methodhome.com get a makeover.

Ever envious of the products side of the business, which regularly enjoys packaging and design makeovers, methodhome.com has finally gotten what amounts to its own fancy, new party dress.
After almost a year of planning, we’ve finally launched our new website.

Some cool things we’ve added since the old site:

• A killer new homepage.  We added a carousel mostly because we can never decide which stories we want to talk about…so, we decided to tell them all.
• 3 ways to browse the method collection. Whether you know exactly what you’re looking for, or you’re new to method, finding exactly what product you’re looking for should be easy as pie.
• New e-commerce experience. We call it a mini-cart. Nothing revolutionary other than a lot fewer clicks!
• Tidbits. Basically the pop-ups you find on product pages that give you a little more info on a particular topic. The tidbits we have are a bit slim now but eventually start looking for video and audio clips embedding in them throughout our site.

Some things that are still coming along:

• Search capabilities.
• Breadcrumbing. Think Little Red Riding Hood…. wait, maybe that’s Hansel and Gretel. Basically, it’s a way of helping you know where you are on the site at all times. Like a trail of breadcrumbs…minus the small, furry woodland animals that eat them up.
• More, more, more content  - including interviews and in-depth content from our design and sustainability experts at method.

I’m not sure any of us figured on it taking quite so long but alas, here it is and now we can begin the real work –putting interesting stuff on the site. While the site will never actually be done, we thought we’d take this opportunity to see how you like. What do you love? What do you hate? What would you like to see added? We’d love to hear your comments. So, post away.

the secret to innovation at method

At method we have a five core values that help us create the most innovative products and brand possible. They are:

1. collaboration
2. innovation
3. care
4. what would mcgyver do
5. keep method weird

It's a secret sauce that when it all comes together in the right way, creates something truly magical. Our most recent example of this 'perfect storm' happened just today when a giant gold earring belonging to Jeannie, one of our industrial designers, was rescued from the manhole on Sacramento street.

A dedicated team made use of all five method values to ensure its prompt recovery (see pictures attached). Jeannie and her earring are now recovering on the second floor.

Adam + Eric sighting

We think Spring in San Francisco is so cool and we're not talking about the weather. Spring, an eco-boutique located on Polk near Broadway, hosted a shindig for method’s very own Adam + Eric in honor of their new book, Squeaky Green. In case you missed it, don't you worry, Eric is heading over to Borders in Alameda on May 30 at 6pm to talk about Squeaky Green.

Squeaky Green , if you don’t know it yet, is the first book co-written by Adam + Eric, co-founders of method. Caution: facts contained within may result in readers rethinknig their cleaning habits. If you’re late on checking it out, you can get your own copy by clicking here to methodhome.com.

NYC - here we come

Hey NYC! We’re coming to see you and to expose the dirt on cleaning - it's all a part of our hope to rid your homes of dirt, harsh chemicals and nasty toxins.

From May 13 – June 7, SoHo's pop-up shop will be open (550 Broadway between Prince and Spring) and we’re bringing a slew of products with us. Be sure to stop on by and chat with us, check out our aroma stations and our mix and match kits we're bringing especially for you.

Got any skeletons in your closest? Come clean with our “dirty little secret” cleaning confessional booth to detox yourself and all your dirty little confessions. And don’t forget… we're trading you one free method product for all your old toxic cleaning products so be sure to bring them in with you too. Cool.

Where: 550 Broadway, NYC (between Prince & Spring)
When: May 13 - June 7
Time: 10am - 7pm

Method Mixology

We’ve been selling lots of products at our temporary “Detox Boston” pop-up shop, which is great, and we’ve been throwing some VIP’s (Very Important Parties), which is even better. If you’ve been a VIP at one of these VIP’s, then you already know all about our very own “Liquid Muse,” Natalie.

Natalie Bovis-Nelson travels the globe in search of the perfect cocktail and the best happy hour (how do I get that job?!?), which is why we went straight to her when we wanted to host our “Sustainable Sips” cocktail classes. The cocktails were all inspired by Method products and concocted using organic juices and liquors, so they’re just as sustainable as they are tasty.

For a Method-inspired, buzzworthy buzz, check out the recipes below...

(*we need to tell you that all recipes are intellectual property of The Liquid Muse, LLC and may not be reprinted online or in print without permission from Natalie Bovis-Nelson. Thanks kindly.)

Method Margarita Martini

1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila
1 ounce lime juice
11/2 ounces grapefruit juice
1 slice jalapeno
1 tsp 4 Copas agave nectar
coarse sea salt

Rim a martini glass with course sea salt. Muddle jalapeno, lime juice and agave nectar in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add grapefruit juice and tequila. Shake well and gently strain into glass.
*****

Detox America Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Bluecoat gin
1 ounce Veev acai liqueur
2 ounces organic pomegranate juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar (or 1/2 ounce simple syrup) pinch freshly grated ginger

Pour all ingredients, except ginger, into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Grate fresh ginger over the top of the cocktail.
*****

Method Mojito

1 heaping tablespoon organic cucumber
1 heaping tablespoon of diced organic lime
1 heaping teaspoon raw brown sugar
2-3 torn mint leaves
1 1/2 ounces Purus organic vodka
Organic Italian sparkling lemonade

Muddle cucumber, sugar and mint leaves in tall glass. Pour in vodka. Top with sparkling lemonade. Garnish with a sprig of mint or lime wheel.
*****

Green and White Summer Sangria

Organic strawberries, peaches, kiwis
Purus organic vodka
Veev acai liqueur
Lavender honey
Organic peach juice
Bonterra organic chardonnay

Finely chop fruit into a bowl or Tupperware container. Drizzle with honey then add a half-inch of each peach juice and vodka. Let marinate several hours. When ready to serve, spoon one tablespoon of fruit mixture into each glass, and top with Bonterra. Garnish with strawberry on the rim of the glass.

Beantown is a green town!

Method’s in Boston right now to expose the dirt on cleaning. We’re on a mission to clean up the way people clean, so we’re encouraging Bostonians to get rid of their traditional toxic house “cleaners” in favor of sweet-smelling, non-toxic ones.

We took flight from SF – taking a ton of people friendly, planet friendly products with us – and set up temporary shop at 329 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay district. We’ll only be there until April 27, so for anyone in the greater Bahston area...sorry, couldn’t resist...who wants a healthier, happier home, you should come by and check us out.

Got some toxic cleaners hiding under your sink? Bring ‘em in and we’ll not only dispose of them properly (at a hazardous waste collection site – a sign they shouldn’t be in your home!), but we’ll replace them with non-toxic Method stuff. Oh, and if you mention “Beantown is a green town” to the sales associate (preferably in a covert, “the eagle has landed” like whisper) then we’ll give you 10% off. Cool, right? We think so.

                                                                                               And stay tuned NYC... you’re our next stop!

method lusts Nathan

Love all things method? No wait, better yet… lust all things method? Meet one Advocate who truly defines what it means to be a person against dirty. Nathan, a graphic artist from North Carolina, has dived head first into blogger world with his new site dedicated to method (how cool do we feel?!). And we didn’t pay him, we swear, no fingers crossed.

Remember a past product you loved? So does Nathan. Have feedback on an upcoming product? So does Nathan. Share your unsuppressed lust with Nathan! He’s the coolest.

Find him and all of the latest method gossip at http://methodlust.blogspot.com/

We’ll see you there!

here’s to the nobel peace prize winner against dirty.

I think we may have already mentioned how much we love Nobel Peace prizes, but we love the people who win them even more. Last Friday, Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were co-awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for spreading awareness of man-made climate change and laying the foundations for counteracting it. And if that’s not enough, Gore said he planned to donate his share of the $1.5 million prize to the nonprofit alliance he chairs. That’s what we call rolling up your sleeves, and really putting the hurt on dirt. Thanks for helping save the planet Mr. Gore.

the lazy environmentalist

At method, we say we’re “bright green”. We’re for smart choices and healthy living, not sacrifices and living on a commune. No offense to those who currently, or in the past, have enjoyed free-spirited commune-living.

If your view of “green” still conjures up thoughts of bearded, tie-dye tee shirt-clad men, then I’m sorry to say, you’re woefully behind the times.

If you never thought green could be stylish, read Josh Dorfman’s new book, “The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living.” It's the definitive green guide "for the rest of us". And ok...yes, so method got a mention  in the book too (page 177). You caught us.

victoria's green secret

Knee-deep (literally) in the holidays with the flood of seasonal catalogs, it's no wonder that I often question how many millions of catalogs are sent out each year.  Given that the life-cycle of a catalog in my home is about 12 seconds (the average time it takes to lug them to the recycling bin) one might wonder why catalogs are still so prevalent in these days of online shopping. Well, with the boon of the internet shopping, catalogs are not only not declining, they're actually increasing. Even online giant Ebay which doesn't even sell its own goods sends out a catalog.

celebrity gossip goes green

It is pretty easy to see that some of the most popular blogs out there are celebrity gossip blogs.  There is Prez Hilton, Socialite Life, Defamer, and our office favorite Pop Sugar just to name a few. Everyday thousands of people partake in the guilty pleasure of being voyeurs into the lives of celebrities. 

But there is a new site out there that takes the time to call out celebrities that are using their status to promote environmental and social issues. "Ecorazzi exists to highlight the people making this effort for the environment."  So if you are into celebrity gossip and would like to see who is doing what to help our planet, check it out.  They even give links to celebrities who have started eco-websites.

filling the gap

My sensors have been in hibernation for a bit, but when a close friend suggested I take a look at what Gap is doing in Lesotho, I perked up. I spent two years in Lesotho – it’s a tiny, beautiful, mountainous country landlocked inside South Africa. I’m still in love with the place and miss it more as each day passes. I heard that they recently found a 600 carat diamond in one of Lesotho’s mines, but the only exciting thing about that was a co-worker mentioning that he heard about Lesotho in the news! This Gap thing, though…I’m in!

reality TV going green

Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio is developing a new reality TV series focusing on the environment. "E-topia" will focus around an American town, yet to be disclosed, as it undergoes an eco-transformation. The intent is to create an enviro-responsible role model community. Each episode will end in a call to action for viewers to learn more about how they can can participate in environmental initiatives.

300 million and counting

According to US Census Bureau projections, America's population will hit 300 million at 7:46 a.m. EDT today. The Bureau's population clock at the time of this posting was 300,002,170.

In 1967, the US population hit 200 million, translating to a 50 percent increase in just 39 years.During that same time, it's estimated that:

• the number of households almost doubled
• the number motor vehicles more than doubled (237 million vehicles)
• the miles driven in those vehicles almost tripled

thoughts in the war against dirty

We at method recently picked up this blog posted in late September off of a site called The Good Human. In it, the author compares method and Seventh Generation, a competitor (if you wish to call them that) of ours. The entry entitled Method vs. Seventh Generation - let the battle begin! focuses on the environmental profile of each company and which one is better than the other.

an AIDS story to smile about

Scrolling through my RSS reader the other day, I came across a bit of AIDS-related news that put a smile on my face. Sounds strange, I know.

It turns out 5 nations (France, Britain, Norway, Brazil and Chile) plan to raise $300 million to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis next year, through the implementation of an airfare tax. In all, the money will pay for the treatment of 100,000 children with AIDS, 100,000 people who have developed drug-resistance to former AIDS treatments, 150,000 children with tuberculosis and 28 million with malaria. Hopefully drug companies will be coaxed into providing these treatments at reduced prices. Bill Clinton's foundation has been asked to work on these negotiations.

While certainly not the end-all, I think this is a great way to provide sustainable funding for diseases that disporpotionately affect children in the developing world. Chalk one up for the fight against dirty!

:Read

look where method has popped-up…

 

Los Angeles!!!!! method has a month long “pop-up shop” in the Los Angeles’ retail store HD Buttercup. We will be there for the whole month of September so if you are in LA and looking for method come stop by and take a look at our temporary location.

Since HD Buttercup’s focus is on furniture and home design, we are highlighting our specialty cleaning products, including our newly released microfibers.

Keep checking in periodically because who knows where we will pop-up next.

For directions to the store look at HD Buttercup’s site.

we have no bananas today

For those of you who have seen our 'method - people against dirty' umbrellas adorning fruit stands around New York City this month, we just want to dispel any rumors that method is diversifying to the fruit vending business. We just really love fruit.....and hate sunburns.

Sit down and park it!

If you're a city dweller, you know how valuable a little spot of green is.  And you know how valuable a parking space is! The Park(ing) project in San Francisco is looking to put those parking spaces to better use.

Rebar, the project's organizer claims that more than 70% of many cities' downtown outdoor space is dedicated to vehicles, while only a fraction is allocated to the public realm. Their mission is to reclaim that space by creating temporary parks...just for the day.

Part social experiment, part performance art, the project's organizers find a parking space in downtown San Francisco, create a park complete with tree and bench, and sit back and feed the meter.  Voila! An instant park.

method spreading the love, one government agency at a time

I had to share this recent experience of method co-founder, Adam Lowry, at the passport office. It's a humorous account of how method is putting smiles on people's faces in ways we never expected.

Setting:
National Passport Center, South of Market, 9:00am

Setup:
Adam waits 15 minutes outside a non-descript federal building, only to stampede with 30 other people up to the cop that is letting only one person pass at a time.  To enter, you must shout and gesture your appointment confirmation number like a trader selling pork bellies on the floor of the NYSE.  Once inside, Adam goes through the x-ray machine, gets frisked by the guy with the gun, then is the victim of a 30 second lambasting by the check-in clerk who is very upset that Adam has apparently filled out his application perfectly.  Take a number.

people against dirty - lucky no. 7

Ok, so this blog is about the 'fight against dirty' ('dirty' being the umbrella for ugly, dangerous, earth-unfriendly, socially irresponsible products and practices). It's brought to you by the founders of 'people against dirty' - method products. And, while the topics we write about are 99% focused on individuals, companies and organizations leading the fight against dirty, occasionally we'll take the time to toot our own horn a bit too. I promise we'll keep it to a minimum.

Inc. Magazine just released its 2006 Inc. 500 List, a listing of the top 500 fastest growing, privately-held companies in America. method, a barely 6-year old company made #7! It bodes well for a small company that is in a generally staid, low-growth category - cleaning products.