Here's one for you business owners. It seems everyone's aware of the wisdom of tote bags - even the plastic-mad British are wising up to the damage urban tumbleweed wreaks. So let's sing the praises of reusable tote bottles. Why the business angle? Because they're the savviest of marketing tools!

Plastic drinks bottles were always going to be trouble. (Ask Carmen Salva). The logic is damning: since they're designed to be throwaway, they're made super-cheaply, encouraging corner-cutting in the interests of profit-making. Counter-argument: they're thrown away before the chemicals do the consumer any damage. Counter-counter-argument: disregarding the toxins released when they degrade or combust, the argument still doesn't hold any water. So let's save some time and label them a menace, period.

Tote bottles are the way forward - and the way to look progressive and responsible. Business owners, take note: a custom tote bottle from companies like KleanKanteen or SIGG can be emblazoned with your logo, effortlessly improving your green-cred any time your customer gets thirsty. (Beware, though: bottles from, say, Nalgene still use the B.P.A. that has everyone worried. So, choose wisely).

And why not supplement it by following the German retail model - at the office canteen, add an extra charge to the price of plastic-bottled water, redeemable when the bottle is returned for recycling.

Image: judepics

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I don't enjoy cleaning and tidying - which is why I do it all the time.

Some people seem happy to let things pile up: dust-bunnies, unwashed crockery, bills. I used to be one of them - and then I realised how much I hated the way they lurked at the end of my week, like a line of dark clouds. If you feel the same way, join me in being an As-You-Go Tidier.

Here are a few techniques:

 In each room, decide where everything goes. Make places for things: drawers for bills, bins for magazines, somewhere handy for everything recyclable. Make it obvious to yourself when something is out of place.

Whenever you leave a room, put 10 things away - or 5, or 20. At the very least, put away everything you get out.

Treat your house as if important visitors are about to drop by. Imagine what your Mom would say. (What are those shoes doing in the hallway? Were you born in a barn?)

Want to be completely on top of all the cleaning? Try Real Simple's 19 minutes a day.

Rate yourself. Keep a chart on how tidy you've kept the house. Use a RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status. Reward yourself for jobs well done, and chide yourself a little when you fall short.

Be prepared. Anything that slows you down is a distraction (and when you're cleaning, distractions are fatal). So make sure bins are already emptied and anything else you need is ready to hand. (And no, "preparation" doesn't include coffee - have one as a reward!)

Revel in your newly-pristine environment. Light an aromatic candle. Sprawl out with a book. Enjoy it. You're training yourself to associate a freshly-cleaned room with fun - thus making it less of a struggle to start cleaning the next time round!

By the weekend, it's like an invisible person has tidied the whole house - and that's something you could definitely get used to.

Image: stephcarter

"Take off your shoes!" commands my friend Jodi from Long Island whenever I arrive at the doorway of her pretty, Mediterranean home. But I'm attached to my ruby slippers or Betty Mullers or whatever shoes I wore over. I don't want to comply.

On the foyer rug, I can see the discarded flats, pumps and Converses of those who have arrived before me and have obeyed the "no shoes in the house" rule. Why does this rule agitate me so? Is it because most of my pants are too long and drag without heels? Is it because most of my friends are amazons who diminish me in stature when I'm forced to remove my shoes? Is it because I'm a fashion slave who adores stylish shoes? Maybe I just don't like confronting rules as a guest in someone's home.

Whatever the reason, I recognize that not only is it the homeowner's right to impose a no-shoes rule, it's also good for the planet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many of us track lawn pesticides, lead and other chemicals into our homes, not to mention dirt and God-knows-what from our city streets. Removing shoes also is easier on our carpets. Mine takes a beating, even with the removal of soccer cleats and muddy garden clogs.

Still, I'm too design-minded to stand for shoes scattered in my own entryway. The required solution: shoe storage that might convert me and keep my house cleaner.

One of the best storage benches I've found is the Ethan bench from Home Decorators ($269-$329). It has individual cubbies for housing 16 pairs of shoes and plush microfiber upholstery options in four colors. The same site offers a handsome wicker storage chest with doors for concealing 42-pairs of shoes ($300) which comes in three finishes.

But if you're cramped for space, like most of us, the Mission style shoe storage chest from Improvements ($160) holds up to 9 pairs of shoes in a pull-down design that fits nicely in a hallway. 

And, if you want to keep it cheap and simple, buy one or more of the stackable bamboo shoe racks from Seville Classics ($20). They're designed for bedroom closets, but these utility racks fit nicely under entry tables and are more eco-friendly than their coated steel cousins.

One important tip for establishing a no-shoes inside policy: Alert guests to your rule before they arrive for a party. There's nothing worse than neglecting to get a pedicure or having your big toe sticking out of a hole in your sock while sipping wine and trying to look cool at a shoe-less soiree.

Note: images not to scale.

Image: sarowen

Let's face it: no matter how much we may pride ourselves in keeping rooms tidy with our superior organization skills, it's simply not possible to maintain the perfect appearance of a stylized home magazine shoot (amazing how those homes have no need for wires, socks, dry cleaning sacks and cell phone chargers!).

With the Basket Top coffee table, I can feel a little less cluttered without developing perfectionist tendencies. Artisans weave waterway-clogging water hyacinth atop a sturdy rattan base. This unique coffee table is as eco-friendly as it is charming. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $469.)

Moving into a new office can be daunting, especially the storage dilemma. Where can I tastefully store my reference books, design magazines, showroom catalogs, music and fiber bars?

Wildly popular among design lovers, Tetrad Shelving from Brave Space is the answer. The system runs $120 per block and ships to your door for easy assembly. The exterior is either white or natural wood with metal backing. Choose interior blocks in groovy shades of brown, green, lemon or turquoise. They can be attached to one another, to the wall or left free floating.

Brave Space Design is among the thriving furniture crafting scene in Brooklyn focused on sustainability. The artists are committed to playful and modern multi-functional objects for the home and office. It's a cool alternative to old-but-good standards like Ikea and DWI. Scandinavian statement about whimsical purity.

Cutting-edge style savants will want to check out my post about the eco Nomad system, too.

Image: Brave Space Design

The rugged yet delicate splendor of the great outdoors is not restricted to the views beyond your windows.

The entwined root bookcase is the perfect way to welcome nature's duality within the walls of your home.

This fabulous piece will appeal to your refined taste, while satisfying your admiration for the beauty of unadulterated wilderness. Crafted from burnt-finished Indian root and trunk wood with dense elm shelves, this bookcase serves as a stylishly natural place to nestle books and home accessories. If you're interested in matching sets, check out the entwined root table, coat stand, mirror and stool as well. (Available for $679 at sponsor VivaTerra.)

Here's a fun idea: for today’s trendiest décor look, shelve your books by spine color for a rainbow of reading. It's a free, easy way to freshen your style.

Why don't we make better use of our books, decoratively speaking? I am completely addicted to books and love having them in my home, but I've realized lately that some of them are more clutter than collection. I want my library to reflect who I am today.

I’ve come across a few great ideas to manage your collection so you can make the most of how you present it.

First, check out LibraryThing. This is an amazing, easy DIY tool for cataloging your books. You can post your catalog and share it, finding like-minded bookies who share your taste, or keep it private.

Finding yourself with a lot of books you don’t really want to catalog, because they’re no longer you? Sell them through an easy program like the one offered by independent bookstore Powell’s, donate them to your local library or a charity that distributes them to those who can use them (just search "donate books" to find choices).


Finally, with the books you really love cataloged and sorted, invest in beautiful shelving and make a visual decorative statement with your books. The rainbow idea is fun and dramatic. And these Railroad Tie Bookshelves by VivaTerra are rustic yet modern and are made from recycled railroad ties on an airy metal base ($869).

Images: Eccentric Scholar and VivaTerra

Note: VivaTerra is an EcoSalon sponsor.

Why throw away bits and ends that can be used to fertilize your lawn and enrich your garden soil? Almost any organic material can be used – composting is a spectacular way to recycle kitchen and garden refuse.

Composting can seem a serious endeavor, not for the faint of nose or easily distracted. Why? Because when I think compost, I smell odors – very strong odors – in my kitchen. But collecting scraps doesn’t have to be an unpleasant process, especially not if you have one of these attractive and compact containers that stand at the ready on your counter-top.

Leak-proof and odor free, this cute blue ceramic honey pot ($29.95) will hold up to 1 gallon of your composting ingredients in between your trips out to the compost heap. I also found one in stainless steel ($59.95) and white ceramic ($29.95). They come with a charcoal filter for odor, as well as 100% biodegradable bags that can be thrown into the pile as well.

So whatever your kitchen décor – country, contemporary or simply white – there’s a compost container created just for you.

Image: Plow & Hearth

 4mula is a line of aromatherapy bath and body products with a brilliant idea: create holistic potions out of natural ingredients in lasting reusable packaging that is so attractive you'll never want to toss it. I love the concept of beautiful packaging that you can either refill with the same contents or reuse for different purposes - why don't more companies do this?

4mula's liquid products are packaged using easy peel-off labels in clear, modern looking rectangular bottles so nifty you'll want to keep them around. If that isn't enough to inspire you, check out the (re)user gallery where customers share their brilliant ideas from storing organic seeds to organizing nails in a tool box.

Image: Notcot