Have a Loving Weekend.
What are you up to this weekend? Since my boys are away, Freddie and I came upstate to work during the day, swim in the evening, and see a million stars at night. Can you see stars where you live? It’s wild up here and makes me realize how the NYC sky is basically blank. Hope you have a good one, and here are some links from around the web…
Freddie loves CoJ and Big Salad readers (he’s a big fan of the comment sections), so I am excited to introduce him more directly. We recorded a conversation between us (I love his voice!) where he answers readers’ questions about dating on apps, teaching high schoolers, and getting recognized on the street. Listen to it here, if you’d like.
Catbird, my favorite jewelry destination, is having their big end-of-summer sale right now. I love this.
When the icebergs came to town.
Salmon and tomatoes in foil, yummmmmm. (NYTimes gift link)
A beautiful piece on parenting a toddler. “Before I had a kid, when people talked about how hard it was, I always imagined utter chaos, like the beginning of Mrs. Doubtfire when Robin Williams’s character let his kids throw an impromptu birthday party and somehow barn animals got involved. In reality, parenthood is…more about the relentlessness of the smaller responsibilities, unceasing like a current…Sending this dispatch today in solidarity with anyone who made a big choice and is struggling to keep pace with it.” (Maybe Baby, gift link)
How to make your bed feel British.
Obsessed with this new-to-me beauty product.
Fellow Jane Austen fans, rejoice: Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in a new Sense & Sensibility, and Olivia Colman will be in a new Pride & Prejudice.
Digging J.Crew’s collaboration with a cool Parisian brand. (This top is so good!)
I’m giving my kid a ’90s summer…the 1890s.
Finally, we’re offering 20% off Big Salad annual subscriptions for the next week (that’s $4/month). You’ll get a full year of Big Salad, plus access to all the archive issues — like four ways to deepen friendships as an adult, my personal botox experience, and how to know if it’s time to get divorced. Please join, we’d love to have you! xoxo
Plus, three reader comments:
Says Marian Schembari on what inexpensive things make life better: “I absolutely hate washing my face because the water goes everywhere, dripping down my arms onto the floor. It’s a sensory nightmare. But then I found out that if you use sweat wristbands, the water just drips into the fabric, keeping everything else dry. For $10, it’s been a complete game changer.”
Says Jess on how would you make your wedding feel true to you: “We rented a beach house for the guests of our wedding to stay, and so our ceremony could take place in front of on the sand. The night before, all the girls were together, and we ran naked from the house and skinny dipped in the ocean. At one point, I looked at my mother-in-law next to me and we just cracked up!”
Says Tracey on how to show up for kids who’ve lost parents: “People often retreat after loss because they are afraid of doing the wrong thing. But loving someone through hard things means sometimes accepting you will not magically nail it every time. Sometimes the grieving person feels like anything anyone does is wrong. Unless you can bring back the dead you are failing me. Holding all of that messiness is love. Stay. Make mistakes. Apologize. Breathe.”
(Photo by Aleksei Toropov/Stocksy.)
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Comments
101 commentsThe 1″890’s summer” article gave me a giggle. “They’ll be perched precariously on one of those old-timey bicycles that have one ridiculously huge wheel and one ridiculously small wheel” gave me the most hilarious flashback from my childhood that I had completely forgotten about where a friend and I found one of those in their parents garage and as I was trapezing down the hill, I found out the hard way that it had no way of breaking and I got my first and only concussion I’ve ever had falling off of that thing. LOL
Wrist sweatbands for washing your face over a sink… genius! Gotta try that immediately.
Thanks for featuring my comment! That was fun to see on Friday :) I know there are so many bigger fish to try, but there’s a typo in the comment!
The Maybe Baby piece hits so hard. 2 years, 4 months old, and what guilts me, DAILY, is that I have completely failed at baby book’ing. I have documented so much via videos and photos, and yet I’ve just never been able to baby book. (I have looked at all the “catch-up” options too, and they are still overwhelming!!) I am a READER, I love reading, but I’ve never been a writer, I’ve never stuck with a journal for more than a week, I buy planners annually and make it about 6 weeks into the year before they are slowly discarded. I feel like this is my true failing as a parent, my biggest regret thus far. And maybe that’s a good thing? That my biggest regret is not writing more of it down in the moment? But gosh, it feels like time has completely slipped away from me, it’s shameful, it makes me anxious, it makes me grieve the child I had for TWO YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS and just … what? lived life in the moment? ugh ugh ugh. No matter how I paint it, I feel bad about myself.
That’s ok !! If something cute happens jot it down on a gum wrapper. I didn’t do much chronicling either. Things I do find now,in these years long past, do bring me joy and make me laugh. But they are all just scribbled down on scraps.. I was busy living in the moment too. That’s most important. We are who we are. Some people are really into all that and that’s fine for them. I was busy playing. No regrets !!!
Feel every inch of this, from another mama with a darling 2 and a half yr old, and a nearly completely empty, $80 baby book (just to make it sting more!)
Not a “book” but a potential way to compile those videos /photos you already have in a (relatively) painless way would be to use the app 1SE – 1 Second Everyday to make a video for each year. It is set up to let you select a snippet of video or photo from each day you have one and it compiles it all into a single video. Pretty fun to do and more impressive and fun to look at than a baby book, in my opinion!
I’m still thinking about the Maybe Baby article. I don’t think I’ve seen my feelings captured or reflected so accurately elsewhere. The idea that everything is wonderful, my life is so full of joy, and yet “I feel out of breath on some fundamental level… Everything gets done, but just barely, and at a spiritual cost.” “I’m just perpetually low on oxygen … and I’m not really sure when that will let up.” I have no solutions or wise insights, just sending love to the other parents who I know are in the same boat. It’s nice to know we’re not alone in the trenches and absolute magic that is parenthood.
The article on parenting a toddler was a gift to read. It captures the exhilaration and exhaustion that mark almost every moment of the day. What’s been especially hard (maybe the hardest) for me are the familial expectations I feel bearing down on me: my sister coming to stay with us during a life crisis and then asking to live with us forever. We welcomed her during this time but can’t agree to the “forever” part of it, and we were then told that we didn’t love her unconditionally, that our love was somehow deficient. Yet another family member making demands on our time. The truth is I don’t feel like I can say yes to anything or anybody right now, and when I’ve said no I’ve caught hell for it. This has sent me spiraling with shame and guilt. All I’m seeking is maybe the only thing I can offer: listening with compassion. This article has come close to providing that.
Hi Cindy, are you able to offer to meet halfway, where you two would take turns to help with each other’s burdens? I wish you the Serenity Prayer. Xx.
Hi Cindy, This all rings true to me; you are not alone. I am so sorry. In my case, once I had my own child it was clear how everyone in my extended family had taken me for granted. All the years of care, filling in gaps as the single/childless cousin, free babysitting, showing up for everything. Then once I had my own child, and my availability for free labor shrunk, the story became “Julie never shows up for anything” – rather than maybe, “Julie has shown up for all of us for so many years, how can we help her now.” It is so, so shitty. Perhaps our stories are not the same, but I was hoping to make you feel a bit less alone. You are doing a great job, and I see you. Sending a hug through the internet.
Set your boundaries now without guilt or shame. I learned that lesson the hard way. Do it. Or you will be filled with resentment for that person and it will affect your whole life and future. Set the boundaries. ” There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way and not to give others absurd maddening claims upon it. ” –Christopher Morley. It’s YOUR one wild and precious life. You can be of help if that is doable, without such a big commitment like living in same household !!
PNW Grateful I could not agree more with your advice/comment. Boundaries help everyone whether they realize it or not, and if others have issues with our boundaries that is on them. We can’t live our lives and be present for our family while worrying about how others perceived us and the fallout to come as others involved set their boundaries and we live with those, too. Don’t accept shame or guilt for prioritizing yourself or your family. Listening with compassion is a gift and should be received as such. It is NOT ordinary or common. It is a gift you extend and that is amazing.
This quote from the Maybe Baby article resonated so hard: “Either parenthood is insanely hard or I’m much lower-functioning than I thought.” I’ve thought this to myself/about myself so, so many times.
Ditto🫂
Me too
Yes 1000 times to this.
Me too !! What a great article- grateful to have read it today. Not alone <3
I love Piglet sheets too — both their linen sheets and their cotton sheets are excellent. They can be pricey, but they also have great sales!
They are worth it!
Hello Joanna Writing from Sydney. I echo all the comments from your readers to have a post solely on Gaza and perhaps one a week to guide your readers how to make a contribution. This is the singular humanitarian issue of these times and the gravity demands this focus from every single one of us. We know where your heart lies. Thank you Many thanks Cate
Yes, Joanna, as a longtime reader–over a decade at least!–I echo Karen and Sahar and PS. This is an essential moment to direct all eyes to Gaza and the families starving there due in large part to our own nation’s contribution to the genocide. I know you must be moved by this tragedy, which many of us could see coming years ago. Please help humanize the fight for Palestinian life (maybe an interview with a Palestinian mother?) as you have helped us get an intimate feel for motherhood around the world.
I’m happy to facilitate interviews with people in Gaza and international activists for a feature!
Also here to encourage more content and focus on Gaza. The fate of Palestinians relies on us to speak out, consistently and without wavering.
My good friend passed away almost 20 years ago. As a single person at the time, I did all the things to support her kids and even went to their school play about 2 months after she passed – me, their Dad and the two of them. It wasn’t until I looked around and saw all the other parents looking me up and down as the new woman that I realised I WAS the intended new woman! I felt so stupid not really processing all his advances for what they were. I know grief and single parenting must be so so complicated and hard but I got so mad that he couldn’t just let me be a friend and be there for the kids throughout such a terrible time without having to navigate that.
Joanna, NY Times is committing genocidal journalism as I type these words. They should be banned, here’s more on these slimes- https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/7/23/yes-the-new-york-times-is-committing-genocidal-journalism
Thank you for this. Everyone, please stop supporting the NYT in any way, shape or form. Joanna and team, please stop sharing NYT links here. Their condoning atrocities in Gaza is enough. But they are also so directly responsible for the electron of DJT.
So fun listening to the two of you! You have a sweet, girlish voice and Freddie’s is deep and masculine. Very sexy! Voices are a deal breaker for me. I won’t listen to an audio book or a podcast sometimes; some of these people have horrible ( nails on chalkboard) whiny voices. Clearly my pet peeve. Lol
The best way to make your bed feel more British is to have a Brit in it.
Well done, AJ!
Dear Joanna, please I beg you, I am a mother and you are a mother too, I ask you to accept my comment to appear so that your kind friends can see my story and my comment. I cannot see my son losing his life little by little before my eyes. Please, I am a Palestinian mother from Gaza. My son is not more than 9 years old. He has been suffering from recurring tonsil congestion for some time and needs an immediate operation to remove them. Here in Gaza, the hospitals do not have treatment due to their continued closure. I buy my son’s medication, which is intravenous injections, every day at my own expense. The treatment costs $100, but I cannot provide it for him. The donations I receive are not enough. Because of the enlargement of his tonsils, my son cannot breathe well or eat. I am posting a video on my page documenting this. Please, my son’s life is in your hands now. Please save his life so that I can collect the cost of treatment and the operation. My Instagram page link is https://www.instagram.com/sahar_from_gaza?igsh=NGk5eDdxZ2piOG4= My campaign link is https://chuffed.org/project/127248-survival-funds-for-sahar-and-her-family-in-gaza
Some of you have donated to Sahar previously. Your kindness and generosity made a huge difference for her, thank you from the bortom of my heart. If you need any assurance to donate, you can email me applesfruitsmaybe@gmail.com
Yes to more Jane Austen’s inspired movies! Also, not sure if it’s just me but the Maybe Baby gift link doesn’t seem to be working.
This story is a must read for this book loving community! https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/books/man-died-book-list-thousands.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Zk8.XYM6.vMCto6x3Wz2Z&smid=url-share
Thank you for sharing! How charming.
I love the Olive & June nailpot too! You can get it straight from their website instead of Amazon. My corner drugstore also carries it so I can just walk in and grab it!
Can you please create a post re Gaza. We need amplification. I posted an earlier comment but it doesn’t look like it was published :(
Oh so sorry! I’m just moderating comments now because it’s the weekend — I will ALWAYS let Gaza comments through and write about it a lot on Instagram. Thank you so much, PS.
I don’t get the Jane Austen obsession. There are enough versions made by now surely. Has anyone read Lolly Willowes, infinitely more interesting if you ask me. Like Charlotte Bronte said, Austen is fine but “lacks real feeling”. I feel like everyone in Jane Austen is either sedated or judged for not being bland.
Fellow Lolly Willowes fan! I read it every October.
As an Austen fan, I’m not really in it for the plot, more the wry asides, social commentary, and emotional landscapes (can’t agree with Brontë there—I just think Austen is more interested in feelings in the context of realism vs Brontë’s more gothic/epic style). I do think the satirical side of Austen’s writing isn’t really reflected in most adaptations, and I’d love to see the new ones capture more of that. I’d also rather see a new adaptation of some of her less famous work (eg Northanger Abbey) over P&P and S&S, but that’s Hollywood I guess!
Tangentially, if you love Austen or any of the Brontës and haven’t read Hark a Vagrant, Kate Beaton’s excellent collection of comics about history, literature, feminism, etc., may I recommend: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=4 http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202
Oh Midge , glad to meet you!
My monthly subscription is set to end 7/31. I think I cancelled, but want to resubscribe at the sale price for a year at $4.00/month. Can’t find it…link doesn’t work. Help!
here’s the link! https://joannagoddard.substack.com/summersale2025 you may need to click “end immediately” on your subscription, so that you can renew now thank you!!
Thank you for sharing my 1890’s McSweeneys piece!
Omg WENDI! Brilliant piece. My next order of business is finding a good secondhand penny farthing on Nextdoor.
It was hilarious. Thanks for sharing, Joanna and writing, Wendi!
Wendi, I cracked up multiple times reading your piece!
Thank you for sharing the essay on parenting a toddler. This morning, I write this as my 3 week old daughter sleeps on me and my 2.5 year old son is still sleeping. Her experience of parenting a toddler rings very true, especially for trying to balance work and parenting. This year, I was went back to work after staying at home until my son was 18 months old. My job was so challenging this year, a long with a hard pregnancy, a physically and mentally demanding job, and a commute, I thought I was about to fall apart every day. I took off 2 months early as I needed time to reboot before having a newborn. Wow, has my life been better not having to work and parent. I thought I was depressed. Turns out I was just a working parent. My husband is basically the best partner you can imagine and we have help from family and I still could barely feed myself and brush my hair daily. Another thing I’ve realized in parenting a toddler, you have to give up. Give up a clean house. Or give up answering texts in a timely manner. Or give up cooking every meal. The list goes on. My toddler son needs enormous patience. When my newborn and my toddler are simulateneosly crying at 6pm when we are all hangry and exhausted, I think patience, patience, patience. I’d love to share this essay with friends thinking about having kids. I always think that it is so hard to describe what it is like when people tell you that you have no time when you have kids. It’s indescribable. There are amazing days like when we went peach and berry picking yesterday and there are impossible days like when my son pooped in his underwear while eating dinner at my in-laws.
Hi Rae, thanks for writing this. I think I needed to hear, “just give up” regarding parenting a toddler. I love it AND this level of stress/fatigue is the pits. Both can be true.
I do not know how people work full time and parent. I worked very part time and was always grateful that as a nurse I had that flexibility. When I moved out West I didn’t work for 2.5 years, well I was retired. But recently went back to work 32 hours a week basically 8 to 5 and it’s a nightmare. NO time for my usual joys. It’s killing my soul. So every day I think how do people with kids do this ???????? I know people have to, or want to, everyone is different. But I couldn’t imagine working full time as my daughter was growing up. I would have missed a trillion things, plus it’s exhausting. I’m 66 now. Anyway, I hope you find a balance and things smooth out.
I’m sorry but I’m cackling at the last line here!! Toddler parent solidarity. My son is almost 4 and so super emotional and big and loud and smart, and sometimes he just freaking wears me down. Sometimes I just want to get on with my day but he’s on the toilet and the pee just “won’t come, mama” and I get so agitated, but then sometimes he says things like “mama I was so mad and I just got so mad and I… HAD THE MADNESS!” and I could freaking burst with love. It. Is. So. Hard. But it is also so magical.
@lauren e “had the madness” hahah this tickled me and…so relatable! Happens to the best of us little buddy.
Can’t find the sale to resubscribe…link doesn’t work.
here it is! https://joannagoddard.substack.com/summersale2025
I just listened to the podcast episode and my first thought was that Freddie sounds so genuinely kind and warm, like someone you just always want to be around. Also Jo, as a longtime reader, I’m not sure I’ve heard your voice before so it was really nice to hear you speak. Thanks for this lovely glimpse into your relationship.
any other Janeites not thrilled about these new adaptations?!
Nothing will ever top Mark Strong’s Mr. Knightly, but I’d watch Olivia Coleman play a cardboard box so I’m thrilled.
I have mixed feelings! I’m very excited about some of the casting and did really like the most recent Emma, which gives me hope new adaptations can be good… The Netflix Persuasion was not for me at all though, so the fact that these are being produced for Netflix doesn’t inspire a lot
I bought the dress from last Friday’s roundup, it arrived a couple days ago, and I’m going to get started on going bananas with customizing it this weekend. Craft Girl Summer, here goes nothing! https://www.instagram.com/p/DMgfETSMeL1/ I also made a first post on an account my sister and I created for a super-secret project I am very much looking forward to revealing to you all as we develop it; we’re kicking it off with doppelgänger images of my cat Steve and KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON, and the whole thing’s all about animals and books. I am so nervous! I am so excited! Join us, it’s bliss! https://www.instagram.com/ostersisters/
As an English person I was ready to roll my eyes so hard at whatever could possibly make a bed more ‘British’ (maybe a duvet instead of whatever the thing you guys refer to as a ‘comforter’ is?) but then I laughed because yes bed skirts really are something all my older relatives use! Now I kind of want that green gingham one to help hide all the stuff stored under my bed.
We don’t call them “bed skirts” though, we always called them a “valence” (short “a” sound like in “values”, not like in “covalent bond”). So if you want to be extra extra British, get one, call it a valence, use a duvet, invite a Brit in like another previous commenter said, and eat some Marmite on toast and drink a cuppa while watching an episode of the Vicar Of Dibley.
I can’t stop thinking about the children in Gaza who are starving right now. Yes, there are children in need all over the world, but that shouldn’t prevent us from naming what’s happening here—systematic starvation and violence against families, while U.S. leadership tells Israel to “finish them.” If you’re able, please consider supporting organizations like PCRF. If you can’t give, amplify the voices of those who are documenting and explaining this better than I ever could. And if you pray, please include them in yours. James Baldwin famously said, “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.”
Please make a dedicated post re the current situation in Gaza. I’m feeling utterly heartbroken and powerless. We have to speak up for the children.
“She went down for her nap crying because we wouldn’t let her take a plastic tortilla bag into her crib” feeling seen as I just had my own toddler battle who sobbed because the lettuce she brought into the bathtub got wet. Truly a magical, but challenging season haha.
Tracey, your comment is beautiful. True. I think it also applies to when people go through other difficult times such as chronic health or being a carer of family member going through something. Just keep showing up in any small way. Text messages go a long way. The hardest is when people stay away altogether and of course not everyone in your life will show up and as the person going through you accept, that’s ok even when you feel disappointed sometimes. But those people who reach you are golden.
Thanks for mentioning chronic health issues. I lost a friendship when my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes because my friend at the time was frustrated I wasn’t using natural remedies like cinnamon to handle her total lack of insulin. All I needed was support and understanding, not judgement. To this day she never even acknowledges her disease. I couldn’t have imagined our friendship going down that way but there you have it.
Cinnamon?!?! I worked in the supplements department of a natural food store for over a decade and I thought I’d heard it all. Wow, people are wild. Yikes, I’m so sorry, you deserved better than that. Hope your daughter is doing well!
Thanks Ceridwen. I think it applies to all grief really. Illness included. I am chronically ill myself but I learned this lesson from loving my terminally ill Aunty. Every time I showed up I failed her. There was no other way. As her body broke further the foundations of whatever adaptation we had invented previously crumbled. She was scared, frustrated, lonely. I would cry driving home and then do it all again in a few weeks time. To love her was to fail her. I couldn’t give her what she wanted. I could only give her what I had. Cheryl, your friend sounds like a grade A doofus. No words. CINNAMON! WTHeck.
I just signed up to big salad, bt it looks like it was $5/month, not 4, maybe I clicked the wrong link?
Here’s the link! https://joannagoddard.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=6b862fb0
I appreciate the link, but it’s too late I’d signed up before noticing :) No worries though, you are worth every penny!
Great recs! The Maybe Baby gift link isn’t working for me. Would love to read the toddler parenting article…I’m nearly in tears from my 14-month-old’s tantrums this week!
I couldn’t get through with the link either – I’m so sorry for your hard times. I’m reading “Parent Yourself First” by Bryana Kappadakunnel right now and I wish I’d had this when my child was your age vs. 5. Never too late though. Crying in solidarity and honoring all you do for your child and yourself.
Me either! Gift link wasn’t working.
Just a quick note to mention that Catbird lost my beautiful wedding band in the mail when it was on its way back for repairs (second round of repairs it needed in 2 years! Details kept falling out) and did not replace it or reimbursement me beyond a small discount offered on my next purchase. We’d waited 3 years to buy a beautiful but modestly priced band from Catbird that I’d hoped would become a family heirloom. Learned my lesson and will shop local in the future! Just wanted to share to spare others the Catbird customer service nightmare.
Ugh, since they were purchased by private equity, they have gone so downhill. So sad, they used to be my favorite.
Oh my gosh this is horrible!! I’m so sorry. I got a ring from them and it came in the teeniest tiniest envelope-ish thing, despite having expensive stones in it, and I thought that it would be incredibly easy for it to get lost. Normally I’m all for minimalist packaging but this felt not at all secure!
That’s pretty shocking to hear! Thank you for the head’s up. There are lots of excellent local goldsmith’s and really creative jewelry makers in the PNW, thanks for the reminder! I always see them at the larger local fairs and window shop, but it’s time to support them more often! I did recently buy by a hand-tooled sterling silver pendant with a botanical relief and a pair of sterling earrings that I love at a local farmer’s market!
I also had a negative experience buying from Catbird. I ordered a gold wedding band with two clasped hands and it arrived packaged in a box of junk-literary…nuts, bolts and trash. How does that happen? Who makes a mistake like that? Pretty disappointing when your anticipating a beautiful ring. When contacted they reluctantly apologized. Not a good customer service experience. I returned the ring.
Oh no! your wedding band! That is a painful loss. Sorry to hear about this, and it is disappointing to hear that Catbird responded poorly, especially concerning such an important piece of jewelry. I just purchased from them, a replacement for a bracelet that I lost, but your story is one more reminder to me about how it’s better to buy local, and have a more personal connection with the business you are purchasing from. I will keep this in mind going forward.
This is the kind of story that absolutely HALTS my even window shopping at a spot. I’m so sorry that happened.
That’s terrible! Thanks for the warning
Oh no!! I will say, I’ve gotten several pieces from Bario Neal and they are always meticulous about shipping, tracking, and insurance.
To that end, I knew I wanted a non traditional wedding ring and I clicked all over the Internet, including Catbird, for inspiration before working with a local jeweler who custom made my ring. Still significantly cheaper than any kind of diamond and the quality is exquisite — zero repairs needed in 8 years. Agreed with your sentiment — support small businesses when you can!
That’s outrageous! My SIL had a similar experience with I think Blue Nile – she sent it in for cleaning, and they lost it. However, they comped her *more* than her previous ring value due to their mess up. I found out about all of this when I saw her sporting a huge new rock, lol. Long story short: the bigger places probably have bigger budgets and formal policies to address mistakes and issues? But shame on catbird!!
Oh my goodness! I had a similar issue with Catbird. They didn’t lose my wedding band but the same diamond has fallen out of my ring twice. I have paid to replace it both times. It is so disappointing. I fell in love with the ring but wholly regret not buying something higher quality. It’s so sad because the ring is so tied to something special but isn’t a quality piece of jewelry.
I would be happy to have us all as a collective start flooding them with emails etc so they have some more pressure to right this incredible wrong! Would need a little more info on your behalf though (probably just your name). This is crazy!
Is the Big Salad discount just for new subscribers? When I click the link or login to switch from Monthly to Annual it all looks the same.
Great question! I checked in with the Substack team, and if you’d like to use the discount, you can cancel your monthly subscription and re-subscribe at the special annual rate! Thank you so much for reading Cup of Jo and Big Salad! xKaitlyn
Thanks! And a tip for anyone else – I had to cancel then go back and click End Immediately next to the Renew Subscription button to fully reset since I still had a couple weeks left in my month :)
How to Make Your Bed Feel British – don’t forget that you have to put your pjs under your pillow! Where else would you put them???
Ok, I’m 44 years old, and I never knew this wasn’t universal standard for where pyjamas go! My mom grew up in Europe and I guess that’s a European thing? Just when you think you finally understand your childhood, here comes CoJ with a comment to rock your worldview.
haha my husband laughs a this but this I how I grew up! not British but just makes sense. our bed I very scandi. we each have our own comforters that fold over on our side of the bed. learned this from Cecilia from Svalbard.
I always do this. I had no idea it was a cultural thing in the UK!
at the end of the bed so you don’t waste a second looking for them… ?
Take off the flat sheet! I love my flat sheet. And will never forget staying in the top floor of a townhouse turned boutique hotel in Edinburgh. It was unseasonably warm, and for what seems to be safety reasons the window only cranked open about an inch, I had a sad sad fan, and only a duvet. I boiled my last night there. Oof! Here’s to the flat sheet!
This makes me laugh. Years ago when our kids were toddlers and we were on vacation, my sister and I went out for drinks while our husbands put the kids to bed. When we got home, everyone was like, where are their pj’s?! I was flabbergasted that nobody looked under the pillows! A few years later, my brother-in-law told me that he thought it was so smart and now they always keep the pj’s under the pillows.
Not just a British thing! Pjs go under your pillow. Naturally! Even in the good ol’ US of A.
As an American, I have never heard of or seen this except on British TV shows. In my experience, PJs go in the top drawer with underwear and socks. Putting clothes under a pillow is quaint, but I admit it makes me laugh.