Visit our NEW Farm this Sunday for our Holiday Open “Farm”

Ever wanted to visit the Chivas Farm?  Please RSVP here:  http://event.pingg.com/ChivasOpenFarm

You’re Invited to Chivas’ Holiday “Open Farm”

Here’s what to expect this year:

1. Holiday Shopping with Chivas Skin Care (goat milk soaps), QHandmade (organic baby clothes) & *new* Midi Queen (unique handbags).
2. Soma Get Fit will be offering complimentary chair massages, yoga classes and *new* mini facials (using Chivas new spa line)
3. Tour of our *new* farm & soap workshop
4. Donna’s farm-fresh food & drinks including lemon herb goat cheese, strawberry rhubarb pie and *new* wild chamomile tea (view recipes here, more coming soon)
5. Make it a day trip? Cosidered “the last best small town in Southern California”, Fillmore offers unique attractions such as the Giessinger Winery, antique stores, Western Railway Co. & nearby Enzo’s at Glen Tavern Inn.

RSVP at http://event.pingg.com/ChivasOpenFarm

Twitter connects Terrain, Dallas Shaw & Chivas

One of the many reasons I love using Twitter is that I get to connect with people from all over the country.  I recently e-met artist/designer Dallas Shaw because we both follow @ShopTerrain – an Anthropologie sister-store in Pennsylvania (learn more about Terrain here).

Photography by www.petervanbeever.com Dress by www.katetowers.com

I follow Terrain because it carries Chivas’s brand-new line of boutique goat milk soaps (and a bazillion other crafty/cool home and garden products); Dallas does because she’s a huge fan of their incredible 5-acre with an organic nursery, café, home store, wellness area and garden shed.  I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Terrain in person, so I was curious to learn more about the store from Dallas.  Here are some pictures of a recent bridal show she took part in there (see her bridal illustrations in the last photo). Beautiful, no?

Photo Credit: Laura Novak

Photo Credit: Laura Novak

Photo Credit: Laura Novak

Photo Credit: Laura Novak

If you like her style (as DesignSponge, Daily Candy, Oh Joy!, Poppytalk, and Free People have) you can follow Dallas’s “visual-candy” blog with eye-popping images of fashion, design, and other creative inspirations.  And if you want to see more of her artwork, as well as her collaborations “with the likes of DKNY, Dace, Vaute Couture, and American Eagle, complimenting their brands with fashion sketches, custom designs, and vintage wallpaper store displays,” visit www.dallasshaw.com.

If you want to see our new boutique soaps and do not live near Pennsylvania, you can also find them at Terrain’s on-line store.  They carry our Lavender Oatmeal goat milk soap and our Rosemary Fennel goat milk soap.

Goat Book Recommendations: “Goat Song” and “The Bucolic Plague”

We recently befriended a Chivas customer, named Cathy, who raises two Nubian goats on her farm in New Hampshire.  It was such a joy to talk to a fellow goat-owner, as we had much in common to talk about.  She recommended two books about raising goats that we are excited to read soon.  For now, Gossip Goat wanted to share the recommendations with you.  Once we read them, we’ll share our comments too!

#1 – Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding and The Art of Making Cheese (Brad Kessler)

About the Book: “Kessler’s account of tending a small herd of milking goats in Vermont captures both the lush, poetic paradise of rural life and the raw, unrelenting drama of dairying. Kessler, a Saab-driving ex-Manhattanite, purchases two Nubian goats, breeds them and helps his wife, Dona, a trained doula, attend to the birth of four goat kids the following spring. The amusing zoomorphic and anthropomorphic descriptions, where goats forage as if they were at a sample sale and milk-fed kids stagger like street junkies, dissipate as Kessler endures a season of goat wrangling, haying and hunting coyotes. Kessler gives the legal aspects of unpasteurized cheese a cursory inspection; his devotion centers on a budding relationship with animals, the earth and goat cheese. He’s a back-to-the-land naturalist, who supports his detailed personal observations with extensive research as he explores the cultural, historical and biological aspects of pastoralism. While the tome’s lengthy poetic journal entries on animal husbandry and cheese making hardly qualify as a comprehensive manual, the observant, unsanctimonious read is bound to inspire hobby farmers and consummate cheese lovers.” (from Publisher’s Weekly)

#2 – The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir (Josh Kilmer-Purcell0)

About the Book: “Raised in rural Wisconsin, Kilmer-Purcell moved to Manhattan to work in advertising in the 1990s. In his memoir ‘I Am Not Myself These Days’, he wrote about moonlighting as a nightclub drag queen. Now he recalls how he and his partner, Dr. Brent Ridge, a Martha Stewart Omni Media V-P, became weekend farmers after purchasing the 19th-century Beekman Mansion on 60 acres near the hauntingly beautiful town of Sharon Springs, N.Y. Kilmer-Purcell writes with dramatic flair and trenchant wit, uncovering mirthful metaphors as he plows through their daily experiences, meeting neighbors, signing on caretaker Farmer John, herding goats, canning tomatoes, and digging a garden, as they fix up the 205-year-old house. Cleverly contrasting ad agency life with rustic barn mucking, he must choose: I just can’t face spending the rest of my life behind a desk selling dish soap to Middle America. Hell, I want to be Middle America. This entertaining book gets an extra big boost from the forthcoming Beekman Farm, a Planet Green documentary TV series about the dynamic duo’s eco-adventures scheduled to air this spring.” (from Publisher’s Weekly)

Chivas Customer Shares the Story of Her Nubian Goats

Do you have goats too?  Click here to learn about our special discounts for fellow goat-owners!

Two Goats Rescued From 60-Foot Ledge of Old Montana Bridge

Because we raise French Alpine goats and make goat milk soap, we are basically obsessed with all-things goat related.  It is so great that our friends and customers know this, and share any goat news they come by.  Today we had two different people email us about the following piece of news: two goats somehow wandered onto the ledge of a railroad bridge, spent two days on the ledge, and were rescued on Wednesday by a cherry picker. Insane? Yes.  True?  Yes.

Here’s a clip from Care 2′s recent article with more details:

“We have absolutely no idea how or why these little critters would go out on this bridge,” Church told the Billings Gazette.  “The only thing we can figure is it happened at night and they were unsure of their surroundings.  Once morning came, they were too scared to walk back where they came from.”

Church worried the goats would fall off their high perch.  The animals stayed on the angled thin ledge during their entire ordeal, even though a wider pillar was only a few feet away.  Once in a while they tried to lie down, but then quickly realized it made them more vulnerable.

“The whole time, we thought they were going to fall off,” Church told The Associated Press.  “These guys are just babies.”

… Finally mine boss John DeMichiei signed off on a rescue plan at 1 p.m.  DeMichiei brought a piece of mining equipment to the bridge, with an arm high enough to reach the goats.

… The goats were hungry, but in good condition.  They were taken to Freeman’s animal sanctuary.

The two goats had collars around their necks, and Church and Freeman are searching for their owner.  Both rescuers hope the animals were not abandoned, but if it turns out that way — there are a lot of people already offering to adopt the goats.

If know any other random facts or news about goats (or goat milk soap or goat cheese or anything goat), feel free to share them with us!  You can reach us using our “Contact Us” form.

“The Story of Cosmetics” Video: The Ugly Truth of “Toxics In, Toxics Out” for Skin Care

Gossip Goat heard about “The Story of Cosmetics” video and wanted to pass on the message to our readers. The video addresses the issue of problem-toxins in skin care products and shows the major loopholes in US federal law that allow these types of skin care products to be sold. You can read the full article on “The Story of Cosmetics” written by Catherine Clifford  here.

We make sure that our products are safe and gentle for your skin.  You can check out the ingredients we use in our products by clicking here or by viewing each individual product listing.

Note: This video was created by the makers of “The Story of Stuff” and if you haven’t seen it yet, we also highly recommend.

A Few of our Favorite Things from July!

Gossip Goat shares a few of her favorite things that made July a great month!

1. Farmer’s Markets: Summer is a great time to explore your town and go to the Farmer’s Market. Farmer’s Markets offer a variety of fresh fruit, flowers, honey, bread and so much more. Gossip Goat enjoys going to her local Farmer’s Market on Sunday morning. She picks up fresh strawberries and blueberries from her favorite stand. They make a perfect afternoon snack or topping on oatmeal. Gossip Goat will also pick up some colorful flowers to put on her patio table. Placing a vase of flowers on an outside table can turn your basic outdoor table into a lovely outdoor dinning area. Farmer’s Markets are also great places to take photos!

2. Zumba: Summer is a time to have fun and relax and lets face it… sometimes working out isn’t on the top of the list. Gossip Goat loves being in shape but doesn’t necessarily like the process of getting in shape… that is until she started Zumba. Zumba is a high-energy group workout class that tones and sculpts your body while you burn calories and fat. Zumba combines Latin dance and basic cardio in a fun and energetic way. The music alone will have you dancing into shape. Gossip Goat loves the way she feels after an hour of dancing, sweating and smiling. Find a Zumba class near you and give it a try! If Zumba doesn’t sound like your idea of fun try swimming! Check out Granny Goat’s blog on the benefits of swimming this Summer.

3. Great Music: Roll down your windows, turn up the volume and sing along to your favorite Summer song! Gossip Goat has been enjoying the summer breeze while listening to her favorite summer songs. Here are her favorite songs to listen to with the windows down…

• Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland
• American Honey – Lady Antebellum
• Summer Girl – Jessica Andrews
• Legs- Jer Coons
• Young Forever- Jay-Z
• Slide Along Side – Shifty
• Good To Be Me – Uncle Cracker (ft. Kid Rock)
• Top Down – Fast Ryde

4. Finding  A New Interest: Gossip Goat wanted to find something new and different. She stumbled upon and quickly became fascinated with the Tour de France! After watching one stage of the Tour she was surprised how captivating the sport of cycling is. Gossip Goat watched every morning as her favorite cyclists, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong, saw victory and defeat. Sadly, the Tour de France ended this past Sunday in Paris but Gossip Goat is excited to watch the Tour next year.

5.  Gossip Goat’s Product Pick of the Month… Vegan Lip Balm! Keeping your lips from getting dry during the Summer can be a challenge, especially if you drive around with your windows down singing-along to your favorite song. So make sure to pack your favorite lip balm in your beach bag or leave an extra in your car.

Photo credit: (1) Taylor Harkins (2) inshapeladiesfitness.webs.com (3)Countryuniverse.net (4)byjamesraia.com (5)Chivasskincare.com

NEW PRODUCT: “Dinner at Your Door” Cook Book for Co-op Cooking

Chivas is all about goat milk!  While our website focuses on natural skin care products using goat milk (including our goat milk soap, goat milk bath salts, and goat milk facial creme), we also carry cookbooks with that offer great goat cheese recipes.  Our newest book is  “Dinner at Your Door” by Diana Ellis, Alex Davis & Andy Remeis.

Dinner at Your Door provides information you need to set up your own dinner co-op, along with more than sixty recipes specially developed for co-op cooking. These dishes offer the perfect starting point for meals that can be made ahead of time, that travel well, and that won’t dry out after drop-off. Dinner at Your Door takes your average weeknight dinner from a grind to gourmet.

Learn more about this book and the author by clicking here.

NEW Chivas Goat Milk Soaps available at Fred Segal, Busy Babes & Terrain at Home!

We are so excited to have finalized our NEW line of specialty goat milk soaps that are bigger, better and packaged in decorative (and protective) custom-designed paper!  As these are hot off the press, they are only available in select stores:  Studio Beauty Mix at Fred Segal (Santa Monica, CA), Busy Babes Beauty & Salon (Ojai, CA), Terrain at Home (Anthropology sister store in Glen Mills, PA) and BeautyHabit.com.  The photos below are of the brand new display at Fred Segal:

These new soaps are not available on-line, so if you want to see them, you’ve got to go into one of the stores mentioned above.  What makes these soaps so special anyways?

#1 As you can tell, we have maintained our original “trapezoidal” soap shape , but rather than being partially-wrapped in kraft corrugated, they are fully-wrapped in bright and cheerful decorative paper (don’t fear, still 100% recycled).  The paper is really unique because it was custom designed with images depiciting the Chivas farm – French Alpine goats, milk jugs, herbs, flowers, and more.  We’ve done a bit of a “Where’s Waldo?” and snuck in icons of our pot-bellied pig (Piggles) and African tortoises (Mr. and Mrs. Chesterfield) too!

#2 The packaging is more informative about the benefits of goat milk for your skin and the story behind our company, so if you’re giving them as gifts to your family or friends, you have a little cheat sheet.  Plus, since they are fully packaged, they feel a bit more “gifty” and you can add them into a little gift set without worrying about them getting dinged up.

#3 We’ve named each soap after a memorable location to us in Southern California.  The “Butterfield Road” goat milk soap (teal; energizing peppermint citrus), for example, is named after the street where we first started making soap.  Other names include: Oak Meadows Ranch, Ojai Valley Retreat, Topanga Canyon, Las Flores Gardens and Santa Rosa Valley.

Here’s another photo of the Fred Segal display – the new soaps are at top, the original “Essential” goat milk soaps are below, and you can also see our Original vegan lip balm, goat milk bath salts, and mini starter kit.  We hope you can go check them out!

NOTE:  The logo and packaging re-design was developed by the fabulous Alissa Pittenger.  You can view her portfolio, as well as additional images of our design, at http://alissapittenger.com/#/portfolio/.

Gossip Goat Shares a Message from Whole Living Magazine

At Chivas Skin Care, we focus on finding a perfect balance of ingredients in our goat milk soap. We put love, time and hard work into every soap we make while still maintaining our values and commitment to being as eco-friendly as possible.With hectic schedules and never ending to do lists it can be hard to find the right balance for your own personal life. The article, ” 10 Thoughts On Whole Living” caught Gossip Goat’s eye when she was flipping through Whole Living Magazine (previously called “Body and Soul”, a Martha Stewart magazine) and she wanted to share it with you in hopes that it would inspire you to live a “whole” life too …

“10 Thoughts On Whole Living”

1. Taste something straight from the tree.
2. Give your way out of a bad mood- with a donation, a foot massage, or a compliment.
3. Daily chaos will never cease. Rather than struggling against it, find your own rhythm.
4. See your surroundings with fresh eyes. The best way to find yourself is to discover where you are.
5. Head outside and move. Nature invigorates the mind and the body.
6. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike. Ignite your own creative fire.
7. Take a day off. The world ( and the office) will be fine- and still there when you get back.
8. Notice your cravings- for sugar, caffeine, attention. Ask yourself what you really need and why.
9. Kick off your shoes, spread your toes, and ground yourself in the present.
10. Rising to a physical challenge can make you feel powerful in every way.

(August 2010 issue of Whole Living Magazine, page 87)

Looking for other thoughts on whole living?

Take a bath with our goat milk bath salts; then relax and enjoy the sound of the water. Or try a new healthy recipe and share with a neighbor.

Photo Credit: Taylor Harkins

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