Its Not Easy Being Green

Kermit may have said it best, "It's not easy being green." Luckily we now live in a time where it has become much easier to be green.

I first must add a disclaimer, I am married to a CRAZY environmentalist. When I say crazy, I mean crazy. Takeout from your local restaurant? Never, "they use disposable containers." Getting 48.5 miles to the gallon in my Prius. Not good enough, "if you drive slower you can get 50," he says. You get the general idea. While he can definitely be described as a little (a lot) extreme, some of what he says has rubbed off. It's only fair that if we are going to keep bringing little ones into the world, we should be doing something to protect our environment and help keep it clean.

Here are a few of my favorite green things.

1) Anything Seventh Generation.
I love this company. It is so easy to get their products. They are not that expensive, and you can read on the back of the bottle about what a difference you are making by purchasing that single item. Instant karma I call it. The household products are great because they are vegetable based and not petroleum or chemical based. My little guy loves to lick the floor (don't ask), so this is a double bonus for me!
There is a caveat with the diapers, however. I have found that the newborn diapers are not that absorbent and I ended up using pampers. Also when the little one begins to crawl, the sides are not that tight. Once they are upright they are good to go again! Also this is NOT a good overnight diaper. Stick with the heavy duty absorbency for those nighttime blowouts. Really, who needs more laundry, and think of the waste of water.
2) Rechargeable Batteries.
Toys suck up batteries like nobody's business. It's only fair that you use rechargeable batteries. Luckily this will save you money in the long run, and you will never have your swing run out of batteries in the middle of that afternoon nap (I've been there and can recount the horror for you.) Also make sure to recycle those old standard batteries. Any Whole Foods will have a drop off bin.
3) Buy Organic Food.
Beyond the fact that this is better for the environment, do you really want to be the person who asks your baby, "honey, would you like some pesticide with that blueberry?" Nuff said.
4) Buy Wood Toys.
I know this isn't great for the trees, but do you know how much petroleum it takes to make that exersaucer??? Haba makes great toys and it will help to keep your house from looking like a day care center.

With these simple tips you too can be the greenest yummiest mummy on the block.

Does this shade of green match my nail polish???