I got up this morning, and checked my email, before getting products together for the market. And low and hehold, guess what was in my inbox?? A proposed contract with aforementioned retailer. My first thought, hmmmmmm, by email? And my second, I don't have time for this right. And I really didn't have, going through something like a legal contract takes concentration and more than a few moments over a cup of coffee. Wait, I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet, definitely the time to put off reading till later. So, I printed it off, and stuck into my notebook, to at least glance at while at market. I did have the time, thanks to the help of dear nephew, who was with me. So, my thoughts? Let's just say, I am going to take the weekend before I respond at all. I need to think about this and talk it over with some trusted friends.
How was market? HOT and WINDY !! I couldn't even put my tent up, the wind was blowing so hard. So we sat out in the sun, for 4 hours. And of course, with these conditions, we didn't have much traffic, but at least I showed a presence again. That's all for right now
Thanks for the welcomes, I appreciate it.

New Blogger

My sweet sister in law says that she has told everyone in blogland about me tonight, so I have to do a new post and keep it up a little better , I will try. Things have been so hectic, it does not seem like it has been 10 days since I started blogging. Daughter is getting herself up, with her alarm and the help of the girl next door, who calls every morning and they talk till time to catch the bus, then they get on the bus together and go to school. They are in the same grade (8th) and at the same school, but I don't think they have any classes together. How is public school going for her? Well, it was going really well, till yesterday. She met another girl, who came from homeschooling this year, there was a new boy in the picture and the only real hump was that she did not like her drama class, said the teacher wanted to do arts and crafts ???? So, she was thinking of transferring out of that class, till she got to school yesterday morning and found out they were moving all her classes because the drama teacher was needed at another school. So boy is dd upset now !! Only 1 class remains the same, which means she lost her class with her new ex-homeschooling friend and the class with the new boy. I feel sorry for her, cause I know it stinks, but I can't get it all changed for her either. So are the joys of public schooling.





Now, on to what I am up to... . . . . . . . The first of the summer, I received a phone call from a reporter doing background work for an article about ways to fight mosquitos and other biting bugs. Well, I wrote him a detailed message about what I have created to fight them, and he called the next day, following up with me. He told me when the article would be out and I thought, cool, I will get this little blurb mentioning my business, no big deal, right? Wrong !! This guy surprised the heck out of me by writing a full page column about the mosquitos problems in our area, and 3/4 of the story was about me and my business, Healing Herbals and my NO Bugs Allowed products!! I picked up the paper, as I was on the way to drop off products for the OK Food Coop and I was so shocked, I could barely drive the other block to the drop off site !!!! I could not believe it, but I was thrilled !!!!!!!!! And the phone started ringing off the hook, when I got home, the orders were stacking up and the fun began Why wouldn't this be the highlight of my year, a dream come true? My business was finally getting some recognition, just what every business owner wants right? Right, UNLESS . . . . . . You tell a group of online herbie and body care type people about it and you get this response . . . . . . . OH, do you know that all bug related (pesticide) type products have to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, hereby referred to be the loving acronym, the EPA ? No, I did not know that, but my products only contain essential oils and as natural as possible carrier components (like a premade lotion base and a spray consisting of witch hazel, along with the essential oils), so surely, the EPA wouldn't govern these products? Right ?? Wrong again, and I was directed to a business that was heavily fined because they were selling, are you ready for this? Castor oil products !!!! yep, some really dangerous stuff there !! But the business paid their fine, then hired the lawyers to have some of these, shall we say over-extreme?, laws changed. Thanks to their work, today, I can still sell a product that I believe in and has been proven effective, although the road here has been a trying one. For a month and a half, I sold everything anyone ordered and gloried in the sales, never claiming that the products "ward off bugs" or "is an insecticide", instead just letting the research into the effectiveness of catnip and the other essential oils do the talking for themselves. Then I got an offer from a big natural health retailer, and I decided I better get serious and find out what the rules and regs really are, for myself, and see if I could continue to sell my products. I put selling the products on hold for 2 months, knowing that it might kill my business, but also knowing, (after talking to a lawyer friend), that I could not afford not to produce my NO Bugs Allowed products legally. Now, after many sleepless nights, hours perusing the EPA sites of regulations and possibly loosing the large wholesale account I was praying for, I have my products made to the standards required. This is the blurb I am now allowed to use "Healing Herbals represents that the NO Bugs Allowed products qualifies for exemption from registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act." Now you get to ask, why an exemption? My products qualify for an exemption, because all the ingredients used in making them, are considered to be minumum risk ingredients, (which, by the way, even the inert, or not used to kill bugs, ingredients, have to qualify for), mostly because they are either plant based, food quality or both. So, I am making the lotion by hand, and the new spray only contains water, glycerin and the essential oils, nothing else (certainly not the evil witch hazel that is not on the aprroved list) So ultimately, I hope they are better products, even if a lot of sweat and tears have gone into them !!! For now, there is the NO Bugs Allowed Lotion, Spray and soon to come, a solid lotion bar and liquid soap. Oh and one other change that is kind of a biggy, but I think I have the solution. I can no longer add jewelweed for protection/and/or treatment of poison ivy/oak, because it is not yet on the approved list. But what I will be doing, is bottling the jewelweed tincture (jewelweed and organic vinegar), in small bottles, that the customer can add to the products themselves (except for the solid bar). And I will be offering a jewelweed spray by itself. The lotion and spray is on the website, altho the new ingredient list is not yet posted. I have to get my web mistress on to that tomorrow. Now, it is time for bed, cause I have market tomorrow, and things to do before I go. Good night, and I will post pictures after I get things labeled tomorrow.

Ok, I am starting a real blog, versus what I have been doing on myspace. That is too time consuming and hard to keep up with. It will take me some time to get set up here, the way I want it, but till then, I will at least post a thought, here and there.
This week is coop week, and I am working on my own recipe for cream & lotion. The first small batch I made, smelled and felt wonderful, but was thinner than I wanted it, so back to the cauldron I go !! My husband calls me a mad scientist, but that couldn't be me >> I will post tomorrow, whether or not I blow up my kitchen !
Right now, it is time to wind down and go to bed, lots to do this week.. . . . . . . . . .
My child goes to public for the first time, ever, and she is 13. She attended private school through the 3rd grade, and since then I homeschooled her, in a very unschooling way. I feel she has learned a lot, and she does too and I am not keen on giving up the time we have together, but all things must change ! So we begin a new journey, although I am apprehensive for her, because of the change in lifestyle (did you know there is a 6 am ???), I am also glad that she is joyfully looking forward to new things. So, here we go, wish us luck !!!