For me, the answer has always been: It depends. What time of the month is it? (Sorry, TMI, I know.) Am I going to the gym in a few hours where they will get very sweaty and be tossed in the hamper in a bit? Will anyone else be seeing them? Do I have an event going on in a day or two and am I running short on the good ones? You can guess where this is going, I’m sure. I wear the really cute ones only on special occasions. The old ones are my daily staples.

I realized this tonight as I staggered out of the shower on my way to bed. I looked at the neatly folded knickers and made a choice between two pair. The cute blue striped Aeries and the sorta old, sorta past-their-prime Olga Secret Hug flowered number. I was just about to grab the nice pair when I realized that I would change them anyway in the morning. Why waste a good pair, I thought, as I pulled on the ones that should have been tossed a few years ago. This is a problem.

Why shouldn’t I wear really nice, really awesome underwear for myself? Just because they are comfy and dainty and fun? And forget about the fact that I will only be wearing them for about seven hours before changing them again. Yes, this is a problem and the story of my life. I need to figure out why I don’t feel like I deserve the nice underwear all the time. Why I don’t pitch all my old drawers and buy a drawer-full of cool panties? I’m not sure, but I’m going to explore it this week. That’s for sure.

Do you deny yourself anything today? If so, what and why? And what’s your favorite pair of underpants? Have any tips for me? I’d like to know.

Digressing as usual…so we get out to the outlets and I ask Chris where he wants to shop. Saks Off 5th is his answer. I was about to start walking in that direction, but I stopped and looked at him first. Something went off inside of me. No, he wasn’t going discount this time. No, he needed something that would wow people. In the business world — especially New York City — he deserves to wear the best. Yes, it’s okay to buy $4.99 slacks for hanging around the house or going out to dinner with friends, but he needed to look like a million bucks when he stepped into his new place of business. So it was settled (at least in my mind): We were going to Brooks Brothers, someplace we’ve never stepped foot in. Ever.

After a little prodding we walked into the store. The Brooks Brothers outlet was really nice. Even sizing was a breeze since they had every size of shirt in the dressing room for him to try on before he got busy shopping. The salespeople were so helpful, too, and the clothing was really sharp. My husband is tall and has broad shoulders but is thinner through the waist, so he usually has a tough time shopping. Not at Brooks Brothers, though, where we discovered they have something called Slim Fit –shirts and suit jackets cut broad at top and narrower through the waist. He tried on one of the Slim Fit shirts in his size. He looked amazing. He didn’t have any of the annoying “puffy” look around his back and waist that he’s always complaining about. While he was trying on shirts I started looking at pants. I found the softest, lightest summer slacks I have ever seen. Tropical wool, they are called. I grabbed a few colors in his size and brought them to his dressing room. He tried them on and was ooohing and ahhing over them. We both agreed they would be so comfortable for commuting.

In the end he came home with three dress shirts and two slacks. Brooks Brothers shirts are usually $79.50 or three for $199. The slacks are usually $178 each or two for $279. I have to say it: WHO PAYS THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR BUSINESS CASUAL CLOTHING??? Okay, sorry, I lost it for a sec. Anyway, there was a HUGE sale going on plus I snagged a 10 percent off coupon from someone (“Excuse me, miss, are you going to use your Brooks Brothers coupon?”) so we paid about $170 for everything. Yes, that’s way more than I would ever pay for five items of my clothing, but I looked at Chris and, bursting with pride, I knew he deserved the splurge.

The sweet part was that he hesitated at the last minute. Are you sure, he wanted to know, as he stood waiting to check out. He knows how I stress over spending money and how I like my bargains. He knows my past still colors my present. I know that a simple phrase like, “Are you sure?” doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but it is SUCH a big deal. He gets me. Not only does he get me, but he respects me and how I feel. That’s huge. But what’s just as huge is that I didn’t stress too much about spending that kind of cash. I really can’t wait to see him all dressed up in his new clothing on Tuesday. I can’t wait to see how handsome he looks. I think we’re finally finding a happy medium between my fear-of-poverty mode and his the-pricetag-doesn’t-matter shopping style. It’s a refreshing change.

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on an item of clothing outside your wedding dress or tuxedo? What’s your shopping style? How much is too much to spend on clothing. And again: Who pays $178 for a pair of work slacks?!? I really want to know!

DJ Lance spins for the babies!

This week we spent the early evening at Brooklyn Bowl, which, to me, is really just a club that happens to also have bowling lanes. It was a launch party event for Yo Gabba Gabba’s live show. My big girl has watched the show. My baby, who won’t turn two until the end of June, hasn’t.

We went inside and saw throngs of people — kids, moms, dads and babies — milling around. All the characters were there, too, as was DJ Lance, who was actually using a turntable and spinning records. (Yes, actual vinyl! Each one encased in its sleeve and the sleeve encased in plastic.)

My big girl was excited to be there. The little one was a little scared. The noise, the darkness, the flashing lights. Once she settled down, however, she loved the music. Only ten minutes after we arrived, she stopped clinging to my shoulder and started dancing. Then she started clapping her hands.

It was a fun even even though I had to snag a bracelet from someone leaving (I was told at the front door they had no more to give) so we could get onto the dance floor. Once we stepped down onto the floor we participated in the meet and greets with everyone. I think my husband, who I am technically not allowed to write about anymore, was most excited. He really wanted to meet DJ Lance, who turned out to be one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. I asked him to do a video intro for the blog. Not only did he do it, but he did it twice since he didn’t get the name right the first time. The video will go up over the weekend or on Monday. (Have to let hubby work his technical editing magic on it.) In the meantime enjoy the photo, the following Favorites and the rest of your Friday!

Leafware = I have a new compost bin. I entertain a fair amount during the summer. I hate plastic.

I’m hoping this statement — if I was doing a truth table — would come out all true. (I’m expecting a sample some time soon, so I will let you know.) Leafware, as the company says is  “leaves of specific trees and vines, sewn together with bits of stem” to form plates, bowls, and trays. If you buy them in bulk they come out to about $.50 each. I’m personally willing to give it a try, especially since I can throw it into my compost when I’m done. Again, I’ll let you know what I think.

BetterWorldBooks. I am a reader. I’m also someone who writes stuff that goes into newspapers and magazines. And yet I hate the thought of how many trees I’ve probably killed doing what I do for a living. This is why this site may be one of my favorite new haunts. Every book it sells ships free in the U.S. (the international shipping fee is $3.97), and the company offsets its shipping by buying carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org. It also collects old, unwanted books and sells them to support literacy efforts. To date, the company says it has diverted 33,082,876 books from landfills. Not bad. Now do they have my next book club book?

Let’s Go Chipper! app. I got a press release about this one. Sounded pretty neat, so I checked it out. It’s an educational storyline (books, movies, activities and iTunes downloads) for kids ages 2 to 6 that teaches them about ecology. With the summer coming up — at least here in the northern hemisphere — the stories explain how to keep the environment the way you left it. A plus: Chipper, who is a chipmunk, is pretty cute, too.

That’s it for now. I’m back to work. Another few interviews to do today and then we’ve got a birthday party and I have a flip-flop party to go to. Whoohoo! What are you up to this Friday night? p.s. See that little brown box over to the right? The one that says Top Mommy Blogs? I am trying to move up in the rankings. Would you pretty please click on it and then click to vote for my blog once you get to the landing page? Thanks in advance! I only need 30 clicks through to move into the top 10 in the Eco category.

Earth Day meets 45th Street

I spent Friday in the city at the ASJA Writer’s Conference, which took place at the Roosevelt Hotel. Great conference, I was excited to see all the people I talk to on Facebook and on our online forum. Once I left the hotel, though, and made my way down 45th Street I was really excited. Right outside the hotel was EarthFair Outdoors, a celebration with music, booths and characters. As I walked through the crowd enjoying the beautiful weather and relaxed vibe I found a few things that have the possibility of becoming my favorites. I thought I’d pass them along…

Wicked, the play. Okay, I lied. This is already on my list of all time favorites. Still, what does Wicked have to do with Earth Day? I’ll let them explain. (From the tag on the cute baby evergreen they gave me to take home and plant: “Green. For Good. This tree has been planted in tribute to Elphaba and all the green things on earth.” So basically my favorite play of all time was giving out free evergreens for Earth Day. Outstanding!

Seed Body Care. I am a sucker for a sweet-smelling cream. And if that cream happens to have shea butter and be scented like my two favorite herbs, lavender and sage? Swoon. Seriously. And if it’s paraben-, phthalate-, presevative-, petrochemical-, and artificial color-free? I may be tempted to shell out the cash. They were showing three products — a body bar, a lotion, and a shampoo bar. I’m thinking I need to buy the body bar. (I kept sniffing my hands, scented from the tester, all the way home on the train.)

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. What happens to livestock that isn’t well enough or hearty enough to be slaughtered? Some of the chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, and goats end up at this place, a home for the animals that don’t make it to your table. The sanctuary gives tours daily from April 1 through October 31 where children and adults can learn about how and why the animals arrived there and what we as human beings can do to reduce our meat consumption. Sounds like a nice day trip…

The New York City Compost project. Okay, so you live in a small house or — in this case — an apartment. Still, you cook. You eat. You have non-meat food scraps. What can you do to recycle them? This project, funded by the New York City Sanitation Department, teaches apartment-dwellers how to create an indoor compost bin with worms. You can learn, too, by clicking through on this link. (Yes, there were worms at the event, but no, I didn’t get a photo!) Okay, if folks in apartments are composting I will finally make it my business to create a compost bin at my house. And I plan on doing it this weekend.

The components that go into the Sprout watch.

The Sprout. I got sucked in by the tubs of bamboo, cotton, and corn pellets, which reminded me of the tactile boxes at my big girl’s Gymboree classes. Once I got closer I saw that the bin contents represented what the company makes its watches out of. The watch body is corn resin instead of plastic. Straps are made of organic cotton instead of leather, while the watch face is made of mineral crystal — a type of glass — rather than plastic. The dial is natural bamboo. The result is a watch that is either 80 or 86 percent eco-friendly. Not bad. And they’re cute, too. At $30, it was a steal, but I didn’t have any cash on me. Sigh.

Matthew Modine wants people to ride bikes -- not drive cars.

Bicycle for a Day. Hey! I know that guy! He was the guy in Married to the Mob! (I’m talking about Matthew Modine.) A celebrity hanging out in the middle of the city? Yup, and for a good cause, too. Modine started a non-profit called Bicycle for a Day to help people get out of cars and on to bikes. A noble cause, and one I should be doing myself. I love spinning so much I should be jumping on my bike when I need milk rather than jumping in my car.

CommuterLink. How do people living in the Tristate area get involved in a carpool? This is a good place to start. The site helps you find people to carpool with. Then, once you’re signed up, guarantees that if you miss your ride because the driver has to leave early, they will help you get home free-of-charge. Nice.

How was your Earth Day? Hope you have a fun, relaxing weekend!

Katelyn is on a soccer team. Way back when she first joined we ordered her uniform at the local soccer shop. When my husband went to pick it up he was informed that the shop was out of shorts. It was fine, though, because it was pretty cold by that time. She just wore leggings along with one of the two flimsy shirts that we ended up buying. The season went on and I must admit here that I just forgot about picking up those shorts. It was a low priority. Still, a uniform is a uniform so when the next season started, I went back to the store to buy the shorts. The shop, which is only open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 6, was out of them again. Again! I made two additional attempts and decided it wasn’t worth it. Then came spring season.

This Sunday I sat watching all the kids running around. Katelyn was the only girl on the field who wasn’t wearing those stupid shorts. Feeling like a horrible mommy, once the game was over I grabbed the baby — not remembering that the place was closed — and went over to the shop. Ten minutes later I stood in front of that locked door muttering under my breath. There had to be a better way.

Driving home I passed a garage sale. I decided to jump out and look around. I walked through the boxes of dolls, books, and toys but didn’t see what I needed: the pair of size small maroon shorts with the little Nike swoop on the leg. I saw the homeowner sitting there, though, and his two little girls and figured it was worth a shot. “Excuse me, you don’t happen to have any soccer shorts for sale?” The guy turned to his daughters, who appeared to be a few years older than Katelyn and asked them my question. One of them jumped up and went inside. Two minutes later she was standing there holding a new-looking pair of soccer shorts with the little swoop on the leg. I was excited but cautious. How much, I wanted to know. I couldn’t beat the price: $2, and he would throw in the five paperback books, Cooties game, and a Polly Pocket house I had been carrying around. Score!

I lugged my spoils home and spread them out on the table. My husband was incredulous. Only I could go out to a garage sale and come home with what I was looking for, he said. But I disagree. I think anyone can go on their own treasure hunt and come up a winner. If we want or need something, chances are someone else has needed or wanted that same thing at some point in time. There is someone out there who owns what you need and they’re probably looking to get rid of it. Maybe not for $2, but for a price.

So I say, as someone who saved $30 and all the environmental costs associated with buying new, it’s worth asking around for what you want. Try Craigslist, Freecycle.org, garage sales, consignment shops, your neighbors, your friends, eBay. You never know unless you try, right? (And FWIW: The shorts fit Katelyn fabulously, and she loves her new books and toys, too.)

What’s your best used buy? Where do you shop when you don’t want to spend a lot of money?

Why do I always get weird injuries?

Anyone who has been reading for a while knows that when I get hurt it’s usually in some weird, obscure way. Something that prompts an insurance letter being sent out. The letters always want to know if someone else is responsible for the injury. Because hey, how else could you get a black eye and contusions or a cut on your chin unless someone actually hurt you? I had another wacky accident yesterday, one that will probably result in another letter.

I have been working non-stop so I decided I would go to half of a class with Keira. The class is right up the block. I could hang out for 30 minutes and make it back in time for my noon conference call. I got there and we were doing circle time sitting on the floor. Keira, like most of the kids, was getting on and off my lap. At one point she was walking back to me when she tripped. I put my arms out to catch her and her two front teeth met my thumb. I knew instantly we had a problem. Her teeth sliced my thumb open. Blood gushed. I picked Keira up and carried her out while holding my thumb airborne as not to drip and blood on the kid. Keira was fine, thank goodness, and was able to go right back into the class with my mom, who was in the waiting room. But I was a different story. I ended up in front of a doctor getting liquid stitches and steristrips. So today’s Favorite Things is going to be short and sweet. My thumb is still throbbing. I can’t use it to type, and I have three more conference calls today. Sigh. So here, in an abbreviated format, are my favorite things of the week.

Clif Z Bar for Kids. I won a prize in a Twitter party. (Thanks, @Healthy_Child) Part of it: 20 of the chocolate chip variety. Yum. Katelyn loves them, too, so it’s given me another snack option for her lunch box.

ThredUP. I hate throwing clothing away. I hate buying it new, too, especially for the kids. This new site is part eBay, part Craigslist, part Freecycle. You go on, put a “box” of clothing up, and someone will claim it. And you can do the same. All you pay is the shipping on the clothing you’re claiming. Everyone wins. Clothing is reused. You don’t spend a fortune. Love, love, LOVE this, and plan on trying it out this weekend.

MatterofTrust.org I love using surplus in an innovative way. Who knew that human hair from the floors of salons could be reclaimed and reused for oil spills and oil slicks? But it can. This organization helps collect human hair and get it out in the field when there is an oil spill. They also do a ton of eco-education. Ask your salon if they are participating in the program. It’s worth it.

That’s it for now. I’m going to try and add two more things by late Friday. Have a great weekend in the meantime!

I had to read it twice. Since when is triclosan, an antibacterial that’s been linked to a host of environmental and health problems, turning up in toothpaste? I was even more aghast when I saw that the Academy of General Dentistry today released a press announcement saying that it supports the use of triclosan in toothpaste. That a recent study found that toothpaste with triclosan is better than regular toothpaste at killing bacteria found in the mouth. That must be a mistake, right? Give me a break. What about last week’s news out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that recent studies raise “valid concerns” about the safety of triclosan? (Scariest part of all this: triclosan is in so many products that it is found in our urine. Three out of four of us are peeing triclosan on a daily basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

I wrote a whole missive about triclosan back in September. About how the EPA classifies it as a pesticide! About how it’s creating antibiotic resistant bacteria. About how it never breaks down — even after going through a sewage treatment plant. (And after re-reading that post I realized that yes, I did know that it was in toothpaste. I guess it just never registered.) Wow. Sigh. Wow. That really sucks. How can manufacturers do that to us? We’re putting a pesticide, a dangerous-to-the-earth chemical in our mouths. It makes me sad.

I went to CVS last night. Believe it or not I needed toothpaste. I looked around. I read the back of tubes and boxes. I didn’t see anything mainstream that didn’t have any chemicals. (The kids use Toms of Maine. I usually do, too, but I didn’t have time to go to Trader Joe’s last night.) So I bought a lesser-of-all-evils brand — Colgate actually has an option that only scores a 3 out of 10 on the EWG’s Skin Deep database. I’ll buy my usual brand the next time I get to TJs or Whole Foods. And in the meantime: Shame on you, traditional manufacturers. Isn’t it about time you started doing more for our environment? And our bodies?

What’s in your toothpaste? Do you know? How about your contact lens solution, your moisturizer? Your lipstick? Maybe it’s time you found out? And as for the Academy of General Dentistry: I’ve got an email out to the organization. I want to hear their reasoning behind their silly suggestion.

I read another article this week. This one was from the New York Times. Appearing as the Off The Shelf column, ‘Green Gone Wrong’: Can Capitalism Save the Planet?, the article examines a new book from Heather Rogers: Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution. Ms. Rogers has a different take on voting with your wallet. She thinks, and rightfully so, that the environmental movement — when Big Business takes over — can actually do more to harm than good where the environment is concerned. I’ve reported on this, too. Right here on this blog. A lot of organic farmers, for example, aren’t acting so organically. They are nothing more than Big Agra companies wearing a green hat while hurting our environment. Many are simply clearing rain forests away to create organic farms and in the process hurting the true organic farmers out there. And don’t get me started on their carbon footprint created by producing goods a continent a way and shipping them here to the States. (You might as well just read my other blog post — Supermarket Confusion: Or Why Wal-Mart is Bad for the Organic Movement — here.)

So what’s the answer? Do you skip organic food? Do you use your own reusable bags? Do you buy natural products? Of course, but with some thought. I know that’s hard to hear and swallow. Aren’t we already thinking too much about all of this? Every time the TV comes on we’re hearing about more terrible environmental news. Every time we go to a Web site we see more disturbing images. The answer is yes. We need to be a little more uncomfortable. And, like the New York Times reporter says, we have to make good choices while simply consuming less.

And this will be my task between now and Earth Day. Every day I am going to track my buying. I’m going to share with you what I’ve purchased. I’m going to have to justify to you and to myself if my purchase was actually necessary or worth it. Essentially, I’d like to try and be spend-free for the next few weeks. (Aside from food, of course.) Can I do it? Will it be worth it? At the very least it will give us more insight into why we are in this mess to begin with.

What do you think your biggest green faux pas is? I’d like to hear about it.

Ecologic packaging. I have at least seven drinks in my fridge right now. Two cartons of orange juice, a carton of milk, a bottle of pomegranate juice, a bottle of apple juice, and a carton of strawberry banana juice. The cartons are all the traditional type: paper sheathed between two layers of plastic. They can’t go into a typical recycling bin because they need to be processed differently. The closest recycling center that can handle these cartons is 25 miles from my house. Bah. (Want to see if you’ve got a recycling option for your cartons? Go to the Earth911.com searchable database and enter ‘milk carton,’ and press Search.) This is why I was pretty jazzed when I saw Ecologic‘s fix: Packaging that can be separated into cardboard and plastic components. You can compost or recycle the cardboard, and stick the plastic pouch right into your regular recycling bin. Today, only one company — Straus Family Creamery based in California — is trying out the packaging, which can be found at the Oakland, Calif.-based Whole Foods. But at least there’s hope!

Reusable produce bags. Bet you don’t even think about how many bags you use in the produce aisle. You pick up some oranges. Maybe a bunch of broccoli, some sweet potatoes, and a bunch of apples. Each item goes into its own crappy bag that takes forever to open. Before you know it you’ve got ten flimsy, one-use plastic bags sitting in your cart. Their next stop: a landfill or, even worse, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We’re all so good about using our own grocery bags, right? Now it’s time to make another change. There are eight different reusable produce bags for purchase at Reusablebags.com. Before you grumble about spending money on these, take note: They have nice drawstrings so your fruit won’t go rolling all over the place. They are made of polyester so they can be washed. Heck, you can even wash your produce right in the bags so you don’t have to worry about them rolling all over a dirty sink. Totally worth it in the end.

Reusable Takeout Containers. On Thursday we went out to dinner. We were there for about 30 minute when Keira said she had to go potty. So we went. She’s in underwear now, so we went fast. She saw the tiny bathroom with the big toilet and she was scared. We went back and forth three times before she said, “Mama, poop, HOME!” Sigh. I asked her to hold it, and we went back to the table. I asked the waitress for a check. My husband swooped over and asked if she could wrap my big girl’s uneaten meal. Damage to the environment: One aluminum tin, one plastic cover, one plastic bag. Uggg. Tonight I came home and ordered Tupperware’s FlatOut set, which squish down into nothingness flat enough to stick in my purse. I intend on bringing them to the deli when I order salads, too. Yes, I read the review that said they are tough to clean, but so what? That’s what soaking is for. Rubbermaid also makes a BPA-free version called Collapsibles, but I could only find them on Amazon.com — not the actual Rubbermaid site.

Reusable Coffee Cups. When I have the occasion to go into the city and visit editors and clients I take the Long Island Railroad. People coming off the train throw out two things: Newspapers and used coffee cups. With almost all of the major coffee peddlers (Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and 7-11 to name a few) willing to fill up your favorite cup with some Joe, doesn’t it make sense to skip the paper and Styrofoam? Even once or twice a week? I love, love, love the “I am not a paper cup” thermal porcelain mug, (although from the reviews it doesn’t look so hot) but really any one will do.

Coming next week: Two great give-aways and some more parenting angst, I’m sure. But in the meantime, relax, recycle, and enjoy your weekend.

First, a little background: We own a Kenmore stainless steel refrigerator. It’s about eight years old, but it’s in nice condition. About a year ago it started running all the time. We have an extended warranty, so we called Sears to come out and take a look. Aside from the fact that they canceled on us twice (“There are people with no refrigerators; yours is working.”), when they finally got here the repair guy said it was the seals. He would order two new seals and, once they came, we were to call and schedule someone to come. Which we did. More cancellations since, by this time, it was mid-summer. The guy finally came, installed the seals, and left. They weren’t good, though, so the unit still ran. Uggg. Another guy came a few weeks later. He spent an hour in my kitchen with a blow dryer saying the seals just needed to be stretched. When he left we decided the problem was lower priority than my husband’s medical issues, so we forgot about it. Until Monday.

I was sitting here messing around on Twitter when I saw it: @SearsHTS tweeting with someone else: @meags7827 Glad you connected with @SearsCares re: rebate. Hope all is well and thank you for letting us earn your business! Cc @MySears

Whoa! A problem-solver right there online? I immediately tweeted my own repair issues: @SearsHTS Hi, need help here. Fridge runs and runs. Repair came. Seal is bad. Replaced. THAT one is bad.

I got this response: @NaturalasPosMom Pls DM me your contact info and we can help you.

I did, and almost instantly my phone started ringing. I spent about ten minutes on the phone with a very nice marketing person, who made sure Sears called me first thing Tuesday morning. A few minutes later I saw another tweet from @SearsHTS: @NaturalasPosMom we really do care about our customers. Just contacted Sears Cares. Help is coming!

Today, we’re expecting a repair person who, they promise, will fix our running-all-the-time issue. I’ll let you know how that goes, but I have a lot of hope! (And someone to complain to if they don’t get it right!)

We don’t have a resolution to the second problem yet, but I think it’s worth mentioning. Last night, my husband ordered pizza from Domino’s. Three medium pies with different toppings and sauces. They arrived. Two out of the three were wrong. Completely wrong. Poor Chris! He called the store. The guy behind the counter wanted to make up three new pies and send them over. By this time it was late. Chris asked if he could just get two free pies in his next order. It was too late and we needed to go to bed. No, the guy said. Pies then or never. After my great experience with Sears, I told Chris to tweet about it. He did and got almost an immediate response from @dominos: @cstealey so sorry to hear that. http://bit.ly/3vszZ will let you contact our customer care team. Please send us the details.

Wow! So cool! So satisfying! Almost as great as how, after tweeting @WholeFoods about the butcher guys at my local store not having a straight answer about air-chilled chicken, I was able to go into the store, ask my question, and get a great answer. @WholeFoods promised me, via tweet, they would communicate with the meat counter about air-chilled chicken. And they did.

The point of my stories: If you have a legitimate problem, companies are out there listening. The smart ones are making sure we get responses — even at 10:35 p.m. on a Tuesday night.

Have you used Twitter for customer service? How did it go? Would you ever try it? And hey, are you following me yet? You should be! I tweet about all things green and crunchy…