Friday, October 31, 2008

squeaky green: the method men

The Times Online UK has a nice method article (which includes Adam drinking some method bathroom cleaner! Gah!):

"Lydia Slater

Eric Ryan pours out a tumblerful of pale-blue, frothy lavatory cleaner, lifts it to his mouth and swallows. “Hmm,” he says, licking his lips. “Not bad, actually.”

Encouraged, I take a sip too. It’s sticky and acidic, and tastes of mint and eucalyptus. While nobody is recommending that any kind of cleaner should be consumed, the fact remains that if you drank a shot of Toilet Duck, you would be on your way to hospital. As the co-founder of Method, the ecological home-care company that’s put the glam into green cleaning, Ryan is proud to be able to say that he can put his products where his mouth is.

What is perhaps more revolutionary is the packaging design. The washing-up liquid comes in an hourglass-shaped bottle created by the award-winning industrial designer Karim Rashid, which squirts fluid from the bottom through a nifty leakproof spout. It’s also recycled and recyclable. No wonder, then, that you will find Method cleaners in Stella McCartney and Madonna's cupboards.

The label has also become set-designer shorthand for right-thinking cool, appearing on gleaming sinks in Will & Grace and Desperate Housewives.

The germ of the concept came to Ryan, 35, when he was sharing a bachelor pad with four twentysomething friends.

“It was probably the dirtiest apartment in San Francisco,” he says. Cleaning up after one particularly wild party, he realised that it wasn’t so much the stench of stale beer that was making him feel ill as the products he was using. “There’s a reason that your eyes water and you have to hold your breath with all those harsh cleaners,” he says. “They contain a lot of toxic chemicals, so you’re polluting when you’re cleaning — you’re using poison to make your house healthier. And that didn’t make sense.”

Coincidentally, one of his flatmates, Adam Lowry, was a chemical engineer and environmental scientist. Together, the pair launched Method in 2001, with four spray cleaners, made and bottled in the grotty flat. Even in green-leaning, early-adopting San Francisco, they struggled to survive at first.

“I expected us to fail, quite honestly,” Ryan says. The pair borrowed money from their family and friends. “That’s pressure, because you really don’t want to let grandma down. So you keep going forward, no matter how bad it gets.”

At one point, they had £8 in the bank, £51,000 owing on credit cards, and their label company refusing to make any more until the outstanding bill was settled.

Finally, funding came through from an investor: Method became profitable three years ago. It now has a turnover in excess of £51m and is widely available in the UK (at shops including Boots, The Co-op and Waitrose).

The latest range is a collection of cleverly designed baby products, inspired by Ryan’s daughter Anya, 2. The cute, squeezy, otter-shaped bottle of children’s body wash is designed to be used with one hand, while you hang on to your slippery baby with the other; the baby hair and body wash has a cap that doubles as a rinsing cup.

Ryan has also written a book with Lowry, called Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home, which makes unnerving reading. Did you know that most big-brand toothpastes contain pesticide? Or that non-iron sheets are often treated with formaldehyde? Or that fabric softeners are made from beef fat? The good news for ecoworriers is that Ryan insists detoxing even the most chemically dependent home will take only two weeks, and you will have not only a healthier house, but a cooler-looking one, too."

check out the deals

Hey all! Since the method market is still rather new, every once in a while I'll check it out and let you know what's available (until people remember it's there! Ha ha!) There are some great method products in there, for your perusal!

+ Frosted cranberry hand wash, beach sage bloq body wash, green mint bloq shaving cream, pink grapefruit and cucumber bowling pin (old school!) dish soap (I didn't realize they made pink grapefruit in the bowling pin!), some aircare aroma sprays, a citrus cilantro candle, and another old school item, a fresh laundry premium candle!

So run on over (OR just check out the method market link in the sidebar, click on the image) and if interested, post a comment! Have something to add, add away! Have fun!

a method to the creative madness: part three

by Sonja Gugajew

Part Three + The common thread underlying all of its marketing communications is a very intimate feel expressed through human dialogue and experience. The result is a sincerity that is very difficult for larger, more traditional companies to emulate. Reading Method advertisements is not unlike listening to a friend. Method educates its audience about its philosophy while engaging them through storytelling.

Method’s holistic experience is also communicated in its unique merchandising strategy. In the cleaning product aisle of any Target store, consumers won’t find Method products sprinkled across disparate categories. Instead they stumble upon a presentation of Method products merchandised as a collection, just in case they haven’t already been drawn to Method’s banner effect of intriguing shapes and soft colors that glows out of the normally banal cleaning aisle. The message that Method communicates in its neat rows of premium elegance is a system of clean, healthy living. These aesthetic statements introduce consumers to the Method experience and help them navigate through all of their homecare needs. The merchandising strategy encourages Method consumers to buy products across its range of different categories. Once converted to the Method philosophy, consumers seek out this store-within-a-store and use the system of Method products to care for their Method home.

Method took its merchandising concept to the next level in what it calls “pop-up” shops: temporary stores or kiosks that are stylistically consistent with the brand design and offer a complete collection of Method products. The first one was set up off of bustling Union Square in San Francisco. In the fall of 2006, another was set up in Los Angeles in conjunction with H.D. Buttercup, whose focus on high-end furniture and home design made for a perfect fit. Method’s systemic approach to homecare lends itself well to packaged collection promotions, such as back-to-school caddies or holiday gift totes. With each themed kit, a story is built around the themed cleaning event, whether it’s returning to school or spicing up a friend’s life with holiday cheer. These stories are communicated on the packaging as well as in the premium design treatment, giving consumers a reason, or perhaps fulfilling a guilty pleasure, to bring the stories to life.

In the winter of 2006, Method launched a holiday-themed crossplatform promotion that included more than 15 holiday product launches across categories of cleaning, personal care and air care. An in-store display was designed around translucent cherry-red, mistletoe-green and ice-blue frosted bottles, which sparkled like holiday ornaments. The spiced pear, frosted cranberry, and peppermint vanilla scented hand washes, allpurpose cleaners, air care sprays and candles lured consumers with the essence of holiday cheer and the prospect of a version of Method clean integrated into their homes’ seasonal celebration. The passion and excitement generated by the holiday promotion can be summed up by one consumer’s words:

“‘To buy or not to buy,’ was the question I asked myself for a whole half second when I spotted the Method Holiday goodies while shopping at Target. I instantly perked up and my heart beat faster. Yea, it’s pathetic that cleaning products excite me. Tantalizing titles of Frosted Cranberry, Spiced Pear and Peppermint Vanilla scents beckoned me closer. I seized the peppermint vanilla hand wash…Then gasp! I saw the matching air enhancers, aroma candles, aroma pills, and all-purpose cleaners…”

Method’s disruptive profile and consumer-centric marketing message make it buzz-worthy and fuel consumer-generated word-of-mouth marketing. While most companies outsource their public relations and consumer service centers, both of these play a critical role in Method’s marketing. Thanks to a core public relations team, Method generates more than one billion impressions each year in placements such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, Shape, Family Circle, O Magazine and Time. It has been featured on television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and CNBC’s The Big Idea, and has been written about in publications such as Vanity Fair and The New York Times. Method’s presence can be felt at such events as the San Francisco Green Festival and through partnerships with organizations such as Siemens, a washer and dryer manufacturer, and Mommy Track’d, a Web site that helps working mothers manage their lives. Through buzz-worthy public relations, Method interacts with its consumers in non-traditional but relevant ways.

In accordance with its consumercentric focus, Method strives to make each consumer experience personal. Each e-mail and phone call is answered personally by a member of the marketing team. Thus consumer feedback is well integrated into Method’s marketing and product development efforts. “We get e-mails from women telling us that our products get their husbands and kids to clean,” said Jen Drubner, Method’s director of public relations, to the Tri-Valley Herald. “People have told us they have dinner parties just so they can use the products to clean up. Suddenly it’s cool to clean.” A collection of e-mails, pictures and letters cover a bulletin board at Method’s corporate headquarters.

The passion and excitement that surround the brand are evident in the Method parties that fans host, the stories they write, and the pictures they share of themselves posing with Method products. From this flood of consumer emails, phone calls and letters, Method has developed an extensive consumer database that serves as a platform for testing new products, conducting informal surveys, and, most importantly, nurturing a brand ambassador program. Encouraged to “help fight dirty,” loyal fans are enlisted to incite the People Against Dirty revolution. Upon signing up, each ambassador is sent an advocacy kit with a Method t-shirt and five Method sample kits to pass along to friends and family. In addition advocates are sent new product updates and can post their personal profiles on Method’s interactive Web site. With the same premium look and feel as its products, Method’s Web site is another personal connection to its advocates. It puts a human face to the brand. For example, candid face shots of actual Method employees flash opposite it's humanifesto online. The Web site also offers an online store, ecards to send to friends, a forum to ask questions and a People Against Dirty blog with tips on how to live clean. Through these activities, Method embraces its consumers and invites them to participate in its experience. The brand ultimately depends on its core group of loyal fans to spread the word about its mission and philosophy.

In the current information age, brands that wield creativity and innovation to break through the clutter will ultimately capture imaginations and win heart and mind share. At Method, creativity is more than just a buzzword; it’s a tenet to live by. From its hip, open-spaced office décor to its chic, minimalist designer products, Method exudes creativity inside and out. Method’s headquarters are comparable to a modern art gallery, with clean white space and products placed on lit pedestals. Past the lobby is an open layout of long, wide tables in place of cubicles. There is no private space at Method. Instead, everything is shared just as freely as the newly generated ideas that are excitedly exchanged in this charged atmosphere.

It’s an open culture where debate is encouraged, new ideas are embraced and words are not minced. There’s energy at Method, and the company’s passionate employees are brimming with it. Constantly innovating, without fear of taking risks and challenging
conventional thinking, Method employees represent a new entrepreneurial, creative class. The fast-paced office environment is testament to the two to three product lines Method launches each year. This rapid to-market speed gives Method an advantage over larger and more traditional companies. Method’s most recent evolutions include: a reusable performance-enhancing microfiber line; an eco-friendly, ergonomic convenience cleaning line called “omop;” and a naturally derived, mood-enhancing line of personal care products called “bloq.” Part of the ability to launch such a prolific stream of creative products comes from Method’s choice to outsource most of the ponderous overhead associated with new launches to more than 50 manufacturers. Method’s speed-to-market strategy allows it to be nimble and everchanging,learning from new products and scrapping mediocre ones based on experience. Thus Method can quickly adapt to consumer trends in a constant trialand- error process of innovation.

The result is a rapidly growing company that is a product of its own creativity. According to Felicia McClain, a research analyst with Mintel International Group, Method went from revenues of $156,000 in 2002 (one year after its launch), to $3.4 million in 2003. Market research firm Kline & Company estimated Method’s sales at $85 million in 2006. According to Inc. magazine, Method has experienced a growth of 3390 percent in the last three years. In addition, Method’s growth outstrips its competition in each of its categories year after year. For example, according to Information Resources Inc., 2006 sales of Method dishwashers grew 28.5 percent over the previous year, while the category as a whole grew less than 2 percent. Likewise, hand wash sales grew 68 percent over the same period, while the industry’s leading brand Softsoap only grew by 12.8 percent. Method faces challenges when wrapping itself around its expansive growth. As Method continues to enlarge its homecare offering, concerns increasingly express that the brand must remain undiluted and that new designs are on target with consumers.

Continuing to focus on and innovate around its already existing products is also a constant effort. Method CEO Alastair Dorward told Inc. magazine, “There was a time when we could get away with a couple of leakers. That type of miss now is unacceptable.” Still, Method’s remarkable, consumer- driven products stand out from the rest of the pack, and the buzz that results naturally elicits sustainable passion and loyalty. The creativity and drive Method uses to bring disruption in everything it does continue to leave a bit of magic dust in every trail it blazes. At Method, branding isn’t dead—it’s alive and well.

+

Sonja Gugajew is a marketing manager at Scottish & Newcastle Importers, working as part of a team to develop and promote Newcastle Brown Ale. Previously, she worked in brand teams at both Method Products Inc. and Reckitt Benckiser. She received her bachelor’s degree in literature with a minor in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

References:
+ Burlingham, Bo. “Small is the New Big.” Inc. magazine, Feb. 2006
+ DeBare, Ilana. “Cleaning Up Without Dot-Coms.” San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Oct. 2006
+ “Inc. 500.” Inc. magazine, Sept. 2006
+ Jones, Chad. “There’s a Method to this Cleaning Madness.” Tri-Valley Herald, 8 Mar. 2006
+ Miller, Lia. “Products to Break the Chemical Habit and Get Eco-Friendly.” The New York Times, 19 Jul. 2007
+ Neff, Jack. “Eric Ryan: The Method to His Madness.” Advertising Age’s Point magazine, Oct. 2005

Thursday, October 30, 2008

method humanifesto

+ As people against dirty, we look at the world through bright-green colored glasses.

+ we see ingredients that come from plants, not chemical plants, and guinea pigs that are never used as guinea pigs.

+ we’re entranced by shiny objects like clean dinner plates, floors you could eat off of, nobel peace prizes, and tasteful public sculptures.

+ we’re an e.o.m.e.d.(equal opportunity movement for environment and design) method is our way of keeping the movement, well, moving.

+ role models in bottles.

+ a way to help each and every advocate put their method where their mouth is.*

+ to get out and fight dirty, take deep, satisfying breaths all day and sleep easy at night.

+ we’re the kind of people who’ve figured out that once you clean up your home, a mess of other problems seem to disappear too.

+ we always see the aroma pill as half full, and assume everyone we meet smells like fresh cut grass or a similar yummy, nothing-but-good fragrance.

+ we exercise by running through the legs of the giant, which is even more fun when a sprinkler is going.

+ and while we love a freshly detoxed home, we think perfect is boring, and wierdliness is next to godliness.

+ EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL!!!! *
* (we believe in spontaneous bursts of enthusiasm.)

+ we also believe in making products safe for every surface, especially earth’s.

+ we consider mistakes little messes we can learn from, and nothing that can’t be cleaned up and made better.

+ we embrace the golden ylang-ylang rule: do unto your home as you would do unto you. (your shower doesn’t want to have morning breath any more than you do.)

+ but above all, we believe dirty, in all its slimy, smoggy, toxic, disgusting incarnations is public enemy number one.

+ and good always prevails over stinky.

+ and they really could put it where their mouth is, since everything we put inside method is safe and non-toxic.

method to the creative madness: part two

by Sonja Gugajew

Part two + The idea of imbuing the chore of cleaning with a spoonful of sugar was refreshing. Ryan likens Method’s quest to reinvent cleaning to Nike’s inspirational treatment of jogging: both transform traditionally unpleasant “chores” into meaningful consumer experiences. Method strives to create a premium cleaning experience that connects to the emotion and pride with which consumers regard their home. In doing so, Method has transcended the functional language that is predominant in the cleaning industry and realized the increasing importance for a brand to forge long-lasting emotional connections with its consumers. Understanding the psychology and aspirations of the Method consumers was the first step. Figuring out how to motivate them was the second.

What makes Method so appealing to its core audience? The disruptive remarkability that it brings to every aspect of the product experience has a lot to do with it. Method’s design elevates cleaning into an art form; the sensory nature of the products stimulates the imagination via sight and smell. Method’s vase-like packaging offers the elegant design, from the bowling-pin shaped dish soap to the figure-eight shaped laundry bottle to the teardrop shaped hand wash. Aesthetically pleasing to the eye, these products do not belong in cupboards or underneath sinks. They are meant to be displayed on kitchen or bathroom countertops where they can complement the personality of a well-groomed home. Method’s design creates value for the brand: it provides a premium experience for the consumer who appreciates the combination of elegant design and day-to-day functionality. In addition, the design becomes an advertising platform in and of itself, a banner of what the brand represents in magazines, on the shelf, or in the home.

The genius behind many of Method’s original designs is Karim Rashid, a preeminent designer with a knack for bringing high-end designs to commodity products such as waste baskets. “The cleaning product industry is very backward, and many of the products have a 1950s language,” Rashid wrote in an e-mail to the San Francisco Chronicle. “They are cluttered with graphics, too much information and complicated ugly forms. My intention was to develop holistic design language for a holistic brand.

Clean, simple, neat, understated, and designed to really perform in our contemporary technological age.” Method now boasts its own in-house team of design talent, a powerhouse of creativity and innovative packaging ideas. The stylish, transparent bottles reveal a variety of luminous colors that add to their sensual experience. The colors match premium fragrances such as lavender lemongrass and grapefruit pear, which are another element of Method’s disruptiveness.

Method’s philosophy: Why should you have to don gloves, masks, and an armament of protection in the act of caring for your home? Why not recreate a spa experience in your bathroom with eucalyptus, mint-scented bathroom products? Method’s philosophy of integrity dictates the products it launches. If Method can’t make a product work with a non-toxic bent, it won’t enter the segment. In 2006 Method’s co-founders were named “Persons of the Year” by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in honor of their refusal to test any products on animals. During the same year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inducted Method into its Green Power Leadership Club because of Method’s purchase of enough green energy credits to offset its own energy use and carbon footprint.

Its consumers know that Method is more than good looks and fragrance. They are attracted to its values. And while there are other environmentally friendly cleaners on the market, Method’s all united under one brand with one philosophy. And like consumers who align themselves with any lifestyle brand’s philosophy, Method consumers often seek to care for their homes within the system that Method products offers. They identify themselves with the brand’s values and aspire to a healthy Method lifestyle: modern, upscale, design-oriented, health-conscious and defined by the brand’s slogan, “People Against Dirty.”

The “humanifesto” from Method’s Web site is one example of Method’s hallmark marketing communications strategy: storytelling. Method’s holistic philosophy makes for an interesting story, and people like to hear stories. From its packaging designs to its advertising campaigns, Method communicates its philosophy by regaling its audience with witty anecdotes that make honest, fun and wholesome references to both personal and shared touch points in consumers’ lives.

The same engaging storytelling littered the pages of Method’s People Against Dirty booklet, the result of a $2 million print advertising campaign during the summer of 2005. The 16-page booklet, dropped in magazines such as Real Simple, Organic Style and Lucky, celebrated Method’s natural philosophy through innocent pictures of men and women cleaning in the buff. On one page of the booklet, opposite a picture of a woman and child taking a bubble bath, reads the following Method words of wisdom:

“Where does your home end and you begin? You don’t literally have to answer that. We believe that a home is more than a box: It’s a sort of second skin. It could be a third skin, if you’re counting clothes. Anyway, you wouldn’t spray your skin with something dangerous, but many people clean their tub with harsh chemicals and soak in it shortly thereafter. We’re against that. We develop nontoxic, health alternatives for use around children, pets and you. Method is easy on your home and you, because you’re linked.”

Besides a 10 percent to 15 percent instant lift in sales, the campaign generated a sizeable sales gain and hundreds of phone calls and e-mails. In the summer of 2007, Method launched its biggest advertising campaign to date. The “Detox Your Home” campaign includes print and banner advertisements and a search engine marketing component. With colorful images such as a cherubic baby in a kitchen sink bath and a model of a detoxified home in a Method spray bottle, the new campaign is a call to action for health-conscious homeowners everywhere. And it certainly serves to call attention to Method as well, with carefully provocative but fun images. For example, an entwined pair of legs extending from behind a wall and a mop is captioned, “Make floor love, not floor war.” Likewise, a spray bottle of Method cleaner wrapped in a wrinkled brown bag is captioned, “Lay off the hard stuff.”

+

part three: tomorrow! (PS - I've updated the method humanifesto, as the original link I had way back in March of this year no longer exists. You can find the updated post above this article.)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

rhonda's chicago detox

As we're rounding up the method Chicago detox experience here, method lust reader Rhonda has sent me in some great pics from her very own detox party! (LUCKY her!) She says:

"I sent you some photos from my Method house party. - I love the way they propped stuff around the house. It was so much fun. My party was October 4th; it was their last, and the largest with 30 people. (No one said no to the invite!) They were great - Felicia and Sarah were at my house and everyone loved them. There were two cocktails that were similar to Method products. A lemongrass ginger cocktail and a pink grapefruit martini... yum!"

So check out all the pics, already! Wish I had been there!







+

Check out that last pic! It's method's own Sarah Stich looking OH so sassy! You go girl!

Oh, and Rhonda, I want your mercury glass/silver set in the first pic. Gorgeous! Wow! I lust stuff like that! Thanks for sharing!

a method to the creative madness: part one

Ok, I think I've found the method article to end all method articles! Man! This thing is big, and indepth! In fact, I've broken it up into a three part piece! Whew! (And I had to take out all this extra spacing that for some crazy reason was included. ALL because I lust my readers! See, I'm a nice guy, I really am.) Enjoy!

+

by Sonja Gugajew

In today’s crowded marketplace of price wars, increasing costs and cut-throat competition, the cost of marketing is high indeed. Increasing pressure is being put on creative capital to break through the clutter. By offering a truly unique product experience communicated through an unorthodox marketing campaign, a small cleaning brand is using its creative clout to stand out. This article analyzes how Method Products Inc. is winning consumers’ hearts and minds through innovative design, a genuine do good philosophy and an integrated marketing communications approach.

Method Products Inc. is daring to be different and having fun doing it. With a burgeoning array of choices in the marketplace, an equally dizzying cacophony of noise in the media, rapidly declining attention spans, and resulting consumer apathy, it is no wonder why some have boldly proclaimed that branding is dead. How can brands compete when investing millions of dollars in advertising mediocre products with fierce competition no longer guarantees success?

Take the fragmented cleaning industry: a relatively flat $18 billion category dominated by giants like Procter & Gamble, Clorox and SC Johnson. For an upstart brand like Method Products Inc., carving out a presence in the commoditized and traditional household-cleaning product business was a tall order. Armed with creativity, consumer insight and an innovative product offering, however, Method Products introduces disruption in everything it does. To Method, disruption means remarkability in every aspect of its product experience: from eye-catching, minimalist packaging presented through innovative merchandising, to a genuine non-toxic philosophy communicated through irreverently fun advertising.

By combining these elements into an integrated marketing communications message focused around a philosophy of cool, environmentally guilt-free cleaning, Method has created an emotional connection with a growing cult-following of customers. It has managed to do so while becoming what Inc. magazine names the seventh fastest growing private company in the U.S. Who knew soap could be this fun?

In a category replete with price wars, “new and improved” stain removal claims and aggressive disinfectant messages, Method More Than Just Cleaning: Tapping the “Progressive Domestics” knew from the start that it could not compete on price and efficacy alone. For Method to succeed in this category, it had to do what no other brand had done before: reinvent the category by elevating the chore of cleaning into a fun, healthy experience. Fittingly, this insight came from two housemates who hated cleaning their house.

With Eric Ryan’s advertising background and Adam Lowry’s chemical engineering and environmental science expertise, the co-founders were a perfect duo to revolutionize the cleaning industry. From his marketing experience at such companies as General Motors, Ryan knew that advertising alone could not metamorphose an average commodity product into something greater. From his experience with Saturn’s design studio, he also learned about the power of design to capture consumers’ imaginations and transform a stagnant category. “We were trying to solve the brand’s problems through advertising, but the product experience was extremely flawed,” Ryan told Advertising Age’s Point magazine. “I felt the skills of account planning—being very consumer-centric, using consumers to look forward, not back—would be an amazing way to build a culture and company that could go around more traditional companies.”

By using this consumer-centric approach, Method discovered their target audience: a higherend, educated group of consumers they coined the “Progressive Domestics.” Unlike the housewife generation that preceded them, these modern consumers lead busy and active lives, experiment with many brands, and are increasingly health conscious and environmentally minded. They do not proclaim to be domestic goddesses, nor are they determined to obliterate every last trace of dirt. Cleaning no longer defines their identity; it plays only one part in their home design aesthetic.

The key is the emotional connection these consumers feel with their homes. Ryan explained to the San Francisco Chronicle, “Your house is this high-interest, high emotion place, but the products people used for it were just commodities. We were the first 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, ritualistic, and has a sense of purpose to it.” The products are also non-toxic, which is especially appealing to the healthconscious Method consumer. With Method products, consumers can ensure the safety of the home environment for themselves and their families without compromising their sense of style.

+

part two: tomorrow!

drugstore.com holiday finds!

Two method lust readers have let me know about some great finds at drugstore.com! Peppermint vanilla, cinnamon bark, and hollyberry scents are all available on that site! At (pretty much) fairly normal pricing! The items vary based on the scent (the peppermint vanilla has everything available, I believe; while the other two have about four or so items.) These range from spray cleaner, to candles, to dish soap, aroma pill refills, etc! Plus if you purchase $25., you receive free shipping! AND, reader notahetero80 let me know if you head over to mrcheapstuff.com you can find $10 off a $50. order, or $5 off a $30. order! Have fun!

Also, drugstore.com is currently having some BOGO (buy one, get one free) pricing for method cleaning cloths! Can't beat that deal!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

clean sweeps

+ method luster Capri stated in a comment she left recently on method's Facebook page that she has received official word method is discontinuing carrying aroma rings in Canada, siting a lag in sales. All you Canadian aroma ring lusters, pick'em up quick!

+ reader Michelle gave me some money saving news via email:

"...in reference to the post about Method deals on HSN - I have something that makes the deals on HSN even better. HSN participates with ebates.com and if you shop on HSN’s website via Ebates you earn 3% back from your purchase. So, it’s like being rewarded for spending. Ebates sends out checks quarterly and you have the option of either receiving the check for yourself or having it sent to a charity of your choice. All you do is either sign up on Ebates or use someone as your referral (my email is chissler@cox.net - shameless, I know!) Every little penny saved/earned counts for something these days!"

I haven't tried it out myself, but if you do, let me know how it goes!

+ Aroma pill refills for the holiday scents (or at least some, I'm not yet sure which scents will be included) will be available in stores, though not on method's own site. Peppermint vanilla will be selectively included, as well! (These may not be available at all stores, so if you start seeing them, let me know when and where!) OH, how I hope they have Frosted Fir! (Will I ever decide whether to capitalize scent names, or not? No, I doubt I will! What do you think? Caps? No caps? Nathan needs some English help...)

ebay finds!

Oh, while hunting around Ebay today, I found a few great finds you wonderful readers might be very interested in! All discontinued product! Check'em out, before they're history!

+ method premium candle line: fresh lime $10.14 (buy it now)

+ method premium candle line: he brought me flowers $10.14 (buy it now)

(though shipping on both items is a ridiculous $10.00. So only for those that LUST method candles like crazy!)

and just in time for the holidays, a peppermint vanilla aroma beads diffuser $10.55 (buy it now) + $5.43 shipping.

Enjoy! Let me know if you buy one of these (and what you think!)

into danny's vault

Ok, yeah, uhm, green living expert Danny Seo has the method vault to end method vaults! Well, at least when it comes to having lots of method! (Perhaps not old school vault items, like we lust discussing!)

Over on his blog he posts:

"...I work with Method cleaning products as a partner, so I have access to a plethora of product from them. So, here I keep a "mini store" of my favorite Method goodies and let people "shop" the store when they visit. I have a lot of editors from magazines who come to visit me, so I find this is a nice way of welcoming them to my home." (See pic above)

Word! Ok, now method treats me right! They're so wonderful, and sweet! But man, could you imagine if you had a "mini method store" in your utility closet, and your friends and family could pick up an item they might be interested in, here and there? My friends would freak! In fact, just the other day one of them told me I hadn't given them anything method in a while, and they were wondering why? I've given some of my friends spiced pear cleaning spray, and bloq body wash, a candle or aroma spray here or there, just to try and hook them in! Ha ha! Danny is LUCKY!

Also, be sure to head over to his site and read not only the rest of this article, but his piece on the Detox Chicago party he took part in.

chicago roundup

method's official people against dirty blog has posted a roundup of their Detox Chicago fun!

"As we bid Detox Chicago a fond farewell, we'd like to give a shout-out to our wonderful advocates. Four fantastic females allowed us to throw parties in their homes for a few of their friends. We stashed method in bookcases, bathrooms, and little nooks and crannies. Cocktails flowed and we got a chance to talk to people about everything from design to environmental responsibility. Everyone walked away with a plastic bag rehab tote stuffed with products and surprises; and hopefully a better understanding of every aspect of method. There's nothing better than getting the chance to tell why we do what we do."


Head on over to their blog and see more photos, as well as read about stopping drafts in windows and doors, lowering heating costs, and the winner(s!) of the marine naturals/skinny dipping contest!

holiday line-up

reader notahetero80 asked a question concerning the new holiday line:

"...does anyone know where i can find a complete listing of what each of the fall and christmas scents come in? I love the Frosted Fir scent! It's the most like last years Hollyberry which I cried over it was so good'n christmas-ee.. But at Target it only comes in the handsoap and candle.. I think. Thanks!"

If you ask, you shall receive! (And I feel your pain!) Here goes. Each year method has slowly put out more holiday product! Yay! We lust that! Unfortunately, as more product hits the shelf, not every scent gets a full line. I would have bought up every little thing Frosted Fir came in this year, if it were available in a full line! BUT, unfortunately, it's not. (They chose Winter Berry. Not sure why... Ok, ok, don't hate me Winter Berry fans! I know, it's just a personal choice!)

So here is the breakdown:

+ Spiced Pear and Winter Berry scents - gel hand wash, dish soap, spray cleaner, aroma rings, aroma sticks, potpourri ornaments, large candles (6.5 oz), and candle trios (6.0 oz)

+ Frosted Fir and Toasted Hazelnut - gel hand wash, large candles (6.5 oz) (I'm afraid that's it! Sniff sniff. Hopefully Frosted Fir will sell well, and they'll bring it back in a larger product line next holiday!)

I've asked method if the holiday line will have aroma pill refills, as last year the pill refills hit separately, and later in the season (not sure why?) But I haven't heard back from them as of yet. When I find out, I'll let you know! (Hey, official method people, do you know the answer? Thanks!)

+ Gingerbread + Spice (fall limited edition) - aroma spray, large candle (6.5 oz), aroma pill refills, and aroma ring refills

+ Pomegranate Tea (fall limited edition) - aroma spray, large candle (6.5 oz), aroma pill refills, and aroma ring refills

And yes, (unless method realizes how amazing the Pomegranate Tea scent is, and makes it's an official line-up) all of these scents are limited to their fall/Holiday lines. Holiday is usually discontinued around January, while fall sometimes makes it 'til early spring.

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Some readers have also found Hollyberry, Cinnamon Bark, and Peppermint Vanilla at Bed, Bath And Beyond, and Office Max. These are leftovers from last year, and vary as to what product they come in (ranging from candles, to spray cleaner, aroma sticks, and gel hand wash.)

I still haven't heard from anyone concerning any special edition scents available at Costco (which method is known for having) so until I hear something, I'll take it they may not have released anything different to Costco this year.

Hope this breakdown helps everyone!

Monday, October 27, 2008

sustainable brands interview

Sustainable Life Media has an interview up with Eric Ryan:

"At Sustainable Brands '08 this past June, radio host and SLM contributer Betsy Rosenberg scored an inside look at the company's sustainability ethic from co-founder and "chief brand architect" Eric Ryan." Listen to the interview here.

no green to go green(er)?

While washing dishes this weekend, I noticed something! I had been using my old spiced pear dish soap from a couple years ago; and then recently went out to purchase a new bottle (cause mmm, it smells so Heavenly to me!) And I went to squeeze some out, and tada, it was clear! Hmm!

The oddity was that the original bottle of soap was tinted green. (See above pic. Bottle on left, green bottle, clear liquid. Bottle on right, clear bottle, green liquid.) In fact, all the old dish soap liquids were tinted; whereas now they're clear, and the bottle let's advocates "know what scent they're getting." I've thought about this in the past, and wondered if it wouldn't be cool if the bottles were all in the scent colors, but the product inside would be clear. - Hand wash, dish soap, spray cleaner? I know method uses natural colorings and such for their products, but would clear products be even more green? Curious!

What do you think? Would you go clear, if method did? (Actually, I think the holiday hand wash is clear this year, as well? Am I right? Hmm, must go investigate some more...)

the gingerbread man has landed!

Gingerbread + Spice aircare has finally made it to a Target near me! Right now only one (of three) Targets in my area is carrying the scent (apparently the Gingerbread + Spice scent will not be available at all Target stores.) They've placed it in the regular aircare aisle, with the year-round scents (not in the holiday area. Just FYI.) So who else has found some Gingerbread?

the right scents

method luster James sent me a link to this scents article he found very interesting! It comes to us from divine caroline, and begins:

"The Right Scents: Smells for Sleep (and Waking Up)
By: Allie Firestone

Fall is chock-full of scents, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. Picking up on the huge variety of smells—whether it’s pumpkin pie, freshly-baked cookies, or spiced apple cider—is something I recently realized that I take for granted.

Scientists say that humans can distinguish over 10,000 different odor molecules. Turns out, while it doesn’t require any conscious thought, our ability to pick up on a scent involves a sensitive and complex function that has powerful effects on our memory and behavior. How else can I explain how one whiff of pumpkin immediately conjures up thoughts of trick-or-treating and holiday gatherings? Scientists dedicated to tracking the complex relationship between smells, our behavior, and our moods have found that certain scents trigger feelings, including those that help us relax and fall asleep and those that perk us up and keep us alert and focused.

Sleep and Relaxation
Looks like I’m not the only one tossing and turning—according to the National Sleep Foundation, over 60 percent of Americans get less than eight hours per night, and over 40 percent say they’re too tired to perform well at work at least a few days each month. Once I’m asleep, I’m totally out (I once slept through a smoke alarm), but it’s the getting there that’s a consistent problem. Smell experts claim the sense of smell offers a natural and cheap solution to the sleep dilemma.

A Wesleyan University study linked the smell of lavender to improved quality of sleep. The study, supported by the Sense of Smell Institute (yes, there is such an institute) showed that certain scents increased the length of time people spent in deep sleep—the most restful and restorative phase in our sleep cycle. Lavender proved to help both men and women get more meaningful shut-eye, but the effect was heightened in women. “This better sleep ability may be due to the effects of reproductive hormones in women,” says Dr. Namni Goal, the study’s lead researcher. Before Dr. Goal’s experiments, sleep experts were unsure of lavender’s power to improve sleep, but her study validated the connection. In addition to helping those of us who just want a little extra help getting our eight hours, the study also showed that lavender helps people who are depressed and having abnormal sleeping difficulties.

Not a fan of lavender? Another study, conducted by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush at Wheeling Jesuit University, showed that subjects sleeping in a room with a faint jasmine scent slept more peacefully and felt better rested the next day..."

Head on over to divine caroline and read the rest!

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James also asks if we've done any posts on scents we'd lust method to produce. There was a post here, way back when; but why not ask again? What scents would you love to see method pour into your favorite product? Comment below!

method's feelin'

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

"method is on twitter. Looking for more of the dirt? Follow us on twitter!"

But then again, we already knew that, didn't we? We're real smart here at method lust! You might say we're on the up and up! We know before the knowin' is known! You know? Ah yes, you do!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

we've cleaned up our address...

Guess what's here! methodlust.com! Give it a try. No more .blogspot! Now it's so easy for you to spread the word! Just tell your friends, family, strangers on the street, the guy the gives you weird looks on the subway: www.methodlust.com!

As the Kool-Aid man would say, "Oh, Yeah!" Now, never fear, the old blogger address will also still route you to your favorite method blog! But this new address will make it so much easier!

(Thank you, thank you, thank you Rebecca Rodgers for the lustful giving donations!) I be so excited!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

lustful giving

I know, money is tight for all of us. And no, Nathan hasn't suddenly become green paper greedy, or has decided to go purchase a yacht, on everyone else's finances! (Hmm, though that would be really cool! Who wants to buy me a yacht! Hmm? No takers?) Ok, ok, focus, Nathan. Focus.

I've added a donations button to the sidebar. It's a paypal donations button. All you need to have is a paypal account (if you're paying with your bank account) or hey, you don't even need one of those. Pay with a credit card, and you don't even need an account! Anyway, the point of this is I'm wanting to take ole' method lust to the next level. And the first way is buy (get it, get it!) purchasing an official method lust address. (No more blogspotting! It'll be so much easier.) And it's a mere $15. for the address, but if you only knew how strapped for cash I am on a monthly basis (and I already pay for two other sites. Both my personal design sites) you'd know any help would be greatly appreciated! ($1 from 15 readers = methodlust.com! Yay!)

Secondly, hey, this takes me some time! Whew! And I'm not getting paid by method, so any gracious donations by my wonderful readers would be so appreciated! (Plus, I promise, it would all go towards method products; which would provide you with even more reviews, contests, etc. as I'd be able to purchase products I might not, otherwise, due to costs, etc.)

I'm not groveling, I'm not attempting in any way to become greedy, I've just put up a paypal donate button, and would lust to get us a methodlust.com address! (It's available! I know this! Don't go buying it and demanding $1000. for it. It's illegal to do that anymore, right? Anyway, I can do a Who Is, and find out who bought it, and hunt you down, and put your head in my trophy case. If I had a trophy case, that is.) So lust the button, spit at the button, hug the button, donate to the button (and therefore, method lust, and actually more method greatness for you, through method lust!) Or, just let the button be, it's just a button, after all. The button, and therefore you, are guilt-free.

Thanks, from the bottom of my method heart!

Friday, October 24, 2008

hey luster, got a question...

Hey all! I have a quick little poll I'd like to take (I'm all about asking for things this week? What's the deal! Ha ha! I don't know, really, I don't know... am I needy? Oh uh, don't answer that.)

I'm curious. Seems like I've seen a lot of new names laterly (yes, it's supposed to say laterly. That's how you can tell I'm a funny writer! I put r's where they're not supposed to be, and tada, funny! Yeah, ok...) and had two questions I'd LUST for you to answer in the comments below. Just to help me out!

+ How long have you been reading method lust? (One month, one year?)
+ What brought you to method lust? A blog, a friend, an online site - how did you find me?

Thanks! So easy, and so helpful! I appreciate it!

phasin' out, for the new in

A few people have asked if the current method laundry care line (featuring the fresh air, water lily + aloe, and free + clear detergents and softeners; along with the lavender + juniper, nectarine blossom, water lily + aloe, etc. (there are a few more scents in the sheets) wet dry sheets) are being discontinued, to be replaced with the new squeaky green laundry line (sweet water, go naked, and rice milk + mallow baby), or simply complimenting the laundry line.

I've gotten official word that the current line will be phased out, over time, as advocates pick up on the new line. I personally still feel the new line gives people very few choices in scents, compared to the previous line, but I'll wait and see! I've also yet to see the new squeaky green line hit my Target (though apparently it has hit some.) So be on the lookout for the new line, and pick up the old while you still can, at Target and on method home.

(PS - The pic above features the HSN version of this line, which contained a laundry tote. Unfortunately this package set is no longer available on HSN. But the detergent and wet dry sheets are available at your local Target, and method home!)

to the market, to the market!

Alright, follow along. I'm gonna try to make this easy to understand. (Cause I can make things sound so unnecessarily complicated! No no, it's true.)

Ok, so let's say I run out to Target, and pick myself up a nice delicious peppermint vanilla hand wash! Mmm. I use it for a while, and then one of the following happens:

+ "Uhm, I'm not really a peppermint vanilla kind of guy" I think to myself, and stop using it. All that peppermint vanilla hand wash goodness going to waste.

+ "The holidays are over!" And I store my peppermint vanilla hand wash away, only to find it months later, and think "you know, I don't think I'll be using this again."

+ In a moment of crazed insanity, I buy eight bottles of peppermint vanilla hand wash, and uh, yeah, eight is like crazy; what am I going to do with all of these?!

Here's what! Offer them up in the new method market! Do you have some method greatness you'd lust trading, sharing, bartering or simply giving away? Here's the place to do it!

method lust reader Rebecca, and Netta both helped me conceive this idea (Push, Nathan! Push! You can do it! Stop cursing and push! There, I can see the M, that's it! Oh oh, it's a beautiful method market!... Yeah, ok, that's just a bad visual to put into someone's mind, isn't it? Sorry.) Netta had tried out the new sweet water squeaky green laundry detergent recently, and while loving the detergent, didn't like the scent. So she ended up giving it to her sister. While Rebecca realized that peppermint vanilla aroma bead set was just sitting in her closet, and I'd mentioned a couple times on here that I'd lust giving them a try (since I'd never bought one. Bad, Nathan. Bad!)

And so she asked if I'd like it, and sent it to me! Yay! (Just in time for her to receive a brand new one, during a bridal shower! She was SO excited. Yeah.) Well, here were two people that, for one reason or another, had method products they were willing to separate with, and gave two other people a chance to try them out! (And possibly lust them!)

So that's what method market is all about! Here's how it works. There is an image on the sidebar that says method market. Just click that image, and it'll take you to the method market post. In that post, if you happen to have a method product you're wanting to share(give)/trade(barter) post it up. Example:

"Hey everyone! I've got a citrus cilantro candle I'd like to find a new, sweet home for. Any takers? I'm sharing it with you!" or

"Hey everyone! I've got a citrus cilantro candle I'd like to find a new, sweet home for. I'm willing to do a trade!"

Others will check out the method market post, and see what is being offered. And if you see something someone else is offering, that would make a nice trade, you can ask them if they want to trade with you! Or someone may say "Hey, I love citrus cilantro! Would you be interested in a beach sage bloq body wash as a trade?"

OR if you're wanting to simply share(give) it away, someone will be all "Oh oh, citrus cilantro! I'll take that!" and if there are multiple posts wanting the item, you get to choose who gets it. Hey, do a niceness scale, or how many times they use the letter 'm' in their post, or someone's name you like the best. Ha ha! There's no science to it.

Then, you can simply state: "Hey, methodlover2000, I'd be willing to send you my citrus cilantro candle! Here's my email address, email me your address and I'll send it out!"

And then, when the trade/share is done, just let everyone know with a big ole: "Citrus cilantro has a new home! Thanks everyone!" so they know it's not still available in the method market.

+

Whew! Ok, make sense? I think I still explained it too much. - Hopefully not. I think this is a great way to share method items we might not usually get to try, and get to know everyone here on method lust a bit better! What do you think of this idea? Think it'll fly! Lust it? Not so much it? Let's give it a try, and see what happens!

Welcome to the market! (The official method market post is below this one. Think of this post as the "instructions manual." Thanks!)

method market

Welcome to the method market! Here you can share, trade, give, or barter your method products! This gives everyone a chance to try different products they may not have, otherwise; and possibly fall in lust with them!

For full instructions (it's so easy!) go here. There may not always be something available here, it all depends on how our readers are feeling! So be sure to check back every once in a while, and see what's up! Now, off to market! Enjoy!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

eco-challenge

UPDATE Tomorrow is the last day to sign up! So go! Sign! Win!

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After reading my latest paper towel commentary here on method lust, kaoticorchid has given us a bonus challenge! Over on her blog, Spinning a Yarn: Orchids Knit Spot, she says:

"So, awhile back I told everyone about how I'd switched to Method products for my every-day household cleaning. Remember that, so long ago? I like their products because they don't leave behind heavy fumes and they are biodegradable so they don't pollute the drain-water (which is already polluted enough) which later becomes our drinking water. I also just really like what Method does as a company.

I'm all about getting back to the basics. There are some things that I won't budge on, such as disposable diapers, but I try to keep things pretty au-naturale around baby c. We use chlorine, propylene glycole, and scent free wipes. We use chlorine free diapers. When she gets a bath, we use eco-friendly (not to be confused with organic) lotions and soaps, which have even helped thus far with her skin allergies. You get the picture.

Which is why I've been hanging over at Method Lust, where Nathan posts about the daily goings-ons at Method. He's a similar minded-guy, who is trying to cut down on his foot-print on the Earth.

Recently, Nathan has challenged both himself and others to cut down on the amount of paper towels used by using microfiber cloths or other reuseable cloths to replace them in three one month (Nate's note: I think she got confused. Or it was wishful thinking. Ha ha!) Now, knitters are fantastic at making all sorts of items, including my favorite, the dishcloth. When Rick and I moved into our house a couple of years ago (has it really been that long?) I knit up quite a few of them, which we have used for all sorts of crazy purposes. Honestly, we've worn out/burnt/misplaced/spread around the house so many of them that I've recently had to start knitting more to replace them!

So here's the idea: I am going to knit three washcloths this next week and the week after to give away to the person who posts the most unique and unusual use for their reusable cloths/dishcloths. But spread the word! Post about it on your blog (if you have one) and leave me a comment here. Rick and I will decide on the winner of the washcloths on October 24th."

Sounds like a great prize! My only question for you now is, do you accept the challenge? (Yes, you do! Now, go! Do! Win!)

ps.

It's so quiet in here this past week? What happened to everyone? Did all the holiday madness overtake you this weekend, and now you're exhausted! Oh, ok, well, as long as that's it.

Do you have a Frosted Fir hangover? So do I, so do I... I understand.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

method profiles - crizel basco

Well friends, I have some news for you. Yes indeed, this is the (as of recently) rarely seen method profiles! And my friends, we have come to the end of the road. It is the last, the final method profiles. I know, I know. Let's all shed a tear together! In fact, to celebrate this special (but sad) occasion, Crizel gets her photograph in full bleedin' color! (the only method profile to be in color! Yes, it's just like those special hologram cards you used to get in bubble gum packs. You remember those, yes you do!)

But wait, it need not be the last! I know for a fact, oh yes I do, that as a hazing ritual, method requires all new employees to read the entire method lust blog! Not so they will learn everything there is to know about method, oh no, just in fact to torture them (and secretly get them to know everything there is to know about method!) (Cause it's like, really long, and I use so many commas! And exclamation points! So!, Many!) But see, that would be a great way to also introduce them to method profiles! So any method employees out there reading this (and yes, I know you read this, I have a camera pointed at you right now. I know what you're doing all day long. Scared now, aren't you?) if you've missed out on the chance to be a method profile, all you have to do is answer the seven simply questions below, sent them to me, and include a pic! That's it! So go on, you know you want to send one. You know you don't want to be THE ONE to put out the method profiles fire. No, you don't wanna be that one.

I'm talking to you, Nate Pence! Yo, yo, Josh Handy! How about you, too? Uhm-hmm. And Eric Ryan, I know you're busy and all, but hey, Adam got one to me. That's all I'm sayin', all I'm sayin'. And all you other method folks I'd lust to get to know!

So until then, let's bid a (hopefully short) farewell to method profiles, and check out what Crizel has to say!

1+ Your name, please? And do you have a nickname at method?
Crizel Basco. I have a lot of different names at Method....Crizzy, Crizabelle, Crizeldahyde (my scientific name from one of our green chefs), Crizishia (thanks Laura M)... etc... etc...

2+ What was your first method lust?
Sweet Water Hand Wash

3+ What brought you to method, the company? (How did you become interested in a career with method?)
Awesome brand & very cool people with so much passion on what they do.

4+ What is your title/dept. at method, and what is it you do there? How long have you been with method?
“Show Me The Money” (Accounts Receivables Analyst) in the Accounting Dept. Started as a Temp sometime in May of 2003 when there were only under 20 employees I think, and became permanent a year after.

5+ What is the biggest thing you are currently doing, besides using method products, to help out the environment?
Recycling

6+ Who's the last person you've turned onto method?
It’s actually a group of friends in Berkeley & Santa Clara.

7+ Which one best describes you as a person? Pink Grapefruit, French Lavender, Cucumber, or Go Naked?
French Lavender

Thanks so much, Crizel! (And thanks for getting me a bigger pic! Yay!) And thanks to The Great Sarah! for all her help in pulling together these amazing profiles! As always, you're the best!

Be sure to check back never again, or sooner? (only YOU can decide the fate of method profiles! Yes, I'm talkin' to you!) for the next method profile! And be sure to catch up on previous method profiles by selecting from the sidebar list!

Hush, hush, sweet method profiles. Hush, hush, now. It'll be alright...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

all linen'ed out

Ah, the home of method's original premium candle line, and for quite a while after Target, method's bowling pin dish soap bottle, is about to be no more, (possibly) another victim of our bad ole' economy. Linens and Things is going out of business. And this might be a chance for you to pick up some method goodies, cheap!

In fact, on a trip there tonight (to hunt out the Nate Berkus line they carr(ied) because there was this blanket that I dreamed about for nights over years at a time, but uh, could never afford the thing cause it was like $80.; but that blanket was so fluffy and cool, and creamy, and I can't even explain it, and all the Nate Berkus stuff was uh, gone. I asked, and the guy said they had shipped it all out a while ago. Hmm, I say? Shipped to where? Ah well, it wasn't to be, my little blankie, it wasn't to be... sniff.) Oh yeah, the point of this post! I actually found a method omop, and plenty of old school method wipes! All for 10% off! Ok, ok, so you might want to give the big "final sale" a while to get bigger, because right now it's only 10%-30% off (and uh, yeah, everything was !0% off. There wasn't a 30% to be found, except on all the window signs, mind you.) But sooner or later, there might be cool savings to find on method goodies at Linens and Things.

So let's all pause for a moment of silence, and quiet sheet folding. (Cause you get linens at Linens and Things, and those include sheets, and they're going out of... oh forget it.) Thanks to reader Stephen for the heads up!

the tmz of method?! huh!

I've just gotten such a sweet compliment from Kari, over on Rice It Up!

"...As I had mentioned once in my blog before I have become obsessed with the cleaning product line called Method. Oh how I love the sweet sweet smell of method's sweet water air care products! I have even stumbled across and (now) read religiously a wonderfully entertaining yet always informational blog by graphic artist Nathan Aaron called Method Lust which examines, critiques, lusts and gossips (that's right, it's like the TMZ.com of household cleaners!) about all things Method."

who knew! Thanks, Kari! I'm blushing!

method laundry tablets?

Yeah, yeah, I know they've just put out their new squeaky green laundry line, but I'm thinking ahead, alright! And I just found this great (if short) post on The Dieline concerning a new laundry detergent from the UK:

"Care&s is brave new detergent aimed towards people who love their clothes and care for the environment. It is neatly packaged in pill-form to avoid the biggest problem in laundering today, the overdosing that simply destroys your garments. Care&s does not have tensides and bleach as their active ingredient, but an organic enzyme, which it's why it is very kind to mother nature and it's inhabitants. Care&s is available in selected fashion stores across Europe."

But more importantly, take a look at that pic! Tablets/pills! How cool would this be, in method form! - Laundry tablets! Come on, you know it'd rock! (More seeds being planted in method minds!) Thoughts?

holiday lust

All this Halloween and holiday mashup is startin' to confuse me!? What time of year is it, again? Ah well! I had previously had a poll asking which holiday scents you were looking forward to most! The results were:

+ 28% Spiced Pear
+ 21% Toasted Hazelnut
+ 20% Winter Berry
+ 16% Frosted Fir

Now that the new holiday line is starting to hit shelves, I've put up a new poll asking what 2008 holiday scents did you purchase? Let's see how the wishing matches up to the final product (and our final thoughts on the scents, since we can actually smell them now!)

And I agree with all the lusters out there that say Target's end cap is embarrassing. It's all out in the open for everyone to see, and they get to watch us all sniff our way through every product! Ha ha! I'm right there with you! And isn't it funny how we'll sniff the candle, then go and sniff the hand wash in the same scent. Well, I know I do it... and I'm not that weird. Well, ok, never mind. I am... so when you get the chance to pick up your holiday scents, do the poll (located on the right sidebar!) Thanks!

hsn deals!

method lust reader Jessica let me know HSN has some great clearance deals right now on method products! From the squeaky green book, to the omop, check'em out!

+ method squeaky green book and tote $24.95 $15.95
+ method squeaky green book, autographed $16.95 $14.95
+ method omop floor cleaning kit $29.95 $19.90
+ method 7-piece detox home cleaning kit $24.95 $19.90

Monday, October 20, 2008

project method!

While trying to catch up on one of my favorite shows of all time, Project Runway (please don't tell me who won! I have one episode to go!) Look what I stumbled upon! They're using method lavender hand wash in their hotel! How cool!

clean sweeps

+ Twitter is back! I'm still trying to figure out how to add multiple twitters to one blog (does anyone know?) As if I add mine to method lust, the methodtweet twitter goes bye-bye, and vice versa. Gah! I swear... I'll figure it out. For now, feel free to follow me at methodlust on twitter, and to follow method at methodtweet.

+ You know how when you go flying, the terrorist alert is always on code orange. Like, always. It never changes. Just to keep us all on heightened alarm? Huh, ever notice that? Well, method lust advocate spotlight is on code orange, people! Code orange! I repeat, take off your shoes, remove all personal possessions, grab a stick of Wrigley's Extra chewing gum, start dancing, no no, wait, that's a commercial... and send me your advocate spotlight! It's SO simple, I know you read this blog all the time! So let us know a little about YOU for a change! Go HERE, do now, send in. Done. Thanks, I really appreciate it! Otherwise, advocate spotlight will have to go away, and you don't want that, now do you? No, you don't. Guilt, it works every time.

+ I've now added a full listing of all method scents, to the right side bar. You'll be able to find all current, holiday, and scent heaven (retired) method scents! Why? Just cause I'm a nice kind of guy... with no life. (Who LUSTS method scents!)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

holiday is here!

...well, for some of us! But it is finally hitting Target stores. So if you haven't seen it yet, it should be showing up very soon! In fact, I felt like an undercover spy this morning, roaming my local Target with my hidden digital camera (as they frown upon taking photos in the stores) and I hid down an aisle across from the new holiday end cap, and snapped a flick! Just for you method lust fans! So enjoy! I'm loving the design work on the packaging, and advertising (see below) this year, it's really nice.

I'm feeling a little mixed on the scents, though. So I'm going to give them time to sink in (well, when I purchase some more items, as I did pick up a Frosted Fir hand wash, but that was it until payday, at the beginning of next month!) and then I'll go more in-depth with some reviews. Last year I disliked Cinnamon Bark when I first smelled it, and it took me a while to get around to purchasing some CB hand wash. That's when I ended up really liking it, so I don't want to be too hasty.

My first thoughts on the scents go like this: Frost Fir is Hollyberry meets a tree. No joke. If you love Hollyberry, you should definitely lust this scent, it's REALLY similar to Hollyberry. I think this will be my new favorite for the holidays. Winter Berry reminds me of berries and fruit punch. Don't ask me, that's just what I smell every time I take a sniff - fruit punch (with perhaps a little cinnamon thrown in for good measure?) Spiced Pear is deliciously peary, with spice. Really, it was a huge favorite of mine in past years, and I know it will be this year. And Toasted Hazelnut, well, honestly, I figured this might be my least favorite scent of the bunch, and I think I'm going to be right.) The Gingerbread + Spice hasn't hit our Targets yet. (But hopefully it will!)

One rant. One question.

+ The rant. Ok, at the beginning of the year I could pick up a method candle in 6.0 oz. size for $5.99 in the ceramic container. When method went and changed the container to glass, they added 0.5 oz to total 6.5 oz, and raised the price to $7.99. A bit steep, but ok, we'll go with it. Last years holiday candles came in an 8 oz. size, and cost us $7.99. This years candle trio comes in three small candles, but totals 6.0 oz, and costs us $9.99 (at least at my Target. The trios are $9.99, while the large candles (6.5 oz) are $7.99.) I'm now paying $4.00 more for the same "size" candle I could get earlier this year for $5.99. And I'm now paying $2.00 more to get 2.0 oz less candle than I got last year. Hey, I realize prices are going up on everything, and perhaps raw materials are also more expensive for method now. But I bothers me a little bit when I have to pay $4.00 more to get less candle in the new candle trio sets.

+ The question. I LUST me some aroma spray. And I'm really, really, really disappointed they've decided to not have any this holiday. Last holiday they didn't have any either, but it was (I'm sure) due to the impending spray recall they were about to do. Previous years they have had the aroma spray. I love it, cause it's an easy and quick way to get your house smelling holiday great! Grab bottle, spray, mmm! So I really hope they reconsider the sprays for next holiday! I'll live without a fourth scent, or aroma rings, or such; if I can get me some holiday aroma spray! So here's my question to you, what do you usually purchase in the method holiday line each year? In order of importance? Aroma rings, aroma pill/pill refills, aroma spray, candles, hand wash, dish soap, spray cleaner, aroma sticks, and method's holiday "special" (meaning each year they try to put something new out. Last year it was the aroma beads, this year it's the potpourri ball, etc.) Me personally, I'm too broke usually to purchase up everything, so I end up choosing. If each of these are available, I usually go for the hand wash, candles, aroma spray, dish soap, spray cleaner, and IF I have anything left, sometimes the pill refills. The sticks, and holiday "specials" usually end up being too expensive for me to buy each year. (Though I'd lust me some spiced pear aroma sticks this year, if I can do it!) So what are your picks (again, in order of importance?)

+ Prices. (At least at my Target.) $2.99 for dish soap, hand wash, and cleaning spray. $6.99 for aroma bamboo rings (a $1.00 cheaper than the normal bamboo rings, surprisingly.) $7.99 for the large candles. $9.99 for the potpourri ball, and candle trios. And $12.99 for the aroma sticks.

More on holiday, later! When I've had a really good time to give them all a try! (And when it's closer to the holidays! Ha ha!)
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