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

The year I started dating god with a lowercase g

I think I’m in a polyamorous relationship with god.

This sounds insane in maybe 10 different ways, especially for ME to say, since for most of my life, my spirituality boiled down to don’t know, don’t care! … but it’s probably the most accurate description of happened for me this past year. Of course I’m talking about “god” lower case non-denominational, so maybe it’s a little less surprising than if the story here was “Offbeat Bride lady raised by hippies goes evangelical,” but still.

Meeting the other woman helped me overcome my divorce

Meeting the other woman helped me overcome my divorce

Ordering my coffee, she is right behind me. I can feel the nerves in the air and her eyes on my back. This is not a first date or a job interview, but it is the first time in my life I have been the bigger person and put my hurt aside. On this day, I sat down with the woman my husband left me for. The woman who he kept secret from me, the woman who turned my world upside down on one awful fall day, the woman that my now four-year-old calls her second mom.

My partner wants to become polyamorous, what do I do?

My partner wants to become polyamorous, what should I do?

You may remember Logan from her poignant post about coming out to your family as polyamorous. She was kind enough to answer this reader’s question for us and we are so grateful for her insight! I’m in a long-term, serious, and happy relationship with my partner. When we first met we discussed relationships and limits […]

Diary of a Divorcee: from grief to reflection to liberation

Diary of a divorcee: from grief to reflection to liberation

I’m also a hopeless romantic and always fantasized that my relationships would be like Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s in Can’t Hardly Wait. Here I am at 31, a single divorcee — a feeling I truly haven’t experienced since before I was 19. And you know what? It’s liberating…

parenting and social media: Future apologies from the first generation of parents with a digital paper trail

Future apologies from the first generation of parents with a digital paper trail

Dear sons: it has occurred to me that I am the first generation of those who will leave a digital paper trail. This means that every withering status I’ve posted about parenthood, every unflattering baby photo of a catastrophic nappy explosion, every snigger posted online about a missing tooth, or eating your Halloween sweets after you’d gone to bed (major dick move, genuinely sorry), or self-deprecating comment about it all just being too damn much will be available to you some day. Your IT skills already intuitively surpass my own. So in advance, I am sorry.

What do I do to stop my teenage son from pressuring girls into sending nudes?

How do I stop my teenage son from pressuring girls into sending nudes?

I have a 13-year-old son who I’ve recently found out has been pressuring a female friend into sending nude photos to him. I’m SO disappointed as I thought I was doing a good job teaching him about enthusiastic consent, legal issues with minors, and framing media news in a teachable way. But I’m going wrong somewhere. Do any of you have any advice or resources for dealing with this?

We solemnly swear you will LOVE this Harry Potter pregnancy announcement

We solemnly swear you will LOVE this Harry Potter pregnancy announcement

If you’re adding a new wizard to the family, this Harry Potter pregnancy announcement will make you cry, “Merlin’s most baggy Y-fronts!” The announcement says, “I solemnly swear we were up to no good” and has the pitter patter of tiny feet on a Marauder’s Map.

My geektastic heart can’t take the magical cuteness/dirty innuendo of this baby announcement.

6 ways to help an introverted friend find love (or to help yourself!)

6 ways to help an introverted friend find love (or to help yourself!)

“Many or even most of my dearest friends are geeky introverts who are (unhappily) single. They express that they want to be in relationships and start families and I’d love to be able to help with some advice. How do I help my beloved nerdy home-lurkers?”

We’ve got some tips…