Bugglescoop: No balls in this house

Going green has got me blue. My enthusiasm started to wane when I realized that my reusable Trader Joe's grocery bags are made out of plastic (hello?). Since then I've had to break out the Clorox to clean the shower, thrown in the trash four Ziploc freezer bags and inherited Bugglehubby's V-8-engined SUV. I know, it's bleak. But that thing holds a crap ton of gear.

Only because Leo is just so compelling (could you die in the kitchen in The Departed?), I thought I'd give this eco-friendliness thing another shot. Recently at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I bought these reusable fabric softener things for the dryer - spiky blue balls that previously were only available in certain areas of Amsterdam. Made in China of plastic (naturally) and labeled "AS SEEN ON TV," they came with a two-year guarantee and a ten-dollar price tag. This is what happened to one of them after three trips through the dryer:



On "delicate," mind you. I treated these balls gently.

Needless to say, I'm back to the dye-free, fragrance-free dryer sheets. As for Leo, I'm hoping it's not a dealbreaker.