tee time!

The method tees are up! Hmm...! I received official notice that the t-shirts mentioned in this post were indeed designed for method employees only. (Sniff sniff!) But tada, they've appeared on the official method home site!

I wonder if our desire to snatch one up resulted in method giving them a test run on their site? Hey, let's take some more credit, ok? Why not! Anyway, I'd run on over and grab a few, as they (may) be a limited time thing! You can choose from four styles, at $15. each. (And remember, with the method t-shirts, always choose a size UP from what you might normally wear. I usually wear a small in shirts, so I'd get a medium in method t-shirts. TRUST me on this one!) Have fun, and wear some method with pride!

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And don't forget some other great method home specials going on now, including:

+ Over 20% off their Loo Line (including lil' bowl blu, le scrub, bathroom wipes, and spray cleaner!)
+ 30% off their ceramic candle line (which still features beach sage, and gingerbread + spice!)
+ and 30% off Adam and Eric's two favorite method products, til the end of February!
+ AND, they still have Holiday items! Can you believe that? I so need some more frosted fir candles. Mmm...!

advocate review - smarty dish!

"I’ve tried every brand of dishwasher detergent; it’s an expensive way to find out just how poorly it cleans your dishes. Many traditional powder detergents tend to leave a weird film on my drinking glasses and can’t seem to banish dried on food that are stuck on plates. Liquid dishwasher detergents don’t seem to do the job either. As I’m phasing out toxic cleaners in our home, I’ve struggled to find the dishwasher detergent that is eco-friendly and can clean our dishes without having to rinse and scrub them before going into the washer. Am I asking too much for our dishes to come out sparkling clean from the dishwasher?

I am happy to say that I’ve discovered my new favorite cleaning product this week. method’s Smarty Dish dishwasher detergent is, hands down the best dishwasher detergent to date. I barely and rarely have to scrub the plates and waste water before putting dishes into the dishwasher. I’ve tried both the pink grapefruit - gives off a subtle hint of grapefruit - and the Go Naked zero dyes and perfumes versions - both clean equally well.

Product ingredients include: mineral cleaning salts, naturally derived and non-toxic anti-spotting agents, surfactant starch, protein cleaning enzymes, cellulose-derived coating and binder, algae-derived dispersing agent. Okay, I’ll admit these ingredients sound vague. What exactly are these naturally derived, non-toxic anti-spotting agents? Are they derived from plants? I need to know! I looked on the website and still did not find a clear answer. The website boasts of using fruit, plants, flowers and herbs and other ingredients “derived natural materials like soy, coconut and palm oils.” I just want them to be more specific. I’m going to contact the company and find out more about these ambiguous ingredients.

The brainchild of Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, method products are “made by and for people against dirty” with the simple notion of providing safe, eco-, human- and pet-friendly products. Packaging is made primarily of recycled materials. Lowry and Ryan hired designer Joshua Handy to create recylable plastic forms that look like functional art. method products definitely stand out on store shelves. Their marketing is fun, up-beat and always humorous - you can always depend on smiling when picking up any product from method.

Smarty Dish certainly fights dirt with a vengeance and it’s exciting to know that method is on its way to becoming a household name. Spread the word."
- Rhana

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Would you lust doing a review for your very own favorite method product(s)? Then, well, write one up, send it in, see it posted! Yay, so easy!

be a winner!

UPDATE Contest ends 2/28/2009! You have until Saturday to send me (three little) pics of your home, or an advocate spotlight, so your name can be entered to win a nice ole' method goody box! Scramble, scramble! You can do! I believe in you!

Here are the rules:

"The house that method cleans!" contest rules: Take three pics of any rooms in your home, which you clean with method products, and send them to me via email! Done! (Don't forget to include your name, just so you know, it's really helpful that way!)

and for Advocate Spotlight contest rules: go here! And again, done!

So get going! For ALL the contest details (and pics of my place) go here!

snuffed out

Let's all take a moment here to wipe our (soon to be) weepy eyes. Looks like pomegranate tea and citrus cilantro are on their way out. While rummaging around Target today (and really, I was rummaging! Half way through my trip I was like "WHAT am I even here for?!" I really couldn't figure out my answer, so I just continued rummaging...) I found the method aircare section, cause you know, I just happen to FIND it every time I head into Target. And I noticed big red "clearance" tags on the pomegranate tea and citrus cilantro candles. While the remainder of the aircare line in those two scents was still at full price, I have a feeling it's only a matter of time before they head to method heaven, too!

We know beach sage is making it's spring limited edition return this year; so I'm betting another scent is coming along to join in on the fun! Hopefully it'll be something brand spanking new! (Cross your fingers!) As soon as I find out more, I'll OF course, let you all know! And until then, you better start stocking up on these two great scents! I'm hoping they come back in some form or another down the line (especially pomegranate tea, which is amazing! It was a fall edition scent, so perhaps it'll return again this fall? And yes, I know we have many citrus cilantro lusters, as well! Not really being one myself, but I'm holding up the lit lighter of method citrus cilantro lovers high in the sky to recognize you all out there! Yeah, that made no sense, no one ever said I could actually write, ok?)

flame on

Quick question for you all! Flameless (waxless) candles. - What are your thoughts? You know the ones, made from plastic, some plug in, some don't. Some "fake" flicker, some don't. Some use aroma scents/plug-ins, some use scented plastic (which is just a TAD too weird for me.) A waste of plastic? An easy way to have candles without the fear of fire? An environmental disaster in the making (as their popularity seems to be growing.) What do you think?

My thoughts? I love the old fashioned candles. You know, wax + wick = fire. But then, I light candles to keep my house (or well, living room, warm. No joke. My house is like, freezing, all the time!) Give us your thoughts on flameless candles!

eco challenge - water bottles

Alright! It's taken me a bit of time to get around to really discussing water bottles! You know, those easy to carry, grab and go bottles of water that always cost more than a soda at your local convenience store. (And I'm not saying you should be buying soda/pop whatever you call it in your part of the world; but rather what IS up with bottled water costing more than soda? I mean, it's uh, water... craziness.) Anyway, I've hated bottled water for a while now. It's just SUCH a waste. You know, I'm not even sure if the convenience store bottled water is as much of a waste (since you know every once in a while you need a water, and tada, it's easy to get!) but moreso, it's all those bulk packages of bottled water people buy for their homes. Oh, I have a friend that does this. Every week, she'll buy like a crate load of these things, and I cringe as she puts them in the refrigerator. OR or, you know, when people buy the short stubby bottles of water. Not even the regular size. "Hey oh yeah, now I have to drink twice as many to get the water I need, but they're so much easier to carry, cause I'm buying them by the freakin' boat load!" Oh, don't get me started.

Ever heard of a water filter, friend? Oh yes, it's so very easy. They make them in pitchers, so your water can always be cold in the fridge. And they make them to snap onto your water faucet, for quick access. I have one at home, and it's great! In fact, I secretly don't think you even need to replace the filter as often as they suggest. I haven't replaced mine in FO'ever, and you know, it still tastes so much better than straight from the tap water! Seriously!

"Ugh, it's so much work to fill up the pitcher when it gets empty." Oh, is it? As much work as lugging those bottled water bulk packages from Walmart, is it? (Cause really, not only are you buying bulk bottled water, but you're buying it from Walmart. Are you TRYING to kill me here?) Whew... whew. Slow down, Nathan. You're getting all worked up. Ha ha!

Did you know:

+ Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills.

+ It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make those bottles, making the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste truly staggering.

+ Plastic water bottles can take 1,000 years to biodegrade.

+ Nine out of 10 water bottles end up as garbage or litter, and that means 30 million per day. A small percentage actually end up going into recycling bins.

Ok. So I have a confession to make. At work we get bottled water (single serving) as payment for one of the websites we designed a while back. Tit for tat, I suppose. And I drink a lot of hot tea. SO (oh, this is painful to admit) we don't have a filter at work on the faucet, our water is pretty nasty tasting, so I'll just use the bottled water to heat up in my mug for tea each day. Usually, two to three bottles. Ugh. And everytime I do it, I cringe. Whew. I feel so much better! Three thousand Hail Mary's and I'll be fine. (But, these bottles DO end up going into the recycling container each and every time. I'm not THAT evil. No, really, I'm not.)

BUT, here's the thing. We've ran out of water (long story, we have another office, they took it all, supposedly "not knowing" we didn't have anymore; so now we have to wait for another shipment.) I tried the faucet water in my tea yesterday, and about gagged. Gah! So I was going to go out and buy a big bottle of water from the store, a jug; and use that. But then at home last night, a light blinked on in my head! (At first I thought it meant I had a brain tumor and should run and call the doctor! Then I realized it was just an idea! Yay!) I have this big metal thermos that I've had for ages, and literally have never used. I always end up using thermos's for coffee and such, and they always end up smelling nasty after a while inside (and I wash them out, I swear!?!) BUT, what if each morning I fill up the thermos with filtered tap water from my home, and bring it to work to use in my tea. No more bottled water waste at work for me, and I still get my filtered water! Yes!

So, this is one of my new eco challenges for 2009! As you can see from the (ghastly) pic above, it's from a Brita ad campaign discussing how much oil (and don't we all have issues with oil in the US right now!) is used to make bottled water. And to buy a faucet filter (or pitcher) for your home instead. I used to have a pitcher, also. But I find the filter a much easier solution. Yes, the refill filters are a bit pricey, but like I said, I think they last a lot longer than they want you to believe. Just test it out! So, this year, how about you do a bottled water challenge yourself? They even make these great aluminum bottles that you can buy and refill with water (and they're cool looking, too!) Hip, fashionable, and environment saving! You go, girl! And boy!

Are you a bottled water waster? Is it time for a change? (Uh, if the first answer is yes, then the second answer is YES!) Will you give it a try? Are you feeling bottled water guilt? Tell us your story! You'll feel better, I promise!

(You can find these adorable aluminum water bottles at Macy's! For a mere $9.99! How much money will you be saving instead of buying all those plastic water bottles every week! And making Mother Earth happy, too!)

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Here's an interesting article on the ups and downs of bottled water:

"Message in a Bottle: Despite the Hype, Bottled Water is Neither CLEANER nor GREENER Than Tap Water
By Brian Howard

“You drink tap water? Are you crazy?” asks a 21-year-old radio producer from the Chicago area. “I only drink bottled water.” In a trendy nightclub in New York City, the bartender tells guests they can only be served bottled water, which costs $5 for each tiny half-pint container. One outraged clubber is stopped by the restroom attendant as she tries to refill the bottle from the tap. “You can’t do that,” says the attendant. “New York’s tap water isn’t safe.”

Whether a consumer is shopping in a supermarket or a health food store, working out in a fitness center, eating in a restaurant or grabbing some quick refreshment on the go, he or she will likely be tempted to buy bottled water. The product comes in an ever-growing variety of sizes and shapes, including one bottle that looks like a drop of water with a golden cap. Some fine hotels now offer the services of “water sommeliers” to advise diners on which water to drink with different courses.

A widening spectrum of bottled water types are crowding the market, including spring, mineral, purified, distilled, carbonated, oxygenated, caffeinated and vitamin-enriched, as well as flavors, such as lemon or strawberry, and specific brands aimed at children. Bottled water bars have sprung up in the hipper districts, from Paris to Los Angeles.

The message is clear: Bottled water is “good” water, as opposed to that nasty, unsafe stuff that comes out of the tap. But in most cases tap water adheres to stricter purity standards than bottled water, whose source—far from a mountain spring—can be wells underneath industrial facilities. Indeed, 40 percent of bottled water began life as, well, tap water.

A 2001 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study confirmed the widespread belief that consumers associate bottled water with social status and healthy living. Their perceptions trump their objectivity, because even some people who claim to have switched to bottled water “for the taste” can’t tell the difference: When Good Morning America conducted a taste test of its studio audience, New York City tap water was chosen as the heavy favorite over the oxygenated water 02, Poland Spring and Evian. Many of the “facts” that bottled water drinkers swear by are erroneous. Rachele Kuzma, a Rutgers student, says she drinks bottled water at school because “it’s healthier” and “doesn’t have fluoride,” although much of it does have fluoride.

Bottled water is so ubiquitous that people can hardly ask for water anywhere without being handed a bottle. But what is the cost to society and the environment?"

Go here to read the rest!

advocate spotlight - cassa gimenez

Welcome back to another method lust advocate spotlight! Where I get the chance to show off just how much YOU lust method! (Cause really, after a while all my gushing just gets shameless!) So let's learn more about a great reader (and commenter!) to this blog, Cassa!

1+ Your name: Cassa Gimenez

2+ The first method product you purchased: Go Naked All Purpose Spray

3+ Your favorite method product: I love the french lavendar dish soap! It makes cleaning out all of those little bottle parts I've recently had to start washing much more enjoyable!

4+ Your favorite method scent (current or past): Right now I lust the vanilla apple fragrance spray, but I also love the sweet-water smell.

5+ Why do you lust method? I started using Method products last year while I was pregnant since my husband got concerned about me inhaling fumes from other products during my cleaning sessions. I fell in love with them and love that they now carry baby products, too, now that the little one is here. I feel comfortable using them around her and I don't have to worry about fanning out noxious gasses all the time.

6+ Favorite word that begins with the letter 'm'? Muppets! I am a huge Jim Henson fan.

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And by simply sending in her advocate spotlight, Cassa is now entered into "The House That method Cleans" contest! And you can be, too! Here's how!

you've got mail!

...Yeah, I know, does anyone even still use AOL? I didn't think so. And yet that man's voice will go down in generational history. Lucky him! Oh, and lucky me, too! I'm so excited! Did you get your monthly method email newsletter? Cause I did, and I'm SO freakin' excited, because method lust is spotlighted in it! Yippee! method gives method lust and our big ole' one year anniversary a loud U GO! and I'm just all giddy inside! If you didn't get yours, you can check it out here! And make sure to sign up on method's website, too! (You'll see the sign up at the bottom of the page.) Thanks method! (I'm gonna go skipping now! Hey, maybe I can bring it back. It's about time skipping came back into fashion! Oh yes it is.)

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And be sure to check out their monthly special for February, and Vaaalentine's Day! (Smooch!)

"roses are red, violets are blue, now through the end of february (or while supplies last), you'll get our foaming hand wash and all surface wipes for 30% off.* okay, so we might not be shakespeare, but we can give you products we love - foaming hand wash and all surface wipes - at a great price. flowers and chocolate are cool, but we think you could shower that certain someone you love in a new way (not literally). and besides, they're more earth friendly, less filling.

get 30% off *offer ends february 28 or while supplies last. offer valid only in the us and canada."

diy foaming action!

Did you know that method makes a refresh mint foaming hand wash?! Probably not, since I've NEVER seen it in stores! But yes, they actually do (and you can purchase it on their method home site.)

But hey, why not get a little creative! (After all, what do you have to do this weekend? Ah, another Saturday full of chunky monkey ice cream tubs and sappy chick flicks, is it? I know, I know. Well, not this week, yo!) How about this weekend, you take a little time to make your own method foaming hand wash!

Our beloved Sarah Stich sent along this amazing, and awesome tip, via methodtweet! And just in case you might have missed it:

"Hi, it's sarah from method. Good news! The hand wash gel can be turned into foaming hand wash. Use 2 parts gel and one part water! Voila, foaming!"

Who knew it was that easy!? So next time you're having trouble finding your favorite foaming hand wash (lavender, refresh mint, etc.) don't despair, make it yourself! Just use your empty foaming hand wash bottle (as I'm sure you'll need that particular bottle, since it seems to be made a certain way, with that tiny little ball inside it, and all that weird pump-ery.) and mix away!

Let me know if you do this, and how it works! method class, over! (Thanks, Sarah!)

sweet (method) dreams

Well, this is just crazy. (And shows you just HOW much method is on my mind?) So last night I had this dream that I was in a car, with some "dream" friend (as in, after you wake up you're like "Who was that?! I don't even know that person?!" but of course in the dream you're the bestest of buds!) and we were of course driving to somewhere for something he needed to do (dreams are always so vague, don't you know!) and there it was! Right there on the side of the street, as we drove by! Time slowed down, like they do in the movies, during a drive by shooting, when everything comes to a crawl, and they show you from an "inside the car point of view" the unlucky individual standing on the sidewalk, about to be, well, you know... Except, in my dream, word, I'm so not joking here, it was this huge outdoor stand of method products set up on the sidewalk! And we were slow-mo drivng by them, and I was like "WHOA" because they weren't just any method products, but interspersed among the normal items were rarities! Lots of method products I'd never seen before (PLUS the original wet dryer sheets! Ha ha! Actually, I'd forgotten all about this dream until this morning, when roaming the method site, I saw the wet dryer sheets, and ding ding it went off in my head!)

I was like "Wow, I can get me some more lavender + juniper sheets! You can't find those anywhere!" Of course I can't remember any of the rare items, as they don't actually exist. I just remembering they were the most awesome new products I'd never seen (and were only available at this outdoor stand, OF course!) They were all close up, which is funny because even though you're in a car, in your dreams you're also floating right about the tables, JUST enough to be able to see that these are some great items, but NOT enough to read on the packaging what said items are. And somehow I had to get back there! The rest of the dream was spent running around with my friend while he "did his thing" whatever that was, and thinking to myself "Come on, come on! We've got to go before that stand closes for good!" And... we never made it. I woke up. Such a sad ending, ain't it? I'm so not making this stuff up. I swear, I need to lay off the method just a tad, don't I? Or the liquor, whichever...

Which brings us to, new t-shirts! Yay! Ok, so no, it really doesn't bring us to new t-shirts at all, but just go with me, ok. Actually this post is on the new t-shirts, BUT then I remembered the dream, so you got a bonus! Aren't YOU lucky?...

New method t-shirt designs have popped up! And aren't they the greatest! (I lust the tree one, where all the leaves are actually tiny teardrop hand wash bottles!) I'm not sure if these are for internal use only (as method seems to have some t-shirt designs they only make for their employees) or if we'll be seeing these new designs on their website soon! I'll keep you posted! But for now, enjoy from afar. Just like in my dream. (See, it did all fit together. Whew!)

(Psst! I love this blue color! Isn't it gorgeous!)

(...and no, I can't read exactly what it says, either. Sorry!)

the best form of flattery?

Hmm... Over on The Dieline, a great site that showcases product packaging, they've done a post on a new line of personal care products called Patently Obvious.

"Patently Obvious is KMI's new range of personal cleaning products combines a natural antibacterial action with a biodegradable formulation that actually works giving performance without compromise. Will King wanted packaging that was distinctive and unique so custom bottles (ironically styled on classic 'chemistry' bottles) were designed in-house... The bottles are made here in the UK using 100% post consumer recycled plastics."

You can head on over to The Dieline to read a little more, and see another pic of the products.

The interesting part? Many of the comments have mentioned JUST how similar it is to our favorite method brand (from packaging shape, to "neon" colors, etc.):

"Method much? But with cluttered graphics."

"when i first glanced at it, i thought it was more method packaging."

"yeah, this is method. but not as nice."

"Oh come on everyone... i also thought it was more Method packaging when I first saw it and then realized it was just someone knocking off the original. From the packaging itself to the way it's shot all together, there is simply no confusion."

And even method's very own Josh Handy gets into the conversation. You can check it all out for yourself!

clean sweeps

+ Sniff. Sniff. Ok, so I got a prized bottle of the new multi-surface ginger yuzu cleaning spray recently (Yay!); and decided to hold off on using it until this spring/summer, as it's just such a summery, pineappley (to me, anyway!) scent! I do crazy things like this, that's why people think I'm well, weird. Cause, I am. But, I also decided this weekend to whip the bottle out and clean the bathroom with it, to get a chance to try it out! So I cleaned the bathroom all bright and shiny; carried a few (I ALWAYS end up carrying too many things at once, you'd think I'd learn, no?) of my cleaning items back into the kitchen, where I store them, and SLIP, I dropped my ginger yuzu bottle! Oh well, I've dropped my method bottles many a time, right? It'll just bounce and wait for me to pick it up, gently caress it, tell it I'm so very sorry, give it a little kiss on the nozzle, and off to la-la land it goes under the counter (I know, I know! method, under the counter! But I can't show off ALL my method, or I wouldn't have room for anything else, you know?! Oh, wait, that's not what you're making that face about? It's about the caressing and kissing, and... I already told you, I'm weird, ok?!)

But it fell to the floor, and SNAP! the entire head of the bottle, as in entire, cracked right off, and precious ginger yuzu cleaner went spilling all over the floor! NO! I picked it up as quickly as I could, but still had a lot of the spray cleaner puddled all over the floor. I ended up mopping it up, and cleaning the kitchen floor, so it smelled all ginger yuzu/pineappley! But I was so sad for my bottle. Right now the remains are living in an old lavender bottle. But it's just not the same, you know? The entire top cracked off, where the spray nozzle connects with the bottle (I guess the neck?) Has this ever happened to you? I'm curious!

+ For those lucky few that might still find a few method candles in the ceramic jars at their local Big Lots (like me! They still have a few left. I picked up four more fig candles this weekend! Yes! Oh figgy figgy goodness!) It seems like while the price on the jar still says $4.00, it actually rings up at $3.50 now! (Since they've had them for like, ever! I guess they knocked a few off.) So hey, not a bad savings! Pick'em up, while you still can! (PS - We have yet to get any of the dish cubes. Sigh. Man, what I wouldn't give for some lavender dish cubes! Ah well, I guess it isn't meant to be.)

Oh, and speaking of method ceramic jar candles, right now they're all 30% off on their method home site! The sale goes until the end of February!

garbage man

A very interesting article/experiment, taken from the Good Morning America website (and morning show.) Hmm, think you could do this?

"'Garbage Man' Saves Trash to Learn About Conservation
By Darcy Bonfils and Imaeyen Ibang

For one year, Los Angeles resident Dave Chameides conducted an experiment to see just how much he could conserve and how little he could throw away.

A California man is living with all the trash he creates for one year.

"I am efficient with my waste," said Chameides, who goes by the name Sustainable Dave on his Web site. "I made a decision that, for one year I would not throw anything away or recycle anything and, instead, I would keep everything in the basement."

After one year, Chameides had stashed about 30 pounds of trash — not counting recyclables — in his basement. He was able to limit his waste for a whole year to roughly the amount the average American produces in six days, he said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American disposes of five pounds of trash daily, which adds up to nearly 1,700 pounds of garbage annually.

But Chameides' garbage dump was so small he was able to tuck it away in only 10 square feet of space in his basement.

Soon after he began his experiment, Chameides said, he realized how easy it was to cut back on how much waste he produced.

"If you're ever thinking of keeping your trash in the basement, you have to be very well organized. The trail down the stairs are all bottles," Chameides said. "I tell people if I drank bottled water like most people do, which I don't, the whole basement would be full of it by now."

In addition to the garbage he would have thrown out, Chameides accumulated 64 plastic bottles, 153 glass bottles and two aluminum cans to be recycled. He also has 19 pounds of cardboard boxes, 12 pounds of e-waste and a 50-pound box of paper for recycling.

With the help of a secret weapon, Chameides was able to get rid of much of his organic waste.

"It's an in-home worm composting bin. All of my food scraps and paper and things like that go in here and the worms eat them up," he said.

The worms do the trick by eating a couple of pounds of paper a month, in addition to all of Chameides' leftovers.

What he doesn't have are plastic shopping bags, because, he says, they are an eco-enemy.

"I won't use plastic shopping bags," he said.

Most Americans do use plastic shopping bags — the EPA estimates the average person in the United States will use more than 18,000 in their lifetime. They end up tossed in a landfill where, scientists say, they will linger for centuries.

Chameides is taking the lessons he learned during his experiment and applying them to his post-garbage man life. He plans to continue to conserve.

"What I try to tell people is, if they just think along the lines of 'consume less, conserve more,' you've kind of hit it on the head," he said. "When you're going to buy something, look at it and think, 'Where did this come from? What am I going to do with it? And where is it going to go?'"

For more information on Dave Chameides' journey, visit www.sustainabledave.com

sign of the times

My great friend, Sam, has this really amazing job that allows him to travel all over the world (and yes, I'm disgustingly jealous! It's so not fair! Why me, why me?! Wait, sorry, ok, let me regain my composure...) Yay for him! SO, he's currently in Cairo, Eygpt! (As you can see from the pic!) And he got this great opportunity to see the Pyramids via horse (what happened to the camels?!) and, upon seeing this, had to send me the following pic:

Plastic bags trapped on Khafre's Pyramid! This Pyramid was built between 2558 and 2532 BC. If ever there was a sign of the times!

adam does hsn

See that title, it's a little play on... oh, you know you get it. Yes, you do. Anyway, moving forward, never backward (unless you're backing up your car, in which case if you moved foward instead of backward, well, bad things might happen. Old ladies and small cats might get ran over, or telephone poles might get smashed into, or Dunkin Donut trucks might crash into you... Hmm, that might not be such a bad thing. Just imagine, a Dunkin Donut trailer just bursting open and raining donuts down on your car. You could reach out your hands through your busted windshield (if you were still conscious, that is) and grab some delicious Butternut donuts! Mmm!...) Wow, just, wow... where did I go?

Ok, HSN videos are BACK! And you know you lust'em! Yes, you know you do. You never tire of some HSN videos. NO, you don't! Don't back mouth me! You don't. Now, watch! In silence! With donuts! (and coffee. Can you make me some, cause donuts without coffee just aren't the same. And well, I'm sorta stuck in this car until they bring out the jaws of life, so I really can't go get some myself. Thanks. You're the best!... Am I bleeding? Oh my gosh, I think I'm bleeding! No, no, wait. It's just raspberry filling. whew. Close call.)

1

Can you believe it! method lust is having it's one year anniversary today! Wow! Who would have thought? That the guy that can't follow through with anything, would make it an entire year spouting off his (extremely unhealthly) lust for method home products, to the world! All I want to say is THANKS to you! Because without you method luster advocates out there reading away each day, well, I'd pretty much be writing to myself. And my ego is definitely not that big! (Shh! You back there, be quiet! It is not!) Happy Anniversary! Now go get me something papery! (Cause you know, apparently a traditional first anniversary gift is something paper. What is that all about?! I think it should be cleaning products! Yeah! Let's go with that!)

One down!...

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Here's the post that started it all, mint is my man!

pioneering natural cleaning to the masses: clorox? or method?

Now here's a VERY interesting response from method, concerning a recent article focusing on Clorox Greenworks:

"By Waylon Lewis, elephantjournal.com

Greenwashing Alert? Despite recent reports, seems clear that Method (not to mention Seventh Generation) and not Clorox pioneered the offering of many green, effective cleaning products to the masses. Why do I care? Because the tough work, the trailblazing, is done by the first company to expand a market. And when that expansion is in the name of ‘Green,’ we prefer due credit be applied with some respect for the facts.

Via a colleague over at Method:

“Hi Waylon,

… I know you have a standing relationship with several of my colleagues here at Method. I hope this finds you well.

I’m writing to address an Associated Press story about Clorox Greenworks that ran on Sunday, January 10, and has been syndicated in a number of news outlets…several factual errors that were printed, including a quote by Clorox CEO Don Knauss stating that this week, Clorox Greenworks is launching the “first all-natural wipe on the market.”

Unfortunately, the reporter did not contact us while writing her story. She would have learned that Method launched natural cleaning wipes made from 100% bamboo in the mass market in April 2007.

The article…implied that before Clorox launched the Greenworks line, natural products were only available at specialty stores. Method natural wipes are sold nationwide in every area of the mass market, including Whole Foods, Target, Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Amazon.com, as well as internationally.

Method has been the leading innovator in healthy home care solutions since 2001. While we are excited to see continued growth in the space and welcome the attention that the Clorox Greenworks brand brings to green cleaners, we are concerned about false or misleading claims confusing consumers.

Greenwashing is at an all-time high, and we at Method encourage consumers to educate themselves and to examine all aspects of a company, from where they source their materials to their entire range of products, as well as their corporate practices. In turn, we expect companies to practice transparency and honesty in their messaging.

A green product should go beyond being ‘natural’ to being non-toxic, made with renewable energy, responsibly sourced, and packaged using recycled content.

We believe it’s of equal importance for a company to have an authentic mission of sustainability as it is to make an earth-friendly product."

+

Below is a link to the original Clorox Greenworks article.

sneak peek - special edition aircare!

Check it out! (Hey, how many posts do I begin with those words! Go on, count'em for me... I'll wait! No no, don't. You'd be dead before you reached the end, cause it's like a zillion! I need some new material here, people! I wonder if they have a blog for bloggers that need starting blog sentences? Don't laugh, I bet it exists. Everything exists nowadays, don't ya' know! Let's start again, then...)

Hey'YOW'za! (Like that, I worked hard on it! I did, I did.) What do we have here? Well, nothing more than a big ole' fat method lust sneak peek! It looks like Beach Sage is making a return visit to the special edition spring line this year! AND it's bringing some aroma spray with it this time! It smells just like your tried and true Beach Sage, so get ready! And yes, it's so sneaky peeky, method doesn't even have photography for the product yet, so yours truly had to take the pics! Which... is why they suck. Like, a lot! But whatever, Beach Sage is back, for you Beach Sage fans! (Well, it'll be back with the spring aircare line, which I'm not totally sure when that will hit stores, but I'm gonna put a guess near March! So uhm, hold onto your pants for just a bit longer, ok?) More news as I get it! Enjoy!

clean sweeps!

+ As a couple lust readers have mentioned, method is currently on sale at Target! And this time around it's like, a whole slew of stuff! From hand wash, cleaning sprays and wipes at 3 for $8.; to the aircare line (including $6.99 candles, and $2.99 aroma sprays, and on and on!) Check it all out, and stock up!

+ I got actual, honest to goodness, up front knowledge that Target does indeed give it's left over clearance items to Goodwill to sell! I was returning a pair of shoes the other day, and mentioned I needed a different size. (Which I'd already purchased, but the cashier didn't know.) And she said "well, they're already zeroed out of the system." Which I hate, cause they do that so quickly, like with holiday! Do you know there is a winterberry AND a toasted hazelnut candle sitting in the regular method candle section, still! And every time I see them, I want to buy them, but the toasted hazelnut has lost it's paper wrapper; and the winterberry still has a price of $6.98. AND since they went down to $3.98, but are zeroed out of the system, well, it'd be a miracle to get those candles. At least that's my thought. Alas, whew, off track...

And I said "Yes, you do zero out stuff quickly here!" reusing her "terms" so I sounded über smart, don't you know! Ok, well, not really, but whatev' ok? and she said yes, they did. But it was at least good, because Target always sends a huge chunk of the clearance stuff to Goodwill! Which we'd figured, but weren't sure just how it made it there! So now we know! Next time you're hunting some leftover holiday method item, check Goodwill, and you just might find it! (BUT, unfortunately, after my winterberry aroma ring find at my local Goodwill, I've found nothing else. Anyone out there found anything from the holiday line at their Goodwill? Let us know!)

yuzu for you!

Take a closer look at the new Ginger Yuzu dish soap, and multi-purpose spray cleaner! (And no, they don't normally come with bubbles! They got a little shook up in transit, but I was too impatient to wait for the bubbles to die down before I took the photos!)

The scent is exactly the same as the Ginger Yuzu hand wash (which was discontinued quite a while ago.) I always think it smells very pineappley, to me. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you! Very summery. You can also see they've redesigned the dish soap bottle a bit, with a giant colored circle around the "belly button" (that place you put your thumb when using the bottle, so it doesn't slip out of your hands!) and a color bar up the front! Not sure if they're going to extend this to the rest of their dish soap line, but I'd bet on it if I were me! And I am, so I'm betting yes!

The new Ginger Yuzu dish soap and multi-purpose spray cleaner is currently exclusively available at Whole Foods stores nationwide (or however wide Whole Foods extends itself. I'm not really sure, to be honest!) So if you've got one near you, run out and pick up a couple bottles! (And if you don't, well, you need not cry in the corner. No, no, go on, show the world your sorrow, cause I understand! I feel your Whole Foods/methodless pain! Let it all out! Don't hold back! Here, have my shoulder. Now now, doesn't that feel much better, yes, yes, it does.)

method goes top chef

Check this out! On this week's Top Chef (a show I lust dearly! Oh how I wish I could cook like these people! "Quick, you have twenty minutes for your quickfire challenge!" They'd all have roasted duck in a lemongrass and yuzu foam, with acidic cherries and arugula salad in tomato water while I'd have... a bologna sandwich. With mayo. Cause that's all my brain could muster in twenty minutes?!? (And, I hate, hate, hate bologna!) How do they do it? Alas...) But on this week's episode, what do you spy? But a method hand wash bottle!

Hmm... wait a minute? They don't make creamy hand wash in the teardrop bottle... What's up here, Culinary Institute (which was where they were cooking this week.) Let's hope they didn't fill it up with Dial soap, but instead loved the bottle design so much, they grabbed up some almond flower creamy hand wash and filled up the teardrop bottle with it! Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket... let's just go with that!

Maybe method should do some product placement on Top Chef (like they once did on Ugly Betty!) Then we'd be hearing the chefs not only saying "I'm gonna put my granola in this Glad zipper bag!" or "Let's all jump into the Toyota Sequoia and head off to Whole Foods!"; but also "Wow, I just touched raw chicken! Time to wash my hands in some method lavender hand wash!" ... on second thought, method, don't. I'm about OVER Glad zipper bags, and Toyota Sequoia's. Product placement always blows. Cause it's, well, so obvious.

If you spot method on tv, or in a movie; take a screen shot and send it in, and I'll post it up here on method lust!