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      News — Living in Maine

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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

      Seven Years of Zero Waste

      Seven Years of Zero Waste

      I’ve written about my zero waste journey beginning in 2017.  Mostly in the forms of lists ‘cause that’s how I roll.  Each year, I added an action until Covid.  We all know how challenging that was!   

      If you are wanting to start 2023 by reducing a bit of your trash- go back and read any of the blogs.  All the info is valid, you will have to makes tweaks to fit your life style.  Please remember going zero waste is like any goal or accomplishment, it’s a dance.  Two steps forward, one back, a bit of spinning in the same space and then two steps forward.

      I’m not going to add to that list but I’d love to hear your suggestions and strategies.   Instead I'm sharing another list with ideas about how to help address the imbalance in our economy.

      I believe if you want to help heal our planet one step you can take is to “buy local, shop indie”.  Sure I’m biased because I have a small business but I have a small business because I want the world to be a better place. 

      Here’s my list of ways to support small and indie businesses-

       Word of mouth really matters- take the time to tell others about your favorite businesses and why you like them.

       Sign up for emails- in the ever changing word of social media an email list is a godsend to a small business, it’s where they can actually connect with people who are interested in their product or service

       Unsubscribe from emails you never open.  In order to sent out batches of emails you need to subscribe to an email server and you pay for the service.  If you are on someone’s list but never open an email you still count in terms of payment.  It’s very helpful for a small company to have you unsubscribe because they safe money and you will stop getting an email that you’re not interested in.

      Post a nice comment on social to help the algorithms used in social media sites.  The way this works is a site limits access to how many folks can see a post because they want to make money.  Liking, sharing and commenting on a post makes it more “popular” and visible.

      Post a picture and tag a business to help spread the word.

      Use locations and hashtags, another way to help a business be visible on social media. 

      Write reviews and share your positive experience.  If your experience was negative contact the business first before posting on social media.  Social media thrives on negativity so post with caution and kindness.

      Say “thank you” whenever possible and be understanding with problems.  Chances are if you have a problem you’ll get way better service and results than with a big business.

       Buy gift cards especially at busy holiday seasons.  It can be quite challenging in today’s ever changing world to keep items stocked and gift cards do help.

       When it’s time to make a purchase investigate options and if possible buy small, local and indie first before giving all the big boys your money.

       Consider a subscription service.  Similar to a CSA for farms a subscription service helps weather the year during slower times.  Subscription services are also a great way to support a creative that you admire.  The way social media works makes it easy to expect information and inspiration for free but it’s a lot of work and a subscription helps someone stay creative.

      Enjoy your zero waste journey and share your success.

      Valentines + Covid + Sending Love

      Valentines + Covid + Sending Love

      Seriously, not a big Valentine's Day fan.  Ten years ago, on a cold, snowy Feb 14th I signed the first of many divorce papers.  But something happened this year- perhaps its the almost 2 years of Covid craziness but I felt the need to send a bit of love out into the universe.

      Image of hearts cut out of old magazines for handmade Valentine cards

      I decided to make my own Valentines.  I put on some music, found some old magazines, a glue stick and random bits of paper.  Just like a 12 year old working on a fun school project I had a blast.  

      Make your own cards with scissors, old magazines and a glue stick.

      You don't have to make cards.  Buying cards from local artist is a great way to support talent.  There are so many cute small batch cards.

      Of course, you don't need to make "Valentine" cards.  It's always appropriate to send a message of cheer to a family member or friend.  I love to send and receive mail.  It's so much fun to open your mail box and instead of a bill or letter from the IRS, there's a card from a friend.

      XXOO

      Beginning Mending- Tools to Get Started

      Beginning Mending- Tools to Get Started

      There are so many reasons to get into mending but the best part is turning clothes that fit and flatter into pieces you will treasure and love.  Once you add a bit of your personality and love to a garment it will become much loved and worn often.  

      Let's get started with tools.

      I often put off a project or activity I know I’d enjoy because I lack the tools.  We've put together a list of tools for beginning menders that's designed to help you over this hurdle.

      The first and most important tool you need is a positive can-do attitude.  When you are a beginner in anything it can be very intimating to see examples of projects completed by experts.  Social media has amplified this.  You are mending clothes that you love and clothes that fit and flatter.  You are adding a bit of your personality to a garment.  You are adding a layer of story and memory.  Embrace any imperfections.  Don't worry about crooked cutting or uneven stitches- it's all part of the beauty.

      Our first mends are going to be denim.  We all have a pair of jeans that could use a patch and hopefully a pair of jeans that can be turned into patches.  If you don’t have jeans for patch making- look around for a piece of sturdy cotton.  Gather the jeans together along with a sharp hand sewing needle, some embroidery thread, scissors, a ruler or tape measure.  Another tool I would add to the beginning mending kit is a sweater comb.  This is such an easy and fun way to refresh sweaters.  I keep my tools in a sweet bag so whenever I want to mend I only have to find the bag not all the tools.

       

      Of course, once you get started with mending you’re going to love it and there are tools for every job.  But- you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started, in face, one principal behind mending is to make do and be creative. 

      Beginning to Mend Tool List-

      • fabric for a patch
      • sharp hand sewing needle
      • a few pins
      • scissors
      • embroidery thread
      • marker or pencil 
      Now you are ready for the running stitch.

         

        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. 

        Read more