Red Island Goat Farm, PEI

2011-10-13T14:48:00.002-03:00

Gertie the Head Goat has decided to take over blogging for us and has started her very own page. Check it out at http://goatsnotes.wordpress.com/!

Em's letter

2011-04-27T09:14:00.007-03:00

This weekend we are heading off to Halifax to be a part of Tourism PEI display at the Saltscapes Expo. If you have never been to Saltscapes Expo it is a show you would not want to miss. I went last year to see it for the first time and it was great. Artisan from Atlantic Canada are performing all day, lots of live demonstration and free samples of food and products all grown or made right made here in Atlantic Canada. Shannon and Conor will be giving out free travel bars. They are bringing lots of products to sell. It will be a great time to replenish your goat milk soap supply and pay no tax that would be a 15% discount. Here is the link to the expo http://www.saltscapes.com/expo/

A customer sent me a link to The Story of Cosmetics by Annie Leonard. It is about how big companies put known toxin is their products. At the moment it is consumer beware because there most no law to is not laws to what chemicals cosmetic companies put in their products.

Last weekend Julia (who turned 5 last month) ran her first 5 km race with her mom. It was an early Mother’s Day present. The emotion hit me like a wave going over the start line with my daughter at my side. The heart felt support I receive from all my family is amazing but crossing the finish line with Julia is extra special. http://therunman.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-source-for-sports-bunny-hop-10km.html

Mother’s Day is a day for the special people in your life to appreciate you. I feel it is day for all women to appreciate themselves for all they do for others. Here is a Mother’s Day video for you to enjoy.

May your day, week, year be filled with Blessings, Smiles and Hugs.

Dedicated to making 100% natural products.

Recollections of Winter

2011-04-12T09:58:00.000-03:00

Now that spring is obviously on its way, I can look back fondly one last time at winter. Here are a few pictures highlighting the beauty of the long cold season as a final farewell. Hear that, winter? It's the FINAL farewell!

Apple Bud Covered In Ice Crystals - March

Morning Sun Through The Trees - March

The Bench Is Getting Swallowed By Snow - February

An Old Barn - February

Icicles - January

The Inside Of A Tree That Blew Down In A Windstorm - January

Please get this off of me!

2011-04-11T17:06:00.001-03:00

Buckets go on easily but do not come off. The goat's horns slide in but stop the bucket from sliding off. Soon we will be able to turn the water bowls back on and we will not need buckets.

The Last Day In Daytona

2011-04-07T18:34:00.002-03:00

Sunset on the last day.

Off to play in the sand

Kris and Julia enjoying the waves

On our last day in Daytona we went for a tour of the Daytona 500. It was interesting. The race started in 1903 on the beach. The loop comes down 1A and back along the beach. Cars still drive on the beach today. It is almost 500 acres with its own hospital and fire department. Well worth seeing. We came back and played on the beach.

The sunscreen was amazing. Katie stopped wearing it because she wanted to come home with a tan. I put it on in the morning went swimming on the beach, then to the pool and out for the day. One evening my nose was red but my nose burns easily. The sunscreen does give a good protection. I put it on too heavy and it was hard to rub into my skin.

A Change in Weather and Scenery

2011-04-04T11:23:00.000-03:00

A big change from March 1st to April 1st. It is warm enough to play on the beach in bathing suits. Well, in Daytona Beach it is possible, but not in Brackley Beach. Julia and Kris are both covered in sunscreen lotion from the shop. A true test to see how it works.

Beautiful Beach Weather

2011-04-04T11:21:00.001-03:00

Beautiful beach weather requires all natural sunscreen. After checking the Environmental Working Group website we have one of the most natural sunscreens with Grapeseed Oil, Beeswax, Zinc and Vitamin E. I came to Florida to see how it protects against the sun. So far we have had 4 days of clouds and it has been working great! Today is the real test; not a cloud in the sky.

Check out the snow on PEI

2011-02-26T10:52:00.003-04:00

Hello Everyone,
I hope you had an amazing Valentines Day and were able to spend time with the ones you love. Since Valentines Day I can only remember 1 day of sun; most days we get snow or blowing snow. Fortunately I love snow and all the fun activities. The kids go outside for hours playing, building and exerting themselves.
Alex has been running home everyday though the blowing snow. You can check his blog at http://therunman.blogspot.com/

Shannon and Conor are busy getting ready for summer. They both will be glad when it stops snowing!

Corey is hooking us up to the social media world. He is a great one to
play a joke on and we got him on Magic93's Funny Phone. Click this link to listen! http://magic93.morriscode.ca/
I want to remind you, with your mail order until March 14th you get a free
roll-on bottle of aromatherapy oil. There is FREE shipping on orders over
$100 in Canadian and FREE shipping on orders over $120

in United States.

You are welcome to join our Face book, Twitter or Linked In pages.

If you want to see the goats we have a You Tube Channel.

Dedicated to using natural products for your skin care needs,

Em Zember

PS If you want to win $100 worth of products and have not filled out

this month's survey please do so. Liz's (last months winner) box was shipped last week. Shannon filled it with almost everything in the store. It is amazing how much you can get for $100!

Sunset February 22

2011-02-22T19:43:00.000-04:00

After a day of blowing snow the sunset was breath taking.

WIN with our Monthly Contests!

2011-02-22T10:32:00.004-04:00

Each month our newsletter subscribers have a chance to win $100 of our most popular products, simply by filling out a short survey! The subject of these surveys ranges from naming the new baby goats (watch for this one in April!) through suggestions to improve your experience at our retail shop to helping us design our new webpage (this one continues in March!) and more. Your prize package is shipped to you absolutely FREE!

Sign up today to receive our newsletter, packed with information, new products, news from home here on PEI... and your chance to WIN!

Alex Cutting Soap

2011-02-21T12:26:00.000-04:00

Alex came in to cut soap today. I feel he is the happiest when he has piles of work ahead of him.

Day 25 Clicker Training With Rosemary The Goat

2011-02-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

Finding Your Passion In Life

2011-02-14T19:56:00.006-04:00

Everybody has a burning desire to live their life to the fullest but finding what you are passionate about might be hard to do for some of us. If you do identify and devote time and space to your passion, it can change your life. It certainly has changed mine.

Completing the following six sentences can help you discover or re-discover your greatest passion.

1. “If I had the time, the three books I wuld love to read by the end of winter are…………” What you are drawn to read indicates what subjects appeal to you, and hints at a passion waiting to be developed. Reading about something you already love is a way of feeding that passion.

2. “I remember years ago I would…………………” Get back to the passion you’ve left behind. If you have happy memories of singing in a community choir in your 20’s, well, it’s just a phone call and a song sheet away.

3. “I’ll be so disappointed if I never get to………………” A common term I hear is “it is on my bucket list”. This week jot down three things you don’t want to miss out on, another three things you want to do before winter is over and three more things before next year. Start right away, there is no time to lose.

4. “If I had the afternoon off to do whatever I wanted, I would………………” Passions are not all about going to China to climb the Great Wall or going on a safari in Kenya. If your boss told you to take tomorrow afternoon off, how would you spend those few precious – unexpected – hours? -And running errands is not an option.

5. “Something I’ve always wanted to try is…………” Experimenting with activities is a great way of discovering your passion. Try a pottery class or join a running club - you might find a hidden passion.

6. I believe I’m quite good at…………..” Acknowledging the things you’re naturally adept at high lights and nurtures your passions.

Notes from Canadian Living & partners article What’s Your Cup of Tea?

February Newsletter

2011-02-14T19:49:00.002-04:00

Let It Snow,

2011-02-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

Kris and Julia feeding the goats apple peelings

2011-01-31T17:38:00.002-04:00

Day 24 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-27T18:35:00.002-04:00

Day 23 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-22T17:59:00.002-04:00

January's Newsletter Prizewinner

2011-01-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

Each month in our newsletter we give you a chance to win $100.00 worth of our best-selling products in exchange for filling out a short survey. We use the information gathered in these surveys to improve the products and services that we offer you. January's newsletter announced our most recent winner, Heidi LaFrance from Kensington, PEI! She was able to stop in to the retail shop and pick out her own prize, and above is a picture of what she chose.

This month we are asking for your help to choose a new look for our website! We have somewhat outgrown the page we have now and want to add some new features to make it easier for you to use. Have a look at the images of possible homepages in the January 14th post below. You can click on the images to see a larger picture, if you like. Then sign up for our newsletter for access to the survey and your chance to win!

Day 22 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-21T20:06:00.002-04:00

Day 21 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-18T17:37:00.000-04:00

Day 20 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-17T19:54:00.003-04:00

Day 19 Clicker Training Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

Day 18 Clicker Training Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-17T15:49:00.002-04:00

Day 17 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-14T15:06:00.002-04:00

New Website Homepage Contest!

2011-01-14T10:05:00.006-04:00

Here are the samples for this month's newsletter survey! We're outgrowing our present website and are planning an update. We need your help to decide on the new look! Below are some sample mock-ups of possible homepages. What do you think? Sign up for our newsletter to submit your opinions, and get a chance to win $100.00 worth of our products shipped to you free!

PLEASE NOTE! If you are having trouble viewing all of these pictures through the survey link, they appear below in the same 1-8 order as they do in the survey. We're having technical difficulties and are working to fix them as quickly as possible!)

Day 16 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

Day 15 Clicker Training with Rosemary

2011-01-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

Day 14 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-10T10:38:00.002-04:00

Day 13 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-08T17:57:00.005-04:00

Day 12 Clicker Training With Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-07T17:01:00.002-04:00

Day 11 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

Day 10 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2011-01-05T20:16:00.002-04:00

Clicker Training Rosemary Day 9

2011-01-04T13:15:00.004-04:00

Day #8 Clicker Training Rosemary

2011-01-03T21:06:00.003-04:00

Day #7 Clicker Training With Rosemary The Goat

2011-01-01T21:34:00.000-04:00

Day #6 Clicker Training with Rosemary the Goat

2010-12-31T19:13:00.002-04:00

Clicker Training with Rosemary day 5.

2010-12-30T13:39:00.000-04:00

clicker Training Roasemary the Goat Day #4

2010-12-29T15:13:00.000-04:00

Day 3 of Clicker Training with Rosemary

2010-12-28T18:45:00.002-04:00

Clicker Training Day Two With Rosemary

2010-12-28T16:58:00.002-04:00

Jazmine Sleeping

2010-12-27T16:05:00.000-04:00

Since a puppy Jazmine slept on her back. Crazy dog!
We video taped Rosemary today but it will not import to the blog. I will try again later.

Sparky the New Buck

2010-12-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

Clicker Training with Rosemary

2010-12-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

Christmas Lights

2010-12-26T17:59:00.000-04:00

It was a very wet and green Christmas.

Christmas on the Island

2010-12-23T19:54:00.000-04:00

Last evening was our staff party. In my Christmas speech I happen to say first annual. Shannon and Alex's mom Janet did not let that go by. It was a lovely evening with Delicious food and a lively house with different games. What I'm grateful for is to have staff to have a Christmas party and such wonderful staff.

The Trip to Ottawa

2010-11-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

Every fall Katie and I take a trip. I'm so grateful to have girl time with my daughter. The joy and laughter we share is unmeasurable and I will remember it forever. I wish every mother and daughter can have special times together. They grow up so fast and to catch a moment here and there is so precious. Remember to hug your daughter and catch a moment.

2010-11-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

As you can see we have been covered in a light blancket of snow since yesterday afternoon.

Sunset November 23 2010

2010-11-22T11:58:00.000-04:00

Sunset In November

2010-11-22T11:49:00.000-04:00

Vet Students

2010-11-21T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ginger is keeping her distances. She was the most difficult to caught to get her hoofs trimmed.

First Flakes Today

2010-11-20T21:05:00.001-04:00

I'm not quite ready to have snow on the ground but Kristopher was very excited to see the snow floating around.

Helping Hands

2010-11-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

I love pictures of hands. This is Julia's hand.

Alex and the Golf Cart

2010-10-12T13:48:00.000-03:00

Today we move the shelves and racks from the drying room. Marie Lee is coming today and that will be her bedroom. I drove the golf cart down to the cabins full of shelves and Alex drove it back. Other than brushing against some branches and wondering how fast we were going to take the first turn with his lead foot Alex did great.

Only Two Cuties Left!

2010-09-16T15:06:00.001-03:00

Only two of Cherry Blossom's kittens have yet to be adopted. Both are extremely social beings, loving the attention from the many visitors to the shop. I wish I could have put their purr into the pictures! How does such a large sound emanate from such small bodies?

Jessica (top) is a lovely lady who winds her way around your legs when you pay attention to her. Hope (below) is developing into a very promising hunter when not soaking up praise from her admirers! Both of them would love to come to good homes. (Their siblings have traveled all the way to two families in Nova Scotia!) Contact us at shop@greatcanadiansoap.com.

Feels good to give

2010-09-15T15:02:00.001-03:00

The showers, toilets, sinks and windows from the old well house went to Habitat for Humanity. One of the secrets to abundance is to give a little bit away of what you want to receive. Hopefully I do not receive an abundance of showers.

The old well house

2010-09-14T14:50:00.001-03:00

In the centre of our driveway was the old well house. We turned it into washrooms with showers in 1999. This summer we took the well house down to make more room for parking. Here is a picture of the old well. It was 25 feet deep with a stone wall going down to the bottem. Imagine digging a hole 25 feet deep lining it with stones and working in wet conditions to finish the project.The well as been dry for many years and now is filled with dirt..

Hollow Tree

2010-09-13T12:55:00.001-03:00

Soon the many shades of green witll be changing to the vibrant colours of fall. The feeling of fall is in the air after Earl came though.

All moms need a break

2010-09-12T12:36:00.001-03:00

Cherry Blossom found a warm sunny spot to have a cat nap away from the kittens and people.

Alex and I

2010-09-11T15:29:00.000-03:00

Here is a picture of my supports (David, Kris and Julia) and Alex. This picture was taken before the Gold Cup and Sauce parade the first of August. The race follows the parade route and it goes before the parade starts. It is the closes feeling to"run like the world is cheering" Alex was waiting for me at the finish line. Today Alex and I ran in another race.Alex was been beating his personal best times all summer. Way to go Alex! By the way, Alex could,run the race twice and I run it once and we both would finish at the same time.

Charlie in his new home.

2010-09-11T12:33:00.001-03:00

This summer Cherry Blossom had 4 kittens. They spent the summer under the gazebo entertaining the customers or the customers entertaining them. Two separate families came back from Halifax area to adopt two of the kittens. Just before hurricane Earl was schedule to make land fall the Parsons's came for Charlie.
Who's smile is the biggest Lila or Silas or Charlies's? They all look very happy. Charlie sure has found a great home. (Charlie as a new name) Jesica and Hope are still waitig for a special home.

Another episode with mud on your face.

2010-08-30T11:32:00.001-03:00

This episode we have Sasha, Catie and Calie Katie's friends.

The helpers August 28th

2010-08-29T11:20:00.001-03:00

2010-08-28T12:01:00.002-03:00

Look who's back!!!

2010-08-28T11:20:00.000-03:00

Anna, Anna, Anna Banana.
After traveling in India for almost 1 year Anna is back on the Island. Is was so nice to see her. I hope she will work this fall in the soap shop. If you do not know Anna she worked last summer in the soap shop.

what a fun thing to do while on vacation

2010-08-22T13:38:00.000-03:00

What a great picture of Jennifer feeding a kid. No more bottle for the kid after August 31.

Pepper and Camomile

2010-07-30T17:33:00.002-03:00

Pepper -get out of here the corn is for me.

Pepper and Chamomile

2010-07-29T17:27:00.001-03:00

Chamomile - the corn is coming I will look interested

Pepper and Chamomile

2010-07-28T17:09:00.001-03:00

Two kids looking at the same thing with two different expressions. Pepper the darker one with the tongue out is thinking mmmm corn is coming. Chamomile in thinking that corn better be for me.

Kids and Dads

2010-07-27T17:00:00.002-03:00

The two children watching their dad in the red shirt feed Chamomile are in disbelief. Another talent their dad has that they did not know about.

Busy day at feeding time.

2010-07-26T17:00:00.000-03:00

At 9:00 and 5:00 the kids get their bottles. Today we had many helpers.

Rearranging

2010-07-21T13:53:00.000-03:00

The mess keeps getting bigger.

2010-07-20T18:53:00.001-03:00

This years big project is to disassemble the old washroom and built a new one. This is what it looked like Friday.

Lavender in bloom

2010-07-18T18:24:00.001-03:00

Rose Campion

2010-07-17T17:50:00.002-03:00

Just outside the soap shop door this brilliant pink flower is blooming.

Goat Kisses

2010-07-16T17:43:00.002-03:00

Rebeca got lots of kisses from Nutmeg and Clove. You never know what you will receive during your visit here.

Oh so small.

2010-07-15T16:47:00.001-03:00

The kid goats have grown so much the past month.

Lavender

2010-07-14T16:46:00.001-03:00

Remember to stop and rub the lavender on your way into the store.

Making Sachettes

2010-07-13T16:42:00.002-03:00

We had a preschool group here in the spring. They made sachets to take home. It was a fun day.

Casey and Hope

2010-07-12T16:24:00.001-03:00

Casey and Hope left about 2 weeks ago for another farm on the Island. I think this is a great picture of them.

Mud mud mud

2010-07-11T16:24:00.002-03:00

One of Katie's favourite books was Mud Puddle by Robert Munch, and now it is Julia's and Kristopher's favourite. The other day, mud from the dead sea in Jordan jumped out and covered Katie's face! This mineral mud cleared Katie small pimple factory up for 2 weeks. The smell is not that wonderful (it smells faintly like the sea at low tide) but it draws out all the toxins and bacteria from your skin and leaves it soft and refreshed. In Katie's case pimple free for 2 weeks.

Face Oil

2010-07-07T16:51:00.001-03:00

Grape seed oil, apricot oil and jojoba oil make up our face oils.

That time of year again.

2010-07-06T16:43:00.002-03:00

check back tomorrow to see what Jordan is doing

2010-07-05T16:39:00.002-03:00

Horse Chestnut Tree

2010-07-05T15:45:00.000-03:00

The Horse Chestnut tree was full of candles. It is the most amazing thing to see. It is a huge tree covered in foot long flowers. The hum around the tree will keep the most brave person away.

Conor and her Dad

2010-07-04T15:41:00.001-03:00

Conor has 4 sisters so this was not the first time Conor's dad has had a facial.

Fanny and Camomile

2010-07-03T19:00:00.001-03:00

Camomile wants to sit on Fanny's lap. Watch the thought process.

Facials

2010-07-03T15:35:00.001-03:00

Hope, Casey and Fanny had a facial night. Conor and her 2 sisters came.

Guess what, I forgot your names.

2010-07-02T18:51:00.001-03:00

Because I have an aunt and uncle with the same names I was sure I would remember your names but I did not. This couple came from Pennsylvania. The gentleman likes to fish on PEI. They come every year to the shop and sometimes twice per year.

Guess who had kittens?

2010-07-01T18:48:00.001-03:00

Cherry Blossom had 4 lovely kittens. There are only hours old in this picture. We will have them outside this summer so you can see them.

Beautiful Cats

2010-06-30T18:31:00.001-03:00

Katie, David and I went to visit a Bengal breeder in Prince Edward Island. Wow, the kittens were beautiful. One day I would love the have a Bengal Cat. They are such amazing animals, wonderful temperament and gorgeous coat.

Darcey and his crew from Cavendish Destination Centre

2010-06-29T18:42:00.001-03:00

The kids were a big hit with the Cavendish Destination Centre employees. They came for a visit in June before the Island got busy. They are going to send lots of families to us this summer.

Casey, Hope and Fanny

2010-06-28T18:26:00.001-03:00

Casey and Hope are from the United States and Fanny is from Sweden. They have been helping out with the goats and taking fences down. They will go home much stronger than when they came.

Women and Agriculture

2010-06-27T17:50:00.001-03:00

On one of the warmest days so far on Prince Edward Island a group of 21 ladies stopped in to try our products. They are in a steam tent with Lavender and Rosemary. After they put PEI Clay on their faces. It was a lot of fun and they went away with a soft face and refreshed feet.

Where are the 2 legged kids to feed me my oats?

2010-06-26T19:53:00.001-03:00

The goats are eagerly waiting for the customers to feed them oat all day.

Myth Busters

2010-06-26T17:50:00.000-03:00

Conor and Billy were figuring out how to work the bottle filler. The pressure was so strong the first bottle went flying the moisturize oil all over us.It felt like we were on Myth Busters adjusting the stroke length and presure to get the oil in the bottles. Soon Alex will be filling bottles on his own.

Melody

2010-06-25T19:47:00.001-03:00

Melody came all the way from Vancouver to work in the soap shop and milk goats for the summer. She is supper friendly and funny. Come and meet her and see for yourself how amazing she really is.

The signs are up.

2010-06-24T19:32:00.001-03:00

Alex's put the signs up on the road every morning. So please do not drive by, drive in. Remember to bring soap home to your love ones.

Making things bigger and better.

2010-06-20T17:05:00.002-03:00

We are moving the washroom from the middle of the yard to the side of the yard. New construction is exciting!

New Kids!

2010-06-19T17:10:00.001-03:00

We have 6 new kids born May 26th and May 27th