Soapy Social Media Roundup

Welcome to the end of another busy week! The sun has been shining and it’s been a flurry of activity around the office as everyone is getting ready for spring activities.

I’ve been experimenting with lots of Easter-y crafts, including these cute little egg shell candles. I even got to make an awesome frittata with all those egg yolks! In toddler land, Jamisen and Lily are doing well and sometimes they even pause for a half-second so I can get adorable Instagram photos like this. I think they’re the cutest kids in the world, but I may also be a bit biased =)

In the next few weeks, be on the look-out for more contests, Soap Queen TV videos and fresh, fun projects. For now, take a look a my favorite soapy social media items from the past two weeks:

Pins:

From top left, clockwise:

• This is a beautiful example of a Taiwan Swirl from Habitat Soap Collective. Habitat Soap is known for their intricate swirly designs and use of natural colorants and essential oils. They even won our Facebook Photo of the Week back in January. Their soaps are a real treat!
• I’m taking the afternoon off to go enjoy the English countryside and have a slice of this delicious looking Earl Grey Tea Cake — just kidding, I wish! Totally not joking about how good this cake looks though. Speaking of English countryside, it may or may not be the centerpiece of an upcoming May campaign. Stay tuned!
• The FDA’s website was never all that user-friendly, and it was a nightmare especially if you were trying to find laws and regulations on handmade cosmetics. The website was recently revamped, and it’s much easier to use! This is a collection of 10 links that make it easy to find the latest cosmetic laws and legislation.
• A good, simple quote to keep in mind. Do good yourself and it will rub off on others.
• Thai Ice Tea is one sugary treat, but it sounds so good I might make make an exception for it. With half & half, ice cream and added sugar, this recipe is all full-fat, full-sugar goodness.
• With Easter around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about decorating Easter eggs. This is one creative idea I haven’t seen before — instead of using dyes or food coloring, try using natural fruit juices.

Instagrams:

We’ve been inspired by swirls for spring, and this white, teal and coral soap is no exception. This one was scented with the brand new Neroli & Shea Blossom Fragrance Oil.

If you’ve ever had a batch of soap go bad on you, you know how frustrating it can be. It happens to the best of us, and when it happened to a whole group of soapers in our Soap Crafting club I turned to a fail-proof technique to remedy botched batches: hot process hero. Check out the blog post for full details, but the technique turned a Frankenstein-esque bar of soap into something beautiful.

Tweets:

• There’s a new buzz phrase on the lips of every recruiter and employer: “learning agility.” It’s essentially the ability to think on your feet, making decisions quickly, and problem-solve through tough situations. It’s a quality employers have always looked for, but it’s now becoming a more of a required skill versus an added bonus.
• Oh Twitter; it’s easy to use but hard to master. I like this list of ten simple tricks to grow your Twitter following because it emphasizes how visual the medium has become. It’s no longer restricted to 140-character tweets, so take advantage of it!
• This story has been all the rage lately — one million French union workers are not allowed to check their work email after business hours. The article also mentions the phrase “digital working time,” which I think could become more and more prominent as lines blur between working at the office and working from home.

Have a great weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube.