How and why endometriosis caused me to voluntarily become a single mother at 22
I know that I am the one who needs to get up with her every time, without exception. I have no one to be angry and resentful towards because they don’t live up to whatever expectations I have put in place for them. I’ll never worry about a custody battle or if her dad will let her get a tattoo after I say no. Doing everything yourself is immeasurably easier when you know that is the case from the start. Sure, there are great men out there and resentment is not always the case — I just prefer the ease of not worrying about maintaining a relationship along with my other responsibilities. A personal choice, for sure, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Come the revolution: Homesteading as an act of radical resistance
We wanted land. We wanted to grow real food, and raise animals for real milk and real meat and real eggs. We wanted to sit at our dining room table without a goat jumping from chair to chair. I had enough of a background in historic agriculture (to say nothing of a full-time job doing historic agriculture) that I was willing to take the leap out of the suburbs and into hobby farming. My husband quickly jumped onboard. We are the ones who are actively resisting the industrial food systems of the twenty-first century. Are we radicals? Absolutely. Are we rabid? No. We’ve just simply assessed the way things are going locally, nationally, and globally, and chimed in with Bartleby the Scrivener: We would prefer not to. We are not alone.
10 healthy eating hacks we use everyday
We have two growing boys who seem to shovel the food in their mouths most days. I’m not sure if you know this, but growing boys eat. They are also grazers. They like to graze through out the day so we have to supply them with healthy snacks otherwise they will graze upon whatever is available. Candy, sour milk, stale cookies they find hiding in the couch cushions, literally anything. So instead of letting them scavenge the couch cushions for breakfast, I’ve found that with a little prep work after a big shopping trip can be worth it.
Beekeeping: You will probably get stung, but it’s worth it!
I started keeping bees two summers ago. Bees are fascinating creatures, and learning about their social lives — the workings of a hive, how they make group decisions, and how to help them thrive — has been a highlight of the last two years for me. Beekeeping is not a hobby for everyone, but beekeeping is definitely an awesome hobby!
Melinda and Paul talk marital teamwork, solo time, and commuting craziness in the Lone Star State
Since we got married we’ve both graduated — we’re Doctors now! We’ve almost moved a ton. Paul moved from Chicago to a town north of Houston and I followed shortly after I finished defending my thesis. Right now our lives are dominated by commuting. Paul commutes to his job at Texas A&M, and I commute to my job at the medical examiner’s office in central Houston. We drive… and drive… and drive.
Data diarrhea: my epic post about reader survey results
Offbeat Home & Life has undergone a lot of changes in 2013, so it felt important to do a little mini-reader survey specific to this site. This post is going to be long, but for those of you who are into data and/or invested in the future of Offbeat Home & Life, it’s going to be fun. We’ve got stuff about Facebook, family-related content, and the kinds of posts y’all hate. Come along!
Be careful with cloves and cats this holiday season!
How many people have heard that cloves can be used as a natural pest repellant? I personally have never tried it but a lot of people I know swear by it. Or are you decorating with cloves this holiday season? Here’s a little known fact about cloves: they are harmful to cats! I found out from first-hand experience…
Thoughtful gifts under $20 for EVERYONE on your list
So you can’t afford to get your book nerd brother a first edition, or your travel-hungry friend his dream trip to Japan, or your whiskey-loving sister her favorite bottle. We get it! But you CAN get them gifts that are just as thoughtful, and all for under $20. Check these out…