HaEE Premier Members' Club

Can you believe that it's time to go back to school already? Where did the summer go?

We recently launched our Premier Members' Club for those of you who want something special from Heaven and Earth Essentials--something that not everyone can have. As a Premier Member, you can enjoy all these benefits:

-Access to exclusive products, perfumes, and accessories that no one else can purchase
-10% off every order for the next 12 months, including items on sale
-Premier Member Scent of the Month: Every order that you place as a Premier Member qualifies you for a 2ml sample of Perfume Oil in our 'Scent of the Month'. This is in addition to our regular samples that we include in every order.
-Special newsletters with upcoming sales and specials, contests, ideas, recipes, articles written by other members, and more
-Specials that are available only to Premier Members, like "Buy one, get one half price"
-Premier Member Referral Program: If you are a current Premier Member, you will receive a $5.00 HaEE gift certificate for every new (paid) Premier Member that uses your name as a referral. And there is no limit to the number of people you can sign up!
-A free 5ml bottle of Perfume Oil of your choice with your first Premier Member order

Simply purchase your membership today for $25.00 and we will email you everything you need to become a Heaven and Earth Essentials' Premier Member, including your own special 10% off coupon code (good on your purchases only, non-transferrable).


A Premier Member gets a lot of goodies for a small price! Why not check it out?

Have a wonderful month and enjoy what's left of our Summer!
Barbara

Summer is Heating Up!

Picture by: Greg Mankiss


Heating up is an understatement. Summer in Arkansas is HOT and humid! Makes us all look forward to those crisp, fall days...Julie & I just had a discussion on how the Eastern Seaboard is having a heat wave and the media is all atwitter. If California or the Western U.S. has a heat wave that too is a newsworthy event. We have many days of over 100° temps in Arkansas and it is very rarely newsworthy. Well, maybe if we have 15 or 20 days of 100° temps in a row...just maybe. I think the reason is that we are always hot in July & August so no one pays much attention to us. If you live in Arkansas, then you know that it will be HOT and it will be HUMID. My great-grandmother called those hot days "the dog days of summer".

This gets me to wondering why the old-timers called those hot, humid days in late July and August "dog days". Off to "Google" I went to see what I could find on this subject. The "dog days of summer" are the hottest, most sultry days of the year. Well, that certainly qualifies our days in Arkansas to be labeled as such!
The "dog days" usually occur between early July and early September. I found it interesting that "dog days" may be used to define a period that is very hot or stagnant or that is marked by a dull lack of progress. These are the days of the year when rainfall is at its lowest. I can definitely understand the lack of progress! It’s hard to move when you almost have a heatstroke from very little effort and you’re drenched from the humidity.

It is curious to note that the name was derived from an ancient belief that Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, was responsible for the hot weather. Once upon a time “dog days” were thought to be an evil time – “when the seas boiled – wine turned sour and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies” according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813.

To me “dog days” means hot & tired – so hot that it is almost impossible to catch your breath or move your feet. It’s when you pray that your air-conditioner doesn’t fail; you feel sorry for anyone that has to work outside; the grass has all turned brown and crunchy; any outdoor activity involves laying in a pool of water and drinking tall glasses of cold refreshments. Just simply too hot to do anything but lie around in the shade or better yet under the a/c while waiting on fall to arrive.
We are “smack dab” in the middle of the Dog Days, so while I’m waiting for them to pass - I’m dreaming of cool, crisp fall air!

Note: For those of you that have never heard the phrase “smack dab” – it’s another of my great-granny’s sayings - it means right there – directly, squarely.















If you are experiencing the Dog Days of summer you may want to try some of our etailers handcrafted bath & body products for your refreshing bath! Or maybe a handpoured candle that reminds you of fall or winter. It's worth a try!

Savings at Simply Shop|323

You may use these codes to save at Simply Shop|323:

10% OFF purchase using code TENOFF at checkout
15% OFF purchases of $20 using code 15OFF at checkout.

These codes will expire at the end of Aug 2010.




















Simply Shop|323 has added a beautiful necklace to their store. It is a one of a kind, handcrafted necklace measuring 10.5 inches. This unique necklace is made of glass amethyst beads, clear czech beads and a glass amethyst pear-shaped pendant. It has simple silver clasp with cube bead hanging on silver chain extender for added flair.

If you can bear to part with it, the necklace will make a wonderful gift for a special lady in your life. Use the codes above to get a discount off of your purchase. Be sure to browse the rest of Simply Shop|323. They carry jewelry, bath and body, skincare, handbags and spa accessories. Be sure to check out their sale items for additional savings!

The url for this shop is www.shop323.net - don't forget to use the savings codes.

10 Reasons for Shopping for Handmade/Handcrafted Products

1. Unique one-of-a-kind items
2. Products created using natural ingredients
3. Like supporting small business owners.
4. Better customer service than a large company that only offers automated service.
5. Meeting the artisan/crafter that created the product.
6. High quality & excellent craftsmanship of the item/product
7. Made with love and pride in the product
8. Helps small entrepreneurs live their dream
9. Shopping local farmers markets, craft malls, etc. helps build the economy in your area
10. Skill & craftsmanship put into the product/item.

I’m sure you can think of many other reasons for buying handmade/handcrafted. Please feel free to share those reasons with us. Personally, I support small business for the simple fact that our country started out with businesses such as these and I like handcrafted products. I have met many interesting people buying or shopping handcrafted and I've found some fantastic products. The customer service is tops!

Many artisans depend upon your patronage to keep their businesses afloat. Some crafters run a business to supplement their other income, as a hobby, or as a full-time job. If you are looking for quality, one-of-a-kind products remember to shop for handmade/handcrafted products. There are many websites that offer products that are fully created and crafted by a real live person. You may find handcrafted items on sites such as Etsy and Artfire to name a couple of places. There are many other places to buy handcrafted, including individual business websites. If you look around you may find some places that support handcrafted such as Indie Public, Handmade Highway, Snowberry Creek, and many other blogs. Look around….you may be pleasantly surprised by the quality of products out there. We have many talented e-tailers in our sample box….be sure to check them out while you’re out browsing around.

The Pampered Bride Box Giveaway by Mrs. Sterlings

Getting married? Beginning to feel the stress of planning your wedding, making sure every detail is just as you want? You could probably use a little relaxation and pampering at this point – take some time for yourself, Mrs. Sterlings is giving away the Pampered Bride Gift Box this month.

The Pampered Bride Gift Box includes a Champagne Sugar Bath Bomb, Amber Romance Body Lotion and Evening Primrose Cuticle Butter and a Champagne Lip Balm. All of these items are nestled in a clear gift box tied with a satin ribbon.

The drawing will be June 20th - follow this link to enter http://www.mrssterlings.com/pampered_bride_giveaway.htm.

You may be interested in pampering your attendants or some of your special guests. That’s a great idea! Everyone loves to be made feel that they are special. Your guests will appreciate and remember a gift of bath and body.

Mrs. Sterlings is offering a special right now – The Pampered Bride Gift Box FREE – you pay shipping only of $6.95 and you can still enter to win the free Giveaway Box. This link will take you directly to the special offer http://www.mrssterlings.com/pampered_bride_gift_box_special_offer.htm or you may get to the special offer by going to enter for the giveaway and scrolling to the bottom of the page - click on special offer.

No purchase is necessary, but you must enter for a chance to win The Pampered Bride Gift Box. This link http://www.mrssterlings.com/pampered_bride_giveaway.htm will take right to the page with the form for the necessary information to enter you into the giveaway. Remember the drawing will be June 20th.

Let Mrs. Sterlings create that special thank you for guests and attendants. From wedding favors, bridal shower favors, bridal attendant gifts to welcome gift bags -we can help you create that perfect gift.
Quantity discounts are available. They can be customized to match wedding or bridal shower colors along with fragrance choice. You may email us for details at mrssterlings@netscape.net.

Place an order at Mrs. Sterlings and receive a Complimentary Pampered Bride gift box with your order.

Mrs. Sterling's Bath & Boutique Giveaway

Introducing two new fragrances

Raspberry Cream Cupcake

Champagne Sugar

As part of our introduction of our newest fragrances we're giving away two gifts sets! We will be giving away one gift set of each fragrance.

Each gift set will include a Bath Bomb, our new Body Lotion with Evening Primrose and a little added surprise sample.

No purchase is necessary but you must enter for a chance to win.
You may enter to win both fragrances.
Winners of the gift sets will be chosen on May 30.
Enter the giveaways at Mrs. Sterlings.

Fragrance descriptions:

Raspberry Cream Cupcake - A wonderful fragrance that begins with top notes of fresh raspberries, pear and apple; followed by middle notes of Madagascar vanilla, blonde sugar cane, butter and maple; well rounded with a dry base note of vanilla.


Champagne Sugar - Sugary fruits of lemon, bergamot, mandarin, orange, apple, banana, dew fruit and pineapple with hints of jasmine, rose, plum, muget, peony, heliotrope, amber sandalwood and musk. Wonderful fragrance!

Mrs. Sterling's Bath & Body Boutique Newsletter

May 2010 Newsletter

Two New Fragrances















Raspberry Cream Cupcake













Champagne Sugar



Our Gift Set Giveaway was such a success last month introducing our new fragrances, we are doing it again this month.


You must enter to win.
No purchase is necessary.
You may enter to win both fragrances.

Each Gift Set will contain a Bath Bomb and Body Lotion.


How to enter: Visit our site

Click on: Enter to win Gift Set


Congratulations to the winners of our Gift Set Giveaway last month.


May Specials


Free shipping on orders of $35.00 or more.

Buy one Lip Balm receive one Free!


Visit us:
http://mrssterlings.com/


Lip Balm Flavor of the month

Champagne


Coming Soon!

Fizzie Bath Cupcakes

Aroma Buds



Contact Us
www.mrssterlings.com

352-989-2931

Email: mrssterlings@netscape.net

Mrs. Sterlings' Gift Set Giveaway!

We are so pleased to introduce two new fabulous fragrances


Lavender Martini






















Little Black Dress



















As part of our introduction of our newest fragrances we're giving away four gifts sets!
We will be giving away two gifts sets of each fragrance.


Each gift set will include a Bath Bomb, our new Body Lotion with Evening Primrose and
a little added surprise sample.

No purchase is necessary but you must enter for a chance to win.
You may enter to win both fragrances at Mrs. Sterlings.

Winners of the gift sets will be chosen on April 30.

If you want to leave a comment here - maybe she will give you an extra entry. Please leave Julie a little feedback on what you think of her new products. I love her packaging!

www.mrssterlings.com
Mrs. Sterling's Bath & Body Boutique

Satisfied customer sings our praises!

It is always exciting to hear someone who confirms what we already think. We think that we have the best sample box and some very talented e-tailers, but we always love hearing what our customers think. From time to time, we may opt to share some of their opinions. We want our e-tailers to know that people think you have the most FANTASTIC products! Thanks to everyone who participates in our boxes and for allowing us to promote your products and company. Here's the glowing review from Christina C:

Feel welcome to use my comment!

I bought my first box from Snowberry Creek this month and it was the BEST sample box ever. I love your boxes and would like to become a regular customer. Thanks for what you do!
And it really was the best. It had the most samples, the largest sizes, and the fewest tart or "odds n' ends" samples. Not that those are bad samples, but they're not bath and body samples that I crave.

Thanks for choosing our sample box, Christina C. We certainly appreciate you taking time to let us know what you think.

Our e-tailers offer a variety of products - you may order directly from their websites.

Savings, Specials, and Giveaways

The Christmas Shopping season is in full-force. Many of you took advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We would like to invite you to visit our e-tailers for some specials, free shipping or giveaways.

We will be listing giveaways and the entry rules. No purchase is necessary for any of them. All of the giveaways will be in one post. You may follow the rules and be entered for all of the giveaways. If it says follow me on twitter and you follow one e-tailer – then you will be entered one time or you may follow all of the e-tailers to be entered multiple times. The more you do – the more entries you will have and the better chance you have at winning one of the prizes. Good luck to all.

Giveaway by SBS Teas:











The Twelve Teas of Christmas – A tea lover’s dream present. Nothing better than a hot cup of tea on a cold winter morning. This set is valued at $34.95.
This set includes a 1 oz. tin of each of the following teas:
Holiday Dreams, Gingerbread Cream, Sugar Plum, Jingle Bell, Candy Cane, Eggnog, Home for the Holidays, Festive Wishes, Christmas in a Cup, Happy Holidays, White Christmas and Winter White.

SBS Teas also offers: 12 Teas of Chanukah, 12 Cocoas of Christmas, 12 Cocoas of Chanukah, 12 Coffees of Christmas and 12 Coffees of Chanukah. They have many more items and accessories for gift giving.

Giveaway by Mrs. Sterlings

Mrs. Sterlings offers fantastic bath and body products. Two lucky winners will receive her products as she is offering two items in the giveaway. We don’t have a picture of the actual bags but I will describe them and show you a picture of her products.

Giveaway #1 by Mrs Sterlings – 1.5 oz. French Vanilla lotion, iced peppermint lip balm and a bag of Chocolate Mint Pedi Fizzing Sea Soak enclosed in a 4x6 pink organza bag.

Giveaway #2 by Mrs Sterlings – 1 oz. French Vanilla shower gel, .25 oz. Chocolate Covered Cherry lip balm and a bag of Lavender & Chamomile Pedi Fizzing Sea Soak.






































Giveaway by Ye Olde Chandler

Soy candles at their finest – this is what you will find at Ye Olde Chandler. One very lucky winner will receive a Christmas Crock Candle scented Sugar Cookie. I will tell you that the candle will smell very good and will fill your house with a wonderful aroma. Your family will think you’re baking!



















A close up picture of the crock.

This candle comes ready for gift-giving, if you can bear to part with it!




Giveaway by Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes

We will be giving away ONE sample box. This box will be packed with fantastic samples/full-sized products for your enjoyment. You may want to keep them all for yourself and I completely understand if you do. But, if you choose to share – there are lots of possibilities. You may use them for stocking stuffers or make small gift baskets/bags. The products in these boxes would make some great gifts for teachers, nursing home residents, or people you need to give a little something to. You could make several gifts out of this box. I’m not going to tell you what all is in it, but it is packed very full. Be sure to visit the talented e-tailers that provided the samples for some fantastic deals and products!



Giveaway by Delightfully Wed

Giveaway #1 – a set of red Banadana Christmas Ornaments














Giveaway #2 – a set of 3 Ropin' Dreams Christmas Ornaments













Giveaway #3 – a set of Western Soaps

This will be a set of bar soaps - 1 boot-shaped soap; 1 bar with horse-head; 1 bar with horseshoes. Here's a picture of the individual soaps. Picture of set will be posted at a later date.



































Now you want to know how to enter. It’s very simple. The more things you do – the more you will be entered. For example if you follow one person on twitter – one entry; two people – two entries. You must post and let us know what you have done so we will be sure to enter you the correct number of times. The drawing will be Dec. 7th at 5:00 pm CST. Please leave your email so we can get in touch with you. We want to get the items shipped out as quickly as possible. Here are the rules:


1. Buy a Snowberry Creek Sample Box.

2. Comment on our blog about a product from any one or all of the follwing: SBS Teas, Mrs Sterlings, Ye Olde Chandler, Snowberry Creek or Delightfully Wed.

3. Post the link to a product from one or any of the participating websites. May be something you've tried or want to try.

4. Make a purchase from any of the participating e-tailers- send me a copy of your order (snowberrycreek@hotmail.com) confirming it was purchased between Nov. 30th and Dec. 6th. You may email this to me at snowberrycreek@hotmail.com.

5. Follow our blog - post that you are a follower.

6. Follow Delightfully Wed's blog. Post that you are a follow, we will check it out and enter you. :)

7. Post about our giveway on your blog leaving a link on your blog back to this giveway. Be sure to post that you did this & the link here so we enter you.

8. Follow us on twitter - be sure to post on the blog that you are following us on twitter. We will follow you back. :)

9. Follow sbsteas;mrssterlings, and delightfullywed on twitter. Post that you are a follower - we will confirm & enter you. Tweet about them using @sbsteas, @mrssterlings, @delightfullywed and you will receive additional entries.

8. Post on twitter about our giveaway with a link to this blog post in your tweet. Be sure to put @snowberrycreek in your tweet so we will know to enter you.

9. Become a facebook friend of SBS Teas, Ye Olde Chandler.

10. If the e-tailers offer a newsletter - sign up and post to let us know and you will receive another entry.

The drawing will be random - all entries count toward all drawings. E-tailers are eligible to enter - the only people excluded are Julie & I.

Good luck to all - enter away! If you have any questions, please ask.




SPECIALS

Ginger’s Garden

Free shipping on orders over $25.00 through Dec. 31st. Put “freeshipping” in the comments section of the cart and she will manually discount your order. Don’t miss out on this – everyone loves free shipping!




Dagmar's Goat Milk Bath & Body Products











We have Gift Certificates for $25.00
FREE DELIVERY in the Southern IN and Louisville,KY areas with $50.00 - $200.00!
***December ONLINE ONLY Special, Buy $30.00 - $150.00 in products and get FREE Shipping in your entire order!***
Just In Time For Christmas!!

Fresh Radiant Skin

Michelle has changed the name of her website from wwww.deadseastorebyrv.com to www.freshradiantskin.com. Michelle offers many products to provide you with fresh, glowing, radiant skin. Some of the products you may find are: sugar scrubs, organic body balms, facial peels, toners, moisturizers, mud packs, eye creams, anti-wrinkle serums, acne care, eczema and many other products to help you achieve the skin you want.

The website has products that will be beneficial to everyone and specializes in black skin care. She has something for all skin types. If you have a question Michelle will be happy to help you decide what is best for you.

Remember to visit Michelle at her blog www.freshradiantskin.blogspot.com for tips, reviews and informative articles on skin care.

What's Your Favorite

I was thinking today of my favorite bath and body item. That got me to wondering what everyone else likes. You may tell what item is your favorite and why, if you want. You may even tell who makes your favorite product. Is it your product...do you make your favorite bath and body product? If so, go ahead...toot your own horn!

My favorite bath and body product is a bar of rich lathering, creamy handmade cold-process soap. I'm cold-process challenged, so I really appreciate the people that make these kinds of soap. Actually, I've never tried to make a bar and can't seem to find the time. But, knowing me....I might blow up the kitchen. lol

As to my favorite e-tailer who makes cold-process soaps....well, I don't have just one favorite so I won't list them. I've tried soaps from many of our e-tailers and I haven't gotten a bad bar yet. They are all very talented soapmakers!

Okay, tell me what you like, why and who makes it. I may want to try out their product.

I know the question is....Do I have to be an e-tailer or customer to post my favorite product(s)? The answer is no. Of course, we would love to have you as an e-tailer or a customer, but it is not required here to tout your favorite. Go ahead...let us know your favorite product, store, etc. and why. Hey, you can even leave a link...don't miss out on the opportunity to leave a free link for the search engines. lol

Hope everyone is having a fantastic, creative day doing what they love!

Places to Consider - Selling Your Products

You have developed your products and you are ready to sell them. Wait, you don’t have a website….there are other options. While we all want a website, this is the dream, it may be more economical to start out with one of the other selling venues available. Most of the selling venues offer low cost startup for the beginning entrepreneur. Selling this way will may enable you to discover if there is a market for your product. Taking advantage established venues, where customers regularly shop may help you develop your own customer base. After you establish yourself as reputable business and accrue the funds needed you will be ready to get that website built.

The upside of opening a store on any of these sites is that it is quick. You will be up and going in no time. You will need to consider which is the best fit for your product and which offers the best deal. Some of them offer low monthly fees or no fees for stores, listing fees and final value fees vary. You will have to decide which is best for you and your product.

Here are some venues for starting out or for supplementing your website sales. At many of the venues you may open a store, while others are auction sites.
We are not endorsing any of these places, simply giving you the information to make your own decision.

www.etsy
www.ecrater
www.madeitmyself.com
www.artfire.com
www.fuzzb.com
www.ebay.com
www.rubylane.com
www.georgielove.com
www.ushops.com
www.icraft.ca
www.handmadecatalog.com
www.artsefest.com
www.silkfair.com
www.lov.li
www.winkelf.com
www.blujay.com
www.artisansmarket.com
www.buysellcommunity.com
www.craftersbuzz.com
www.craftmall.com
www.crafty-ones.com
www.freecraftfairauction.com
www.homegrownmarket.com
www.handmadecatalog.com
www.hyenacart.com
www.inetflea.com
www.pinkdoodle.com
en.dawanda.com
www.yessey.com
www.strictlyhandmade.com
www.mintd.com
www.ioffer.com
www.kinfolkcrafts.com
www.lillysplace.net
www.yabblebabble.com
www.cafepress
www.zazzle.com
www.bigcartel.com
www.imagekind.com
www.shopify.com
www.supermarkethq.com
www.1000markets.com
www.elsewares.com
www.craftersbuzz.com
www.gozabo.com
www.youcraftylot.com
www.folksy.com
www.erayo.com
www.trunkt.com
www.ebid.com
www.lollishops.com
www.plumdrop.com
www.seekingdesigners.com
www.youcraft.org
www.coriandr.com
www.handmadefusion.com
www.girlshopspot.com
www.bonanzle.com
www.buyitsellit.com
www.webidz.com
www.ubid.com
www.bidz.com
http://onlineshoppingmall.ning.com/

There are many other places to sell your products. These are the ones that came to mind. If you have any places you would like to add to our list - please feel free to post them.

Today is the Day

Boxes go on sale today - full of wonderful, fabulous, luscious products from our talented, creative e-tailers for your pampering induglence. If want to try some new products or new companies without investing a lot of cash, this is a great deal. The shipping is included in the cost of the box. You will receive 18-20 samples (many of them full-sized products) for 22.95 - when you consider the cost of shipping is $9.85 then you are getting a great value for your money.

If you decide to purchase a box, you are automatically entered into 2 drawings - the drawing for the mystery prize donated by Ye Olde Chandler (this month) and a drawing for a free sample box (to be shipped out next month).
For more information, please visit us at www.snowberrycreek.com.

These will go fast - don't miss out - you may find a new product or company that will become your favorite!

"E-tailer Spotlight" - Reviyve

E-tailer Spotlight Questionnaire – by Michelle Howard/Reviyve LLC

Michelle has a monthly product give away on Reviyve. You may go on her site at www.deadseastorebyrv.com/sweepstakes to enter. This month's give away is a bottle of their Day/Night Mineral Plumping Anti-Wrinkle Cream along with a sample pack. Winners are announced on the 15th of every month. Please go by visit Michelle, look over the products she offers, enter her product give away and if you have the time, please leave a comment for Michelle on our blog.

Michelle is a full of energy and a real go-getter. She is an inspiration to others, as she believes you can attain anything you want. Read her interview, gain insight into the woman behind Reviyve and see what a dynamo she really is.



Tell us a little about yourself and/or your business.

My name is Michelle and I reside in Westchester County, NY with my husband and my 3 children (1 is actually 21 years old) from a previous marriage. I work full time out of my home and run my business part time (after my day job hours). In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing, watching movies and attending church. My business, Reviyve LLC is primarily an e-commerce business offering personal care products on several websites, including natural skin care products and stress relief & alternative health products. My husband manages a gourmet coffee site. It is our belief that people should consume products that are close to natural as possible more often than not. In addition to our product sales, we do our best to provide quality relevant information to help people on our websites (i.e. stress management tips and techniques on our stress relief site)


How or why did you start your business?

My husband and I started our business for two reasons. One, we want to be financially independent. Second and the most important reason is because of our children. While we are thankful for our day jobs, it is not our desire to work for someone else for the rest of our lives. I have a special needs child Christopher. Christopher is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I want to ensure that my children, especially Christopher is adequately provided for should God forbid I am unable to do so. I don’t want the government to have to be responsible for being his caregiver. Christopher is the biggest reason I work so hard every day to move my business forward.

What kind of products do you carry or make?

Our natural skin care site predominantly offers a handcrafted line of Dead Sea Mineral Products, Blended Naturals (facial, bath, body, organic and anti-wrinkle), including specially assembled gift sets and gift baskets. We also offer a handcrafted line of 100% soy wax aromatherapy candles. In the near future, we will be offering Kathy Ireland’s NEW line of Dead Sea Cosmetics, Essentials which is also paraben free. KI Essentials is soon to be released and we are excited to add this product line to our collection.

Our stress relief site offers aromatherapy, magnetic therapy, personal massage, sleep help & Chi health products. We also recently became independent distributors of Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential OilsTM. This is a excellent therapeutic addition to our line of aromatherapy products.

Our gourmet coffee site offers Origins, decaffeinated, flavored and organic coffee products and gift baskets.


Do you carry handmade products? Do you make them yourself?

My skin care product line, Blended Naturals and my aromatherapy candles are both handmade. I do not manufacture my products but I am keenly aware of the ingredients put into them. I have specialty handcrafters who handle the manufacturing process for me. My job is to design all of my own labels, & packaging, as well as design my websites and market my products. I also have four blogs that I write in regularly so this does not leave me time to manufacture anything. Now, if God gives us an additional 8 hours a day, perhaps I can work something out.:)


What’s your favorite product to make or create?

Since I don’t craft my own products, I will say this. My favorites are the Brown Sugar Scrub & Combination Mask and the Organic Sugar Scrub. The Brown Sugar Scrub/Mask is also formulated with Dead Sea Minerals and does wonders for the skin. The body sugar scrub is customizable with an essential oil. Aside from the fact that I just loooove sugar, I love how silky smooth it leaves the skin.


Do you have a storefront, sell strictly on-line or both?

I sell primarily online but I also sell products offline via tradeshows, fairs, fundraisers and spa parties throughout the year.

Please list any websites and email addresses.

Natural Skin Care & Dead Sea Products:

www.deadseastorebyrv.com
email: info@deadseastorebyrv.com

Stress Relief & Alternative Health Products:
www.stressreliefbyrv.com
email: info@stressreliefbyrv.com

Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential OilsTM : https://www.youngliving.com/signup/custType.faces (Must use distributor # 1066504 to purchase as a wholesale or retail customer)

Premium Gourmet Coffee:
www.premiumcoffeebyrv.com
email: info@premiumcoffeebyrv.com


Do you sell on Etsy, Ebay, Fuzzb or Made It Myself? If you do, please list a link to your store.

No, we only sell on our own sites


Do you have a MySpace or Face Book? If you do, please list the link to your page.

Yes, www.myspace.com/reviyve


Do you Twitter? What is the url to your page?

Who doesn’t?! www.twitter.com/reviyve


Do you have a blog? Please list a link to your blog.

Yes, 4:

1. Fresh Radiant Skin: www.deadseastorebyrv.blogspot.com
(blog was recently approved to participate as a member of Total Beauty & is listed in the Blogs We ♥ Love section)

2. To Stress or Not To Stress: www.stressreliefbyrv.blogspot.com

3. Stress Helper: www.stresshelper.wordpress.com
4. Work at Home: www.10steps2success.blogspot.com

Do you work at another job?

Yes, I work Monday-Friday at a large financial firm in Manhattan - NYC


What or who inspires you?

My inspiration comes from two sources: My children and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I sometimes feel discouraged, I think about why I’m doing all of this and then I look to God for wisdom and strength to continue on.


Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

Yes, 2 actually. My company’s motto is “Care for You because there’s Only One You.” And “You’re not a human doing. You’re a human being. If you don’t like your schedule, change it. You made it and you can change it.” By Joyce Meyer


What advice would you offer to someone starting their own business?

I would say don’t just do something to make money. Be passionate about what you are doing. You can’t effectively market/sell something you don’t have an intimate relationship with, at least not for any good length of time before “looking like” a fake. Also, I advise anyone starting their own business to count the cost before starting. I don’t just mean the monetary cost either. Count the cost of how much you will need to give up to work and to educate yourself. Then once you’ve decided it’s a go, make sure to do a business plan, even if it’s a long running draft. You need something to keep you focused and on track. Lastly, hook up with others who have done and are doing what you want to do. Entrepreneur.com is an excellent site to get help and free advice from. They even offer a business plan template among other great tips, tools and empowering information. The business people on that site are also very willing to offer any help and insight they can at no charge. This site is one in which you can carry on in-depth conversations to get help with your business.

"E-tailer Spotlight" - Heaven and Earth Essentials

Heaven and Earth Essentials is one of our newer e-tailers. If you haven’t met them or you’re not familiar with their products, then I suggest you visit them at their website Heaven and Earth Essentials. You will get to know a bit about them and the wonderful, kind things they do by reading the interview. Taking the time to share their lifestyle with others is important to them. Be sure to read to the end of the interview, I love their quote/saying.



Heaven and Earth Essentials offers a variety of products – perfumes, body creams, deodorants, firming cream, herbal salve, shea butter, soaps, botanicals, bath soaks, bath teas, lotions, emu oil products, facial care products, sugar scrubs, bath butters, essential oils, pet products, kid’s products, lip balms, and gift, sampler and addict packs. If this isn’t enough for you, they offer home remedies and recipes.

Visit Heaven and Earth Essentials; return to this blog - post about a product you like or would like to try or a comment about their website. You will be entered into a drawing for a variety of free products from Heaven and Earth Essentials. Be sure and leave an email address so we can contact you. The drawing will be held on Monday, April 6 at 5:00pm Central Time.

Tell us a little about yourself and/or your business.

I’m a divorced mom of a wonderful 7-year-old son, Alex. I’ve always worked in some sort of customer service role, as I enjoy helping people. I’ve moved 30 times in my life and finally have found my peace on a farm in central Minnesota. I’m surrounded by fields and trees and not much traffic. I have a wonderful man now who shares my dreams and works hard so we can attain them. We open up our farm during Summer and Fall to share with others our lifestyle—we have all different kinds of animals. We don’t charge admission; we do it because we enjoy it. One of the greatest days of my life was two years ago when we had four schools’ worth of special-needs kids out to the farm and let them experience all our animals, took them on a horse-drawn wagon ride farm tour, and had special activities for them. We feel we are giving back to our community by providing these special events for those who wouldn’t normally be able to do these things or be able to afford to go to places like this.

How or why did you start your business?

A friend of mine started the business, but because she already had another successful business, it got difficult for her to do both. So we discussed it, and I took over Heaven and Earth Essentials, but she still consults with us often. This business is perfect for me, as I have a background in Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Marketing, and I love creating things, cooking, and crafts. It all comes together here and I love it!

What kind of products do you carry or make?

We offer exquisite bath and body products for adults and children, hand-blended and custom perfumes and essential oils, and are just now adding all-natural pet products. We make most of our products ourselves; it takes more time, but it is so worth it! We even use our own honey in some of our products. We do not test on animals (except for the pet products, of course), and we are going green as much as possible. We know it’s important to be healthy, for ourselves and our planet! We also recycle everything we can.


What’s your favorite product to make or create?

My personal favorite is our Whipped Sugar Scrub. It looks like frosting (when I’m making it, I have to remind myself NOT to eat it)—it’s absolutely beautiful!—and I have fun adding the scents and colors. It’s also my favorite product to use! I always have at least 5 or 6 containers of it in my bath. The hardest part is which one to use today?

Do you have a storefront, sell strictly on-line or both?

We sell online only.

Please list any websites and email addresses.






www.heavenandearthessentials.com
barbara@heavenandearthessentials.com

Do you sell on Etsy, Ebay, Fuzzb or Made It Myself? If you do, please list a link to your store.

No, we sell only on our own website.

Do you have a MySpace or Face Book? If you do, please list the link to your page.

I’m just now setting up pages on myspace, facebook, and twitter.
On Facebook and MySpace, I’m listed as Barbara Sherwood.
On Twitter, I’m listed as PotionsMistress.


What or who inspires you?

I have personal friends who inspire me, just “ordinary” women who seem to do it all. I’d like to consider myself in that group. We raise our kids, take care of our homes and families, volunteer our time, help others, work jobs, and fulfill ourselves with our business dreams. Outside of this group, I’m inspired by all the people who help others, whether in the media or not.

Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

I really like this Apache prayer, I think it’s beautiful:

May the sun bring you new energy by day.
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries.
May the breeze blow new strength into your being.
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.

What advice would you offer to someone starting their own business?

Take help from others! It’s so difficult to do everything yourself. And in this day and age, you not only make your product, market it, run a website or store, inventory items, deal with financial issues, the list goes on and on. So don’t try to do it all yourself! Ask questions, it never hurts!

Looking for a New Product for Your Store

Many of our e-tailers offer wholesale pricing, affiliate marketing or home parties. If you own a gift shop, boutique, gift basket business – online or storefront – you may want to take a look at some of the creative, handmade products. You may want to include some of them in your line of products.

Many times small business owners are faced with the challenge of finding time to search for new products. They do not have the time or resources to go to market or trade shows. And let’s face it, many times you see the same things over and over – they appear in all the stores. Why not look for unique, handmade products to carry in your store.

Maybe you don’t want to invest a lot of money in someone’s products without being able to try them out first. This is where we come in. Our Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes may solve some of your problems. You don’t have to travel, spend a lot of valuable time searching for new products or spend money on items you’ve never tried. Our boxes are full of unique products and delivered right to your door. You will be able to fully indulge yourself with the beautifully, handcrafted products. Some of the items are sample sizes and many are full-sized products including, but not limited to: fragrant, full-lathering handmade soaps; rich, moisturizing lotions and body butters; exfoliating sugar and salt scrubs; bath salts for your soaking pleasure; aromatic candles and tarts; decorative soaps; lip balms-tubes and tins; massage oils; lotion bars; bath teas; herbal teas; suckers; chocolate-covered cookies; shea butters; and many, many other fabulous items. Many times e-tailers send us their new products, the new rage, the newest, latest thing to hit the market....this may be something you are interested in or maybe something you have never heard of before. This could be the one product that will become a Big seller for you.

Just think of the time, energy and money you will save by having potential products arrive at your door. You will receive a box FULL of samples/full-sized items from many e-tailers. I’m sure you will find more than one product that will fit into your shop, boutique, store, or gift basket company. One of the great things about this is the fact that small business owners are supporting small business owners. Not everyone has the time or talent to make all of their own products, but that does not mean that you cannot carry handmade, handcrafted, creative, unique items in your store.

The shipping is included in the price of the box. We do ship internationally. Our boxes ship out monthly. We sincerely hope you will visit the e-tailers and continue to do business with them.

Winners of the January Drawings Announced!

Drum roll, please.....The winner of the mystery prize donated by Delightfully Wed is Shana of Florida. Congratulations, Shana! Your prize will ship out Feb. 17.

Allison of Nebraska is the lucky winner of a Snowberry Creek Sample Box. Congratulations, Allison! Your free box will ship on February 25. I know you will love all of the samples/full-sized products the e-tailers have sent in for this box.

Thanks ladies, for choosing Snowberry Creek and our wonderful e-tailers!

How to Be an E-tailer in Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes

So, you want to be an e-tailer in our sample boxes and don’t know where to start. I’ll see if I can answer some of the most asked questions.

Does it cost anything? No, there is not cost to you ever other than the cost of your samples.
Is there a minimum amount? Yes, we have a minimum of 10 samples/or full-sized items for any month you wish to participate. However, we have no maximum so if you wish to send in a large amount and spread it out over a couple of months – that’s fine with us. Just specify how you want it.

When are the samples due? Samples are due by the 15th of any month you wish to participate.

What kind of samples should I send? Send whatever you wish for the consumer to see. Send the product you like the best, what you think is your best item or a new item you wish to promote. Remember to package your item attractively to present it in the most positive light. Sometimes, first impressions are all that you get. You want to catch the consumer’s eye – ensuring they don’t forget about you. Your items should be correctly labeled and prominently display your website and company name. We want the consumer to be able to easily find you.

Can I send full-sized items? Certainly! Everyone loves receiving full-sized items. But, this is not required. You may send in any size sample that you want. Just remember that the consumer will judge your products by your sample. Make sure it is an ample enough size for them to be able to determine if they like the product.

Can I send in business cards, brochures, post cards? Yes, if you send in samples you may send in literature on your products and company. We do not accept just business cards, etc. without samples as no one wants to purchase business cards.

Should I offer a discount coupon with my product? That is entirely up to each individual. Some do, some don’t. We do not require that you do.

Do I need a banner? No. If you have one, we will proudly display it on the website and forum. If you do not, we can make you one for $10 and you can use it in any manner you want. It will be yours. However, if you don’t have one and don’t want one, that’s fine with us.

Do I need to send in some information about my items? Yes. Please send a brief description of your products/and or company. This will be displayed on the website.

Where will I be listed on the internet: You will be listed on the Snowberry Creek E-tailers in the Box page on the website, you will be listed on the past e-tailers page (when you are a past e-tailer) on the website, the Snowberry Creek forum, Snowberry Creek blog, and our myspace page. These are the places that you will have direct links posted to your website. We will advertise Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes in other places and you will benefit from this, also.
If you choose to be in the “e-tailer spotlight” or the “product showcase” on our blog, this will promote your website and products by additional links for the search engines to find. There is no charge for this service. It will be promoted on many forums. You can offer an item for a drawing to get people to visit your website and then leave a comment on the blog about one of your products. This is not required, but does help generate traffic to your site.

Who donates the mystery prize for the month? Any e-tailer that wishes to be the mystery prize donor for the month should let us know. You will be listed as the mystery prize donor – listed on the website as such and promoted on the blog and forum. You should send your “full-sized” item for the mystery prize drawing in at the same time you send your samples. We will pay for the shipping to the winner of the prize. We will announce the winner along with the donor on our forum, blog and myspace, this will add more links for the search engines.

Can I have a page on your website? Yes. We do offer sponsor pages. You may have a sponsor page for $10 per month in additional to sending in a minimum of 50 samples for the month. Business cards do not count as samples.

What can I put on my sponsor page? This is your own personal webpage. You may display anything you want on your page such as: ads, sales, pictures, promotions, etc. You may have up to 5 pictures on your page. This is a way to promote your products and website in any way you wish. The page will remain active for the month you are a sponsor. There can be more than one sponsor per month, as each sponsor will have their own page for promotion showcasing their products and website. No one has to “share” the spotlight on their page with anyone else.

We enclose a flyer asking the consumer to please visit the e-tailer’s website to see all of the products they offer. We ask them to leave feedback about the products they have received so the e-tailers know if they are pleased with the items. They may leave feedback on the forum, myspace, our blog or directly email the e-tailer.

It has never been easier to be an e-tailer. Get your products and website in the spotlight and into the hands of the consumer. We believe that the independent business owner has superior products, excellent customer service and is the backbone of America. We look forward to working with you to promote, advertise and raise the ranking of your website.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at snowberrycreek@hotmail.com, leave a post on our blog or visit our website http://www.snowberrycreek.com/. We love hearing from you!

Snowberry Creek Offers Ways to Promote Your Business

The new year is off to a great start! If you would like to get your products into the hands of more consumers, please consider Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes. We ship a box out each month that is FULL of wonderful, creative, luscious, aromatic products for our customers' indulgence! We think we have some very talented e-tailers and would love to have you join us. Samples are due by the 15th of each month. The boxes "officially" go on sale on the 25th of each month. There is no cost to you as an e-tailer, other than the cost of your samples.

We do offer some free services to promote your business besides getting your product out to the consumer.I would like to tell you a bit about some of the free services that are available for participating e-tailers. We offer to blog about your business in our "E-tailer Spotlight". All you have to do - is email that you want on the list. We are happy to put a new product or existing product that you would like to get out in the public eye in our "Product Showcase". If you have a sale or promotion you would like for us to help you promote - just ask; we will be happy to help. We are in the business of promoting your business - not just sticking your sample in a box and hoping for the best. We are constantly looking for more ways to promote you.

Please come by our blog and visit - www.snowberrycreek.blogspot.comIf you have any questions please visit our website at www.snowberrycreek.com or email us at snowberrycreek@hotmail.com.

Looking foward to working with you to promote your business and products.