method lust + nathan aaron

seasonal savings!

2009-11-11T13:00:00.002-05:00

Wow! Drop what you're doing (well, unless it has anything to do with scalding hot water, small babies, or Ginsu knives!) and run on over to your computer (unless it's right next to you, or up a flight of stairs, or at the repair shop!) and check out method's grand holiday product sale!

They're clearing out the leftovers, and we get the deals! I'm talking hollyberry dish soap for $1.60; cinnamon bark spray cleaner for $1.60; and big bundles of holiday products in your favorite scents for a mere $16.00, and up (depending on HOW many products you want!) All scents are cinnamon bark, peppermint vanilla and hollyberry (except for some yummy leftover spiced pear spray cleaner, also for $1.60!)

So what are you waitin' for? Snow? Better days? Thanksgiving to be over? Bah! Forget all that, and stock up! Head on over for some great finds (unless you have band practice, a car pool, or you're still at work. If so, you might want to wait until after, ok?) Ah heck, shop at work! No one will know, I've checked, and your boss just went to lunch. You've got a one hour window. Don't waste it!

my precious...

2009-11-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

Step away from the bottle. Remove your finger from the spray nozzle trigger, and just step away from the bottle. Do not release any of that wonderous elixir! Move, move, move!

Whew, that was a close call! You almost used an old skool treasure from my belusted method vault! One of those products that should, yes very much so, be currently displayed in MOMA! Because more than likely it will never be made again! Discontinued! All gone! Arrivederci! Sniff-sniff! And you lust it oh oh oh so much! So what's a boy to do, except hoard, hide, sneak, and every once in a long while, slip some of these items out, unscrew a cap oh so carefully, and take in a nice, smooth whiff of this scent heaven! Oh method, why have you forsaken me so!?

Come on, you all know what I'm talking about! (Uh, no, Nathan, we don't. Because you've obviously lost it.) I'm talking about those great method products that you've bought up in bulk, because at the time they were being discontinued, and they were your most favorite ever! And you'd bought eight, nay, sixteen bottles/jars/bowls/refills and just KNEW that would be enough to keep you in business for ages! You were set! Ha ha, take that method! But now, you're on your last bottle/jar/bowl/refill (how did THAT happen?!?) and so you decide, against your better judgement (and realizing that something used and loved is better than something hoarded away, but still) to sneak it away into the very back of your method product vault/hideaway. For this has now become a rare bit of method history. Your most amazing method scent/product ever... is no more.

+

method has changed a lot over the years, and I for one (again, needing mental help) just LOVE looking over items/scents, etc. from their past. Especially stuff that even I have never had the chance to try! (Vanilla melon all purpose spray cleaner, people! Did you even know this existed? Where was I when this was happening?! Tsk-tsk.) And two of the biggest ones (to me at least) have always been the bamboo and coral spray cleaners. Now these are some old skool method products. The method Holy Grail of products, I like to call them! In fact, check out these oh so freakin' awesome tags that were used as part of their product rollout, so very very long ago (I mean, these were two of method's VERY first products, to my knowledge! I will continue to swear to you that I at one time saw the bamboo spray cleaner in my local grocery store, AGES ago. And. Didn't. Buy. It. To this day, I cry and weep in the corner of my bedroom for hours upon this mere thought. Stupid, stupid Nathan! But alas, we must all let go and move on... in just a little bit, let me think about these products just a tad longer, I'm almost through, I promise; hold on a minute...) Are these tags amazing, or what? (Muy muchas gracias, Anna!)

Have you tried the coral spray cleaner? Have you ever even seen it? What about the bamboo? I honestly never thought I'd ever see either of these products. Then one day, just recently, a wonderful method lust reader (hey Jean!) casually posted about having some bamboo spray cleaner, and loving it so much, she retained just a small amount in the original bottle; and every once in a while would take in the divine scent, then seal it back up again! She simply couldn't bare to use the last remaining drops of a product she lusted so much! And yet, get this, she was willing to pour a little into a sample bottle, and send it to ME to try! Oh my word! Did I just fall through a rabbit hole? What was going on here?! And when I received that bottle in the mail, you would have thought it was Christmas day, method style!

Yes, we're both a bit crazy. But come on now, you know you are too. I bet you've done the same thing. Bamboo spray cleaner. Coral spray cleaner. Vanilla melon all-purpose. Magnolia dish soap. Chocolate Martini candles. What's your secret method vault obsession. Something that not only did you buy in bulk once it disappeared from store shelves forever, but NOW can't even bring yourself to use the last container of, because that would mean it would be gone... forever! Here are some of my all-time favorite selections, from my own method vault:

First up is the vroom brand auto product line. Now, honestly, I'll still use these on my car. Just sparingly. Not only did a lot of people not even know about this line, but it was but a blip on the radar, and then, gone! The sea flower (an amazing scent!) interior refresher is sublime, and then you have the wipes, interior protectant, and all purpose cleaner! Drool!

Then we have the iconic method dish soap in the bowling pin bottle, in MINT! I don't even have to say more than that. Mint. Iconic. Ugh, I just can't believe method doesn't still make the mint dish soap. It was so so very awesome!

And what do we have here? Fig aroma spray. Wowzers. Do you know why this is so rare, I can't bring myself to spray a drop of it? Cause not only was it out for a tiny bit of time (- mere months! it was a Fall limited edition) but it just happened to debut at the time when method had some issues with their aroma sprays, and pulled the ENTIRE lot of all aroma sprays from store shelves. Including the fig. Disposing of them all. So chances of finding fig aroma spray at your nearest Big Lots? Well, (though I could of course end up being wrong) I'd say "None! Never!" Oh oh my figgie poo. And then we have beach sage aroma spray! What's that, you say? They never made beach sage aroma spray? Well, but they did. And again while I could be wrong (and please let me know if you ever saw this actual product on your store shelves!) while method sent me a bottle, and said it was released at select Target stores in the US; I NEVER saw it hit a single Target store, nor did I ever hear anyone speak of having found it. So talk about rare? Crazy!

And then some of my favorite rosemary mint floor cleaner. Old skool floor cleaner in a stupendous scent that they really should think of bringing back! (This blows stinky old citrus leaf away! Ha ha! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)

Even more! How about some hand lotion, in method's hand wash bottles; in both signature scent (secretly nothing more than sweet water!) and lavender? Or what about aroma sprays in spiced pear and frosted cranberry? When was the last time you saw aircare in the holiday line? (And it's disappointing every year that we don't, too!) Or some delicious candles in magnolia, creamy vanilla and spiced berry scents! (Confession, I actually burnt the spiced berry all the way down, but keep the box for posterity's sake!) Lemongrass hand wash! Only the most Heavenly grassy scent ever! And when I mention lemongrass hand wash to method, they're always like "lemongrass? When did we make lemongrass?!" Ohhhh. Seriously, I know method has to cater to the "lowest common denominator" when it comes to scents and customers who think Glade and Pine-sol smell fabulous, but some of the scents they've discontinued seriously have so much more unique wow! over a few of the subpar ones they've been using forever (I shall mention none by name.)

And oh, what about these really old skool cleaning spray bottles? We've got bathroom spray cleaner (in cucumber, which you can see is totally gone!) and some remaining grapefruit mandarin spray cleaner for the kitchen, which I can't bring myself to finish using, cause I lust it so! Whew!

+

So there you go! Old skool products, horribly hoarded away! Should they be behind glass protected with laser beam security, or used up and lusted while doing so? And what might your horrible hoard secret be? Do tell!

remember when...

2009-10-30T10:15:00.002-04:00

Did you know at one time method's all-surface spray cleaner was called Home spray cleaner? Pretty cool, right? And it only came in lavender. You also had Kitchen, in grapefruit mandarin (I still can't figure out why they got rid of this scent, it blows pink grapefruit away!), Shower in the ever fabulous ylang-ylang, Glass in mint, and Bathroom in cucumber. Yeah, most of these scents are still around, but at one time they were all specific to certain areas of the house!

Curious to know if anyone still owns some of these old-skool bottles? Check back this weekend for a post on hoarding (ha ha ha! No but, uh, really, hoarding!) long-gone-so-long method products!

it all adds up!

2009-10-28T21:45:00.005-04:00

As much as I preach, beg, and scream about using reusable bags whenever you go shopping, to the grocery store, anywhere you might be subjected to the "paper or plastic (or SHUDDER, just plastic!)" question; it hasn't been the easiest thing to get people to convert. I mean, what do THEY get out of this deal? Saving the planet, ending global warming, helping Mother Nature? Bah! Who's got time for that! Show me the money!

And so, places are starting to do just that! Ok, so you won't get rich from it, but hey it's a start! And Target has joined the bandwagon! Starting recently, every time you use your reusable bag/tote, they'll take off five cents from your total purchase! I know, I know, five cents?!? Come on! But I'll bet you it's the cost of that plastic bag you're about to walk out with. So it's sorta a little bonus, you know? You save them five cents, and they give it to you! AND, just imagine, if you're as much of a Target shopaholic as I am; and you start counting up just how many times you head off to Target, adding that up over a year, the five cents could turn into something more substantial! A new house? Eh, no! But who knows!

Right now it's hit or miss, I was officially told it's their new policy, but I've had some cashiers do it, others not so much. I think it's like the reusable tote thing in general, at first you have to beat it over their heads every time you bring one with you. "NO! Take that out of the plastic bag! I have a reusable tote!" and after a while, you have them trained, and they're just standing there holding your items, waiting on you to open that magical bag of wonderment for them to fill full; to which you can then go home, unload, fold up, and prep it for the next trip! And the next, and the next, and... so right now, if they don't make mention of it, bring it up to them! "Oh, did you give me my Target reusable bag discount?" It NEVER hurts to ask!

Well, it might if you don't. You might be five cents poorer. So next time, give it a try! (Oh, and if you aren't already, USE reusable bags! method has some wonderful plastic rehab bags; and I'll be a total salesman and let you know my favorites are Baggu bags! They come in a zillion colors, are strong, and just rock (and now they even come in canvas!) So you have no excuses! None, nada, zip, zilch! (That'd be a big zero, good buddy!)

crafty tricks or treats!

2009-10-26T09:00:00.007-04:00

Just in case you haven't had a chance to check out these two nifty Halloween craft projects (cause method lust is behind, behind, behind! But then again, uh, you all know why by now, right?)

First up (see above photo) are these awesome method cut-outs you can use to carve pumpkins! method says "trick or treat? we’ll take both. we like to get crafty from time to time, so we created some custom pumpkin-carving stencils to celebrate our favorite holiday (dressing up in costume for fun? yes, please). just download, cut, stencil, carve, decorate…you know the drill." You can download the stencils here! And all the details are here! And they are even having a contest! "Show off your pumpkin carving skills and win. go to our Facebook page and upload a picture of the pumpkin you carve with your method stencil. the winner (chosen at random) gets a fall cornucopia-inspired batch of products. just think gingerbread spice, almond, vanilla apple. Total value $50. contest ends 10/31/09."

AND, and, right now (until 10/31/09) you can get 20% off any purchase on methodhome.com! Just enter the promo code halloween09 during checkout!

Here are some of the method pumpkin entries!

+

Second up is this oh so cute "carved" hand wash bottle! Danny Seo, method's Healthy Home 'co-conspirator', has come up with this quick and easy craft.

He says: "As a magazine editor, i’ve put together many halloween parties photographed for the pages of some of the largest lifestyle magazines out there.

what many readers don’t realize is that the beautiful buffets of halloween treats, intricately carved pumpkins illuminated by the flicker of candlelight, and the fabric-draped ghosts hanging in the trees over bushels of hay stacked just so took days to put together. and behind the scenes, there are glue-gun wielding stylists lugging suitcases full of every crafting supply and tool you could imagine. in other words: good luck on re-creating the bewitching projects!

so, when my friends at method asked me to come up with a halloween craft idea, i jumped at the chance but decided to keep it realistic. some rules:

+ i wanted to “upcycle” existing method packaging
+ the supplies had to be things most of us have around the house.
+ it had to be quick.
+ i’ve been using (and loving) the “guest star” limited edition mandarin mango hand wash i picked up at target. using that, here’s the world’s easiest upcycling project for halloween.

1. find some black duct tape
2. cut out eyes, a nose and a mouth
3. stick on the bottle.
4. voila! pumpkin hand wash!"

Have fun! And Happy Halloween week!

think big!

2009-10-26T08:15:00.001-04:00

the big (96 ounce!) bottle is back! You can now find method's ginormous hand wash refill bottles at your local Bed, Bath & Beyond! It comes in two scents: sea minerals and sweet water (what, no lavender?! What in the world, method...) So go and grab up a few bottles! And then, when you're all finished, you can make yourself your very own method fish tank! So cute! (But uh, how do you change the water? Hmm!)

method lust is back!

2009-10-25T11:30:00.005-04:00

This. Was. Me. - All last week! What happened to method lust? Did you wrap it up, Nathan? Were you over and out? Finished? Mopped up (using the ever snazzy omop, mind you!) No! It's called "welcome to the wonderful land of domain name transfer!" It's too confusing to even discuss, but it has to do with the methodlust.com address, and me deciding to move it to a new provider, and OH MY WORD was that a bad idea! So all last week method lust was gone. MIA. History!

Thanks to everyone who contacted me asking where their (hopefully!) favorite blog (well, ok, favorite method blog! Cause really, my ego isn't that big. Trust me.) was! Cause baby, we're back now! And while today I've got to run into work all day long (yeah, don't ask about that either. It's Sunday, right? Yes, yes, it is.) I've got some great Halloween posts I've been dying to get up on here! (Oh and one about disposable razors, too!) So hold on, updates are coming! Your overabundance of exclamation points, commas and squeaky green cleanliness has returned!

holiday is really real here?!

2009-10-15T23:30:00.005-04:00

method lust reader Tracy says in her email to me she practically ran home to tell me the big news! (Which is so sweet of her! Thanks Tracy!) While roaming the aisles of her local metro Atlanta Target last night, she actually stumbled upon a brand spankin' new holiday sparklin' method endcap chock full of holiday candles in frosted bowls and hand soap! In all the ~~2009~~ (2007) holiday scents: cinnamon bark, hollyberry, and peppermint vanilla!

Looks like this might just be a case of one Target store getting a bit prematurely excited; but it is supposed to hit at the end of October/early November! So if you happen to see holiday method hit your Target stores (or any stores for that matter, as I believe that hand wash is available to all stores, while the candles are a Target exclusive. Yeah, I could go back and re-read my previous post, but I'm sorta lazy tonight!) drop me an email or leave a comment and let method lust know what you found!

(Karin, you're just going to love this! Ha ha!)

go phosphate free!

2009-10-14T10:15:00.003-04:00

Great deal from method! You can receive free shipping (which is like saving a fortune, cause their shipping costs are insane! But yeah, method already knows this) with the purchase of method pink graepfruit smarty dish (pouch only) on methodhome.com. enter the promo code “cleanH2O” (make sure to capitolize the H and O) at checkout.

The deal is valid through 10/21 midnight pst! And be sure to read their post on phosphate free states (is yours one of them?)

method quickies

2009-10-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

Some quickies here! (Mind. out. of. the. gutter, people.)

+ No, nathan (oh wait, that's me, so perhaps I shouldn't speak in third person to you, like I did the other day to the woman at the Panda Express restaurant. Yeah, I'm thinking when the person in front of you (oh, that'd be me in the role of "person in front of you") says "And I should probably stop speaking to you in third person." You more than likely smile politely (as she did), while reaching for the red panic button underneath the counter in order to silently notify the police, hoping that Sybil doesn't appear. But hey, what can I say? I like to shake things up! And so do I! Ha ha! Get it, get it, oh, just don't get it. It's better that way.) Anywho, no I haven't left you, dear readers! Life has once more taken ahold of me, shaken me left, right, up and down, and otherwise kept me from frolicking in the land of blogging, cause I just haven't had the time! But never fear, I'm still here!

+ Winners of the advocacy kit contest, and the u review contest are: (Drumroll please...) Brandon Makrides and Kirby! Congrats! Kirby has been really lucky here, as she also won the previous mandarin mango hand wash contest! (And all winners are chosen at random, unless othewise specified; so I'm not playing favorites here! Ha ha!) AND poor Kirby (if you're reading this) has still not even received her hand wash, cause I'm a slacker! (I'm HORRIBLE at sending out contest winner packages! Mind you, you WILL get them, as everyone who's won a contest on method lust will attest to; it JUST might take a bit to get it out to you. I'm working on that! Ok? Less slack, more attack!)

+ The method lust Q+A is now closed, and I'll be sending off your selected questions to the method team very soon! Look for answers to be posted in an upcoming well, post!

+ method lust reader Jamison wanted me to let everyone know he found a slew of method candles (but he hasn't told me where, hmm...) in all sorts of scents! So if there is something you're looking for, he can probably get it for you! Just drop him a comment in this post if you're looking for a candle scent, and want him to pick it up and send it to you, if he finds it; and he'll get back with you! He also wanted me to tell you he has Paypal, so it'll be easy, too!

+ method luster Jean is SO freakin' sweet to me! She has (get this) a small amount of bamboo (oh yes, bam- oh my word -boo!) multi-surface spray cleaner which she has been hording forever, cause she loves the scent so much! Bamboo was one of the very first fragrances method put out in their spray cleaner line, way back when! And she so nicely sent me an email, wanting to see if I'd like a small spray bottle worth to try out, since it's one of my three remaining Holy Grail method scents I've never tried (pumpkin spice and coral being the other two.) She just let me know it's in the mail, and I can't wait! Yes, I'm insane like that. Giant thanks, Jean! Giant! I'm giddy!

method eco-maniacs play farmer

2009-10-14T09:58:00.007-04:00

Great post over on method's people against dirty blog about eco-volunteering!

"our eco-maniacs* team was at it again a few weeks ago with a volunteer trip to Slide Ranch to help clear some land and learn about sustainable farming. Slide Ranch offers visitors hands-on learning about the impact our choices have on food, health, and the environment, through activities and independent exploration of the farm and coastal wild lands. not only is the ranch educational, but it is beautiful!!!"

And get this, I love it (and wish my company was this forward thinking!)

"*method gives each method employee 3 days per year to spend volunteering in our community. we can use them either for company volunteer events or for personal volunteer projects."

How rockin' is that?! Head on over to their blog for more pics, and the rest of the post! Oh, and check out the first pic above, method's Grassroots Guru Anna is sitting next to a bottle of method hand sanitizer! Too funny! (And isn't this the perfect realization that they need to make this in a more portable size?)

behind the scenes

2009-10-06T12:00:00.002-04:00

You know, I've always been interested in seeing just exactly what happens to my recyclables once I've thrown them in the container, and the waste management trucks have picked them up! So I finally did some investigating, and it's rather interesting! Check it out!

lovin' the lavender

2009-10-05T13:45:00.007-04:00

method's french lavender (and pretty much all of their lavender scents) are some of my favorites! The lavender hand wash, the dish soap, multi-surface spray cleaner; lavender + juniper dryer sheets (may you rest in peace! I've currently got nine packages of these in my method vault! Nine! Crazy!), and the lavender + lemongrass aircare! Lavender, lavender, lavender! And believe it or not, there was a time I didn't like the smell of lavender at all; until a friend of mine got me to plant my very own lavender bush, and I've lusted it ever since!

What's all this lavender talk about, you ask? Well, I went walking into my local Target this weekend, and noticed the lavender dish soap was on clearance! I dropped to my knees, wailing and releasing horrifying words that shall not be repeated in the presence of small children, kittens, or the faint hearted elderly; and cursed the very idea that, could method really, truly be discontinuing the lavender dish soap?! What would I do? First mint, now this?! (Cause seriously, pink grapefruit and cucumber. Gah. That's all I have to say on that subject.)

So I ran home, forgetting that I'd driven to Target, quick as I could in order to contact method and see what exactly was going on. In the meantime, noticing that two other Targets had already cleared out their lavender dish soap. It was gone, empty, only the ghostly space remaining where once stood many a happy lavender dish soap bottle.

And then I got my answer. Apparently pink grapefruit and cucumber are Target's top two method dish soap sellers (let me rinse and repeat, gah?! Seriously?) so they're abandoning the lavender (probably in order to make more room for Downy dryer sheets or Tide laundry detergent; cause well you know, there just ISN'T enough of those products sitting on Target's shelves. Word!) So from now on, it looks like our best bet for lavender dish soap (which PS. is NOT being discontinued!) will be Lowes Hardware!

I am now breathing a grand sigh of relief. And dreaming of my hands frolicking in method lavender dish soap bubbles floating in the sink. Cause, well, those are just the kind of whacked out dreams I have, ok?

famous founders

2009-09-28T11:30:00.004-04:00

A quick bit that brings a tad more light into why the method vroom brand went bye-bye, from the article Seven famous founders share money mistakes, smart moves By Laura Petrecca, at USA Today:

"Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, the Method co-founders (notice in the article, they get the names on the above photo confused. "Adam Lowry, left..." really, now? Is that my left, or your left?)

In 2000, two roommates had a brainstorm: eco-friendly cleaning products. They whipped up some samples in their bathtub and handed them out to friends. Method was born. The company in 2008 reached $100 million in sales and is sold in retail outlets such as Target.

+ Money mistake "As an entrepreneur, you just feel a desire to just grow, grow, grow and show top-line (increases)," Ryan says. "Sometimes it leads you astray."

After the founders expanded their brand into the car-cleaning marketplace with a product called Vroom, they realized they moved a bit too fast.

"We ultimately ended up selling the line (to another company), but it was a big distraction from our business at the time," Ryan says. "There are times that you need to preserve fuel and be careful about how many growth opportunities you pursue, because you burn capital."

+ Savvy move "Hiring a CEO as our first employee was one of the best money moves we made," Lowry says.

The more-experienced Alastair Dorward helped the founders make better management and financial decisions. Dorward had the acumen "to grow smart rather than just grow fast," Lowry says.

+

I still say an auto line would rock, and sell well!

pardon me, do you have any q+a?

2009-09-24T18:15:00.004-04:00

Oh, get ready for something fun! - And new! - But not improved! Cause well, we've never done it before, so how can you improve something before it really exists? I don't know! Ask your science teacher, and get back to me on that! Until then, let's move on, ok? Alright!

Let's get ready for the first ever method lust q+a session! I'm always seeing comments with questions, thoughts, rants, raves, and it got me to thinking! (Which is sorta rare.) Why not take'em to the experts? Great idea, Nathan! Why thank you, I couldn't have thought it up without your help! Oh pish posh, but I do appreciate a good pat on the back every now and then! Well, pat pat to you, my good sir!

Are you ready, cause here's your chance! I want you, oh yes, YOU, to give me your questions! Anything! Good, bad, happy or sad! Mean or pleasant! Don't hold back! Carte blanche, baby, carte blanche! Throw method lust your questions in the comments section of this post; once we've rounded up a bunch, I'm going to sift through them, selecting a wide variety, and send seven or so on over to those method advocate experts! Then they're going to ANSWER your questions, and I'll post the results here on method lust's first ever (did I already say that?) q+a session!

Sound like fun? So get to askin' already! And like I said, don't hold back! This is your chance to be heard! If this goes well, we might make it a semi-regular thing here on ole' method lust! Oh wait, those experts don't know that yet, do they? Shh, I won't tell anyone if you won't.

Now get! Why haven't you asked a question yet? (OH, you're thinking of one! Well, ok, in that case...)

method quickies

2009-09-23T19:15:00.010-04:00

UPDATED

Thought I'd answer a couple various comments section questions/concerns real quick here! I think I'll start doing that from time to time, in case some of you might not always read the comments section, etc. So, here we go!

+ The method pro chef line has just been announced, and it's already got some people up in arms over the pricing of the products. I stepped into one of my local Bed, Bath & Beyonds tonight, and indeed found both the granite and the stainless steel cleaner. Apparently they had yet to get in any shipments of the multi-surface spray cleaner.

The multi-surface cleaner comes in citrus cilantro; while the stainless steel and the granite appear to (as I gave them both a sniff test!) come in their orchard blossom scent (the same scent the small bottles sold at Target come in.)

Apparently these are specialty exclusives made for method lusters who are also foodies ~~supposedly professional versions of method's three cleaning sprays;~~ At first glance it appears they have a higher price point! Each bottle (28 oz.) comes at a cost of $8.99!

But then I started doing some breakdowns. Math isn't my strong suit, but I figured this one out. (Clap for me, clap for me!) The target bottles of stainless steel and granite cleaner both come in 12 oz. at $3.99. So two bottles at 24 oz. would be $8.00. Break down the 12 oz. price per ounce, and you get 3 oz. for $1.00. 12 oz + 12 oz. + 3 oz. = 27 oz. at a cost of $9.00 Target price. So you're actually getting a deal with the Bed, Bath and Beyond bottles; receiving an extra ounce for free! Cool!

Now the down side is, (according to reader Josh (getting mixed reports at the moment. Ha ha! Wow, this sounds like live coverage!) the multi-surface cleaner is $5.99; which would match the pricing of the Whole Foods exclusive ginger yuzu cleaning spray (but is still $3.00 more than any of the method cleaning sprays available at Target.) ~~Apparently BB&B decided to just hit that price point line wide; giving the multi-surface spray cleaner the $8.99 price point, as well (according to method luster Jamison.)~~

+ Reader Karin mentioned having no idea what method was thinking when they went and recolored their lil' bowl blu bottle, turning it into a somewhat garish blue! And I sorta have to agree! They've kept the original color with their le scrub; perhaps they're testing both versions to see which sells better. But I have to say, I really liked the nice, spa like, clean blue they originally had. So YES, to answer your question Karin, you CAN pour the contents of the new bottles, into the old ones. I did a test just today! The squeeze top twists off (don't be afraid if it feels like it won't give) and then there's this little piece inside you just pop out, pour the contents of the new (not pretty) blue bottle into the old blue bottle; pop the piece back in, twist the cap back on (the cap is exactly like the dish soap, if you've ever taken that off. It also has the little piece in the center) and tada, you're ready to go! So, yes, perhaps we're a BIT insane to do this just so we can keep a bottle color/design we like. But I say, be insane! Design (and color taste) matter!

All for now!

ring-a-ding-done?

2009-09-23T10:15:00.001-04:00

Curious what everyone is doing (or about to be doing, if you're not out yet) when it comes to aroma ring refills? Since method has apparently discontinued them, leaving the only option at Target stores to purchase the full set (ring and refill) each time you want more refills (though the refills are at this moment still available on their method home store site).

Are you just gonna hang up your aroma ring lust? Break down and buy the full sets? Discuss!

now you can be the pro chef!

2009-09-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

Ugh, I've had one heck of a weekend (you don't even WANT to know!), which ended with me being sick and feeling rather crappy; which has lead me to taking today off in an attempt to kick this thing! But never let it be said I won't sacrifice my health and happiness for method lusters! Ok, so perhaps that's a SLIGHT exaggeration? Who knows, I'm too stuffed up to think it through clearly...

I just had to take a moment to crawl out of bed and let you know about method's new pro chef line! The new line features, well, let's just let method do the talking (and me do the sneezing):

"whether you’re a serious cook or you think cooking involves a phone and a take-out menu our newest pro chef line will be sure to please you. kitchens tend to be the central gathering place in the home and pro chef is just the right line to get your kitchen ready to greet guests or make a sandwich.

the pro chef line is now available exclusively at Bed Bath and Beyond stores.

the line includes a stainless steel cleaner that is a whopping 28 oz. of superpowered formula to avoid leaving any streaks behind. so not only can you purchase less often you can also finally wipe those nasty fingerprints off the fridge.

also included is a 28 oz. spray bottle of granite cleaner, specially designed for granite, marble and other natural stone countertops and surfaces. natural stone is classic and durable, but it needs special care to be sure you don’t strip the sealer and allow water to get in the stone.

lastly, we have a special multi-surface cleaner to get rid of grease and food splatters while leaving behind a yummy citrus cilantro scent. it smells so good people will think you’ve been chopping fresh herbs and lemon wedges with a touch of lime."

Cool! I'm curious if the method line of products will continue to expand in Bed, Bath and Beyond stores. Some people find method products there already; but mine are (currently) method free. So perhaps this new line will help get them jump started in all their stores!

You can head on over to method's people against dirty blog, and have a chance at winning this new line! Contest ends October 2nd, so hurry!

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And uhm, can I just be the (only one, probably) to say UGH! to citrus cilantro. I know there are plenty of fans out there that lust this scent; but method is loving reusing old scents this year, and between citrus cilantro and citron leaf (two scents I feel are very, very similar; and neither one do I really lust) I'm hoping next year shows them bringing us some new scents to sniff! Cause I for one am citrus cilantro/citron leaf/citrus leaf'ed out! (But I still lust you, method!)

surprise finds!

2009-09-21T14:30:00.007-04:00

I've noticed my exclamation point over usage has seeped into my post titles now! They're everywhere! Everywhere, I tell you! Ah!)

I took a quickity-quick trip into Ross today (a store in the same vein as Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc.) because I knew they carried clearance Target items every once in a while. Specifically Target brand candles, etc. So as I wondered down the candle/fragrance aisle, what did I stumble upon but some lavender + lemongrass candles! In the new glass bowls! Now, these were the old "hard to burn" formula, so I sorta passed, but they were only $2.99! Then I noticed around five cut grass aroma pills (the whole set, pill and refill) for a mere $4.49! And finally I saw two cinnamon bark aroma stick sets for $4.99 each! (A perfect find for the upcoming holidays! Especially since we won't be getting aroma sticks in this year's holiday line.) Wow!

If you have a Ross near you, a trip to the store might be in order! Let me know if you happen to find anything different, or what you pick up, method style! (You can also tell me what you pick up non-method style, but then I don't want you to think I'm straight up nosey, so really, you don't have to, alright? Cool.)

holiday sneak peek!

2009-09-16T17:00:00.006-04:00

Yeah, yeah, you read right lusters! We're being treated to a method holiday sneak peek! (I mean, can you believe the holidays are almost upon us? Geesh! I still haven't finished eating all of last year's Christmas candy! Oh right, I should probably just uh, throw that away now, shouldn't I? Ok. Goodbye candy canes. So long peppermint bark. Oh, look, now I can buy new holiday candy! Yay!)

So, without delay, some good news, and some (bad?) news!

+ The good! method holiday 2009 will see three big returns! This year's scents will be hollyberry, peppermint vanilla, and cinnamon bark! Can you believe peppermint vanilla is making a return? I know there are a lot of peppermint vanilla fans who have been waiting for this! And all three scents come back to us from their previous 2007 visit!

These scents will be available in soy candles, and our ever faithful gel hand wash! (Are you not just lusting after those colored soy candle bowls! I can't wait to pick some up! Drool!) Look for them to hit stores in late October/early November. The hand wash will actually be available to any retail stores that carry method products; while the candles are a Target exclusive!

+ And (the bad?) No new scents this year! And the product line has been slashed! We're talking no dish soap, no aroma sticks, aroma rings, pills, sprays, spray cleaners, or limited edition products! Nada! I'm really surprised at this, as I always thought these products (at least dish soap, and spray cleaners) were always big sellers during the holidays! I know method said they wanted to return to some of their product roots; and their original line usually only consisted of hand wash, maybe lotion, and candles. But over the last few years we've been treated to quite a grand expansion of the holiday products, and I couldn't wait to fill my house with all the wonderful goodies!

What do you think of this? Excited! Drooling with anticipation! Disappointed that there are no new scents this year? Gonna miss your favorite holiday products? Comment away! And let the holiday countdown... begin! (Wait, it's not even Halloween yet? What'evah!)

messy guys make millions

2009-09-16T16:30:00.004-04:00

...and you can, too! Here's how! No wait, this isn't that kind of post. No self help get rich tips here. If only! But what I do have for you is this nifty Reader's Digest article on those two grand co-founders of a little company we like to obsess over... and over, and over, and over, and over, and over and...!

"Messy Guys Make Millions Selling Green Cleaning Products
- By Margaret Heffernan

Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry were having dinner with their new investors. The 27-year-old entrepreneurs had finally gotten a million dollars in venture capital to kick-start their company, but it came with stiff financial targets. It turned out this was the least of their problems that night. "We were passing our credit cards under the table to each other," Ryan recalls, "but none of them worked, because we had maxed them out. Eventually, we persuaded the restaurant owner we were good for the money."

In the eight years since that embarrassing moment, Ryan and Lowry have built Method into the world's largest eco-friendly cleaning brand. Their green products use natural ingredients like corn, coconut oil, and palm oil and are packed in attractive, recyclable containers. In the process, the two changed the perception of green home-care products—and the industry too.

Ryan and Lowry had been friends since high school, but it wasn't until after college that they hit on the idea of a home-care-products company. "We were shocked to learn how toxic cleaning products were," says Ryan. Why couldn't they create green products that would be just as stylish, fragrant, and environmentally pure as Aveda's skin- and hair-care lines?

When Ryan's mom heard about the plan, she stared at him blankly: "I've never even seen you clean your room!" Undeterred, Lowry, the chemical engineer, experimented with nontoxic ways to clean, while Ryan, the ad guy, focused on marketing. In February 2001, they mixed their first four cleaning sprays and convinced the managers of 20 independent grocers to try them. Once they had their approval, they tapped friends and family and pooled their savings to come up with $90,000 in seed money.

From the start, "Go big or go home" was their mantra. Their first financing—that $1 million—was due to be signed on September 11, 2001. By the time they got it, two months later, says Ryan, "we had $16 in the bank and personally owed $300,000."

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Head on over and read the rest!

(advocacy) kit and kaboodle! + contest!

2009-09-14T11:15:00.005-04:00

UPDATE Contest closed! Thanks to all who entered!

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method lust (and uh, that would be me, Nathan!) is so usually on the ball, it's car-azy! But boy ever have I dropped said ball on method's latest advocacy extravaganza! I bet method thinks I took all the little method bottles and used them up myself! Ha ha, no no. Life gets in the way sometimes, don't you know? (Isn't that a funny saying, life gets in the way, when you're living life, so how can it get in the way, and whoa, too deep...) personal issues, new car purchases, crazy work schedules, well, I'm telling you, it's left me being blogless for too long! So just bare with me at times, ok? Muchas gracias!

Recently (well, as long as your version of recently is a month ago!) method sent out a very cryptic email (see the last paragraph in that post), and peaked everyone's curiosity! And then, a couple weeks later I (and many other advocates) got the above box in the mail! What could it be? Well, only one way to know! Rip that sucker open! And rip it open, I did! And what to my wondering eyes did I discover inside, but four tiny boxes!

Inside each adorable tiny box was four bottles! They contained almond wood for good spray, pink grapefruit dish soap, sweet water hand wash (we'll get to this in a moment!), and french lavender all purpose cleaner! So very cool! Also in the box was a coupon for $1.00 off any method product, and a booklet giving you more information on their lines!

method's intentions for this were for advocates to give out these great goodie boxes to help spread the method word; through advocate's blogs (yeah, I failed on that one this time around!), facebook pages, parties, random method sneak attacks (those times when you think someone just snatched your purse or stole your wallet out of your pocket, and you reach over to find, instead, someone has snuck a method goodie into your purse or pocket! Ok, hmm, I might not actually recommend doing this, but wouldn't that be cool if you were the person finding the method! If you were the person giving the method, you might end up getting maced, so yeah, we'll pass on this idea. Darn!)

So see, method, I am giving them away! Here's my great friend Laury, posing proudly with her box! (And get this, as an on-the-side career, she cleans people's houses! Nifty, eh? I'm working on her, I am! All method products, all the time! We shall see if I can get her to come around to the green side!) She's into design like me, so she just loved the packaging, and was checking it all out!

And now here's where YOU come in! You, yes you, can win one of these adorable boxes! Now, it might be a tad low on the sweet water hand wash; as for SOME reason (call it Nathan Luck) every box but one of mine had leaky sweet water bottles. So your sweet water bottle will be a bit half full, and I don't want you to think I went and washed my hands with it or some such! Ha ha! Apparently I was the only one that had this problem! CAN you believe that? Actually, I totally can.

So drop your name in the comments section with the following statement (in all CAPS!) "I WANT A METHOD ADVOCATE KIT PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!" and I'll choose a winner! Contest ends September 18th, 2009! Good luck! (And thanks, method, for giving me this advocate kit campaign opportunity! You rock, as always!)

you ask, they answer!

2009-09-14T11:00:00.003-04:00

So hey, got a question for method? (Well, particularly, method UK! But hey, they've got the same method products, right? Maybe just no Target questions (cause uh, I don't think they have Targets) and perhaps stick a "bloody" or two in front of all questions. Ok, ok, so stereotypical of me! I should be ashamed! Do me a favor, leave the "bloody"s out, ok?)

Over on the site guardian.co.uk they've got this nifty little Q&A session going on all week long with method! You have a question? They have an answer!

"Green cleaning firm Method joins us this week to answer your questions on its eco credentials and quirky-looking products. Founded in San Francisco in 2000 by Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, it spread to the UK in 2006 and is now a serious rival for the long-standing king of "ecological cleaning", Ecover.

So how does it compare to Ecover on its environmental pedigree? Are the chemicals in everyday cleaning sprays and lotions really "poisons" to the natural world and people too, as Method claims? Want to know what the company thinks of eco labelling schemes, such as the EU Eco Label or organic certification?

Whatever questions you've got about its recycled packaging, "natural" cleaning or baking powder and vinegar, this is your chance. Method will be online from Monday to Friday – just post your questions below."

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So ask away (click on the link and post your question there, not here! Or uh, it won't get answered!) If you do ask them a question, it'd be really grand if you'd let them know "method lust sent you!" Thanks!

live "happily ever after" with method

2009-09-14T09:00:00.005-04:00

Wow! Here's your chance to win the ENTIRE line of method products! How great is that?!

Chronicle Books has these three adorable "Little" books - "Little Oink", "Little Pea", and "Little Hoot"! I mean, who doesn't lust a little pea with a cute face! (Well, I do!) And to celebrate their release, they're having a contest! You can win lots of stuff, including:

+ $2,500 in merchandise from Pottery Barn Kids to create your dream bedroom
+ The entire line of eco-friendly Method cleaning products
+ 100 free products from Green Giant®
+ Plus, autographed copies of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink!

Two runners-up will receive:
+ A Healthy Home Cleaning Kit from Method
+ $100 in free products from Chronicle Books
+ Autographed copies of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink!

And while they all rock, the biggie for us is the entire line of method cleaning products! Can you imagine!? Whoa! So head on over, and sign up! Good luck!

found!

2009-09-09T07:00:00.003-04:00

So if you remember, months and months o' go, Big Lots got in a slew of method's original wet dryer sheets! In ALL scents - sweet water, water lily + aloe, go naked, nectarine blossom, and... oh, but WAIT! No lavender + juniper. Only, people, my most favoritest scent of them ALL! What was the deal'e'oh!?

Well, the stars have finally lined up! Walking into my local Big Lots yesterday, what did I just discover, but lavender + juniper wet dryer sheets! In fact I had to do a double take? "Wha? Are those what I think those are?" Why in the world this one scent was "held" for months is beyond me, but uh, I have no clue how this secondary sales market stuff goes. And really, who cares? Cause I got me some lavender + juniper! So I snatched up five packages! I lust me some lavender + juniper!

I also noticed the original method baby laundry detergent sitting on the shelves. So it looks like they've recently received a new small shipment of method laundry products (other users have noticed more water lily + aloe laundry detergent as well.) So head on out and stock on up!