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!

Aromanticism: What if romantic love goes extinct?

A musician I adore named Moses Sumney has a new album called Aromanticism. It’s an exploration of our cultural fixation on romantic love, something that Moses says he’s never experienced.

I’m reminded of this article: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? And all the news about how teens aren’t having as much sex.

And then I think about this old post I wrote about how my grandchildren will shock me

I successfully chased my Big Life Dream, and I hated it

So I set my mind to it — damn the naysayers. I was going to do this thing. So I saved up for several years, bought a boat, fixed her up, moved aboard, left my job, and started traveling… And then finally admitting that I seriously hate this.

So here’s what I learned from dream chasing and giving up…

Throw this creepy but elegant goth dinner party

When planning this super creepy goth dinner party, I wanted to avoid the kitschy, usual food you see at Halloween parties: the hot dog “fingers,” the mummy pigs in a blanket… I wanted food that was elegant and still tasty!

These are the creepy things I will serve you if you ever come to eat at my house…

How to make art when you're "not an artist"

How to make art when you’re “not an artist”

Saint Bob Ross once said, “If you don’t think you can do this — you’re not realizing how simple it is.” That’s how he wanted us to look at making art. And it’s true. Whether it’s painting, knitting, building furniture, writing music, telling stories… the creative process is easy, and so so hard.

Here’s how you can fight the fear and start making art…

I’m a therapist with self-harm scars

I am a Residential Therapist and a recent graduate. And I have concern about how to address my self-harm scars to my clients.

I have considered surgery for the major scars and tattoos for the minor scars. Looking for insight from others in the professional or helping field.

How do you make the invasiveness of pregnancy less scary for a rape survivor?

I’ve talked to my husband and I’ve talked to a therapist and now I thought I would share my question to see if I could hear from other people who may have been there before or are looking down a similar path. Do you have any coping suggestions for making the OB/midwife (and pregnancy) less scary for a rape survivor?

Sansa is a strong character

High-key femininity isn’t weakness and here’s why Sansa proves it

Why is Sansa Stark presumed weak because she is high-key feminine? And what the hell make a female character “strong” anyway? Let’s lay out Sansa’s more powerful turns and see if a dress-wearing, high-key feminine character (even in a fictional Medieval-style universe) can overcome her gender spectrum stigma. Femininity doesn’t undercut feminism, and here’s why Sansa proves it…

How to get the perfect body in ONE step

I’m writing this because I just can’t anymore. But, actually you know what, I CAN even, and I need to say it…

Your body as you are experiencing it right now, even in your off white underwear and tank top possibly covered in a delicate layer of Doritos dust, is a feat of evolutionary wonderment. Your heart (I require you to place your hand on your chest right now) that heart, that dull thud you’re experiencing right this second, well that dull thud, according to Google, that precious organ began thumping its little chant for you a day after your the condom broke and your parents thought it was fine. A day. One day! That heart has been rooting for you since before your eyeballs existed. That beautiful little blood chucking muscle was been “thub-thubbing” for you since before your mama even knew you were there. It predates your brain. Love it. Mind it. Feel it. Trust it.

As for the rest of you, you have bones to support you, a brain making you “you,” muscles to kick ass left, right, and centre, eyes to see, and a voice — a voice that needs to be heard more. Heard louder and stronger than ever. Why?

Because there is a multibillion dollar industry ($445 billion to be exact) out there making bank from telling you that your body is not enough and by association that you are not enough. And we are buying it.

Frankly, fuck that.