Pre-Order Soap & Soul Now and get 11 Bonus Recipes!

Any pre-orders of my upcoming book Soap & Soul (published by Countryman Press a division of W. W. Norton, releasing October 10) can sign up to receive a digital download of “11 Recipes for Good Green Fun.” Keep reading to learn how to receive this free thank you gift. This offer is open until October 7, 2023.

Pre-order your copy of Soap & Soul from here or your favorite book seller.

Where these 11 bonus recipes came from

Perhaps you might call me long winded, verbose, or wordy, but the truth is I submitted a manuscript to my publisher that was 50% longer than requested. My problem was not coming up with enough content to fill the 50-60K word range, but rather how to reduce my content down. A lot of stuff ended up cut (don’t worry, I saved it all), and in all honesty, the manuscript is much stronger for it. It tightened up the scope to keep the focus on body, home, and personal well-being. However, a portion of what got cut were the recipes that weren’t necessarily practical but were just for fun. That’s where these 11 recipes come from. I anticipate when you read the book, you’ll probably be able to tell where these recipes had been.

What’s in the bonus recipe bundle?

The bonus content contains 11 extra recipes, and some backstory behind each one. This means that in addition to getting the recipes, you’ll get to meet my mom Trudy and my Aunt Jean.

1. GIY* Coconut Oil Lip Scrub – An excellent lip restorer, the challenge with this recipe is not eating it straight!
2. Tinted Lip Balm – I impressed myself with this one and had to remember to take some pics of them before I started using them!
3. Citrus Scented Vinegar – This one’s perfect for those who know vinegar is a good thing, but just don’t like how it smells.
4. Dryer or Drawer Sachets – A perfect alternative to dryer sheets or artificially scented drawer liners.
5. Mom’s Pumpkin Muffins – All the food recipes got nixed from the book, so I’m thrilled to share them with you here. These are good for the heart and soul.
6. Chocolate Dip or Drizzle – You’re going to find so much more to use this on that I came up with. Let me know!
7. Aunt Jean’s Caramel Corn – It’s a little dangerous knowing how to make this stuff and finding out that it’s not that hard.
8. Dyeing Paper with Bubbles – My teenagers looked quite dubious when I assured them that yes, I was in fact working when I was developing this one.
9. GIY Bubbles with Sal Suds – Same as above. Except that even teenagers like playing with bubbles.
10. Magic Play Dough – I made boatloads of this recipe when my kids were young. Testing it again here took me right back to their early days.
11. Soap Dough – This is the softest, most satisfying play dough ever. And you can mold it and leave it to dry for some fun shaped soaps! The only molds I have are Star Wars themed, which made super cool shaped soaps. This was my favorite to create.

*GIY=Green-It-Yourself

To get the bonus recipes

1. Pre-order Soap & Soul at here or your favorite bookseller.
2. Fill out this form right here.
3. The recipes will show up in your inbox by the end of the month.

When you’ll get the bonus content

The book comes out on October 10, 2023 (slightly later internationally), but this bonus content will be emailed to you at the end of each month. Hopefully this will tide you over until the book comes out!

Can overseas readers get the bonus content, too?

Yes! You can fill out the same form if you pre-order the book. Thank you!

What if I pre-ordered the book back in April when you first announced it?

You can still fill out the bonus content form now and get the 11 bonus recipes. Thank you!!

Why pre-orders are important

My friends, though I’m an avid reader, I have learned so much in this whole book writing and publishing process, such as the importance of pre-orders. Pre-orders matter because books are a highly competitive market. To figure out which books are worth stocking, stores wait and see which books already have momentum. In other words, and perhaps a bit ironically, they want to sell the books that are already selling well. I very much thank you if you order the book ahead of time. Not only is it a huge vote of confidence which touches my heart, but you get to download this snazzy set of extra recipes.

Tell me about Soap & Soul

Soap & Soul is full of recipes, but not to eat. After nearly 15 years of engaging with customers and writing the Going Green blog, I wrote this book to gather in place what customers most want to know: how to use Dr. Bronner’s versatile products and how to live a simple, practical low-tox life. However, I want people to understand the “why” behind the “what,” so there’s a lot of science and background behind the recipes and recommendations.

It’s not only a Dr. Bronner’s companion guide and green living how-to, but I also want readers to know the ups and downs of my own green journey and stories behind my Bronner family that’s been making the iconic Castile soap for so long.

In addition to usages and dilutions for Dr. Bronner’s products, the book dives into popular topics such as hair washing, skin health, dog washing, laundry, carpet care, and conventional product replacement.

You’ll learn:

• How to use simple ingredients for personal and home care.
• The chemistry of cleaning—how soap works and why you can’t mix cleaners.
• How to read ingredients and interpret product packaging, certifications, and claims.
• Why caring for our physical space and bodies benefits our mental and emotional well-being.

While I am glad to provide all the recipes and how-tos, my favorite parts in the book are the narratives where I share with you the stories behind the practical stuff and how I came to where I am today.

For more information about Soap & Soul, visit SoapandSoulBook.com.

5 behind the scenes facts about Soap & Soul

1. I rented a windowless storeroom of my small town’s deli in order to write without distraction.
2. I often mistype the title as Soup & Soul. Maybe that’ll be the sequel.
3. The runner-up title for the book was Clean Up Good.
4. I originally suggested the cover be ivory or grey. I’m so glad the publisher overrode that one and went with orange.
5. I was incredibly moved when my brother David said he teared up while reading it. Some of the stories are about him, so I wasn’t sure what he would think.

Thank you and thank you

First, I thank you for being with me on this journey. We are all walking this road towards greater health and vibrance together. You have encouraged me with your kind words and with the trust you have in asking me your questions. You have shared with me your learnings and triumphs and super nifty ideas. I am so glad for this community.

Second, I thank you for your interest in Soap & Soul and for pre-ordering it if you choose to do so. I hope it makes your days easier or more enjoyable, and that you’ll share with me what you think of it.

To get the bonus recipes

1. Pre-order Soap & Soul at here or your favorite bookseller.
2. Fill out this form right here.
3. The recipes will show up in your inbox by the end of the month.