Hardcore ways to survive a drought (or just save money on your water bill)
Did you know that about 25% of the continental United States is in extreme drought conditions right now? The ’10s saw a long drought in Australia that led to deadly fires, and parts of central Europe are below normal rainfall levels right now. Climate change brings weather extremes, throwing once-regular rain patterns out of whack. Even if your hometown is currently nice and wet, it might not be in the future. And besides, saving money on your water bill isn’t a bad thing. So try some of these hardcore hacks to save water…
I need an urn, but don’t want it to look like an urn
Help! I’m trying to find a suitable urn to keep some of my father’s ashes in, that isn’t, like, totally weird and all: “THIS IS AN URN.” I mean, I guess I could put it in any container, right? But what have other Offbeat Homies done with their urns?
Spreading the relaxing, tingly love of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)
ASMR stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” which is basically a fancy made-up acronym for a heightened feeling of relaxation, accompanied by tingles, especially in the scalp and spine. I got into ASMR a year or so ago, during a stressful period of my PhD. I was watching a HELL of a lot of make-up and massage tutorials, not so much for the actual tips, but because they gave me a lovely relax-y buzz. And then Youtube, in its wisdom, suggested an ASMR Massage video…
Tell me about your offbeat hobbies!
You guys are always full of surprising, fantastic ideas and projects (seriously, how do you come up with them?!); there’s just got to be some great extra-work-ular activities out there! Any ideas? Care to share any beekeeping/pottery-throwing/long-boarding/car-camping personal experiences?
Who gets your benefits, your artwork, or your cat? The basics to making your estate plan, part 2
Before you start to make your plan, there are several considerations you should take before you set everything in writing. We talked about part one of making your estate plan, but don’t let your eyes glaze over yet! This shit is really important, and we’ve still got to talk about the rest of it…
Who gets your money, your vinyl collection, or your blog? The basics to making your estate plan, part 1
With some basic planning, you can provide for your loved ones in the worst case scenario. “Estate planning,” an umbrella term, can help you direct exactly what happens with you, your loved ones, your money, and your things in the event of your incapacity or death. Usually people think that an estate plan requires an attorney and a lot of money. While an attorney will be able to give you comprehensive advice and documents unique to you and your situation, it need not be expensive. And you do not necessarily need an attorney for many of the documents that can help in tough situations. Here’s how…
How do you cope during that awkward, post-college phase?
This past June, I graduated from college and came back home from being out of state for four years. My same-age friends have either moved elsewhere, gotten married and blown me off, or live in different places, so I am constantly spending time by myself or trying to fit into age groups that I can’t fit into. How do I cope or make friends in that awkward, post-college, pre-long-term-plans phase?
What I learned about disaster planning and response during the Colorado floods
A flash flood warning compelled me to abandon my Boulder home late in the evening. I returned home four days later to find that the Colorado floodwaters had missed my home by a matter of fourteen inches. In the in-between time, I was grateful for my disaster planning and also learned how to be more prepared in the future.