The February Edit

What we read, watched, ate, and wore. Plus, three big announcements!

Welcome! We’ve almost made it through February! Here are some Big Salad issues we’ve sent this month:

1. Our favorite spring trend (not florals!), plus the prettiest crudités platter

2. Our third Ask Me Anything issue, including what happened when I told Freddie I loved him, a wild novel I just read, and whether I’d like to get married again

3. Pilar Guzmán’s soup strategy for making friends, inspired by Italian grandmas

Later this week, we’re sending our big gossip issue (along with Normal Gossip’s Kelsey McKinney), and we also have three exciting announcements:

• We’re kicking off a series of live conversations. Twice a month, we’ll be chatting live on screen with friends like Jenny Rosenstrach, Hunter Harris, Catherine Newman, and Kate Baer, about all sorts of topics (parenting, recipes, relationships, where to live, botox, you name it). You can subscribe here to get the schedule as soon as it comes out.

• We’re featuring an Ask Me Anything issue with my twin sister, Lucy, on March 7th. Over the years, many readers have asked about her love life, how her grief has changed over the 10 years since her husband Paul died, and if she’s updated her house makeover. She also has smart things to say about women’s health (she’s a doctor), Trader Joe’s hacks, single parenthood, long-distance running, and maintaining a 33-year crush on Christian Bale. Please submit questions via this short form by Friday, if you’d like.

• We’re doing a big issue around the question: “how do you know if you should get divorced?” Dozens and dozens of readers asked this question for my own Ask Me Anything, so we wanted to devote a whole issue to it. Many women, including myself, will share how they came to the decision, and we’ll send the issue on March 14th. It’s going to be so good; I wish I’d had an email like this when I was trying to figure out my own marriage years ago and feeling very alone and disoriented. xo

We asked the Big Salad team and some friends about what they’ve enjoyed recently (and please share your recs in the comments)…

1. Beach read: “When we traveled to the Florida Keys last week, I forgot my book. So, I stopped by our hotel’s front desk to see if any books had been left by guests. Most were cheesy old thrillers, but I found a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. For the next four days, I devoured the 2017 novel — about a socially awkward twenty-something in Scotland who falls for a singer she doesn’t know — by the pool, in hammocks, and on the fishing pier. So charming and fun!” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder

2. Easy dinner: “We were hanging out at home one evening, while the wind outside was howling. I wanted to make something cozy for dinner, so I put together Jenny’s easy turkey chili. The boys each wolfed two bowls, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crumbled tortilla chips.” — Joanna

3. Jeans: “These barrel jeans get compliments whenever I wear them. They’re comfy enough to wear at the park with my kids but stylish enough to wear out to dinner. One thing to note, they do run large so you may want to size down.” — Maureen Heffernan, Cup of Jo partnerships director

4. Parenting tip: “I’ve been trying to get my three-year-old Willa involved in dinner prep to get her excited about trying new foods, and it seems to kinda be working?? The other night she tried pepperoni (spicy!) and last week we made burritos WITH LETTUCE!” — Maureen

5. Dessert: “When I’m in the mood for a low-lift treat that’s sweet enough for dessert but also goes well with my morning coffee, I make Smitten Kitchen’s Marble Banana Bread. The banana-chocolate ratio is perfect, the loaf is moist, and good god I wish I had a slice right now!” — Jannelle Sanchez, Cup of Jo editor

6. Movie: “My group chat recommended The Wild Robot, so when it came out on streaming, my kids and I filled up our popcorn bowls and settled in. The animated film follows a shipwrecked robot who learns to live alongside wild animals and eventually raises an orphaned gosling. I started tearing up halfway through the movie and didn’t stop. It was so beautiful.” — Kaitlyn Teer, Big Salad editor

Paul and Mimi ;)

After we shared a photo of Paul Mescal in our spring trend issue, a reader named Mimi reached out to say that, on a recent trip to London, she attended one of his sold-out performances in Streetcar Named Desire. “I feel very proud that he’s already been our boyfriend for years,” she wrote. This weekend, Streetcar opens its five-week run in Brooklyn, and I’m excited to see it on March 29th — will report back!

Now, an important question: Which is your favorite Paul Mescal look?

1. The drinking glasses that magazine editor Pilar Guzmán swears by

2. A pair of pink jeans that are perfectly sweet and on-trend for spring

3. The wide-neck sweater from Joanna’s capsule wardrobe

Says Louisa on our third Ask Me Anything issue: “When I finally ended my marriage and moved out, I was dreading the wave of emotions that was sure to come — but all I felt was incredible relief. During that time, I read a book from the library called Should I Stay or Should I Go by Lundy Bancroft, and now I dream about going to the library and hiding a little sticky note inside that says ‘You should go. You’ll be fine.’“

Says Lauren in response to a funny meme about cheese: “At my local woman-owned cheese shop, I buy everything because it’s all delicious. Once she said, ‘I remember you’re very open minded when it comes to cheese.’ I’ve never been more flattered.”

1. Aminatou Sow Does the Funniest Thing Whenever She Travels. The brilliant writer shares a skirt she wears on repeat and her thoughts on turning 40.

2. 25 Simple Pleasures for 25. Small joys, like preteen texts, Ikea napkins, and the celebrity I ran into on a plane.

3. Alison Piepmeyer’s Wallpaper Before-and-After Photos Make Us Swoon. Plus, what she wears in NYC, and a fun way to watch movies with kids.

via New Yorker Cartoons

1. What Are Five Recipes in Your Arsenal? When my mom visited recently...

2. Abbey Nova’s Connecticut Home Is Full of Plants, Surprises, and a Cute Dog. Bookmarking all her great tips.

3. 10 Surprising Parenting Tips. “Kids love hearing you brag about them.”

4. A Chocolate-y, Champagne-y Birthday Party. You only turn 46 once, lol.

5. My Mom Was an Alcoholic. Here’s What I Finally Realized. I felt like the only person in the world who didn’t worship her.

6. Four Fun Things. Including a gripping novel and my favorite blush.

(Opening photo Doloresz Dombi / Unsplash. Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like and use ourselves. Thank you so much.)

Thank you again for being here. Have a good rest-of-your-week! xoxo