Why Shop Local? Whats in it for you?

With the holiday season looming in your will hear chatter of "shopping local" on the streets. What does it mean and why should you care? Does shopping local really make a difference to anyone? Lets take a minute and learn a few things about shopping local. Then you can decide for yourself if shopping local is important to you.

1. Better Service and Friendly People.

When you walk into a local shop you are often greeted by the shop owner, they can tell you all about what they sell with great passion. Often they are a million times more helpful and friendlier then the help you might find in a big box store.

2. Local Economic Stimulus.

Ah yes, something everyone is worried about these days. When you shop at a locally owned business rather than a national chain more money is kept in the community. This helps grow the other businesses around and the local tax base.

3. New Jobs in the Community.

Sick of your commute? Local businesses are the most likely to offer new jobs to the marketplace in a community. They also offer great opportunities for youth to gain work experience.

4. Local Businesses Give Back where YOU need it.

Did your baseball team or organization have a raffle this year? Chances are that locally owned businesses donated the prizes for your event. Local business are owned by the people that rally to raise money when there is a family with a sick child or donate when the schools are having a fundraiser. Does your favorite big box store do that for you?

5. Unique businesses create a Unique and Prosperous town.

The Businesses that are in a town largely determine the character of the town. This adds to the overall satisfaction that you feel living there and also the value of your property and home.

6. Local Decision Making.

Local ownership means that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

7. Ensuring Choice and Diversity.

Retailers sift through competing goods and services to find those that appeal to their customers. Even though a single local shop may have a smaller selection than a big chain outlet, a multiplicity of independent retailers creates great diversity.

8. Shopping Local is something fun to do on a Rainy Day.

Got the rainy day blues? Go browse your local shops for unique items and for fun. You could spend a whole afternoon trying things on and checking things out. Chat with the owners and learn more about your local neighborhood.

9. Its More Environmentally Friendly to Shop local.

Walking around town shopping is easier on the environment then driving to the big box stores. Small little shops in a towns core cause less environmental impact then large sprawling malls, resulting in less habitat loss, energy use and waste.

10. Vote with your Wallet.

Your values and opinions are much more important to a small local shop then a large chain store. You can influence what products they carry and convince them to cater to YOUR needs. They will value so much more and take note of what you like!

So there you have it, 10 amazing reasons to stimulate your local economy today. When you spend $100 at a local business $73 off that will stay in your local economy. With the same $100 spent at a national chain only $43 will stay in your local economy. The rest of the money will be hard at work providing jobs for people far, far away.

Salts!

Dress For you Body Type. 5 Tips for a Flattering you.

Whenever I am designing a new item I like to take into account what its going to do for the person that puts it on. We all have had an item that hugs us in all the wrong places and makes us feel like we are on the way to Frumpville. Then we have also had the great luck in finding a piece that shows off our best and highlights what makes us beautiful. Those are the items that we keep for years and wear until there is nothing left to them. My favorite moment is when I manage to come up with something that looks great and flatters all the right places on a lot of different women.

The most common complaint that I get from women is that clothing hugs their tummies and backs. Another concern of course is the thigh area. I have compiled some of my best advice for diverting attention (yours mostly, no one else thinks much about your tummy and thighs by the way) away from the areas you don't totally love into areas that you adore.

1. Determine your best feature and build your look around it. Love your eye color? Compliment it with color and tone. A great tip is to find a color wheel and then find the color of you eyes. Bring it out by finding the color on the opposite side and wearing that. For example orange colors bring out blue eyes. Wearing colors that match your eyes also tend to bring them out more.

2. Style lines, Style lines, Style lines. A well placed style line is a woman's best friend. Want to whittle your waist? Grab an item with an hour glass style line on the front. Slim your thighs? Look for length wise lines down the legs of your bottoms. Avoid cargo pockets on pants if you want to slim down your legs. Our classic Candy hoodie (shown above on Leah Oke) in Organic Cotton and hemp has a great cut, toning your midsection with out all those boring sit-ups.

3. Color and Darks. Wear your dark colors on area that you want to minimize and lighter brighter colors on areas you want to draw attention to. Large on top and small on bottom? Pair a black top with a bright colored bottom. This will balance your figure more evenly.

4. Ruching is the bomb. Runching is deep gathers on a garment used to create folds. They are great for covering bumpy areas that you want to keep to yourself. Gathering also works great to add volume if your very petite. Our Wave Check EcoFriendly Hoodie has Ruching along the front with a waist whittling style line to give you a double whammy of flattering effects. Check out our Zen Jacket if you want to add some bulk to your figure.

5. Draw the attention of your admirers where you want it to go. This works terrifically in all areas of your life. The obvious example if the mighty bare cleavage but there are subtler and classier ways to pull the technique off. Use brighter colors and interesting details to draw admiring glances where you want them. Try a great necklace to enhance your beautiful neck or a hair pin to draw attention to your luxurious mane. Grab some great jeans if you like your bottom half better than your top and wear a plain dark shirt minimize your top. Then put on a smile to show off your pretty soul.

Hope these tips help you to look and feel your best. If you want some more tips come stop by Salts Clothing at 2052 Otter Point Road in Beautiful Sooke, BC on Vancouver Island and speak to one of our stylists. Of course your can always shop for Salts Organic Clothing online.

With Love,
Jenny

Designer, Salts

Sanuk Yoga Mat Flip Flops. A Salts Eco Fashion Review.

We have just received the Sanuk Yoga Mat flip flops with Power Balance technology in at the Salts Clothing Shop in Sooke BC. I always like to try new product out before carry them. These flip flops are bang on. Definitely the most comfortable that I have ever owned. Made with a yoga mat as a sole they keep you on solid ground with a thick bottom and comfortable straps. Nice clean look and and cushy for sure. Check out PowerBalance.net for info on the Power Balance emblem. The Sanuk Yoga Mat flip flop is available in Men's and Women's sizes. Shop for them online in the Salts Shop. I will definilty be sporting these for years to come.

Peace and Soles.
Jenny

Brighter Days Fashion Show and Sale! The Eco-Fashion event of the year at Salts!

Our Annual Fashion Event is Saturday June 13th! Join us for Fashion Shows, live music, food, mead from Tugwell Creek Meadery (honey wine) and other delights. This is the Sooke event not to be missed! Daytime show for the kids at 3 and adult show at 7:30 pm. It will be held at the Salts Clothing Studio in Sooke, BC at 2052 Otter Point Road. Call 250 642 2509 for more information.

Cash and non perishable (organic foods only) donations for the Sooke Food Bank being taken at the door. A percentage of sales for the day will also be donated to local families in need through the CASA.

Local Acoustic act Karly Summers will be playing as well. Be sure to check her website. Show starts at 7:30 doors open at 7. Limited space, please RSVP at staff@saltsorganic.com.

This event is in celebration of the sun and also of course our 2nd anniversary of the opening of our retail location in Sooke.

See you there!
Salts

The Heart of a Soap Crafter. What really goes into natural healthy soaps?

I recently sat down for a visit with Divine Goddess Soap Artist Lisa. She has a talent for soap making like none I have ever tried. Beautiful Natural and hand crafted. Here's what she had to say about her soaps.

What are your top 5 favorite ingredients and why?

All the ingredient would be my favorite because after creating a natural product I began to understand what it was I liked. I love the rich lather and natural fragrances I get from hand made soap. I love interesting fragrance combinations and ingredients different from what I can find elsewhere. I love the confidence I get from knowing I am not washing with harsh chemicals, strange perfumes and dyes.

Where does the name Divine Goddess come from?

The small hobby of mine was getting out of hand, so I decided start a home based business and the name "Divine Goddess Naturals" represents my committment providing the best natural product possible using only essential oils, natural oils, rich butters, pure beeswax, clay, herbs and spices.

How long have you been making soap?

Over 10 years, Divine Goddess Naturals got its unofficial start in 1997 in Sooke B.C.

What do you wear when making soap (hehe)?

I prefer to wear comfortable all natural house clothes..... and of course safety goggles and gloves.

What are the benefits of your soaps?

Natural soap is so very different from commercial soap. I was impressed after trying the real thing, made by myself. Most commercial soaps left me feeling dry and kinda sticky, but my handmade soap was different. I felt skweaky clean, but not dry. My skin looked great and the handmade soap smelled great, not overpowering and chemical. I love Divine Goddess Naturals, and I know you will too. Be Natural, Be Beautiful, Be a Goddess!

Thanks for your time Lisa! You can get Lisa's Divine Goddess Soaps at the Salts Studio in Sooke, BC or shop in our online store at www.SaltsOrganic.com/shop.

Salts

Check out: Designs by Amber from SaltsSpring Island BC

One of my favorite designers to carry in the Salts Boutique is the lovely Amber Churchill from SaltSpring Island, British Columbia. She has a unique style that can easily rise above the masses of jewelery designers out there. Her big delicious pieces (like the Brazilian Agate Necklace shown at the top)are my favorites. Though I don't think I can pull them off, maybe I can...let me know.

Churchill is also a talented screen printer, feltress and Doll makers however. Which makes her my hero. She uses great eco friendly or recycled supplies in her handcrafts. Her jewelery has also been worn by the likes of Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child, which makes her even more my hero. Amber darling, I am afraid that I want to be just like you.

Check out more of her items at the Salts Boutique in Sooke, BC.

Salts Studio Boutique, Shop and Relax!

When you enter the Salts Studio Boutique on Otter Point Road you might think that you have left Sooke for a moment and entered a quite sanctuary filled with things to delight you heart. The shop is full of fun beautiful products, many of them made right here in Sooke. On any given day, the owner and designer of the eco-fantastic clothing line Salts Organic Clothing can be found planning a pattern in the back of the store. Up front you can amaze your senses with a variety of women's, men's and children's clothing. You will also find shoes, body care lotions and jewelery.

Jennifer prides herself on finding ethically made eco-friendly goodies for her store. “I love to shop for the store! I get so excited when the new seasons collections are coming in.” Jennifer says. “My store is a place where you can relax and shop. Away from the headaches and hustle bustle that you usually feel when shopping.”. Customers at Salts always leave with a smile on their face from the great experience. At Salts its all about the whole package, you are getting some great products and you have a good time. Why would you bother to go to Victoria with all that right here? Salts is open at 2052 Otter Point Road in Sooke, for more details see their website at www.SaltsOrganic.com.