New Hope Soap Blog

By Linda Hilliard - Author of the Book
E-mail Your Weight Away - Diet Dialoges for Women

I remember when Kate Middleton was preparing to marry Prince William and a newswoman observed that like so many brides, Kate was trying to lose a few pounds. I was shocked. Kate seems (to me) to be extremely thin and hardly in need of “Shedding a few pounds.”

There’s no denying that brides often go on diets before their weddings. In fact wedding dresses purchased in January may need to be taken in a bit before the June nuptials.

Watching my own two daughters walk down the aisle, I totally understand the desire to be thinner for that special day (hey, mother-of the brides here also shed a few pounds for the occasions).

HOWEVER, when it comes to dieting for a wedding, I would caution brides (and the entire wedding party) not to succumb to “I have to be stick thin to be beautiful” thinking.

Hosting houseguests has become a second source of income for many families.  Websites like AirBnB.com and Vacation Rentals by Owner act as booking agents for your spare bedroom. For people who enjoy having guests in the home, this sort of arrangement is a great way to meet new people and share hospitality.  

Travelers don't often bring their own toiletries with them; many seasoned travelers depend on the host to provide soap and other essentials. 

Success in this "second business" requires hosts to behave professionally.  According to AirBnB's hospitality blog, hosts who have a 5 star cleanliness rating tend to get booked 20% more often than those with a 4 star rating.

By Linda Hilliard - Author of the Book
E-mail Your Weight Away - Diet Dialoges for Women

No matter where you live - this has been an unpleasant winter. The only bright spot at this time of year is Valentine’s Day with its cheery colors and sweet messages of love.

Oh, no Valentine’s Day! That means large heart-shaped boxes of chocolates (yum, caramels!); checkout counters displaying marshmallow treats (only 50 cents each); bakeries showing cakes with thick red and pink frosting; M&Ms in red and white; and those melt-in-your mouth little chocolate hearts wrapped in red and silver foil... STOP!

What is a dieter to do?! Especially a dieter who has a sweetheart or friends who are apt to present a two pound box of chocolates or bags of those yummy chocolate hearts wrapped in foil (okay my favorite!).

Shopping for bridesmaids gifts can be a special experience for a bride-to-be.  The bridesmaid favors allow the bride a very special opportunity to show how much she appreciates her girlfriends and how grateful she is to be sharing this special day with them!

A heartfelt, thoughtful gift can make all the difference in the world and a personalized gift shows you care all the more. Why not indulge your bridesmaids with personalized engraved scented soaps and candles from our extensive collection at New Hope Soap.

Sandalwood: It's common enough in our industry, but how much do you really know about it? Let's take a little time to explore sandalwood in greater depth.

Post by
Kevin Bryan
KJBryan Photography

So you want to capture great memories of your wedding...here are five things to keep in mind in selecting and working with your photographer!

1.  Don't let a beginner practice with YOUR wedding.
   
   Friends don't let friends take their wedding photos, and there is good reason for this. If the bride and/or groom are disappointed with the results, or if something should go seriously wrong, this could put a lasting strain on the friendship. Professionals take pains to make sure there are no problems, or at least none that can't be remedied. Extra cameras, multiple copies of the digital images, and other precautions make sure that these once-in-a-lifetime photos are captured secured. Should a friend make a mistake or have an accident, not only will your photos suffer, you may also damage a valued relationship.
   
   In terms of quality, an experienced professional will have more than just a few impressive images to show you. You will see a wide variety of work, and consistent success at capturing all the phases of a wedding day.

Recently the benefits of tea has been all the rage in news articles, blogs, daytime talk shows and more. You can’t go a week without some self proclaimed health guru extolling the benefits of green tea extract, or black tea extract or white tea extract. Pills abound for these and other extracts like coffee and red wine, all proclaiming to be the cure for aging, or heart disease, or some other health problem.

What is the average person to think? Tea in general has been one of the world’s most popular beverages for centuries. Tea has become ingrained in cultures throughout the world in daily life, in ceremonies, and in popular culture.

A wedding planner thinks about all the hassles and takes care of all the details of your special day, freeing you to calmly enjoy the celebration. But with so many people purporting to be experts at creating your event, how do you pick the one that's right for you? Start by asking the following three questions.

• How do you charge? Some wedding planners charge by the hour, which is ideal if you only need to consult one for specific details. Many also charge per event, typically basing their fee on a percentage of the total event cost. If yours does the latter, ask her if that fee is fixed once the contract is signed or does it go up every time you add an additional expense, such as more food for more guests. Are any of the fees refundable and under what circumstances.

When it comes to bridesmaid gifts, some of the most well received are personalized items like engraved jewelry, a personalized robe, beauty products, scented soaps, and candles. Adding that personal touch to your bridesmaids’ gifts shows then that the gifts come from your heart, and shows your girlfriends how much they mean to you and how much you love and appreciate them for being by your side on your wedding day! Here are some ideas for personalized gifts for your bridesmaids:

For the Love of Lavender

Lavender and other shades of purple are on the list of top wedding color trend predictions for 2014. With that in mind, you may want to surprise your bridesmaids with our 6.5 ounce signature bars of Lavender Mist soap and a matching jar candle.

The signature bars are triple milled, which means that they’ll provide a luxurious lather and last a long time. They’ll also smell amazing. The candle, on the other hand, is made with a white soy blend, cotton wick, lavender and bergamot scents. So you can count on it to burn evenly and retain its fragrance for a long time too.  

By Linda Hilliard - Author of the Book
E-mail Your Weight Away - Diet Dialoges for Women

Read Part 1 Here!

In my last blog, I talked about how I made it through a high calorie holiday meal without going off my diet. The secret was willpower.

Where do you find the inner strength to resist eating a 12-course meal topped off with two or three desserts?

The answer is fairly simple: Your desire to lose needs to be more important than a plate of scallops or fettuccini alfredo. Sadly, it’s amazing how a goal to fit in a smaller size outfit can go out the window when faced with a plate of sugar cookies.

There’s no magic wand that will make your love of food become secondary to your desire to lose weight. Sure, during the week you can do the broiled chicken breast diet, but there are always occasions that place high calorie foods directly in front of you.

What to do? Surprisingly, my answer is Eat It! Yes, if a food you absolutely adore is put in front of you, enjoy! HOWEVER, totally enjoy only that one food - that one dish - and refuse the rest. Alas, as we know too well, once the appetite has been whetted, it’s hard to stop.