For many people, being "eco-friendly" is just a buzzword you hear in passing. That all changes once you become a parent and start thinking about helping to preserve the Earth for your children and future generations. Learning about how diet and food preservatives can affect a person's health and wellness is also an eye-opener. Up until this past year, my husband and I "sort of" did our part to be green. We recycled what we could and bought a few organic products here and there. But as our second child developed a food allergy and digestive issues, we changed the way we looked at a variety of things in our household, such as floor cleaners, pesticides and the difference between organic and "all natural" food and that which is processed and full of preservatives.

For all the exposure celebrities get with the paparazzi stalking their every move, it's nice to see so many famous parents recognized for their efforts to live a green lifestyle, whether it's through dietary choices, purchasing organic clothing and eco-friendly toys or making sure their homes are as safe and non-toxic as possible for their kids. Some celebrity parents are a little more down-to-earth with their environmental initiatives, while others spend considerably more money to be a part of the cause.

Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer, are two of the greenest celebs I've read about, and the birth of their daughter, Ruby, a few years ago pushed their practices to the forefront. The two have been vegetarians for years, but when they painted their daughter's nursery and couldn't walk into it for days afterwards because of the fumes, they made a decision to streamline their household. They don't allow shoes on their floors because of the risk of dirt, grime and pesticides entering through the front door, and they offer a basket of clean shoes in their entryway for visitors to be comfortable in. They also realize that having a lot of loud, electronic plastic toys around may not necessarily be so good for their child's development, or the landfills for that matter.

Similarly, Ryan and Trista Sutter built a toxic-free nursery for their son, using tips from Green Nest -- most likely because Ryan's participation in "The EcoZone Project," a TV show where he helps give celebrity homes a green makeover -- was a bit eye-opening.

After years of feeling sluggish, Gwyneth Paltrow began following a strict macrobiotic diet and saw her health change for the better. She often talks about how she has offered natural and organic food choices to her children from day one without fuss or hassle. She has also been known to use pure and chemical-free bath products for her children.

It's obvious how important local and organic produce is to celebrity moms such as Jennifer Garner and Keri Russell, as they are often photographed at local farmers' markets perusing the selections with their kids. Julia Roberts drives a Prius, spends most of her downtime in the unassuming town of Taos, N.M., and she once said she dreamed of living a simpler life with her family and growing her own vegetables. She and husband Danny Moder built their home with recycled materials and try to incorporate eco-friendly practices such as composting into the every day routine so it will naturally become a way of life for her kids.

When Soleil Moon Frye began researching non-toxic products for her baby's skin, she realized there weren't a whole lot of options available, much less a "one-stop-shop" for parents to purchase organic clothing, skincare products and non-toxic toys and children's furniture. Along with two friends, she opened up "The Little Seed" in Los Angeles, a 2,200-square foot store decorated with No V.O.C paint (no volatile organic compounds) and complete with reusable shopping bags. The store also offers creative classes for the littlest shoppers and educational seminars to help other parents lead a cleaner, greener lifestyle. Thanks in part to the efforts of many of these celebrities, more and more parents are being alerted to the ways that going green can benefit entire communities one step at a time, including individual families. It's becoming a whole lot easier to find non-toxic toys, furniture and products, and the selection of organic foods is growing by leaps and bounds.

I have to admit that I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the efforts celebrities are putting forth to make our planet a better place for our children, but ever since we slowly started incorporating green principles, practices and products into our own home, I've developed a new respect for my favorite celebrity role models. I don't mind reading or watching interviews with my favorite stars, discussing their favorite clothing and cleaning products or organic food choices. In fact, forget reporting about who dined at the Ivy for lunch yesterday -- I want to know who's doing their part to make the world a better place!