Ideal Bite

Who knew that we were all at such risk of constant dehydration? I mean pick up a magazine or watch an ad on tv, and sooner or later, you'll be convinced that your body is in severe need of hydration, electrolytically imbalanced and lacking in peak performance.

Oh puhlease.  When I grew up, kids playing sports drank... well, water.  And that water?  It came from a tap, not a plastic bottle with a label.

But if I were buying the need for electrolytic sports drinks (and trust me - as a girl who occasionally imbibes too much of a different kind of liquid, there is something miraculous about potassium-laden sports drinks for a hangover cure), you can rest assured that I would be reaching for the ONE Natural Coconut water.  As with many things, I was a complete skeptic until I tried it.

I promise - that stuff is GOOD.

-Heather... off to remember a world where a

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So Biters, we are having a running debate here at the Bite.  We're trying to decide whether or not there would be a benefit to having more local content for you readers. 

On the one hand, communities inspire - it's so easy to get your friends to adopt something in your backyard.  And seeing the fruits of one's labors inspires.  And of course, supporting local businesses that have their hearts in the right places... you can never go wrong there.

 But we'd love to hear from you - is there enough local green content/services/products/inspiration to justify a tip JUST for you, in your area?  If yes, where are ya? If no, is the blog a good place to start to have those local options?

-Heather... off to plan an outing to Yield, my local, sustainable wine bar...

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The only car service I can remember using is the limo we rented for high school prom, and I'm one year shy of being legal to rent a vehicle, but since moving to San Francisco one of my guiltiest pleasures has been taking taxis everywhere I go. This in spite of the fact that the city's got phenomenal public transportation, and you gotta pay almost three bucks just to step into a cab (that's where the meter starts). It's a total splurge expense, but whether I'm coming home with four too many pints of Anchor Steam in my stomach or exhausted post-yoga, since giving up my car in November, taxi rides are one of my deepest, darkest eco-inefficient secrets. Luckily, in town we've got quite a few Ford Escape hybrid taxis roaming around and more are being added to the local fleets all the time, so my guilty pleasure doesn't have to be so guilty.

-Toshio... off to hail a cab

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I once had a friend who constantly referred to defrosting as "dethawing..."  Was never quite sure what to make of that.  Part of me always wanted to tease a little and ask her why she needed to freeze something already frozen.  But instead, I just had an internal struggle: I mean, do I TELL her, and run the risk of making her feel judged?  Or do I let her go about her life, using the wrong word, ACTUALLY being judged by other, meaner people?

Sort of like my brother's firm childhood commitment to the word "earloaves" (lobes) and my previous attachment to the phrase "for all intensive purposes..." (intents and purposes).

-Heather... off to dethaw some soup...

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So yeah, I grew up in Orange County, CA, in a gated community (and I'm still having trouble proving to friends that I'm not the most sheltered guy in San Francisco).

Living in a gated community is weird for a number of reasons - security jeeps (not hybrids) are always roving, for one. But growing up, the thing that most irritated me is the fact that our community didn't let you grow native plants in your yard. Chaparral-type flora is normal for Orange County, but the community association wanted a more New England/Old Country vibe - big lawns, water-intensive flowering bushes and manmade ponds. None of which, of course, are actually meant to exist in the climate.

So I was especially annoyed when those roving security jeeps stopped on the cul-de-sac adjacent to our street, scoped out our backyard from two houses over

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For Thanksgiving my girlfriend Jen Nash came out to visit and to teach me how to cook a few things.   Well, I definitely learned a few things:

1. I didn't like Tofurkey, really

2. You shouldn't put hot soup in a blender.  Yeah, we made this onion based soup and decided it was too chunky, so dumped it in a blender. I put the lid on and hit "blend" and wow did it ever.  It exploded all over my kitchen.  I am still finding chunks.

See why I am a bit leery about cooking? 

Off to heat up some Amy's soup (on low) and enjoy the 32nd snow storm here.... jb

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When it comes to the world of personal care products, many people refer to me as the devil.

I don't think I have a female friend on the planet who I have NOT hooked on some product or other.  My mom is no exception.  Currently, her nighttime bed routine involves shea butter application on dry elbows, feet and hands.  So, once again, I'm sort of the devil for introducing an addition to the routine.

I figure it could be worse.  I could be trying to get everyone to drink as much wine as I do instead...

 -Heather... off to get coffee in the insane SF sun...

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Hmmm. Just in time for this tip, my skin has gotten all scaly and dry - mainly because of a suspiciously mental experiment I did last weekend.

In a fit of inspiration on Saturday, after finding that I had no exfoliating scrubs left (but strangely feeling a deep-seeded urge to scrub myself), I decided to get creative. Who needs exfoliators, anyway? Rummaging around the bathroom, I stumble across a neat new pumice stone, given by a friend. One side is really smooth and fine-grained and the packaging refers to it as a "polisher." "Lovely," I think. After all - Blooming Lotus and Pharmacopia make my favorite exfoliating scrubs, and THEY call them polishes... A few minutes' vigorous rubbing on arms and legs seems to hurt more than it should, and draws a little blood, but hey - it must be

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I have to admit, I have never been too into wedding "stuff."  I think they are beautiful and all that, but I do hope I will have the means to hire someone to take care of the details.  I mean, I am not even sure I know why Wedding Favors are necessary... isn't there enough "stuff" surrounding weddings? However, if I must get/give one, would love something that would pay it forward... you know, make a statement and help educate and be fun.  Like what?  What about a hand-help carbon calculator, with a gift-certificate code for offsetting their wedding travel?  Now there's an idea...  if one of you rich Biters wants to produce a prototype, just co-brand it with the Bite and you can keep royalties.  Yeah, I am in a good mood.

UNTIL JUST NOW.

I am back at this coffee shop, and was trying to enjoy a nice morning with music, change of atmosphere, etc.  And this woman just came

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At weddings when I was little I coveted the roles of both the ringbearer and the flower girl. Take your pick - I would've been stellar at either one. You grow up, and your desires/jealousies change. Now I covet all the wedding gifts (although the whole "blissful matrimony" thing seems pretty cool as well). I need a new toaster oven. I could really use a quality wine corker.

Wedding registries are pretty much awesome for all involved - the couple gets exactly what they want, and there's absolutely no guesswork involved on the part of the giver. Happy couple, happy guest. What really has me jonesing to tie the knot, now, are all the new green gift registries that offer stuff I would so totally use. Organic bedding? Check. Bamboo tableware? Check. Finally an alternative for those of us who go for stuff not usually found at Pier 1. 

-Toshio... off to

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