Here is an idea of what we've been doing the past few days.

Packing boxes.

LOTS of boxes!

and to amuse ourselves, we have been stacking them up as high as we can. :) Yes, this is how life goes at Prairieland Herbs....it's the little things that amuse us....

(no boxes were harmed in the making of these photographs...we didn't overstack them, even once!)

I have posted these pics before, but someone was asking about our order packing area, so I am re-posting. We pack loads of orders in a tiny area, which is very possible - when you are organized. Our packing area takes up the footprint of a 6-foot long table. On the top of the table is a small pine shelf which holds all 5 sizes of priority mail boxes and enelopes that we use, plus padded envelopes. We also have rolls of packing tape on the shelves, plus 2 colors ofelectrical tape that we use to seal lids and bottles. The small white plastic shelves hold 4 sizes of plastic bags, used to seal and ship anything that can leak. A small organizational tray holds all manner of USPS forms. We have lots of scisscors, and pens, and our shipping scale lives under the pine shelf on the table. The file on the right holds all the organizational brochures we ship out with our products. Under the table: box of recycled/reused peanuts, box of bubblewrap, and shipping boxes to be reused. All items for any given order are gathered, brought here, and can be safely and efficiently wrapped in a very short amount of time.


This is one order. Yes, really. It would be daunting to pack if we didn't have a system in place!

Shown here is a typical days' worth of mailing boxes. Actually, it's maybe a bit less than usual. If we don't spend at least $100 at the post office every day, our postal staff gives us a hard time about how they're going to lose their jobs. :)

I just sent the LAST of the holiday gifts out at the post office today!! Whee!!

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Top Seven Signs it's Christmas at Prairieland Herbs (in no particular order)

1). We are, like, BFF with the local postal crews. We see them once or twice a day, and could wallpaper our shop with the reciepts we get from the post office. (That, folks, is absolutely NOT an exaggeration).

2). We are on nearly as good terms with Paul, our fantastic UPS guy. He is at our shop nearly every day dropping off boxes of bottles, jars, pails of shea butter, etc.

3). We go through what we consider to be astonishing amounts of raw "stuff". In the past month, we've used about 8 lbs of lavender essential oil (Consider that it's used at approximately 3% dilution in most products....and just ponder how many bath salts and oils that is!), 400 lbs. sea salt, about 20 gallons of base oils, and 25 lbs of shea butter. Running a herb shop requires more heavy lifting than you would imagine.

4). We forget what day it is - because we're at the shop nearly every day, shipping orders. (not a complaint!)

5). Donna and Maggie overdose on Diet Dr. Pepper and carbonated water (respectively), forget to eat, and then consume mass quantities of handmade candies because that is the only food we can find. (sad, but true).

6) There is a solid layer of packing peanuts, bubble wrap scraps, tape bits, and gift-basket shread on the floor at nearly all times. We sweep thoroughly at least once a day, but, by the end of the day, a fresh new layer has settled on the floor again, as if by magic.....

7) We have a blast shipping presents, helping folks pick out the perfect gift, meeting visiting family members, and generally enjoy the holiday cheer, because our customers are the best folks in the world and we adore them!!!

HOLIDAY Shippping & Hours Info:

Last day to order for holiday shipping: Sunday, Dec. 21st. (earlier is better!)

Last day to order online gift cards: Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, 5pm CST.

We WILL BE CLOSED: Wed, Dec. 24th until Tuesday, Dec. 30th.

We WILL BE OPEN: Sunday, December 21st, 12-5

Also: New delicious recipe online! Lavender Honey Biscotti. Divine! Biscotti makes a lovely holiday gift, becasuse it keeps well and ships well. Don't forget our Triple Chocolate Double Orange biscotti recipe too!

Folks have been walking in the store lately going "hmm. why are the shelves so empty"? Well THIS is why. we've just been quite busy. This is today's haul to the post office - ONE DAY. 52 packages. 5 going overseas (Singapore, Australia, France and 2 to the UK). So, yeah. that's what we've been doing.


So, it was raining this morning. And mom's mini-herd is used to getting twice-daily outside romps - they get to get out of their pen, and wander around the farm, eating grass and being happy mini horses. But because it was raining this morning, she didn't let them out. And we kept hearing these LOUD, IRRITATED, DEMANDING mini-horse whinnys. They were MAD! So they got to spend extra time outside in the afternoon. This is Baron, and he has discovered that iris leaves are yummy.

This is Delafino, the tiniest new baby. isn't he just ADORABLE? And so tiny!!


For a size comparison, the one on the left is Delilah, the oldest baby, and Delafino is on the right.
Here Donna oversees her herd. The babies just run around in a hysterical little mini-gang, neighing and bucking and eating and playing really having the time of their mini-horse lives.

In sad news, we lost Pal today, our Jack Russel Terrier puppy. He will be missed.

The sky can be really bright blue and beautiful here....it was cold when this picture was taken, but the sun was so lovely!!



You folks have been keeping us fantastically busy with orders. keep 'em coming! This was the load I took to the post office on Tuesday!!!!



We took advantage of some of the spring sunshine to photograph these beautiful naturally dyed scarves in the sunshine.

Yep, it's December. And while recent weather events (stupid ice storm! stupid snow!) have kept our retail folks from getting to our shop....well, folks have certainly been shoppin' online. Here is the load we took to the post office today!


Also, i don't think I've ever posted a picture of our cash register? It's really cool - big, old and heavy, and people coming into our shop often comment on it. So here it is, for you folks in the rest of the world! :)

This is what our shop looks like about 4PM, just before we head to the post office. :)



And this is what our shop looked like Tuesday mornign when we got to work, after Paul, or fabulous UPS guy, delivered to us late Monday night. You are looking at: 250 lbs. of soywax, boxes full of organza bags and cello bags, about 600 solid perfume tins and shrink bands, 300 soy wax melt containers, 144 - 2 oz. tins, about 30 deodorants, 11 lbs. of eucalyptus oil, and a few other things which I've now forgotten. All in boxes and bubblewrap and peanuts of course.