A Sweet Gift for a Partner (or Anyone, Really)
The Elmer’s glue kills me
A couple weeks ago, my teacher-boyfriend Freddie mentioned that he’d like to display a photo of us on his desk…
“Let me take care of it,” I told him, and when he headed home that night, I went online and ordered this set of 10 prints with a wooden stand. (This isn’t sponsored, I just love them.) When I gave it to him, Freddie was thrilled — “It was the loveliest surprise,” he said, “Sometimes I just shuffle through them myself when I take a break from grading” — and sent me the in situ photo above.
In the past, I’ve also given this gift to my dad, with snapshots from a trip we took together, and my friend Claire, with pictures I’d taken of her with her daughter. It’s such a treat to have multiple photos to swap out, versus just one you might get bored of.
Also, a few more life moments lately…
Relaxing with the guys at home.
Walking around town.
Playing wiffleball at the park.
Freddie’s dog being casual.
Roasting vegetables for a friend who just had a baby.
Taking paparazzi shots of Toby’s new haircut.
And stoop-hanging with an up-and-coming ballerina!
What have you been up to lately? Any photo gifts you’d recommend? Or other little treats?
P.S. Moms in the picture, and 12 readers share their favorite photos of the year.
Comments
106 commentsThe picture of Freddie’s dog reminds me of this: https://tenor.com/view/parks-and-rec-john-ralphio-dont-be-suspicious-dance-gif-16743654
I love sending this gift to new moms with the pictures they’ve sent me of their babies!
After our dog passed away, i ordered a set of 10 photos with the wooden stand because we just couldn’t decide on one to frame. I thought it would go in the living room. My son took one look at it and put it on his nightstand. Sometimes I go in and have a flip through…
Based on you recommending this in the past, we made our own blocks with some white oak, but used Artifact Uprising for those great paper prints. We gave them to all of the grandparents with photos of our kids for Christmas last year.
Great gift idea and I love your photos of everyday happenings. Lately in my world also would be photos of ballet flats about town, Halloween costumes (it was huge in my part of town this year I love that Australia has adopted Halloween fun). Dog park hangs, teen hairstyles and new books. Parts of day can be really tough at times so the simple things bring much happiness and contentment.
Hi Jo, just have to send a little personal comment here as a CoJ’er for 15+ years and a mum of a 10-month-old boy who is really becoming himself in the last little while; your Toby and Anton updates bring me SO much joy! Your “mother of boys” and pregnancy/parenting archives have been such a source of comfort and community for me. What a gift to see these glimpses of everyday life as your boys grow up. The little things become the big things, as they say, and it makes me teary to think about how quickly time races by with these kiddos. What a gift. Sending love and gratitude, always. Xoxoxo.
Many years ago I bought this photo stack from Artifact Uprising but I didn’t understand what I was buying (thought it was a single photo printed on a block, or something?) and only uploaded a single photo, so it came with one photo and a stack of blank pages, lol. They were kind enough to let me do a redo. It’s still displayed in my parents’ house :)
LOL the pap shot and concrete city parks <3 Omg I loved these photos so much. Freddie’s dog needs a series. More roundup posts like these!
LOL the pap shot and concrete city parks <3 Omg I loved these photos so much. More roundup posts like these!
OMG Freddie’s dog is so cuuuute!!! name pls!
Roasted vegetables for a new mom: no Brussel sprouts. They’re so gassy. If mom is breastfeeding, baby gonna freak out!
Unless that personally happened to you, patty, I’ve gotta call nonsense on this one. Mothers all over the world since the beginning of mothers have eaten wildly varied diets, and still do.
Cruciferous vegetables are actually one of the first things they’ll tell you to take out of your diet if a newborn is struggling with gas and reflux! Ask me how I know, haha. That said! It doesn’t happen to everyone (it affected our second baby but not our first) so it is definitely not a hard and fast rule to avoid them. I would counter this advice by just suggesting a quick check-in with the parents to see if there are any foods they’re avoiding at the moment. I love spicy food but also had to avoid it when nursing our second because it made her so unhappy, and I was always very touched when people asked!
Cruciferous vegetables are actually often one of the first things they’ll tell you to take out of your diet if a newborn is struggling with gas and reflux! Ask me how I know, haha. That said! It doesn’t happen to everyone (it affected our second baby but not our first) so it is definitely not a hard and fast rule to avoid them. I would counter this advice by just suggesting a quick check-in with the parents to see if there are any foods they’re avoiding at the moment. I love spicy food but had to avoid it also when nursing our second because it made her so unhappy, and I was always very touched when people asked!
This is such a nice snapshot of happy family and community life in autumn. I’m happy for you! I’m raising kids the same age in Oregon and I see many similarities. Good reminder to soak it up, all of it!
Freddie’s dog is most def not being casual. I laughed so hard I snorted!
I thought the same! Ha ha!
I have also loved the Social print studio for printing little photos. For years now! The quality is great! And since I’ve been using them for so long, I had a bunch that didn’t fit on our clothes pins garlands. So I took them and sewed together as a vertical garland that spins in the air of our heat pump. It’s a delight.
Whelp, this was the post I didn’t know I needed. 🫠💞 Joy, real, everything fall! As always, CoJ is our internet living room. 🏡
❤️ the photo idea! It must bring Freddie lots of glimmers to his day!
Jo – hi! Longtime reader, mom of toddler – where is your living room coffee table(s?) from? Digging the lack of sharp corners. Thanks so much
Oh yes! Maiden home — they came as three nesting tables (the third one is on the side of our sofa) xoxo
Such a great idea! Bookmarking this for xmas. Also, I love Toby’s new haircut. Could I ask where he gets it cut? Looking for a barber/hair salon in Brooklyn for my son.
Yes! Both boys go to Gary at Les Enfants Terrible on Bergen St, we love him!
Ahahahahahaha – Freddie’s dog. I cannot even. So funny. And wow, is Toby ever looking so grown up these days!
The past few years I’ve gifted my mom her favorite gift – a daily rip-off calendar with a DIFFERENT photo each day! I pick silly ones, old family pics, photos from my travels, my kiddos, a pretty flower – I mean 365 photos is a lot. I ordered the calendar from Social Print Studios. They have great customer service and they make it surprisingly easy to upload 365 pics! I picked the bright yellow stand for my mom. She died this year and it breaks my heart that I’ll never again get her daily text telling me which photo she was enjoying that day. But after she died, I found the pics she ripped off over the years all over the place – in boxes, used as a bookmark, tucked into a cookbook, a random pile on her nightstand. It made me smile that it brought her so much joy.
❤️❤️❤️
I think I might steal your idea, Ginny — my dad digitized all the family photos from when my sister and I were little, so now I have all of those, plus tons of silly ones of my kids. My parents would really like this!
Love Toby’s Warriors sweatshirt! Lets GOOO!
Toby casually rocking the jeans and black shirt is EVERYTHING. He looks like a model, and impossibly grown up.
Denise, I agree that Toby looks like a model. Such an elegant looking young man. His look is so great!
I’m getting ready to order our holiday card from artifact uprising!
Cute photo! Anyone else tempted to curate a little vignette for Freddie’s desk?
Ooh where are your brown flats from? I’ve been looking for a good pair of brown flats for fall!
Madewell! Xo
confirming, they are the greta ballet flat! just bought a pair and i love them! already figuring out where to get them cobbled because i know i’ll be wearing them regularly.
A few years back my siblings gifted my parents a Skylight digital frame, and it’s awesome! Anyone can send a picture to the frame with a link, and it has been especially fun and useful as the folks get older, now live in a retirement community, and moved a state away to be closer to us. Seeing pics of old friends and family, from weddings, events and the grand niece and nephew has been really good for their psyche and memory issues.
I’m just going to jump on the “HOW IS TOBY SO GROWN UP???” bandwagon. He also looks like his handsome uncle (who I also don’t know irl), if I remember correctly. I think it was a million years ago when my now away at college kid was a preschooler who kept wanting to look at a picture of your brother with his motorcycle on COJ. I love seeing your guys growing up at a distance, on the other coast and on a parallel timeline with my own.
omg that is SO CUTE, maiz. was this the photo? how adorable. https://cupofjo.com/2010/12/03/my-brother-the-bedbug/
Oh wow! I went to that post and saw that Nick responded and made an offer for extra videos and photos for Maiz and Reuben (a little bit stalky, i know, but I’m caring for a family member who just had surgery so i’m going down rabbit holes). So there was a time when he was far less mysterious on the blog and engaged with randos! Agreed with watching your family grow, Joanna. You are a joy.
Where are gorgeous olive green shoes from (last pic)??
Alison says, “Dansko, baby. They are VERY hot with nurses and chefs.”
Toby is so handsome!
As a child of divorce, it warms my heart to see Freddie relating well to your kids!! Also, all us “dog people” need to know if Anton gets quality time with Ranger.
hahaha he actually hasn’t met him yet!!!!! we went swimming in Freddie’s community pool over the summer but ran out of time to go back to meet ranger. soon! xoxoxoxo
What?? I would have led with the dog. Like, “well, dear sons, there’s a new dog in my life… and I’d like you to meet him.”
Oh my gosh of everything I’ve read on coj over the past decade plus plus, the fact that Anton has not been snuggling with Ranger yet is one of the biggest surprises! Haha … Anticipation… I hope it’s all I imagine it to be when they do meet up.
It’s tough because we live about 70 minutes drive from each other — so Anton’s only been out there once so far. But soon!! Xoxoxo
How charming!! What a place of honor to be on teacher’s desk :) I make a similar gift for my husband each year, with the same easel stand but it’s a calendar. I try to align each month with something we did in that same month the previous year. It’s a wonderful exercise for me to reflect on all the fun stuff we do each year!
Love these pics! Does anyone know of a Canadian company offering a similar product?
I was just wondering the same, Erica!
fellow Canadian! not *quite* the same, but I’ve been printing photos at London Drugs lately and it’s totally cheap and easy. if you use their online print shop, there are a variety of sizes and shapes available. and maybe Etsy would have something like the cute wooden block, since you can filter it to Canadian shops only? good luck :)
Following!
Love it!! My sweet nieces and nephews–13 of them, all adults–always want to know what to get me for my birthday or Christmas, and I always telling them a to send me a picture of them. They are finally starting to believe me, and now I’m getting pictures of great nieces, too.
As a teacher, the photo of Freddie’s desk really hits 😂 Also, dumbfounded by Toby’s young man face. The bizarre feeling of having watched someone’s existence from afar. Wasn’t he just a tiny thing?? Buying the prints immediately too.
Parabo Press has a similar lovely little lightweight wood block for photo displaying: https://www.parabo.press/wood-block. I’ve been ordering their square print photos for years. My walls and fridge are smothered with them!
thank you!
I CANNOT HANDLE TOBY BEING SO GROWN UPPPPPP! Surely just yesterday he was starting preschool and holding the car with the door that actually opened!
omg sobbbbbbb https://cupofjo.com/2012/07/23/motherhood-mondays-tobys-first-day-of-school/
Yes me too! Currently pregnant with my first boy and it is blowing my mind that one day this little baby will be all grown up like Toby! Not sure how I feel about that haha
don’t worry, jess, he’s still my sweetheart! :)
I just stopped what I was doing and ordered this for my Dad/Step-Mom, my Mom and my Partner. Your tips, tricks and suggestions never disappoint!
My photo gift tip is: vistaprint! When my kids were little, every year I’d design a post-card sized magnet with a photo of them, their names, and the year. I’d buy a ten pack and all the grandparents, aunts and uncles would get one. No frames, just slap ’em on the fridge! Many people would replace them every year, but I now have the full set. One entire door of my fridge has a timeline of my kids, every year! They also have a range of corporate swag-type gifts that you can just put a picture of your kids on. I have a keychain with my kids at a particularly adorable age!
This is so great. We did mugs and water bottles one year.
As an aunt, I can confirm that this is exactly what we want!
What a truly lovely clutch of dudes you have, Jo! So wonderful that they are seemingly getting along. And Ranger! Omg what a cutie😂
Question for the crowd!! I recently took facebook & insta off my phone. I was all sorts of addicted. Bad bad. Soooo other than CoJ, are there any other old school blogs that you follow? Thanks!!
I really like Young House Love and Smitten Kitchen, of course.
I love Kottke.org
Style by Emily Henderson is the other daily blog that I read (in addition to CoJ). Would love additional suggestions!
I just love blogs – My favorites are: YR Studio – Adrianna Tudorache Blog – Slow Living Diane in Denmark A Bowl full of Lemons Inspired by Charm Pretty in the Pines The Gardener’s Cottage (she doesn’t post much but her archives are chefs kiss) My Chic Obsession But Cup of Jo is the BEST! :)
Dresslikeaparisian.com, Anindigoday.com, and apartmenttherapy.com (features houses, too, as well as other dwelling topics).
Joy the Baker is still wonderful
Lots of good blog style content has moved to Substack and Patreon!
Magpie by Jen Shoop. Her comments section is unbelievable!! To say nothing of her lovely prose. There are joyful factions within the commentators who get called in for particular expertise (scent enclave!!)
COJ is my go to, but now and then: Cookie + Kate and Minimalist Baker for eats, and for a book rec, Modern Mrs Darcy. Thanks for the other sites, everyone!
Swiss Miss
https://beehavenacres.blogspot.com/?m=1 Is one of my favorites. Sweet farm living and lots of photos of farm animals. The archives are a wonderful way to spend a little time.
“Freddie’s dog being casual” SENT me. 🤣🤣🤣
Yes, finally more Ranger content!
I kept looking at your living room pic and thinking, “why does this photo feel different to me?” Then I realized Toby is in jeans! Maybe he’s worn them before but this is the first time I noticed. He looks great in them.
yes!!!! his new thing for high school :)
I noticed the jeans as well- definitely a high school thing
Thank you for answering my long held question about when my third grader will finally grow out of sweatpants!
lol Rupal – had the same thought while shopping the other day for my kindergartner. “Can we do jeans yet? Nahhh prob not”
I was so hopeful this photo set would be from Artifact Uprising. I adore this business. I have ordered holiday cards and photo card calendars from here for years. The also make the best matte and textured prints with borders. The only photos I buy anymore. The quality is exceptional!
Thank you for shining light on these beautiful everyday moments, Jo! I wanted to chime in as the partner of another high school teacher! One of my favorite things is visiting my partner’s classroom (sometimes I peek in when I pick him up from work), and each time I find new knick-knacks or sweet memorabilia that he has displayed on his desk or whiteboard! The photo of us together always makes my heart smile, and recently I discovered that he had paper-clipped a poem that I gifted him months ago to a little poster board on his desk – on display for all of his cheeky teen students whenever they need some poetic wisdom. What a gift it is to know and love an educator. xxxx
omg sobbbbb heather!!
Are we all obsessed with Georgie? ◡̈
I came here to ask, “When can we have a ‘Georgie Takeover Week’ on CoJ? To be clear, I mean Georgie runs the blog for a week: Style Tips, Words of Wisdom, How to Share Off a Bad Day, etc.
hahahahaha Jennie I love that
100% obsessed! Was hoping there would be some other Georgie fan comments! I, for one, would read the heck out of a Georgie blog takeover. Her style, her expressions, her exuberance…iconic. Going to into the weekend changing my inner Georgie!
Love seeing the photo of Freddy taking a paparazzi snap of Toby. My stepmom has enriched my life so much and it feels like Freddy is really adding to Toby and Anton’s life. A stepparent plays such a different role than a parent. (I am a huge fan of steps in case you didn’t get my point!) :-)
Georgie is getting so big 😍
Joanna, where is that red pillow under Freddie’s head from? Is it one of Milly’s Ehrman pillows?
yes! it’s one of Milly’s :)
Thank you for this recommendation! I think it’s the perfect gift for my mom in law and father in law for this Christmas, with a sweet great grandson and a new puppy in our family. I struggle with ideas for gift giving, esp since they both have birthdays just before the holidays, and it feels great to just get it done. Such a load of anxiety off for me, and a very reasonable price too, even better. It’s so cheering to see mundane joy in such a dark world. Joy is an act of resistance to tyranny. Waaaay, way off topic, anyone see the season finale to Show Horses last night?? Riveting!! So many zingers. Diana Tavendish for president. Of course she’s not good. But damn, she’s smart and knows how to play the game.
Isn’t tgat one of your grandmother’s needlepoint pillows (a Mill-ow, do I remember?) Freddie is lying on? I am hovering between pride and shame to be 90% sure it’s a Kaffe Fassett peony design.. (currently working on his chrysanthemum pillow..)
“freddie’s dog being casual” made me actually laugh out loud for some reason. so cute!
Those eyes 👀
Trying to hypnotize somebody into giving some treats!
omg same! still seemingly suspicious of this new partner haha.
I’ve never related to a creature so much as I relate to Freddie’s dog being casual.
Joanna, you and your family bring me so much joy. Thanks for this sweet nugget of a post today! Have we been given a formal introduction to Freddie’s dog yet?? Need to know more….such a dang cutie.
hahaha I don’t think so actually!! his name is Ranger, after Power Rangers. (Tell me you have two boys without telling me, haha)
Just want to say I love posts like this. Love the photo display tip and everything else just made me smile. Thanks Joanna for being a real person on the internet. :)