Valentine’s Day is rooted in pagan partying.  The lover’s holiday traces it roots to Roman Festivals where men stripped naked, grabbed whips and spanked young maidens in hopes of increasing their fertility.

The annual pagan celebration, called Lupercalia, was held every year on February 15 and remained wildly popular well into the fifth century A.D.—at least 150 years after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

“It is clearly a very popular thing, even in an environment where the [ancient] Christians are trying to close it down,” Lenski said. “So there’s reason to think that the Christians might instead have said, OK, we’ll just call this a Christian festival.”

The church pegged the festival to the legend of St. Valentine.

According to the story, in the third century A.D. Roman Emperor Claudius II, seeking to bolster his army, forbade young men to marry. Valentine, it is said, flouted the ban, performing marriages in secret.

For his defiance, Valentine was executed in A.D. 270—on February 14, the story goes. 

For this Valentine’s Day we can offer your significant other several natural body and bath products.  Our elegant handmade decorator soaps shaped in hearts comes gift packaged in a gold box with a special saying, “Hearts for You.”

Made from our Shea Butter formula full of all kinds of good oils for your skin, it is a gift one would be welcomed to receive.  Add in some elegant bath salts, or massage oil and you can have a beautiful gift set custom made for your Valentine’s Day gift.  It is never too late.  We can still ship in time for Valentine’s Day delivery.  Please visit our online store today, you will be glad your did and your skin will too !

This seasonal offering reflects the winter, Valentine’s Day celebration in February, and St. Patrick’s Day in March. For the winter season our handmade decorator soap shaped in the Southwestern Style of a Concho is made in our Shea Butter Formula, colored in ice blue with the fragrance of Milk and Honey.

Our custom gift box is for Valentine’s Day. We have a beautiful Victorian Heart in White, fragranced in Ginger So Subtle and beautifully set in a pink box, with white grosgrain ribbon and shell topper. Such a simple elegant gift, and so good for your skin.

March is time for St. Patrick’s Day celebration and as you might have more than one guest for your Corn Beef and Cabbage dinner party we offer you two handmade bath size bars shaped in a swirl, made in our Olive Oil Natural Glycerin base soap. We have chosen the oils of Lemongrass Sage to remind people of the arrival of spring which is soon to come.

To saturate your body in rich natural oils we offer you a 2 oz bottle of our massage oil made with Soybean oil, Safflower oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil and Vitamin E Oil. Put it directly on your skin or add to your bath. We add no fragrance to these natural oils. Try our Body Lotion fragranced in Cucumber Melon, a 2 oz bottle which is a perfect size to fit inside your purse. For those who want to luxuriate in a warm bath we offer our custom gift packaging 6 oz organza wrapped bag of baths salts in Tropical Tranquility.

Our Seasonal Offerings change every quarter. Our customers are extremely pleased with the diversity of our elegant decorative soap line and body products along with the gift packages which are included every season. So come aboard today and just click on through to our online store so you too can use, give, and gift our natural bath and body products.

The above bath and body products will be available through the end of March. Just click on through to our online store and purchase your seasonal set today. Your skin will be glad you did too.

As a founding member on the board for the Women’s Festival held every March in Santa Barbara, California we are calling everyone to come on out, have some fun, learn something new and the networking opportunities abound.  San Clemente Soaps has been a sponsor every year and we are quite honored to do so.  There are many non-profit organizations involved, young girls looking to be mentored who participate, collegiate students from both the University of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Community college who volunteer their time, and an array of organizations involved to provide the attendees with an educational and inspiring time.

For a further look into what this can mean for you head onto their website at http://womensfestivals.org and see what you can do the first of March to learn something new and expand your personal network.  Register today and enjoy a stunning weekend in the beautiful area of Santa Barbara with a very stimulating crowd. 

Looking to view a peak at the past in the year 2009 you can watch a short video :  http://tiny.cc/2009_WF_video   and from there you can see some still photos too.  Patty De Dominic, as the founder of this Women’s Festival in Santa Barbara which is about ’Bringing All of Our World’s Together”, and celebrating International Women’s Day has done an outstanding job with a great group of all volunteers to make sure everyone young and old takes a bit of something back home with them. 

As well as looking after your skin, we bring you opportunities to expand your mind, have some fun, and open doors which you have never entered.  Be a part of an exciting weekend, bring a friend and come on in.  You will be glad you did. 

Our staff works very hard this time of year but they enjoy making natural soaps, massage oils for the tired and weary and bath salts for those who want to soak their aches and pains away.  Our ability to create custom gifts makes it exciting for our clients as well as our staff.

We never have a boring day.  Sure beats catalogue shopping.  As you head into the New Year do not forget to take care of your skin.  We offer many products which helps to alleviate dry skin, a common problem during the winter months. 

Have a look at our on-line store and try our body lotion, our Natural Body Balm full of wonderful butters and oils with no fillers or alcohol or water and our massage oil which is great for your skin too.  If you can’t find what you need fill out a contact form and send in your request.   Our goal is to try and fill your needs for quality skin care products which are elegant to look at and your skin will relish in their ingredients.   Happy New Year to all.

So let us assist you in getting the exact custom gift packaging and decorator soap you would like to receive.  Please go to the ‘Body Products” section.  After you click this you will see “Customized Gift Process”.  Follow this process, then fill out the contact information section at the bottom of this page.

We will respond right back with pricing for your order along with suggestions if requested.  We will make sure your gift is unique and special.  Most gift sets can be purchased for under $10.00.  You may have a personalized label on your gifts if you like too. 

It is not to late to place your order and have it shipped in time for the Holiday Season.  All of our orders are custom made as we carry no in house inventory.  You will know your recipient will be delighted to have a unique gift handmade especially for them.  Their skin will love it too as we head full on into winter we need to keep our skin moisturized. 

Use our handmade natural soaps, our massage oil soaks into your skin, and our wonderful Natural Body Balm applied daily will help with those rough and dry elbows and feet.  Protect your skin.  It is the largest organ in the body.

Always feel free to contact us with any questions.  We look forward to satisfying your most discriminating gift recepient.  While you are at it, make sure you get some bath and body products for  you too, take care of your skin.

We at San Clemente Soaps are offering our Holiday fragrances in CranApple and Pumpkin Spice for the season.  These wonderful scents will enhance the fragrance of your home and the recipient’s of your gifts will love them too.

We can take any of our decorative soaps and have them made in the fragrance of your choice.  We will gift wrap them in a cello bag with green excelsior.  They will then be tied with a grosgrain ribbon and you can have a personalized label tag on each gift package topped off with a beautiful sea shell.

Depending upon how many your order, you can have these individual gifts made at a cost of $9.95 a piece.  Using our Shea Butter formula which is so good for your skin this simple yet luxurious gift is sure to set you apart this year in choosing a custom and personalized gift.

We can take orders up until December 20th and guarantee shipping to you in time for December 25th.

So go to our Customize gift order page and fill out an order form.  In the comment section select your handmade decorator soap shape, tell us how many gifts you would like to have made, include a personal saying with 50 characters or less and we will respond to you quickly. 

Please include a day time phone contact for any further questions we might have.  We do not charge your credit card until we ship your order.

Do something unique and special this Holiday Season and let your friends and family receive a gift which they will love to look at and smell.  Their skin will love it too.  

Our Shea Butter handmade soap formula will enhance their skin making them feel wonderful as the cold air of winter tends to try out your skin.  Don’t let this happen to your skin and share this wonderful handmade soap with your family and friends too.

This seasonal offering includes our Shea Butter handmade decorative soaps in two gift packages. One is an elegant red box with black grosgrain ribbon and shell topper. Inside you will find a Victorian Swirl shaped handmande soap in Precious Plum. A unique hostess gift to give to someone special in your life.

Our other custom gift packaging includes a 2 oz. bottle of our massage oil, 6 oz. organza wrapped bag of bath salts in Tropical Tranquility and a handmade soap in our very popular Nautilus Shell packaged in a clear reusable tote bag with black satin edging. With it’s golden hue, the decorator soap is fragranced in Cranberry – Apple and will delight anyone who will receive this gift.

For the recipient of these wonderful handmade natural soap gift sets, you will also receive two stars and a double colored snowflake. Also included are a pair of flip flops which represents all the running around you will be doing as the year comes to a close. These handmade soaps are fragrance in our Holiday Almond Spice, Cranberry-Apple and Pure Vanilla. Whomever walks into the room where you display and use these elegant soaps, will instantly be drawn to the smell reminding them of many happy holiday memories.

Our Seasonal offerings change every quarter. Our customers are extremely pleased with the diversity of our elegant decorative soap line and body products along with the gift packages which are included every season. So come aboard today and just click on through to our online store so you too can use, give, and gift our bath and body products.

The above bath and body products will be available through the end of December. Just click on through to our online store and purchase your seasonal product set today. Your skin will be glad you did too.