Wired Magazine teamed up with green builder Living Homes to create the Wired Living Home, which is nestled into a private enclave in L.A. At $4 million and 4,000 square feet, I don’t know exactly how “green” it is (that seems a bit excessive) but it was constructed and furnished with sustainable and eco-friendly materials, so I guess it is greener than most standard homes.

The house itself is super cool looking. I love all the windows (I’d kill for that much natural light in my house), and the landscaping is also lovely (lots of sculptural plants like bromeliads). It’s all very streamlined and modern, but again, it seems like a bit much. I think the house would be more eco-friendly if there were simply less of it. On the plus side, it is 36% more energy efficient than standard homes; has an environmentally-friendly washer and dryer; countertops, windows and doors made of recycled materials, and a hybrid BMW in the garage. It also features solar panels, a radiant cooling and heating system, and tankless water heaters. Not a bad deal if you want to invest in a swanky but healthy LA pad.

Wired is also selling tickets to tour the home, and part of the proceeds go to Global Green USA and Enterprise, both of which support green construction. For more details on the design of the home, click here.

I love a bowl of quick oatmeal in the morning, but unfortunately, many of the instant packets out there contain sucralose or high fructose corn syrup, both of which I studiously avoid. I don’t mind the plain oatmeal from the canister, but sometimes the flavor can be a little bland. So, I whipped up this simple recipe for delicious oatmeal. The amounts can vary depending on how much you want and how thick you like it, so play around to see what works for you.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of organic quick-cooking oatmeal (I like Country Choice)
3/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup organic, grade B pure maple syrup
dash of cinnamon

Bring the water, syrup, and cinnamon to a quick simmer and pour in your oats. Stir until it’s warm, combined, and at your desired thickness. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

I like this recipe because the oatmeal is sweetened, but does not contain refined white sugar, brown sugar (which often isn’t any better), or anything that ends in “ose.” You can also try making it with agave nectar, which is a more potent sweetener that doesn’t hit your bloodstream quite as quickly.

There seems to be a constant debate over conventional produce vs. organic produce. Is organic really better, or is it a marketing ploy? How bad can conventional produce really be? In my opinion, it’s always worth it to go organic. Not only is it pesticide free, but to me, the produce also tastes better. I don’t mind spending a few extra cents on the organic stuff, because I truly believe it’s better for me, and I want to do my part to support organic farmers and their practices. I don’t limit my organic shopping to the produce aisle, either. I try to buy organic soy products (and avoid as much genetic modification as possible) as well as organic beauty and cleaning products. I’m on a mission to reduce my overall chemical load as much as possible. Even when I can’t go organic, I use products with natural ingredients when I can (e.g. I wash my laundry with ECOS, clean my bathroom with Method, and use Alba on my lips).

But back to the produce question. If you want to buy a mix of conventional and organic, how do you determine which foods have the most pesticide exposure? The Environmental Working Group ranked 43 fruits and veggies based on the percentage of exposure. Buying peaches? Go organic. Onions? Conventional should be okay. For easier shopping, you can download and print the guide, and then take it with you the next time you go shopping (with your own canvas shopping bags, right?)!

Not sure if an item is organic or not? A quick and easy tip: look at the sticker on the fruit or veggie you are buying. If the PLU starts with a 9, it’s organic. Four is the code for conventional.

Lately I’ve been noticing an abundance of adorable tchotchkes online, which I think would be great presents this holiday season. I’m already coveting the Kitty Kisslock Bag from Modcloth, which is unfortunately out of stock right now. I’m hoping they’ll get more before Christmas. Modcloth also has precious panda salt and pepper shakers, which would be perfect for my friend Mia.

Then there’s DietDetective’s Food Tees, which feature vegetables with funny sayings. You can purchase them in organic cotton, which is cool, although I look terrible in white shirts, so they may not be right for me. The celery one would be cute on my husband though…

And finally we have uglydolls, which feature an assortment of plush creatures and associated merchandise. My favorite is Ice Bat (I love bats), which comes both as a keychain and a fuzzy journal.

Okay, I know that Britney has been a mess ever since her divorce. I remember the collective sound of hope when she went on David Letterman with her cute bob and announced the split. And then she started hanging out with Paris Hilton, went to rehab, shaved her head, was called a habitual drug user, lost custody of her kids, and keeps hitting things with her car. Her extensions are a mess, she has no stylist or management, and even her mom quit talking to her for awhile.

But I’m still holding out hope for Britney. I think she’s probably a good person who got famous too young and doesn’t know how to handle it. Plus, her music makes me happy. Whenever I need motivation to work out, I can count her tunes to pump me up. So I’ve been waiting for a new album for ages. And now it’s here.

And you know what? It’s good. Her VMA performance was so lackluster that it totally overshadowed the catchy lead single “Gimme More.” But with the exception of the boring “Why Should I Be Sad” the whole album is upbeat and catchy. For me, the standout tracks are “Toy Soldier,” “Ooh Ooh Baby,” “Radar,” and “Hot as Ice.”

Also her hair looked pretty on Halloween (above), and she was wearing makeup, so maybe we’re on the way back to this Britney. Yay.