September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Home September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
July 15, 2019 23 fun & useful dorm decor items to max out your space If you're starting to think about heading back to college in a month or so, you might be researching how to maximize the teeny tiny space that is your (likely shared) dorm room. I found some super kicky and useful dorm decor to get your brainstorming into high gear, including a few more fun items. Read More More Home > Recent Life September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 16, 2019 4 brands that let you rent your whole wardrobe (& end fast fashion!) I'm sure many of you are just as guilty of succumbing to fast fashion as I am. Fashion rental brands like Rent the Runway are opening the door to sustainable fashion that lets you have a minimalist closet but loads of quality fashion options. Here are a few companies that are paving the way for the future of your wardrobes… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
July 29, 2019 How community theater changed my life One day in fall 2010, my roommate Grace turned to me and asked if I wanted to audition with her for an all-female Shakespeare troupe she had found advertised on Craigslist. I immediately said yes. I had no idea then that that one "yes" would end up changing my life… Read More More Life > Recent Food August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 26, 2019 Here's the easiest way to de-stem strawberries If you're a strawberry lover like I am, you might be used to chopping off the stem of the strawberry before making it into your oatmeal topping, smoothie ingredient, or shortcake deliciousness. But with that technique, you're sending a lot of the yummy fruit into the garbage or compost. Here's a trick I learned to save as much strawberry guts as possible… Read More 3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
3.4k May 13, 2019 Delicious ways to use Trader Joe's umami seasoning at every meal If you're unfamiliar with the savory glory that is "umami," you're not alone. It's one of the basic five tastes (like sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) but definitely the least known. Trader Joe's rolled out a version of the flavor in a handy sprinkly seasoning. I think a lot of us went out, bought it, and then didn't have a clue how to use it. So I did some digging and came up with some ideas on how to cook using Trader Joe's umami seasoning. Read More 1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.0k February 27, 2019 It's dangerous to snack alone, take these: geeky candy gifts to perk up your nerdy pals Are you surrounded by hungry geeks who need candy right now?! Maybe you're having an RPG party, game night, geektastic birthday that needs fun candy or maybe you want to send a gift to a nerdy pal who needs a little love. No matter the occasion, I scrounged up some truly adorable and geeky candy gifts that you can snag for only a few galleons or sickles. Gather your gold and grab a gift worthy of adventuring… Read More December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
December 24, 2018 17 gingerbread house fails that made the sugary housing market crash Not every gingerbread house attempt turns out as sweet and pretty as the one above. Sometimes the sweet turns sour and you end up pouring icing over the wreckage and calling it a day. Not all of us are meant to be baked good architects (myself included!) but most of these are pretty hilarious in their chaos. Let's revel in the holiday spirit of trying our best. It's the thought that counts and it all tastes yummy in the end, right? Read More More Food > Recent People July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
July 22, 2019 How to navigate your kids through that rigid gender concept phase Categorizing the world (including based on gender) is a really important developmental phase and one that kids shouldn't be shamed for. However, introducing kids to many incarnations of gender is important. Kids categorizing and gendering items and people is based on what they see around them. I know this phase can be REALLY hard for a lot of gender-bending parents. Here are my tips for getting through this phase… Read More 2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
2.0k June 19, 2019 Yep, there's a safe child's car seat that fits in your pocket(!) I was introduced to a truly neat, seriously overdue concept: a super safe child safety seat that condenses down to the size of a medium cup of coffee. It weighs less than a pound, secures in about 20 seconds, and is perfect for traveling, cabs and other rideshares, and for keeping on hand whenever you need it. Read More June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
June 17, 2019 Our laid back family photo shoot at Grandpa's hardware store This beautiful family decided to take advantage of all the nooks and crannies at grandpa's hardware store in Wisconsin for a dynamic family photo shoot. Let's see the magic that they created and learn a bit about the inspiration from the family… Read More June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
June 10, 2019 A tale of unconditional love this Father's Day Father's Day is this weekend and that can always be a complicated time for a lot of us. But here's a tale of divergent personalities coming back together to celebrate a birthday (and father's day!) with love and compassion. Read More More People > Recent Pets 1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.9k 66 Comments January 28, 2019 Keep your dog leashed: thoughts from one friendly pet owner to another Where signs clearly say, “All dogs on leash," folks can’t help but release them. I get it. There’s nothing like seeing your four-legged friend filled with joy as they bound freely through the field or trot proudly down the path. But here's why I'm asking for everyone to keep their dogs leashed in those areas. It's for a few reasons… Read More July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
July 31, 2018 My cat medication hack (that I stole from dog owners!) My cat has diabetes and has to be given food and a shot every 12 hours. It's a pretty smooth process unless I can't be around at that 12-hour time and have to do a big schedule adjustment. Or worse, I'm on a 5:30am and 5:30pm schedule where I'm giving a sleepy shot and forget to write it down. Either way, I needed a solution that let me keep track of the fact that I gave her the shot. I stole this idea from a dog owner… Read More 3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
3.9k 14 Comments May 25, 2018 I tried out a space-age automatic cleaning kitty litter box to see if it was worth the hype I own two kitties who love to crap. All the time. I recently got the chance to try out a product I'd been eyeballing FOREVER: a Litter-Robot! Yep, one of those fancy-pants automated litter box cleaning machines. Plus it's the really nice kind that isn't cheap and it shows. I decided to give it a whirl to see if a robo-litter box from the future was the better way I was seeking. Read More May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
May 21, 2018 This Instagram of dogs eating gently is your new relaxation happy place You haven't reached the end of the internet until you've seen this relaxing Instagram account where sweet and mild-mannered pooches eat treats, noms, and fuds gently… oh so gently. They're so sweet and so relaxing and ZZzzzzzz… For fans of cute-ass puppies (and maybe ASMR for some of y'all?), this feed of gently scarfing dogs will be your new happy place. Get away from the news, from work, from your whole damned stressful life for five minutes while you remember that dogs are too good for this world… Read More More Pets > Recent Do It Yourself September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 2, 2019 Here's how to save money by making your own vinegar cleaning spray If you're going greener with your home cleaning, you've probably wondered about using white vinegar as a replacement for commercial cleaning sprays. You'll also save a ton of money since water + vinegar is CHEAP. Here's how to mix up your own vinegar cleaning spray at home that actually smells nice… Read More 1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.1k October 8, 2018 Crafting projects + charities = DIY for good We've been talking about the hurdles of learning to sew recently and got a great comment that made me think: can charities + crafting = DIY for good? If you're learning to sew, quilt, crochet, whatever, is there a way to donate your crafted items to a charity who needs them? Sees like a no-brainer. I decided to find out. Read More 1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.2k September 13, 2018 Bollocks, Pulp Fiction, & Oregon Trail: 9 subversive cross-stitch patterns When you're more about the LOLs and less about the "live laugh love," these are the subversive cross-stitch patterns for you. Most are DIY patterns you can download, but a few are available to purchase completed, so you can find something no matter your skill level. From bollocks to Pulp Fiction to IT Crowd references to Oregon Trail, the cross-stitch market has gone hilarious… Read More 1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
1.8k August 31, 2018 Intimidated by learning to sew? These are the resources you need (with reader advice!) Back in the day we had a great discussion about sewing anxiety from a reader who wanted to learn but didn't know where to start. Our amazing readers stepped up to the plate to offer some great sewing advice on where to start and how to wrangle a needle and thread. (My favorite resource is Threadbanger on YouTube!) I pulled some of my favorite comments so that we can share in their collective sewing knowledge and start making clothes, totes, costumes, and whatever strikes your fabric fancy. Read More More Do It Yourself > Recent Shopping September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
September 9, 2019 6 of our favorite organization tools you can buy online We rounded up a few of our favorite new ways to organize all our stuff, and it can all be purchased online. From headphone hangers (get them off the floor!) to tiny space savers all around your house, these organizational wonders get the job done. Read More August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 19, 2019 ICYMI: you can return Amazon items at Kohl's and UPS Stores I'd heard about this a while ago and am realizing that it isn't widely known yet: you can return Amazon items at your local Kohl's and UPS Stores. They'll package it and ship it back for you for FREE. I knew it was time for a signal boost… Read More August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 12, 2019 It's happening: there are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office Fans of The Office: rejoice! There are now Funko Pop! dolls for characters from The Office that you can put in your own office. It'll be super easy to relive some of your favorite moments from the show when you're stuck at the office and unable to rewatch. Read More August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping > Body Image An extremely relatable bathroom adventure with shapewear Read More How underwater maternity photos helped me enjoy my pregnant body Read More You’re looking at crones. Can you see the beauty? Read More When kids books go bad: how Mr. Men and Little Miss teach kids to hate themselves Read More Read More » > Shitshow to Afterglow: posts related to the next Offbeat book The call of loneliness Sleep hygiene: protecting your sleep and your sanity during an information war Building an independent daily spiritual practice Hidden Blessings: Dispatches from the midlife trenches Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes The sacred jack-off: taking masturbation to a whole new weird level False dichotomies: What if the opposite of trying too hard isn't being lazy? Stoner vs Smartphoner: Examining compulsions and finding they're not what you'd think Read More > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Offbeat Home archives READ NOW
August 5, 2019 Happy little crayons! There's a new Bob Ross coloring book coming out Are you a Bob Ross fan who just can't seem to master his signature wet-on-wet painting style? Or maybe a coloring book fan who wants to zen out while shading some happy little trees? Either way, you'll be psyched about the second Bob Ross coloring book hitting shelves soon… Read More More Shopping >