Travel question: Are you a planner? Or is your partner?

I have a (sweeping and wildly generalized) pet theory that every relationship has one planner and one person who flies by the seat of their pants. With almost every couple we know, one person always takes charge of planning the trip—booking flights, scouting hotels, reading about the destination—while the other person is happy to just show up and see what happens. Do you think that's true?

Before we met, Alex would take trips that were virtually unplanned; he'd arrive in a new place and wander around exploring. Meanwhile, I’m SUCH a planner. Planning gets me really excited for the trip, so I plan embarrassingly far in advance. (Last year, our Christmas trip was booked by June!) I like debating places to stay and discovering restaurants loved by locals. Usually I'll create a Cheat Sheet with all the info together in one place. Alex used to tease me about it, but now I think he sees the method to my madness. Tell me I'm not the only one?

Interestingly, researchers from the Netherlands discovered that the largest boost in happiness from a vacation doesn't come during or after the vacation, but instead from the simple act of planning a vacation. According to the 2010 study, "vacation anticipation" generally boosts happiness for eight weeks, reported the New York Times, whereas after the vacation "there is hardly an effect." Furthermore, a U.S.-based study in 1997 found that "vacationers were happier in the period leading up to their time off than during the vacation itself."

I'm curious: Are you a planner? Or your partner? Or neither?
P.S. The weird thing we do on vacations.

(Photos of us back in 2008 in England. The last few were from my cousin's wedding, when were too tipsy to take a decent photo)

Zigzag cuff

This has nothing to do with travel week, but how fierce is this little zigzag cuff? It has such a big personality and would add a sexy edge to jeans and a T-shirt.

3 tips for having houseguests

We don't host as many out-of-town guests as we used to, only because they now have to sleep in Toby's room, and he gets up at the crack of dawn. But! We're hoping to have a guest room when we finally move to Brooklyn. Here are three handy tips I've heard through the years...

1. Spent a night in your own guest room to try it out. We did this a few years ago (back when Toby's nursery was a guest bedroom) and were surprised by noisy garbage trucks at 5am. We got a noise machine for the room, but if we hadn't slept in it, we never would have known.
2. Put a carafe of water on the bedside table. It's such a fancy touch, even though they're only $10. Here are two simple ones. (Get one for your own room, too!)
3. Put out tons of extra toilet paper in the bathroom, because there's nothing more awkward than having to ask for more.

What other little things do you do when having houseguests?

(Photo from interior designer Maria Llado)

Vacation idea: Vermont roadtrip

To cheer up the winter, I've asked a few friends to share their favorite vacation spots (and help give us ideas for summer trips). First, Liz raved about Stinson Beach, and now my friend Ashley from Hither & Thither recommends taking a Vermont road trip, below...
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Two slamdunk hostess gifts

When I worked at a coffee shop during college, we wore half aprons like this, and they were weirdly flattering. So, you feel really pretty while making dinner (or preparing a cheese plate), and of course they're functional, too, since you always need a place to wipe off your hands and don't want to get your jeans dirty. Perfect hostess gift.
This old-school salad dressing comes with a story. Crane Crest’s Real French Dressing has no website, just a phone number (617-277-1325). You leave an answering-machine message with your address, and they'll send you a case of six jars, along with a handwritten invoice for $18. They trust that you'll mail back a check. How rad is that? They've developed a cult following, since, as Pilar says, the vinaigrette is incredible on salad, fish, chicken...Aren't you curious to try it?

(Salad dressing via Momfilter)

Wartime kisses

These beautiful photos by Alfred Eisenstaedt show couples sharing a last kiss before the soldiers departed for war, at Penn Station in 1943. How stirring to wonder how many of the couples were reunited, or if this was their very last kiss. Can you imagine how hard it would be to let each other go?

Here are seven more photos, below...Read More >

Crazy slides

The New York Times recently ran a short piece about these insane free-fall slides on a Norwegian cruise line. You stand on a platform four stories high and then the floor suddenly falls out beneath you. Would you dare?!

Renting houses on vacation

Would you rent a house on vacation? We really like to rent places, since they're typically less expensive and more spacious than hotels (which is especially great when you have a child), and staying in a real home makes you feel like a local. Here are three amazing places, just for fun...
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Emerson Fry's spring collection

Emerson Fry's spring collection launches today. These are the kind of clothes you'd live in all summer, don't you think? The effortless style would fit in anywhere, from winding Italian streets to poolside in Palm Springs to just kicking it at home. And I always love their shoes! See the full collection here...

Do or Don't: Naked babies at the beach

The last time we were at the beach, something surprising happened...
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Travel-themed week

It's fun to daydream about travel—especially during the winter months—so I'd love to post all about travel this week. The big question is: If you could beam yourself anywhere right now, where would it be? The photo above is from the south of France, and for ages I've also really wanted to go to Portland, which seems like an amazing place. What about you?

P.S. Past travel weeks.

(Top photo by Laure Joliet of St. Jean Cap Ferrat in France)

Have a relaxing weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We're going to see Alex's mom, and she wants to do that necklace-over-the-belly test to see if we're having a boy or girl. Also, we saw Silver Linings Playbook this week. Have you seen it? I used to find Bradley Cooper kind of grating, but he was really charming and likable in this. Have a good one, and here are just a few links from around the web...

Another cool Swedish playspace.

Lion twins!

Could this insane story be true?

Model morphosis.

Constellation cuff.

More great wedges.

Cheat sheet for pairing wine with food.

Wise words about inspiration.

The simplest flower arrangement.

Would you wear peplum?

Parmesan spinach orzo, yum.

Google Glass looks rad.

Have a good one! xoxo

(Beer photo by Aya Brackett, via Alyson)

Fab favorites

Fab is a fantastic design marketplace with great prices, and I just spent forever checking out their pretty, colorful things. Here are a few favorites...

For the adventurer: 1. Travel eye mask for the plane, 2. Pink laptop sleeve, 3. Leather tote, 4. Field Notes notebooks, 5. Bonjour travel set, and 6. Paris map print featuring almost every street in the city.
And for the cook: 7. Pink carafe to cheer up your table, 8. Three simple syrups for cooking or cocktails, 9. Green spatula, 10. Make-your-own-goat-cheese kit (!), 11. Rifle Paper recipe cards to give to friends, 12. Hammered wine cooler for serving wine or Champagne at parties, and 13. Pop Maker for making popsicles in just 7 minutes.

P.S. I also love this Turkish towel!

(This post is in partnership with Fab. Thanks so much for being supportive of the sponsors that help make Cup of Jo possible.)

Amazing mascara

I secretly used to think all mascara was created equal; drugstore brands seemed fine. But recently I was walking down a street in Soho when I saw a sign for the world's best mascara. Intrigued, I stepped into the store to try it out. The mascara was Benefit's They're Real, and after a couple coats, my eyelashes looked ten times thicker and longer. Check out this before-and-after photo of British blogger Charlotte for proof of how well it works...
Have you ever tried it? Crazy, right?

(Bottom photos by the wonderful Charlotte)

Have you ever said "I love you" first?

When I started dating Alex, I knew I loved him early on. I'm usually pretty guarded, but since I was so enamored, those three words lingered dangerously on the tip of my tongue. So, after just a couple weeks, as we were falling asleep, I couldn't help nervously whispering, "I think I'm falling in love with you." His reply? "I think I'm already there."

HURRAY AND THANK GOD.

Obviously, however, it doesn't always go so smoothly. In past relationships, I've said "I love you," and the other person just said, "Thank you"—or vice versa. Ouch. Then you have to just sit there with a big I-love-you elephant in the room for the rest of the night.

It's nerve wracking because, as Seinfeld says, "if you don't get that return, that's a pretty big Matzo ball hanging out there."
Have you ever been the first to say I love you, or do you prefer to wait?

(Top photo of us by Max Wanger, back when we were newly engaged and just babies!)

Grilled cheese croutons

How cute are these grilled cheese croutons? Featured in this cookbook, they simply require bread, butter and American cheese. Wouldn't they be fun to serve at a dinner party?

P.S. My computer crashed this week, so posts will be a little lighter while it (hopefully) gets repaired. Wish it luck! :)

(Photo by Tide & Thyme)

The Best Homemade Chips Ahoy Cookies

When we were little, my dad would grab a stack of six Chips Ahoy cookies after dinner, and lie sideways on the floor in front of the TV with us. He would eat the cookies, methodically, one at a time as we watched Family Ties or The Wonder Years, and I loved the unspoken evening ritual. (I wonder if he even remembers!) Well, food blogger and author Nicole Hunn has a great recipe for baking your own—and they're gluten free...
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3 ways to arrange supermarket flowers

Now and again, I treat myself to a bunch of flowers from the deli, but when I put them in a vase at home, they look...blah. The flowers hang haphazardly over the vase, the stems are too long, and the whole bouquet looks messy. Happily, my friend Kendra Smoot, a prop stylist, agreed to share three beautiful ways to arrange flowers at home...
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Old Navy kids and baby

Old Navy has really cute stuff, and right now they're having a huge kids and baby sale. Everything is up to 40% off, which (obviously) makes things super affordable. I'm looking forward to picking out sweet outfits for Toby and the baby. Check out everything here...

This post is sponsored by Old Navy. Check out Old Navy’s Kidtacular Kids and Baby Sale in stores or at oldnavy.com. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make Cup of Jo possible.

Motherhood Mondays: A lullaby that actually works

Which lullabies do you sing to your child? We recently started singing one that works like magic...
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Have a lovely weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? Alex and I are going out to dinner, and I'm looking forward to chatting without interruptions and ruining my appetite with the bread basket. Hope you have a good, relaxing weekend, and, if you're in a blog-reading mood, here are a few fun links from around the web...

Who wants to eat lunch here?

Massage soap looks awesome.

Heavenly peanut butter cookies.

A dating experiment.

100 secrets to French parenting.

How this couple met.

Are Spanx good or evil?

Sweetest cards for a new mama.

My favorite wedges in new colors! (I love the green.)

All airports should have playspaces!

Etch A Sketch's lovely and sad tribute.

My love affair with the middle part continues.

These posters made me laugh.

This art exhibit looks moving and beautiful.

Did your parents have a signature candy?

(Photo by The Locals)

Pink-y glasses

For the past few years, I've found great glasses from Lookmatic, the online eyewear shop. Usually I choose black or brown colors, but when they recently launched a collection of white, black and pink glasses, I was inspired to try something brighter. In the end, the New Yorker in me couldn't help choosing black glasses—but these had a fun splash of pink.

Would you wear colorful glasses? Or do you stick with neutrals?
P.S. My trusty tortoise pair.

(Photos by my new friend Laure Joliet during lunch. Lookmatic is one of my beloved sponsors. Toby's Michigan T-shirt is from The Mitten State)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The tumblr Vintage Loves features schmoopy photos from past decades. I wonder how all these couples turned out! I'm sure their life stories would be fascinating. And below are my grandparents, who met on Valentine's Day back in 1945 and stayed in love all their lives.

Not to be a broken record, but every Valentine's Day, I think back to my loneliest Valentine's Day six years ago, when I was feeling hopelessly single. Two weeks later, I met Alex. Goes to show that you never know what's right around the corner.
Hope you have a love-filled day. xoxo

(Top photo from Lauren. Vintage Loves via Sho & Tell)

Bachelor gossip

Want to hear something hilarious? Read on...
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How to walk on ice

Maybe you already do this instinctually, but this technique for walking on snow is rad: Instead of walking normally, place your foot straight down; that way, you won't slip, even if the ground is slick. My only question: Which is more awkward, falling down or walking like a penguin?

(Infographic by Curtis Whaley, via Swissmiss/BB-Blog; photo by The Sartorialist)

The Best Chocolate Pudding You'll Ever Have (in 15 minutes!)

If you grew up in the eighties, like me, your main memory of chocolate pudding might be those plastic cups you buy at the grocery store. Great for an eight-year-old, not so much for a grown-up. Real chocolate pudding should be rich, decadent and bursting with chocolate flavor. An incredible way to end an evening. Luckily for us, Kristin of Pastry Affair has agreed to share her best recipe (and it takes only 15 minutes!)...Read More >

Spring outfit

After this cold weather, aren't you daydreaming about those breezy days of spring? This feminine-yet-tomboyish outfit would be perfect to wear on bike rides, to brunches and on picnics...
Red cotton dress that you could wear everyday.
Mini crossbody bag to carry lipstick and a paperback.
Wedge sandals for extra long legs. (Here's another similar pair; and these, too)
Striped espadrilles for outdoor adventures (or TOMS, of course).
French locket with snapshots of your loved ones.

(Layout design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

TV marathons

The New York Times recently wrote an interesting story about people "binge-viewing" TV shows—or watching all the episodes of a season in one burst—and how it's changing the way executives think about programming. It made me laugh to think how many times I've done that. Back in my single days, I went on crazy jags with Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Gray's Anatomy. Alex and I have done it with Mad Men and Homeland. We tried to do it with Breaking Bad, but I started having nightmares and couldn't handle it.

The funny thing about watching TV shows all in a row is that they get in your head. You start thinking like the characters with the same slang and intonation, and you almost forget it's not real life. At least, that's happened to me:)

Which TV shows have you watched like this? Reveal below...

Motherhood Mondays: Toddlers in the kitchen

This weekend, I read two fantastic posts (by a mom whose child goes to a Montessori school) about toddlers pouring their own drinks and making their own snacks. A basic Montessori motto is "help me do it myself," and I see how by encouraging toddlers to help in the kitchen, we help them build confidence and feel a sense of accomplishment. And why not? Toby is two and a half, and I’ve always just poured his water, washed his strawberries, and peeled his bananas myself without thinking twice. But of course he can help with those things. Mama forehead smack!

Inspired this weekend, I got out a small pitcher and Toby poured water into his glass by himself. When he spilled a bit, I handed him a tea towel, and he happily mopped up the water himself.
Then Toby and I made these two-ingredient cookies (bananas + oats!), and they were a HUGE hit with both Toby and my thirty-year-old brother who stopped by that night:) Toby loved helping peel the bananas, pour the oats, add a few handfuls of cranberries just for fun, squish everything together, and eat the dough.

Do your kiddos help in the kitchen? Any recipe suggestions? Guacamole might be fun? This book, Kids in the Kitchen, is now on my wishlist.

P.S. In other news: French kids eat everything.

(Top photos by How We Montessori, and cookie photo by The Burlap Bag. Thank you for the huge inspiration, Kylie!)