How Was Your Weekend? Staying Cozy?

We visited my parents in Iowa the weekend before last, where we usually get a blast of terrible February weather. But it was so pleasant, that on the way back home to St. Louis, we stopped by the tiny college where my husband and I met and fell in love. (Aww) We had our kids with us, and it was surprisingly funny and heartwarming to take them in a few of the buildings where we’d goofed around 20 years ago and watch current students ogle us as if we’re old (rude). We even had lunch at the crappy bar downtown before we got back in our minivan. For two hours I felt 22 again, and my kids saw me smile more than they had in a while.

Claire’s fortune doesn’t have to be bad. What if she has to face the consequences that she’s going to be the recipient of mounds of love after spreading so much joy? Let’s go with that, Claire!

We got three feet! My office closed through Monday and Tuesday. My boyfriend was traveling, so I had our home to myself. I made a stew, cooked up a big chili, baked a raspberry cake, read, spent loads of time with my dog (including trekking outside), fed the birds, and caught up on The Gilded Age and White Lotus. I had a craft night with a neighborhood friend, and then we walked to a brewery with a cake and our crafts for another friend’s birthday. I had a worry at the back of my mind most of the time, though. Sometimes it was hard to stay in the present moment, so my weekend wasn’t entirely blissful.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/realestate/heated-rivalry-cottage-airbnb-rental.html Rent the Heat 😉

We got a dusting of snow in Richmond, Virginia. We missed the 2 or more inches predicted. We had ice and snow at the end of January. The worst in at least 30 years.

My brother and I have a longstanding tradition of sharing our fortunes with each other, which started after we realized during our teenage years that he would often get really good ones and I would get ones that are decidedly less so. Well, we actually went and got Chinese food together as adults a few years back and we got to compare same place, same time. His: “You are the greatest in the world” while I was left with “Don’t take risks. It’s not worth it.” Cool cool.

Here in terrifyingly dry Colorado. Winter has skipped us completely this year and it’s so scary. Enjoy your snow East Coast – no complaining!! We’d take it in a heartbeat out here!

Looked at another way, the fortune could be positive! Like, “Hey, look at (whatever I’ve been striving for/working at) coming to fruition after putting in the work. Looks like it’s time to enjoy my success.”

I’m in Massachusetts and this is the most snow I’ve ever seen in my life. We were thankfully without power only for 12 hours. I’m going through my first miscarriage. I’m 39 and already have three daughters. The pregnancy was unexpected as was the miscarriage. I’m grateful I got to stay home and rest for another day, while my husband and kids helped me recover and tended to my needs. I have all the feelings right now. Glad I was able to go to some old CoJ posts about miscarriages. Made me feel less alone.

When I was 11, I begged and pleaded to get my ears pierced, and my mom finally (finally!) caved. We got Chinese food for lunch the day of the piercing appointment, and during the drive to the mall, she lectured me on how this was most certainly a terrible idea. At lunch, we opened up our fortune cookies, and I kid you not, my fortune read: “Good advice jars the ear.” Reader, my ears did in fact get infected, and my mom is still smug about that fortune cookie to this day, 25 years later.

My friend gave me a $250 (!!!) gift card to a restaurant group here in Philly for watching her two dogs, so Friday my husband and I split a weed gummy and went out to dinner. We gorged on homemade rolls with chive butter, tuna crudo with black garlic vinaigrette and kimchi, branzino, a skillet chocolate chip cookie, apple tarte tatin, and…a few too many old fashioneds. We then went to a comedy show and closed out the night making friends with the youths at an Irish bar. It was awesome. Saturday was for cleaning, making harissa roast chicken, and introducing the husband to one of my favorite movies, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Sunday I read while it snowed, made Swedish meatballs over egg noodles, and caught up on Shoresy. Pretty awesome.

My mom once got a fortune cookie that threatened “LOCK YOUR DOORS TONIGHT”. How f-ed up is that?!?!?!

My household had norovirus all week, and my birthday was yesterday! We made the best of it, but I missed the joy of eating my favorite foods, wine, and cake!

That snow is lovely. We get plenty in Minneapolis but have yet to get a real big one like that, they’re my favorite. Though we got 8″ last Wednesday and my neck is still sore from shoveling. Friday night our girls Elementary school had a kindness fest. My husbands on the PTO so he was working it the whole time. I finally got to meet my Kindergartners best friend and her Mom – a lovely Indian family here on work Visas and had the most wonderful (often tear filled) chat. Saturday we went to our best friends house and the kids all ran wild and us grown ups chatter and ate some incredible wings (the Howe in S Minneapolis for any locals). Sunday was ‘easy’ day – lots of puttering and resting. I took the girls to the library and FELL ASLEEP IN THE KID SECTION while my girls played. I didn’t mean to, just laid back on the couch, closed my eyes and wham sleeping in a public space. My husband goes ‘at least you had your teddy bear coat on so you for sure looked homeless’

I got a fortune recently that said to “stay informed about current technology trends” 😂

In Madison, WI, where the 50 degree “winter intermission” is gone but we travelled to the UP to ski with my husband’s family. The powder was fresh and I’m so glad I have the energy to do this after a 2024 cancer diagnosis. Regular workweek and time to tackle the grocery order and laundry!

Tuesday uplift-Laufey,Radio 2 Piano Room BBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXoZqwYQNxU

Had some fun hikes, a nice run on Friday that was very cold. No snow, sadly. I miss that hushed quiet when there’s a big snow fall. We made Smitten Kitchen Best Hot Fudge sauce and caramel sauce, and made the world’s best banana splits. I taught my grandson magic carpet rides (blanket on wood floor, baby hops on, you pull around, the wilder the better).

Love these updates! And so jealous of your snow. Here in South Dakota (where I am a little blue dot, BTW), I have brand new snow pants I’m itching to put on use for cross county skiing… and ZERO snow on the ground. My weekend was good, our family did some volunteering and some lazing about. Already looking forward to this next one — my husband and I are taking a little weekend away in Omaha, NE. Any Omaha readers out there? Would love your reccs!

I really need to know the answer to the snowman search. How many are there??

This weekend was delightful! The blizzard was the icing on the cake! All weekend my kids and I have been cooking our meals (meal to break your fast during Ramadan) using recipes from @thegoldenbalance. We made steak and loaded baked potatoes, caramelized onion mac and cheese, honey bbq chicken sliders and chicken schwarma tacos. We even made chocolate shaved ice! The kids loved setting the table for iftaar, lighting candles and listening to Quran as we ate and praying together as a family. I’m going to miss all that as we have returned back to school from our Feb break. We took the kids out to play in the snow in the playground. Snowball fights, snow angels, attempts at a snowman, all a rip roaring good time! Afterwards, we came home and baked a cake from a box mix. I love baking from scratch but something about snowy days always has me craving boxed brownies or cake. Nostalgia maybe? After the kids went to bed, my husband and I watched a Ramadan series on Youtube (Omar Suleiman’s Ramadan series in case anyone is interested in watching) and I read by book, The Maid by Nita Prose. Really cozy whodunit-perfect for a snowed in day. While I enjoyed my snow day, I was upset with my boy Mamdani. Today should have been pivoted to a remote learning day, instead of making us go in. Trains are running decently, but parking is terrible. I still love him though!

I’m in the PNW where we didn’t have a winter this year. I think the NE took all of it :p So this weekend, I watched our new migratory bird visitors while smelling daphne. We had tons of rain, but I managed a hike during a dry spell. We also took the family into the city for the symphony and a nice dinner. (It’s fun to have teens and tweens!) I made progress on the knitted mittens one of my kids requested – which I can take my time on as they clearly won’t be used until next year – and the books “Getting Out of Saigon” and “Pink Marine.” Not sure how I ended up on a 1970’s military memoir kick, but I enjoyed both.

My winter weekends have been really nice lately. My husband plays pickleball with 11 other guys on Saturdays and while he is doing that, I grab an iced latte and walk around a store of my choosing, just browsing and putting whatever I may need/want into my cart. Once the latte is done, I checkout and then meet him and his friends at whatever bar they decided to go to that day, and my hubby buys me a glass of wine and lunch. I get a little me time, run an errand, and then get some social interaction. I love it. And everyone I tell about it is like, “that sounds like an awesome Saturday” lol.

When I saw that fortune cooking fortune I was reminded that “Be prepared for the consequences of your actions” doesn’t have to be an ominous warning of upcoming doom, but a reminder that sometimes we don’t prepare ourselves for the POSITIVE consequences of our actions, and the goodness and joy that can follow. So when I saw that I thought “How am I preparing myself to receive the abundance and blessing of all the actions I’m taking right now?” “How am I making sure I know that I’m worthy of them, and that it’s okay to enjoy them?”

thanks for asking! I was a bachelorette all weekend!! hubs went up N. I premeditated my entire weekend…Fri. at-home happy hour w/2 artist friends & a cold nite hot tub. Sat. early brunch w/teacher friends to shop-talk school in said hot tub. Sun. house chores, thank you notes, (emails w/fotos) & afternoon soak in hot tub! I’m rejuvenated & calm!

I visited a friend in San Francisco this weekend, and hoped that the weather (65 the whole time!) and green plants would perk me up. I’m in a bit of a slump, living in a city that I don’t care for while I wait for a visa to come in so I can go back to Italy and start my dream job. The visa keeps getting delayed, and I was so hopeful it would have arrived in the mail by the time I got back, but no dice… so I’ve just had to push my flight back again, which is getting expensive. SF was indeed lovely, and I felt better while I was there—would have been hard not to with all the cute babies I saw and my friends’ incredibly well-decorated apartment. but it doesn’t seem to have carried over to my slump-y life (and gross apartment) back here at home.

The heartache of missing your kids post divorce – ugh. The worst. Truly. Hugs to you

I started reading a book that i am unexpectedly and absolutely loving – The Pretender. It’s a historical fiction/reimagining, a bit reminiscent of Hamnet, except it is SO FUNNY. Told through the perspective of a 10-year-old boy in the 1400s, raised as a peasant on a farm but plucked away by carious lords as a supposed rightful heir to the English throne. He has such a delightful, naive, and hilarious voice, the book is really making me laugh out loud. Gaspard the goat! The stairs in Oxford! The silver ship! Oranges! (IYKYK). I haven’t finished it yet so i really hope there is not a devastating ending. “For a moment, Lambert was on the top of a spire, looking down at himself, a tiny mote of hay dust. Then back in his own body, the body coming to the door of a house, stumbling in, falling up the stairs. It didn’t know stairs.” [Trying to write a book for children who used to be peasants but are now princes:] No one wants to hear of making cheese. Talk of plowing makes nobles ill at ease. Don’t cry out when you see an orange [line crossed out – because he realized nothing rhymes with Orange!] Don’t let sight of an orange make you cry out Don’t let the commode lid hit your towte

The fortune cookie comments have me smiling. My sisters family adds ‘in the bedroom’ to the end of every cookie fortune…it’s hilarious, give it a try! So Claire’s becomes less of a threat and more of giggle!

There’s a German company that sells “Misfortune Cookies” (Pechkekse). These are a laugh at dinner parties – but don’t take them seriously. The most memorable quote so far: “You stink!”. :-)

I know there are some downsides to the snow (understatement), but my God, how beautiful! There is a different sort of quiet that comes with snow. And the branches- magical. If you are lucky enough to have a warm and cozy place to rest, there is nothing like it.

I count 5.5 snowmen (one in process on the right). Great pics of an NYC winter wonderland!! We had a pretty day of snowfall here in DC but not much accumulation. My weekend: went out dancing (first time in a long time, so dang fun) and finished “Anatomy of an Alibi” for book club (a fun thriller/beach read) and then shopped for fun snacks since it is my turn to host.

Realizing we had no plans and snow was fresh, we spontaneously drove up the mountain on Saturday to go cross-country skiing! Such a great, full day. Sunday I woke up early to tune into a zoom event with panelists in my field in conversation with Robert Icke about his new rendition of Oedipus. Wish I could beam myself to Broadway to see Leslie Manville enrapture an audience. Instead I met up with a friend for our local touring Broadway show, Beetlegeuse, which landed a bit clunkily in the social surround that is this Epstein Files release moment. The performers were excellent though! Love these weekend updates, reading yours and sharing mine…

I always find it interesting that snowmen are different in America than in England. In America they have three balls of snow, in England they only have two, one for the body and one for the head. Enjoy your snow. X

Blimey. Maybe it’s positive consequnces? You flossed ever day? Consequently your dentist says your gums are perfect! You made enough dinner for 2 nights? Consequently you have another delicious meal and no washing up! You remembered your granny’s birthday? Consequently you both feel loved! Prepare to feel excellent!!!

Ah, my kids are stuck in Texas with their dad too! I cannot wait until they get back on Wednesday. I had to tromp around the snow in my backyard from the blizzard without them. It was fun and much needed after 2 days inside with Love Is Blind, but I missed throwing snowballs with them.

We are reading about New York, here in Athens, Greece where we have 20 C. Unbelievable!

My kids took turns being very sick with the flu each weekend in February. Here’s to hoping this weekend is not my turn!

I love these snow photos! The idea of so much snow in a big city blows my mind. It must feel so magical and that shared experience so special. I read an excellent book over the weekend – What A shame. I highly recommend. Love British writers. The dark humour hits just right. Spent time at home and hospital where my daughter is, we got seriously into a puzzle. Have found I like puzzles! My youngest daughter, who is 13, and I made smitten kitchen brownie cookies at home. We forgot an ingredient but they still turned out so well! Eaten in a flash x

One time my mom opened a fully wrapped fortune that said “For a good time call xx” with an actual phone number! Someone at the factory was bored that day or looking for love!

I had a lovely weekend :) I always tend to if I am being honest! Friday night, I normally have a lazy one but my friend was over from Houston so he took me and my daughter out for dinner which was lovely. Saturday morning, I woke up and got out for a 4km walk and then we headed to Cruden Bay (a small town in the NE of Scotland) to visit friends. We took her dogs for a walk along the beach which delighted my daughter and then back to hers for lots of food, mocktails, cocktails and board games. Sunday my daughter had rehearsals for her show so I went for a nap and then went for 6km walk. Watched some TV, got some takeaway pizza, spoke to my husband (hes offshore) and we were in bed by 9! Lovely weekend.

Doing my best to guess what taco place in ATX they’re at? Nothing beats Texas tacos!

That snow! here in Paris it feels as if winter was starting to slip away… So on Sunday we went on our first hike outside Paris in the forest of Fontainebleau. On week-ends, you can take a train that runs only twice a day, very early, and stops in the middle of the forest in between two stations. There is no station for that, the driver just stops the train and all the hikers get out. You just walk on the rails, it’s crazy and I love it. It was probably the best moment of the hike! We also watched the movie Fame with my 12 y old and it was a big hit. We have a cineclub night every friday night and the rule is that we can only watche movies from before my son date of birth, 2013, we love it. Have a good tuesday! Love from Paris.

I went to Heated Rivalry club night and danced my 40 year old ass til midnight. I was hungover, hoarse and knees creaking the next day, but a huge smile on my face.

A friend shared a story recently. We were talking about the exhaustion of motherhood, working, and supports. A colleague had shared with them once, “build the village you want” and she stared others acknowledge it takes a village to raise kids, but very few want to help build the village. As a parent of a young child with family far away, we feel that too. So! We did just that, or planted a few more seeds. I spent Sunday laughing with my friend as she’s 40 weeks and 5 days past her due date, walking the curbs and stairs at a nearby park while our partners chased our toddlers through the wood chips and up and down slides. I delivered an “ok” meal to a mom who was solo parenting her two young boys while her partner was on call, and texted another mom just to remind her how cared for I feel by her, which is miraculous given the caring she pours into her little ones and older parents every day. And while I didn’t get to rotating toys or batch cooking like I’m “supposed to” or quite catching up on life admin, my cup was a little more full knowing I had nourished my village with a bit more intention.

Bea, hope your interview on Monday went well and that it works out as you wish it to!

Growing up, my mom read every fortune she opened as “You love Chinese food” as a joke. I loved that. Of late I have found myself questioning every fortune cookie opened in my midst – is that really a “fortune”? Methinks they’ve become similar to criticism of Alanis Morisette’s Ironic…is that irony? (Don’t ya think?).

I got my palm read for the first time when I was a 16-year-old Girl Scout camp counselor, and after peering at my head, heart, life, and fate lines the palmister informed me…that I was lazy. If she could see me now, man! I just ate three Popsicles, and if that doesn’t demonstrate a robust work ethic and follow-through I don’t know what to tell you.

We had a low key weekend with the peak being an early morning drive from the desert town we live in to the sky island mountain where we got to play in the last of the snow, about 5 inches. Then a few errands with a friend. We have started a semi regular errand outing which has turned out to be such a jolly way to spend a few weekend hours. Just giggling all over town and getting shit done. Then an hour drive home to a 75 degree day. The snow on NYC looks so magical.

The snow is so pretty! I’m jealous…we’ve not gotten any snow yet this winter, which is unusual. I had a quiet weekend….read in bed ( one of my favorite things!) til almost 10 am on Saturday! I’m almost done with Kamala Harris’ 107 Days….reading it with mixed emotions….what could have been! Watched the Olympics skating Gala…..all hail Queens Allysa and Amber! Made Dragon Noodles for Sat. night dinner, got a good walk in taking in the blooming daffodils!

Wrote in a while back about my amazing neighbor gal pals! This weekend we took a girl’s trip to Palm Springs; much needed! Look at that snow!!

The weekend went so fast and was mainly full or errands, laundry, life admin, with a tiny bit of friend time and a long walk. I was not nearly as excited as Toby about the snow in NYC today, but didn’t mind the slow start and not having to commute anywhere. PS That fortune sent me.

My most interesting fortune cookie message: “Sin twice and it will not seem a sin.”

That Instagram reel is AWESOME! Thank you for sharing!

Joanna, over the weekend I caught up on last week’s posts with my nephew at my side, while he showed me things he wanted to spend his birthday money on. My sister pointed out that my nephew and I were sat in the same spot, me reading the same site just like when he was just a baby. That baby just turned16! Is this right? Have we been here 16 years? Are we having a Sweet Sixteen?

the snow pictures!! so gorgeous!! i have been absolutely loving the weekend update posts- they are so inviting and feel like we are just crashing on our your couch for a little catch up. since i posted the request a few months ago, i started a new job in a different city. so it’s been bananas over here and i haven’t had time to say thank you! weekends have now turned into crunch time over here ha.

I finished Audition by Katie Kitamora and also heard her speak. I loved the book but my friend didn’t like it. It’s definitely unusual

At a lunar new year celebration, my three-year old got a fortune cookie fortune that read, “Your concept of handling funds requires review”. We couldn’t stop laughing!

No snow here but it was really cold. I stayed inside all weekend painting my living room the most lovely shade of white. This, after trying three other colors. It’s so soft and calming. The only time I broke away was to meet my parents for dinner, a terrible mistake. They argued and rolled their eyes at each other the whole time, yet they’ve been married for nearly 54 years! I told my Mom while my Dad stepped away that it’s not too late to separate! Good grief. They are two emotionally immature people who I know love each other, but should have divorced a long time ago. Anyway, I’m really happy with the paint color, lol.

I had the flu and had to cancel all plans, BUT I read Heart the Lover, a rec I saw on Cup of Jo, and I tore through it. I devoured it in one sitting and sobbed on my sofa for a good ten minutes at the end. I’ve now put holds on all other Lily King books at the library.

Weekend was great, we had family sheet mask and movie night, which was new to my father in law. And Claire’s fortune reminds me of the fortunes at the ominous Chinese restaurant in Kelly Link’s The Girl Detective off Broadway: “Your friends are not who you think they are.”

Two feet of snow here in Connecticut and my job closed so instead of working remotely I took a true snow day and spent the day cozily baking bread, painting with watercolors, puttering around, and then eventually bundling up and doing some shoveling. Just found out tomorrow is another snow day so my partner and I are putting off the remaining shoveling until tomorrow.

RE: World’s Worst Fortune – I think I got the world’s worst horoscope in my email inbox. It read: “The story you tell yourself about why things keep going wrong protects your pride but solves nothing. Look at the patterns. The common denominator in all your failed relationships and disappointments is you.” I was like, damn, my horoscope has major beef with Geminis today. Is this even a horoscope? I was looking more for like, “look both ways before crossing the street today”, not “you’re a bad person.” My husband and I were honestly laughing so hard.

My teenage daughter is on a church trip and is “stranded in Paris” hopefully she will be back tomorrow. However, she was kind enough to ask me for s French Pharmacy shopping list so no only will I have the joy of seeing her there will be the bonus of an unexpected French pharmacy haul.

Oh, no! A fortune cookie factory mix up! That cookie was actually meant to be delivered to the White House.

My weekend started on Thursday because I needed to stay home thanks to my 1st shingles shot. That puppy made me feel like I had the worst flu of my life. But it’s better than shingles, which I had in my early 30s (0/10 would never recommend). I spent Thursday and Friday binge reading Heart The Lover (divine) and binge watching S9 of Shetland (I know it’s cold and dark there, but I’d live there in a second). The actual weekend was lovely and lazy and I’m sad it’s back to the grind today.

We were in the 80’s on Saturday and then it cooled down Sunday. I am reading The Correspondent. I love falling in love with A good book.

We went out with a group of friends to celebrate National Margarita Day on Sunday. Two of the six of us claimed the best margarita in town were at two different places, so we tried them both then walked to a friend’s house for carnitas and HIS excellent margaritas. Another friend made a rubric for us to fill out at each location. It was so joyful.

In high school, my best friend’s mom in used to add “in bed” to the end of every fortune cookie fortune. It was so wildly unpredictable from as a high schooler to hear a mom say this, now I can’t help but say it myself!

Zap me into that photo of Toby and Claire! I’ll take the left side :)