Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Wally the Wonder Turtle and I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy New Year!

It has been another great year and we had so much fun with all of our friends here at the Wonder Turtle Soaps blog, on Facebook, Etsy, and the Teach Soap forum, and at the craft shows. Thank you, everyone, for your support!

This year, we'll be staying close to home and celebrating with family and friends. The family will get together at my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve to eat and exchange gifts, and we'll go to my mom's house Christmas Day to eat even more. I did some of the baking this year, and I made Ginger Cookies, Magic Cookie Bars, and Chocolate Peppermint Mini Bundt cakes. Yum!

Wally the Wonder Turtle has a special holiday message for everyone:

wally here to say merry christmas. wally very excited about santa turtle coming tonight. he go around and see all children turtles but he slow so he need rocket jet pack. santa turtle fly through air delivering gifts that he keep in shell. that must be big shell. i ask mom once, how santa turtle carry all them presents in shell? she say is magic, and that make sense. hope you all have magic holiday too!

And Wally's friend, Sniffles the cat, also has a Christmas message:

Sniffles here. To make sure you have a safe and happy holiday, make sure you cook your holiday turkey to its proper internal temperature to avoid any foodborne illnesses. Also, wash your hands often and thoroughly to prevent communicable diseases. Did you know that germs and bacteria are everywhere, and they never take a holiday? Anyway, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

What are your plans for the holidays, Wonder Turtle friends? Whatever they are, we wish you all a very happy holiday season!

Happy Birthday, Wally!

Today is Wally the Wonder Turtle's birthday, and his good buddy, Sniffles the cat, agreed to guest blog and wish Wally a happy birthday! (You may remember Sniffles from Wally's posts about chocolate turtles and Father's Day.) Wally and Sniffles go way back, and we're happy to have him here on this special day!

Sniffles the cat

Hi, I'm Sniffles! I've known Wally for as long as I can remember, and he's one of my very best friends.

Anyway, I'm here to wish Wally a happy birthday. Part of having a happy birthday is having a cake. I'm not much of a baker - I can't even make pancakes. So I went to the grocery store yesterday to get a cake and some lettuce because Wally loves lettuce. Have you noticed how cold they keep the grocery stores? Gadzooks! It's still hot outside, so I'm wearing shorts everywhere, but whenever I go indoors, I freeze. Then when I go back outside, I burn up. Hot, cold, hot, cold ... What are they trying to do, kill me? I could get pneumonia constantly going from hot to cold and back again like that.

And have you seen all the different kinds of lettuce they've got at the store now? Iceberg, romaine, bibb, butter, arugula ... goodness! I ended up buying ten bags of the pre-washed seven-lettuce salad. By the way, what the heck does "pre-washed" mean? How do you wash something before you wash it? I mean, shouldn't it just be called "washed"?

Anyway, Wally loves lettuce, and he also loves bananas. I went to the bakery section and couldn't find one big banana cake, but I did find some of those individually-wrapped banana snacky cakes. I got some candles so I could put one in Wally's little cake. By the way, does the whole blowing-out-the-candles-on-a-cake thing seem like a terrible idea to anyone else, or is that just me? I mean, hello, germs. The absolute worst is when you're at a kid's birthday party and all the kids have to help blow out the candles. And kids aren't dainty about it either - they just blow and spit all over the place. Mmm, who wants cake? Ugh. Check, please.

Anyway, Wally and all of his friends came over to my house and we ate our lettuce and banana cakes (and there might have also been some Terrapin Ale and some catnip infused bubbly) and we played "Pin the Bow Tie on the Turtle." And we all brought presents for our good friend Wally. I got him a great gift for the coming winter - a turtleneck sweater!

Anyway, Wally ate, danced, and played with all of his friends until we couldn't eat, dance, or play anymore. I hope Wally didn't eat too much sugar and that he gets a good night's sleep before he heads back into the soaping kitchen tomorrow. He probably didn't sleep much last night because he was too excited about his party. Lack of sleep can cause headaches, irritability, clumsiness, dizziness, increased blood pressure, and, of course, fatigue.

Anyway, happy birthday, Wally!

Wally Sez ... Happy Fourth of July!

Here is where Wally the Wonder Turtle gets to share his thoughts with the world. Enjoy!

happy fourth of july everyone!

i ask jenny what she think about fourth of july and she say is also called independence day. july 4 is america's birthday, she say.

so, jenny say, imagine july 4 is like birthday party that 300 million people come to.

that sound like big party, but lots of fun. wally have birthday parties when he little. my mom say, wally invite you friends, but no more than 15. i think 300 million a lot more than 15, so i don't know where this party being held where everyone can fit. jenny say party is everywhere in u.s., that everyone have own party at same time. is like one party in millions of parts going on at same time, she say. this blows wallys mind and i confused, but sounds like fun anyways.

at these many parties, people have barbeques, make hot dogs and burgers and ice cream. (wally like lettuce and bananas at his birthday parties.) people spend time with friends and family and go out on boats or in pool. they make loud pretty sounds with firecrackers. i hear one last night after midnight and i say, whats that? and jenny say, is fireworks. it scare wally at first like thunder but then was okay - is like sparkly lightning.

whatever you doing this fourth of july, have fun and be safe. and jenny and i thinking about our military men and women - thank you for your sacrifices!

happy fourth of july, everybody!

-- wally

Wally Sez ... Happy Father's Day!

Here is where Wally the Wonder Turtle gets to share his thoughts with the world. Enjoy!

wallys dad nice turtle man. we do lots fun things together. here some wallys favorite memories:

when i little, dad teach me how to ride bike. was special turtle bike for big turtle shell and short little legs. all turtle kids get special turtle bike. anyway i riding and falling lots. wallys mom come out and say, joe why wally not wearing helmet? joe, my dad, he say, wally is wearing helmet - his whole body is helmet. then he say to me, son, you start to fall off bike, you just stick head inside you shell. then he wink and my mom roll her eyes but i saw her smile a little.

dad teach me how to tie bow tie. he say, wally, is easy - just go under, over, in, and out. wait, wally got wrong. is it over, under, in, and out? or under, in, over, and out? oh, i don't know ... wally pay attention next time he tie bow tie ...

one time me and my friend sniffles the cat make dad pancakes for fathers day breakfast when we little. even though pancakes did not turn out right, dad eat them all and say they very good, the best pancakes in whole world.

best memory though was when me and dad just sitting in the grass one day with our necks out, sunning. i say, don't you just love the sun? dad say, i love you, son.

happy fathers day, dad! and happy fathers day to all of the dads out there - you awesome!

-- wally

Wally Sez ... Happy Mother's Day!

Here is where Wally the Wonder Turtle gets to share his thoughts with the world. Enjoy!

wallys mom is nice lady turtle. she tell me lots important things.

she tell me:

* wally, come out of your shell, don't be shy.

* wally, get back in your shell, is dangerous out here!

* slow and steady is always best unless you crossing street.

* cars is not big turtles that want to play with you.

* never sleep on your back.

* dog is not trying to kiss you, is trying to eat you.

* you look good in red.

* you look good in bow tie.

* you look good in red bow tie.

and best thing wallys mom ever say to him:

* i love you, wally. you my special guy.

love you, mom. happy mothers day.

and happy mothers day to all you moms out there! you awesome!

-- wally

Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!

Wally the Wonder Turtle is becoming quite the little traveler! Last weekend, he came to New Orleans with me and my husband, Ken, for the Rock 'n Roll Mardi Gras half-marathon. The race was on Sunday, so we walked around the city on Saturday, taking in the sights. Wally wanted me to share some pictures with everyone, and I thought that was a fine idea.


We walked over to Jackson Square, a fun place with sidewalk artists and performers as well as great little shops and restaurants. (Check out the The Louisiana Pizza Kitchen if you're over that way -- good stuff!) Here is the famous St. Louis Cathedral, named after King Louis IX of France, and its statue of Andrew Jackson.

The French Market along the Mississippi River is a fun place to visit. For over 200 years, merchants have been bringing their wares and produce to this lively marketplace.

I found some soap at the French Market and, of course, had to buy some! I absolutely love trying other people's soaps! I bought this big beautiful bar of cold-process eucalyptus soap from a delightful man named Roger. He told me this bar would make me think of a spa, and he was right! The soap has a wonderful herbal, almost minty smell to it, and the lather is creamy and luxurious.

Sunday was half-marathon day! What gorgeous weather we had! Friday was rainy, Saturday was cold and windy, but Sunday was sunny, cool, and calm. The temperature at the starting line was 41 degrees, but it was a warm 41 with there being little breeze. Things warmed up quickly on the course, and I was so grateful that I didn't have to fight the wind for 13.1 miles.

The half-marathon (and even the full marathon) is so much fun in New Orleans because there are throngs of spectators lining the streets all along the way, cheering everyone on. There's a great energy on the course, which keeps your spirits up and your energy high. And this year, with the race being a Rock 'n Roll event, there were live bands spread throught the course. I have run a marathon route where there were few spectators and low energy, and, man, what a grind. I so appreciate the wonderful people who turn out to support this race!

I crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 3 minutes, uninjured and happy.

Action shot! Here I am, moments before crossing the finish line. (My husband took this picture -- he's faster than me and finished his half-marathon in plenty of time to take some photos of me.)

I shared my medal with Wally. My victory is his victory, too -- I couldn't have done it without him.




Any of you Wonder Turtle fans runners out there? Anybody do a fun race this season? Wally and I love to swap running stories almost as much as we love swapping soaping stories! We'd love to hear yours!

Many thanks to the New Orleans Police Department, the Sheriff's Department, all of the race volunteers, and the city of New Orleans (and anyone else I may have inadvertently left out!)  for making this year's event safe and fun!

Wally the Wonder Turtle goes to Blue Ridge, GA!

Wally the wonder turtle here to tell you about vacation! So me and jenny go to blue ridge in georgia last november. She come so take pictures. We rent cabin up high hill in trees.

Is nice to start morning with cup of coffee.

Then i make friends. Always important to make new friends in new places, even more yes so when he look like this. Jenny say he is stuffed? Mean he eats too much? Good thing so he no eat me! (Jenny's note: I did not tell Wally that "stuffed" did not mean this poor raccoon was full. Telling him the truth would be more traumatic than that time he found out about turtle soup.)

Cabin even have pool table. Is fun! Jenny say i pool shark? But i turtle. I pool turtle?

Was rainy first day, so play pool and guitar hero. Next day pretty and go to helen georgia for oktoberfest. Was november, though, so i don't know.

They have funny stuff in helen oktoberfest, like beer and horses wearing hats! Can you believe? Animal wearing clothes?

Jenny nice to come take pictures of me. Don't know who taking this picture, but they nice and didn't steal camera.

Next stop ruby falls near helen. So pretty. Here some nice photos wally the wonder turtle take all by himself with no help from nobody. (Jenny's note: Wally the Wonder Turtle did not take these photos. I did.)

On way back to cabin, i see these trees and stop jeep i drive all by myself with no help from nobody to take picture. (Jenny's note: Wally did not drive.)

What fun trip! Wally contemplate sunrise ...

Thanks for reading trip to blue ridge georgia!

-- Wally

We ♥ Boise!

Wally the Wonder Turtle and I LOOOOOOOVE Boise, Idaho! My husband's job sometimes takes him to the Boise Air National Guard, and after he's done working, Wally and I will fly out and meet him to spend a few days enjoying downtown Boise. We were there this past November and had hella fun.

And, believe me, Boise is sincerely fun.

What's in Boise?

Zoo Boise (not Boise Zoo):

Just look how much fun Wally is having with his new penguin friend!






And this penguin friend, too! (Vroom ...!)








The Qwest hockey arena:

Go Steelheads!

Here I am with Blue, the Idaho Steelheads' beloved mascot.
We ♥ Blue, too!






Smart squirrels:



This clever little fellow has it all figured out ... he has fresh food whenever he wants it courtesy of the capybara exhibit at Zoo Boise.






Stunning views:

Took this photo from the Friendship Bridge on the Greenbelt along the Boise River. Most mornings in Boise started with a jog along the Greenbelt.





And an awesome downtown district:

Plenty of views of the mountains (or "hills," as I'm told the locals call them).





And these are just things that I took pictures of. There's more. Boise is a hip little college town, so there are tons of groovy coffee shops, bookstores, record stores, and theaters. Boise State University has plenty of cultural offerings (I missed David Sedaris by one week! Aargh!), as does the Julia Davis Park with its art museum, Zoo Boise, and the Idaho State Historical Museum.

Boise also has GREAT beer. Tons of microbrews from the Pacific Northwest. My favorite hangout in Boise is the Bittercreek Alehouse (hey ya'll!). Seriously, I would live there if they'd let me. If you ever find yourself on 8th Street between Idaho and Bannock Streets, feeling thirsty and over 21, do yourself a favor and pop in there. They have more than three dozen taps of crazy good brews. The food is great, too. Most nights in Boise ended with a visit to the Bittercreek. (Don't worry, we drank responsibly.)

And Wally ♥s this giant lizard (I believe it is a komodo dragon, and, no, it is not real ... I think the pumpkin might be real, though.):

Can't wait to get back to see ya, Boise!

--Jenny



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