Green Guilt. How One Mom Goes Green
By Carly Fauth, Chief Mom at thredUP kids
I’d like to think that I’m a good person. I’m a supportive and reliable wife, employee, sister and friend. I try to be a positive role model for my son in every aspect of my life. I even recycle! I always turn the water off while a brush my teeth and I have a reusable water bottle. However, my environmentally friendly steps seem fruitless. Everywhere I turn I feel a sense of eco-inadequacy. I call this The Green Guilt.
Look, I just refuse to use cloth diapers. I cherish my showers too much to shorten them to five minutes. Finally, I’ve tried organic food shopping, but it’s SO expensive!
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never be the greenest mom, but this year I’ve resolved to take baby steps towards a greener lifestyle. Here are some easy-as-pie eco-moves I’m planning to make in 2010.
1) Wash my laundry in cold water instead of hot.
2) Collect rainwater outside to water my plants.
3) Completely stop using disposable bags. I already started using Shaw’s reusable tote.
4) Ride my bike more frequently to work and to do errands.
5) Swap before I shop. Aside from working at thredUP kids, I also plan to use the service and swap kids clothes that no longer fit my son, for one’s that will.
6) Pay all my bills online.
7) Plant a garden (this is my favorite one because I get to put it off until Spring…)
Fix leaking faucets.
9) Turn my computer completely off at night and unplug all electronics.
10) Chat with my son about the importance of going green.
Being green is not black and white. These are some simple, non-life changing steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The list is not overwhelming and completely do-able which I find motivating. I invite you to join me on my quest to becoming a green mom!
thredUP kids is a place for frugal, busy and green moms to conveniently swap boxes of kids clothes online. Unlike many onerous swap site out there, thredUP does 95% of the work. It’s like Netflix for kids clothes! The site will launch invite-only very soon, and those on “the list” will have a chance to swap their first box of kids clothes for free. Sign-up here to be a part of the exclusive launch: http://bit.ly/bH35mI
Love the idea of taking baby steps. I suffer from Green Guilt too but know there are changes I just won’t make, so I will do what I can! One of my resolutions is to actually remember those reusable grocery bags before I’m in the checkout line! That and turning off the water when I’m wiping down counters in the kitchen.
I definitly think baby steps are the key. It will make a difference in the run. Green Guilt be banished!
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I like the idea of adding little things bit by bit. By doing so, I was able to reduce the amount of electricity my home uses by 32% over the course of a year. I’m all for little things adding up!
I’m not into Green Guilt or doing things because another person makes me feel guilty. Don’t get me wrong, I do a lot of green practices but I’m not the type of person who shouts it from the rooftops or gets into someone’s face because they don’t do something the same green way I do. My resolution is to keep greening my life but without letting the nitpickers make me feel guilty if I’m not doing something exactly like they do. I think that there are options that can for everyone!
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