ready for take off: mod new air enhancers
Here at Shelterrific, we’re always on the lookout for beautiful design solutions to traditionally ugly things, like humidifiers or water filters. When we spotted this futuristic air purifier at Designer Pages, we immediately fell in love. Made by AirMineral, this ingenious little device is called The Island, and it distributes a “a natural marine bio spray.” No, that’s not a fishy smell that gets squirted into your home, but rather a “mineral serum” that contains micro particles that help your body retain moisture and fight off toxins, reinforcing your whole immune system. We haven’t tested it so we can say whether that’s true or not, but anything looks this good and helps you breath smarter, cleaner air can’t be a bad thing, right? So new it’s not yet for sale online, but you can read more information about it at airmineral.com
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30 days of halloween: creepy baby arm soap
Is there anything more creepy than a box of old, beaten up, forgotten dolls you discover at a yard sale? Only perhaps, dismembered dolls, whose heads and limbs have gone astray. Perhaps they have wondered over to your house and ended up in your soap dish? That’s what’s your guests might think when they spot these chubby nubs in your bathroom. Real soap made from vegan glycerin, these baby doll arms will sud up your hands and send a chill down your spine. Baby powder scented, of course. Set of two is $6 at perpetualkid.com.
method’s new ocean plastic bottle takes recycling to a whole new level
Lets face we it: We don’t think about where our plastic comes from — or where it goes when we’re done with it — nearly enough. Sure we clean things out and toss it in the appropriate bin, but then what? Even the best intentions can end up in a landfill — or worse, washed up on a distant shore of a far away beach. No one knows this better than employees of Method, like creative director Sally Clark, who spent time over the past year and half literally picking up bits of plastic waste from the beaches of Hawaii.
Method partnered with Envision Plastics, an innovative recycling company, to develop a way to turn rigid, opaque plastics recovered from the ocean into high quality recycled plastic. The slate gray color is the material’s natural state, and is the result of the chopping, washing and blending undergoes during recycling. Slightly resembling a sea urchin with small ridges running its length, the bottle contains a super clean smelling 2-and-1 hand and dish soap, that will freshen up even the worst-onion-chopping hands. The limited-edition product is available at Whole Foods and at methodhome.com for $5. A portion of the proceeds will go to Sustainable Coastlines Hawai’i and the Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation so more beaches can become plastic-free.
we tried it: method’s new spray-in fabric softener
If there is one thing that has a big impact on your life it’s how your clothes smell when they come out of the dryer. Certain fabric softener smells immediately transport me — one to my grandma’s home when I was growing up, another to my sister-in-law’s in Ohio. In our house, Method Home’s lavender-scented Squeaky Clean Dryer Sheets leave our entire basement smelling heavenly, and the bedding is like a dream. But they have introduced a new product that may be taking the place of honor in our laundry area. Always the innovator when it comes to clean green-living, the San Francisco-based company has introduced a spray-in fabric softener. You simply give your wet things a few squirts before you turn the dryer on and presto – out comes a batch of static-free, insanely fresh-smelling laundry. We tried the Fresh Air scent, which was incredibly clean and cozy smelling, but it also comes in the addictive Lavender Lilac fragrance I love so much. Best of all, there is no need for any kind of dryer sheet whatsoever. So less waste, more clean! One bottle works on 100 loads. $7.50 a bottle at methodhome.com.
post revisit: how to fix a fruit fly problem
There’s a battle waging in our kitchens right now: The Fruit Fly war is in full summer swing. We figured since it was on our minds, it was probably on yours. Here’s a way that has worked for Megan in the past. What about you? got any good tips on how to eliminate the pesky gnats?
I admit it: I had a fruit fly problem. Fruit flies seem to go hand in hand with summertime, delicious ripe fruit, and a busy kitchen. This summer, though, I’ve taken control, and my fruit fly problem is now more like a minor annoyance. The first step is to remove the source of food. This means, for me, keeping my ripening nectarines and tomatoes wrapped securely in plastic bags until I’m ready to use them. My onions (apparently, they love onions) are now being stored in the fridge. Second step: sanitation. I clean my drains daily with baking soda and white vinegar — those pesky little buggers like to lay their eggs in the goop that resides in drains (barf). The third step — and this one’s the most rewarding — is to build a trap. I’ve tried funnels and plastic wrap over jars of overripe fruit, but I’ve found the best trap is plain old apple cider vinegar in a dish with a few drops of liquid dish soap. The soap apparently breaks the surface tension of the vinegar, causing the fruit flies to fall in and drown rather than sip and fly away. After a few days of changing the traps, you’ll notice the numbers dwindling. Does anyone else have more fruit fly solutions?
