The first time we heard the words “warm organic material against cold steel” we began to romanticize about an afternoon trip to the gun range with Dirty Harry — which is rather strange seeing as we don’t consider ourselves the violent type. Thankfully, we snapped out of it when we saw those words were accompanied by pictures of Stanley Ruiz’s stunning design collection entitled, “The New Organic. ” Taking his inspiration from improv music, Henry David Thoreau, and walking (a classic combo), Ruiz employed the rudimentary tools at his disposal. He hand-assemble raw elements like twigs and machined parts into an inventive collection of wares that manage to fuse craft and industry into something as simple as a necklace or a clock. If you want to get a peak at Ruiz’s creations, we recommend heading to the ICFF New York this week, where the Brooklyn-based designer will be launching The New Organic as part of the designboom Mart.

Your gal pals are always gushing on about how p.c. they are with their organic beauty products and all, but as a dude who likes to be clean and conscious of what you slather onto your body, why should you be accused of metrosexuality for wanting an alternative to your soap-and-shave regime? Organic Grooming is a men’s line of vegan personal care products, from cologne to deodorant, packaged in biodegradable and recyclable containers and contain ingredients you’d put in your lunch salad (like organic carrot and cucumber). According to the product’s backstory, these remedies were mixed in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere by a couple named Luke and Lisa (no last names listed), who received the first-ever organic personal care facility certificate in the States last year. We guess if you’re going to make a shaving cream from organic aloe, lavender and peppermint, you need a bit of privacy.

If the site for Crummy Brothers Organic Cookies new online shop had launched sooner than yesterday, the deliciously chunky treats would have made Heather’s Top 5 Foodie Gifts in a heartbeat. However, it wouldn’t have been the first time that the Dagoba chocolate cookies weaseled their way into our holiday posts; Josh has been talking about Crummy Brothers since the early days, when their recipes included even riskier additions, like lavender. Today, Crummy Brothers Organic Cookies come in four varieties: Original, Orange Blossom, Lemon Ginger, and Chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the omission of the word “chocolate,” in most of those options, because all of the cookies come packed with gobs of Dagoba organic goodness. So, in other words, that last “Chocolate” variety is actually a chocolate chocolate chip cookie. And let’s face it: if you hate chocolate, you hate life. Heather and I fell most in love with Orange Blossom (just like Josh’s Dad before us), but that certainly didn’t hold us back from eating, um, everything else. Make your holiday gift baskets even yummier here.

I hate pumping my body full of nasty stuff; it’s a trait I inherited from my parents, who have always preferred straightening themselves out through more natural means. Years of experience and plenty of positive results have reinforced their beliefs, but always at the classic naturopathic risk of a few failed remedies between problem and solution. The latest product that will hit the testing block is FlyRight, a new anti-jet-lag formula that promises to completely cure users from the rough side-effects of long-distance flying. Apparently, FlyRight tastes like absolute crap, but counts several high-profile (non-endorsed) jet-setters as fans (to my knowledge, Josh is not currently among them; he won’t try anything unless it tastes like lilacs). Anyway, if Flyright actually follows through with getting my parents to China and Italy fuzz-free, I think we’ll officially be able to kiss those sleeping pills/painkillers/tequila shots good-bye. Then again, the painkillers are kind of fun. Wait, just kidding; I hate pumping my body full of nasty stuff, remember?

Launching an accessory line in an already saturated market must be a fairly daunting experience– but the guys over at COTO seem to be doing it the right way: a small, functional collection made from sustainable, reclaimed organic sources. A collaboration between an ex-Burton Snowboards marketer and an investment-banker-turned artist, COTO is an exquisite array of ties, hats, suspenders, and tote bags made from organic cotton and hemp blends, trimmed with vegetable dyed leathers and fallen rack antlers. As classic as it is is stylish, COTO promises to an elegant balance between preppy and sporty. Their site isn’t quite live yet (the line won’t be available till the fall), but we have included an exclusive sneak peek after the jump.

This summer, the guys will also present the Green Rover Project, a gallery exhibition and documentary in New York and Los Angeles, about their travels in a vegetable oil-powered vintage Land Rover Series II. Obviously, they’ve heard being environmentally responsible is in style these days.
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Pangea Organics products are among my favorites in the fast growing and hotly contested sustainable bodycare industry– it just so happens that Pangea Organics is the fastest growing organic skin care line in the world right now. If you’ve tried them, this shouldn’t be a mystery. The mere scent that reaches my nose when I walk by these products in Whole Foods makes me want to set up a kiddy pool right in the middle of the natural living section and take a bath. We told you about Pangea last September, but I wanted to let you know about their new packaging– it’s made with a zero waste process with 100% post-consumer paper and — check this — organic seeds. Just slip the label off of the box, soak it in water for about a minute, and plant it in soil to sprout herbs like sweet basil and amaranth! It’s a great idea from a great brand. Check here to find a store (or cyber store) that carries Pangea Organics.

My readers' suggestion that this site should include occasional posts from guest writers seemed like a great idea, but I sure didn't expect it to happen quite so quickly. The day before Christmas, my family was the lucky recipient of 3 boxes of incredibly delicious Crummy Brothers Cookies, and here's what my Father the cookie connoisseur had to say….

Organic in every element down to the package, Crummy Brothers Cookies are to my experienced cookie buds and quality conscious eye the standard bearer for every natural bakery to appreciate. Available in 5 flavors, the nearly aphrodisiac Orange Blossom is a 10– A Gold Medal winner to both the 9.9 stupefyingly delicious Lavender creation and the Peppermint entry. No one could possibly dispute this company's excellence after one bite. If cookies make you happy, get your hands on some Crummy cookies and get ready for pure bliss.