packaging a compelling customer experience

Be sure to read this interesting article on package design, from The Dieline! method gets a big ole' mention (and of course they would, rockin' packaging!) Check out this excerpt:

"...How about Method’s packaging? Method’s environmentally-safe home and personal use cleaning products feature beautifully-designed, clear packaging on many of its products. Packaging for the entire Method line has the look and feel of upscale cosmetic packaging. Talk about experiential!

An examination of environmental cleaning products shows that there’s a great deal of similar bill-board-type packaging in the category. Only Method’s packaging is strikingly different. Contemporary, clean, refreshing. As Method’s web site states: “(co-founder) Eric (Ryan) knew people wanted cleaning products they didn't have to hide under their sinks”. Not only does this product claim cleaning effectiveness and safety, it’s meant to be seen. What a concept for commodity products!

While a number of eco-conscious cleaning products are on the market now, why is it that Method has garnered nearly a whopping $100 million in sales in a slow-growth category? Why is it that the brand has also created a community of avid brand loyalists? Products that are made to be seen, are obviously grabbed and used more. More product used, faster repeat sales. Since there are myriad cleaning products on the market, including eco-friendly options, it’s apparent that Method’s experiential packaging accounts for part of the brand’s stunning success."

Be sure to head over to The Dieline to read the complete article!

no more scent

NO no, never fear! method hasn't decided to go and make all their products in only go naked varieties! But rather, I just discovered something. You can actually scrape off the scent name on your hand wash bottles. With a fingernail. Easy as pie (why is that a saying? Pie is so not that easy to make, ya' know?)

The reason for this is, I have a french lavender hand wash bottle, and I ran out of soap. SO, I found some green tea + aloe refill cheap at Big Lots, and decided to give it a try. But all I could do was stare at the words french lavender, while looking at the neon bright green tea hand wash in the bottle. (Yes, I've told you, I need lots of therapy. Lots.) So then, one day I gave this fingernail name scratching thing a try! And it worked! And now I have a nice clean bottle that could be refilled with any scented method soap, and people wouldn't wonder why lavender was green?

Sigh... yes, I am that anal. Would you actually consider doing this? Or do you think I've completely lost my mind? (I believe I know the answer to this...)

clean thoughts

A thought today as I was eating at Subway. When is that chain going to catch on that plastic bags are BAD! I eat there regularly, because it's (basically) healthy, and I ALWAYS say NO PLASTIC BAG when I get to the check out. Because, get this, they are literally making your sandwich, wrapping it up for you; uh, it's good to go at this point, then shoving it in a plastic bag with some napkins, all so you can walk five steps to your table (because to go or not to go, it hits the plastic bag), take your sandwich out, and throw the bag away. It's worse than grocery bags! At least they make trips! How wasteful is this? Imagine the amount of money Subway could save it they'd just stop with the plastic bags? And yes, you CAN carry your drink, chip bag, and wrapped up sandwich to the car, without a plastic bag. YES, you can. In fact, you can do a lot, if you just put your mind to it. So next time you're at Subway, just say NO to the plastic bag.

+

Hmm. A friend of mine this weekend opened my eyes to something rather thought provoking! I was (of course) talking about saving the earth, going green, etc. and he said to me "You know, it really has nothing to do with saving the planet. I mean, more than likely, the planet will bounce back. We might take it to the brink, but when mankind is gone, it'll come back, and take over once more. What we're really talking about when we say saving the planet is saving mankind from extinction, because we'll have made the planet uninhabitable. That's what we're really trying to save here."

A very interesting point of view, don't you think? I mean, yeah, we know the reasons we do what we do is to make the planet a better place for man and animal; but I wonder if it'd have more or less impact if we started using "Save Mankind" instead of "Save The Planet." Would we get the same results (which as far as my jadedness is concerned, is fleeting disinterest from most people?) Curious...

same clean, smaller footprint

Smarty dish has changed it's packaging! (Well, actually method changed it, but you say tomato, I say tomahto? Ok?) It's now being packaged in a lightweight pouch, which just happens to use 87% less plastic than the original. Now THAT is crazy! 87%?! Wow! Amazing... so be on the lookout for this new packaging!

And hey, if you liked the old containers you can always save yours and use these as refills, just like the hand wash! Win, win! These should be available at stores near you soon, and can already be purchased at methodhome.com!

lost and found in detox town

Oh oh, look! "Lost" pics from a New York method detox party that happened last year! I lust these! Everyone having so much fun, tasty food, and wonderful method products! Unfortunately, there are no plans for detox parties this year (sniff sniff), but man, I'd still love to have one of these myself! Hmm... I might have to talk with someone at method about this... Oh, but uh, yeah, until then, enjoy these pics!

ding dong, it's ping pong

method has gone ping pong crazy! They recently had their 3rd Annual method March Madness Ping Pong Doubles Tournament! You can check it all out on their people against dirty blog!

clean sweeps

+ Uhm, ok, yeah. I got some bad news for you all. See that photo to the right? Remember me mentioning how beach sage was comin' back this year in grand spring edition style and form! Well, er, it's not. And I'm so very sorry to disappoint you. In fact, sniff sniff, there will be no spring scents this year! And yes, I can hear that gasp all over the world! I couldn't believe it either, but I've gotten official word. And speaking of that beach sage aroma spray, apparently it was from last years spring edition line? Ok, seriously here, did ANYONE see beach sage aroma spray at their local stores last year? If so, let me know! Because it never made it to a single store near me! Anna from method says "Maybe the distribution on it wasn't that hot if you didn't see it. Sorry about that." I think it was down right incognito?! So either I missed out on something last year (which makes me wonder what else I might have missed out on, that never showed up at my Targets? But then, this spray isn't even available on the method home site? So I'm all confused.) Or I have one rare bottle of beach sage aroma spray, let me tell you! Anyway, sorry for the confusion... (you may give me 50 lashes with a wet noodle now...)

+ Lots of method stuff on sale at Target! Like, almost all of it! Cream body wash, marine naturals body wash, squeaky kids body wash, hand wash, wet wipes, hand wash refills, go, pick some up! And the creamy body wash is $1.00 off right now, which I think is a great deal (as it's a bit pricey if you ask me!) So here's your chance to pick some up! Not sure how long the sale will last, so run while you can!

+ And ok, while the spring edition aircare line is a bust, be sure to check back for a sneak peek on a brand new method product, coming to a store near you OH so very soon! All I can say at the moment, hush hush you know! But I should have all the details in a couple of weeks (if not sooner!) So be on pins and needles, just don't, you know, stick yourself too much, cause you'll lose lots of blood, and then you'll have to go to the hospital, and you won't be anywhere near a computer when I give the sneak! More soon!

earth day comes but once a year...

...and yet we can do so much to help out Mother Earth each and every day! Earth Day 2009 happens to be April 22 (Yeah, that'd be this Wednesday!) So let's all celebrate in style! So we'll have an earth to celebrate for zillions and zillions of years to come!

You know, recently I had a big disagreement (we won't call it an argument, though if it went on any longer, it definitely would have been. Possibly with fists?) with a friend's mother! (I know, his mother! And yes, friend, you know who you are! (Shakes fist in air!) I think his hidden goal was to get me all riled up, cause actually, well, he's evil. Ha ha! But in the end, all my talk of polar bears drowning, method lusting, helping the earth in small ways, and just say no to plastic bags was met with "well if we don't use plastic, what will we make everything out of?/global warming is a bunch of baloney/green cleaning products should be the exact same price as the crappy cleaning products that cost me nothing cause they're made of bad, nasty chemicals (but since they're not, I ain't buyin' them)/I'm not about to take any responsibility myself"-ness. And honestly, I'm still slightly erked. (But plenty of therapy will help me out on this one, let's hope? Ok?)

Which reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons that just ran this past weekend. Where Lisa had to do a report on her town, 50 years in the future. And when she went to research it, her information was full of earthly doom and gloom! It just gets worse and worse!" She exclaimed after doing some internet searching, which resulted in a doctor prescribing some happy pills in the name of Ignoritol! (Gotta lust that name!) And it was just so perfect. There are so many people out there just DANGED and DETERMINED to ignore it all! And if it doesn't fit into their plans, too bad. And you know what, I can take a lot from people; but when it comes to ignorance with either the subject of homosexuality, OR being green for the environment/saving the earth for us, and future generations; well, I lose my patience!

Yeah, you've been warned! LOL

So, with all that said, what are YOUR plans this Earth Day? What thing will you do to make this planet a better place for us all, animal, plant, and man? Remember, it doesn't have to be anything big. Small wins out, too. If everyone did something small, guess what, it'd become BIG! So bike to work, eat lunch at work (instead of driving somewhere to eat), buy organic food, go plastic bagless (word, what do I have to say to you to get this into your head? Seriously, where is my hammer? OH, there it is!), go paper towel-less, plant a tree, plant a garden, start using only method cleaning products (shameless plug, I know!) So, what will YOU be doing this Earth Day? Tell us!

+

image: caglecartoons.com

coming clean

Update method lust reader Rebecca gives her opinions on this hot topic:

"Sadly, they (SC Johnson) are not really coming clean about what's in their cleaning products or why they are suddenly interested in sharing their ingredients.
Smoke and mirrors and a pack of lies. I ranted about this a month ago on my blog."

+

Interesting article over on The Wall Street Journal about how (slowly) household cleaners are starting to come clean on their ingredients.

"By Anjali Athavaley

You can read a label to find out what's in your food. And a quick look inside a collar or hem tells you what your clothes are made of. Now, the same is happening with the stuff you use to clean your kitchen and bathroom.

A few manufacturers of household cleaning products have begun disclosing the chemicals in some of their products. S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. last month rolled out Web site WhatsInsideSCJohnson.com to describe most of the ingredients for its Windex, Glade, and Shout brands. Clorox Co. lists ingredients for its Formula 409 and other products at TheCloroxCompany.com.

Seventh Generation Inc., which has long disclosed most of the ingredients for its eco-friendly cleaning products, last year started explaining chemical names in terms that consumers can better understand on its labels. And Procter & Gamble Co. plans to list its ingredients online and describe them in consumer friendly terms.

These efforts are receiving a boost from industry trade groups that recently set up joint guidelines to encourage use of a standardized format for presenting the technical information. "Consumers want to know more to ensure the safety of their family," says a Procter & Gamble spokesman. "The industry is changing along with that."

Health and environmental groups are concerned that some chemicals in household cleaners could contribute to asthma or respiratory problems, especially if consumers aren't aware of their presence. The groups say they welcome the industry's plans to boost disclosure, but say the efforts don't go far enough. Rather than signing on to a voluntary initiative, these groups say companies should be required to participate. They say ingredients should be listed on product labels, rather than on Web sites, so they are available to consumers before purchase.

And, these groups say, not all chemicals are likely to be listed -- manufacturers, for instance, generally don't disclose ingredients in fragrances because these are considered trade secrets. "We are concerned no one knows what's in these products and that it's not very easy to find out," says Tom Neltner, chairman of the Sierra Club's Toxics Committee.

Federal law generally doesn't require manufacturers to disclose which chemicals are used in household cleaning products, though companies must include on labels any emergency warnings and instructions for first aid. For institutional cleaning products, companies are required to disclose certain chemicals that may be hazardous because professional cleaners are generally exposed to greater volumes of chemicals than the average household user. That information is contained in "material safety data sheets" posted on corporate Web sites.

A bill introduced in Congress last year would have required manufacturers to provide the Environmental Protection Agency with the data necessary to determine if a chemical is safe. It also would have given the agency more authority to restrict the use of chemicals that fail to meet its safety standards. Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey plans to introduce a similar bill in the coming weeks, a spokesman says.

"Every day, consumers rely on household products that contain thousands of chemicals," Sen. Lautenberg said in a statement. "We must ensure these chemicals are safe before they reach the market."

The developments come at a time when consumer demand for cleaning products marketed as eco-friendly is on the rise, partly because consumers assume green products are safer, according to a recent report by Mintel International, a market-research firm. The market for so-called green cleaning products grew to $64.5 million last year from $17.7 million in 2003, it said.

Lydia Chen Shah, a 29-year-old marketing communications manager in Glendora, Calif., says she has gravitated to cleaners that are marketed as green, such as products by Seventh Generation and method. "I don't want to feel like as soon as I put some household cleaner on the surface I'm going to have to stay away from it for a while," says Ms. Shah, who has pets and says she worries about their safety.

Currently there is no federal standard regulating the terms green or natural as it applies to cleaning products. Environmental groups advise people to read the label to learn why a product is labeled as green.

Advocacy groups have pored through companies' material safety data sheets listing chemicals that may be hazardous to professional cleaners. They say further study is needed to explore possible health effects on consumers who use smaller amounts of these chemicals at home. "In some cleaning products there are ingredients that are known to be respiratory irritants or sensitizers," says Ted Schettler, science director of the nonprofit Science and Environmental Health Network.

One group, Women's Voices for the Earth, outlined its concerns about certain chemicals in its 2007 Household Hazards report. The report pulled together various studies that had found associations between chemicals in cleaning products and certain health effects -- such as occupational asthma in cleaning workers. While the scientific data cited in the report are inconclusive, the group says there is cause for concern, and further research should be done.

One chemical found in detergents and all-purpose cleaners is monoethanolamine. It is used in various products such as Mr. Clean Multi-Surfaces Antibacterial Cleaner, made by Procter & Gamble, and Clorox's Formula 409 All Purpose Cleaner, according to the material safety data sheets listed on the companies' Web sites.

Studies done in the 1990s link the chemical to occupational asthma in cleaning workers, according to the Women's Voices for the Earth report. But Clorox says its products are safe and points to an analysis published by the U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive in 1997 that concluded there wasn't enough evidence to classify the chemical as a respiratory sensitizer.

Clorox says not everything on its material safety data sheets is hazardous because "we err on disclosing anything that might be germane to anyone using the product," says Reza Rahaman, vice president of global stewardship for the company.

Procter & Gamble said in an email: "A number of leading scientific and regulatory bodies around the world have investigated and reviewed this material and its safety profile, and all resulting data supports the conclusion that MEA does not pose a health risk to workers when used and handled in accordance to the manufacturer's safety recommendations."

Doctors and advocacy groups are also concerned about glycol ethers, which have been linked to reduced fertility and low birth weight in mice, according to the Women's Voices for the Earth report. One chemical in this category, 2-butoxyethanol, is used in products like Sunshine Makers Inc.'s Simple Green All Purpose Cleaning Foam, according to its material safety data sheet.

Sunshine Makers says its products are safe. "Independent laboratory test data show that there was no reproductive toxicity associated with exposure to Simple Green," Carol Chapin, senior director of research and development, said in an email.

Since most of the studies that analyze the health effects of chemicals in cleaners focus on occupational use rather than household use, "the information isn't really applicable to consumers," says Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group. "Workers tend to deal with larger quantities of the chemicals in question. Consumers are not going to come into contact with those kinds of volumes of ingredients."

savin' the bay

method has been savin' the bay! The San Francisco Bay, that is! I'll let them explain it more better:

"This past Wednesday (4/8/2009) a group of 26 method employees embarked on our first 2009 Eco-Maniacs volunteer event.

If you don’t know, at method in order to encourage volunteerism in our local community, employees are given 3 days per year that we can use volunteering either with the company or for an organization of our personal choice.

For this event, method partnered with Save the Bay for a wetlands restoration project at Bair Island down in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay. Save The Bay is the oldest and largest organization working exclusively to protect, restore and celebrate San Francisco Bay." Enjoy some photos from the event!

clean sweeps

method has been awfully quiet as of late, but last night they sprung (is sprung a word? Eh, I'm gonna use it anyway, what can you do?) back to life! A couple of interesting comments included:

+ Hints are that cinnamon bark and peppermint vanilla will be making a return this holiday season. Whether it will be part of the core holiday line, or an offshoot, sort of like what they did this year, releasing the hand wash in grocery stores, etc. remains to be seen. So if you don't have a Big Lots near you, and can't pick up some leftover cinnamon bark or peppermint vanilla, never fear!

+ It doesn't look like there are any current plans to bring back the aircare cut grass scent. But they do also mention they still have cut grass aroma sticks on method home to purchase!

+ Crazy alert! So, a while back when method had their aroma sprays on sale, I picked up a couple bottles of pomegranate tea! Mmm... So the other day I went to spray it, and take in that wonderful fragrance, and I did, and then went "Uh, I don't smell a thing?" Suddenly worried that these North Carolina allergies had permanently taken away my ability to smell, I got nervous, and tried the second bottle. Nothing! Then I grabbed some other bottles in different scents, and ah! I could smell them.

I have an old bottle of pom tea at work, so I gave it a spray. Mmm! So I've decided, through some freak occurrence not unlike Virgin Marys showing up on grilled cheese sandwiches (come on now, don't you think if the Virgin Mary wanted to pop up, she's have a little more class than to do so on a grilled cheese?! She's the Virgin Mary! But I digress...) these two bottles have no scent in them! Crazy! Has anyone else had this issue? I'm curious! I've asked method about this, and will hopefully get a response soon! (It could very well be a "you've gone mad!" BUT, I also tested it on a friend, and she came to the same conclusion.) To be continued...

going green (the hard way)

Uhm, yeah. This story HAS to be read, to be believed. Some people just do not want to change, Hell or high water! Hey, you know what, I use my method dish detergent all the time, and surprise surprise, my dishes are nice and clean. You know what I think is the problem with some people? These people are lazy! (Knock, knock. Oh, hold on, someone's at the door? "Hello? Who's there?" Pot. "Pot who?" Pot, calling your freakin' kettle black! "Oh, about me being lazy?" Yeah! "Well, ok, I am lazy! But hold on, Pot! Listen to what I have to say, ok? Be nice, Pot. Be nice.")

I had a sauce pan recently that had burnt on food. Like, so burnt, I had to, gasp! let it soak! For like, a day! And I used to get really erked when I'd put method floor cleaner on the floor, and have to scrape back and forth on a really nasty spot, and it wouldn't immediately come up! And then I realized, hey, if I put some floor cleaner down on that spot, have a little patience (what is that word? Americans don't use that word any longer? I mean really! The very idea! Patience. What does it mean, anyway... but I digress, as always...) then, tada, it'll easily come right up after it just sits and soaks for five minutes or so.

But today we want our cleaner to go smack dap on the mess, and eat that sucker off, so we don't actually have to do any heavy scrubbing, or waiting, or whatever? Who cares WHAT makes it eat the dirt off (did you know our dish detergent contains baby leeches, which chomp away at your nasty dirt, leaving only clean leech free dishes! They get washed down the sink! But, wait, what happens to them then? Well, they flow into the river, and eat all the fish! But yay, your dishes are sparkling clean!) I mean, my ranting comes from the fact that I've never had a problem with my method dish soap, but these women sound like they're going to die without their phosphates!

Wait, what am I talking about? Well, read for yourself...

"When Clean Dishes Means Smuggling Detergent | By Scott Mayerowitz

Lisa Brewer doesn't consider herself a criminal and she really wants to help the environment -- even biking to work -- but she also wants clean dishes.

Residents in Spokane, Wash. are smuggling dishwasher detergent across state lines because it cleans their dishes better than environmentally-friendly cleaners offered locally. That's why later this week, the Spokane, Wash., resident plans to cross into Idaho and smuggle back some dishwasher detergent.

She's not alone.

Spokane County has banned the use of most common detergents because of the effect they have on area rivers and lakes. The problem is, the environmentally friendly detergents now sold instead just don't seem to do the job.

"I understand what they're trying to do, but when you have to wash a load of dishes twice that's a dilemma," Brewer said. "I just ran out of the old stuff and am going to [Idaho] on Thursday."

Brewer tried a new, eco-friendly cleaner and "my dishes didn't get clean."

"They weren't bad, but the other stuff just did better," she said. "You want to help the environment, but you want your dishes clean."

Most dishwasher detergents in America help get dishes clean with the help of phosphates. The problem is those same cleaning chemicals also lead to algae growth and oxygen depletion in rivers. In Spokane County phosphate levels in rivers and lakes are so high that they are putting fish at risk.

So in July, a new law went into effect banning such water-softening phosphates in dishwasher detergent. It was the first such ban in the country.

But not everybody was happy. Suddenly stores across the border noticed more people with out-of-state license plates stocking up on detergent.

"When Washington first banned, we had a difficult time keeping it in stock," said Randy McIntire, spokesman for grocery chain Super 1 Foods. "I talked to a person who was buying six boxes."

Cigarettes are also cheaper in Idaho and McIntire hypothesized that shoppers are making the trip for a few items, including the banned detergent.

Patti Marcotte stockpiles the normal detergent she buys at an Idaho Costco in the basement of her Spokane home. She says the environmentally friendly brands she tried use more water and energy.

Residents in Spokane, Wash. are smuggling dishwasher detergent across state lines because it cleans their dishes better than environmentally-friendly cleaners offered locally. "I actually had to clean them in the sink, put them in the dishwasher, run with detergent and then run it again to get all the film off," Marcotte told ABC News affiliate KATU.

Shannon Brattebo, an officer with the Washington Lake Protection Association, one of the groups behind the ban, said that she has heard of a lot of people driving to Idaho.

"I don't think people understand why we're doing it [banning phosphates] or why it's important," Brattebo said. "If they did, I don't think the majority of people would mind."

She said that the Spokane River violates state water safety standards and that rather than spend billions of dollars to upgrade sewage treatment plants, it was easier to attack the problem at the source.

Brattebo said people are having mixed results. Some brands are better than others, but the key factor depends on how hard your water is. The harder the water, the less effective the phosphate-free detergents are.

Mary Goodsell is one of the lucky residents.

"Truly, it works fantastic," she said of her new gel detergent.

Goodsell has her own well and finds the water is not as hard.

"I couldn't be any happier. It works so much better than the powder for me," she said.

The cleaning supply industry supports eliminating phosphates, but just not now.

The Soap and Detergent Association backed legislation in 12 states mandating a reduction in the use of phosphorus in automatic dishwashing detergents to a maximum of 0.5 percent by weight by July 1, 2010. Currently, most have about 9 percent.

By summer 2010, residents in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington will need to buy phosphate-free detergent. California also passed such a measure but it was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But for now, the industry admits that it doesn't have a powerful enough phosphate-free cleaner. Dennis Griesing, vice president of government affairs for the Soap and Detergent Association, said his members are working on such detergents and that's why they are supporting the 2010 date.

"In Spokane we had a very full debate on the issue," Griesing said. "We warned them that this would happen, that there would be consumer dissatisfaction."

Head on over to abc.com to read the rest! What do you think? Do these women have a point, or are they just crazy, lazy, and unwilling to change? What WILL it take to make people wake up? Hmm...

+

PS - Man, this is a case where method should send a $1. off coupon for their dish detergent to all the residents of Spokane, Washington! (Yeah, yeah, I'd totally do in a company, as I'm sure that would cost a fortune, but doesn't it sound like a great idea!) Imagine everyone there getting a coupon, and they "have" to try a new non-phosphate detergent, so it might spur them on to picking up some method (and naturally lusting it!)

Oh, and yes, I realize leeches don't actually eat dirt, or fish. Just go with me, ok? You'll enjoy the ride, I promise.

ebay surprises

While trolling, loitering, and otherwise frolicking around on ebay.com, I came across two great method finds!

+ method OLD SKOOL 4 pack body wash - $1.99 (Start Bid) + $6.53 shipping - Wow! I can't believe one of these popped up on ebay! Target carried these for a short time way back when, during method's first foray into body wash! These are 4 tubes of olive leaf, lavender thyme, cassis flower and mango mint. (OH how I miss cassis flower and lavender thyme!) You can read about this body wash on method lust!

+ method frosted cranberry holiday hand wash - $3.99 (Current Bid) + $6.35 shipping - This debuted uhm, about three holidays ago! It's sort of a cross between hollyberry and winterberry (well, in my opinion.)

aha!

I finally managed to put two and two together, and figure out the whole "why are the pomegranate + tea and citrus cilantro candles being clearanced, while the rest of the items in these scents (currently) remain in the aircare line?" question? (And whew, that was a long question, wasn't it?!) Well, I (duh!) figured it out!

The reason is, method just went and reworked their candle line, with the new soy wax formula; but realized these two scents were going to be discontinued, to be replaced with the upcoming spring editions line; so they couldn't redo them with the new soy wax, and instead just clearanced them out; while keeping the rest of the line around in those two scents (for a short time.) Make sense?

I went into my nearest Target this weekend, and they've had three pom + tea candles sitting there forever, on clearance, but without any actually clearance stickers on them. And this weekend they were listed as "item not found" which in Target terms means, over and out. So I checked at the customer service counter (just in case they'd gone lower than $3.98) to see if they could look up a price on them. They said with "item not found" products, it was hit or miss. But these did come up (still at the $3.98 price, so I just bought one.) But this is the last chance to pick the candles up, as Target will be shipping them out soon (more than likely to Goodwill.)

target trippin'

(aka, Nathan's ADD trip to Target. Ready? Set? Go!) Ok, so I decided to head over to Target today during lunch to check out these really great Merona suit vests they've just gotten in for men that look so cool and stylish, and come in three different patterns, and I was all like "Oh, I could look mucho cool and stylish!" except I haven't looked cool and stylish in years, mainly cause I just let myself go, you know? We'll blame it on the depression, but oh, that's another story. (I jest, I jest. I think...) But alas, these vests were definitely going to bring me back into cool and stylish mode, so off I went!

I'm searching for them, and what do you know, the Target near my home has all of them, this Target (same size as the one at home, but noticeably sucking in merchandise carrying) has... one style. So I grab a small (my usual size) run to the fitting room, try it on, and it won't even wrap all the way around my body, let alone button! Ha ha, ok. So apparently I don't wear smalls in suit vests. (Shush!) So I leave the fitting room, go to try on a medium, deciding to forgo the fitting room again and use their mirror they have out on the floor; and it fits great! Yay, but then I notice, the little belt thing that's on the back of vests (what is that called?) isn't well, belted. And I go to do it, and it's made rather poorly. The two pieces won't stay connected. Well, how lame!

So I decide to leave the clothing area and walk past the baby area, where there is a woman looking at baby washes, and I immediately think "Run over and exclaim to her how much you lust method squeaky green baby wash! And that she simply must buy it, buy it, buy it! Go green apple! Purchase the peach! Ransack the rice milk + mallow!" but I decide not to scare the poor woman and just keep walking.

To the kitchen aisle. Ohh, look, they have that small Preserve recycled cutting board in bright green I've been eyeing, and I got a little extra in my paycheck from the tax break stimulus thingy! Oh, I should get it! But but, I'll... wait. Ok, off we go...

To the method (Wait, did he just say method?) aircare section! I gotta see if they have the new candles in, cause I had to buy the sweetwater candles the other day while they were still on sale, because they were all out of the lavender + lemongrass; and now the sale is over, but when they get the l+l candles I'll just bring the other ones back for exchange (yes, it's a tad sneaky, I'm sorry; but still totally legit, don't you agree? Sometimes ya gotta play their game, people!); since my Targets aren't quite as nice as method lust reader Jamison's, and they wouldn't give me any rain checks for the candles.

Oh look, nothing. Hmm, the rest of the line is fairly full, but the candles are empty. Three old soy formula l+l candles sitting there, nothing else... Wait, what is this? The shelf stickers for the other candles, they're gone? What's going on here? It's like they've removed them from the shelf, permanently. WHAT. is. going. on. here? (Let's just chalk it up to the aircare line's big spring edition boost that HAS to be coming up this month, and not get all hysterical here right yet! Ok? I'll check this out, and get back with everyone!) Hmm... I'm worried (all appears fine, as I stumbled into my other Target this evening (don't even) and they had just gotten a brand spankin' new shipment of candles in. So don't ask me what was up with the shelf stickers thing, I ain't got a clue)... as I walk to the checkout line, to grab a pack of...

cupcakes. Yep, you read right. (Get in shape, size medium? What are you talking about.) And there is this woman in front of me, and she's buying oh oh, yes, it's method french lavender hand wash! And and, next to it, two bottles of red Dawn dish detergent?? What is that all about? So what do I do, I say (in as whimsical a way as I can...) "Well, if you're going to buy the method hand wash, why in the world wouldn't you buy their dish soap too?" And smile at her (secretly demanding she return the Dawn and go get the method, all with my eyes. My eyes say A LOT, let me tell you.) But alas, she says surprisingly "Well, I didn't know they made dish soap!" to which I replied "Oh, they sure do! And it's super!" Ok, well, maybe I didn't say the super part. And she says "well, I'm trying to buy red dish soap, to match my new red kitchen." to which I thought of saying "But, but, they make pink." but really, it wouldn't have helped. If only it had been the holidays, I could have thrown her the winterberry bone. Oh well!

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And with that, I walked out of Target. Without my vest. Worried about my method candles. And with two cupcakes too many for my body. (And it only came with two, you know. Get it... oh, whatever.)

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PS - method, you need to put a little cute tag, sorta like the house tags you had a while back, letting people know about all the products you sell! Cause this woman had no clue, because Target puts some method products by themselves, and others with the full line. And obviously she must have picked it up by itself. But if it had a tag telling her about all the wonderfuls method makes, she's know! And I wouldn't have to hunt her down. Suggestion!

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PPS - Yeah, this post was all over the place, ok? Just a Target day in the life for Nathan... sweet mercy, he needs some help.