We’re typically a company that sticks with ’safe’.  Our products are 100% natural.  I never drop f-bombs (although there is a first time for everything).  During our Winter Celebration Party we went tubing… and wore helmets.  For Valentine’s Day last year we put together a giftset filled with foot products and called it ‘Tickle Her Toes’.  Cute.  And safe.

So this year, we’re dipping a toe into the unknown and venturing into the ‘risque’ with the messaging on our giftsets.   If you come  into our stores or go online for a Valentine’s Day giftset, you’ll see her front and centre, and you’ll notice her not so bawdy sister…’Love. Love. Love.”  Just for you Beatles fans.

Why the duality?  Well, we had an internal debate about these sets (as we do with most things) and the vote was split down the middle so we produced both and decided to let you tell us which one you like.

I worked in the Calgary store last thursday and made sure to ask around.  The feedback was unanimous.  People loved “I’ll Wash yours If You Wash Mine”.  Mind you…they were mostly dudes.

Want to help shape the direction of future messages from us?  Which is your favorite?

All good things must come to an end, or so they say.  And so it has come time to say good-bye to our Berry Body Butter.  Here you can view our last one in the Canmore store.  And to pay our respects, an obituary:

Berry Body Butter 2000-2010

Born in Canmore, Alberta to Mr.Cocoa Butter & Mrs.Berry Scent

2000 – Hits the shelves sporting a synthetic berry scent.

2003 – Changed the berry scent from synthetic to natural to hold true to our directive to be 100% natural.  It wasn’t quite as popular as the synthetic berry smell (where have we seen that before…hmmm…vanilla maybe?).

2006 – Changed to an alternate but still 100% natural Berry scent.  The berry butter was even less popular after that.  Sigh.

2010 – After a long, slow struggle to compete with it’s much more popular siblings Lemongrass, Lavender and Unscented (!), Berry finally gives up the ghost.

RIP BBB

I overdid it at the gym on wednesday.  Which means my back, butt and hamstrings complain every time I stand up, sit down, walk, bend over, and move about in general.  So, after sitting in a steaming tub full of epsom salts and experiencing three noticeable benefits I was curious to learn about how the salt works.

First, the benefits:  1. The very reason I got into the tub in the first place was noticeably diminished.  No my butt wasn’t smaller, it was just less sore.  The stiffness wasn’t completely gone, but it had definitely improved.  2. My sinuses felt like they’d been blasted clean by Indoor Plumber, that’s because my salt had essential oils in it (marjoram and lemongrass to be precise).  And 3.  I was exceedingly pink.  This might not seem to be a benefit to you, but take it from someone who eats a lot of carrots – it’s better than yellow.

Second, the how: In my efforts to find some scientific explanation of how the salts helped me, I found…well, almost nothing.  What I did find was an unpublished study showing that magnesium sulfate (the salt) enters the body when bathing.  But I couldn’t find anything on how the salt actually makes the muscles feel better.  What I do know is that magnesium is necessary for proper muscle function, and helps heal micro-tears in the muscle, which is what soreness is.  I’m not a chemist – but does it seem too far fetched that the magnesium in the salt would act the same way magnesium in a supplement does?

What I experienced was what I expected and hoped for – so was it a placebo effect?  I don’t know.  But I do know that I can stand up without whimpering, I can breathe clearly (a nicely unexpected side effect), and I’m a pleasant pinkish hue – until my next salad.

If your muscles are stiff and sore, give Epsom salts a try.  I’d be most intrigued to hear your conclusions.  I’ll even send the first person to post a reply (mom, you don’t count) a free packet of Sore Muscle salts to try.