I have a dirty little secret: I am -- and forever will be -- tempted by the gigantic, perfect, shiny, blemish-free Granny Smith apples at the grocery store.

Yes, I know that they're pumped full of chemicals. Sure, it's a little freaky that they remain crisp and edible for upwards of three months. And, I'll admit that they taste a bit like plastic.

But when I compare them to their organic counterparts— expensive, measly, buggy, bruised and marred by real life— I go for the Stepford Granny Smiths. I can't help myself: I want the perfection, even if it's chockful of pesticides. (And isn't it ironic that pesticides create such a perfect shade of green.)

The fact that I'm still tempted by fake, shiny fruit -- fruit that I know is dangerous, fruit that is sure to get us kicked out of the Garden of Eden— is the reason behind this blog. This is just one of the thousand ways I fall short of eco-perfection.

Kermit nailed it when he said, "It ain't easy being green." I might aspire to be a rich, deep, authentic, pine green, but the fact is, I'm really more like the shiny, synthetic green on the "conventional" apples. I want to make the right choices when it comes to my body and planet, but I don't always manage it .... yet.

Meanwhile, there's much to be said about the struggle....