soaps

Living simply is nice. And being able to enjoy a few simply made items of wonderful quality is also quite nice. Today I’m talking about soap. Not that long ago I discovered that the small place where I often buy my coffee was now carrying these gorgeous soaps made of pure ingredients. I first purchased the Apple Crisp, a mouthwatering aroma to be sure. I’ve purchased a bar or two as gifts here and there, and enjoy sampling some of the other scents myself.

While they may initially seem price-y as soaps may go, (and I mean compared to the commercially made/mega-corporation produced soaps in the supermarket), considering the quality of the ingredients and how long they last, they’re really not that costly at all. They are solid and a good chunk in size. The other day I treated myself to an Almond Goat Milk bar and an Apple Crisp, as I was just about out of soap in kitchen and bath.

I decided to visit the maker’s website – their name is SallyeAnder, located in a small town in upstate New York near Lake Ontario. The soaps were originally formulated in response to a family member’s allergies, so here is their promise – they:

Always use olive oil or soy as our base
Always use pure, edible ingredients
Always formulate with the finest essential oils
Never cut corners with our recipes or ingredients
Never use coconut or palm oils
Never test on animals
Never use parabens, alcohols, sodium laurel sulfates, artifical dies, synthetic chemicals, or foaming agents

Everything the mainstream soaps are not, plus they smell simply heavenly.

All their soaps are listed on their website, but what I did find is their web prices are significantly higher than what I paid at the local shop, so if interested, you may want to check out the dealer locater on the SallyeAnder home page for a place that carries them near you. So once again, I promise I am not a shill for anybody, just grateful when I find pure, simple and healthful products that also please the senses, and am sharing my small good fortune with those of you who are of a like mind.

Each year in early September the weekend-long Annual Sheep and Fiber Show is held by the Garden State Sheep Breeder’s Association at my county’s fairgrounds. It brings sheep breeders from at least 4 surrounding states, but also a goodly amount of vendors selling wool spun from their own sheep, alpacas and llamas as well as products made from that wool. There are breed exhibits of the animals as well as show competition and judging, but the big favorites are the sheep shearing demonstrations and the sheep herding demonstrations, (my personal favorite.)

Here are just a few photos of the event and of the animals themselves. Missing are the sheep herding demonstration, (too far away), and the thousands of multi-colored skeins of yard at the many vendors’ stalls.

Handcrafted wooden knitting needles with delicious ornaments on top.

These crocheted skulls caught my eye – very cute!

These thick, gorgeous mittens were made from yak hair.

A Suffolk sheep

One of two llamas at the festival. Llamas provide a source of wool for spinning and crafts

Some sheep had coats. I didn’t ask but I suspect it was to keep them clean until they were done being shown

One of my small treats to myself is handmade soap when I come across it at a reasonable price. At one stall there was quite a variety and I picked up a few of these small-ish square bars in oatmeal-almond, (above), lemon pound cake, coffee and vanilla, and “Kiss the Cook”, a brownie-like aroma. Made of skin-soothing ingredients such as olive oil, and lanolin and sheep’s milk by some soap crafters, they were all heavenly. I’m now set for getting clean all winter long with a guaranteed happy smile. These soaps were made by Saratoga Suds `n’ Stuff in Saratoga Springs, NY.