Countdown

Our little dude is due on June 2nd -- three weeks from today! I'm so excited to meet him. Alex and I have been reading tons of books on newborn baby care and came across the cutest line last night: Apparently, very young babies can get easily overstimulated because they can't look away. They literally don't know how! How sweet is that?

(Baby by Oeuf:)

Best friends

Before he was born, our good friends Hollister and Porter gave us this rad pig stuffed animal for Toby. Needless to say, he loves it. The other morning, he spent a full ten minutes gazing into its eyes. It was so, so cute to watch. :)

Toby's nursery

Now I'd love to share a few photos of Toby's nursery! When I was pregnant, I felt a little overwhelmed by the prospect of putting together a nursery, so I was incredibly grateful to collaborate with Jenny Komenda, the designer behind Little Green Notebook (and mother of three). After discussing a few ideas and inspiration images, we rolled up our sleeves and got started...
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Toby in a swing

Last weekend, Toby went on a swing for the first time! He was pretty nonchalant, but Alex and I were totally into it. So sweet to see his little leg warmers sticking out; and the swing was almost as big as he was. We also thought he looked hilarious in Alex's glasses, although when we got home, I suddenly realized that we had inadvertently made him look just like the kid from The Hangover. :)

Apples + cheddar

My favorite fall lunch. P.S. Honeycrisp apples are the best.

NYC staycation

Our staycation in New York last week was really refreshing and relaxing. (Thanks again to Miss Moss for guest posting!) While my mom took care of Toby, Alex and I met up with friends, rode bikes to Williamsburg, went bowling (for real), got massages, sipped gin cocktails at this rad bar, saw The King's Speech, hit up the Guggenheim, and went ice skating in Central Park. It was so great to just be together and "knock around," as Alex says. We felt like tourists in our own city.

We also chilled with my mom and Toby, including brunch at a Mexican place in our neighborhood, where Toby thought the tablecloth was delicious. :) We miss you already, Mama!

Giggling.

Just 'cause.

My boys

Wow! Alex is officially one of the coolest dads in NYC, according to Refinery29. Exciting. :) But he's really a History-Channel-watching, milkshake-drinking, cheesy-joke-cracking nerd at heart.

Wiz Khalifa Says Drake "Boofed" Him On Verse For "Work Hard Play Hard" Remix

Wiz Khalifa recently did an interview with "Montreality" where he talks about the reason why Drake was not featured on his smash hit remix to "Work Hard Play Hard". And in the words of Wiz Khalifa himself, he said Drake "boofed" him! Although clearly disappointed with Drake's verse not gracing the hot track, Wiz says there's no love lost.


"Montreality" also asks Wiz a bunch of personal questions which made for a great interview with notables such as what are his hidden talents, what's something he learned from Snoop, what's his worst injury and does he have any fetishes. So get ready to find out the answers to all of those questions when you click on that "Read More" button below:







The concept of the interview reminded me of Dee Vasquez' "Profile" series where she asks artists random questions about their personal lives and nothing music related. But overall, the interview was great. What are your thoughts?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Are you excited for 2012? I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you, full of love, happiness and surprises. Let's take a quick look back over the past year, if you'd like...

Along with Jamie and Caroline, we did a series of 8 hair tutorials, and we'd love to do more this year! (Any requests?)

I launched the Motherhood Mondays series, where we've talked openly and honestly about everything about babies and new parenthood, from having a boy and how to talk to little girls to going outside all winter, a complete baby registry guide and kissing babies on the mouth (I have LOVED discussing all things baby with you; it has been so encouraging, eye-opening and amazing. Thank you for that)...

As part of Motherhood Mondays, I featured a weeklong series about work/life/baby balance -- a topic near and dear to my heart! -- from which I learned so much. (You are all such amazing women!!) We also shared dads' points of view, like 8 confessions of a new father, kissing your husband, and dads' birth stories.

After ten years living in Manhattan, I was thrilled to share my Guide to New York City, with my favorite places to eat, stay, shop and play, as well as how to flag a cab and how NOT to look like a tourist.

We talked about food, including the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, avocado popsicles and how to serve a perfect cheese plate...

...and how to drink wine correctly...

We started Relationship Thursdays, and discussed things like finding your soulmate, guys with beards, seeing movies alone, worrying too much, how to introduce people, first discovering sex and what guys think about while kissing...

...and, of course, weddings, like 10 unforgettable moments, genius proposals, simple rings and getting hitched at City Hall...

We chatted about fashion, like fall trends, tattoo girls and sunglasses...

Home decor, like ivy houses, throw blankets and our friends' rad apartment...

Beauty, like the magic of blush, nail polish and perfume...

Travel, like a gorgeous rental house, a Dutch subway slide, Breathless and our own vacations (during which we learned how to travel with a noisy baby)...

Personal posts, like birthday cheese, Toby's first steps and our date nights (including our very first date)...

Plus, I loved doing design round-ups, including 8 backpacks, 6 wedding rings, 5 books, 10 movies and how to buy houseplants...

...and Do or Don't posts, including surprise parties, false eyelashes and embracing pale skin (it was fun to hear your thoughts!)...

We ended the year with the 2011 holiday gift guides for men, women and little dudes...

...and, as always, had a bunch of just-for-fun posts, like funny comics, a trick for helping houseguests relax, winter blues and an idea for an Articles Club (starting this month!).

This year has been a wonderful gift, and I'm so thrilled to have such amazing women (plus a few guys!) reading the blog. You inspire me with your smart, funny and often profound comments everyday, and I can't express how grateful I am to have you here. Very much looking forward to exciting adventures in 2012. A kiss for all of you!

P.S. One year ago.

Motherhood Mondays: On being human

Motherhood can have ups and downs. Exhausting, beautiful, hilarious, frustrating, magical, overwhelming. I used to joke to Alex that new motherhood was like traveling abroad. You're tired and jetlagged, and you haven't showered and you have a cramp in your neck and you're sort of inexplicably sticky, but then you look around and the world feels beautiful and otherworldly and you're glad you came.

My friend Leigh wrote a fantastic post last week about how motherhood can sometimes feel tough to navigate, and it reminded me that everyone's life-no matter how effortless and polished it may look from the outside (when you see women on blogs, in magazines, even just on the street)-without a doubt includes the same tricky moments, worries, doubts, ups and downs. That's what it means to be human and real, and we should celebrate and love ourselves for that.

Recently, I came across this poem (excerpt below). I have such respect for all mothers, and women overall.

"The Lanyard" By Billy Collins (an excerpt)
She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light
and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.
Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.

(Top photo of Toby and me. Bottom photo from Nirrimi)

A note to you

As everyone knows, Hurricane Sandy has done so much damage and the heartbreaking stories just keep coming. It's been a crazy week to say the least. We were very lucky to get through it safe and sound and were incredibly grateful to get our power back on Saturday morning and our heat back this morning. We literally jumped around the apartment when the hallway light clicked on!

It's hard to know how to write about everything on Cup of Jo and what balance to strike. Our thoughts and actions are consumed by the aftermath and ways to help, but also there's value in trying to keep positive and creating a place where people can come for a little pick-me-up, especially during a tough time like this.

So after thinking a lot about it, I'm planning to keep regular posts going on Cup of Jo, and I'll be posting about relief efforts on Twitter and Facebook. And I'm very happy to be co-hosting a fundraising bake sale in Soho this weekend, so I'll keep you guys posted on that (and would love to see you there!).

Thank you so much. Hope you are safe and cozy today, and lots of love to you.

Joannaxoxo

How did you meet your significant other?

If you're in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other? Here's our story from six years ago...Read More >

My little duck

I snapped these photos yesterday. His earnestness makes my heart hurt. I love this little boy so much!

Here's the same towel when Toby was six weeks old. They grow too quickly, but at the same time it feels like a lifetime ago.

How long do you wait to sleep with someone?

We've talked about everything from break-ups to breasts, so today let's talk about sex...
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NYC Date Idea: Trapeze class

So. Last Saturday, Alex and I took a trapeze class, and it was wild...Read More >

Are you a city mouse or country mouse?

Toby is a born-and-bred city kid (who knows how to hail a cab and wear tattoos), but this Saturday, we decided to escape to the country...
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Staring contest

Alex and I hosted a staring contest three years ago, and it was one of the funniest parties we've ever had. We've wanted to do another one for ages, so we invited a few friends over last week for the challenge. The rules are simple: People have to gaze into each other's eyes without smiling or laughing.

It's incredibly suspenseful. (Note our friend's face on the left:)

Doesn't our friend look like Ben Stiller here?

As I mentioned years ago, staring contests are surprisingly flirty-because, if you think about it, the only time you quietly gaze into someone's eyes without smiling is when you're about to make out.

Ben Stiller won.

When it was my turn, I was up against one of my best guy friends. I was embarrassingly bad and couldn't stop smiling even to begin the game. I was out literally the second it started.

Advice from the good players: Think of something sad or bite your tongue really hard.

Here are the three different postcard invitations we sent out (featuring photos from three years ago) to get everyone in the mood. We made them using Pinhole Press, of course.

It was such an awesome night! I'd highly recommend hosting one if you want to have a hilarious evening. Thanks for everyone who came.

P.S. A cookie swap and a 1930's party...

(Photos by Alex and me. Pinhole Press is one of my beloved long-term sponsors, and they generously let us order our invitations at no charge. Thank you!)