Sigh. When is Gisele Bundchen going to learn that she really needs to think long and hard about her choice of words before opening her (big) mouth?

The supermodel has never been shy about voicing her strong opinions on parenting, which have gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion. From insisting she had a painless childbirth to proclaiming that breastfeeding needs to be a law, Tom Brady's other half seems to spit out whatever happens to be in the front of her brain at any given moment.

Now, she has people all fired up again -- but this time, it's not because of another desperate attempt to be mom of the year. The latest furor is over her claim that the 22,000-square-foot mega-mansion she and Brady are building is actually environmentally friendly (yes, I said 22,000 square feet). She may find herself hiding from attacks on her words in the labyrinth of rooms rather than actually getting to enjoy all that luxury. Bummer.

I’m not here to complain about big government gone out of control. But I am, in some cases, bothered by the fact that cities step up their ticketing quotas in the wake of budget shortfalls. Particularly in this recent instance from Washington, DC … well, yeah, it does seem like someone’s gone a little overboard in the ticketing department.

You are not going to believe the reason why the sanitation department gave a cat-owning resident of the District of Columbia a ticket ...

This is the first year that I’m packing a lunch every day (well, three times a week anyway) for my kid, and I’m a bit depressed about how much garbage we’re suddenly producing. I’m paranoid about germs and food safety, and as a result overuse plastic sandwich bags, snack bags, plastic wrap, and assorted other landfill-filling crap.
 
But enough is enough! The other day, I was perched next to my daughter, Penelope, on a miniature chair, sharing lunch, when I looked around the octagonal table and saw that almost every single kid had some kind of adorable eco-friendly food container in his or her lunchbox.
 
Now I have the lust for these -- they're washable, long-lasting, and in many cases actually better for the flavor of the food.

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Tuesday, and for the next eight ("craaaazy") nights, we'll celebrate the Festival of Lights by lighting one candle a night on our menorahs. Growing up, my family used a traditional, metal menorah and those waxy, crayon-colored candles in the token blue box. I remember being so curious about the flames as a kid that I actually burned the very tip of my finger one year. Whoops!

Thankfully, Hanukkah fire hazards are a little less likely these days, thanks to electronic versions of the old-school menorah. Beyond that, there are some seriously high-tech menorahs out there for those of you just itching to take your Festival into the future. Here, five of the coolest ...

Feeling more eco-conscious as the weather gets cooler and your heating bill gets higher? If you've ever wondered how you can possibly cut down waste while still looking trendy and pulled together, don't even worry for a minute! There's never been a better time to decorate with a nod to the environment. From fall-friendly vases to outdoor entertaining, here are five super chic ways to decorate your home for the season and please Mother Earth at the same time.

The East Coast may be in the middle of the floodpocalypse, but the South is still suffering through some of the worst drought conditions on record.

Even when there’s no shortage, saving water is just good policy. As a child, I used to watch my dad shave. Rather than running the water over his razor to rinse it, he would fill the sink with water and swish the razor through at top speed. He said that serving in the Navy taught him how precious water is. 

“Why don’tcha save some for the fish,” he’d mutter, if I was letting the tap run too long.

We could all stand to preserve a few drops this summer. Here are some tips for saving water at home. Some are strange, some are easy, and some will save you buckets of cash on your water bill, for reals.

Cleaning the house usually leaves me awash with guilt over the potentially toxic products I’m using -- which means I’m a sucker for anything that says it biodegrades, or is safe for the environment, or doesn’t murder baby seals. But I’ve also got to keep my eye on my family’s budget, which often leaves me standing in the cleaning-products aisle of Whole Foods glaring at the various products and wondering which, if any, are actually doing any good.
 
This is why I listened carefully to a recent radio show about the Federal Trade Commission’s revamping of their Green Guides -- which left things as clear as (organic) mud.
 
If you’re wondering how trustworthy the environmental claims of your cleaning products are, here’s what I found out after a little digging.

I was just reading about a local garden show that featured special products designed specifically for "medicinal gardeners." For people who don’t live in this very hippie-friendly part of Northern California, let me do the translation for you: "Medicinal gardens" are where people grow marijuana for medical reasons, which is indeed legal in certain parts of the country.
 
Well, that’s genius, I thought. People growing pot have to be some of the most dedicated, careful, and skillful gardeners out there. Even if I’m just growing herbs, not herb, couldn’t I take advantage of some of their expertise?
 
Turns out that many innovations have been brought to us by the proud tradition of cannabis farming.