The folks at Chronicle Books were kind enough to let us post this ‘lil excerpt from the book Eco Dog: Healthy Living for Your Pet. It’s written by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich, the talents behind Variegated textiles, and must-visit store in Catskill, NY.

There are many flea products on the market that are made from chemicals intended to kill the pests in your pet’s coat. This may seem like an easy and effective option, but remember that chemicals toxic enough to kill fleas are not going to be healthy for your pet. Putting these chemicals directly on your dog’s coat — the easiest place for him to ingest them — just doesn’t make sense. We offer an alternative, in the form of powdered herbs meant to repel the fleas, while being harmless to your dog.

Ingredients
Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Lavender, Fennel, Yellow Dock, Pennyroyal

How To
One: Combine as many of the powdered herbs you can find.
Two: Mix together equal parts of each herb in a shaker-top jar.
Three: Brush your pet’s coat backward with your hand or a comb while sprinkling the powder onto the base of the hairs. Apply sparingly, paying special attention to the neck, back, and belly.
Four: Put your pet outside for a little while afterward, so his pets escape into your yard, not our carpet.

For more great eco-friendly pet tips, pick up a copy of Eco Dog. You’ll even find a few craft ideas (like tote bags) in their for you, too.!

photo by Aimee Herring

I pride myself on digging up the green alternative for just about every home-related item out there, but boy am I stumped on the subject of outdoor dinnerware. I’m hunting for some good-looking, unbreakable, earth-friendly plates and glasses. Though there seem to be lots of great additions to the disposable/compostable outdoor dinnerware market (Bambu’s Veneerware, for example), the pickings for reusable, eco-friendly outdoor dinnerware are sadly slim. I’d like to steer clear of plastics because the idea of chemicals leaching into my food makes me lose my appetite pronto. So far, the closest I’ve been able to find is this attractive Crate and Barrel bamboo dinnerware…it won’t go in the dishwasher, but I suppose I can live with that. And I’ve had no luck finding eco-friendly glasses that aren’t made with plastic. Any bright green ideas out there? –Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

For $65, you can exude both style and comfort. The Coffee Cuff from Veer, which we first spotted at The Bedlam of Beefy, is a black walnut veneer cuff that doubles as a coffee cozy when you get your caffeine fix. We love the look — on the wrist or the cup!

So I’ll admit I’ve always kinda thought of the lazy susan as a fairly dated home accessory…I don’t know a single person who actually has one on her dining table. But after spotting this handsome susan made with reclaimed oak wine barrel wood on Vivaterra’s website, I’m starting to sing a different tune. I love how it manages to look both elegant and rustic, modern and farmhouse. How cool would it be to throw an Indian or Mexican dinner party with all sorts of fun, fresh spices in little piles on this Lazy Susan at the center of the table? Plus, it’s customizable - print it with the happy couple’s wedding date and it would make a great wedding or anniversary gift! Available here for $129 ($149 customized). Whuddya think — is it time to bring the lazy susan back? — Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

I saw these Umbra Artala trash cans in person over the weekend and the designs hooked me right away — more great-looking garbage cans like these, please. The fact that they’re labeled “biodegradable” I actually found a bit puzzling. The Artala cans are made of plastic designed to “break down into a powder” in a landfill, but of course — that still leaves plastic powder behind. But if it’s a good-looking and very reasonably priced (Just $16.) waste bin you want, you may want to keep the Artala can around for awhile anyway. –Mary T.

P.S. Check this New York Times article for more “ready to rot” home designs.

I read about La-Z-Boy’s new EcoComfort line on Sprig.com the other day, and even though I don’t consider myself a La-Z-Girl, per se, I was pretty stoked. I still get such a thrill reading about big companies like La-Z-Boy that are starting to take green measures–in this case, the La-Z-Boy cushions are soy-based and biodegradable (traditional foam cushions aren’t) and upholstered with eco-friendly fabrics. (I wonder about the wood frame, though–What kind of wood? Is it sustainably harvested?) Green measures aside though, I can’t really decide whether I’d want a La-Z-Boy of my very own. I do like the crisp, art deco-y vibe of the fabric…but something about the curve of the chair arms reads a little doctor’s waiting room to me. What do you think? Would you bring this EcoComfort La-Z-Boy home? (They’ll be available at the end of May, around $899). — Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

Yippee! The queen is in the house! After a week of wondering if our bees were in danger without royalty to guide them, we are pleased to report that our hive’s queen is indeed in residence. Chad darted up to the cottage the other day to check things out. When he pulled the files out of the hive, not only did he find that our little winged pals had been super busy producing honeycomb, but they’re making more bees. That’s right, he saw some baby bees! I swear the pride in Chad’s voice when he called with the news was comparable to our first Isadora-ultrasound. It is very exciting. In the photo above, you can see the honeycomb they are building — isn’t its shape amazing? And if you click here you can see the latest video of the fun on YouTube. More buzzzzzzzz soon! — Angela M.

Have you been reading the news stories about bad plastics? This story in The New York Times raised red flags in our house a few weeks ago. It reports that Canada is banning baby bottles made with polycarbonate or BPA, which looks like glass but is lightweight and shatter resistant. You’ll find it things like Nalgene bottles and lots of baby bottles. Research has found that animals exposed demonstrated “behavioral and neural symptoms” later in life, and it’s believed that children are most at risk. Suddenly I’m looking at everything plastic in our life and wondering if it’s okay — from those cute tumblers we just bought at Target to the plastic water cooler we set up our country place. Luckily, I have a chic aluminum Sigg water bottle. And I’ve already ordered some pacifiers and bottles from this site, BPA Free Kids, and can’t wait till they arrive. I’m feeling pangs of guilt each time I put that Soothie in Isadora’s mouth. I wonder what else contains the toxin — does melamine? I don’t know… What about you? Are you freaked out by this, too? — Angela M.

Between the sunny spring days and all of the yard work I’ve been doing, I guess it makes sense that I’m focused on garden-related finds these days. In particular, I’m totally enamored with artist Carol Garringer’s gorgeous Temple Birdhouses. Made with recycled chandelier parts and lighting fixtures, they epitomize the magical spirit of outdoor spaces and the unique beauty of found objects. Each piece is signed and numbered by the artist. Available here for $50. –Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

Here it is, one week after installing the bees into our new hive. The time had come for us to check on their progress. We needed to see that they were getting to work, building honeycomb, collecting pollen and nectar. Also, we wanted to confirm that queen was still in there, getting lots of attention and laying eggs (sometimes in a new hive, the queen may leave). I must admit it is a little scary approaching a thriving hive in the middle of a sunny day. I stood back a few feet while Chad got up close and personal with the hive. He carefully pulled out each “file” and inspected it. We couldn’t believe how much honeycomb these little guys had produced after just a few days! It’s so amazing. But, unfortunately, we could not spot the queen and don’t think we saw any evidence of eggs. It’s really hard to tell though, with hundreds of bees buzzing around on each file — as the above image shows. If you click here you can see a mega-sized image. Perhaps you can spot the queen? We couldn’t! We’re trying not to panic though. Chad’s going to check again this week, and hopefully he’ll spot her or evidence of eggs. If not, we may have to order another queen — pronto — and hope our hive survives! — Angela M.