Celebrate with my family this weekend

Having the family with us at holiday times is always a pleasure, especially as some of them live a fair distance away. This Jubilee Bank Holiday is again going to be full, and no doubt as chaotic as usual. Although Stefan and Mikiko (in Japan) aren't able to be with us, and Josef, our youngest, is finishing his year abroad in Australia, we'll have the other five kids with their partners, and our two grandchildren, aged 18 months and 4 weeks.

And there's a tradition at Essentially Natural that Dad has to stop messing with computers and checking that discounts work while they're with us. (I've even known Max unplug the router to stop me going on the internet before now).

So this means, in practice, I have to get discounts or special offers up and working properly before they arrive.

This time the first (with the grandchild of 18 months) arrives from Devon this afternoon, and they are staying until Tuesday. So this gives you, dear customer, the chance to have an extended Bank Holiday lookaround on our website and an extended Bank Holiday discount.

So while I'm getting some well-earned rest, no doubt having too much to eat and drink, enjoying the party with the villagers and our family, you can be sure that the 20 % discount will be taken off your total at the checkout, from now until the kids have all disappeared back to their respective homes on late Tuesday evening.

Have a good weekend and let's hope for some sunshine after the rain.

Janet's been playing at Pick & Mix

As the end of the month comes around, it's time to put our Soap & Candle Club parcels together. Dennis wants each customer to be able to choose what they like best, and we still manage to do this even with member numbers growing. It's an interesting challenge.

Some of our customers have been members for years and have their favourites, but others want us to choose for them. Some are vegan so we have less choice of soaps and skincare although all our candles are vegan. I like to leave at least six or seven months before sending them the same again. One of our members is allergic to geranium, so that cuts out our rose products, one of our summer favourites and another doesn't like anything too flowery.

So quite a mixture this month, from our Rose & Cocoa Butter bath bar and Patchouli & Geranium travel tin to Chamomile shampoo & body bar and Orange & Lemongrass travel tin, with Cucumber & Almond, Peppermint & Cinnamon and Lavender & Geranium thrown in.

We decided with the summer weather to send out as an extra some of our new Citronella tea lights that we're getting ready to sell. I look forward to hearing what our members think of these. I do love it when members tell us how much they look forward to getting their parcel from us at the end of the month as I feel I know them better than when people just order things from us from time to time.

So I'm on my way to Helmshore Post Office loaded up with parcels after an enjoyable morning. I just wish I'd not picked the hottest day in the year!

Tony's been busy!!!!

Hmmmm, Tony’s just been in the office to ask us to smell test the Lavender and Citronella candle mixture he’s currently making. Smells Divine! We’ve decided to put them in our new glass jars – which will look great on tables for alfresco dining or those vintage tea parties that we will all inevitably go to over in the next month or two! .. I will definitely be putting one of these aside for myself to buy! (I could do with my own shelf in the stock room.. can’t get enough)… nothing like the smell of organic essential oils.. Purity at its best!  (AND NOT MADE IN CHINA!)

Do you burn candles in the Summer?

Hi, I'm Jo and I work with Dennis. Me and my friend went for a toottle round Hebden Bridge on Saturday... Love to people watch from cafes there - such an interesting place! We went round all the quirky shops. One thing we noted was that shops seem to be streamlining the number of suppliers they use, especially in the skincare, candles and soap department. In some shops where I expected to see candles - there were none at all. I personally still like to light a candle on a rare evening that I am chilling in the lounge watching TV or a movie. I find it relaxing and warming. But do you stop burning candles altogether in the Summer? I do find it especially reassuring that burning a candle from Essentially Natural means I am not releasing any toxins in the enviroment and it wasn't made in China!