The night I gained a life and almost died
I almost died on a quiet New Jersey highway when my son was just that little speck of two-week-old cells taking hold inside. It wasn’t the exaggerated, “Oh, girl, I died when I saw him at the bar,” or an “Isn’t that sweet little jacket just to die for.” It was almost very, very real. It was the almost-died where tiny lights flash in your eyes, the air smells different, your ears echo the sound of tires and the breath of the person sitting next to you over the sound of the blood sitting still in your veins.
STFU: How can I deal with one family member who always ruins holiday parties?
I’m slated to host Christmas Eve at my home again, and last year it was fun… except for one uncle ruined it with snarky comments and flat-out negativity. He bitched about the food, the tackiness of the decorations, and the gifts people gave.
At the time, I was more concerned about hosting duties and making sure my family was having a good time, so I just tried to roll with it. Nobody in the family had the guts to say anything, except to talk about it after he left.
This year though… fuck that, I don’t want any of that shit in my house.
How do I keep his horrible attitude in line in my own home?
What happens when your personal photos go viral and you get attacked online?
We’ve talked about what happens when your wedding goes viral and people hate it. But what happens when your personal photos go viral and people seemingly hate YOU. Offbeat Empire reader Barbara Reggio left this insightful comment on our Offbeat Bride post…
Catching up with Alix and Nick as they adapt to parenthood and budgeting
Three months after we were married, we welcomed our baby boy, Wilder Townsend Craft, with the help of Geraldine at Fremont Midwifery. His birth was transformative for me and us; I became a new, different, stronger person.
After the stroke, someone else sits in my grandmother’s body
My grandmother will not be at my wedding. The woman who was always so lively, so patient, and so strong is gone. She will never make me fresh tortillas. We will never again spend a day happily digging in her garden. She will not attend my wedding. The stroke marked her. She has only a little use of her right hand. She tires easily, she loses words in the middle of sentences. She confuses names. The worst part of this is that she knows exactly what the stroke took from her.
A non-parent’s holiday guide to picking out offbeat children’s gifts
I love everything to do with gifting: giving them, receiving them, scheming them, you name it. Since I have a kid a lot of my non-parent friends and family members will often ask me what kind of fun, kind of weird, somewhat non-traditional gifts they should give their nephews, nieces, family friends (and so on..) and I’ve decided I should just compile a list to make it easy on everyone.
6 ways I found time for my favorite hobby again after having a kid
I knew before my kid was born that I would get less sleep and have less free time after having a baby. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to lose my creativity for a while. It felt like losing a piece of my soul. During what we’ve since dubbed the Era of No Sleep, I was exhausted. What energy I had went almost entirely towards caring for my family. I connected with friends and took breaks, but I did not drum, dance, or engage in any of the myriad of crafts I’ve always loved dabbling in.
I’m adopted and have no clue about my heritage or race
“By the way, What are you?” I’ve heard this question, referring to my “race” so many times in my almost 30 years on this planet. When I was a kid it didn’t bother me. When I was a teenager, it made me sad. As an adult, it pisses me off to no end… and to be honest, it still makes me sad.