Have a Lovely Weekend.

A couple months ago someone mentioned this brand here in the comments and I love the color choices they have. https://deathvalleynails.com/products/copy-of-swamp-sparrow

Expressie: Seize The Minute :) https://www.essie.com/nail-polish/quick-dry/reds/seize-the-minute

My daughter walked into my study while I was reading COJ on the desktop and casually remarked, “Wow the kids are getting so big.” She just turned 21. “The kids” are getting big indeed. xo

These look amazing. Thank you for sharing!

American mom here to sing praises of Kapla blocks! My kids loved them! Now they are 14-16 but I might “re-release” them so to speak to encourage time off phones.

Ugh. I feel you, have been ghosted in a similar way before. So rude but what can you do? Laugh and move on. It is truly her loss. Maybe she’ll come around but don’t lose sleep over it.

Having anxiety and adhd, I can relate and also share some non-rude scenarios that may have taken place: 1. She thought of a brilliant and warm reply, was interrupted by something, and her brain checked the “complete” box before she actually responded. She thinks she texted you. 2. The notification came during a flurry of other phone activities and she read it without reading it while in an activates nervous system state and overloaded working memory – she cleared the notification, message never registered in her consciousness. 3. She saw it, liked it, wanted to think of something funny to say back, couldn’t think of something in a fitting amount of time, is now trapped in the “I waited too long to say something” and “now I need to say something AMAZING to make up for the delayed response” trap. 4. Your text was sent around the time of a phone upgrade for her and the message either never came through or came through without a notification. This has happened to me approximately 30 times in my life. My preferred move is sending another message when I actually feel like sending one, and going from there.

thank you for your service, Ana Devine!!! I’m not the OP but these are the kinds of reminders I also need for daily life lol

We are fresh date lovers over here too. Every year my husband orders a big box of several varieties from a farm in Coachella valley (where he grew up). We put them in oatmeal, smoothies, eat with melted chocolate. Stuff with goat cheese and to with a cashew and some honey. But best of all, sticky toffee pudding, which is a British date cake served warm with caramel sauce and ice cream. It’s so yummy, such a treat.

OMG – she is amazing! I had the joy of seeing her show at the Chicago Art Institute an could not agree more. The work is just beautiful. If you can go – go. (Check out her instagram to get a sense of the vitality.)

Yep, here in Britain that looks like he’s maybe not really so keen to be photographed for his mum’s blog 😆

I just assumed his brother was taking the photo….

Ha ha ha Aussie here and just assumed he was flipping the bird!

Out of pure curiosity… ‘Flipping the bird’ is not a phrase we use where I live but I’d always understood it to mean giving the middle finger. The gesture in the photo – giving two fingers – means very clearly and unequivocally ‘f*ck off’

This is the symbol that every.single.middle.and.high.school.boy.makes.for.every.single.photo. Must just be an American thing, ha!

Sundays Company!

Check out LoveSac. Washable covers, and endless configurations. We’ve had ours for years and love it.

Check out a LoveSac store where you love. They have what you describe.

I don’t know about covers, but I got a west elm beaut with a work bonus I saved up for it!! I told them I need the most washable and kid hardy fabric they have. It’s deep seating, verrrrry comfy, and tbh, I lay a fun printed quilt over the seat cushions and tuck it in bc I have a rabid 3 year old and 18 month old. Love it! Very sleepable too if needed. If I were you, I’d go to a store and sit on a bunch of them and tell them your needs! If it’s in your budget. I also have an in law who got me a very good discount.

I think that Emily Henderson’s new line of couches has one that would be right up your alley. I don’t know about the removable covers though, but she designed with kids and pets and family life in mind.

Can’t recommend a SixPenny enough! They have lots of configurations – on the pricey side, but if you can find a secondhand one (which I did), you can wash everything. Super deep and comfy – I’m sitting on mine as I type this and love it so much! I often will remark to my husband, “I just love our couch!”

I have Crate and Barrel’s lounge away like sofas and cannot recommend them enough! So comfortable and deep. The arm rests wash up easily with spot cleaning (frankly I use a moist paper towel and a little dish or hand soap), but all of the cushions are machine washable. They are pricey – built to last – but I’ve purchased them at Crate and Barrel outlets for steep discounts (75% off). I don’t have kids yet, but I have two golden who love to shed and put their muddy paws on the sofa as soon as they come in from the yard. They also lie on the cushions all the time. The sofa takes a beating and still looks great years in – no sinking cushions or pillows, or pilling from all the washes.

Whoops! Meant to write Crate and Barrel Axis sofa. Lounge away were my favorite line of shoes from Sperry (also comfortable, but won’t help you with kid and dog messes, haha!)

Interior Define. We got it during the pandemic and shipping took forever, but I’m still in love with it.

The Visionary Arts Museum! The BMA! From the aquarium you are not far from Little Italy and tons of good restaurants. There is also Rash Field Park across the harbor (could take the water taxi), a cool outdoor playground/park. Truly you could spend all day at the aquarium!

OMG welcome to our gorgeous city — we’ll be so happy to have you! :) Breakfast: Paper Moon Diner, Chuck’s Dinner: Clavel (get there at 4:45 and wait outside the door to get in right when they open at 5), Ekiben, Dylan’s Oyster Cellar (best smash burgers!) Dessert: Bmore Licks, Charmery, Tia’s Italian Ice To do: Patterson Park, Orioles game (fun even if you’re not a huge baseball person), Baltimore Museum of Art (free!!), AVAM (not free but incredible and worth price of admission) I have tween nieces and these are all tried and true. Have the best time XOXOXOXO

ekiben for food! enjoy!

We loved Baltimore! Our kids loved the Maryland Science Center, Federal Hill Playground, Orioles game, we went to Fort McHenry for Junior Ranger badges and they lived learning about the flag and the national anthem, walking around Inner Harbor, George Peabody Library and a great daytrip to Annapolis. Walking around Fells Point was a delight. We loved eating at Ekiben, Taharka Bros for ice cream and Vaccaro’s for cannolis. Charm City Books and Greedy Reads were 2 great bookstores I browsed and shopped at.

The recs so far are on point! if you’re driving, baugher’s orchard outside of the city is fun and cute. One of the ships downtown also turns into a haunted ship this time of year. Also i would add pitango to the list of great food options. Nice to see baltimore people on here! Maybe a meet up is in order :)

You have received some great recommendations. Also, Sunday Farmers’ Market downtown under the JFX and spilling into the surrounding area—great fruit and vegetables but so much more! I see someone recommended Fort McHenry; be aware that the visitors’ center and maybe more are currently closed due to the federal shutdown. It’s probably still a good walk, though. I don’t know if this would appeal to kids, but as an adult, I love the drive from the southern end of Charles Street until it ends at I-695, so many different neighborhoods, great architecture, etc. Have fun!

Thanks y’all so much! I have screenshotted every response! Of course, it seems we’re looking at a 90% chance of rain all weekend, ha. We may just camp out with the dolphins all weekend!

Exactly! New sticker on same product

Gah I need to figure out how to trim them myself! Any tips? Just a millennial mom here who can’t seem to get away from side swept bangs I’ve had for more than a decade.

Hahaha, yes!

Nailed it! 😄

Same, Debby! Second best thing, since we also celebrated libraries and librarians this week, here are some books and articles about Butler’s work (or written by her! She’s a great writer, too): https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=kw%3A%22Bisa+Butler%22&offset=1

I love how you phrased this, Greta. :)

Agreed! Rooting for you too, Jillian. And job or not, i would love a week of outfits!!

Yes, Jillian, what’s the good word?

Yes! I’d live to know!!

Scanning the comments for this exact thing!

Other updates I’m waiting on: 1. The rollerskating teen girl from the block party. Did she make it 24 hours? 2. Is the reader still with Cello Fellow from last year (?)

I subscribed to a few magazines earlier this year because I realized my kids had no idea what I’m scrolling on my phone and I want them to see me actually picking something up to read! Definitely still not reading much around them (ages 2 and 5 – endlessly busy!) but it’s actually pretty cheap to get a few magazine subscriptions!

hahahaha same here, sister

Magazines still exist! I love getting them.

Don’t forget libraries for magazines!!

Somewhat related to this, we recently started a NYT subscription – Sunday paper and all access to their online everything for $5 a week. It’s…. awesome. I feel thrilled to grab the paper from our driveway each Sunday. I leave it on our dining table and read it throughout the week while our little ones eat. They look at some of the images with me and we discuss them (especially in the arts section – not so much some global/national current events). My TSOP is way down, and my doomscrolling anxiety is much more contained and limited, though I still feel informed. And their magazines that are included are a delight too! I listen to the big interviews throughout the work week too while folding laundry or doing dishes, like recently with Reese Witherspoon, Brene Brown, and Jen Hatmaker. Just feels like I’m getting a lot of value out of a relatively low cost. Highly recommend!

The number of times the requirements state to “collect pictures from magazines to make a collage” in the badge requirements for my Girl Scout Troop!?!?!

I ordered it awhile back from a local bookstore and just heard that it’s arrived! So much looking forward to diving in ❤️

Haha. Yes ouch

what is “ouch”? you didn’t like the poem above?

I thought the exact same thing! But in these situations I always try to remind myself- everyone else is too busy worrying about how they come across to be concerned with how I come across! I’ve even said to friends ‘I still ruminate on that awfully clumsy/inconsiderate thing I said to you 5 years ago’ and they’ve said ‘I have literally no memory of that conversation, please don’t worry about it’. Phew!

You are your community are fiercely held in love.

I can only echo what Kris says so perfectly. It’s devastating.

Holding your community in my prayers ❤️

Sending love, xxxxxxxxxx.

💚🩵💙 You are in my prayers.

I’m so sorry. I feel this. Covenant in Nashville is my community. It is just awful

Anon, are you referring to the Grand Blanc, Michigan shooting at the LDS church or is there another incident that happened in Minnesota this week that I missed? (Kind of sad that there are so many shootings all the time that we have to clarify that…) Either way, holding space for you. I am LDS and the Michigan shooting hit really close to home even though I’m in Utah. (And on a related note, I’ve sometimes wondered how many fellow members of my faith read Cup of Jo.) Oh how we need gun safety laws in this country.

I’m so sorry for the pain and the loss of innocence that this must bring. Praying for you and for your community. <3

ANON, I am so sorry for what you and your community must be struggling with. It causes so much damage and grief and despair. I hope you will be a little reassured to know that this is very much on my mind and heart. Living not far from Uvalde, Texas, I well remember the weight and sadness and stunned horror of being in proximity to a violent event. It must be so much worse to have it occur in such close proximity, for you to have such a personal experience of it. My deepest sympathy. I wish you and your community so much comfort and healing.

Anon, I’m in the Twin Cities too, and also mourning and holding the devestation of the shooting. You are not alone. <3

this might be too sweet, but I just smelled the new Levain cookies candle and it is SOOOOOOO AMAZING. https://levainbakery.com/products/levain-x-snif-candle-gift-set

Do you diffuse essential oils? Cinnamon, clove, orange, cedarwood, etc could be fun. It’s a fun rabbit hole to go down and you can make different blends for different moods and seasons with the same base oils

PF Candle Co has some amaaazing choices. Iris Suede is a perfect fall scent, and Sandalwood Rose is great year-round. Their candles are subtle but still actually smell like something- no scent headaches here!

For candles on a budget, I loved White Barn’s Mahogany Teak. Smells amazing!

After weeks of sniffing it every time I stopped by Whole Foods, I finally caved and bought a Pascha Golden Chai candle. It’s divine, and with clean ingredients. I also like Illume Blackberry Absinthe, thought it’s arguable whether it qualifies as fall-themed.

I really like Siblings—they sell wax (+wicks) that you microwave and pour into a reused container. I don’t get any tunneling as long as I follow the instructions on container size. I haven’t tried the “last picked pumpkin” scent but sounds like it might fit the bill—fall, but more earthy/green growing pumpkin than pumpkin pie.

Wax and Wool are the ONLY candles I buy now!! I think over the years I’ve bought every single scent and they are all superb. Autumn Leaves, Cinnamon Chai, and Spiced Cider are fall highlights!!!! It’s a small, woman-owned business based in Western Washington :) https://www.etsy.com/shop/waxandwooletc

Wild Oaks Apothecary has some lovely herb infused scented candles. A few of their current scents are perfect for fall. https://www.wildoaksapothecary.com/shop/candles

Sydney Hale candles are sublime. They burn Woods at a nail salon I go to and it always smells amazing. https://sydneyhaleco.com/products/woods

I love Fontana Candle Co. I’m really scent sensitive, but they don’t use any artificial scents and their scents aren’t overpowering. Highly recommend.

I only burn 100% beeswax. I buy from Big Dipper in Seattle, but you can find a local maker almost anywhere. They smell lightly sweet.

Thank you all for the recs. Time to shop. :) I had a feeling we would have some yummy smelling scents to share.

Reminder that you can combat tunneling with a piece of tin foil wrapped around the rim of the candle and pinched at the top to make a small chimney! I’ve done this a zillion times and it never fails to even out the melting surface. Hope it works for you!

Some tips to avoid tunneling: -If you’re looking for a larger candle (over 10 oz. or so), go for a candle with multiple wicks. One wick on a large candle will almost certainly mean tunneling. -Before you light the candle for the first time, trim the wicks to about 1/4 in. And make sure you keep trimming them before every burn. -When you light the candle for the first time, you must let it burn for about three hours. This should ensure that the wax burns evenly.

I second Julia’s recommendation for Woods scent from Sydney Hale. It stays on my birthday/Christmas wishlist because it’s the only candle I want!

Hey military family member here. Just wanted to say, it’s a really hard place for military to be right now. I’m willing to bet most of those police officers and military members aren’t stoked about their orders right now but signed the dotted line years before any of this was on their radar and are doing the best they can. They are political pawns too.

Came to say the same. My husband is long time military and, at the same time, a progressive state legislator who has long advocated for the US to hold up its commitments to Afghan people who served as translators and in other roles and grant them citizenship as promised…among other things. He hates this as much as anyone. Trust that those uniformed people you are seeing in your community have little/no say in these decisions/policies. That said, there are bad actors at all levels and people that will abuse their power, so fee free to call those actions out…but maybe think twice before calling out a rando just cuz they are wearing a uniform. Or don’t…whatever, just another perspective. Signed -internet rando

good idea. they need to remember, also, in case shooting starts, it is illegal to follow illegal orders.

I’m proud of you Jess. And to all those saying “they are just following orders”, that was the excuse many German military men tried to use when the Nazi regime was being tried for their crimes. Where is the line where your loved ones say they won’t follow illegal orders? Is it now with illegal occupations? When the imprisonments start (It’s begun. 8 arrested in Eugene, OR this week)? Is it when shooting starts? Concentration camps? Where is the line of “no, and I’d rather be court marshaled than participate in this bullshit”?

Military kid and family member, and I hate all of the posturing and harm being done as well. Please do differentiate actual Military from ice. They are not the same! Military and National Guard are being used as pawns and patsies, ice are people who willingly signed up with big paychecks, (who are being paid through the shutdown, while my SEC husband is not). Many military are young people, who were for a way out of a dead end town, or bad family or other situation, many of them are not on board at all with the latest messaging. We are depending on the military staying their sworn course to protect the Constitution. I would say the absolute silence of the brass at the recent circus is a very good sign. Keep Calm and Carry On! (and yes, no one should be afraid to be full on Antifa! Our finest generation were all antifa.)

These are tough times. It must be hard for some of the people in the military right now. Such a step backward. Can you imagine if your job in a civil career was suddenly sideswiped and all the rules changed regressively overnight. So many of the changes take away the protections of the military employees. I am sure a few of them are happy but I am sure many are not. Who wants to bring hazing back and abusive penalties endorsed by the higher-ups? Most do not, I bet. Just a thought.

Jess, thank you from a fellow people pleaser/introvert doing my best to collect everyone around me to RESIST this garbage administration!!! KEEP GOING!!!!!!

The members of the military will need to decide, and soon unfortunately, what signing on the dotted line for military service means and the consequences of following orders and the consequences of disobeying those orders. I visited the Museum of Memory and Tolerance and was really struck by a small placard I read that said how many tens of different agencies and offices were involved in carrying out the Final Solution. We narrow down the evil to just a few figureheads and leaders, but they can’t carry those actions out without the willingness of many to just do their jobs. If you’re ever in Mexico City, I highly recommend that museum. It’s made me reflect on so many things including my own role in how things play out. Apathy and cynicism of the population/community allow these actions to continue as well.

Wow Jess. I’ve been thinking about you all weekend! Hero!!!

I think we all need to remember that most grunt military are also victims of this very broken system, poor kids looking for a way to make it in the world…some are even immigrants looking for a path to citizenship…this is our case at least. You dont see a bunch of rich kids signing up for these shit wages as a way out of poverty. Did you know that about 10% of US military aren’t US citizens? Did you know that >30% of US military are minorities? Did you know that the military targets recruiting to the lowest income communities? That does not make people immune to their actions, but please understand that the stakes for these military families aren’t *nothing*, the majority don’t have the luxury of burning it all to the ground getting a dishonorable discharge by disobeying orders. This can be a citizenship issue for military personnel as well. I hope you bring that same energy when military personnel are putting their life on the line for you and yours when they respond to floods and fires. Because they will, even if you’re are yelling at them, because they are following orders.

Please remember there is a big difference between state and local law enforcement officers and whatever is passing for ICE agents these days. Most law enforcement (just like people in any profession) are honest, law abiding people who have a very difficult job. Have you had to worry that your spouse or other family member is in danger every single time they walk out the door? They have to provide for their families too. Do you expect them to just abandon the careers they worked hard for?

Hi Jess, I am truly glad that you are finding your voice and kudos to you for standing up to abuses of power! However, I am wondering if you are approaching just random police officers/military members vs. those involved in ICE activities? I can’t help but think of my police officer son-in-law who responds to the toughest calls on a weekly basis. He is often a first responder to a shooting victim, or domestic violence situation. His co-workers been shot at (or actually shot) responding to such domestic violence situations, etc. . As many have already mentioned in the comments here with regard to the military, this often a stepping stone for youth who don’t have many other options. I am truly thankful for those officers and military members who do make sacrifices on a regular basis (while acknowledging that there are bad players as well).

yes!!!!! :) :) :) we love Andy sooooooo much.

Chuckled so hard at the second line of your comment, Kim!