Greetings, fellow peace loving holiday hippies!

After what seems like a mere eternity of Black Friday and endless cyber something discount madness, have you finished all your holiday shopping already? Or do you still need a small gift or two?

Over here in Soaplandia we've been thinking that a gift of soap is just the ticket, the very epitome of the perfect gift - an everyday, much-loved, usable item taken to a higher standard of quality or uniqueness which your sweetie pie or honey bear might not splurge on for themselves.

Maybe you've wondered if giving soap as a gift might send a different (umm, not so pleasant) message? We decided to break down what giving the gift of soap really means. Hint: it's not dirty. It's more 'you're special and you're worth it. You enjoy the finer things in life on a daily basis. I love you and want to pamper you.' All good stuff.

Alrighty then, so you've decided that yes indeed, the gift of handmade, beautiful soap is the way to go. But the next step is how to decide which scent to choose for every Who in Whoville? We've got you covered there too with all kinds of handy suggestions. And honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the new Winter Holiday seasonal scents. They are spicy and festive, a perky way to start a winter morning in the shower.

Brilliant you! You've chosen a whole pile of lovely smelling soap bars, and they're sitting in a corner, awaiting their moment to be boxed up, gift wrapped and delivered. But where and how should they be stored all month so they're still at their peak of freshness on the big day? Here's our cheat sheet of tips on storing soap. There's a science to this.

DO YOU NEED SOME ELVES OF YOUR OWN?

All this holiday-ing can be a LOT, and maybe you're overwhelmed and exhausted trying to come up with yet another gift. We got you. Leave the decisions, the wrapping, the prettying, even the packing, shipping and post office-ing to us. There are lots of new gift options available - from pretty little floral linen sacks for a single bar, to combos of items all wrapped up in boxes, bags and travel pouches, ready to be zipped off to your beloveds. All you have to do is come up with a cozy sentiment for the gift card. Then slouch over to the computer in your jammies, mug in hand, and jot off the details to us. We'll do the heavy lifting while you take a nap and have just one more cookie. (Find the full selection under the GIFTS tab on the site.)

NEW SWEDISH DISH CLOTH PATTERNS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I know I’ve yammered on about these super eco friendly, super cute, AND super efficient dish and cleaning cloths a lot. So I won’t repeat all that. (If you haven’t heard the hoopla, click here.) Anyhoo, I'm fully stocked with charming winter designs. This year I've added 5 new patterns (Snowy Owls, Birds in Mittens, Snowmen, Scandinavian Reindeer, Peace + Joy).

Did I mention they make amazing gifts? For the person that has everything? The thrifty one? The Earth warrior? The one who decorates everything? You can find them under the Gifts tab. ($5 ea)

Because this can't be said often enough - thank you for all of your loyal business and support all year! After 27 years in this biz (my goodness, that's almost as long as Black Friday week) you all are like family to me and I wouldn't be able to do this work without you. I am sincerely grateful for each and every one of you.

I wish you the merriest of holiday seasons, whatever you celebrate - jam packed with happy memories, abundant feasting, and lots of laughter with the ones you love . May we show up for what we believe in, practice fierce kindness, and support one another.

With heartfelt love and appreciation -

Heidi Risse

And that's another year of clean living!