Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More Apr 19th Accio magical Hogwarts-themed party (to benefit a couple adopting a child!) When I'm imagining fabulous parties I'd want to attend, an evening at Hogwarts is top of the list. I'm imagining themed tables, a sorting hat, delish British comfort food, and Harry Potter trivia. Wait, this party happened?! Yep, and it was all to benefit a couple trying to adopt a baby from China. Let's be inspired to create our own Harry Potter party from this magical event… (No house elves were harmed in the making!) Read More Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 19th Accio magical Hogwarts-themed party (to benefit a couple adopting a child!) When I'm imagining fabulous parties I'd want to attend, an evening at Hogwarts is top of the list. I'm imagining themed tables, a sorting hat, delish British comfort food, and Harry Potter trivia. Wait, this party happened?! Yep, and it was all to benefit a couple trying to adopt a baby from China. Let's be inspired to create our own Harry Potter party from this magical event… (No house elves were harmed in the making!) Read More Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 16th This new Ikea wellness collection aims to inspire major relaxation This new Ikea wellness limited edition collection, HJÄRTELIG, claims to combine chic style with self care and relaxation-inspired design. The collection includes scented candles, throws and cushions, bedside tables and headboards, a yoga kit, and my favorite, a sheer bed canopy, all made from more sustainable cotton, rattan, linen, cork, and even solid pine (a departure from some of their particle board materials). Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 6th This historical Dutch spooky house for sale is straight out of our haunted dreams There is a six bedroom home in the Netherlands that reader Noor called out to me recently that BLEW MY MIND. It's the spooky house of my dreams. Located in Huissenn Netherlands is priced at €350,000 ($431,207 or £305,699) and is chock full of historical details and is dubbed "Het Spookhuis" (The haunted house!). They even mention ghost stories in the listing. Just wait until you see the old timey bar, creepy attic, halls full of caskets(!), and mini theater covered in newsprint wallpaper. It's spectacular… Read More Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 4th Your just-in-case emergency supplies list (without getting too post-apocalyptic about it) The world is pretty rough for some of us with natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes, and the incoming zombie apocalypse. Strike that last one. It's worrisome in certain areas (and we know that even U.S. citizens don't always get the help they need in their own country), and it never hurts to be prepared. But you don't have to get all paranoid survivalist about it. Just a few extra supplies on hand can give you a little peace of mind. I scoured the CDC website to see what they recommend for emergency supplies to have on hand. Here are the most important… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More More Home > Recent Life Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 18th You have to see this radically honest YouTube docu-series about race, gender, sexualities, and more I was introduced to StyleLikeU as a media platform producing "radically honest docu-style videos that give voice to role models of all body-types, ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, who stand proudly outside of norms and are comfortable in their skin, disentangling style from fashion in the process." Um, yes please. This required further investigation since it sounded fairly groundbreaking. I was absolutely not disappointed. Read More Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 2nd You can totally own a retro '90s Caboodles makeup case again If you were collecting makeup (or crafting supplies, art supplies, various junk!), you probably had a Caboodles makeup case sitting in your room in some shade of retro pastel fabulousness. Vintage versions have been available at places like eBay, Etsy, and vintage shops for ages, but now they're available in new versions! Commence squeeing! Read More Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Mar 29th On meeting your heroes: the Elfquest creators who helped create me This year is #FortyYearsofPointedEars for my favorite graphic novel series, Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest. They are heading to Chicago's C2E2 which means I'm finally going to get to meet my heroes. Here's how Elfquest has impacted me (in life, career, and elsewhere) and how I plan to make the best use of my brief moments with them. Have you met your heroes? Read More More Life > Recent Food 1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k 10 Comments Apr 13th Your microbiome and you! How to feed it a healthy diet Three years ago, I decided I needed to re-haul my diet. I was slowly gaining weight, no matter how much I exercised. I had a host of health issues, including eczema, vitamin deficiencies, and food sensitivities. I had lots of chronic pain, and caught every single cold and flu that came home from school with my kids. It got to a point where I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was my body fighting against me? That's when I got interested in feeding my microbiome. WAIT! HOLD ON A MINUTE… WHAT IS A MICROBIOME? Read More Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 9th 19 super easy meal ideas from readers' go-to recipe files Back in the summer, we featured a call-out to readers for their favorite super-easy lunches and dinners and you delivered. You gave us a ton of awesome lunch and dinner ideas! Let's face it, we're also tired after work, amirite? I've divided them into categories: grains and stuff, easy pastas, salads and greens, and sandwiches and toasts. There are a lot of super easy meal ideas to be had here… Read More Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Mar 14th Let's get spicy: reader-favorite cooking spices & flavor staples Way back in the day we called upon our Offbeat Homies to pony up their favorite garlic and onion alternatives for those of us who can't eat them. Sad, I know, but there ARE a ton of delish cooking spices that slay when it comes to amping up flavor in recipes. I decided to cull a bunch of those helpful reader comments into a roundup of reader favorite spices that will take your cooking game up a few notches. Read More Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Feb 26th Disney: Magical gluten-free vegetarian land? Yep, here's how! My husband, Tom, and I recently vacationed in Orlando, Florida and went to Disney World! Pause for magical reaction. I am a gluten-free vegetarian (Tom is also a vegetarian, but can eat the wheat), so you KNOW it's tough to eat and travel. There was a lot of internet advice that mentioned dining as a gluten-free vegetarian in Disney is so easy, and Disney is so accommodating. I was dubious, but guess what — The internet can be right sometimes! Here are just some of the vegetarian and gluten-free Disney yummies I got to enjoy on the trip… Read More 1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k 18 Comments Feb 21st A Blue Apron review from someone who already cooks a ton Yep, you may have already seen a previous Blue Apron review on this site before, by our illustrious developer, Kellbot. Her review wasn't glowing (irritating, things took forever to make, etc.), but my pals sent me over some of those freebie vouchers and I was like, ehhhh why not, it's free food. I'll give it a go, knowing that it may be a bust. I already spend a good chunk of time cooking from scratch, so taking some of the meal planning away seems like it might actually save me some time. Here's how it went… Read More More Food > Recent People Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 20th How do I teach privilege to my able-bodied, white male children? My partner and I recently welcomed our miracle twin newborns to the world and we’re thrilled! But also terrified. Somehow we managed to bring two more blond-haired, blue-eyed, males into our rural Midwest society (we are both of primarily European ancestry, but we never expected this!). We had always planned to teach our children to value diversity and to challenge the system of privilege, but now we’re looking at raising children who are the textbook image of privilege. Help! How can we do parenting right? Read More 29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
29 Comments Apr 17th I've been married for three years and I still can't pick a married last name It happens all the time. Someone will look at me, ask for my name, and I'll panic. What is my name here? My doctor and my library know me as Ms. My-Last-Name. Our dog groomer and favorite restaurant know me as Mrs. His-Last-Name. My bank knows me as both. And at some point, my gym changed my name to match my husband's, but I forget and give them the wrong name every time. Who am I this time? Read More 1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k Apr 10th My mother abandoned me and my life was forever changed I was just a regular teenage girl one moment and then a wreck the next. All I had to worry about in life was what outfit I would have to wear to school the next day and what grades I got in my classes. But that all changed in just one day. My mom had been going through a rough patch and her depression had gotten the worst of her. One day she just vanished into thin air… Read More Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 5th 16 breakup TV shows to binge watch your way back to life Remember my big roundup of best breakup movies to soothe your poor broken heart? It's time to dive down the boob tube rabbit hole to find the most bingeable breakup TV shows. Grab your favorite snack (40 lb. bag of cereal marshmallows, perhaps?) and get to watching… Read More 1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.7k Apr 3rd My husband doesn't want kids: how do I cope with his choice? My husband recently told me he definitively doesn’t want children. I knew he’d been leaning that way over the past few years so we’ve been waiting. Silly me, I’d always thought he’d eventually change his mind. If I’m honest my heart is quite broken. I’ve always looked forward to being a parent. How do I move from wanting a child to child-free? Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.3k 23 Comments Apr 11th My area is going plastic bag free. How do I dispose of this cat poop? In Australia, our big supermarkets are about to switch to being plastic bag free. I'm all for this, but I regularly use the bags to dispose of icky kitty litter and was hoping I could get some suggestions as to more environmentally friendly (and hopefully cheap) options? Read More 1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k Jan 10th I tried a a pet camera to spy on my kitties and it was comedy gold I was able to get my hands on a fancy-pants pet camera (Thanks, Ariel!) that had wifi, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection, a phone app, notifications, and even a treat dispenser! But this wasn't just a webcam — this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance swat team of a camera that also allows me to taunt coo at my kitties while rewarding them for chilling out in front of the camera. Here's how my pet camera trial went down… Read More Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Dec 26th This epic doggy dream house has everything a pooch needs Insta-famous pooch Eggnog the Bulldog lives the high life with his amazing doggy dream house. It's fully equipped with a hydration station, a ramp up to her humans' bed, a hidey hole with sleeping cushions, color changing, Alexa-driven lights, a storage area for all her toys, and has her name right on it. It is truly a ramp house of which puppy dreams are made. Read More Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Dec 7th Following the "lead": how you AND your dog can be more active together Our lives are often sedentary, and those of us with dogs know that they can get on that bandwagon, too. In spite of their innate need to move and play, our dogs often find themselves sitting on the same sofa we ourselves sit on. It's easy for all of us to become couch potatoes together. Here are some easy ways to make exercising with dogs more enjoyable for everyone… Read More Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Nov 20th Make your house a jungle for your own wild animal (your cat!) Y'all are probably shopping in some capacity this week, so I figured I'd make holiday shopping for your CAT even easier. The wild tiger in your living room needs his own realistic cat tree to survey his kingdom (everything the light touches, obviously). Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself 1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.0k Mar 19th 8 DIY dollar store design hacks on the cheap This honeycomb painted wall was DIYed with paint stirrers and diluted paint to create that gradient effect. It's just one of the zillion ways you can grab something from your local dollar store to craft up a cheap and cheerful design or organization project. Here are eight of my favorite ways to turn a cheapo dollar store item into something way more useful and stylish… Read More Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Mar 13th You can DIY coloring pages from your own photos We featured this in-depth tutorial on how to create DIY coloring book pages from your photos for weddings, but they'd kick ass at kids' parties, family gatherings, or just for your own zen coloring needs. Imagine a coloring book or coloring calendar as a holiday gift this year! Yep, you can totally do this yourself if you have access to a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or Pixlr. My tutorial focuses on Photoshop, but I've linked other program tutorials in the post as well. Read More 1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k Mar 7th This DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table is game room #goals If you play Settlers of Catan, you've probably felt the sting of a too-small table or maybe just weird positioning for the players. This homemade table maximizes the play area with card areas, cup holders, and organization areas for all of the resources and bits and bobs. It's EPIC and deserves to live in all of our game rooms. If I had one. Which I will someday! Anyway, let's hoard our wheat (just kidding) and head on over to see the full DIY Settlers of Catan gaming table.. Read More Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Feb 15th Learn how to make this super easy DIY canvas light art Have you seen those decor canvases that have LED light patterns in them? We've seen them in stores, of course, but also in DIY tutorials for constellation patterns and nature scenes. This tutorial to make your own version requires only a few tools to create rad, personalized wall decor with the same LED-lit concept. All you need is some blank canvas, acrylic paint, LED lights, and some inspiration. Read More Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Oct 31st Last minute no-carve pumpkin ideas for Halloween (geeky, chic, or cute as hell!) It's almost Halloween, you've got kids coming over (or adults for pumpkin-flavored cocktails!), and you're so not in the mood to start carving and de-gooping pumpkins. I'll be honest, I'm almost never in the mood, outside of when I can roast those seeds. Yum. But if you're not down with pulling out pumpkin guts and want something a little shmancier than simply painting them one color, here are some rock 'n' roll, glam AF, and easy as (pumpkin) pie no-carve pumpkin ideas… Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Apr 12th Always looking SHARP: cactus accessories for your home and your bod Some things are just HOT right now: alpacas, festival gear, desert stuff… but one thing that makes me happy is the endurance of the cactus and succulent trend. Please stay forever, my prickly and green lovelies. Aloe you very much. You're always looking sharp. I'm ready to stop being a cact-I and start being a cact-US. Many apologies for all those puns. Let's take a look at some of the most adorable cactus accessories for wearing and decoration no matter what season it is… Read More Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Mar 15th Up your cubicle or home office game with these office organization items Whether you're a cubicle warrior or it's work-from-home life, your office needs to be a place you can make work for you. From organization tools to cpmfy and chic chairs to an awesome mug, investing in your workspace is never a bad idea. It's time to channel Pam and Jim for that Office goodness (keep an eye out for the sign reference later!). Here's a big ol' list of office organization items to up your office game… Read More Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Mar 8th Channel '80s classrooms with these snazzy letterboards Ultra-trendy letterboards are totally inspired by the front desk at your elementary school in the '80s and '90s. Yet somehow they've transcended the decades, gotten a makeover, and are now au courant in all the design Instagrams you follow. You can easily and stylishly display your subversive philosophies and Simpsons quotes to match your mood. Let's go shopping for some funky letterboards to add panache to your home, your kids' first day of school, your business signs, your photos booths, your blog photos, and your Instagram photos… Read More 11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
11 Comments Feb 28th The best beds & mattresses you can buy online (since that's how we're all doing it these days!) Did you know all the kids these days are buying their mattresses online and they come vacuum-sealed and all rolled up tight for you to unroll? If you haven't bought a mattress in a fair few years (which, let's face it, is most of us), this concept might actually be new. Because it relatively is. Most of us used to pile into the car for those President's Day sales and purchase our mattress from Stan the Mattress Man. But no longer is that our only option. There are a few brands that are getting some major traction, which I've included here. But keep an eye out for some of the more affordable brands from places like Amazon. You might just fine your mattress soul mate at a deal. Look for beds that have cooling properties, are quiet and motionless for your partners (or neighbors for quieter sexytimes!), and fancy new technologies. Here are some of the best beds and mattresses you can buy online… Read More Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping > Crazy cat ladies A hot pink tipi and a suave cat in our reader photos The most epic post ever written about how to feed a cat Reader Photos! You will like this zebra-striped house and a link featuring DINOSAUR LUNCHES How we made our DIY wall-mounted cat tree How on earth do you move with an outdoor cat? Craigslist chair makeover (kitty-approved!) Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season The best way to integrate a new dog into our cat-only household Read More > Body Image How one woman tackled her body dysmorphia with pole dancing Read More Let's be careful fat shaming public figures (yes, even Trump) Read More How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body Read More How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Read More Read More » > Offbeat Families 20 minute dance party: how our family exercises together My thanksgiving birth story I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris Scars, costs, and regrets?: My tubal ligation FAQs This is what kids playing Quidditch in Central Park look like Preschoolers and the art of persuasion When will breastfeeding stop interfering with my sex life? Kids and cultural appropriation v. cultural appreciation: Where's the line? Read More > Smart & Sexy Penis in vagina: this way of making babies is kind of crazy Being The Backup: The one who gets the text when no one else is available I'm a bisexual mama raising my child in queer-friendly home What are your experiences with the new generation IUDs? It truly does take a village: polyamorous parenting and creating space for children Discovering I'm asexual… then telling my partner Is there one small golden travel vibrator to rule them all? The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
Feb 23rd Cover your kitchen in gardens of flora with this nature-themed dishware I spied an Amazon-exclusive dishware line by Seattle-based Carolina Silva, called Dorotea, and fell into a fantasy of rose tea and scone-filled mornings in my sunlit kitchen. But it can actually be that adorable in your house! All of the floral and nature-themed dishware patterns are hand-drawn, and the colors are a muted and gorgeous throwback to pastels from the '70s and '80s — but with way more subtlety. Read More More Shopping >