What got you interested in green living?
While I’ve always had some green tendencies (thank you, Mom), what really got me interested in green living was having children. There’s something about wanting the best for them and the world they will grow up in that motivated me to start going green a little bit at a time.

What is one easy step that moms can take to lessen our impact on the Earth?

There are so many disposable products marketed towards moms that are contributing towards filling up our landfills. We need to move away from the throw away lifestyle and get back to reusable products, like cloth napkins (instead of paper), real brooms and mops (instead of Swiffers), and cloths/rags for cleaning and wiping up spills (instead of paper towels).

How do you help your kids understand the importance of protecting the environment?
My kids are only 1 and 3 years old, so there’s not a lot of teaching about the environment going on just yet (though I have been known to have my preachy moments). However, I believe they learn a lot by observing. My daughter is already great about picking up trash with me when we go out for walks and enjoys going to the recycling center with daddy to drop off the items that aren’t collected in our curbside service. We also have little chats about why we do the things we do to help make the world a better place. I hope that by witnessing this behavior now, they will grow up to be conscientious about protecting the environment.

If you could recommend one green product alternative to other moms, what would it be?
First I’d have to recommend cloth diapers instead of disposables. They really don’t require much additional effort and are so much better for the environment. However, if a mom (or dad) is really opposed to cloth, then I’d recommend gDiapers. We recently tried them at night with super-soaker Julian and they work really well. What makes them stand apart from other diapers is that they consist of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic-free insert. You can flush or compost the inserts, which means no more filling up the landfills. Yay!

What are your green goals for the next year? Next decade?
My green goals for the next year include making my own yogurt, growing my own garden for the first time, learning how to can, eating locally more this summer, and always trying to find ways to reduce our waste.

As for the next decade, my husband and I dream of having a greener house built and I’d also like to raise chickens.

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Amy, aka the Crunchy Domestic Goddess, lives in Colorado with her husband Jody and two children, Ava (3) and Julian (1).