Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Hope you're having a wonderful week. I wanted to say thank you so much, truly, for reading Cup of Jo. It means a lot to me that you take the time to come here. This week we're hanging out in Palm Springs and L.A., and I'm sure you're busy, too, so I figured I'd take a break from posting, but looking forward to coming back on January 2nd! Have a good one. xoxoP.S. Toby's first Christmas, what a flashback.(Photos from the Ace Palm...

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Miracles

"It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season—like all the other seasons—is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them." —Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal(Photo by Amy Merri...

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Our five holiday traditions

After writing about our new holiday ritual for Toby, I was really inspired by everyone else's holiday traditions. So we decided to steal four...Read More &...

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Have a good weekend.

Where are you heading for the holidays? We're flying out this afternoon to Palm Springs and LA, where we'll be visiting Alex's family. And this year, my dad, brother and sister are also joining, so it will be a fun, noisy group! Please wish us luck on the flight (gulp), and have a wonderful weekend. Here are a few great links from around the web... A song for your weekend.For people who love words.Two appetizers for the holidays: Crispy goat cheese...

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Little black dresses

This fall, I went to the ballet with my friend Jason and his girlfriend, who was wearing a little black dress with a sleek ponytail and red lipstick. She looked so incredibly chic that ever since then I've been on the hunt for the perfect little black dress. Here are the six pretty ones...1. Bardot dress.2. Lace dress.3. Bow dress.4. Beaded dress.5. Pleated dress. (The leopard heels are a fantastic touch.)6. Lace dress.Which would you choose? I think...

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Who do you look like?

For his series I'm Not a Look-Alike, Canadian photographer François Brunelle took 200 photos of people who look like identical twins—but actually aren't even related. How crazy is that?!Do you look like anyone? Throughout the years, people have said I look like Amanda Peet, Hilary Swank and (back in the day) figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Alex has ranged from Seth Rogan to a young Warren Beatty. And Toby has gotten Agyness Deyn!See more jaw-dropping...

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Your hometown

Are you heading home for the holidays? I grew up in the Michigan suburbs, and this Saturday Night Live tourism ad for "your hometown" made me laugh out loud. (It's worth waiting through the annoying NBC ad:)(Via The Daily Mu...

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10 ways to entertain a toddler on a plane

Will you be traveling with a little dude over the holidays? Last year, I wrote 10 tips for traveling with a baby, but now that Toby is an energetic toddler, he also needs to be entertained en route. Here are a few tips we've figured out...Read More &...

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The Best Bloody Mary You'll Ever Have

Bloody Marys are a famous hangover drink, so we figured we'd share a recipe before you head off to holiday parties and New Year shenanigans. There's something so debaucherous about showing up bleary eyed at brunch (or the breakfast table) and requesting a Bloody Mary. It hurts so good. (Fun fact: according to the original formula, the celery stick must be chewed after each sip.) Here, Nicole Franzen shares her perfect bracing recipe, along with a...

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Do you sign emails xoxo?

For the past eight or so years, I've signed almost every email with an xoxo—to female and male friends, to strangers, to colleagues, to accountants, to lawyers, to people who are more or less my bosses. I can't even help myself anymore; it has become totally automatic."I’m always afraid that I’m being unprofessional, yet I continue to sign all my e-mails 'xoxo,' " Lena Dunham joked to the New York Times Magazine earlier this year.A recent Atlantic...

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Cocktails in a bottle

Here's a rad last-minute gift idea for cocktail lovers: Pourable Manhattans. A Utah-based distillery mixes rye whiskey, vermouth and bitters, then ages the mixture for 90 days, to make a fantastic Manhattan cocktail, which you just pour right out of the bottle. How cool is that?P.S. Another boozy gift: The Corksicle now comes in bright colors. Your mom won't have to put ice in her white wine anymore!(Via Momfilter. Comic by Gemma Corre...

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A moment of silence

Honestly, I don't know how to write about the Newtown tragedy. The devastating news coverage is extensive, and I have nothing enlightening to add to the conversation. But my thoughts have been consumed by those sweet children, teachers and families, as I'm sure yours have been.Each night this weekend, as I put Toby to bed, he felt very real and tactile to me, almost like I couldn't believe he was actually there. As I stroked his warm forehead and...

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Have a great weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? I'm going on a girl's night out tomorrow (whoot whoot!). They're pretty rare for me, so I'm really looking forward to it. We're also psyched about the new math museum opening in Manhattan; it looks incredible. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun links from around the web...A song for your weekend.What a gorgeous wedding dress.A gingerbread house? Nope, a gingerbread brownstone.Smoking cocktail.Would...

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Self portraits

Do you ever take vacation or party photos with one arm awkwardly extended? Well, a Cape Town ad agency tweaked iconic photos (in Photoshop) to make them look like self-portraits. Made me laugh. (Photo montages by Lowe Cape Town, via It's Nice Th...

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A little love note

So I've been sick as a dog this week—and am finally feeling better today, thank goodness. Alex was so sweet to come home early, put Toby to sleep, bring me Gatorade, make me a bland dinner (toast with said Gatorade) and lie in bed and read to me. The last time I was this sick (almost five years ago), he read me "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which was creepy and wonderful, but this year I couldn't find any short stories...

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Travel fantasy: Shelter Co.

Do you like camping? I've never been a huge camper, but Shelter Co. looks pretty amazing. It's a pop-up lodging service, born out of a nostalgia for the days of summer camp. They set up fully furnished European-style canvas tents, complete with Pendleton blankets, a carpeted floor and bedside tables, and you just show up to stargaze, roast marshmallows and play games. It's like camping for wusses! Just my style!Thoughts? Do you like camping or not...

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The Best Sticky Buns You'll Ever Have

This is not a light day on Cup of Jo:) For those winter mornings when you have guests or are just cozying up with a good book, decadent sticky buns are the perfect treat. Audra of The Baker Chick shares her favorite recipe...Read More &...

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies You'll Ever Have

Do you ever give a box of cookies as a holiday gift? They're inexpensive, and everyone loves them. We're giving cookies to a few of our friends and neighbors, so I set out to find the two best recipes...Read More &...

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Tuesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway from ONA is amazing! These days, people carry their cameras everywhere—to playgrounds, on vacations, to candlelit restaurants. "I loathed carrying a camera bag that was clunky and distracting," says Tracy, the founder. "To avoid looking like a tourist, I even tried stuffing my camera into a regular bag...and my camera ended up with the nicks and scratches to prove it." So, she created camera bags that are both gorgeous and functional.Today,...

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Swing art installation

I'm a huge fan of interactive art exhibits (like the Grand Central secret and the New Museum playground), so my jaw dropped when I heard about the current Ann Hamilton show in Manhattan. Her installation features 42 swings, which, in turn, move an enormous billowy curtain. "When the swings are in action, the curtain, made of a lightweight silk twill, rises and dips, and the air is stirred, causing further billowing and fluttering," writes the New...

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How to choose a vintage engagement ring

Jared from Erstwhile Jewelry is a fifth generation jeweler. His family opened their first jewelry shop in Russia in the 1800s, so "I've been surrounded by the business since I was little," he says. Here, he reveals seven tips for choosing an antique engagement ring...Read More &...

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Motherhood Mondays: An ode to rituals

My friend Jenny Rosenstrach wrote the cookbook/memoir Dinner: A Love Story, and as I was reading it for the hundredth time in bed this weekend...Read More &...

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Motherhood Mondays: What family traditions do you have during the holidays?

What are your family traditions around the holidays? When we were growing up, my parents would light angel chimes at the dinner table, and the heat from the candles would make the angels spin around and ring the bells. That little "ding, ding, ding" sound still makes me feel so warm and cozy...Toby is two-and-a-half years old, so this is the first holiday that he'll really understand. I've been thinking so much recently about the value of rituals,...

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