Over the last several months, I have been trying out any and all natural, organic and environmentally-friendly product sold in my local grocery store.  Until about 6 months ago, I would never touch the stuff, so I'm kind of playing catch-up.  Here's the first of a several part series on what I've tried so far, and my completely biased recommendations based on limited non-scientific research:

Laundry- I love Seventh Generation vegetable-based laundry products.  They are non-toxic, biodegradable, and don't have any bad stuff like chlorine, artificial fragrances or dyes. Sounds awesome, right?  Well what I love most about them is that for all their do-gooding, the products really work and they smell fantastic! 

    Like a lot of environmentally-friendly products, this stuff will run you a little more if you're used to buying the 99-cent mega-jug of detergent (dear husband, I'm talking to you here). But I've been able to find it on sale quite frequently and usually buy a couple when I can get a deal on it.

Paper Products-  I outlawed paper plates and napkins at our house long ago, (with the exception of a recent birthday party I hosted and trust me, I felt terrible) but paper towels and toilet paper really can't be avoided.  I have long been a fan of the super-absorbent paper towels, but bit the bullet and made the switch to the Seventh Generation paper towels.  100% recycled and chlorine-free.  Now I will say that if the super plush stuff went eco-friendly I'd probably switch back, but these have pleasantly surprised me with how well they get the job done.

    Okay, here's the TMI part of our program – toilet paper.  I'll bet if you ask most women, they will admit to having a favorite brand of tissue. Why?  Because we use it every time!  I am no exception; in fact, I think I'm more particular than the average gal.  But I knew my favorite, the Egyptian cotton of TP, was bad bad bad for the environment.  Triple-ply, chlorine-dyed, the works.  So, it was time to say good-bye.  Back to our friends at Seventh Generation (I swear they don't pay me to write this stuff!) and their recycled bathroom tissue.  It's been a hard breakup for me, but if I'm going to save the world, I have to make sacrifices.  This was the one that really shocked my husband – when I brought home the new stuff, he remarked that I must really be serious about making a go at this green thing if I'm willing to give up my TP. 

    If I can make the switch, you can do it too.  So, give Seventh Generation a try.  And if you like their products (and I'm pretty sure you will) you will love their website.  www.seventhgeneration.com. Not only will you find out more about their great products, but the website is full of helpful articles, education on toxins and a wealth of other information. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The green living blog reflects the writers' personal views and has NOT been paid for by Seventh Generation.

Megan Temple is the Director of Marketing for KSTW-TV.