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      For the love of Maine- The Story of Shower Shots

      For the love of Maine- The Story of Shower Shots

      We are at the hallway point between winter and spring which seems an ideal time to share our love of Maine and the story of shower shots.  Shower shots are small nuggets filled with pure essential oils and topped with our flower confetti.  They are simple, sustainable self care.  Perfect for someone who is looking to add a bit of ritual and thought into everyday activities- like taking a shower.

       

      When we started Dulse & Rugosa our focus was on our seaweed rich shampoo bars.  I discovered the power of seaweed while searching for a long term solution to my chronically itchy scalp.  Our shampoo bars are work horses and last a long time.  We realized we needed to expand our product line to help that annoying bottom line.  We have bills to pay.

       We wanted a product that served many purposes.  First, it needed to be of value to our customers.  We also needed a product that fit our environmental standards. A product that’s a joy to create.  Finally, our creation needed to reflect our love of place, the state of Maine.

       Folks often ask how shower shots work.  Simply place a “shot” on the floor of the shower.  As the water hits it, it will dissolve.  Quickly with a heavy stream of water or slowly under a trickle.  As it dissolves, it melts and releases a specific scent.  Aromatherapy in the shower. 

       We have a variety of scents, some to relax including lavender and feel better.  Others to uplift including peppermint and sinus relief.  PMS or Balance is our most quirky scent, when you most need it it can be quite powerful but if life is fairly balanced it can be a bit UH.  We package all our shots as sustainable as possible in compostable not plastic bags.  Individual shots are available as well as curated gift boxes. 

      The actual making of shower shots is production work.  We are small assembly line.  We use vintage shot glass molds and a lot of muscle power.  Each individual shot is topped with a mixture of dry flowers that relates to the scent.  Once the shots have dried out they are packaged and ready for sale.

       

      Last summer in particular I noticed how pollinators loved our flower gardens.  Many moments were spent outside simply watching pollinators in action.  We don’t have to add dried flowers to our shower shots.  Most companies that produce them do not.  We do it simply because we love flowers and want to add a bit of beauty and love to your shower ritual.

      We use a wide variety of flowers.  We look for hardy species that can take the changing Maine climate.  Wet springs and fall with dry almost drought conditions in the summer.  Being able to reseed is an added bonus and we love sunny Calendula for its resiliency. 

       

      My favorite story from last summer is a customer visiting our sweet shop noticed all the bees in our front garden.  He was memorized and mentioned he hadn’t seen so many bees for years.  I encouraged him to sit in the nearby chair and simply observe.  I often wondered  while sitting if the different species would be able to share a blossom.  They can giving me hope for the future.

      We’ve noticed since Covid that our quality can be erratic. Occasionally a shower shot will “melt”.  We’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out the problem.  One easy solution would be to switch our packaging to plastic which would also save us money.  This wasn’t even considered.  After quite a bit of observing and tinkering we discovered that we sometimes get wonky batches of baking soda.  Being super frugal we try not to waste ingredients but now if we see the baking soda is off we don’t use it.  However, because of the compostable packaging, storage conditions, humid summers you might get a melty shower shot.  Simply let us know and we will gladly replace it.  You don’t have to toss the defective shower shot, use it as a toilet bowl cleaner.  This is especially effective before company arrives. 

      Maine shops that support Dulse & Rugosa and sell our shower shots.  I know I’ve forgotten a few and I’ll update as my memory from the summer kicks in.  And word of mouth is by far the best way to grow a business, if you have a favorite store where our shower shots would fit please mention us to the staff.  XXOO

       

      Bell Farms in York

      Maine Homestead in Lyman

      Heritage Seaweed in Portland

      Portland Food Coop

      Rising Tide in Damariscotta

      Archipelago in Rockland

      Good Tern Coop in Rockland

      Tiller & Rye in Brewer

      Granite Hall Store in Round Pound

      Sheepscott General in Whitefield

      Belfast Coop

      Vignettes of Maine in Hallowell

      Sweater Mends: Learn the Buttonhole Stitch

      Sweater Mends: Learn the Buttonhole Stitch
      We all have sweaters with holes in them.  Instead of throwing them up turn them into wearable art using the simple buttonhole stitch to mend and strengthen any holes or tears.  We take you step by step through the buttonhole stitch as well as how to use it for mending. Happy mending!!!!

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      Tips for Beating Back the Time Change Blues

      Tips for Beating Back the Time Change Blues
      The "Fall Back" time change is coming.  It's a seasonal change that I always find challenging and this year with all the upheaval I'm dreading the early onset of darkness. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real for a lot of folks and we hope our tips can help. 

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      No No November

      No No November
      During No No November do what nourishes you. For each person that will be different. For me- it's yoga and walking my dog.  I also need to "slow down my yes".  I say "yes" to things that should make me feel good but end up making me feel stressed because there are only so many hours in a day. 

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      Self Care in the Age of Anxiety

      Self Care in the Age of Anxiety

      "We all have a Super Hero inside us" but sometimes that hero needs a bit of self care.

      What exactly is self care?  It's taking care of yourself.  I find when I'm juggling home, family, job and now the fate of our country that "me" is the daily loser.  When I get busy my yoga class and my daily recharge by the ocean dog walk are the first things to go.  Next is eating good and good for me food.

      I also have a low but constant level of anxiety that's hard to shake.  Sh*t just keeps happening and it's hard to unplug.  So much has happened in the past months that I forget about events, comments and laws that outraged me.  Some new crisis overtakes the news, freaks me out and makes it hard for me to balance myself.

      Here are some easy tips to help you take care of yourself so you can care for others and our country.

      Sleep- routines can help, unplug electronics, try a few yoga stretches, brew a pot of herbal tea, read a bit of a book.  One routine I love at night is massaging our Bring on the Z balm to the bottom of my feet once I'm in bed for good.  It helps the essential oils get into your bloodstream and everyone's feet need a bit of love.

      Unplug from the news- it's hard I know but try your best.  Find a series on Netflix for some bing watching to help get some news relief.

      Cook and tidy the house- making good healthy food and clearing away the clutter can help calm your mind and use up some of that nervous energy.

      Get outside- this is so important, we need sunshine and nature to stay grounded.

      Exercise- getting your body moving helps clear out the mental cobwebs.

      Talk to folks and smile and strangers.  We all need to feel connected.

      We put together a "Self Care in the Age of Anxiety" kit filled with good for you products to help you de-stress and recharge.  We have a special price for purchasing two, one for you and one for a fellow sister.

        The kit contains-

      "Girl Hold My Earrings" sticker

      Sample Pack of Shower Shots- aromatherapy right in the shower and a scent for every mood.

      #resist creme- #racism, #resist sexism, #resist wrinkles.

      Be Kind Lip Treatment- because our words matter.

      Too Much Botanical Oils- a bit of calm in our hectic world.

      Hot and Healing Balm- after hitting the streets give your feet a treat.