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Inside the Box

We’ve been sipping milk from cartons since elementary school. But somehow, we never made the carton connection with water. Until now. Grand Rapids-based Boxed Water Is Better plans to reduce its carbon footprint by selling water from Minnesota in boxes made almost totally of renewable resources. Boxed Water dedicates 20 percent of its profits to foundations that benefit water and trees. Look for the boxes at a metro Detroit retailer soon. .

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Squeaky Green

How to stay clean and help the environment? Suds up with Pangea Organics Bar Soap. When you remove the soap from the seed-studded package, soak the package in water, then plant it. We liked the Malagasy Cinnamon Cassia with Cloves, whose plantable package sprouts into a spruce tree. Other packages transform into flowering amaranth, sweet basil, and other flora. $8/bar at Macy’s and Whole ������ϲ�ͼ������s stores; .

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Hands-on

Marcia Hovland’s intimate boutique in Royal Oak carries hand-painted ceramic tiles, buttons, ornaments, and jewelry crafted by Hovland herself, as well as other local artists. Top item $28 and bottom item $24, at Marcia Hovland Studio & Gallery, 415 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-398-2951.

Green Style

Verdant stretches of grass are lovely, but a splash of color improves most landscapes. (Even Tiger Woods dons red on tournament Sundays for good luck.) For style-minded female duffers, Keri Golf offers floral- and geometric-patterned bags, head covers, totes, and duffels — for fashion — if not good fortune — on the links. $85 to $375 at area pro shops.

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Who’s the Bossa?

Few types of music suggest summer more than the lilting Brazilian import called bossa nova. And when the whispery vocals of Diana Krall are paired with lush orchestrations by Claus Ogerman, you’ve got a combination that’s as soft and intoxicating as a June breeze. Krall’s 12th album, Quiet Nights, includes tunes by bossa master Antonio Carlos Jobim, such as “The Boy from Ipanema,” “Este Seu Olhar,” and the title tune. But other classics are reshaped, like “Where or When” and “Too Marvelous for Words,” giving them a fresh rhythmic identity. At music outlets.

Textbook Cooks

deally, our culinary education begins at a young age in the family kitchen. Later, the right cookbook makes all the difference. Enter Max and Eli Sussman, two brothers from Huntington Woods, whose childhood household was dedicated to from-scratch cooking. After U-M and MSU, they published Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef (Huron River Press, $17.95) to share their love of home cooking. In addition to recipes for novices and experienced cooks, Freshman offers tips for stocking the pantry and grocery shopping. At area booksellers.

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