Category Archive

compromise

Meat eaters and vegetarians CAN happily live together

When my meat eating husband asked me to move in with him his biggest anxiety wasn’t about splitting bills, or any of the other typical issues that new couples worry about. His major worry was about my vegetarianism, and how he could go about eating what he wanted to without upsetting me.

I’ve never made a big deal out of him eating meat. However, when he brings meat into our home, there are a few things I ask him to do to make me more comfortable with it…

How to balance feminism with pragmatism in household chores

Both my partner and I consider ourselves progressive, feminist individuals. In most things, we are great about ensuring the we are contributing equally. The problem arises when it comes to the domestic sphere…

I don’t want to be responsible for the majority of the domestic chores. At the same time, I don’t think it is very feminist to force someone to do something they hate. Is there some way you have found balance in your relationships?

How a Roomba saved my marriage

Twenty minutes later I hear him running the vacuum for the 4th time in 4 days and I wonder just how much strain this is putting on our marriage. I “spontaneously” tidy up the bathroom and hope for the best. Enter the Roomba…

Christmas: Emotional baggage topped with a bow

My fiance and I are from different cultural/religious background. He’s Jewish, and the closest thing I have to a set religious upbringing is Catholicism. What we both have in common is a tendency towards atheism and skepticism. We had a number of discussions about various holidays, but there was one issue that we never could get resolved: Christmas.

One year later: Lessons from “Occupy” on communal living

It’s hard to believe that this time last year, I was “living” outside in a park downtown at Occupy Toronto, with several hundred other people. The communal living experience was pretty intense. It’s hard to look back at such a complicated experience, but as we hit the one-year anniversary of Occupy, I think there are some general lessons that can be learned, not only for political occupations but for more mundane but ultimately more lasting kinds of communal life.

Here’s some of what I learned about communal living at Occupy Toronto…

Can’t we all just get along: how vegans and omnivores can live together

I am vegan, and my girlfriend is not. We are looking to move in together, and I had always had this (now unrealistic) idea that my home would be a vegan one.

How have other veggies and meat=eaters gotten along, and what are some tips for making everyone happy food wise?

We just moved in together! How can we create a space that feels comfortable to both of us?

My fiance and I just bought our first home. Until now, we have lived with his mom in his childhood bedroom; i.e. we have never had to decorate a space together. Now that we are moving in together, it is becoming very apparent that our tastes do not match. What do I compromise on and put my foot down on? How do I figure the difference?

How a packrat and a minimalist compromised in organizing

What happens when a minimalist mom living in a small trendy downtown apartment meets a country boy packrat? Well, if it was a sitcom, hilarity would ensue. Reality? A little stressful.