Father's Day Beer Tasting Challenge

So that important man in your life is a beer geek.  He claims to know everything about beer including the style, the brewery, and alcohol ratio.  So, this Father's Day, put him to the test!  Create your own Beer Tasting Challenge!  Here's what to do:
1) Buy a selection of beer for your participants.  Choose some favorites and maybe some obscure ones.  Note:  Trader Joe's let's you mix and match your six pack!
2) Cover your labels, but don't take them off because you'll need proof.  You can get as fancy as you want.  I'm just using materials that I have around the house.  We tend to brown bag it around here, so that's what I'm doing. I'll tie it with raffia to make it look special.  Here are various levels of craftiness below!

Pic from Celebrate Mag!

Pic from Draft Mag!

3) Pour the beer into glasses and have him/participants taste.  With each one, have him write down the style, the brewery, and alcohol ratio.
4) When he's done, give him the big reveal!

Even if he doesn't get them right, he'll be a happy camper after tasting six beers.  And a few laughs will be had by all!

Interested to see how Handbrewed Soaps stands up to the test?  Find out on Monday!  I can't wait to see how Eric does!

Happy Father's Day

Behind the Scenes: The Building of the Handbrewed Soaps Studio

             Sometimes there needs to be a separation between soap and family. Last Fall, my awesome Father came up with a brilliant idea.  This idea was spurred by the fact that he couldn’t distinguish where my kitchen and living room began and where my soaping ventures ended.  Everything was mixed together.  “Hey Alyson, have you ever though of getting a soap studio?”           

The Blank Slate

                 Of course I had, but our business was not making enough money to pay Bay Area rent.  Though we had an extra bedroom, our family was expanding, and we needed it for a bedroom! Instantly, we both looked out into the backyard, which at the time was filled with weeds (aka a blank slate to build and grow things on!)    To make a REALLLY long story short, by the following Fall, I had my soap studio, empty, but a studio!  We went with Casita Shed of Castro Valley,CA to construct the studio. If you look at their prices, it beats the price on any Home Depot / Lowe’s shed by square footage and the labor was included in the cost.  The fact that it went up in two days was AWESOME. I recommend them to anyone who has the ability to add one to their backyard!  It was so affordable, that we built two…  his and her studios… now everyone’s happy!  I highly recommend this Bay Area Company.  We had a great experience!         

The solution that keeps our family from hurting each other!  lol

The Blogging 30-Day Challenge. Want to join me?

       Today marks the day that I begin my 30-day Blog Challenge.  For the next 30 days, I will blog about beer, soap, and my other shenanigans.  Why?  Because Donna Maria, of the Business Indie Network told me too…  Well that’s not the only reason.

      The truth of the matter is, I’ve been “social media stocking” the Indie Business Network (IBN) for the past year.  I’ve been hanging out around the fringes of this group (liking their Facebook and Instagram accounts) and going to their public site for info on how to grow my small business. I’ve participated in their Instagram chats (open to the public) on Wednesdays, and I have even had my “Master Mind” peeps, tell me to join.  I’ve learned so much from IBN within the year, but it wasn’t until Tuesday Night that I received the sign…  The sign from Donna Maria… that by joining IBN, I could get even more out of the network….  And that sign looked something like this:

 
      Hell's Yaaaa!   I was finally going to be held accountable, by a group that I knew was super awesome, for what I knew needed to be done to take my business to the next level.  And I can’t say thank you enough to Donna Maria for the sign! I’ve been wanting to blog and now I have a community of people that are doing it with me!  Most importantly, I now have a community of people to figure out this whole small business thing! 

 
     Please don’t get me wrong, about this blog challenge.  I’m wondering what the heck I am going to be blog about?  I worry about what people will think. I’m a horrible speller, and my grammar is not that correct…  but what I do know is that if I plug away at it, I’ll get better.  And all of these doubts have just stopped me in the past.  The benefits of this challenge outweighs my fears.

     By updating blog posts frequently, I know my business and my writing skills will grow.  My website will go higher in the search engine. I’ll get to know my audience and they get to know me better, and posts keep giving back (traffic continues to go to each post over time!)  So I encourage you to go on the same challenge for your small business, or another 30 day challenge such as exercising, cooking, or taking a class. I thank you ahead of time for going on this journey with me, and I hope you do it as well.  I hope to inspire you to blog (or be challenged in another way) for 30 days straight, and if you do, let me know in the comment section, as I would like to follow you on your journey!

-A

The Blogging 30-Day Challenge. Want to join me?

       Today marks the day that I begin my 30-day Blog Challenge.  For the next 30 days, I will blog about beer, soap, and my other shenanigans.  Why?  Because Donna Maria, of the Business Indie Network told me too…  Well that’s not the only reason.

      The truth of the matter is, I’ve been “social media stocking” the Indie Business Network (IBN) for the past year.  I’ve been hanging out around the fringes of this group (liking their Facebook and Instagram accounts) and going to their public site for info on how to grow my small business. I’ve participated in their Instagram chats (open to the public) on Wednesdays, and I have even had my “Master Mind” peeps, tell me to join.  I’ve learned so much from IBN within the year, but it wasn’t until Tuesday Night that I received the sign…  The sign from Donna Maria… that by joining IBN, I could get even more out of the network….  And that sign looked something like this:

   
      Hell's Yaaaa!   I was finally going to be held accountable, by a group that I knew was super awesome, for what I knew needed to be done to take my business to the next level.  And I can’t say thank you enough to Donna Maria for the sign! I’ve been wanting to blog and now I have a community of people that are doing it with me!  Most importantly, I now have a community of people to figure out this whole small business thing! 

   
     Please don’t get me wrong, about this blog challenge.  I’m wondering what the heck I am going to be blog about?  I worry about what people will think. I’m a horrible speller, and my grammar is not that correct…  but what I do know is that if I plug away at it, I’ll get better.  And all of these doubts have just stopped me in the past.  The benefits of this challenge outweighs my fears.

     By updating blog posts frequently, I know my business and my writing skills will grow.  My website will go higher in the search engine. I’ll get to know my audience and they get to know me better, and posts keep giving back (traffic continues to go to each post over time!)  So I encourage you to go on the same challenge for your small business, or another 30 day challenge such as exercising, cooking, or taking a class. I thank you ahead of time for going on this journey with me, and I hope you do it as well.  I hope to inspire you to blog (or be challenged in another way) for 30 days straight, and if you do, let me know in the comment section, as I would like to follow you on your journey!

-A

DYI Beer Bottle Centerpieces (Vases and Candle Holders)

Just because you have a lot of beer bottles sitting around your house, doesn't mean you have a drinking problem, it means you appreciate good beer!  But I have to admit that when I take out the recycling, the neighbors know it's the Swihart family from the beautiful noise our beer bottles make when they hit the bin!  And, let me tell you, it's loud! So I thought it would be a great idea to highlight 2  ways to up-cycle beer bottles, so that we don't  disturb the neighbors!!!

1) Take that bouquet of flowers sweet hubby brought home and distribute it,in beer bottles.  Tie the beer bottles up in raffia, lace, or ribbon and voila, a center piece.  Most importantly you've saved yourself about a 6 pack worth of recycling worries.

2) Cut the bottom of a beer bottle off and use the tops as candle holders.  (Tutorial on cutting beer bottles coming soon!)  Again add the fluff and you're set!

Now you can tell your friends and family that you have multiple reasons for drinking as much beer as you do... it's not only for the appreciation of a great homebrew or craft beer, but it's a lifestyle.  You can now decorate with beer!

Adventures in Liquid Soap: My Clear Liquid Soap Clouded

I made some pretty rad liquid soap the other day!!!  It came out clear!  I loved the thickness of it.  Not to thick, and not to watery.  It was perfect (according to me!) But a couple days later I noticed clouding!  A ghost-like appearance formed (like a whisp...think of the Disney movie BRAVE, but white, not blue) and eventually the whole jar clouded.  NOOOOOOO! I have sequestered the soap (a recommendation not only from Fallor's Book, but I joined a liquid soapmakers group on Facebook and that was a recommendation as well. ) And as I waited, I continued to consult with the Facebook group. (By the way, it never cleared up... it stayed cloudy.) I learned 3 major reasons liquid soap clouds.
1) Cooking: You didn't cook your paste long enough.  I did the clarity test and it was fine.  I had also separated my soap into three jars and two of the three clouded.
2) Sanitation:  There is bacteria or something yucky growing in your soap.  Well, I sanitized my jars as well as boiled my distilled water before I added it to my paste.  So I didn't think it was that, since it clouded so quickly after I made the soap!
3) Fragrance / Essential Oil:  These oils are added at the cooling phase after you add the boiling distilled water, and as I learned from this group, all FO/EO act differently.  Some may cloud the soap instantly or days after.  Looking at my three jars of soap, all containing the same "clear" liquid soap, the only difference between them was, they all contain different fragrances!  So I think I found the culprit!  I added Brambleberry's Oatmeal Stout FO and all is good.  The second contains a Honey Ale FO and it clouded... As well as the Tobacco Bay FO.

So now what?  The soap is completely fine to use, but I REALLY want clear soap.  Two suggestions I've read are:  1) Mix your FO/EO with a 1:1 ratio with Polysorbate -20. or ethyl alcohol and then 2) add this concoctions while your soap is still hot, but cooling!!!

I'll try this and let you know!  And as always, I'm always open to suggestions!!!

Mother's Day Brunch: Because She Loves Beer!

We got this great image from
Pink of Perfection

Mother's Day is quickly approaching, and it's time to plan the perfect brunch for that wonderful lady who's favorite thing is beer!  What more could she want than her favorite ice cold beer, but foods whose ingredients include just that, beer! And as a DIY'er yourself, what better way to tell your mom how much she means to you, than creating a brunch around her favorite theme!   But don't worry, it's not as hard as it looks...  I've found some great ideas and easy recipes to share with you!

This image came
from the Cooking Channel 

Decorations:  Beer bottles make beautiful table decorations and if you are a beer lover yourself, you probably have some sitting around!  Simply wrap raffia or lace around them, insert her favorite flowers and viola!  

Beverages: The first go to drink would be her favorite beer.  Or, why not try a beer infused drink such as a beer cocktail? For a light citrus taste using a wheat beer, try a Ginger Rum Shandy.  Or, for a more hardy drink, try a Ruddy Mary that uses a dark ale or stout! Both will be a winner.

A beautiful image
from Draft Magazine

Food:  There are many ways you can go with food.  For the egg lover, you may want to try a Sausage and Pale Ale Fritatta, or a Bacon, Egg and Greens Panini made with a wheat beer. Or go an entirely different route with  Beer Pancakes or Muffins made from her favorite fruit beer!!!

And finally, have fun celebrating your Mom.  She will love spending time together!  And if you want to give her a gift, may I suggest a bar of Handbrewed Soaps?  We have plenty of beer soaps to choose from!  (I had to make the plug... it was so appropriate!  LOL)  Have a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!