For the first 4 1/2 years of our marriage, Ryan and I did not want kids. We did not want kids so terribly badly. In the grocery store or at Target, while Ryan and I perused aisles of neatly contemporary place settings, a child’s shrill cry would reach our ears, and we’d simultaneously count our many blessings that we were not in the same situation. Even when our friends Mark and Heather had kids, we held fast. Yes, we loved their kids. But being responsible for somebody's life while trying to earn money? Wiping up applesauce and watching Mr. Rogers? Not for us.

Ryan and I have been talking a lot more about our impact on the environment, living green (so to speak), and eating organic. We already recycle everything under the sun. At any given moment our recycle bin is more full than our trash can. A few little things we are going to add to our routine are CFLs for our next apartment (we're moving in one month), and using a service that will reduce or eliminate our junk mail.