Mother's Day: 4 gifts for new moms

Last week, I featured a Mother's Day gift guide with gift ideas for our own mothers. But I've gotten emails from husbands asking for gift ideas for their wives, since they want to honor the mothers of their own children. How sweet is that sentiment? So, here are four Mother's Day ideas for new mothers...
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About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head. (Seriously.)

The funniest thing we discovered in Amsterdam was definitely this classic children's book. The title? "About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head." Look inside...Read More >

Motherhood Mondays: Biking in Amsterdam

I'd love to share our Amsterdam photos later this week, but in the meantime, want to see some crazy photos of bikes in Amsterdam?

When turning, people would just put one hand casually down on that side, or point to the ground to the left or right of them:
We saw lots of couples on dates, where the girls were riding sideways on the back of their boyfriends' bikes. It looks cute and charming, although my friend Penny, who lives there, said that it feels like a horribly uncomfortable half-body ab workout:)
We saw people carrying crazy things:

We saw people biking with dogs in their front baskets:

More below...Read More >

Have a relaxing weekend.

My darlings, what are you up to this weekend? Alex and I just got back from Amsterdam, where we had an amazing time (I'm excited to share photos next week), although now that we're back, we've been smooching on Toby non-stop this morning. We missed him so much! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun posts, if you find yourself in a blog-reading mood...xoxo

Our friends in Austin took family portraits. Adorable!

Fascinating piece about marriage and sex.

Such a gorgeous haircut.

Alternative to flip flops.

Lion tattoo. Rawr!

Great round mirror.

Fourteen City Hall weddings.

This white cotton dress would be perfect for City Hall.

Make a taco box for new parents!

And these taco holders are a great idea.

Painted glass tumblers.

What an awesome neon clutch.

Have you seen this baby elephant on a beach?

Surprising safety tip: Don't go down slides with toddlers in your lap.

Domino Magazine's special issue is on newsstands now. Excited to nab one today! xo
(Top photo of the Green Tunnel, Castle Garden, United Kingdom)

Friday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Paper & Chain, a beautiful jewelry line designed by two British friends. I'm completely over the moon about their geometric designs, especially the leather bracelets and triangle studs. Today they're letting one lucky winner choose her favorite piece. Which would you choose?

For a chance to win, please visit Paper & Chain and leave a comment below with your favorite piece. A winner will be selected on Monday, so you have three days! Good luck! xoxo Update: Amanda W. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13th--about two weeks away! Here are 10 gifts she'll love...
A bouquet of peonies, above, since they're pretty much every woman's favorite flower. $93.
A mug to make her laugh, $14.
Brunch cooking class in Brooklyn, celebrated on Mother's Day. $125/person.
Plant topper, to fill her bedroom with light and rainbows, $140.
Morse code bracelet that spells out "mom," $40.
Fondue pot filled with chocolate, $20, plus a basket of strawberries. Made in Paris, naturellement.
Your favorite childhood photo sent to her in a silver frame, $28, to remind her that you'll always be her baby. (Get 10% off any Pinhole Press order with the code CUPOFJO.) P.S. That's my mom, my twin sister and me above:)
Friendship earrings--one for you and one for her. $55.
Field of Grass soy candle, to transport her to freshly cut grass in the countryside, among daisies, beneath the sun. $20.
An astrology reading, because how fun is that?! And lunch afterward to talk about it all.

P.S. More great gifts for women...

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pyrrha, a handcrafted jewelry collection based in Vancouver. Worn by celebrities like Katie Holmes and Reese Witherspoon, the personal talisman necklaces symbolize what you are and what you believe in. For example, the anchor above symbolizes hope and optimism, and the bee stands for creativity. (My favorite might be this mother bear, which symbolizes strength, ferocity and the protection of one's children.) How incredible and empowering to wear one everyday.

One lucky winner will get to choose her favorite piece from the shop (up to $200). Which would you choose? See them all here.

For a chance to win, please visit Pyrrha's online shop, and leave a comment below with your favorite piece. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xoxo Update: Aubrey B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Fridge Makeover: Photo magnets

Our apartment has a plain old white fridge. So, to jazz it up a bit, I made some Pinhole Press photo magnets. Our gallery display makes our whole kitchen feel so much cozier, and Toby loves pointing himself out. For Mother's Day, I'm going to send my mom a package of family magnets:)

What's on your fridge?

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies You'll Ever Have

Peanut butter cookies with a glass of milk. Can't you conjure up exactly what it tastes like? One of life's great pleasures. Here, Jennifer from Bake or Break shares her recipe for the most mouthwatering version ever (which would be perfect to take to a dinner party!)...
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Summer Essential #2: FANTASTIC natural sunscreen

After literally years of searching, I've finally found the best sunscreen. And here's why:

1. Regular sunscreen can be dangerous. Three years ago, before our honeymoon, my friend Jessa Blades, a natural beauty consultant and makeup artist, warned me that regular sunscreen often contains dangerous chemicals and harmful toxins that may actually cause cancer. (This article, most recently, made my knees wobble!) Ever since then, Alex and I have worn natural mineral sunscreen, which feel so important, especially since you slather it all over your body (and your children's bodies) everyday.

2. But natural sunscreens look bad. Yes, here's the catch: Natural sunscreens don't really absorb into your skin. You end up covered in sticky lotion, looking white as a ghost; and sunscreen can have flaky residue, which is, needless to say...not attractive. I secretly hate using it, but know it's worth it.

3. And here's the solution! I had almost given up on finding a natural sunscreen that doesn't look terrible, but now I'm thrilled to say I've finally found one!! Josie Maran's Daily Sun Protection is both natural and absorbs beautifully. The lightweight sunscreen also contains argan oil, which makes you look young and glow-y. Alex and Toby will be wearing it this summer, too. I highly, highly, highly recommend it. Find it here.
Here's to a happy, healthy summer! (More summer essentials to come...)

(Top photo by Garance Dore)

Summer Essential #1: Water bottle

I'm excited to announce a new series on Cup of Jo: Summer Essentials, where I'll be sharing some awesome things (beach towels, swimsuits, peach lipstick) that you might like this summer. Hope you enjoy it!

First up: Water bottles. BKR bottles, made in San Francisco, are bright and modern. The bottles are glass but have a silicone sleeve, so they won't break; and water tastes so good from a glass bottle, versus plastic or stainless-steel (which can cause that metallic flavor). At $28, it's not cheap, but will end up being less expensive--and better for the planet--than buying one-use bottles of water all summer. Plus, they're so beautiful to carrry around; I have the red one!

Thoughts? Do you have a water bottle?

P.S. Alex actually wrote this article back in 2007.

(Via Momfilter)

Museum touch tours

Did you know that many museums--including the Met, MoMA and Whitney--will allow blind or partially sighted people to come on private tours so they can touch and experience the artwork? How amazing. Photographer Matt Ducklo took photos of these "touch tours." I find them so moving.
(Via Rion)

Motherhood Mondays: Summer kids clothes

Crewcuts summer clothes are totally adorable. These little prints are giving me baby fever. Take a look at the full collection here, if you'd like.

P.S. Don't you wish the clothes came in grown-up sizes? Especially that colorblock dress:)

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo; thanks to Crewcuts for being one of my April sponsors)

Lemonade-stand season

A few years ago, for New York Magazine, I interviewed kids about having lemonade stands in New York City. They were so hilarious and crafty! Their tricks to increase sales included purposefully misspelling "lemonade" on their signs and telling people's fortunes. One brother-sister team made $240! Read the story here, if you'd like.
And these photos by photographer Joanna Ebenstein made me laugh. She passed two boys in Park Slope, Brooklyn, selling bacon panini, of all things! And at $3 a pop. Haha, only in NYC.

Have a great weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? As I mentioned earlier, we're taking a quick trip to Amsterdam! The weather reports predict rain every single day (that's why it's off season:), but Alex got us rain pants, and I'm bringing these rain boots, so hopefully we'll be able to stay dry with the Dutch. Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Good news! If you want to watch the new show Girls, but don't have HBO, you can see the full episode on Youtube.

Cheese paintings.

Paris in color.

Thoughtful response to the controversial Vogue article about the mom who put her seven-year-old daughter on a diet.

Avocado + egg = breakfast pizza.

This tote made me laugh.

What a beautiful room.

Would you wear a pink wedding dress? Or blue?

Have you seen the British documentary series Up? The next one is coming out...

Orange ginger fizz would hit the spot.

Stalagmites, stalactites.

1950s pin-up girls: before and after.

Did you read this book when you were little?

Hope to see you at this bike show next weekend! xo

Crazy news: We're going to Amsterdam!

So, I have some crazy news: We're taking a (very) spontaneous quick trip to Amsterdam! Leaving tomorrow!! Here's the story: We were planning to take Toby to Europe this summer, but we priced out the flights, and it was prohibitively expensive. (Summer flights to most major European cities started at $1400; and we'd need to buy three.) We figured our Europe dreams were dashed, until we realized that if we squeezed a trip in April, the flights were much less expensive—and the overall trip would be doable if we stayed for just a handful of days.

So! We decided to plan a less expensive family vacation this summer in the midwest, but to scratch our Europe itch, Alex and I are taking a quick trip to Amsterdam this weekend! We're going for just four days, while Toby stays home with his beloved babysitters (since a weekend trip to Europe—with long flights + jetlag—would be no fun for a two-year-old). I'm so excited to visit Amsterdam: I've always wanted to see the cool houseboats and even cooler bikers. Also, one of my best friends from college—Penny—is living there right now, and we can't wait to see her.

This is all so exciting and heady—I'm the least spontaneous person ever, so it's funny/thrilling to be heading to a big city without any planning. If you have any Amsterdam tips, we'd LOVE to hear them! Have you ever been?

Weekend round-up coming up, and sending you a big kiss! Eeks!
P.S. I've written a bunch of posts for next week that I hope you enjoy.
(We'll miss this little dude)

Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Meg Moorhouse of Love & Victory, a beautiful jewelry and design studio based in Brooklyn. She's offering one lucky reader a baby name ring, which is hand-engraved with your favorite child's name and birthday. How sweet is that? It would make a perfect gift for Mother's Day, or just because.

For a chance to win, please visit Love & Victory and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! (P.S. I also love her silhouette necklaces.) Update: Margaret S. is our lucky winner, thanks for playing. xo

9 simple wedding rings

Last fall, I wrote a post simple wedding rings, and since then, I've come across a few more that have taken my breath away. Here are 9 beautiful rings that are pretty enough to wear on their own...

1. Braided ring, $348.
2. Black oval ring, $250.
3. Blade of grass ring, $495.
4. Black diamond ring, $710.
5. Heart ring, $200.
6. Infinity hug ring, $193.
7. Diamond band, $520.
8. Speckled band, $330.
9. Bateau ring, $980.

Thoughts? What's your wedding ring like? Mine's a thin gold band. xoxo

P.S. 6 more wedding rings.

(Graphic design by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

Will you cry at your wedding? (Did you?)

Before we got married, Alex told me something that made my jaw drop...

One evening, we were chatting about whether we thought we'd cry during our wedding ceremony, and Alex admitted that he hadn't cried since he was ten years old. "Guys are taught to hold in tears," he explained. "As a little kid, you don't want to be labeled a cry baby by your friends. I quickly learned to be stoic." And that lesson stuck: He hasn't shed a single tear since then, even when his father died.

I couldn't believe it. (I would be embarrassed to know how many times I've cried since I was ten.)

So, when our wedding day arrived, I wasn't surprised that Alex stayed lovely and strong through his wedding vows, and I broke down while saying mine. It was such an intense and moving moment, and I couldn't make it through the words without my voice cracking. (In fact, every makeup artist I know says their #1 beauty tip for brides is to wear waterproof mascara!)
More weepy brides...
Weepy grooms...
And don't forget the dads! :)
What about you? Who is more likely to cry at your wedding: you or your partner? Or do you think you'll both be equally dry-eyed or weepy? If you're already married, how did it go down? I'm so curious!

P.S. 10 funny wedding moments.

(Photos by Max Wanger (including ours), Dixie Pixel, Kelly Benvenuto, Jessie Holland, Lynn Michelle; Brandon Kidd and Ventola Photography, via Green Wedding Shoes, Belle Rempert via Ruffled; and James Moes, and photos, cropped, by Audrey Hannah and Sarah Maren, via Ruffled)