TIBER RIVER

New Goals for a New Year!

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday morning, I was tending to a very sick babe with a really awful cold.  She is also having the WORST time with teething.  Apparently, teething weakens the immune system which helped her catch this nasty cold.  I feel so badly dosing her every day with tylenol - does anyone know of a more natural remedy that works?  Our teething gel is GREAT and I use it, but molars and eye teeth require something a bit stronger for her!

So today is New Year's Eve and it is that time of year again to think about our NEW GOALS.  I like goals, I don't call them resolutions because it seems so temporary and not something that will stick around once we attain it.  Goals are something we can work towards and don't feel the pressure to snap our fingers and expect immediate change.  Things like losing weight and quitting smoking take time. 

What are your New Year's Goals?  Share your goals with us until January 7 and we will have one or a few great Tiber goodies to give away!

A few of my New Year's Goals:

• Take better care of myself; exercise, eat better, make more time for ME (no more hairy legs!)
• Learn to say NO more often (fewer commitments).
• Live simpler. 
• Be organized and clutter-free (I am proud to say my entire house including every closet has been cleaned and organized - yippee!)
• To be fully present when I'm with my kids (not preoccupied with my never ending to-do list - Men don't have this problem, why should we?)

I hope everyone has a great evening.  We've voted on staying in with the family tonight (the start of simple).  We'll have a quiet night making some homemade pizzas and maybe a little champagne in the hot tub when the kids go to bed.  Enjoy!

Michelle 

2009...

Ahhhh, is anyone enjoying this time as much as I am?  It's been a really really nice few days and I'm so looking forward to New Years.  For the last six years, we've spent the 31st with our good friends the Soroka's and the Street's.  We all have kids and we all get together at someone's house, converse, eat and watch the kids have a blast with their friends.  It's such a wonderful way to end the year and bring in the new one. 

This year, with the explosion of kids in our circle, our get together of three families has grown to around 10 families - thank goodness we have a big house!  Tom's been working really hard on the snow fort for the kids (as soon as its done, I'll post a picture - it's awesome!!) and they will have so much fun playing in it and sliding/snowboarding on the quincy.  I am really looking forward to it!

As 2008 draws to a close, I've been thinking about everything 2009 holds for us - a big family trip, a new baby, hopefully a new location, and so much more!  It's going to be an exciting wonderful year, both personally and professionally.  Even with the current economic downturn, I know Tiber River is going to have its best year ever and I'm excited about all the opportunities.  And, of course, with little #3 making its appearance, there will be new joys and challenges at every turn.

I've been thinking about all that I am and do every day - wife, mother, entrepreneur, friend, daughter, sister, etc - and keep coming back to a quote I read awhile ago -

Whatever you are, be a good one.  - Abraham Lincoln

Simple, yet poignant and powerful.  For me, 2009 is all about growth.  My focus will be on doing everything that I do to the best of my ability. 

Cheers to relishing all the joys and overcoming all the challenges 2009 will bring!

Happy Boxing Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and you're stuffed full of turkey and great food.  For the first time EVER Tiber River is open this Boxing Day!  We will be open 12-6 pm and you will receive 15% off any remaining holiday products (today only).  We also have a special gift for you - receive a $10 gift card for every $50 spent in store today (to be used in January).  Stop by this afternoon and say hello to Kayla & Sarah! 

We stayed at my parents in Oakbank last night and ready to do some toboganning this afternoon.  Enjoy your day!

Michelle

Merry Christmas!!

My turn to say Merry Christmas to everyone! 

This is absolutely my favorite time of year.  I love buying gifts.  I love visiting with friends and relatives.  I am filled with a feeling of warmth and cheer.  My kids even stop fighting when it's Christmas! 

While I'm terribly missing my dad, mom and sister, my first Christmas away from them, I am really looking forward to spending some great time with my kids and my husband!  However, this video brings a smile to my face and a bit of the past to this Christmas - mom and El, this is for you!

I want to wish everyone a wonderful, joyous and safe Christmas.  My very favorite movie EVER is the Sound of Music and I watch it every Christmas.

Forget about the stresses.  Just relax and enjoy.......

My Favourite Things!

Merry Christmas!

I wish you and your families a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!  What is a Merry Christmas anyways?  I received a Christmas greetings email from Sonya Braun from Eve Studios the other day and it answers this question in a very touching way...

"I think I would wish that in spite of the busy-ness of preparations and events, the stresses and emotion that often accompany family life, and the possibility that you may even be dealing with loss or loneliness this Christmas, that you can take a few moments and give thanks for what you have, make the effort to really look around you and drink in the beauty that is there (in the countryside as you're driving or in the faces of those around you), and savour good food and hopefully a few good laughs."

"Sing.  Light candles.  Watch the snow fall.  Lay on the couch and get mesmerized by the Christmas lights.  Read a good book."

Enjoy the moments, think of others, and count our blessings.  If you have children, feel their wonder and excitement - we can learn so much from them.  Wishing you  a peaceful and joy-filled time!

Michelle

And the Winner is...

A big thanks to everyone for sharing their holiday favorites with us!  My personal favorite is the Santa's Big Red Pants.  The name just makes me laugh and my daughter has been running around the house squealing in delight about her Santa's Big Red Pants lipstick.  The lucky winner of a FREE Tiber-Riffic Manicure is Carole.  Please call us at 474.2333 to book your appointment.

I would like to send a big THANK YOU to our entire team for making the Holiday Season extra special.  Our production team has created and delivered wonderful products, our estheticians have been busy with holiday manicures & pedicures, and our front service staff have been busy little elves helping our customers choose the perfect gifts, keeping our shelves stocked and making beautiful gift packages that our clients are proud to give.  THANK YOU!

Happy Hannukah to Kayla and Bev!

Make the most of the last day before Christmas Eve.

Michelle

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, joyous and safe Hanukkah!

I had a super productive Sunday, spending four full hours shopping.  I have finished everything except one last present for our family gift exchange.  Yippee!!  Feeling good!

I'm off to the facility today, trying to get that new ingredient to behave and not get too thick - wish me luck! 

The Countdown is on...

Only 6 more days until Christmas!  How is everyone making out with their to-do lists?  I spent the entire day and evening yesterday getting my work projects and my home organized.  I am proud to say I am 80% there and it feels GREAT!

The holiday products are moving quickly so please come in soon to stock up.  Question - What was your favorite Tiber holiday product this year?  Please leave us a note and we will have a draw for a Tiber-Riffic Manicure!  Who couldn't use a manicure to perk up those dry hands and nails!

I was reading the paper this morning and due to the cold weather, there is a huge shortage of drivers to deliver hampers for the Christmas Cheer Board.  If you have some extra time to donate to a great cause, give them a call!  I am going to scrounge up a couple of hours to deliver a few with my daughter Paige.  With all of the commercials on TV and the constant "Mommy, please get that for me", I am desperately trying to instill the meaning of Christmas and that so many go without.  Her response is always "Well, tell Santa he really needs to bring those kids some toys" - very logical for a 4 year old.  Hopefully she can learn a little from the time we spend, it will at least be something for her to remember. 

I have a very busy day ahead so enjoy every minute of the last weekend before Christmas!

Michelle

Formulations....

I have been up since 5am this morning, researching ingredients and trying to develop some new formulations.  I have been trying, in vain I might add, to reformulate all our body washes and shampoo's.  A major ingredient that we have been using has been discontinued by our supplier and while we've known about it for awhile, we made sure we stocked up on it so we could take our time reformulating.  It's a darned good thing we did that because I have been working on a replacement ingredient for many many many months.

While I love what I do, after so many unsuccessful attempts (I won't say failures because I learned something from each batch), one tends to get a bit discouraged and frustrated.  Well, that all changed yesterday!

We thought we had enough of this ingredient to last us until the new year but our products have been selling so quickly, we've had to make more than we anticipated - definitely a good thing, but stressful as we watched the drum slowly empty.  We used up the last of it this week in our batch of Yuzu wash for Moksha and I became desperate.  I was up all night long researching the different ingredients we currently have, trying to see if I could come up with something - fast!  Well, I owe a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Mavis, from Lucky Dog Biscuits.  She has wanted a solid shampoo for a long time and I had found an ingredient that I knew would work for it.  I had tried a few times to get something to work but hadn't had much luck and (I'm sorry to say, Mavis) the solid shampoo took a back seat to reformulating.  Well, in all my searching I came across an obscure management article that discussed this ingredient and how great it was but how not so many companies were using it because it needed to be formulated differently than they are equipped for.  So I thought, what the heck, might as well give it a try. 

To make a long story short, it worked and not only did it work, it worked FABULOUSLY and now my brain is going a thousand miles an hour!  It's totally re-energized me and motivated me and I just can't wait to get back into the facility to try out all the things I've been working on since 5am!  There are still some things I have to work out (consistency being the major one) but, this ingredient could open the door to SO many great products and I'm just about bursting with excitement!!

I'm scrapping the test batches that I have waiting here because I know I can make them better.  I'm SO glad its the holidays..... Tom is off work for two weeks starting Friday - guess where I'll be?

Here's to the last weekend of shopping - Enjoy!!

A Special Boxing Day Promotion!

Good Morning,  I have a special announcement today!  For the first time since we opened the store on Academy, Tiber River will be open on BOXING DAY from 12-6 pm.  We will be offering 15% off any remaining holiday products (IF there's any left!) and a special promotion: SPEND $50 (on anything) and receive a $10 GIFT CARD FREE or SPEND $100 and receive a $20 GIFT CARD to be used in January.  It's the perfect opportunity to bring in your out of town guests!

Another bit of exciting news - YOU CAN NOW ORDER PRODUCTS ONLINE AGAIN, finally!  Visit our website Tiber River Naturals and shop away!  Shipping is FREE on all orders over $60!

Oh, and can you believe Ikea is actually going to be opening here?  It won't happen tomorrow, but I'm pretty excited about that too!

Enjoy your day and KEEP WARM!

Michelle