Who is the Creator-Extraordinaire of Cactus & Ivy

Hey Y’all!

Remember when I did the Introduction for my first post? I indicated that some days would be completely useless but full of fun and energizing filler? Ding…ding…ding…..you guessed it! Today is that day, although none of what I am about to tell you is useless to me, it's the fun and energizing filler part.

First, on a serious note, congratulations go out to the Twindie of the Week winners, Dusty Warren of Jorren Co., Kelly Bloom of Southern Soapers Fragrances and Lela Barker of Bella Lucce. I met these incredible ladies on Twitter. Donna Maria Coles Johnson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network runs a Twindie of the Week contest for “tweets” to figure out who the IBN member is. Indies ROCK!!

Now, today I am sharing with you a little about me, the Creator-Extraordinarie of Cactus & Ivy. I’m a proud Navy brat and an Army wife. Imagine my conflict during the Army-Navy game? Growing up in the military has totally defined me as an individual. We never lived in one place long so I had to perfect the art of making new friends and finding a way to keep up with the ones I left behind. The kids that were picked on in school always had a friend in me. I am a champion for the underdog but yet, I am a very emotional person. Not weepy all the time emotional but I care deeply about others and how they are treated. My parents, two phenomenal individuals, are completely responsible for the person I have become and I thank them!

For 12 years, I have been hitched to the same man, Prevo, the love of my life! We turned his proposal and how we got married into a song. And believe me, that’s a whole other post saved for later! Prevo is creative in his own right. He has been writing and singing music since the age of 16. When he returned home from Iraq in 2006, he wrote a song about his experiences and feelings while abroad. December, 2007, To The Fallen Records chose his song to be on a Country Compilation album. I am so proud of him! Presently, Prevo is recovering from vocal cord paralysis and I will never give up hope that I will hear beautiful music from him again. www.prevorodgersjr.com | www.tothefallenrecords.com

Prevo and I are supported and surrounded by awesome family and friends. Cactus & Ivy is honored to have such a great group of “Guinea Chicks & Bucks” to test out our products before making them available to the general public. I can always count on detailed and a "no holds barred" feedback.

The walls in our home are decorated by various metal signs that pretty much describe the feeling of the atmosphere. Here are a few that adorn our home:

- Kiss My Grits
You gotta have this living in the South!

- I’m not sure if life is passing me by or trying to run me over
Some days move by so quickly, so this just seemed appropriate!

- All stressed out and no one to choke
Do I really need to explain this one?

- We had to get rid of the kid, the cat was allergic
Just kidding! We are just huge cat people and my sign is Leo.

And, my two favorites are:

- Hot Beer, Lousy Food, Bad Service - Welcome - Have a nice Day
I don’t drink hot beer, the food is always good because I love to eat and we always have impeccable service

- There’s a skinny girl who lives inside of me that’s trying to get out but I can usually shut her up with cookies!
Oh….so true. I had Oreo’s & milk just last night!

So, now you know a little about me. I am living the life I was meant to live and continue to aspire to become a better person each day. To some, I may seem too casual and not take life seriously. Oh contraire, I say. Everyone needs a break from the day to day of life. As a creator of natural spa and body products, I take my responsibility very seriously. Creating safe and quality products for all consumers is my number one priority. A favorite goal of mine is to one day have Cactus & Ivy products on Oprah’s Favorite Things show. Oprah is a true inspiration and I am living my best life. Woo-hoo…….can you hear me Oprah?

Until next time, I bid you farewell. I hope you and your family has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Natural Spa and Body Products

Hey Y'all!

Well here it is. The moment of truth.....my first "real" post! How do you spell out the theme song from Jaws?

I'd like to use this post to tell you a little more about Cactus & Ivy. We are a natural, cruelty-free and vegan spa and body products manufacturer located in South Carolina and owned by a fabulous woman (if I do say so myself).

It seems that natural products are slowly becoming the mainstream in beauty care and we are committed to offering products free of artificial flavors, colors & fragrance. We utilize oils that are high in Omega 3, Vitamin A, C, D, E & F, Oleic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid & Linolic Acid to revitalize and restore the skins normal balance.

Research has shown that up to 60% of skincare products applied topically get absorbed by the skin. The skin is the body’s largest organ so it’s no surprise consumers are wanting to incorporate personal care products with natural ingredients into their lives. According to The Natural Marketing Institute, the natural personal care market grew 15% in 2005, while the overall U.S. cosmetics and toiletries market grew by just 3.5%. Its research has found that more than half of all consumers want personal care products made with natural or premium ingredients, and 44% are looking for organic ingredients.

Cactus & Ivy has never tested its products on animals, nor will we ever. Our products are tested on willing family and friends, and by the way, they are all alive and kicking! In addition, we only purchase raw materials from companies that adhere to the same standard. Cactus & Ivy signed the standard with the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics and the statement of assurance with PETA’s Caring Consumer program.

In addition to changing some of our ingredients to reflect "cruelty free and vegan", we will be replacing our label stock with a new environmentally friendly label material made from corn called EarthFirst PLA. We are phasing out old shipping material and replacing with eco-friendly material, where available. Cactus & Ivy will continue to strive on finding the best raw materials, from raw ingredients to shipping supplies. As stated above, as our raw ingredients are depleted, we will replace them with organic, where available.

I will continue to grow Cactus & Ivy in a direction that always puts the consumer first and I hope you will hang around to grow with me. Feedback is also greatly appreciated around here. It is the only way we know we are getting it right or need to head back to the drawing board!

Thanks for visiting and learning a little more about Cactus & Ivy. The Tip of the Day is....drum roll please........Never fry anything in the nude!

Have a great day y'all!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire

Introduction

Hey Y'all!

Welcome to my blog! I would like to apologize in advance for any rambling I may do. This is a new and huge step for me and I promise to get better!

My name is Lisa Rodgers, Owner-Extraordinare of Cactus & Ivy. Eight years ago, I created Cactus & Ivy because I believed there were better options for my family and friends personal care needs. I also needed to do something quick after giving up a high pressured, micro-managed sales job! Whew!

Cactus & Ivy is a "cruelty free and vegan" natural body products company utilizing specialty ingredients to revitalize and restore the skins normal balance. Visit our website when you get a chance www.cactusandivy.com

All for now until I get my bearings on the direction I would like to go in this blog. Some days will be insightful, liberating and full of love and flair. Other days may be completely useless but full of fun and energizing filler. Who knows where this journey will take me but I hope you hang around to find out.

Y'all have a fabulous day and remember, keep smiling.......it makes people wonder what you're up to!

Lisa M. Rodgers