and freshly-cut Christmas tree indoors.

How do we use it, you ask? We fa la la spritz around the house just before guests arrive, and they coo about how great the place smells. We rum pum pump spray gift boxes, cards and stockings before sending them off so family and friends get a whoosh of holiday cheer when they open their presents. And we deck the halls with a little mist of loveliness on all the decorations too. Hard to decide which one? Get one of each! (4 oz bottle - $ 7.00)

GLAD TIDINGS TO ALL (AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT)

The holidays can be a complicated and stressful time. Simplicity is essential. We all know the most important thing is time with the ones you love, the little moments of enjoying each other and making memories. Oh, and gifts. Because the holiday season is lots of things – food, music, games, traditions – but’s it’s the one time of year we give all the gifts, showering treats on everyone we know.

Choosing the perfect, thoughtful present while keeping it simple and meaningful doesn’t have to be a challenge. Soapworks Studio’s small gifts of soap and bath goodies check every box. Everything is handmade in small batches, reasonably priced, with a wide variety of gift ideas big and small.

You’ll find something for everyone on your list at SoapworksStudio.com. Click on our “Gifts” tab for a nice variety of customizable made-for-you items. Lots of new canvas tote style containers, boxed sets, our holiday designs of Swedish dishcloths – there is a Santa’s sack full of ideas. Or give the gift of soap all year long with a Sudscription – our “soap of the month club” - available in 3 month, 6 month or 1 year subscriptions. Shop handmade, support local makers and businesses, and get the very best gifts possible. Let us handle the post office while you have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Heart-felt gratitude to each and every one of you for your friendship and support this past year. May there be peace on Earth, good will to all beings.

Heidi Risse