Post-apocalyptic zombie-slaying family portrait session
Jessica at Bakan Photography recently worked a whole lotta bloody magic when she shot this zombie-slaying-themed family session. We first heard about this shoot from a reader (thanks, Katie!) and then we got an email directly from the mama of the family, photographer Jennifer Owen.
Get your nerd on and DIY your own Star Wars-themed “quiet book”
The other day my friend Michelle linked me to Julie Gillrie’s ever-so-adorable “quiet books.” I imagine she did this because a) the books are super cute and b) she and her fam are as obsessed with Star Wars as we are and Julie’s book is Star Wars-themed. As soon as I saw this UTTER BRILLIANCE I knew Offbeat Mama would never be complete without featuring it… so here we go!
The (unnecessary) stress of picking preschools
With all of the unsolicited advice a new parent gets, I would have thought that the sheer panic and guilt over preschool would have been mentioned some place. I still remember all of the friendly warnings about sleepless nights and colicky babies. I have in my possession notes from friends and family with tips on how to calm my fussy newborn, why they prefer cloth diapers to disposables and the best place in the neighborhood to take a “Mommy & Me” yoga class.
Put prizes inside balloons and add a little “pop” to your kiddo’s birthday shindig
You can easily add a little “pop” to your next party or gathering with balloon prizes and treats! There are so many ways to use them, and kids go crazy for balloons with a surprise inside. All you need are balloons, prizes, a balloon pump, and voila — insta birthday success!
How playing a Star Wars video game helped my parenting skills
There is no “reload” button on life, no restarting quests if you screw up a step, no taking back what you said if you’ve said it and realized the outcome was less than desirable. But you do get to do all of that in video games! I admit, I take advantage of the luxury in video game just to satisfy my curiosity on the possible outcomes. Sometimes the answers are really obvious, but there are some situations that require much thought (and system saving) before venturing forth on a decision.
How do you tell your kid you’re an atheist?
How do you have the atheist talk? We don’t believe in any religion, therefore we don’t have any literature, examples, or classes to give him. We tried to explain what other people think “god” is, but just couldn’t find the words to describe it. He ended up thinking that there is a god who is a magician who lies to people, which is not what we want him to think.
How can we establish good baby-sitter etiquette with our neighbors?
We live in a townhouse and my significant other’s friends live next door. They have a four-year-old son who occasionally needs babysitting. I don’t have a problem babysitting him, but they’ll send us a text only a few hours before or the night that they need us. How can I initiate a (polite) conversation about being respectful of us?
A punkishly good afternoon
One of the things that a lot of photographers are doing today that I absolutely LOVE is involving some kind of narrative with their photo sessions. Take this series of shots from Briana Moore Photography for example — first, you’re chillin’ at the park. You have your two kiddos and baby in tow, just hanging out and having a good time. And then you breezily transition over a set of stairs and hang by an incredible brick wall, where you proceed to absolutely OWN your family photo session.