By Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Founder, EcoStiletto
As den mom Lily van der Woodsen on “Gossip Girl,” Kelly Rutherford is the ultimate fashion plate in stiletto skirts and spike heels, but in person she’s way more down-to-earth, a regular yogaphilic mom to two-year-old son Hermés (like the Greek messenger, not the bag). With her husband, Daniel Giersch, Kelly recently built a home in Los Angeles that’s green from soup to nuts, but she took time out to talk with us about making your life sustainable—on your own terms—and how her personal role as a mother changed her perspective completely.

ES: How did motherhood change your outlook on the environment?

KR:Being a mother is what demands that we are Green! How can you not want to do your best to keep your children’s environment at home and on the earth as clean as possible? Motherhood has given me a voice.

ES: How do you find time to be more green while managing the demands of motherhood?  

KR: I am a late bloomer so I thank my son for focusing me on what is important. I drive a Prius. I buy cosmetics and cleaning products, shampoo and skincare at Whole Foods. I do not waste as much. That’s really the best way to describe how motherhood has changed my outlook on the environment. It has given me more awareness of the importance of my actions. To be awake and in the moment is the gift of motherhood—really the magic of it. We set an example that will last a lifetime for our children.

ES: What is your secret for staying centered and balanced while juggling work and motherhood?

KR:Priorities are the key to balance. We should be grateful to be blessed with healthy children. Take the time to be with them and hold their hands, nurse them and listen to them. Feed them the healthiest food and talk to them about things. They get more than we think if we don’t always put ourselves above them.

I like to think about how they go to some village and choose a child and say he is the next Dalai Lama. Of course no matter who they choose will be raised to believe he is here to do great things and will be given the time and attention that every child deserves. They can all be as profound as he is and as much of a leader if raised to believe this.


Learn more of Kelly Rutherford's tips to going green in the EcoCelebrity section at www.ecostiletto.com, where you can stiletto-size your carbon footprint from the size of an Ugg boot to a Manolo through weekly eco-fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting tips, plus discounts and freebies for newsletter subscribers!