Category Archive

People

“Homeowner”, “renter” or “squatter” – whatever the label, these occupants take the Offbeat wherever they go.

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Make surreal video lemonade of the lemons of noisy neighbors

So this one time, the condo beneath ours was completely gutted and remodeled, with heavy construction for a couple weeks. The construction guys listened to a lot of Russian pop while they worked. Hours and hours of it. At a certain point, it got so ridiculous that I had to capture it. No tape deck, so I used my camera…but then I had to figure out something to fill the screen with while recording the ridiculous music. This very odd video was the result. Obviously, audio is key — and patience doesn’t hurt.

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How I worked to create confidence after my son’s 135 day long NICU stay

After Courtney’s son spent four and a half months in the NICU she had to challenge herself to feel confident in her ability to keep her son safe. First step? Getting out of the house.

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Offbeat Mama Reviews: What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Apparently SOMEONE out there thought it’d be an awesome idea to turn What to Expect When You’re Expecting into a film.. and I went to see it. This is heavy on spoilers, and includes what I didn’t like, what I would change, and the part that made me cry.

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Would you have a homebirth in someone else’s home?

My husband and I might move two hours away into a midwife-free-zone before our baby is born — should we give birth in a kind-of friend’s house?

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6 family-friendly tips for placing an emergency phone call

If you live in the United States you know that three digit, potentially terrifying phone number. Indeed, I’m talking about the 9-1-1. We all know it, and we all hope we’ll never have to be the ones to dial it. As a 911 call-taker and dispatcher, I love my job even though it’s sometimes stressful, scary, or overwhelming.

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We’re taking our 3 year old to Bonnaroo: what should we keep in mind?

The whole family’s going to Bonnaroo! So quick, tell me: how can we make sure two adults and one three-year-old have a stellar time?

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How to deal with moving back home with your parents

I recently moved back in with my parents.  This is because I made the decision to stop working full-time, go back to university, and make an attempt to “concentrate on my writing” (as obnoxious as that sounds).  I have lived out of home for over four years – the entirety of my adult life! – and as you can probably imagine, quite a bit has changed at my childhood home in that time.

I’ve learned a few things from my time back at home — pull up a chair and let me tell you why you should think twice before demanding a juice box, or bringing a one night stand home to your parents’ house.

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How I’ve managed to work from home since my son stopped napping

Once upon a time I was able to work from home while my son peacefully napped once, maybe even twice, a day. Those days are gone and in their place I have days filled with NON-STOP KID ENERGY and little time for anything else.