How I gave up the house but found a life
For 22 years my family and I lived in Westfield, New Jersey, by many measures, the ideal place to raise a family. There are great schools, quiet leafy streets, multiple transportation options, a walkable downtown, and cultural and religious options to fit diverse tastes. Even its names evokes wholesomeness. When I arrived there in 1995, I knew within 30 minutes that it was the wrong place for me. It took us 22 years to undo that decision. I spent years telling myself that it was not so bad but always hating it. This is a story of finding my comfortable place in the world…
Why you should garden. Yes, even in hurricane-threatened New Jersey.
If I ever gave anyone one tip of advice it would be this: At some point in your life grow your own food.
Super inexpensive alternative housing
My fiance and I are having a terrible time finding an apartment or other traditional living space here in New Jersey, and I am looking for inexpensive alternatives, but am not sure where to start. He is in the Army Reserves and neither of us make a lot, so we would like to save as much money as we can.
I spent several childhood years living in an RV, and it was an amazing experience, but there aren’t really any trailer parks in our area… does anyone have any thoughts on other extremely low-budget alternative housing options for us?
Hang a pull-down wire basket for extra storage in a small bedroom
Got a tiny space? This little AirBNB room on a New Jersey ferry has the right idea: A pulley-based system for holding and releasing a wire basket hanging over the bed. It really improves the storage area in the room, since there’s no room for a side table in this suite.
A candy-coated Willy Wonka house in New Jersey — with a bonus wedding thrown in free
Today Offbeat Bride featured a wedding that y’all will love — Peter and Stephanie’s wedding at a house fit for Willy Wonka. I pulled a number of photos — eat it up, Homies.
A seashell grotto in the front lawn, a Piet Mondrian front door, and a lavender house in the south
Come in and see Fresh-from-Florida’s shot of something called a “cracker house.” It’s a thing. Anyway, it looks like a house from True Blood to me.