The March Edit

What we read, wore, made, and ate. Plus, Freddie and I met each other’s kids. (!)

Welcome to the March Edit! How is your week going? The weather is warm and balmy — I just swapped my trench coat for a chore jacket and it feels so good!!!

This month, we sent four issues:

• How do you know if it’s time to get divorced? 11 woman shared their eye-opening experiences

• Ask Me Anything with my twin sister Lucy Kalanithi, including a dating update, the pants that make her feel cool, and the #1 thing that surprised her about grief

• Our gossip issue with fascinating friendship insights from Normal Gossip’s Kelsey McKinney

• The 9 habits that are making my 40s my favorite decade so far (and I’d love to hear yours)

We also enjoyed a Big Salad & Friends live chat, where Joanna talked to food writer

Jenny Rosenstrach

about pantry dinners, marriage goals, and visiting NYC on a budget. You can watch the recording here, if you’d like. This spring, we’ll be chatting live with more friends — including Hunter Harris, Kate Baer, Catherine Newman, and others — about everything from movies and careers, to parenting and relationships, to grey hair and botox. Next one is Tuesday, April 8!

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

1. Gift: “Freddie and I met each other’s children! We were so excited — I met his kids over pizza in New Jersey, and he met mine over ice cream in Brooklyn. Eager to make good impressions, we came loaded up with small gifts, and the runaway hit for both sets of kids were these three round magnets. They played with them the whole time, and both meetings went so well. <3 <3 <3” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder

2. Flowers: “Our local bodega is exploding with tulips, and I’ve loved bringing home a bunch every week. Remember the trick for wilting tulips? Poke a pin through the base of each stem, and in a few hours they'll be standing straight!” — Joanna

3. Recipe: “My cousin watches my kids once a week, and we started a fun ritual of testing out TikTok recipes when she comes over. Yesterday she introduced me to the Shaken Salmon and Cucumber Sushi Salad. It’s fresh and veggie-forward, and comes together in 10 minutes. Basically, my dream lunch.” — Jannelle Sanchez, Cup of Jo editor

4. Toy: “Bugs and worms are starting to emerge so we have been taking this ‘bug inspector’ magnifying glass on all of our walks. Unfortunately Willa has also found the occasional spider inside the house.” — Maureen Heffernan, Cup of Jo partnerships director

5. Novel: “I just started Emma Pattee’s debut novel, Tilt, and it is gripping. It opens with Annie, who is 37 weeks pregnant, shopping for a crib in IKEA when the ‘Big One’ — the long-feared megaquake and tsunami — strikes Portland. Then she’s forced to begin the long walk home.” — Kaitlyn Teer, Big Salad editor

6. Gardening: “Two of our go-to recipes call for butternut squash —

   Julia Turshen
   ’s winter chopped salad and
   Alison Roman
   ’s squash soup with lentils and herbs — so, for the first time, I’m trying to grow it in my garden. Any tips?” — Kaitlyn

Ever since I discovered the French brand Sézane a decade ago, I’ve worn their beautiful, timeless pieces on repeat. Here are my everyday spring basics…

1. Dress: This cotton dress (which also comes in red) has a cult following for being both comfy and chic. I’m excited to pull it on for garden dinners and weekend getaways.

2. Bag: A raffia basket bag is roomy enough to carry a picnic blanket, two books, and crusty baguette.

3. Blouse: How romantic is the embroidery on this white cotton blouse? I like how crisp and fresh it looks with jeans. (See many more here.)

4. Denim: Ahhh, denim dress, have I worn you 100 times? Maybe 1000? By now, the cost per wear is a penny. This dress is perfect for everything, from bike rides to coffee hangs to movie nights. It’s always the first thing I pack for vacation.

(This post is sponsored by Sézane, a brand we have loved and worn for many years. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo and Big Salad.)

1. The wide-leg trousers that Kelsey McKinney swears by

2. A CoJ post about 5 things that surprised me about my divorce

3. The herb-y farro salad that my sister Lucy always brings to potlucks

4. A sweeping novel that I inhaled and loved

Says Kate on The Gossip Issue: “In Laurie Colwin’s Happy All the Time, one character says to another: ‘I don't call it gossip, I call it emotional speculation.’ Perfect description to me.”

Says Lolly on My Sister Lucy Shares the Best Parenting Hack: “As a single mom of one, I felt happy tears spring to my eyes when Lucy said she writes ‘The Kalanithis’ on her Christmas cards because ‘Cady and I are only two people, but we are a full family.’ YES to this!” Adds Lana: “I read this as ‘The Galanithis.’ Just two gals, sending Christmas cheer.”

Says Erika on 9 Habits That Are Making My 40s My Favorite Decade Yet: “Not yet in my 40s, but ‘hooky days’ have been a game changer for me this year as someone who works full time and has two small kids (ages 1 and 3). Every few months, I take a day off work to do something fun by myself, like hiking or kayaking or taking a long bike ride. Or just sipping a fancy latte and reading my book in a coffee shop all day — whatever the vibes call for!”

1. Brooke Barker’s Go-To Conversation Starter. Plus, she shares 11 favorite things, including Japanese sunscreen, and sweet marriage advice.

2. Joanna and Lucy Talk Dating. OMG! Are we podcasters now?!

3. How Great is Chanel Miller’s Life Advice? And she reveals her favorite pants.

mytherapistsays

A post shared by @mytherapistsays

1. How Do You Introduce a New Partner to Your Kids? Loved the advice in the comments!!!

2. Etsy Finds. When I was in my twenties, if my brain was spinning, I would go down Etsy rabbit holes...

3. Four Fun Things. Including a spring beauty find and how to hang art.

4. What Do You Like About Where You Live? 14 women share photos.

5. My Messy Road to Not Drinking. “One evening, I headed down to our basement...”

6. How Do You Make Your Partner Feel Good? A couple of weeks ago, I saw the cutest act of romance.

(Opening photo by Michela Ravasio / Stocksy. Tilt photo by Reading By the Bay. Butternut squash photo by Pine House Edible Gardens. 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 so much for reading Big Salad. We love having you here. xo