Rarely a day goes by that I don’t recieve some version of the following email or comment on my blog:

“I really love all of the information you provide about going green…but I just feel so GUILTY because I just can’t seem to do it all.”

To which I always wholeheartedly reply:

“OMG!  You think I actually do ALL of these things???”

I can assure you dear readers, I do not even come close to eco-perfect, nor do I want to.  I choose the things that work best for me and my family and I pass on the things that would make us crazy.  I write about a lot of different things because I find them interesting, and also because I know that even though it may not work for me, it may be great for someone else.

To keep things real, I write the occasional post laying out my eco-confessions or even telling everyone point blank, how I trashed the planet on Earth Day.  For this month’s Green Moms Carnival, I thought it would be fun to hear the eco-confessions of the other greenies in the group.  And boy did we get some good ones.  Here goes:

Foodies: I suppose it’s not surprising that a LOT of the eco-confessions of green moms have to do with food. Organic Needle confesses her love of fine wine and cheese.

Perhaps being a vegan, tee-totaling, locovore would, in fact, be much greener…but so would being dead. (Organic Needle)

And Katy from Non-Toxic Kids reveals her love of coffee, bananas, and sodas.  Oh, and speaking of soda…it seems this eco-nightmare-of-a-beverage has more than one green mom in it’s grasp, including myself, Sommer from Green and Clean Mom,  and Tiffany from Mommy Goes Green.  Another killer for a number of us is fast food, as commented by many, and confessed by Ruchira of Arduous Blog.  Even Beth from Fake Plastic Fish admitted to fast food cravings, although she does a much better job of resisting than the rest of us!

And here’s where the rest of us tend to get tripped up:

• Plastic and Plastic Bags: Lisa from Retro Housewife and Micaela from Mindful Momma
• Vacations: Lynn from Organic Mania
• Fleece and Painted Toes:

  Lisa from Condo Blues

• Newspapers and Magazines

  : Deanna from Crunchy Chicken and Diane from Big Green Purse

• Laundry: Deborah from Pure Mothers
• Moving : Karen from Mother Earth (although, as I said to Karen, just as calories don’t count when you’re on vacation, green doesn’t count when you’re moving!)
• Sick kids: Michelle from Green Phone Booth (this one doesn’t really count either.  Green hits the fan at my house when the kids are sick!!)
• Gas guzzling: Leslie from Recycle Your Day

So what’s your eco-confession?  Go on, spill it…you’re in good company!  Oh, and if you liked what all of these cool green moms had to say, why not join us for next month’s Green Mom’s Carnival as we all chat about “Food Matters?”  Hmm, after today’s confessions, that should be pretty interesting!

Photo by bigdodaddy

Every month, as part of the Green Moms Carnival, green “mommy” bloggers from around the world unite to cover an eco-topic from various perspectives.  This month the topic is gratitude, specifically, the three green things for which we’re most grateful.  So without further ado, here’s my list:

1. Good Green Friends: I know for many folks, going green can feel like an isolating experience. Always getting odd looks for bringing a reusable tote bag to the store or bringing in homemade goodies on snack day instead of the individually-wrapped high-fructose corn syrup variety.  So I consider myself truly fortunate to have such a rich network green friends, both on the web and in my neighborhood. And while I still meet folks who raise their eyebrows as I hang my clothes on the line to dry, it’s comforting to know that at there’s always someone who will listen to my rants on wasteful packaging or offer advice for a greener way to purchase toilet paper.

2. Greenwashing: What, grateful for greenwashing…have I lost my mind?  Well, maybe, but that’s a whole different post.  Truly, I’m grateful for greenwashing because it just goes to show how far green has come.  Twenty years ago, companies wouldn’t have bothered to label their products as “green,” or “eco-friendly.”  The fact that they do today tells me that we’re on the right track, even if some companies don’t quite get it yet.  And in today’s digital age, where green bloggers are spread far and wide on the web and consumers can literally send a text on their cell phones and seconds later find out if the product on the shelf in front of them is as green as it claims to be, I’m not worried about greenwashing having any lasting effect.  Most companies that try these technique soon realize that if they don’t have the green goods to back up their claims, they’ll be busted before they petroleum-based ink on their styrofoam packaging has a chance to dry.

3. Organic, Fair-Trade Chocolate: Honestly,  I don’t know what it is that I have been eating my whole life…but it was not chocolate.  It looked like chocolate and sometimes smelled like chocolate, but before I found organic chocolate I had never really tasted chocolate.  Real chocolate.  The kind of chocolate that could stop traffic.  The kind of chocolate that makes your toes curl and your eyes water with sheer joy.  Think I’m exaggerating?  Then you haven’t tried it.  I’m so grateful that the green movement has brough organic, fair-trade (ie guilt-free) chocolate in to my life.  It has certainly made my life even sweeter!

Be sure to check out this month’s Green Mom’s Carnival on Gratitude to find out what other green mommy bloggers are thankful for.