Living Green

How I became a green mom

Aside from tossing bottles and cans in the recycling bin, I didn't do much for Mother Earth for a long time.

Then, my daughter was born.

That was in November, around the time "An Inconvenient Truth" came out on DVD. In between hauling bags of disposable diapers to the curb and stuffing toy packaging in the trash, I saw Al Gore's documentary on global warming. I also caught an HGTV show called "Living With Ed," about actor Ed Begley Jr., an environmentalist who bakes his birthday cake in a solar oven and rides a stationary bike to power his toaster.

My husband and I were inspired to do the easy stuff. We switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs, and I looked up what my town's recycling program accepts. Lo and behold, the steel cans of formula we plowed through by the case were on the list. So was junk mail. New parents get a lot of that.

Next, I wanted to do something about diapers.

That's when things got tricky. The option that leaves the lightest footprint isn't always obvious. Cloth diapers seem more environmentally sound, but washing them requires a lot of water, and Atlanta is not known for prolific rainfall. I couldn't find a definitive, unbiased study on cloth diapers vs. disposables, so I e-mailed Begley my dilemma. He replied — really! — that he used organic cotton cloth diapers with his daughter. He noted that you can stuff a lot of diapers in the washer, thereby curbing water usage.

I outfitted Celia in cute, colorful cloth diapers. They aren't organic cotton. For convenience, I chose a modern cloth diaper with snaps instead of pins called Fuzzi Bunz. Celia liked them so much and they were so easy, I became determined to not only adopt a green lifestyle but also to teach Celia the importance of treading lightly on the planet.

Other changes proved simpler: composting, switching to nontoxic cleaning products, driving less, shopping less, recycling more. (Though I've yet to find a center that accepts treated cardboard, like cereal boxes.)

Becoming a parent is a common gateway to green living, says Meaghan O'Neill, co-founder of treehugger.com, the online bible for conservation converts. Parents want to use products that are safe for their child, and they want the planet to be in decent shape for their kids and grandkids.

At the same time, treading lightly on the Earth is harder with a baby in tow. "When you're a new mom, you have less time," says O'Neill, mom to 11-month-old Nickolas. In a shocking confession, she admitted giving up trying to round up enough glass bottles to store breast milk and succumbing to the temptation of plastic.

Waiting for a special occasion

At our house, we still have a long way to go. And there are times when convenience trumps tree-hugging. For example, I'm trying to rid my kitchen and my diet of processed, over-packaged food. But until I figure out a way to cook with a baby on my hip, we'll be gobbling up the occasional frozen dinner or take-out Thai food, even though those Styrofoam containers make me cringe.

Cost also gets in the way. I wanted to start composting, but I had to wait for a special occasion to justify the $200 purchase of a nifty compost tumbler. I asked for one for my anniversary. (Romantic, huh?)

We need to make our home energy-efficient by replacing our windows and insulating our attic. Such projects will take a year or more to complete. We're saving for home improvement, but we're also freaking out about Celia's college fund.

Some trendy green moves don't seem worth it. When I needed a new bed, I investigated organic mattresses. I passed. The price difference was too much. In another convenience-first move, I let the delivery company haul away my old mattress and box spring. I assume they ended up in a landfill. A greener option would have been to donate, but I had guests coming, a mile-long to-do list and a baby going for the gold in the speed-crawling Olympics.

I needed new shower curtain liners and heard hemp ones are naturally mold-resistant. Customer reviews on popular Web sites claimed otherwise, so I bought washable nylon ones.

Taking baby steps

My research into sunscreen, mosquito repellent and hair products is ongoing. I want to find products that are planet-friendly and work well. I don't want to test-drive a dozen ineffective products in the process.

Oh, and line-drying. It works fantastic if you don't mind tiny, black bugs on your clothes. I strung a line indoors and use that occasionally.

Being a green mom isn't about being a June Cleaver version of Ed Begley Jr., perfect from my organic cotton wardrobe to my child's assortment of wooden, previously owned toys. I won't be putting a wind turbine on my house, though I'm willing to look into solar panels someday. I'm willing — eager, even — to put barrels under my rain gutters, a move that annoys Begley's wife but makes sense to me. I won't be peddling a bicycle to power the microwave I use to zap my daughter's baby food.

I'm just taking small steps in what looks like, from my vantage point, the right way to go. In other words, I'm just being a mom.

25 ways to be a Green Mama or Papa

• Paint the nursery with Earth-friendly paint, such as zero-VOC, low-VOC or milk-based.

• Save the gift bags from your shower and reuse them. They also can be cut up and turned into thank-you notes and borders for scrapbooking.

• Buy used baby products whenever possible. Consignment shops offer high quality and good prices. (Experts recommend buying some items, such as crib mattresses, new.)

• Don't overbuy. Babies don't need much stuff.

• Don't sign up for baby-product catalogs. If companies find you anyway — and you know they will — call and ask to be taken off the mailing list.

• Nurse if you can. If you can't, recycle formula containers.

• Baby products use a lot of batteries. Recycle — IKEA accepts alkaline batteries and fluorescent light bulbs — or use rechargeable ones.

• Develop Earth-friendly diaper habits. Some parents swear by flushable — and adorable! — gDiapers (www.gdiapers.com). Even with disposables, solid waste should be flushed. Offset water used in washing cloth diapers with even shorter showers.

• If you're using cloth diapers, use cloth wipes. Cut-up T-shirts work well. For a cleaning solution, try water, baby soap and a few drops of baby oil in a spray bottle.

• Line-dry diapers, cloth wipes and clothing when possible.

• Save outgrown sleepers for the next child, hand them down to a younger baby, or turn them into dust cloths.

• Use biodegradable cleaning products. You can clean just about anything with baking soda, vinegar, liquid dish soap, lemon juice and hot water.

• Organize a neighborhood swap meet to get rid of outgrown baby gear and pick up gently used items.

• Try making some or all of your baby food (www.wholesomebaby

food.com). Recycle glass baby food jars.

• Get in the habit of eating local produce by getting a Community Supported Agriculture membership. Shop at farmers markets. Plant a garden.

• Compost the produce you don't eat. Compost tumblers are easy, fun and don't stink.

• Find close-by places to play to avoid excess driving.

• Use public transportation whenever possible.

• Love the library, not just for children's books but also for parenting advice books, magazines, DVDs and more.

• Turn recycling, composting, gardening and water conservation into games to play with your child.

• When a new toy comes in the house, have your child select a toy to donate to charity.

• Keep birthday parties small and simple.

• Practice creative gift-giving. For a 2-year-old, try a small saucepan, a wooden spoon and a whisk. When the birthday boy gets bored, Mom's kitchen can absorb the gift.

• Have a post-holidays gift-swap party. Every child brings a toy or two and leaves with a toy or two.

• Eat dinner together at the table when possible. Use cloth napkins. You're doing laundry anyway, right?

Source: Metro Atlanta mothers, including members of the Intown Atlanta Parents of Multiples Club, Decatur Mamas, Atlanta Mommas and other parenting groups.