Category Archive

The Great Offbeat Outdoors

The “outdoors” might be a 24’x36′ garden or a clutch of terracotta pots in a window box, but these posts cover all things gardening, landscaping and even farming. This category also includes stuff about the outside of your house — doors & roofs! — as well as vehicles like cars & RVs.

3 links celebrating garden-dwelling hedgehogs

Honestly, this post is just a reason for me to fantasize about what it would be like to have little hedgehogs living in my garden, all cute and waddly. So I found videos, GIFs, and helpful tips to teach me all about my completely-imaginary hedgehog.

Let’s scheme about low-impact balcony decor for spring

For those of us apartment/condo dwellers in the Northern Hemiphere, it is NOT hanging out on the balcony season — but it IS balcony decor scheming season. Our balcony spent most of last summer in a state of crapped-out dormancy, but I vowed that next year will be different… so the scheming has already begun.

You can’t continue the fight if you get frostbite: how to live at a protest and learn from the Occupy movement

We live in interesting times — times when thousands of people around the world are claiming their rights to free speech extend to the right to occupy a public place as a statement of protest. Given that the Northern Hemisphere is descending into winter, how do they do it?

Would you like a tiny German camping headquarters that can also hit the water?

I’ve never really gotten the fascination with amphibious cars. Even James Bond doesn’t need a boat he can drive onto land! But today, I get it. I had to change my mind after meeting this tiny amphibious camper — it’s like something from a dream!

Ultra-natural, high-design treehouses from around the world

We haven’t taken a day to hang out in the forest for a while, and since it’s just good medicine, let’s do that. I’d like to introduce you to Romero Studios, a treehouse-building husband and wife team which has traveled around the world, spreading treehouses, gardens, and sculptures using 98% reclaimed materials.

Don’t store camping gear over the winter — repurpose it all year long!

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer is winding down. You may be getting ready for the depressing ritual of packing up the patio furniture, summer clothes, and camping gear for the winter. If only there was a way to elongate the season of outdoor fun! Or at least have less stuff to put away.

Before you pack up your camping gear, take a look at this list of gear you can use all year round. Maybe some of it can be used in ways you hadn’t thought of — and can bring little reminders of summer every time you use them.

Dorky middle class girl learns to cruise a longboard, gains zero street cred

I needed a longboard. Like, for years, I felt a very compelling need for a cruiser. They called to me, until I finally took the plunge and bought Cloris. Even though I’d never ridden a board in my life…

How to take a nature walk all by your grown-up self

Offbeat Mama’s running a really nice post on how to take a nature walk with your kids, but you don’t have to have a kid to make use of this post. It made me want to take a break this afternoon and cruise the ‘hood.