Human nests: five alternatives to a feather bed
If you were to choose a new sleeping arrangement, would you consider a nest? Pick your favorite from this slate of human nests!
Dogs in gardens, dogs in lakes, dogs lounging around, and a new unicorn artwork
WOW. We put out a call for dog photos last week and you guys answered! Wait till you see where one dog ended up.
Elsewhere on the Empire: A leafy floor bed for Ariel’s toddler
Ariel’s little baby bean has graduated from his crib to a toddler bed — but what does one do with a toddler bed when one’s toddler lives in a converted closet?
Yep, my kid still sleeps in a closet: our post-crib sleeping solution
Those of you who have read Offbeat Families for a while may recall that, since my family of three shares a one-bedroom home, our son’s bedroom is a converted walk-in closet. It’s worked out really well for us, but my son Octavian is now a very large 19-months-old (seriously: dude is bigger than some of his three-year-old friends. He won a genetic lottery) and his second-hand crib was on the small side of things to begin with. It’s become increasingly clear that it was time for our son to graduate to his next bedding situation: a pile of crap from Ikea on the floor.
Got leftover fabric scraps? Use them to fancify gifts!
If you’re looking for a cheap, simple, and green way to disguise a surprise, consider giving your discarded fabric some love by finding it a new purpose in life. Fabric scraps are a fantastic alternative to flimsy paper and shiny mylar.
How I used Pinterest to create a plan for an outer-space-meets-velour den
Pinterest is growing like mad — it’s an online app which makes it fast and easy to make, fill, and share various inspiration boards. It’s perfect for interior design — even for non-interior designers like me. My skills at decoration are severely limited by my dislike of shopping, but luckily, I’ve got mad skillz when it comes to collecting images from the internet. I’ve been e-hoarding for a decade!
A mini experiment answers once and for all: is my high efficiency washer compatible with homemade detergent?
It seems that one of the biggest questions regarding DIY laundry soap is: Can I use it in my HE washer? Lots of people say they use it in their HE washers, and it works wonderfully.
But is anecdotal evidence good enough for this pseudo-scientist?
Happy cheery painted trash cans for Coachella
Coachella runs an annual competition for recycling bins, from which sprang this fab set of photos of artist Jacob Livengood’s entry. Never has a garbage can made me so happy.