Finding happiness in the unexpected serenity of new parenthood
I’m new to it all — breastfeeding, changing diapers, not sleeping through the night because every cough and rumble makes me jump. I feel pretty inept at all of it. Happiness, I guess by its nature, is a fragile kind of thing — poised on some sort of ledge ready to go either way.
Alyssa and Stephen’s circus and Dr. Seuss inspired maternity session
Alyssa and Steven are fans of bright colors, Dr. Seuss (Alyssa has a Truffula Trees tattoo!), and the circus. In fact, Alyssa used to work for a circus, and Steven knows how to juggle. The pair asked Dallas-based Brandi Thompson Photography to capture their maternity fun.
This “No Media Mondays” idea sounds tempting to me
Puddle jumping, painting, reading, fairy hunting in the woods… what are you missing out on by being glued to a screen (tv and computer) most days? One Offbeat Mama decided to find out what life has in store BEYOND Facebook, email, Pinterest, and television by implementing “No Media Mondays.”
Beautiful Freak: The Eels, my daughter, and me
[My daughter] Schuyler has always loved music, which is no surprise given that she’s been surrounded by it from day one, and I’ve always sung to her. The other day, we were singing an Eels song, Beautiful Freak. “Daddy,” she asks, “Am I a freak?”
How can I make my office baby-friendly?
I’m a new mother to a beautiful four-month-old girl. I’m also a contract lecturer and have to take work when I can get it. One of the things I love about my job is that I can work from home and take her to university with me, but I’m not sure how to set up my office to suit us both.
Teenspiration: 250 books Rory Gilmore mentioned on The Gilmore Girls
I love randomly mentioning The Gilmore Girls on Offbeat Mama because I get to find out how many of you are still true and blue, until the very last day on Earth, fans of the series. So when I found the Rory Gilmore Reading challenge — a list of 250 books Rory Gilmore mentioned or read on the show — I knew I had found a post for you: my fellow Gilmore Girl fans.
Make water balloon piñatas for a warm weather party
When hot weather strikes, water balloons are awesome, especially when you’re having a drought (like a lot of us in the U.S.) and don’t have the water to fill up a pool or turn on the sprinklers. But even more fun: hanging them up like piñatas!
Babysitting and boundaries: my 5 rules for watching friends’ kids
Children are gifts, right? Sometimes they’re diamonds… or a gift bag of your favorite perfume… or a cheese tree. Other times they’re your great Aunt’s fruitcake. One way or the other, when you’re trying to plan an evening away, the rules of gift-giving apply.