Charlotte Hudson
When I think about being a "green" mom, I first think that "green" applies to me because I am a new mom. Everything with my 9 month old is a new experience and I feel quite green behind the ears.

But I am striving to do everything possible to raise him to be as healthy and happy as I can, which often coincides with trying to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Every day, I try to make good choices on his behalf -- about what he eats, what he plays with, how much time he spends outside (in the shade!) -- but these choices are not without their dose of reality.

The truth is that I work full-time in Washington, DC. Balancing home and work is challenging -- to say the least -- and that doesn't even count trying to manage caregivers, grandparents, the grocery and the laundry. We are all busy. We all wish we had more time for both ourselves and our families, so when someone challenges us to make our lives and the lives of our children a little greener, my first thought is… of course, but who has the time?

Luckily, I feel like making greener choices is often just as easy and inexpensive as we would make anyway. I feel like this is especially the case with the foods we choose to give our children. When I tell my friends that I have been making my son's organic baby food, their facial expressions reveal both awe and concern. Am I crazy? Who has that much time to spend in the kitchen?

The little secret is that it is really EASY and in many cases, less expensive. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to feed my son organic food -- at least as long as I could -- until he learns the word for "Happy Meal."