The June Edit

What we read, cooked, played, and loved this month. Plus, the best summer uniform!

Hi! Welcome to The June Edit. How’s your month going? Here are some issues we’ve sent recently:

• podcaster Peyton Dix on the joy of yapping and the best movie ever made

• Big Salad’s low-key summer bucket list, including the color of the summer

• the texts Joanna sent to friends after (fun, flirty, awkward) dates

Also, in August, we’re heading to Seattle for a Big Salad event with the brilliant and hilarious poet Kate Baer! We’ll be talking about sex, relationships, parenting, friendship, books, and a million other things, since, as Kate wrote herself, “There is very little women choose to keep from one another.” We’re looking forward to seeing some of you there. xoxo

We asked our Big Salad editors and friends what they’ve enjoyed recently…

1. “On hot days, I love pairing a lightweight T-shirt with a Levi’s mini skirt and letting my hair air dry.” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder

2. “In summer, I carry Ursa Major essential face wipes for the inevitable sweating. Then, I reach for my Shiseido clear sunscreen stick, which is both adorable and easy to apply.” — Elissa Suh, food writer and film critic

3. “For a host gift, I give Rebekah Peppler’s amazing cookbook Le Sud. Peppler and her wife live in Paris and regularly visit the south of France. You just want to BE in every photo, eating their food.” —

   Jenny Rosenstrach
   , cookbook writer and Cup of Jo food columnist

4. “I’ve been slowly trying to re-wild our garden into something Piet Oudolf-looking — tall grasses, lots of color. I just picked up a bunch of native plants from the nature center: some blue vervain, echinacea, and black-eyed Susans.” — Simone Kitchens, journalist

5. “I’ve been grabbing chilled mangonadas from the farmers market. The sweet and savory treat hits every time.” — Jannelle Sanchez, Cup of Jo editor

6. “Our friends recently introduced us to Skull King. It’s easy to learn, takes only a half hour, and even though it requires some strategy, you can still carry on a conversation while playing. Everyone we’ve played with since has bought a deck, too!” — Kaitlyn Teer, Big Salad editor

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Parenting in the summer — heat! sunscreen! no school! — is a whole different ball game. We asked a few mom friends to share their strategies…

“We made so many popsicles using this ice-pop mold and recipes from People’s Pops. Omg, the black cherry pops were exceptionally delicious. Was it a pain to make space in the freezer for them? Yes, but worth it.” —

Catherine Newman

, novelist and newsletter writer

“If I overtly suggest books to my kids, they’re less likely to read them. But if I put a small pile of books in places where they’ll notice, they’ll dig right in. Now, every couple weeks, I’ll request a few from the library. They end up seeing something they’re excited about, and it keeps them reading all summer without my needing to say, ‘It’s time to read.’” — Youngna Park, product advisor and writer

“Put the kids in charge! When my son was crabby or didn’t want to leave our Manhattan apartment, I’d say, ‘You’re in charge, so where are we going to walk today?’ That always sent us out on an adventure. Now that we live in the countryside, I’ll say, ‘Let’s get in the car, you’re the navigator.'‘ I’ll ask which way to turn out of our driveway and let my kids explore. We’ve been up mountains and discovered monuments and orchards we would have never otherwise found.” — Abbey Nova, design historian and writer

Lastly, summer may be the best time to employ the iconic Cup of Jo parenting move from reader Chloe: “If they’re crabby, add water. Run a bath, take a shower, water the garden, wash the dog, have a hot drink, have a cold drink… just add water.”

What would you add? Would love to hear your parenting hacks…

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Here are four links Big Salad readers clicked on most this month:

1. The XL beach tote that Youngna Park swears by.

2. Peyton Dix’s selfie-taking iPhone case (with suction cups!).

3. A funny reel about how fun it is to gossip with female friends.

4. Three poems by Kate Baer in our Seattle event announcement (it sold out quickly!)

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A post shared by @reductress

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“Wow, now I’m in love with Peyton,” wrote Jade after reading our interview with Peyton Dix. “Queuing up her podcast and adding myself to the waitlist for those lacrosse shorts.” Adds Rachel: “I’ve been feeling over podcasts this year, but Lemme Say This has brought me back! These smart, hilarious women have me CACKLING on my commute.”

In response to our low-key summer bucket list, Cate says, “Can’t wait to glide on my old bike down the hill wearing only a damp bathing suit and flip flops and tangled wet hair, late for supper, but who cares!”

After I shared how much my group text has meant to me while dating, Sheryl wrote, “I just went on my first date with a woman (previously only partnered with men). I was, of course, nervous, and my best friend sent me a voice memo telling me how beautiful and wonderful I am and how my date was lucky to be in my presence and don’t I forget it! My heart lit right up while listening to her hype-woman words.”

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1. A Parenting Hack I Stumbled Upon This Weekend. Worked like a charm.

2. The Magic of an Oversized Blue Striped Shirt, and what to pair with it.

3. What Easy Dinners Do You Swear by? Three meals to cook after a long day.

4. The Sexiest Make-Out Songs. The other night, my crush came over… ;)

5. Our Garden Makeover. Especially into the green table.

6. 5 Fun Things I Noticed This Weekend, including this great T-shirt.

(Opening photo by Kayla Johnson / Stocksy. Parenting photo by Bo Bo / Stocksy. 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.)

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Have a restful week, and my best friend Gemma’s interview is coming up on Friday. Can’t wait to share her makeup tips and hilarious stories with you, plus a bolstering pep talk if you’re not sure about your life’s direction right now. Till then! xoxo