Is it time for a landline?
Like many other twentysomethings, I haven’t had a landline phone since I moved out of my parents’ house. My husband and I both use our cell phones as our primary phones, and never even considered needing a phone line for the house. It seemed like an unnecessary monthly expense.
But now that we’re getting ready to expand our family, I’m starting to wonder if a landline makes some sense. Unlike cell phones, a plain old telephone system usually works in power outages, won’t run out of battery, and may be more reliable in emergency situations.
Have you ever been thankful to have a landline for your family, or had a situation where you wish you had one?
Seeking agnostic, feminist homemaking blogs
I’ve been trying to find homemaking blogs that are more feminist or agnostic or atheist. Or basically, blogs that don’t talk about submitting to God as a step to becoming a good homemaker. I just want more spaces where I can read and comment without feeling as if I don’t really belong. I’m having difficulty finding many, and I was hoping for some recommendations.
How to fill your home with art you love — even if you aren’t a collector
So y’all might know this already: I’m a painter. Before I joined the Offbeat Empire, I worked for an arts non-profit helping artists to get business skills and foster the creative economy in the midwest. I’m also the co-director of a monthly indie craft fair in Des Moines called Market Day — where we basically do the same thing.
I’m passionate about art, guys. Making it, buying it, hanging it, talking about it — it’s all gravy. But my jobs have also given me the chance to understand that art is no longer a part of everyday life as it once was — it’s downright intimidating to a lot of people. It makes sense: whereas art used to show up in the baskets we made and the jewelry we wore, we now have such a luxury in mass-produced items that Art — real, handmade goods with or without a purpose — is relegated to the elite few who don’t have to shop at Target.
I love that my jobs have given me the chance to help people put art in their homes — good art, bad art, big art, small art; it’s all meaningful. I want to talk today to anyone who loves beautiful objects but feels trepidation about bringing them home.
Giving up shampoo and washing my hair less ICKS ME OUT — how can I make natural hair care products fit my life?
I really enjoyed the advice on brightening up red hair. In fact, Evathedefiler’s comment led me to buy natural shampoo bars from Southland Soap.
Now I’m a little intimidated by my journey into Pantene Pro-V-free living, especially since I haven’t had the best luck with this stuff before; trying to wash my hair every other day gave me icky shame. Could I get some advice on what to expect when you’re switching to natural hair care? I’d like to hear about the face and body too.
How do I come to peace with my membership in a food assistance program?
We recently made the decision to fill out the application for SNAP — a food assistance program — and are waiting for our response. Now I find myself feeling…awkward.
I just heard off-season tomatoes are seriously bad news — what am I going to eat all winter?!
I recently heard a story on NPR about the tomato industry in Florida, which is surprisingly evil. The fact of the matter is that tomatoes we eat in winter that aren’t hydroponic are probably from Florida, where they were probably picked by actual slaves. HOW?! How can I do it?
Our corner has noisy, dangerous traffic. What can I do to change it?
The tl;dr version: I live on a dangerous noisy corner and I want to change that. I’m really hoping you guys can help me find a solution.
I’m a fat woman interested in living small. What do I need to know?
I love your posts about tiny spaces and tiny homes and I dream of someday having a tiny place of my very own. As a fat woman, though, I wonder if that would be a comfortable situation. I’d love to go RVing full-time, honestly, I’m not sure if I’d be cozy or cramped.