Category Archive

Families

Our sister site Offbeat Mama launched in 2009, became Offbeat Families in 2012, and was merged into Offbeat Home & Life in 2015. This archive contains all the posts ever published on those sites! We believe that while children change your life forever, being around kids doesn’t necessitate abandoning your identity. We believe in supporting and inspiring parents and caregivers who are moving beyond mainstream visions of parenting. We welcome anyone who’s interested in families, whether you’re pre-parental, in the process of becoming a parent, or choosing to live childfree.

Terrible yellow eyes, ala Where The Wild Things Are

Spotted this simple, relatively mess and pain-free craft idea over on Se7en. It looks like two yellow circles on some ribbon until you know the context. Then it becomes something else entirely. It’s inspired by the following passage from the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: “…And when he came to the […]

Introducing Therese, our resident midwifery advisor (and Ariel’s mom)

Yes, nepotism is alive and well here on Offbeat Mama! I’m not sure how many of you know this, but my mom Therese is a retired midwife, midwifery advocate, and educator.

Offbeat Mama supports each family choosing a birth plan that’s right for them, but it seems like we would be remiss if we didn’t take advantage of the fact that my mom’s got a massive wealth of knowledge about midwifery … and so I’ve asked her to write a column for us called Ask the Midwife.

Yes, it IS possible to not know you were pregnant

The woman started the ultrasound and said, “Yeah, there is a heart beat.” My doctor in the ER asked how far along I was, and that’s when it all started to sink in. The ultrasound tech said 38 to 39 weeks. I kind of understood what they were saying, and I soon realized I was going to need to tell my parents they were going to be grandparents that very day.

Neo-Victorian beauty for the whole family

Could this picture be more perfect?! The antique pram, dress with bustle, windswept prairie, beautiful mama and baby…Style to spare! Check out the full series and more information below….

Expert advice for bad-ass maternity boudoir shots

A good photographer can capture a lot of things. A stolen glance from two lovers, the way light softly plays with the highlights of a baby’s hair, the forlorn beauty of a tree dancing in the wind. If a good photographer meets a bold mom-to-be, the ensuing photos can be stunning.

My parents were awesome

I’ve completely fallen in a sweet kind of love with My Parents Were Awesome, one of those single-serving websites that does one thing and one thing only: share vintage shots of awesome parents, all submitted by their kids.

Gaining a step-daughter changed me. And I liked it.

I’ve been a step-mom for two years — I still don’t always know what I’m doing, but I love where I’m at.

An interview with Pushba, the Russian goth mama

As we all know, I’m a little obsessed with Pushba, the Russian mama who is clearly not afraid to let her personality shine so bright that it’s blinded me here in Seattle, some 5000 miles away.