Brown paper packages tied up with string...

These are a few of my favourite things =)

I love Christmas! The sights, the sounds, the smells, the shopping ... it truly is the most wonderful time of the year! 

A LOT more people have been buying handmade gifts (not just at Christmas time!) It's a great way to support local artisans/crafters/entrepreneurs, besides, everyone enjoys unique, handmade gifts, right? And buying handmade often means that you get one-of-a-kind items. Not to mention, how much time and effort has been invested in making each item. When you buy handmade you can be sure that your gift was made with love!

This year, why not pick up some of our hair and body treats for your friends and loved ones? I'm sure they would appreciate that our products are handmade with love from wholesome ingredients! Our body care products will be available in our limited edition Christmas themed scents from December 1st. Our Christmas packages will also be available soon!

Get a head start on your Christmas shopping and get lovely handmade items at the many craft markets happening this season. "Just Bee You!" Beauty Products will have a booth at ThingsTT Indie Market this weekend (November 29th). So If you live in Trinidad, it's the perfect opportunity to stock up on hair and body goodies =) Come by our booth to browse or to make sure you get exactly what you want, contact me to place your order now and just collect it at the event. You can learn more about Things TT on their website or find them on Facebook.

Did I mention admission is FREE? More money to shop with =) So see you there!

By the way, if I'll be vending at any more markets before Christmas I'll be sure to let you know, so come back to the blog or check the Facebook page often! 

July is Thyroid Awareness Month at "Just Bee You!" beauty products

In 2008 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is attacked by your immune system. In July of 2010 I had surgery to have half my thyroid removed, mainly because despite my doctor’s best efforts at treatment, because my thyroid problems had gone unnoticed (and thus untreated) for so many years there was little that could be done to save that part of my thyroid.

Thyroid dysfunction is actually a fairly common medical condition, however, it is often misdiagnosed for many reasons: sometimes people can have normal test results and still have thyroid issues (even persons who have already been diagnosed can receive normal test results while still experiencing symptoms) and also thyroid disorders can sometimes persist with no symptoms or with a constellation of symptoms which can easily be associated with many other diseases.   

I've decided to use the month of July to highlight Thyroid Disease Awareness Month at "Just Bee You!" beauty products. I’ll tell you more about how living with thyroid autoimmunity has changed my life, including how it steered my path towards creating this Just Bee You product line. More importantly, I hope to highlight the importance of doing thyroid checks (especially for at-risk persons or persons with family history), dispel myths and reject misinformation regarding the thyroid and persons who live with thyroid disease, and hopefully provide encouragement for persons who may be dealing with thyroid issues. 

Be sure to check back here during the month of July for more information and also check out my Facebook page for regular tid bits as well.

The Ultimate Epicurean Boutique Market

You may remember the post "Making a list? Check it twice!" where I announced that  Just Bee You! would be attending the Ultimate Epicurean Boutique Market at the Crowne Plaza in Port of Spain. I'm not even going to wait till the end to summarize or add suspense or anything - let me just come right out and say I had a tremendous time at this event! It was well organised and my interaction with Andrea of Eventuality Ltd was wonderful from the very beginning. She was professional yet friendly in her approach, prompt in responses to messages and kept us updated and informed  in the weeks leading up to the event.

I attended the event with my mom and cousin Kari, two of my "elves" as I like to call them =) We did not arrive as early as we would have liked, and then I forgot a piece of my table display at home, but we were able to modify the display and set up fairly quickly.

My two 'elves'  =)

This was my first show in Trinidad and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! The interaction among participants was great. I had some really friendly "neighbours", with the Soap Boutique on my right and STC & Company who were on my left - their lemongrass soap smelled DIVINE I need to pick up some of that, and the soap net! I tried to visit as many booths as I could when I got a little break. There were some wonderful products on display, I would encourage everyone to take the time to check out some of your local manufacturers and artisans when doing your shopping this holiday season.

The response to Just Bee You! beauty products was extremely positive. I am glad I participated in the Epicurean Market and look forward to attending more markets soon. I would encourage crafters, soapers, manufacturers to attend a few of these markets, not just for the exposure to customers and potential customers, but also for the opportunity to meet other persons in your industry or related industries who may provide a product or service that you may need. The interaction with knowledge gained from more experienced persons in the industry will prove invaluable.

The pictures I took were a bit dark (boo hoo!) but there are pictures on the Facebook page if you'd like to see more.

Making a list? Check it twice!

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Get a head start at the Ultimate Epicurean & Boutique Market, at the Crowne Plaza in Port of Spain on Saturday 27th October 2012.

"Just Bee You!" Beauty Products will have a booth there! So If you live in Trinidad, it's the perfect opportunity to stock up on hair and body goodies =)  Contact me to place your order now and collect it at the event.

Enjoy local entertainment while you shop in air-conditioned comfort and, hello, admission is FREE to the public! =)  There’ll be random Door Prizes drawn ALL DAY which, by the way, includes a chance to win hampers from "Just Bee You!” Beauty Products. Be sure to visit their Facebook page to get more details and to RSVP if you're going to be there.

So why not shop handmade this Christmas? It's a great way to support local artisans/crafters/entrepreneurs, besides … everyone enjoys unique handmade gifts! 

See you there!