one of these days, i'd like to dig into the science behind habits, products, how they're marketed to us, our relationships to 'things', etc. Until then, however, i'll share a short list of brands i consider to have meaning to me.
method. i've been using method cleaners for years now...i've given up on most of the brands i to which i used to be rather loyal (tide, clorox, lysol, etc) in favor of method. i buy the stuff at Lowe's or Target. we use them in every room of the house. i love their witty language on the labels, love their natural, plant-base surfactants (no petroleum-based surfactant junk for me, please!). i dig how good they smell. but, most of all, they get stuff clean, y'all. And, they were just given a big nod from the experts on America's Test Kitchen.
st ives. we've also been using these products for a while now. again with the green-ness, yes. but if you know me, you know i'm a pretty green ginger: i care a bunch about our planet because we've gotta live here 'til we find somewhere else to diaspora to (can i use that noun as a verb?). so, the good folks at st. ives make products that are way natural, and not tested on animals. when i was a kid, i saw how they carry out animal testing of hair sprays and other personal hygiene items...it made me ill. i grew up on a farm and thought you were supposed to take care of dumb animals, not spray crap in their eyes to see if it irritated 'em. anyway...good stuff. keeps me clean and happy.
keen. they make shoes and stuff. i wear keen shoes every single day...if you've seen me in the last half decade or more, you've seen me wearing keen sneakers 'cause i wears em everywhere. I like the fact that they developed processes to reduce their environmental impact, that they use recycled aluminimumunim, that they support nonprofit groups trying to make things better for people and places. mostly, though, i just think their sneakers kick ass. i'll be ordering a couple of new pairs from our friendly local shop really soon (what up, Stillwater Summit Co?)
food. i'm grouping these under one big umbrella--stuff i eat. I support food co-ops, family farms, local producers, and environmentally-responsible growers as often as i can. i'd much rather buy something made in Oklahoma, something made without unnecessary chemicals (don't yell at me--i know food is made of chemicals, thank you--i just don't think we need to spray crap all over food to make it look really pretty or last three weeks on a shelf...eat it already!). so, I support these folks and buy their products pretty often:
- cascadian farm organics. love their granola bars...we eat a bunch of those. i buy the multigrain squares (they must make 'em with crack, they're so good!) on amazon, 6 boxes at a time...and they'll freakin' deliver 'em on a schedule, y'all!
- horizon dairy. something about that milk with the flyin' cow on it...my buddy Mitch and I were discussing it the other day (how the hell did we end up talking about milk?) and we agreed it's pretty darned good. i buy the butter, too. i generally buy milk from Braum's but like horizon's when i can get it...
- tillamook cheese. i've been enjoying tillamook cheese for years now. i really dig their pepperjack...dang, it's good! on our recent drive-a-thon across the pacific northwest, The Boss and i made a stop at the cheese factory. so cool to watch the baby loaves be born. :) if you can (we don't get it out here), try their marionberry ice cream--holy cow, that's some good stuff!!
- coomb's syrup. organic marple surple? yeas, pleez! it's sweetness, and goodness, bottled. plus, my gran was born in brattleboro, where it's bottled. i recently found a new brand i'm going to try: Brown's Maple Syrup. gotta be good, right?
- whole foods. because it's awesome. need some purple or orange cauliflower? you can get that there (they're both good). need quality fish when living in a landlocked state? go to wholefoods. the store in okc is a bit smaller than the tulsa store but both rock. great people, great stuff.
- apple. because i like things that just work. not a lot of fuss...just work. gorgeous products, highly recyclable chassises (not that i'd toss one). i've been a fanatic since my first mac way back in the 90s. clever devices, clever engineering, clever stuff.
- kexp. breaking the mold, a bit...ending with my favorite radio station, one i've supported financially for the last five years or so. i listen to kexp just about every day at work and while studying...coolest djs, weirdest & most eclectic-est tunes & shows, and all in a no-commercial format. i power kexp, proudly.
