who doesn't lust a good man in a uniform...

...Oh, it's not THAT kind of Marine, is it? Oh, ok, sorry there. Well, method has announced the big marine naturals line, sending out an email today! In case you're not on their mailing list (yet!), it reads (also available on their people against dirty blog):

"We’re so excited about our newest line of personal care products! Like all method products, we give you the good stuff – refreshing ingredients like sea salts and kelp extracts – without the bad – like EDTA, which bonds to heavy metals in waterways, or triclosan, an anti-bacterial officially classified as a pesticide by the EPA.

In fact, with fragrances like sea minerals, water flower, and refresh mint, it’s so invigorating that it reminds us of our skinny-dipping days. come on, you know you’ve done it too. We’re so sure that you have a good skinny-dipping story that we’ll send out some free Marine Naturals to the person that leaves the best one here in the comments section, or on the wall of our Facebook page by Friday, Oct. 10. Just, er, keep it clean, ok folks?

Look for Marine Naturals at Target and other retailers."

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Take note of that last line. It appears they don't have plans to sell marine naturals on the method home site as of this moment! I know that's disappointing for some lusters out there that have yet to find it at their local Target. Hopefully it'll hit soon! In the meantime, go read those skinning dipping stories!

more chicago pics!

More detox Chicago pics courtesy of method! Ya know, does anyone else just crave the idea of method having their very own mini-stores, when they see shelves like this full of their products. Except like, full time mini-stores. Would that not rock. Instead of heading over to Target, you'd go "I'm off to the method store! I'll be back in a bit!" and get to talk with all the great people working there, and pick up ANY method product you want! (Not just the ones certain "ahem" retailers carry.) Ohh, but to dream.

And hey, if you head by the Chicago detox store, please take some photos and send them my way! And/or send me a review of your trip! I'll post them here on method lust! And put your name up in lights! (Well, maybe not lights, but definitely bold letters! Maybe even with a color...)

secret stash

Alright. Give it up. Let us know! Hey, hey, you. What's the biggest method secret stash you've currently got locked away in your house. You know what I mean. That amazing collection of discontinued, never again to be purchased, used only in case of emergency or nuclear disaster method products you've hoarded away over the years. We all have a holiday candle here and there, or a bowling pin dish soap bottle put away cause it just rocks so! But I mean the biggie! The thing you're actually kinda embarrassed that you've actually purchased THAT many of something you so didn't need, but just had to have in back stock, cause you know, that's all there is!

So dish, what's your secret? (Psst. Come a little closer. Mine? Ok, sigh. I actually have seven containers of bloq green mint shaving cream, ten containers of bloq green mint body wash, and oh dear, ahem... ten, yes ten, fig candles. But but, they aren't making fig anymore! And it's so great! And...and I mean, well, but you know, I just had to and... oh, ok... moving on.) - Your turn.

make recycling really pay

Wow, I wish this company would make it's way to North Carolina! I think it would spur a lot of my friends into recylcing (cause I can't seem to do that job! I haven't yet ruled out possible torture, mind you. But I think monetary incentive is a better way to go!) Check it out:

"By Bryan Walsh, for Time Magazine

I have a confession to make: I am a bad recycler. I have excellent intentions, and at my Brooklyn apartment the week always starts with assiduously divided trash: paper, plastic and aluminum. But then the days pass, the garbage builds up, and too often I find myself tossing out the milk cartons with the newspaper with the bottles of Sam Adams beer. I know — take away my green card.

But I'm not alone in my failings. There's nothing more stereotypically green than an avid recycler — and nothing more rare in real life. Though environmentalists have been pushing recycling for years now, and curbside pickup is increasingly the norm, recycling rates in America remain low. We care about reducing waste and saving the Earth, but sometimes it's Thursday night, Lost is on — and dividing the trash is just too much trouble.

Ron Gonen, though, is going to make recycling worth your while. The former management consultant co-founded RecycleBank in 2004 with a simple idea: that people want to recycle, but they just need a little push. So Gonen decided to appeal to their pocketbooks. Here's how it works: every family on a garbage route is issued a special container with a computer chip. When garbage trucks pick up the recycling, they weigh the container and record how much each family is recycling by weight. The more you recycle, the more RecycleBank points you earn, which can be redeemed for offers at merchants like CVS/pharmacy. It's that easy. Since RecycleBank launched in Philadelphia in 2006, its formula has led to unqualified success everywhere it has gone — and it now operates through much of the Northeast U.S. Recycling rates in one of the first Philadelphia neighborhoods that RecycleBank served rose from 7% to 90% in a matter of months and total waste sent to landfills is down considerably. "Recycling is something you can do today that has a significant environmental impact on the way you live," says Gonen. "It touches your life." (Hear Gonen talk about RecycleBank on this week's Greencast.)

To Gonen, the key to RecycleBank's success isn't just the economic incentive; it's also about a sense of accomplishment. By actually tracking what individual families recycle, the service gives people a more accurate idea of what they're doing for the Earth. You know that your recycling is being counted, not just tossed down a landfill. Metrics matter — measuring something is the first step to encouraging better behavior. "There's so little measurement around recycling," says Gonen, a Columbia Business School grad who came up with the RecycleBank concept in class. "But RecycleBank tries to ensure that everything we do is measured — and we share those numbers."

Gonen, whose company is being flooded with offers from venture capitalists, wants to grow RecycleBank gradually. But earlier this year he went after a new target: college campuses. Starting with a pilot program at New York City's Columbia University, RecycleBank is putting special kiosks in cafeterias and dorms. Each student gets a RecycleBank card and takes their recycling to the closest kiosk, where they swipe their card, weigh their recycling and claim their points. The campus model required a little tweaking on Gonen's part — the dorm kiosks, he notes, are prank-proof (you can douse them in beer, and they'll still work) — but it's been an early success at Columbia, where school officials are happy for any way to green their university. "Columbia recycles, but there's always room for improvement," says Nilda Mesa, Columbia's assistant vice president in the office of environmental stewardship. "This was a way to reinforce the message that recycling is really important."

Just how important recycling is becomes clear when you see the lines of trucks taking away New York City's waste, much of which has to be shipped to Pennsylvania or even as far away as South Carolina. More recycling means less waste in the landfill, which means fewer garbage trucks, which means fewer carbon emissions. As commodity prices for raw materials like aluminum or plastic rises in response to global demand, recycling makes even better economic sense as well. Coca-Cola, which currently recycles 10% of the plastic it uses and is aiming to raise that to 30% by 2010, recently began building a massive recycling facility — Coke wants to save money, not just the Earth.

But the biggest benefit to recycling might be psychological. Start recycling regularly — and successfully — and you'll begin thinking a bit more about your impact on the Earth. "There are so many environmental initiatives out there that are important," says Gonen. "Solar, wind, biofuels. But these are all huge, capital-intensive projects. Most of us can't do that, but everyone can recycle." I just hope RecycleBank comes to Brooklyn soon — my newspapers are piling up."

recipe for success

You know you've written A LOT of posts on method, here
on method lust, when you go searching for a great new photo of those
masters of clean design (or is that designed cleaning, or clean-up
design, or design"ed" to clean, uh, I don't know...) and when you
stumble upon a pic, you say to yourself "Hey! That looks like a great
photo of the guys! I think I'll use that one!" and you click on it, and
it takes you to...

method lust. Ha ha! THAT my friends, is when you a) realize the Alzheimer's is setting in fast; and b) know you have a big obsessive problem with m.e.t.h.o.d (Hey, that could be their spy name! Yes!)

Anyway, I've found a great new article for you (Uh, I think. I'm telling ya seriously, it's becoming hard to remember what I have and haven't posted! I've done 490 posts this year! Whew, that's a lot! YES it is!) Actually it's a great new old article for you! But I always lust finding these, so I can read how it was, what they were thinking way back then (if 2006 can be considered way back then?) and to see just how far they've come (real far, baby, real far!) So without further blah and blah from me (though I know you love my blah, now don't you! You know you do...)

"By Ilana DeBare, San Francisco Chronicle,


Six years ago, at the height of the Internet boom, Eric Ryan’s friends laughed at him as he turned down one dot-com job offer after another to start a company in the stodgy, low-tech business of household cleaning products.

Today, many of those dot-coms are long gone.

And Ryan’s company, Method Products, was recently named the seventh fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. magazine.

Method, with its minimalist design and trendy-looking soap bottles shaped like teardrops and bowling pins, is a familiar sight to shoppers at stores such as Target, Safeway and Office Depot.

Its revenue of about $45 million is just a drop in the wash-bucket compared with long-standing industry giants like Clorox, which had total sales of $4.4 billion in 2005.

But Method has managed to grow prodigiously at a time when the cleaning products industry overall is largely stagnant.

And the young San Francisco company’s determination to shake things up is changing practices within the industry, as well as turning heads in the design world.

“Method has reoriented how people perceive these household cleaning products that they used to shove under the sink,” said Hsaio-Yun Chin, an assistant professor of industrial design at San Francisco State University. “It’s very sexy. It’s something you can display proudly on top of your sink. It’s another accessory to “cool,” almost a lifestyle item rather than a cleaning item.”

Today, Method has 132 products – everything from pink grapefruit cleaning spray to cucumber-lemon dishwasher cubes, mint window washing liquid and vanilla-apple air fresheners.

But six years ago, the company was little more than a wild idea shared by two high school buddies from Michigan who were rooming together in San Francisco.

Ryan, now 33, was working in advertising and his friend Adam Lowry, now 32, was a chemical engineer who had worked for a foundation researching global warming. The two were intrigued by companies like Apple Computer Inc. that had used a cutting-edge design sensibility to become industry leaders.

“We started to discuss different industries that needed to be reinvented from a design standpoint and from an environmental standpoint,” Lowry said.

The two became intrigued by household cleaning products. It is a huge industry, with annual sales of about $18 billion. But it hadn’t changed much since the 1950s. Companies talked mostly about how well their products killed germs; brands like Cascade and Comet changed little from decade to decade.

“The household cleaning aisle was so big, yet everything was so boring,” Ryan said.

Ryan and Lowry decided to create a brand of household cleaning products that would appeal to the fashion sensibilities of hip, young urbanites.

“Your house is this high-interest, high-emotion place, but the products people used for it were just commodities,” Ryan said. “We were the first ones to treat cleaning as cool. The category treats it as a chore, and to a lot of people it is a chore – but it’s also therapeutic, a ritual, with a sense of purpose to it. Method is very much about design, fragrance, the romance of it and trying to tie (cleaning) back to your home.”

They started working with exotic scents like cucumber, lavender and mandarin orange. They developed a sleek, uncluttered style for their bottles and labels. They looked for nontoxic, non-polluting ingredients, although they consciously decided not to market themselves as a “green” brand.

“There are plenty of eco-brands out there, but it’s a very small category,” Ryan said. “If you go out and call yourself a green cleaner, you’ll just steal shelf space from Seventh Generation.”

Their first product was an all-purpose spray cleaner. They drove around to local supermarkets, pitching it to store managers as they arrived at work at 6 a.m. Once they got a few placements, they conducted in-store demos themselves. They drove by the stores each week to count the bottles on the shelves and replace ones that had been purchased; their first week, they sold a total of four bottles of cleaner.

Ryan and Lowry eventually beefed up their capital by bringing in outside investors, including former Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Tim Koogle.

Their big break came with Target in 2002. Lowry and Ryan felt their approach would be a good fit with Target, which was coupling famous designers with affordable prices. So they contacted award-winning industrial designer Karim Rashid, known for bringing high-end design concepts to mundane items like wastebaskets.

Rashid designed what became Method’s signature product – a bottle of dish soap shaped like a chess pawn or bowling pin. It was built to let soap flow out the bottom of the bottle, so that users wouldn’t have to turn it upside down.

The design proved to have some glitches: Early versions didn’t close well and leaked all over store shelves. But it succeeded in putting Method on the map and getting them in the door at Target.

“Their idea on the packaging side was very novel and carved out a niche,” said Tom Vierhile, an analyst who tracks new products for a company called Datamonitor.

“It was quite polarizing,” said Method CEO Alastair Dorward, who had joined the company full time in 2001. “One group of customers thought it was groundbreaking. The other said, ‘That’s weird, I’ll go back to Dawn.’ ”

From there, Method expanded into products such as teardrop-shaped bottles of hand soap, ultra-concentrated laundry detergent, specialty cleaners for surfaces like leather and granite, and most recently, air fresheners and candles. Revenue shot from $156,000 in 2002 to $3.4 million in 2003, according to Felicia McClain, a research analyst with Mintel International.

In many categories, Method’s growth rate far outstrips its behemoth competitors.

For instance, Method’s dishwasher detergent sales grew by 28.5 percent over the past year, even though overall sales for that category grew by less than 2 percent, according to Information Resources Inc., a Chicago research firm. Method’s sales of liquid hand soap grew by 68 percent during that same period, while industry leader Softsoap grew by just 12.8 percent.

But the risk of basing a brand on iconoclastic design is that design can be easily copied. And competitors did start adopting some of Method’s innovations, such as the eclectic scents and the ultra-concentrated detergent.

Emulation by larger, long-established competitors is only one of the challenges currently confronting Method. The company also faces the growth of private label or “house” brands, one of the biggest trends in the cleaning product arena.

“Private label brands have grown so much, to a point where you have premium upscale private label brands,” McClain said. “That will be huge competition for years to come.”

do yourself a favor...

...and rent this movie! Wait, why is Nathan talking about movies on method lust? It makes no sense! Do they clean with method products in the movie? Well, no. Does method do some snappy product placement in this movie? Again, erm, no.

But listen... the movie is called "Year of The Dog", and it features Molly Shannon. Don't even get me started on Molly Shannon. I just love her to death. She's just so great! So that's what got me to rent this movie tonight, her. But the movie itself is just so amazing! You have to watch it. I'm not even going to go into it. Let's just say, I found myself replacing dogs with method (I'm SO not joking), and it felt like my life. Especially the ending... wow. Maybe it meant a whole lot more to me than it will you, but I think if you're an animal luster (and isn't method a big part of that world, too!) AND you think a little out of the norm (uh, yeah, and I repeat, isn't method a big part of that world, too!) you owe yourself to see this movie.

You'll really get it when you see it. So go, rent it! What are you waiting for? Oh, ok, well after that, go!

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(But, PS - speaking of method IN the movies, method luster Kari wrote me to say: "I was watching the movie "What Happens in Vegas" and I thought I noticed one of the characters using Method products during the movie. I was just wondering if you knew anything about this and if they are actually using it. I am not too sure if it is in there or not but I thought I recognized the awesomely stylish bottles. If it was Method, the products that I think I saw were the cleaning wipes and I believe the all purpose cleaner. The scene that I am mainly talking about is when one of the characters (Joy) moves in with her Vegas hubby and starts freaking out because of the lack of cleanliness."

Can anyone verify this? Let me know, or drop me a screenshot and I'll add it to method lust! Thanks!)

twitter-iffic!

method's gone twitter crazy! You can now check out method on their "methodtweet" twitter! I've actually added it to the side bar here on method lust, so you can keep up with all the twitter greatness method has to say! Check it out in the side bar, right before the method profiles listings! Tweet away! (Yeah, I have no idea what that means either, but it sounded cute and good, so I used it, ok? Maybe we could start a new slang! Instead of saying goodbye, we could say Tweet away! Or, or, maybe instead of saying have fun! We could say Tweet away! Yeah, ok, I didn't really think it was a good idea either.)

...Tweet away!

all washed up?

UPDATE method "development dude" Fritz dropped a comment letting us know:

"No Smarty Dish demise, folks. Info from Target as of today is that they are pleased with the product. There *are* some endcaps going away though."

Colleen Reilly let's us know that while smarty dish cubes are alive and well, if your Target is discontinuing the product, there is a slight possibility that particular store may not carry the item after the discontinued product is gone.

Great news as far as I'm concerned (minus Target randomly discontinuing and not carrying!) Yay! Thanks Fritz for the udpate! In the meantime, run out and pick up some cheap cubes!

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Ok, what is going on here? method lust reader and ever vigilant Netta sent me an email today letting me know the new method smarty dish cubes were on clearance at Target.

Yes, you read right, clearance! So, having no life, er, I mean wanting to stay up on all things method, I ran out to Target to check the damage myself. And there they were, still on the end caps proudly displaying their dish cleaning debut, only with giant Target clearance stickers on them. (Ok, they weren't really giant stickers, but they felt like it!)

This is exactly what happened with the first dish cubes! (Well, even THEY lasted longer than the smarty dish!) They were at Target for a while, then poof, gone. No more cubes. I just can't believe Target didn't even give them a chance. I'm hoping my local grocery stores will/are carrying them, as they tend to carry the dish soap, and laundry items. Otherwise, like many other method products, we'll only have method's site to make our further smarty dish purchases.

I'm seriously thinking up a Target mass email challenge. I'll post more on it later. It's time we were heard! In the meantime, I'd run out and pick up your cubes before they're so long, goodbye. Netta's Target already has them on second clearance, while mine is only on first.

PS - I really think method needs to plow forward with getting their products into more stores. Target used to really rock, and while they still sorta do, they seem very "eh" towards method's stuff for the most part (well, that's my own personal opinion, at least.) I guess as time goes by, and people become more green, they'll be able to get more of a foot hold in other stores; but for now it's just sad to see a product get discontinued at Target, because many times that means it's not long for this world (at least from past experiences.) Let's hope that's not the case with the smarty dish cubes, for sure!

But I'm just hoping other stores start carrying more of a full line, instead of the "this and thats" many of them currently do. I have to laugh sometimes, at how many options for shopping and stores we have available today, and yet how watered down, and "everyone sells the same stuff they know everyone else will buy" we get faced with each time we go shopping. If I want my frickin' Dawn dish soap, guess what Target, I can get it in about nine zillion other stores. This is the freakin' land oh plenty and giant buildings full of "buy me, buy me's" (sadly!) Variety should be the spice of life, not the occasional exception to the rule. (freakin' AND frickin', all in one post! Yes! Am I a little bitter? I can't tell...)

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In slightly positive Target news, they currently have the hand washes, and moisture body wash line (olive leaf, almond flower, and white tea) on sale! As well as the baby + kids squeaky green body line. The hand wash varies (refills and regular bottles) between a quarter to fifty cents savings; but the body wash line gets a big sale! They currently have the $7.49 body line down to the same price as the new marine naturals line. All baby + kids, body wash, and bar soap is currently priced at $5.99 for the sale! Run out and pick some up!

at the office

My work office is kind enough to actually let me bring candles into work if I so wish. (As long as I watch it REAL well.) We're a really small company, and it's one of the odd perks I get to have. A candle at work! I lust me some candles! (In fact, I currently have a method fig candle at work. I'm always bringin' my method candles with me!)

I've also managed to sneak in some method lavender hand wash, and put it in the bathroom. They are really big into "whatever's cheap", which usually equates to nasty Soft Soap sitting in there. So in one of the two bathrooms we have, I replaced it out with my method lavender! I've even refilled it twice when it went empty. I know it's on my own buck, but hey, it brings me enjoyment throughout the day. Wait, is that like, really sad? I mean, my daily enjoyment is coming from hand wash? Hmm, let's just move on from here, ok. Nothing to see...

So here's my question! Have you integrated any method into your work office? What's on your desk? method hand lotion? (I even brought in some old school method signature scent (otherwise known as sweet water, at least it smells exactly the same to me) hand lotion from their first lotions line WAY back when, and let a female co-worker put it in the women's bathroom. So I guess it's still there, don't really have a way to find out. I also brought in some lavender hand lotion from the same line, and left it on my desk for a while. It finally went back home with me, but it might make a return trip now that colder weather is on the way!) Let us know if you've methodized your work space/office!

what the?!

Traveling to Florida this weekend, I got my best friend to stop on by their local Big Lots. ALWAYS lookin' for a method find, I just had to go, you know? And what did I find! Wow! Well, take a look at the pic above. I had literally just ran out of my old method free + clear dryer sheets, and was waiting for the new wet dry go naked sheets to hit Target; when I found a box of the free + clear at his Big Lots! Score!

Then we were roaming around the health care aisles, and I think I literally did a "what the?!" double take as I spied TWO, not one, but TWO bottles of vintage method lavender + thyme body wash! This stuff has been discontinued forever! This was method's first foray into body washes. I lusted this stuff! Unfortunately, sniff sniff, one of the lids was cracked, and wouldn't stay tightly on the bottle. SO, wanting to save my suitcase from exploding method body wash bottles, I opted to only purchase the one good bottle, and had to leave the other bottle behind. Not unlike those horror flicks you see where one of your really good friends trips over a twig, breaking their leg, while the bad guy is running after you with his machete; and you attempt to save your friend, but he yells to you "Go! Run! Save yourself, it's too late for me..." Well, that's what it felt like, leaving that one lone sad broken bottle of rare method body elixir behind.

Really! I know, maybe a tad over dramatic, ok? But JUST a tad.

method's feelin'

method home's updated their "feeling" statement at the top left side of their site. It now says:

"method is in the Windy City. we're detoxing Chicago. - come and check us out!"

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Also on their method home site, the smarty dish cubes have been added to their store, and are a focus on their home page!

go go golf

Seems Park(ing) Day was a big success! method posted a wrap up of the festivities over on their people against dirty blog!

"Last Friday we set out to build our own mini park in downtown SF and Chicago's Lincoln Park in honor of National Park(ing) Day. The day started off early and by days end we had built a park with a mini putt-putt course and a spot to kick up your heels and relax. In the end, we made new friends who stopped to putt or chat with us and were even visited by a few local reporters who helped us spread the word that we need more green spaces in urban cities. We had a blast and already can't wait for Park(ing) Day 2009!"




Check out this great video they've compiled, showing them getting ready for the big day!

Drummond Lawson is in the front, sitting on the ground. And I'm NOT sure, but is that The Great Sarah! sitting behind him? Hmm... I think it might be! (With even more method folks in the background, enjoying the fun!)

Head on over to people against dirty to see pics from Chicago's Park(ing) Day, as well as many more from San Fran! (And check out those pics to see them using those big Costco hand wash refill bottles as decor throughout the putt-putt course! Ingenious!)

squeaky savings

method luster Netta has let me know about two specials she discovered method is currently running on their method home site!

The first is called the watersaver bundle for $20, and contains a bottle of the new squeaky green laundry detergent (sweet water), lil' bowl blu, pink grapefruit dish soap, and sea minerals hand wash!

The second is the baby bundle, where you can save 20% off! This package contains squeaky green body wash, body lotion, bubbly bath, and diaper cream. All in rice milk + mallow scent! Yum!

Pick'em up while they last! Thanks Netta!

chicago!

Fresh pics from Chicago's detox pop-up shop, straight from method! Check'em out! If you happen to stop by the shop, snap a couple pics and send them method lust's way, I'd love to post them! Thanks!

fall-ing for method

Have you seen the new aircare reed diffusers yet? They should have hit your local Target by now. They've added vanilla apple to the line, and everytime I see the packaging, it reminds me of Fall. Glorious Fall. The color is just spot on. Mmm. Lust it!

What do you think of the new egg shaped sans neck vases? I think they're great! Even MORE minimal, if that was possible. I have yet to pick one up, but I know there's a lavender + lemongrass with my name on it.

Speaking of Fall...

I haven't forgotten. Look at all those glorious aircare gingerbread spice products! Yum! And apparently sad Target has decided not to carry the line this year. (Right now you can purchase all except for the aroma spray on method home.) I'm working to dig up a little more information concerning where else these special edition products may become available (either online, or in other stores?)

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Mini-rant. I LOVE method to freakin' death, but really, they gotta work something out with their online store. $10 for a candle! We already think they're pricey in the store, but you have to pay an extra dollar (for most things) to order it "directly" from method, and that excludes shipping. It really prevents me from making purchases from their site. You would think it'd be cheaper, simply because you're suppposedly taking out the middle man. Right? I think they need to step up to the plate, and really figure out how to solve some of their online pricing "issues." (Wow, that sounded down right bossy, now didn't it! Whew! Ha!) I hear lots of grumbling from all over the internet-osphere about how their online prices and shipping charges are so steep. I bet if they changed this up, they'd see a huge increase in their shopping traffic. Hmm...

moment of lust - lil' bowl blu + le scrub

Ooh, I have this great new idea! (Ok, well, it's great to me.)

I'm gonna post a moment of lust every other week. At the end of the second week, I'll repost the previous moment, and have everyone give their results after using the product! The product, you ask? Yes, I'm gonna recommend a method product I just think you MUST go pick up now, now, now, and give it a try! Just the stuff I totally lust! That way you might give a certain product a try that you were wishy-washy on up until now (and trust me, I understand wishy-washy. I can spend fifteen minutes in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. Now that's some wishy-washy!)

The first moment of lust just happens to be lil' bowl blu, and le scrub. Don't worry, you don't have to buy them both! Just one or the other (unless you just feel like going crazy! Then get them both!) Seriously here, I'm loving some lil' bowl blu. It's SO easy to clean the toilet now, and it actually does smell spa fresh (and I'm gonna be really honest here, I'm not a fan of eucalytus mint, OR beach sage. Which is what this two products are scented with; a combination of both. But for some reason, I like the scent these products leave behind! It's great! Uh, but don't ask me why I like the combination, but not the separate scents. I'm weird, ok. Wait, we already knew that. A long time ago...)

Even better, the other day I had to do some definite touching up of the bathtub, so I grabbed my le scrub and went to work. Mind you, it's more work than spraying some Big Brand cleaner on your tub, walking away and letting it clean it for you. But then you still have your lungs left with the method le scrub, and again, it smells great! And it's not that difficult at all (ask a lazy person, ME!) And I finished the tub, and was really impressed that it was actually working! It was only the second time I had cleaned with the le scrub, and I really walked away surprised at the results this time.

So I'm asking you to give these two (either one, or both!) products a try, if you haven't already! Run out, pick the product up, and give it two weeks to try! Then, come on back on September 30th, and I'll repost this moment of lust and we'll see what everyone thought! Like the idea? Think you'll join in on the fun?

On your mark, get set, clean!

method profiles - louise roper

method profiles. That's what this here is. It sure is. What a grand ole' chance to get to learn all about your swell method guys and gals! Yes'siree! Why am I talking like this? I don't know. I'm listening to Big Band vinyl as I write this (so not joking! It rocks!) So there's your answer, folks. Sort of. Put your hands together for the one, the only, Louise Roper!

1+ Your name, please? And do you have a nickname at method?
Louise Kjellerup Roper (no nickname – have refused to have one, ever)

2+ What was your first method lust?
oMop juice (wood floor cleaner)

3+ What brought you to method, the company? (How did you become interested in a career with method?)
I decided I wanted to work for a truly ‘good’ company but also one where I’d have the ability to stretch my abilities and do truly amazing stuff – in a narrow job sense but also for the World as a whole – not many companies fit that bill.

4+ What is your title/dept. at method, and what is it you do there? How long have you been with method?
Ripple maker for international team based in London
I cover mainly influencer marketing – so our advocates here in Europe, as well as the PR and events. But we are only two ‘marketing’ people on this side of the pond so we pretty much work together on all marketing.

5+ What is the biggest thing you are currently doing, besides using method products, to help out the environment?
teaching the next generation a.k.a. my three children to be mindful of the environment – and that means setting a good example in everything from using washable nappies through making seriously energy efficient home improvements and cycling rather than taking the car.

6+ Who's the last person you've turned onto method?
An elderly neighbour I help do the shopping for – I gave her pink grapefruit she is now converting her family and friends.

7+ Which one best describes you as a person? Pink Grapefruit, French Lavender, Cucumber, or Go Naked?
I aspire to be like Cucumber – fresh and light but probably I really am a Go Naked – it is easy to see right through me.

Thanks Louise!

Be sure to check back most Wednesdays (minus lazy weeks) for the next method profile! And be sure to catch up on previous method profiles by selecting from the sidebar list!

study: some water bottles linked to diabetes

Here at method lust, I like to not only bring you the latest and greatest from our favorite company in the ENTIRE world, method (you guessed that one, didn't you?) But I also like to bring you (did I finish that first sentence? I don't think I actually did. My English teachers would be SO disappointed in me. I mean, how many, incorrect, commas do I use in my posts, anyway? Like, a lot.) Uhm, ok, I like to also bring you environmental and health news, cause hey, that's what method is ALSO all about! And I did mention a while back (part of the plastic bag + paper towel challenge. AH, you thought I'd forgotten about that one, didn't you? Didn't you? Yes, you did.) Bottled water. Those single serving bottles! But alas, I'll hold off on that one. This one is possibly slightly more serious.

"by Lauren Cox - ABC News Medical Unit
An ubiquitous ingredient in plastics has been linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults, according to a study being released today, heightening concerns about the widespread use of the chemical BPA.

A new study has found a link between BPA, a chemical found in some water bottles, and medical disorders, such as diabetes.

Otherwise known as bisphenol A, BPA is the chemical once studied as a synthetic form of estrogen, but more recently known to leach out of some plastic water bottles and baby bottles, and that is found in all kinds of plastic products.

"We're talking about pacifiers, sippy cups, spoons, the bath toys, the chew toys ... everything," said Sommer Poquette, mother of two toddlers and author of the blog Green and Clean Mom.

"It's hard to get a BPA-free product," said Poquette.

The concerns of people like Poquette will likely be heightened by a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association in which researchers found a connection between BPA and diabetes and heart disease in adults. Scientists reviewed the health of 1,455 American adults and found that people with higher concentrations of BPA in their urine were slightly more likely to have heart disease and diabetes.

The researchers also estimate that most Americans are exposed to a higher level of BPA each day than the current Environmental Protection Agency recommendation.

In an accompanying editorial, Frederick S. vom Saal and John Peterson Myers take the government to task, asking the United States and Europe to follow Canada's lead and regulate BPA.

"The FDA and the European Food Safety Authority have chosen to ignore warnings from expert panels and other government agencies and have continued to declare BPA 'safe,'" wrote the authors.

The release of the study comes on the same day that the Food and Drug Administration's Science Board will have an open meeting about BPA.

Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman for the FDA, said the meeting is being held "in part, to listen to comment from the public." However, members of the medical profession and the public are already at odds over what to do with the information.

Avoid BPA, Label BPA, or Just Study It

"If this does not close the door on the use of BPA in consumer products, I don't know what will," said Dr. John Spangler, professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Until now, Spangler said the most well-known research done on BPA confirmed that the chemical could damage rats and monkeys. But those studies could only hint at danger in people, since humans may process BPA differently than animals.

On that current evidence, the FDA decided in April of this year to not label BPA as dangerous.

"At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while the agency continues its safety assessment process," Kwisnek said.

While today's JAMA study was one of the largest BPA studies done in humans, it could only provide convincing circumstantial evidence that, where high levels of BPA lurked, so do diabetes and poor heart health. The study's authors wrote that their work could not definitively prove that BPA had a part in causing the diseases.

For some scientists, that's not enough to convince them that governments should begin regulating BPA in products.

"This type of research is valuable to point to potential toxins in the environment -- only further studies will confirm if this is a concern or not," said Dr. Gordon Ewy, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Ariz.

However, Spangler and other doctors don't agree with the cautious watch and wait approach when it comes to chemicals.

"There has always been an argument, similar to the tobacco companies' arguments, that a link between this product and adverse health outcomes 'has not been proven,'" Spangler said.

Stanford University School of Medicine professor of health research and policy, Dr. John Farquhar, agreed.

"Cigarette use was not proven to be harmful through evidence gained via a randomized clinical trial -- the gold standard for proof in clinical medicine," said Farquhar. "But through numerous associative studies that were complemented by animal and cell culture studies.

"In issues of human safety, an agent which can be avoided and which has no redeeming features is 'guilty until proven otherwise,'" he said.

For many moms in Poquette's circle, that hint of danger was enough.

"It was actually a few years ago. My father told me not to use the plastic Advent baby bottles," said Poquette. "At first, I didn't believe him ... but you have to do some research and make some decisions of what is going to work for your family."

Once Poquette decided to avoid BPA, she discovered a trip to the grocery store became a lot more complicated. Manufacturers don't have to label goods that contain BPA unless the FDA requires it.

Labeling Danger

"I don't think you're going to get everything out, but you can take steps," said Poquette.

Step number one: Check with online advocates. Poquette recommends reading TheSoftLanding.com for information on products with BPA. Or, people at the store can just text the product into the Z-Recommends texting service and quickly learn whether a product contains BPA.

Step number two: Just eliminate products that are likely to have BPA.
"We have definitely have limited what we drink out of," Poquette said. Now, her family uses glass and stainless steel water bottles. "We just try to limit the canned food that we do buy and just eat as fresh as possible."

Regardless of whether the FDA will decide to regulate BPA, doctors say the practice of avoiding foods that come in plastic containers or plastic-lined cans may have even more important health implications than BPA exposure.

"Unfortunately, in this country, I don't think BPAs in food containers pose a fraction of the threat to heart health as most of the food products that they contain," said Dr. Daniel Edmundowicz, director of Cardiovascular Medicine at UPMC Passavant Hospital in Pittsburg, Pa.

"Said another way -- I think the BPAs in a container of butter pose less risk than than butter itself," Edmundowicz said."

park yourself!

This sounds like SO much fun! If you happen to be in San Francisco, OR Chicago, why not run on over and have some Park(ing) Day fun! What's Park(ing) Day, you ask? It's not on your calendar, along with all the other holidays? Hmm. Might wanna get another calendar. BUT, until then, I'll let you in on the secret!

"PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, global event centered in San Francisco where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

It's all in part to spread the word (without actually saying a word, really) that we need more parks and open spaces in urban cities.

On Sept 19, we'll be participating in Park(ing) Day with parking spots in both San Francisco and Chicago (right in front of our "Detox Chicago" pop-up shop). Our temporary green spaces are sure to be temporary slices of leisurely heaven, placed right amongst the bustle of downtown. Since the spot is only temporary, we're also working to make sure that none of our materials will go wasted at the end of the day. All materials will be donated, recycled or reused afterwards. We haven't quite landed on a design just yet so be sure to tell us which Park(ing) Day design you like best below and we may, just may, pick that one to build.

If you're in either location that day, be sure to stop by, relax, chat with us or just enjoy the patch of green space. Oh and if you've got spare change, we may ask if you can break a buck or two.

What: Park(ing) Day
When: Friday, September 19
Where in SF: Front Street (@ Sacramento St): 7:00am - 6:00pm
Where in Chicago: 2034 N Halsted (@ W Armitage Ave): 7:00am - 6:00pm

You can read more about Park(ing) Day here!

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And check out that totally awesome putting green you see in the pic above, with the 19th hole in the shape of method's iconic dish soap bottle! You can head on over to people against dirty, and vote for your favorite park design! (I vote mini golf!) If it wins, be sure to go hit a few with the method folks! (Golf balls, not dish soap bottles, or method folks. But really, why would you want to hit method folks? They rock!)

green office

Alright. Here's my ten second rant. Ready? (You're always reading for me to rant, now aren't you? If not, well, I feel really sorry, cause ok, I rant a lot. A LOT.) Anyway, check this out. So I get called into a co-worker's office the other day. I'm standing behind his computer while he's showing me some work he's done, and I look down beneath his desk at the trash can, and it's FILLED with not only trash, but tons of empty plastic water bottles. I'm furious. I say out loud to him how I can't believe he has those in his trash, and didn't put them in the recycling can. LITERALLY ten steps from his desk. Right around the corner. We EVEN have an additional one in the kitchen. JUST in case he forgets the first one. His response:

"I'm much too lazy to get up and throw them in the recycling can." and laughs. I, do not laugh. (Lazy a** comes to MY mind, ya know?)

So, with that in mind, how about some great green hints for your office! (I've already replaced the nasty Big Brand hand wash with some wonderful method lavender wash (which I have to personally, out of my own pocket keep stocked. But it's a small pleasure I get to enjoy each time I wash my hands, so it's worth it! I also bring in an aircare candle every once in a while to burn around the day, but they're a picky, macho kind of group, so I can't get too many scents by them, yet!)

I lust many of these ideas from the Jolly Green Girl:

"Most of us work in an office environment, whether it be in a big high-rise or a home office. Aside from moving the office outside, there are things we all can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The office may not be the first place you think of, but when we spend so much time there it really should be. Here are some ideas to help get you started.

1. Set a nice plant on your desk. It will get you in touch with nature as you sit in fluorescent hell, and you will have a natural air filter that will clean the air you breathe in as it simultaneously produces more oxygen.

2. Power strips – Take advantage of that red button and turn off the strip when not in use. Even though your computers, desk lamps, printers, etc. are turned off, the power strip is still using a small amount of energy. Every bit helps!

3. Encourage your office to use a shredding company. Most will supply your office with a large locked bin where you put all paper into, they then pick it up and haul off to the mega-shredder.

4. Create an in-office recycling center if you don’t already have one. There are recycling companies that will even come to your office and pick it up every week. Even if it’s a simple cardboard box where everyone can throw unwanted papers, water bottles, and other recyclables into, it gives them a place to put it instead of their wastebasket.

5. While we’re on the subject of plastic water bottles, recycling connections tells us that 190 BILLION water bottles were thrown out in a year. This was a stat from 2003, so you can rest assured that it can only be higher now. Don’t even get me started on the barrels of oil it took to produce those bottles. Suggest that everyone go out and make a small investment in a fun water bottle that they can reuse every day. Maybe it would make a good Christmas exchange idea; draw names and each person buys a water bottle that signifies the personality of the user. Just a thought.

6.While you’re at it, bring in some dishes- If your building has a kitchen area that stores only paper plates, cups, and utensils, send out a memo requesting that everyone bring in a few dish items that they don’t use from home. This way the kitchen gets stocked with reusable dishes that everyone can enjoy. Side note: Try to stick with glass plates and bowls. Heating your food in plastic has been known to release cancer causing chemicals that can leach into your food. Why risk it?

7. Replace all the bulbs. Easy. Walk around and replace any regular light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).They use significantly less energy, yet work just as well.

8. Turn off the lights, turn off the lights

9. Switch to recycled paper- An estimated 40% of total waste in the United States is said to be made up of paper. Make the switch.

10. Have a bin or folder where you put paper after it’s been used on one side. You can use this paper for jotting down notes, etc. Making copies? Make them double-sided when you can.

11. Where are you getting your cup of java from? Make sure your company only purchases Fair Trade coffee and teas. Bring your own mug from home to drink that Fair Trade coffee and tea. I cringe when I see someone grab those disposable paper cups every morning.

12. Work together to create carpools and educate all employees on bus systems available to them in your area. Better yet, encourage your boss to consider working from home or flextime.

13. Don’t purchase new shipping and packaging materials; reuse, reuse, reuse. Saves money, too!

14. Place a small “green tip” suggestion box that allows any employee to add to these suggestions on how to add a little green to the office.
- Veronica Cannon"

personal detox!

Wow! You have GOT to run on over and check out this amazing opportunity Apartment Therapy is giving to one lucky reader!

"Does Your Chicago Home Need A Detox?

If so, then help is on the way - in the form of Danny Seo and Method. Are you ready to make the switch to earth friendly products to get your place really clean? Want to ditch the harsh detergents and discover some cool ways to live a bit lighter? How about learning how to do it from green-living expert Danny Seo, who will arrive at your home armed with a slew of cleaning products from Method? Well, AT has just that opportunity for one Chicago reader.

Danny Seo is coming to town as part of Method's big Chicago Detox event (9/15 - 10/12) and is hoping to visit the home of an Apartment Therapy reader to do a "detox". He'll show you (and us - we'll come along to cover it for the site) how to clean in a greener way and will leave behind a care package of Method products to help you keep up the good work afterwards.

We think it sounds fun (Danny is a great guy), educational (we can always go for some easy cleaning tips) and good for the earth (every little bit helps!) - if you agree, let us know!


Here are a few requirements:

+ We need your home to be located in Chicago - locals only for this opportunity, please.

+ We need you to be available for the "detox" on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 7th, to fit Danny's schedule - no exceptions, sorry.


To be considered for the opportunity, please send the following by email to janel@apartmenttherapy.com by Friday, 9/19.

+ a photo of your place
+ your name
+ location in town
+ confirmation that you are available on the afternoon of Tuesday, 10/7
+ a short message on why you'd love to do the detox with Danny

After we collect all the submissions, we'll make a final decision and notify the lucky "detox-ee". Thanks!

Good luck! Let me know if you try out for this! I'm so jealous! (One more exclamation point! There, all done.)

the good chef speaks

We've been having quite a bit of discussion concerning the new method aircare candles as of late, and I had the privilege of receiving an email from method's good chef, Ryan Williams, to try and explain their original thinking a little bit more:

"I was reading some of the feedback that folks had provided on the candles...

... the fact is that the new glass candle form was a fun challenge for our green chefs. They were working with multiple new parts, including our new veggie only renewable wax, new fragrances, and the new cool shape from our industrial design group. Our development philosophy was to first ensure that the flame didn't get too tall and the glass wouldn't become too hot to touch. With these safety considerations in mind we then tried to reach 100% wax consumption and are admittedly falling a little short.

It was cool to see how creative everyone is about using every little last drop of wax! I especially love the remelting in the Aroma Bead ceramic. And our idea was that the glass bowl makes a pretty cool place to store spare change on your dresser."

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Ya know, seriously I don't think we (well, at least me! I'll just speak for myself here) even realize what steps go into something as "simple" as a candle, or any method product for that matter! I still hope that down the line they will revisit this new candle design, and work to improve the issues they're now aware of. I think a lot of times that's why we see continual stages with method products. They're always striving to improve upon themselves, and their previous versions. While this definitely causes some issues where stability comes into play with their product lines, I also feel it provides for better products! Will this be the last iteration of method candles we see, definitely not (I mean, we're sorta on version four now!)

So while none of us like to be, at times perhaps, a companies own "personal quality control" in a sense, I think that's also what makes method lust so great! method does read what we say here, and takes in how we feel about a certain product/fragrance/idea. And how many Big Brand companies can you say that about? So while the candle situation isn't perfect at this moment (and personally I think a price reduction at least down to the original Karim ceramic candle pricing would help out a lot, as I think many of us feel like perhaps we got a less "completely usable" product, with a higher sticker price.) I can also bet you that the next new candle iteration will have fixed these issues we are currently having!

Until then we can keep coming up with more fun, creative ways to use up the remaining wax, like that ceramic burner idea! Do you have any ideas? (And I definitely think with the new candle I get, I'm going to try Robert's idea, and buy a few of the metal inserts that hold the wicks in place when I re-melt and pour the remaining candle wax. I think that's why my last attempt failed! I'll let you know how it goes!)

Whew, such a serious post! Don't mess with method lusters when it comes to their prized aircare candles, right? Right!

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Another note, it appears (from information luster Robert has let us know) that the new fall edition gingerbread + spice candles will NOT be carried in Target stores. I'll see what more information I can get concerning this. Poo! I was so looking forward to those. I guess we'll have to be happy with the pomegranate tea fall edition candle for the time being. Which rocks! So that won't be too hard.

I bet this is what happened to method's spring/summer line of fresh lychee and cut grass aircare products. It appeared online, but never showed up on Target's shelves; only to appear in Big Lots stores months later on clearance. I bet Target decided to not carry those as well. Target just gets on my nerves sometimes! Grr! Seriously, we should consider doing an email deluge concerning our desire that they carry all method products! (Including a lot of people saying that the marine naturals line has STILL not made it to their stores. I'm not sure what that one is about?) What do you think? Email deluge?

chicago, chicago!

I told you it was coming! method detox is hitting Chicago! (Not Charlotte. sniff.) So Chicagoans rejoice! Look for it's arrival on September 15th, and sticking around til October 10th! The address? 2034 North Halsted! The retail shop is open to the public from 11 am - 8 pm daily.

In the evenings, Chicago-based "method mavens" host private parties in the shop that educate and inspire guests while promoting healthy cleaning and living habits. The parties include eco-projects led by green living experts Danny Seo and Sophie Uliano; "sustainable sip" organic cocktail-mixing classes and an evening with Chicago area design students hosted by method's designers, Josh Handy and Nate Pence.

As I receive more information, I'll let you know! If you stop by, be sure to take some pics and send them my way for all to see! Thanks!

one man review - marine naturals hand wash

Continuing my (partial) week of new product reviews, last time I focused on the new marine naturals body wash line! I thought the body wash worked great, while the new refresh mint scent didn't hold up to the old green mint bloq scent, and didn't linger on your freshly cleaned body after a shower, again, unlike the green mint.

So this review is going to hit the hand wash portion of their new marine naturals line. method has started this thing where, when they release a body wash scent, they tend to also release a matching hand wash scent to go along with it. And that is what they've done here, with sea minerals, waterflower, and refresh mint.

Ok, here's where Nathan loses it? Are you ready? (You knew it was going to happen sooner or later, right?) I received a hefty trial of the foaming hand wash in refresh mint. (Speaking of trials and samples, I recall Colleen mentioning that samples for the new products would be rolling out! I wonder how those are doing? We are a greedy bunch, aren't we! But Whoo! samples! I can't wait!) Anyway, I'm not a foaming hand wash kind of guy. (Shocking, I know.) Eh, I don't know, the foaming hand wash just doesn't cut it for me. I feel like I have to wash my hands twice for some reason, cause it's this light foamy stuff that isn't as GRR as the gel hand wash. Don't ask me, I know LOTS of people that lust the stuff, so I'm in the minority. Ok, but what I loved was, every time I'd use the foaming hand wash, the scent of refresh mint would linger wonderfully on my hands! Mmm! Great, great, great!

Then I bought the body wash. And it didn't linger. Hmm? How very odd? But the foaming hand wash does? Hmm? Well, the minute I run out of foaming hand wash, I'm going to buy some gel, cause gel is the way I go!

And I did. And it works great as a hand wash, just like all the rest. Nothing to complain about at all! BUT (ok, one thing?) the scent doesn't linger. Just like the body wash? Is this a gel issue? Has Nathan really lost it? What's going on here? Does the foaming hand wash somehow hold onto the scent better? Could it be that double washing I was doing? LOL Who knows? (Nathan is SURE hung up on lingering scents, let me tell you! What is his deal? Geesh!) Anyway. I found it odd.

So here's the thing, I'm giving it a 4.5 out of five, cause it works great, as all their hand washes do! But again, I wish the refresh mint scent lingered longer. As for the foaming hand washes, I have yet to see them hit the Target stores, while the gels have been out for a little while.

OH, and one other thing, I don't know why I feel this way, but the previous waterflower scent in the bloq line was nice, clean, light; but just alright. And even in the marine naturals body wash, it's just alright. But everytime I go to smelling the gel hand wash in waterflower, I just go MMM! I love it! I think I might have to get some in the gel hand wash!

Don't ask me, I've really got issues. Or a very sensitive nose... who knows?

why so smart?

Did you get your email recently from method? It was chock full of goody information, including their new smarty dish cubes! In case you missed out on the email, you can also read up on it on their people against dirty blog!

"Here at Method there’s a bunch of stuff we like: happy hours, pretty colors and smells, innovative ideas … the list goes on. And as you know, there’s also stuff we don’t like. Phosphates and chlorine bleach are two of those things. They are also two ingredients – especially phosphates – that a lot of other companies include in their dishwasher detergents.

When we introduced you to Lil’ Bowl Blu, our toilet bowl cleaner, back in February, we told you a little bit about phosphates. Phosphates in our water supply contribute to algal blooms, which deprive fish and other water dwellers of needed oxygen. That’s dirty. Two counties in Washington banned the use of phosphates this year, with the rest to follow in 2010, and many other states are looking into the issue as well.

So to answer our own question, Smarty Dish is smart – no, brilliant! – because it gets the job done in your dishwasher without anything nasty you don’t want dirtying up our water supply. It comes in pre-measured tablet doses that fit neatly in your dishwasher’s detergent compartment, so no more worrying about the dreaded “overpour.”

And speaking of smart, Smarty Dish passed quite a few tests before we decided that it made the grade..."

Head on over to read the rest!

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And speaking of smarty dish, the go naked ones FINALLY made it to my Target! (They've had the pink grapefruit for a while, now!) Yay! (I say yay a lot, don't I? Yay!)

mashup method

Has anyone else noticed this as of late? If you head over to method's site, and view the "browse all" items listing, you get this mashup of all the method products (see pic above.) I swear I recall them being in proper order previously (laundry detergents, candles, aircare, etc.) But now it's a candle, then a laundry detergent, a t-shirt, etc. Really odd?

What does everyone think of this? Does it make it more fun to shop on method's site, or more confusing? I realize if you select a specific room/area, or scent/color, things get a little less WHEE! But I usually like to view it as "browse all" so I can easily see everything that is available? Perhaps it's something they're still working on?

Thoughts?

method's feelin'

method home's updated their "feeling" statement at the top left side of their site. It now says:

"method is feeling squeaky. clean that is! we just launched the first of our new squeaky green laundry line. click here to check out the newest kid on the block."

So you can now purchase the new laundry detergent on their site! Yay! Though it looks like the wet dry sheets haven't made it there yet. (Perhaps they're holding off on the launch, and adding some wonderful scents to the line (since right now it's only sweet water, or go naked. Ok, I know that's not what's happening, but I can dream, can't I? Lavender + Juniper, I lust you!)

I have yet to see these new items showing up at Target. If you happen to see them come your way, let me know! Until then, you can pick'em up on method's site, or HSN! (Looks like the HSN thing was a limited time offer, they're gone.)

doin' the depot?

Could Office Depot be the (for a short time) hot new method spot? Could be!

A friend of mine called me a while back to let me know he's seen these small bottles of method cleaning spray at an Office Depot he had gone to earlier. I realized they carried a very limited supply of method items, but had never actually checked it out for myself. At first I was thinking it was probably the wood for good, or stainless steel cleaner. BUT, what if it wasn't? What if it was leftover holiday mini-sprays? Hmm! I thought... but forgot about it.

Until today, when I had to do a quick run to Office Depot for work, and quickly took a peek to see if this store (not the same one my friend had mentioned) was carrying any method? Tada! In fact, they have an entire little area blocked off, sort of Target style, just for method! I was so impressed! But mixed in with the mostly normal method items is what really shocked me. Old version two bottles of dish soap? Those have been discontinued for quite a while! But even MORE shocking? A brand new, in the box, never before opened aircare aroma capsule! In grapefruit + pear! With ONE refill, sitting so nicely in it's refill box, all alone, right next to the capsule. I mean, HOW long have those been discontinued? Fo'ever! And apparently Office Depot knows this, cause it was $10.99! I'm thinking they were charging vintage antique pricing for this method item! I jest, I jest...

Anyway, when you get a chance check out your local Office Depot! You may just be surprised what method goodness you find hidden away there! I don't think they've ever discontinued an item. They just wait for it to sell, or there it sits (waiting for US to find it!) Go!

hsn movin'em out!

more spray, less dribble

Ok, so believe it or not, I've gotten a few questions concerning the new aroma spray bottles. While we lust the new o-ring design, a small problem is occurring:

"Hey, Nathan I bought one of the aroma sprays last week and every time I spray it, it leaks from around the top part. Have you or anyone else had that experience or did I just get a bum bottle?"

and

"Hey Nathan, I just wanted to know if anyone has mentioned anything to you about the aroma sprays leaking. I purchased vanilla apple, pomegranate, lavendar lemongrass, and citrus cilantro. They all leak when I spray them around my home. The leaking comes from under the neck of the ring. At first I thought that maybe the ones that I have are defective, but all 4 of them? Not sure what the problem is, but I am not enjoying that every time I spray my home I have to wash the leaking fluid off of my hands."

Fortunately, it's not a faulty bottle. Unfortunately, in method's grand reach for all things wonderfully designed, sometimes small issues get missed. In this case, it's not really a big deal, though the new bottle rings do require a little "learning curve."

Here's the thing. (I'll TRY to explain it as good as I can. I'm such a bad explainer, you know?) You might want to watch the bottle as you spray, and see what I'm saying (of course not directly watch, or you'll spray in your face! Moreso to the side.) When you press down on the nozzle, also pull your finger back slightly while pressing, so the nozzle is pointing more up, and spray. If you try this, then try pressing down the nozzle, and pointing the nozzle down a little, you should immediately see the spray hit the ring neck, and drip over it a little. That's what is happening here. Hence, you think it's leaking. I had this happen to me the first time I used it, and went "well this blows. I don't want that every time." But just worked with my spray angle, and haven't had a problem since.

Just remember, it's not the CAN that you adjust, it's just the little trigger nozzle. Again, press nozzle, pull your finger back slightly while pressing, so the nozzle is pointing more up, and spray. Tada! No more drip! (Unless that no good boyfriend of yours is still living in your apartment rent free. Tell him to get a job, or move out! Drip!)

method gets down and dirty

Over on people against dirty, method's oh-fish-e-al (now THAT takes talent!) blog, they've been helping out,and cleaning up!

"If you ever have the chance to visit method or talk to one of its employees, one of the first things you might notice is a heightened level of passion that its employees have, not only for products they create, but also the values they share. Values like sustainability and environmental stewardship to name of a few, but also social responsibility.

So striking is this notion of doing good that a small group formed (informally at first) around the idea of identifying charities to which we as an organization could give. The group became known as Ecomaniacs (a slight misnomer since many of our projects are oriented around social good, not just eco-intiatives).

Last week, the method Ecomaniacs set out to sponsor a volunteer day around cleaning up a local Compass Community Services family shelter. Compass is an organization in San Francisco which provides emergency shelter for homeless families for up to 6 months until permanent housing can be found. So, 46 method people against dirty shut our laptops and took a day to clean, repaint and even install some new furniture at the Compass shelter. We did leave a skeleton crew back at the office because, well... someone’s gotta mind the fort.

After a long, rewarding day of hard work, we realized that every now and again it’s good for a soap company to get its hands a little dirty."

Head on over to their blog to check out tons more pics from the big day!

one man review - marine naturals body wash

Yesterday I reviewed the aroma pill nightlight, and pronounced it a rousing success! (What does that mean, anyway? Rousing? I gotta go look that up sometime. SOMEtime.) Today we're hitting up the new method body wash line, marine naturals. The line comes in waterflower, sea minerals, and refresh mint. For this review I'm doing the refresh mint. (It also comes in a body scrub, but unfortunately I have yet to purchase that. Anyone out there who has, and would lust writing a review, email it to me! And I'll post it! No, I'm serious! Real serious! Not that fake wishy-washy serious, but real real like!)

Ok, I'm gonna fess up, I think this review is going to be slanted. lol HEY, I admit it anyway. Why? Cause I really did love some bloq green mint body wash (the ten backup bottles hiding in my method vault should reveal that one just a little, eh?) But I got a nice sample of the refresh mint foaming hand wash before the line hit (hand wash will be reviewed separately, by the way... so hold on to those pants!) and while the scent was different, I did like it a lot. More of a mojito/spearmint touch to it, over the more bold mint the green mint scent gave off. And it lasted on my hands every time I washed them, so mmm!

That's where this body wash sorta falls short. It's the same scent, but with the bloq body wash, an hour later I still smelled like I had washed with green mint (cause I'd walk around and smell my arms a lot. Yeah, it's weird. I'm weird. But I smelled like green mint, so it was a definite good weird.) But with the new refresh mint, the scent doesn't linger. It's gone before I step out of the shower. And I sniff twice over that one, cause I wanna smell all minty all night long!

But is that what a body wash is, the fragrance? Well, no! For ME, yes. Ha ha! But for most, know. Does it clean well, I sure do think it does! Does it lather well, I bet I'd say it does, too! Some with eczema and itchy skin have even said it's helped them out! Perhaps it's the natural salt contained within the wash (a whopping 97% purifying sea salt, to be exact!) The bottle is dang cute, I've gotten use to the flip top (though I still think my squeeze bottom as a top would work perfectly! Seriously, squeeze hole (yeah, that just doesn't sound right, but go with it, ok?) on the top. Then all you gotta do is grab bottle, flip over, squeeze, and go. No dripping! Oh, I'm so good, so good. And the new scrub has a similar styled squeeze tube mechanism to it. I checked it out in the store. "Please don't squeeze the method!" Hey, I think that tagline is available, guys!)

So here's the thing. I'd give the body wash, as a body wash, a big ole 4.5 out of five! It works great! And I'd give the body wash fragrance a three, simply because I think green mint was a better mint smell, AND because it just doesn't linger like the previous body wash scents did. Perhaps the sea minerals or the waterflower does, though? I have yet to try those, as well.

Ok, tomorrow, we rassle up some hand wash! What will I think? Different than the body wash? Or the same? Stay tuned! Dum-dum-da-DUM! I know, you're falling off your chair in anticipation, really, I know...