Ideal Bite

Where were you ten years ago today? I was in faraway city, in a relationship that seemed destined for greatness but that was soon to fail, with no furry friends to purr in my lap while I read the Bridget Jones Diary...and I had bangs. In short, I was basically unrecognizable.

We've all come a long way since then, haven't we? New homes, new family members, new 'dos. Some great successes, some great mistakes, all that brought us here - to Chicago, or wherever you're lucky to be living. And the same can be said for pretty much anything that's lasted at least a decade. Some wear and tear, but, so it seems, nothing we couldn't handle. So here's a little happy birthday wish to the Notebaert Nature Museum. For ten years, it's been helping Chicago families learn what makes this planet cool. From the butterfly haven with 1,000 flutterers, to the Read the full post... 

Attention Bay Area Biters:

Today, Thursday, Oct. 1st, is the LUNAFEST short film festival, and again, we're giving away tickets to tonight's VIP reception and screening. The first 3 Biters who email us at contests@idealbite.com with LUNAFEST in the subject line'll score a pair of tickets ticket. See you tonight!

Oct. 1st, 6 pm VIP Reception/7:30 pm Screening
The Herbst Theatre - Read the full post... 

Or get you one, at least. In celebration of Earth Day, the first ten readers to send one green thing they plan to do today (as well as their mailing addresses, which we promise not to share) to contests@idealbite.com will get an organic cotton Loomstate for Target Knit Dress.

In case you don't win, we've compiled a list of Biter-approved bargains for your shopping pleasure (while supplies last, see store for details, void where prohibited, blah blah blah). It's by no means comprehensive, so if you've found others, share them below in the comments. Happy Earth Day!

Amazon: Shop a bunch of deals on eco stuff like reusable water Read the full post... 

You might've seen us plug the videos The Meatrix and The Story of Stuff in past Bites. The studio that brought you those gems has a new one out: The Bay vs. the Bag, a short PSA in which a woman almost drowns in plastic bags. What a way to go.

-Toshio…off to hold my breath…

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There are so many awesome free events going on this weekend in SF that I can’t help but share my top three with our Bay Area homies. And who doesn’t love a list, right? Right. Here goes:

Hayes Valley Spring Art Walk/Block Party - Friday, April 17; 6 - 9 pm; free
This one gets my number one slot because I’m partial to my own ‘hood.  If you’re not partial to my ‘hood and the local artists and designers that occupy it, maybe you should come and see if we can’t change your mind.

Discarded to Divine Preview at the de Young - Friday, April 17; 5:30 – 9 pm; free
Get a first look at the repurposed couture pieces before they Read the full post... 

...to get their names off the phonebook mailing list. In my apartment building, 'books (massive ones, with 2-inch thick spines) are delivered in one big heap that consumes approximately an eighth of our mail-room area. And there they sit, day after day...after day...after day... Maybe one or two will disappear (I suppose they could come in handy if you need a boost to reach your top shelf...), but ultimately, the building manager just does a mass recycling.

If you have a similar situation where you live, try posting today's link or a screenshot of the opt-out page on your community board (unless there's a heap of phonebooks in the way) for all to see.

-Jenifer...off to find a thumbtack...

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Chicago Biters might know Alison as the scribe formerly behind the Chicago Bite. In the last couple months, she became a mom, switched beats, and is taking the reins of Ideal Bite's new Mama Bite. The first one comes out Thursday.

What do you think are the hottest green topics for moms right now?

Anything related to health and safety is paramount, whether that's organic foods, nontoxic toys, or natural, alternative medicines.

How did you go about naming your new baby?

Roxane [that's her and mom in the pic] is named after the character in Cyrano de Bergerac. Plus, we wanted

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This past weekend I went to move my truck for street cleaning - which accounts for 90% of its operation - and some kind soul(s) had left a few gifts for me in the bed:

• A curly wig
• A curling iron (for the wig? Can anyone explain this? Bueller?)
• A pack of matches
• Three unused (a small victory?) condoms
• A pair of dirty undies

I wish I were kidding. Needless to say, I unloaded that cargo. Moral of the story: Try to avoid parking on Shotwell Street.

The other moral is that with a fuel-sipping nontruck, I wouldn't even have this problem. I've already decided to run my '98 Tacoma into the ground (doesn't seem to make much eco-sense to run out and buy a green auto when mine still works - and passes smog tests), but if I had my druthers, you'd find me in one of these:

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A few months ago, I cleared out my bathroom cupboard, unearthing some crazy precautionary anti-malaria-typhoid-god-knows-what horse pills I got before traveling to India, an inhaler from the Bronze Age, and a few expired antihistamines.

So I went to my pharmacist and asked if they'd dispose of them - no, they didn't, was the first answer, so I asked if they knew of an outside service - they thought they might actually have a program but the guy who knew about it wasn't around. A few weeks later, I tried again - no info was again the first answer, then the clerk thought about it, asked a few other people, and at long last, produced a URL for me to find locations in SF.

Yes, an online search would have yielded the same info, but I'm wondering how many pharmacy clerks out there simply aren't aware that there are programs that

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We recently began composting in the SF Biter office, which seems like a very big duh. I won't lie - I kinda get off on meticulous trash separation...

A small change around the office that I'm happy to see, but didn't foresee? Composting bins in the restrooms. Sure, hand dryers would be optimal, but not everyone has those, and not everyone's wiping their wet palms on their pants, either. To help cut into the 3,000 tons of paper towel waste we generate in the United States each day, see if you can get your office/gym/bar to put in a composting bin alongside the trash can.

-SF Editor Hanah...off to shake it at Rickshaw Stop to help raise money for Read the full post...