Motherhood Mondays: A dad's hilarious birth story

I'd love to share more stories of dads' sides of the birth story. First up is Rob Beesley, husband of my friend Sharon; his adorable and touching story will make you laugh out loud...xoxo
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Secret message bananas

Write on bananas with toothpicks, and, as the day goes on, the message slowly appears. What an adorable idea for kids (and lunch boxes).

(By Come Together Kids)

Have a great weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? My dad is visiting, so I'm guessing we'll play games, drink wine and eat too much cheese. If it's snowy tomorrow, we might take Toby to FAO Schwartz. (Remember the piano scene from Big?:) Hope you have a good one! Meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

Ivy League dorm rooms.

One bed, three kids.

What a clever way to share a recipe.

Marble balloons.

The perfect non-sticky lip balm for kissing.

LOVE this cardigan.

Genius ad campaign, made me laugh.

Dancing business cards.

Just ordered this rad reindeer sweater and am excited to wear it to holiday parties :)

A funny Woody Allen cartoon.

Have a good weekend! Remember this quote for life. :) xoxo

(First photo by Max Wanger. Second photo credit unknown; reminds me of the show Deadliest Roads!)

Dark red nail polish

New York suddenly feels like winter; tomorrow is even supposed to snow. Wouldn't dark red polish be gorgeous this winter? Sexy, dramatic and perfect with a wool sweater.

Would you wear it? What's the weather like where you are?

Toby drinks seltzer.

My mom took Toby to a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, and he tried some seltzer. He didn't know what to make of the bubbles and kind of hated it, but couldn't stop drinking. Ahh, to be a toddler.

P.S. It reminds me of this, but with more hair!

Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Bridge & Burn, a Portland-based apparel line with waxed cotton jackets and plaid shirt dresses. Don't you love their cool, easygoing style? Portlanders definitely know how to dress for chilly weather! Today they're offering one reader this Stanton Wool Grey jacket ($210), which looks cozy and perfectly tomboyish. Wouldn't you like to wear it while walking around town--and pumpkin picking?

For a chance to win, please visit Bridge & Burn (and their hunky models:) and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random. Good luck! Update: Amy V. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

(Photos by Randall Garcia)

10 Guys Confess: What it feels like to kiss a girl

Have you ever made the first move and kissed a guy (or girl)? It's terrifying! Here, 10 brave guys reveal what goes through their minds when they're about to kiss their crush for the first time...
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Haiku for the Single Girl

The genius new book Haiku for the Single Girl made me laugh out loud. Each page features a haiku and illustration about real life when you're single.

"A woman never forgets what it's like to be single," says the author Beth Griffinhagen, who is a single New Yorker. "In different moments she may feel joyful and free, desperate and without options, amused, and frequently hopeful." Yes, don't you agree?

(Illustrations by Cynthia Vehslage Meyers; animation by Dan Meth)

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from TaDa, an amazing flash sale site that hosts new sales everyday on food, fashion, beauty, home items, everything. Today, they're having a big sale on organic beauty products, which I adore, don't you? They're offering one lucky winner the beauty products, above, with face & body oil, hair wash, conditioner, sleep balm and an organic lipstick (I wear the ruby lipstick everyday).

For a chance to win, sign up for TaDa, and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Petya K. is our winner. Thanks for playing. And you can still get the products at a big discount on TaDa, of course! xoxo

Gift for guys

If you want to thank a guy or send a gift to a man, but you know he's not the flowers-and-chocolate type, you can now send meat and beer! Thanks Bro is a funny new online shop that will deliver a six pack (think: Dogfish Head, Lagunitas) and fancy beef jerky. What a brilliant idea.

Happy birthday, Alex!

Happy Birthday, Alex! We love you so much. You've been adorable all your life, and we're so glad you ended up with us. Love, Joanna and Toby

Tuesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Birkiland, a shop featuring designs from...Iceland! The products are rad and playful--like these candle rings and family glasses. Today they're offering one lucky winner a Wing scarf, made of 100% Icelandic wool. The scarf was inspired by Icelandic sea eagles, which boast a wingspan of up to eight feet; and wearing the scarf allegedly puts you under the eagle's protection. Wouldn't it be fun to wear all winter? I love the candy color.

For a chance to win, please visit Birkiland and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Rachie M. is our winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Winged eyeliner

Ooh, wouldn't you love to try this winged eyeliner for nights out? Sexy, dramatic and (best of all) not too tricky. Here's a great how-to.

(Photo credit unknown)

The New Museum: A playground!

Don't you love interactive museum exhibits? This morning, Alex and I swung by the New Museum's amazing new exhibit, Carston Höller: Experience, which has transformed the museum into a grown-up playground. First, we rode a mirrored carousel, where you sit on swings and rotate slowly, while listening to actual birds singing. It was incredibly relaxing, and you felt like you were five years old.
See the mobile of chirping birds? Now, see the top of the slide?
Fascinated by themes of childhood, safety, love and doubt, Höller built a 102-foot-long slide that runs from the museum's fourth floor to the second floor.
Naturally, Alex was braver and went first.
Down he goes!
Butterflies in my stomach, I went next. The guide told me to put my hands in my lap...
...and tuck my feet into the canvas sack seat.
Whoosh! The slide was FAST with twists, turns and blinking lights. You basically fly out of the tunnel at the end; I definitely screamed! :) What a trip!
The exhibit also has a sensory deprivation tank, in which you float weightlessly and have an out-of-body experience...
...and upside-down goggles, which make you see the world (you guessed it) upside down.

What a fun exhibit; I'd highly recommend going by. See more here. xoxo

P.S. Look at Höller's slide at the Tate Modern!

(Glasses photo courtesy of The New Museum; tank photo by Katie Sokoler/Gothamist; all other photos by us)

Motherhood Mondays: How long did you have a lovey?

Did you have a lovey when you were little? Growing up, my sister had a lamb, I had a teddy bear, and my brother had...a piece of women's lingerie. Seriously, my brother's blankie was a torn piece of a blue silk slip. He just liked the silky feel. My mom would put it in the freezer so it felt cold when he fell sleep (although then it also smelled like fish).

But how long do loveys last? When my friend was expecting her first baby, she packed her stuffed polar bear in the hospital bag. "My husband thinks I'm crazy for taking 'Pola' to the hospital," she told me. "But I need him there with me!"

Recently, I read this fascinating Momfilter post about lovey expiration dates. Pilar (who, incidentally, is the editor in chief of Martha Stewart Living) revealed that her sweet four-year-old son was still obsessed with his doggie blanket (or, as she called it, "his great enduring love.") Her husband objected to his son's attachment, but Pilar, who had mixed feelings, wrote, "When I watch the blankie-thumb nirvana that washes over him, I wonder how anyone can argue with that."

A commenter added: "My eight-year-old still sleeps with his fuzzy...I still see that perfect joy when he climbs into bed and sees it like it's a surprise (really? You didn't know it would be there?)...Husbands have a way of 'manning up' our boys, sometimes as a knee-jerk response. Whenever my husband does this I always say, 'Let's go call your mother and ask what you did as a child.' That usually takes care of it."

Fascinating all around. What about you? Did you have a lovey? For how long? Do you still tuck it under your pillow? Do your children have loveys? How long do you think it's OK for them to remain attached to them? As long as they'd like, or should they be encouraged to pack it away at a certain age? I'd love to hear your thoughts...
(Photos by Our Labor of Love)

Shared room

How adorable is this idea for sibling's shared room? The duo wallpaper is definitely chicer than drawing a chalk line down the middle.

(From IKEA)

Have a fun weekend.

My sweets, what are you doing this weekend? Alex and I are heading off on our first trip without Toby--just for two nights. I'm really excited for some grown-up time (and cocktails), but just hope our little bunny doesn't miss me as much as I'll miss him! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great links from around the web...

(Good) Will Hunting has a way with words.

Bill Cunningham seems like a truly sweet person.

The perfect sweater.

What is it about white fairy lights?

Genius Halloween costume: A pinata with a black eye!

Awww, the little darlings.

Oh, baby!

Beautiful bathrooms.

How adorable are these dancing models?

Biking with no hands!

This story broke my heart. What an amazing woman.

(Photo by Arthur Leipzig)

Family holiday cards

Do you guys send out holiday cards? We never have, but I've always wanted to send a family photo card with a heartfelt note to friends. This year, I realized that photo cards are actually less expensive than buying boxed cards at the grocery store, so the decision was made! Now we just need to choose one. I've narrowed it down to four favorites...
1.Joy Accordion card. Bonus: You get to include 8 photos.
2. Greetings card, classic and beautiful.
3. Colorblock card feels cute and festive.
4. Happy New Year card looks old-fashioned and nostalgic.

Are you going to send holiday cards this year? Which would you choose? I think I'm leaning toward the top two.

Bonus: Pinhole Press, my friends' company and one of my beloved sponsors, is offering 10% off everything in their shop until December 31st. Just enter the code CUPOFJO. xoxo

(Top photo via New York Times)

How old were you when you had your first kiss?

So for this Relationships Thursday, let's talk about kissing! How old were you when you had your first kiss? I was...
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