Going organic makes my head hurt

Since becoming a mom, I've become a lot more aware of what is being put on Ava's skin and fed to her little tummy. So, I've become one of those people who constantly reads labels...and what I'm reading ain't pretty. Have any of you read the ingredients of baby products that you can buy from the store? There's sodium laureth sulfate (the stuff that makes the product lather), propylene glycol (I think this helps moisturize), parabens (preservatives), phalates (plastic softeners) and all sorts of other unholy ingredients that I need to shun. Why must the Smocks go organic? Because someone who appeared on Oprah said so, that's why. If it's on Oprah, it must be true and we must follow.

Trying to go organic hasn't been easy. Firstly, there is some resistance from the hubby. "Why doesn't this baby shampoo lather? I want some lather!" And then I pretend to know what I'm talking about and explain how the cosmetic industry just puts that SLS crap in to make everyone think that the product is working because it is foaming.

Secondly, I would have to throw away everything that we have in the house and buy new things! There are cleaning supplies, shampoos/conditioners, skin care products, laundry detergents, toothpaste, etc. And the list goes on. I am constantly bombarded with news about unsafe chemicals in baby products or just products in general. What is this BPA business all about? You mean that some of those sippy cups they sell at Target might have BPA in them? What's safe and what's not? Wait, now we're supposed to avoid canned food because of this BPA deal? Oh it just gets more and more complicated.

Thirdly, there is the matter of the cost of going organic. Organic fruits, organic milk, organic baby food, organic sugar...this stuff adds up.

Fourthly, going organic just takes some extra effort. Sometimes I have to go to special stores to buy these special products. I want to get our carpets cleaned, but then I read online about all the horrible chemicals that these carpet cleaners use. I guess I have to rent a rug doctor and buy some "responsible" detergent (for the ecosystem and little sensitive Ava, of course). I guess we'll be too lazy to do all that so our carpets won't be cleaned for a while. I'm more concerned about our health, rather than the environment right now. Thinking about all the things I need to do for the environment makes my head spin. I'm not going to go buy a Prius. I can't give up my paper towels, or use a compost. I can only tackle one thing at a time.

I think at this point, I just can't go all the way. Surprise, surprise...something else I can't do or finish completely. After all, I was only vegan for a day (I heard some very compelling arguments about how going vegan is good for the environment and for your body). But give me some credit for trying...