New Dawn

Just a morning hello.
Some excitement here!
We had a relatively major earthquake on Saturday (January 2, 2010). No missing this one, a 6.5 26 miles offshore (so about 75 miles or so from us), with a long serious roll. First one since the big trio of 1992 where I was ready to go outside. I chose a doorway, as it was my volunteer dispatch weekend and I needed to stay by my phone and radio especially if this was a potential natural disaster.

The Earth speaks. Nature still has the mightier hand. And the lesson to learn is to be able to accept uncertainty, work with the now, be prepared for anything, and fear not. It is all part of our life and living as humans in the world. And makes for some pretty interesting adventure as well.

Please check out an earlier post: Rolling Along

In my humble opinion, to "be here now", to accept each moment as it is, is not a philosophy of complacency. It is understanding that as things happen you are given the opportunity to work with what is, not with what you want, fear, or otherwise predict may be. It propels you to act in synchronicity with the world around you. And it makes it more fun!

Life's an adventure, rejoice in it.

Working today for Tomorrow...

In our ongoing effort to provide the highest quality all natural soap that is affordable for everyday use and the very best for the environment, we have long wanted to include organic base oils in our formula. The problem was these oils were so much more costly it would make our soaps a luxury item rather than an everyday one. Over the years when we were able to get organic oil for a competitive price, we used it without any fanfare. However, now that we can assure a steady supply that will not overly increase our price to you we are proud to announce that, in addition to being healthy to use, our soaps are now even healthier for the planet.

Making EveryDay Special

New for 2010 every batch of Simmons special Soap is now made with Organic Olive oil, Organic Coconut oil and Palm oil from Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified plantations. (We are not convinced that Organic palm, currently sourced from Brazil, is not implicated in the destruction of Rainforest). This will guarantee that precious agricultural resources are not damaged in the production of the oils that make our soap.

Over the last 6 months we ran an online survey regarding Organic vs Conventional Natural soap. While the results were mixed, having organic ingredients was definitely important to the majority of respondents. While most were not interested in paying a premium price for it, they were divided 50/50 about using organic soap daily if they had to pay more. And 60% of the comments noted the importance of organics for the health of the environment.

Our own desire to support the environment through organic farming and other sustainable agriculture was tempered by our desire to stay in business and serve our customers the best product at the best price. Well, with the new year came the opportunity we were waiting for, organic oils costs are now competitive with the conventional oils we were using. For a minimal cost we can make a maximal change in our commitment to the planet.

Now, from the renewable energy system that powers our home and business to the base oils that make our soap, we can bring you a premium product with the smallest environmental impact.

Take our "Shop Tour" and "learn more about our family business".

A New Decade!

A new year and a whole new decade! We are happy to start anew this year. Last year was intense and we are glad to move forward.
So we start the year traditionally (for us) with music and our community of friends.
The first day of the year is leisurely clean up from the festivities and we move forward from there to embrace this day, our future, come to the Now.
I have a personal belief that the first week of the year is an indicator - omen, if you will - of how the year will be as a whole. Therefore I try very hard to live those first 7 days as consciously as possible.
This morning I was sent a link that reinforced the idea of approaching each moment open to the possibilities and beauty contained within it "Celebrate What's Right with the World" . This is really my philosophy, but as with all things, it is easier said than done. But each year I get closer.
Besides, worry and guilt and angst over what has not happened yet or what is behind us really is only a waste of life. And the difference between joy and despair is often just a matter of perception.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust