Soothing Suds (bath scrub) GIVEAWAY

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratualtions to Tessica! comment #11

If you're anything like me, you love your baths. I like to crack out the candles, music, dim lights, a great book - the works! And that includes what goes in my bath, and on my body.
Elaine, who owns, operates & hand makes all her soaps, was kind enough to let me do a review and a giveaway of her store! Honestly - her soaps look so good, they're were almost edible!
Elaine was a massage therapist for over ten years, so she is most definitely qualified to know what is going to feel good on your body!
She started to incorporate aromatherapy oils into her life, and thus ... her amazing soaps were born!
Elaine makes her soap the 'Cold Process' way, which with the research I did before giving this a full review, I found to be the best way to do it - it gives the soap a fuller pliability & you're able to give the soap a more involved design!

She sent me the "Kiwi Ginger Sage, sugar scrub cubes" to review, which is a great pick-me-up during winter, as the scent is not over powering at all, and has a beautiful aroma of fruit, yet with a tang to it that makes this one a delicious pick!
They come in easy, convenient 'single serve' cubes, & they have cleansing, exfoliating, conditioning, and skin pampering abilities, in one cube! They're fantastic, and better yet, they really don't leave 'oil' all over your skin, as traditional oil-based scrubs tend to do!
The directions to use these scrubs are simple. You take a cube, mash it in your hand, and create a paste that you cover yourself in. There was absolutely no oily slick feel to these scrubs, and they immediately released a scent that stayed with me all night, and they left my skin silky smooth & so soft!

"This product is preservative free! 99% natural. NO added parabens, propylene glycol, SLS, or synthetic foaming agents"

I was extremely  impressed with what Elaine has created. She has a flair for making soaps & scrubs and has a full line to select from such as balms, bars, bombs, soap-on-a-rope & even soaps for sensitive skin and unscented natural soaps!

You receive these fantastic products,  (I am honestly a bath/shower freak and have tried every body wash and soap you can imagine. What she sells is the closest thing I have found yet to perfection, for me) in a jar that is tight enough to keep water out of it (it's also better to keep them out of the shower, as you don't want water seeping into the jar) but they're cute enough to have displayed on your counter.

I asked Elaine a few questions about herself and her craft, and here's what she had to say ...

What got you interested in making soaps & treats for the bath/shower?
  I started with making cold-process soap over 9 years ago. By chance I stumbled upon a book in the library, the pictures were so beautiful, I just had to try my hand at it  -
(I am a hopeless do-it-yourselfer). I gathered my ingredients and gave it a go....I was absolutely hooked the moment I unveiled my first batch! I love that handmade soap is both beautifully indulgent and useful. It is such an amazing craft-- part chemistry, part artistry...there is so much room for creativity. It is very addictive and I guess at this point, you could call me a soap addict.

In laymans terms, what does "Cold Process Soap" mean?

Cold-Process is a term used to describe the way the soap is made. It is basically oils/butters mixed with water and lye (sodium hydroxide). These ingredients are stirred for a while without the use of added heat (thus "cold-precessed") until they react chemically and "saponify", or become soap. We then add color, fragrance, and hand-pour into the soap mold and leave it to set for a day. Once unmolded, the soap is cut and sliced into bars, then left to cure for a full 4 weeks. That's the hardest part ;D Some soapers will cook the soap for a bit, called "Hot-Processed" to speed up the saponification and cure time significantly. Both methods make wonderful soap, but you can make more intricately designed colors/patterns with the Cold-Process method because the soap is more fluid when poured.

Do you find it hard being a Work-at-Home-Mom of twins?
Yes and no, lol. I love being able to stay home with the boys (3 1/2 yrs old) and care for them full-time. I wouldn't trade it for anything and I absolutely feel blessed to be able to do so. But there are those days when I think it seems just too much to juggle caring for them, housework & cooking, and also making soap! They are just now realizing that they have me outnumbered, and can combine forces to get into trouble, lol. (We all knew the day would come). Usually when I've had a rough week, I find that I need to unwind and create soap...it is relaxing for me and very therapeutic too. I am glad I have found a creative outlet that lets me de-stress and contribute the household income as well.

What is your favorite soap and/or scent?

That really is so hard to narrow down, it kinda depends on my mood. I'm gonna say the Provence soap is my favorite right now, but Satsuma would be a very close runner up. They are both light and fresh scents that just make me feel happy when I can steal 5 or 10 minutes for a shower.
What one thing could you never leave home without?
Well, in all honesty I really need to have a list with me if I go out and about. Things can get out of hand quickly with young twins when we go out say shopping, and I do find it essential to be as prepared as possible. Its just sometimes... mommy forgets the list at home! Argh!

I couldn't believe she does all this, and is a Mom to twins! 
These soaps are definitely the perfect gift for anyone, especially for Valentines Day! They absolutely have my full seal of approval, and I don't think I'll be going back to "regular" soap - I want what Elaine makes, she is that good at what she does. The smell, the texture, the package - everything comes across as professional and as if she has been doing this for eons, instead of as long as she has. And she has graciously offered to give one of my (very lucky) readers the wonderful "Kiwi Ginger Sage, Sugar Scrub Cubes". Exfoliating body polish, just as I received. And trust me - you will be one happy camper if you're the recipient of this giveaway.

WIN IT

MANDATORY ENTRY: Go to Elaines amazing store "Soothing Suds" & choose 2 items that you think would make great additions to your shower/bath routine. Don't forget to leave your email in the comment as a way for me to reach you if you win!

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EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my Blog (1 entry)
2. "Heart"  Soothing Suds on Etsy  (2 entries)
3. What is the traditional color of Valentines Day? (1 entry)
4. Follow me, Twitter style!    (1 entry)
5. What letter do Elaines Twin boys start with? (Please do not leave their full names, just the letter) (1 entry)
6. Blog about this giveaway, leaving links to Soothing Suds, and this giveaway (5 entries)  
7. Grab my button! (2 entries)
8. 'Valentine' was the name of a Priest from what country? (1 entry)  
9. Tweet about this giveaway, up to 5x daily                                                                             

           WIN w/ Soothing Suds some KIWI GINGER SAGE SUGAR SCRUBS CUBES! Hosted by 20 to Life @Malisce http://bit.ly/aFxXiE Perfection 4 ur skin! 

     8.  Purchase any item from Soothing Suds   (10 entries)
     9. Become a Facebook Fan of "20 to Life" (2 entries)
    10. Subscribe to Soothing Suds shop feed (2 entries)

This giveaway will run from 2.7.10 until 2.12.10, please leave separate comments for each entry, winner will be selected via Random.Org  & emailed. They will then 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be drawn.

**Please note, I received no form of monetary compensation for my opinion/review. I did receive a product from the company in order to give a fair & balanced review and any opinion, statement etc. expressed in said review in soley my own & was in no way influenced by a third party.