Category Archive

Life

We launched as Offbeat Home in 2011, but it has become clear that the site is about much more. In 2013, we relaunched as Offbeat Home & Life, with an expanded focus on Relationships, Budget & Career, Travel, and Style. This is the category for the non-home/rest of life stuff!

Raising babies in a two religion household

So I’ve done it. I’ve outed myself as a Jew with baptized children.

Parenting cliches as loss of identity

Parenthood lends itself heavily to cliché because we each experience similar events, things that have occurred again and again to parents for generations…

Things are going to be different

Everyone kept saying to us, “things are going to be different when you have a kid”. They always said it with a slightly evil smile, and went on to explain that we would never again have time to cook nice meals or sit and enjoy each other’s company or brush our teeth.

How do mamas with high maintenance aesthetics make it work?

I got an email a few weeks ago from a reader who wanted to hear about how mamas with high maintenance looks (goth! rockabilly! pin-up!) manage to maintain their styles after having a child. This question really resonated for me because, although I don’t have quite as high maintenance aesthetic as some, I definitely love my glittery eyeshadow and eyeliner and loud boots and pink hair.

This is me pushing a stroller and feeling weird

Dre and I have already gotten super used to baby-wearing, so using the stroller felt like a huge novelty. You mean, the baby sits in there? And I push this thing? And we walk behind it?

Queer Parent 101

Having kids makes you come out A LOT! I cannot lie – I get sick of coming out all of the time. It’s inconvenient and anxiety-producing and awkward and taps into my own internalized crap.

Musings on babies, blogging, and privacy

When it comes to my son and my new experience of motherhood, I’m finding myself clamp-mouthed with a brick wall around my stories.

How I want to avoid mommy martyrdom

Last week, I asked offbeat mamas via Facebook & Twitter: “What steps do YOU take to help you avoid mama martyrdom?” I got some great responses, which helped me clarify the issue for myself. It basically boils down to this: I do not want to have a monogamous relationship with my son. I’ve read a […]