The January Edit
What we read, watched, and cooked this month.
Hi! How’s your week? Hope you’re staying warm and hanging in there.
This month, we sent four issues:
Freddie and I made the heartwrenching decision to break up (your sweet comments made me cry)
My mom friend revealed the book that profoundly changed her sex life
Three people talk about changing their careers — including a therapist and restaurant owner
Coming up: a beauty secrets issue and six things I’ve realized about dating on apps (it’s a wild ride!).
Finally, here are a few of our favorite things this month, and please share yours in the comments… xoxo
Glimmer: “Toby is on his school basketball team, and I love cheering for this group of hard-working teenagers. The other night, after a tough loss, I overheard them encouraging and reassuring one another. There is hope for the future.” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder
Skin care: “My skin has been breaking out lately — curses, perimenopause! My dermatologist recommended azelaic acid, and it has really helped.” — Joanna
TV show: “I injected Heated Rivalry into my veins, where it is competing with 80 milligrams of Prozac and 150 milligrams of Wellbutrin for control of my brain. I’m not sure which one is winning but it feels fucking great. The show truly rearranged my brain chemistry in a matter of days. Now, I’m watching fan edits on a continuous loop.” — Samantha Irby, comedian, essayist and writer of bitches gotta eat!
Memoir: “Strangers by Belle Burden was love at first paragraph. The story chronicles the shocking and sudden dissolution of the author’s 29-year marriage, but it’s really about excavating the mysteries of life’s curve balls: What happened? How did this go so wrong? And most importantly (and inspirationally): where do I go from here?” — Christine Pride, novelist and Cup of Jo columnist
Recipe: “My sister-in-law gave us a stoneware pie dish for Christmas, and I decided to break it in with vegetarian shepherd’s pie — which was so good that my family of three nearly finished the whole thing in one sitting.” — Kelsey Miller, Cup of Jo editor
Toy: “Car trips are tricky with wiggly toddlers, so I'm always trying to come up with activities to entertain them. Recently I got kid-size binoculars, which have taken our games of I Spy to the next level.” — Maureen Heffernan, partnerships director
Dessert: “I made birthday cakes for both my kids this month and learned this frosting hack: if you crush freeze-dried strawberries and mix the powder into buttercream frosting, it tastes exactly like strawberry ice cream. It’s unbelievably good.” — Kaitlyn Teer, newsletter editor
Gift: “My friend surprised me with a pair of heart socks as an early Galentine’s Day gift. Then I wore them on a jog and nearly tripped over this heart-forward chalk art.” — Kaitlyn Teer, editor
Says Greta on Guys, I’m Sad: “It’s so generous of you to share this intimate sadness with us. It reminds me that we’re all in this together.“ Adds Meredith: “I’m sure all of your 100,000+ bffs have been texting each other ‘Nooooo!!!’, just as I have been with my fellow CoJ lovers.”
Says Taylor on This Book Profoundly Changed My Sex Life: “I am not exaggerating when I say The Fourth Wing got me pregnant.” And, says Emma, “First Time Caller was so hot that after listening to the audiobook on my drive home, I walked in the door and POUNCED on my husband. POUNCED.”
Says Kate on Want to Change Careers? Three People Share Their Success Stories: “I’m 36 and currently taking a statistics course as a prerequisite for grad school. I’m working at Trader Joe’s and planning to go back and get my masters to become a therapist for children. Somedays I think I’m insane to ‘start over,’ but this series is so inspiring.”
Here are the links the Big Salad community clicked most in January:
Five pick-me-ups for feeling better after a break-up
A novel that reader Mel says spiced up her marriage
The beloved Brooklyn restaurant featured in three career changes
The oversized robe I bought, which is basically a bear hug
5 Pick-Me-Ups After a Breakup. This weekend, I texted my friend Gemma...
Tell Me Three Things, and I’ll Recommend a Book You’ll Love. A fun pop quiz.
What Are Some Small Good Things in Your Life Right Now? Last night, I went out for pasta...
Four Fun Things. Including chocolate mousse and the funniest comedy special.
7 New York City Hall Weddings. “We got a second chance at love.”
Minneapolis, We Are Here for You. Everyone is showing up the way they can.
(Opening photo by Garage Island Crew/Stocksy. Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. Thank you so much.)
Thank you so much for reading. Xoxo
As someone who went to grad school and changed careers in their 30s I will add this to that convo - don’t think of it as starting over. You’re not. So many things that had happened in my life before career change boosted me up and helped me on my way. Also if you get tripped up thinking about the sacrifice of going back to school or getting more education, I think about it like this — is it worth it to trade 2 years to work 20-30 years at a job that’s more fulfilling?
I'm with Samantha, also injecting Heated Rivalry into my veins. The yearning! The beautiful men! The supportive women in their lives! The soundtrack! The sex! I'm all over it! It is some wonderful drug that can reset my brain to happiness. I can focus on it, deeply, and give myself a break from parenting while the world falls apart, and feel recharged to do it all over again.