Winners + DIY Inspirations for Holiday Gifting

First off, we'd like to congratulate our winners for this month's blog giveaway! We will contact pammaher, sherryglover1, greyowl, amchart, and syeda via Ravelry to arrange for the delivery of their prize, a free pattern from the CustomFit Database! Many thanks to everyone who entered out giveaway and helped spread the word!

The holiday season is upon us, and we'd like to share some fun, fast and easy DIY ideas for gifting this year. Below you'll find some great ideas for putting together a customized gift basket for that special someone on your list! We hope you'll also share some of your own favorite DIY gift ideas for this time of year in the blog comments.

For Pumpkin Lovers: 

Clockwise from top left: DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin LaviShea lotion bar,
Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub, and Crochet Pumpkin Treat Bowl by Meredith Crawford. 

Spa Treats to Relax & Rejuvenate:

Clockwise from top left: DIY Peppermint Body Scrub, Spa Gift Jar (includes free printable template),
Knit Bath Mitts, Peppermint LaviShea lotion Bar.

For Sweet Treats:

Clockwise from top left: Peppermint LaviShea lotion bar, DIY Painted Mugs,
Knitted Mug Cozies (free Revelry download!), Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix (includes printable tags).

New Scents & CustomFit Giveaway!

Daylight savings and cooler temperatures can only mean one thing - winter is just around the corner! We've brought back one of our popular seasonal scents, Winterberry: it's a wonderful blend of sun-ripened blackberries and creamy, smooth vanilla. Click here to stock up on this favorite scent for the snowy season on LaviShea.com.

Just arrived at LoopsKnitting.com is an exclusive new LaviShea scent: Loops Love! Featuring the fresh scent of white tea and ginger, this bar is an essential for your knitting bag or carry-on. Click here for more details on the Loops website!

Giveaway Alert!

What better way to welcome NaKniSweMo & sweater weather than a giveaway for a free pattern from Amy Herzog's CustomFit sweater generator?! This revolutionary resource allows users to customize any design from the CustomFit database to fit the unique measurements and gauge of each individual user. The end result is a sweater that fits perfectly, with no modifications required.

We'll be randomly-selecting 5 lucky blog readers to win a free CustomFit pattern - simply leave a comment on this post telling us which LaviShea scent is your favorite for your chance to win! Be sure to also include your Ravelry ID or email address so that we can contact you if you win.

We'll announce our lucky winners on our next blog post on Monday, November 24. Good luck!

Fair Trade Shea & Fall Scents

Click here to learn more about
our new & improved packaging!

Did you know that October is Fair Trade Month? Aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of supporting fair trade, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more as a consumer. Fair Trade products must adhere to specific standards to ensure that workers have safe conditions and the environment is protected through sustainable practices. Another goal of Fair Trade is to alleviate poverty by investing in communities by providing access to safe water, education, and opportunities which are not typically available in the region. You can learn more about Fair Trade here.

LaviShea Lotion Bars are made with Fair Trade, unrefined shea butter which is handcrafted in Togo, West Africa. It is produced under organic standards and features the true healing and moisturizing properties which are unique to pure, unrefined shea butter (click here to read more on our website). We complement our this with 100% natural soy and premium botanical oils, essential oils, and/or skin-safe fragrances to create luxurious bars which melt with your body heat and absorb quickly without leaving a greasy residue.

In addition to our ethically-sourced ingredients, we have updated our packaging to not only be more user-friendly, but it is also now 100% Made in the USA! It is our goal to create a product that consumers can feel good about using in every way possible, and we hope our customers enjoy this change!

With the arrival of autumn, it's time to bring back our popular Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin scent!

This all-natural and gluten free lotion bar features deep notes of cinnamon, anise & a spicy apple accord swirled together into an earthy, toasted pumpkin seed base. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin is perfect for a crisp fall evening!

May we also suggest the spicy notes of our Orange Pomander bar, which is now back in stock in our online store? This popular scent combines spicy cloves with notes of orange and cinnamon to create a classic scent for fall!

Handspinning with Lavishea

Handspun Yarn on Bobbins.

On October 6, spinners around the globe will compete on teams to see who can spin the most yardage in just one week. The event is called Spinzilla, and it's open to handspinners of all skill levels (note: team registration has closed for this year's event).

Over in the Spinzilla Ravelry Group, there has been a flurry of activity as spinners make preparations for the big event: setting goals, performing maintenance on spinning wheels, and preparing fibers are all important details being discussed. However, we're like to add one more important item to eveyone's list:   a LaviShea bar to care for those hard-working hands!

Why LaviShea? First, as most fiber artists already know, working with wool has a tendency to dry out hands; dry skin and rough cuticles can catch on fibers, which can slow down your spinning. Serious spinners who are in it to win it will want to make sure they have smooth, supple hands, and our fast-absorbing lotion bars are easy to tuck into your spinning basket for whenever you need to take a break to moisturize your hands. Secondly, it's non-greasy and fast-absorbing - which means you can get back to spinning right away! Last but not least, we have a variety of scents to choose from. One of this year's Spinzilla sponsors, Louet North America, has even created a special LaviShea bar to commemorate the occasion!

We look forward to seeing who wins the Golden Niddy Noddy this October. LaviShea & Spin On!

Scent Spotlight: Citronella

Although summer is winding down, we'd like to spotlight our popular new Citronella LaviShea bar, which is fantastic for keeping mosquitoes and pests at bay the natural way! Whether you're gardening, camping, hiking, or just enjoying the remaining summer evenings on your porch, be sure to keep our Citronella bar close at hand.

Our Citronella bars are made with citronella essential oil, a plant-based insect repellent which works by masking scents that are attractive to insects. Its ability to repel mosquitoes has been verified by research (click here for more info); for maximum effectiveness, it should be reapplied every 30-60 minutes.

citronella grass

In addition to insect-repelling properties, citronella is naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. It stimulates blood circulation and is often used to tame oily skin and hair. It is also used in the treatment of migraines, fatigue, headaches, and nausea. However, it is important to note that Citronella oil is not recommended for use on the skin of small children or during pregnancy.

Please note, this blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. 

Scent Spotlight: Peppermint Spa Bar

We're starting a new blog series which will give you a closer look our specially-selected LaviShea scents. Kicking things off, we'll be spotlighting one of our newest additions to our lineup, the Peppermint Spa Bar!

Peppermint Plant

You may be most familiar with peppermint by way of peppermint tea, which is often used to soothe upset stomachs. The humble peppermint plant boasts a number of healthy benefits, and our newest scent is made with high-quality peppermint essential oil, which is naturally antifungal and antibacterial.

When applied topically, peppermint oil decreases the chances of contracting the dreaded fungal infection, making it an ideal addition to your mani/pedi routine! Peppermint oil is also naturally cooling, and it is a known pain reliever. Finally, it reduces swelling and increases circulation, making it an excellent choice for those with circulatory issues or diabetes.

Its refreshing scent will uplift your spirits, soothing stress and mental exhaustion; it is also useful in relieving nausea and headaches (even migraines!). The skin-loving ingredients of each LaviShea bar will keep your skin hydrated and supple, too - it's no wonder we dubbed our newest scent the Peppermint Spa Bar!


Please note, this blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. 

Check out our new website!

There have been lots of changes happening this summer, and our most recent news is our redesigned website!

It is now easier than ever to view our catalog, find a retailer, or just learn more about LaviShea lotion bars by visiting our site! Our online store is even more user-friendly than before, and we have updated all of our product images to show you our new & improved packaging that's made in the USA!

We are also pleased to offer low-cost shipping for online orders of 3 bars or less and FREE shipping for all online orders of 4 bars or more! 

We hope you'll take a moment to visit our new website and let us know what you think!