A Scavenger Hunt Parenting Hack

The other day, Anton and his friend were lounging around the house. “There’s nothing to doooooo,” they lamented. “We’ve done evvvvvverything already.” When we were growing up in Michigan, my own mom would have waved her hands and said, “Go play,” and I would have grumbled off to read my book between the back of […]

Have a Lovely Weekend. | Cup of Jo

What are you up to this weekend? The boys and I are going to Coney Island and enjoying this slightly cooler weather. I’m also on a brownies kick and would love to hear your favorite recipes, if you’d be up for sharing! Hope you have a good one, and here are a few links from […]

I Love My Kids, But…

Hallie Bateman is an author and illustrator based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her next book, a collaboration with her mom called What To Do When You Get Dumped, comes out in 2025. You can purchase prints here. For Cup of Jo, Hallie has also written about how parents choose their children’s last names. P.S. The comic […]

What Small, Inexpensive Things Make Your Life Better?

What random items make your life easier? This morning, my friend Andy was telling me about his beloved rice maker. “You get three-quarters of dinner done by throwing in some rice and pushing a button,” he mused as we walked down the street. “Every time I do it, I have the actual thought, ‘Wow! this […]

Ratatouille Lasagna | Cup of Jo

“When the pandemic began in March 2020, my freelance work went away, suddenly and completely,” writes recipe developer Caroline Chambers, aka “Caro,” in the introduction to her new cookbook What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. Lucky for all of us, Caro, also a former caterer, decided to turn her attention to the […]

What Are You Reading Right Now?

I was looking for something to read at the bookstore McNally Jackson the other week when I saw Willful Disregard on display. The staff described it as “a novel about love and texting,” two things I enjoy. I read the book in 24 hours, taking photos of passages that made me laugh or wince. Here, […]

Recipe: Nectarine Crisp (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

  One of the best things about the summer season is the amazing bounty of fresh fruits that are available.  There’s strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, watermelons, peaches and one of my absolute favorites – the nectarine! Juicy, sweet, and little tart, there is nothing better than a perfectly ripe nectarine on a hot summer day. Wonderful […]

Passive Aggressive Work Emails With My Toddler About Dinner

One of our favorite newsletters — along with Long Live, À La Carte, Hung Up, and of course, Big Salad 😉 — is Bess Kalb’s Grudge Report. She writes about fashion, movies, Judaism, politics, and parenting her two little kids, and her issues always make me laugh and think. On that note, here are some […]

Have a Beautiful Weekend. | Cup of Jo

What are you up to this weekend? I’m driving to Vermont to pick up Anton from summer camp, and I CANNOT WAIT to squeeze that little boy!!! I’m bringing cookies for the car and made a playlist that he’ll probably think is uncool. Omg, my heart. Hope you have a good one, and here are […]

Which Summer Person Are You?

Disclosure — In order to grow our small business, Cup of Jo earns revenue in a few different ways. We publish several sponsored posts each month, which are always labeled at the top. We also sometimes earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products we link to. We feature only items we genuinely love […]