Soup and a sandwich. If you’re like me, the phrase probably conjures up either workday lunches at Au Bon Pain in the ‘90s or late night diner sessions with high school friends. But these days, it’s also conjuring up my new favorite summer dinner formula. You might wonder if this is just the natural progression…
Read moreWhat Do You Like About Where You Live? 12 Readers Share
What do you love about where you live? Says Cup of Jo reader Katherine: “Kitsilano, a seaside neighborhood in Vancouver, is stunning year round (even in the rainy winter) but it shines brightest in the summer when Vancouverites flock to Kits pool, the longest outdoor pool in North America!” Here, 11 other readers share what’s…
Read more5 Things A Young Father Should Remember When His Eagerly Anticipated Family Vacation Skids Off Course
And how to create memories of things other than the burning money. I always like packing the car before a beach trip. It’s like a game of Tetris, and if I have extra room when the packing is done, I’ve won the game. I won Tetris this year: This was going to be a great…
Read moreWhat Is One of the Nicest Compliments You’ve Ever Received?
The other day, I recommended Bad Sisters, the Irish black comedy, to my friend Colby. He immediately began watching it and texted me over the next few days about whose house he’d want to live in (Eva’s) and which sister he had the biggest crush on (Becca). We went back and forth about the show…
Read moreA Bakery Proposal Story
Sheila Hoang — our lovely old sitter! — and her boyfriend Denzell Newsome just got engaged in Dallas, Texas. Here’s their sweet story… How did you meet?Denzell: We met in a design class in grad school almost four years ago.Sheila: I wasn’t thinking about anyone in class, like who was cute or not. I was…
Read moreI’m Going Through a Cold Cake Phase
You know how there’s a mini aisle of temptations at the checkout aisle of the grocery store? (If orange Tic Tacs still tempt you, though, hang in there, buddy.) It’s not really as tempting as it used to be when I was a kid with eyes as wide as Reese’s cups. But when you’re queuing…
Read moreUpdating the Basement Family Room With New Furniture and Fresh Colors
Welcome back to our basement! Summer is the time of year when we’re not using this space too much. This makes it a great time to think about the finishing touches we want to complete down here to make it ready for the long, cold winter when space to run and play is limited. We…
Read morePatchy or Sparse Facial Hair? 5 Beard Tips for Guys with Bad Beard Genetics from a Guy with Bad Beard Genetics (Before & After Photos)
How I learned to love and style my sparse, patchy beard. Thanks to Brio for believing in Primer’s mission and sponsoring this post. Primer readers who buy the Beardscape V2 receive the Zero Blade attachment ($24.99 value) FREE. Facial hair is a big deal for guys. Kids in our grade hit that puberty mark, and it’s like…
Read moreA Week of Outfits: Odette Williams
My friend Odette Williams — the Australian-born, Brooklyn-based author of Simple Cake and Simple Pasta and drinks party fame — always laughs while she talks, which is the most endearing quality. She brings that same laid-back style to cooking, entertaining, and getting dressed. “Thank you for thinking of this shabby Aussie,” she joked, when I asked…
Read moreKids’ Thank You Notes
This Saturday, we visited some friends on Fire Island… How pretty is their garden? The lovely guest bedroom. Who wants to jump in? The boys tossing a tennis ball, utterly uninterested in the sunset. Never not watching Dirty Dancing at this point lol. When we returned home on Sunday, I asked the boys to write…
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