Would You Sing Karaoke at Your Wedding?

A few years ago, I once went to a wedding where… …guests sang karaoke at the reception. One of the groomsmen, Michael, who until then had been pretty quiet and reserved, brought down the house singing Frank Sinatra’s My Way. (Everyone was then like, wait, is Michael super hot?) “You can’t take karaoke too seriously,…

Read more

The Best Thing to Text a Friend

Last fall, when Alex and I were beginning to split up and life felt like a pencil sharpener (I was the pencil)… I was planning to meet up with two Cup of Jo readers. We’d held a giveaway for a NYC weekend trip, and the weekend had come! Two sisters took the train to New…

Read more

How Do You Parent a Tween?

There are suddenly parenting books all over our apartment, splayed on the floor beside my bed, stacked on the sofa, tucked next to the toilet, dog-eared and underlined. I send photos of paragraphs to my husband with texts like, “We need to start doing this!” or in all-caps, screaming, “READ THIS NOW!!!!” I want every…

Read more

How To Get Back Up After Life Knocks You Down

A proven 4-step process to help you rise from the ashes. Two things are true about life. No. 1: It will knock you down. No. 2: You can choose to get back up. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill I’ve had periods…

Read more

The #1 Thing to Do When You Get a Job Offer

My cousin Jeremy and I like to talk about business together… First off, how cute is he? He is Lulu’s son… …and he was the youngest cousin on family trips, while I was the oldest… …so I spent my childhood summers carrying him all around Cornwall. These days, Jeremy lives in Pittsburgh with his wife…

Read more

What Are Your Low-Stakes Burns?

Our family’s had a few ups and downs this week, so! On a fun note… What are your low-stakes insults? This quote from Justin Boldaji made me laugh: When we were growing up, my siblings and I would complain to our mom about various annoying people at school or work or ballet practice. Her reply?…

Read more

Monster Cookies

It’s always a good day when we get to tell you about a new book from Yossy Arefi, long-time contributor to Cup of Jo and one of my recipe writers who meets me where I am, namely: in no-fuss baked goods land. Her latest cookbook, Snacking Bakes, speaks my love language, promising treats (bars, brownies,…

Read more

My Friend Gemma’s Lipstick Find

My friend Gemma lives in New York but has been working in London for the past year, so our friendship is currently long distance. The other day, as always, I was happy to see her name pop up in my messages: “Darling, buy this,” she wrote, along with a link to this lipstick. “I cannot…

Read more