YAY!!!!

I just got my first online repeat customer. It's so cool to me. Just wanted to write that out. I have always measured a business' success by how many repeat customers they get. If people like you then you're doing something right. Well, I guess I'm finally doing something right. Let's hope this continues.

Getting Going

I made some sandalwood soap yesterday. It turned out pretty good with the exception that the scent isn't as strong as I'd like. That's probably a good thing though since it's supposed to be a men's fragrance and I know a lot of guys that don't like really strong scents in soap and stuff. So I'll be a busy bee making soap daily until I run out of scents to make. Really gotta get crackin' on this stuff because I'm so far behind schedule :(.

I haven't decided what scent to make next, but it really doesn't matter since they'll all get made eventually. Until next time *waves*.

Don't You Just Hate......

When you start to something and realize you are missing a very important component of the process? Yeah I have started melting oil for soapmaking and wouldn't you know I don't have any wax paper to line my mold. I would try other types of paper but for fear that the soap may stick to it. So I'm off to the dollar store to get some. In the Chicago cold mind you, which Chicagoans refer to as "The Hawk" because the cold swoops down on you from the lake like a predatory animal . Anywho, I haven't decided which scent to make. Then again it doesn't even really matter for how long it's been.

Check back later. Oh before I forget, *waves* to new follower.

Just a Quick Update....

On Business: I finally got my shipment of soap oils today. I am going to really have to work at rescheduling when I need supplies. I always run out around this time of year, when really in order to succeed in the Holiday rush, you need to have finished product on hand to offer to the public. It really defeats the purpose to have people interested in your store, only for you not to be able to post anything new for more than a few days. It's been a few weeks for me. :(

Personal: The workouts have been going well if I take a step back and stop being so critical of myself. It's been little over a month and I have learned a few spins. It still takes a lot of effort for me to master them although I keep working at it. Really I need to be less critical and remember that I am very new to this. I watch the professionals and then look at myself.....ugh. That's just me though. They had to start somewhere too right? Like, at the beginning. A long road ahead, but I know I will be pleased if I continue on. It's still fun even though I have had some bad pole days.

So until next time. Once I start listing new items perhaps I'll have promotion going on this blog. So look out for that.

Pole Dancing....Best Workout EVER!!!

Yes, it's official that pole dancing, once thought to be the career choice of whores and sluts only, is the best total workout I have ever done. Period. My sister recently purchased a pole last week and received it over the weekend. Since she lives right across the hall from me, of course I had to be in on this. Plus the both of us wanted to do this since we've been watching it on youtube for about a year now. I also once thought that pole dancing was automatically something slutty, but my perception changed as soon as I started watching these ladies perform. It's really amazing and their strength makes it look easy, but I assure you it is not!

So anyway, my sister and I have been practicing on the pole for maybe a week now and we already see improvement on our ability to do a few moves and have better control. The only thing about pole dancing is the process of breaking your body in on the pole. I kinda mean that literally too. Like it takes some getting used to in a way that is different from getting used to a new exercise regimen. Your skin becomes sore and achy until it toughens from the friction of gripping the pole with your hands, arms, and legs. However all of that is just a small obstacle for me with this thing. I am overweight and have had a bum knee since I was a normal weight teen. You know how it is ladies, you get married and maybe you're a SAHM or wife, and if you're not careful the weight can pile on before you realize. I have finally found an exercise that doesn't punish my joints for simply trying to help my fat ass lose weight.

If you're like me you hate conventional exercise. I just can never stay motivated. I start out strong but then I always re-injure my knee and it's all over from there. Moreso than becoming uninspired I become injured which completely stops my progress. So the pole dancing is going a-okay for now. I'm sore in muscles I didn't know could be worked! It's good normal muscle soreness, and the best thing is I look forward to it daily.

If you think you might be interested in pole dance you should give it a try. No matter how big you are you can eventually learn to do pole tricks and it's fun working up to various goals. I hate conventional exercise, but strength training in between pole dances is a must for those of us who haven't been athletically active for a while. So that means you won't be getting away from crunches, push ups, and leg lifts. Try some chin ups also if you can, because upper body strength is key to even the simplest of pole moves.

So to wrap it up, anybody who is interested should try it. If you don't want to spend the money yet to buy your own pole, check to see if there is a pole dance studio somewhere in your city. If you live in a large city chances are there is one or two in your downtown area. Many of them offer a free session for walk ins and first time people just so you can try it. If you have money to spare and for whatever reason do not feel comfortable with trying that in front of people you can buy your own. The best and most convenient pole in my opinion is the X-pole. It runs you about $300 + shipping. It's the most convenient because it is one of few poles that do not screw into anything, is in pieces as opposed to a single pole, and can be easily installed and removed. This is best if you rent and maybe you can't drill holes everywhere. It's very sturdy (I should be getting paid for this ad I'm putting in for X-pole). If installed correctly it will not fall down or wobble around even if you are very overweight.

You need three things to successfully pole dance:

1) Strength. It will be built so long as you attempt pole dancing. It is of utmost importance for even simple moves to be done fluidly.

2) Patience. It seems simple at first but once you get up there you realize it's harder than it looks. You may not get even a simple spin the first few times but keep at it. Eventually you will get it but until then, don't be discouraged.

3) Confidence. This is more important than the other two. Simply because if you have no confidence you will NEVER succeed in this. The first trust to gain is with the pole. Once you trust that it will not fall and will support your weight no matter how you pull and swing on it, it gets easier. The next thing is to trust yourself and the fact that you can support your weight and do the moves. If you can think it in your mind about a move most likely you will succeed at it. You must be fearless to try the basic thing like simply taking your feet off the floor.

With that I leave you with a few videos for your enjoyment.

My Printer Died.....But Then I Got a New One!!

Yeah, my old Lexmark Z23 died about 2 weeks ago. It was really devastating as I can't conduct any business without it. So after much looking around I found a nice HP printer for a wonderful price. It was only $32 on the HP site. Other stores had printers but they were either too pricey or they were all-in-one's which I hate. It's like the technology for them is not up to par. Either that or they're designed to fail you. I've had three different brand new all-in-one printers from different companies and none of them lasted beyond a couple months.

I'm pretty good at fixing PC problems but I'm crap with printers so when they break it's over. The one that finally died though was at least 6 years old, and it was only $24 at Target at the time. So it paid for itself and then some. This new one though is fast! It prints so quickly, quietly, and clearly. Very much worth the money I paid.

Free Shipping! YAY!!!

I've gone ahead and made free shipping a standard in my shop. It was such a big success for me I decided that the cut I take in my already low profit margin was worth it. I want my product in the hands of as many people as I can get it to, and I am willing to accept coming out of my pocket for this. Of course when I crunch the numbers it isn't a financially sound thing to do to run a business, but then neither is waiting months between sales but at least I won't get beat on shipping.

I've said before that the number one complaint of all customers who were reluctant to purchase handmade soap, was that shipping made the overall price unappealing. I understood where they were coming from. Soap such as this is viewed by many as a once-in-a-while treat, and not as a necessity. If they want to be economical, they wouldn't come to me to buy their household soap for that month. Even though free shipping doesn't mean people will now get soap from me rather than buy a pack of Dove (although that would be great), it does mean that they will now buy my soap. I couldn't give away a bar of soap until now. Mainly because with shipping a single bar can cost upwards of $7. Unless you have a set clientele most will not purchase it.

So have at it people. Come get soap free of the weight of shipping!