Some red coloration will be usual if the plant gets mostly sun, but shouldn't hurt if the leaves don't shrivel or crumble. On the Prez, you might want to give it more shade if you find most of the leaves curling and crumbling. This usually happens with too much sun, no matter what the temp is. On a good note, there does not appear to be leaf/stem droop on either plant (soft limp leaves), which means that both have established good roots over the winter.

I pop in a couple times a day as well to see if anything is going on. I don't have a show scheduled until May but it is a big outdoors show that is very successful, it is 3 days and is alot of fun. It is a German Festival. I am getting ready for that while making product and TRYING to get pics for my website that is under construction (if I don't get the pics done it will remain that way). In a recent post I added that I finally made CP soap and was very excited about it. I am getting ready to make my 2nd batch next week (waiting on a fragrance) I make Clear glycerin and Goat's Milk based soaps and now adding some CP. I also make body butter, lotion bars (huge seller for me), lotion, lip balms, bath salts, salt scrubs, body/linen sprays, bath bombs and have just added a Muscle Relief Balm with EMU oil, I love it! Oh, I just added Loofah Scrub Bars! Some things I would like to try: Body Powder, Shampoo Bar(tried and flopped the 1st time but will try again), dish soap and anti-bacterial liquid soap. I am also going to dabble growing some herbs this spring. I sell on ebay as well and am constantly trying to clean out my shop. I have refrained from listing on ebay last several weeks so I could get caught up on other things. Michelle

Susan, First, I was intimidated by CP at first because I was afraid i would not know what trace looked like. Well, it is very easy to see. Once you add the lye water to the oils and start stirring you will see the mixture start thickening, as you stir you will see track marks in the soap, you can actually drizzle some of the soap over the mixture and you will see "traces", with the recipe I am going to give you this will happen in about 4 minutes if you use a stick mixer, (if mixing by hand could take hours). I recommend the stick mixer, I did by hand the 1st time but got very disconcerned with the stirring. This recipe is not organic but you can probably purchase the items organically. Here is a very easy and mild CP recipe: 38 oz veg. shortening 24 oz Olive Oil 24 oz Coconut Oil 12 oz lye 32 oz distilled water 3-4 oz EO or 2 oz FO 1/4 oz herbs (optional) Items needed: 2 plastic pitchers 2 candy thermometers 1 stainless steel pot mold freezer paper Goggles rubber gloves 2 wooden spoons scale that weighs in ounces and pounds old blanket piece of cardboard that fits into mold so lay on soap as not to create soda ash Wearing goggles and rubber gloves weigh out 12 oz of lye into a plastic pitcher, in another plastic pitcher weigh out 32 oz of distilled water. Slowly pour the lye into the water stirring as you add. The mixture will be very hot, stick a thermometer in and start on the oil phase. In a stainless pot add weighed veg shortening and coconut oil, let melt, as soon a mixture melts remove from heat, add olive oil. Add a 2nd thermometer to the oil mixture, let both (lye and oil) mixtures cool to between 90 - 100 degrees. While waiting for mixtures to cool you can prepare your mold by greasing and lining with freezer paper. Also get your additives ready. Both mixtures will need to be at exactly same temp before incorporating. If one cools faster than the other put the warmer on in a cold water bath until it reaches the correct temp. Once both are at the same temp slowly pour the lye water into the oil. If using a stick blender you will see the mix thicken and then you will see "tracks" or "trace" in the soap, this is when you will add you FO, EO, additives or color. You can also superfat with 2 oz of Shea butter or Avacodo butter at this time. Use your stick blender to stir again until trace then pour in prepared molds. You can lay a piece of freezer paper directly on soap then place the card board or a lid on the container. Wrap in a blanket, leave in blankets for 18 hours, then uncover and let sit another 12 hours. After 12 hours remove soap from mold and cut into bars. This makes (1) 4LB block or (2) 2LBS loafs, I get 20 bars from this recipe (you can get 24 depending on your mold. ***Clean up tip: I let the mixture in the pot and blender sit and begin to set up so it is more of a soap mixture when I clean than oily.** ~~If you are nervous about making just make sure you have everything ready before you begin and read the directions several times before attempting. I have to say as nervous as I was all of my soaps have turned out great, not one messed up batch~~ Good Luck Elle By the way Susan, ordered the Coffee FO today for the Kitchen Soap

b-soda doesn't dry your skin out. This is from Brambleberry's site: Phenonip - A liquid preservative to inhibit a full range of microbial growth in your cremes, lotions, salt scrubs, dusting powders and liquid soap bases. This preservative is more suitable than Germaben II for products that are manufactured at higher temperature ranges. Phenonip is not a formaldehyde donor. Use at a rate of .5 -1.0% of the total weight of your product.While volume vs. weight measurements vary, these measurements may help you if you don't have a scale handy: 0.1 oz. = 3 ml 3.0 ml = 2 grams Phenonip is composed of: Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben and Propylparaben. Here is a link that might be useful: bath fizzys