I want to gently point out that HBH has a lot of valid criticisms (cultural appropriation and recipe plagiarism feel like the tip of the iceberg) and Iād love to see other websites and blogs featured instead.
Speaking of HBH, can we please go down a rabbit hole about her ED š I need to talk to more people about this and why no one but randos on insta are talking about
I could be wrong but I think this is a free issue! Was just going to chime in to say I appreciated the clear delineation at the start of the ad section, and loved seeing photos of a fun night.
Thank you for this feedback! Yes, monthly edits go out to all readers without a paywall and sponsored sections, which help make that possible, are clearly marked. xo
The Rancho Gordo Bean Club!! Kaitlyn, I'm so happy for you. I've never added myself to the waitlist, but I follow a Facebook page called Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Fan Club & Spoilers (I don't really spend any time on Facebook anymore, but this is one of the only reasons I sometimes pop back in). The group is totally nuts/evangelical about heirloom beans, and they share great recipes -- the comments are rich in tips and ideas for what to do with particular varieties of beans, how to cook them, etc. (It's one of the best comment sections I've encountered outside Cup of Jo/Big Salad.) I'm a journalist in Iowa, and I don't typically link to my own writing in comment sections (but yes I did post this article on the Rancho Gordo Fan group's Facebook page, and I got lots of lovely comments from across the country). It's from a cooking column I started writing for fun, on the side of regular reporting: https://www.nwestiowa.com/family/lets-cook-beans-a-love-story/article_43c3e595-bb65-4fbc-afe0-32c56a96213d.html
love the coffee table book. I keep a basket of fidgets on my coffee table (rubiks cube is the favorite, mind teaser puzzles (like the bird in a cage from the christmas gift guide), 15 puzzle, etc.) and it's a hit with the 9-year-old boy crowd.
Hannah's dress rehearse comment on What's the Best Advice a Therapist ever Gave You really hit home for me. Before my daughter, who was barely 1 at the time, underwent surgery, my therapist recommended that I focus only on 'what if it went really really well?' instead of all of the bad outcomes (something I tend to do) but I think there's something to dress rehearsing both the tragedy and the joy. When she came out of surgery, she had symptoms in recovery that we were not anticipating and it was a rough two weeks in the hospital. Since then it's been challenging, and maybe unrealistic, for me to only be optimistic when scary or difficult things are on the horizon but there's comfort in holding equal space for both good and bad outcomes, and to not overshadow one with the other. Thanks Hannah :)
!!!!! The cover photo was taken where I used to live - in Bonn, Germany! Made my day to see this. The cherry blossoms truly are this beautiful and should be in bloom right about now or very soon š„°
I love CoJ and every issue of Big Salad. So many fun and useful tips for us ladies in our 40s. The Burga phone case you showed is adorable, but why is the first phone case on their website called āoath keeper?ā Yikes! Hopefully it is just a coincidence and not a nod to a political movementā¦
Thank you, Kelsey, for the childrenās grief book recommendation. Iām going to get it for my sister in law who recently lost her mother. I could have used it when my own mother died. At our core, no matter the age, weāre all children inside when we grieve our parentās death. To do activities aimed at our child self makes emotional sense. And Iām so sorry for the loss of your beloved father. ā¤ļø
I've found the nonprofit Rainbows for All Children to be a great resource for children dealing with grief of all kinds, including the loss of a parent. I recently attended one of their events and it was so wonderful to see these kids being supported through their grief. As an adult who lost my mom many years ago, some part of my inner child was healed knowing that these kids have grief resources and a support network.
Iāve been reading your blog for about 15 years now (I think the first one was about three little buns) and still I can find interest, inspiration and chuckles in any given article or within the comments. You keep evolving and me too and wow, weāre still in this together.
I want to gently point out that HBH has a lot of valid criticisms (cultural appropriation and recipe plagiarism feel like the tip of the iceberg) and Iād love to see other websites and blogs featured instead.
Thank you for flagging this, Molly!
Speaking of HBH, can we please go down a rabbit hole about her ED š I need to talk to more people about this and why no one but randos on insta are talking about
Check out https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodieSnark/
I love Big Salad but it does feel weird to pay a subscription in order to read ads. This content seems better suited for CoJ.
I could be wrong but I think this is a free issue! Was just going to chime in to say I appreciated the clear delineation at the start of the ad section, and loved seeing photos of a fun night.
Thank you for this feedback! Yes, monthly edits go out to all readers without a paywall and sponsored sections, which help make that possible, are clearly marked. xo
Thanks for responding! That makes sense.
The Rancho Gordo Bean Club!! Kaitlyn, I'm so happy for you. I've never added myself to the waitlist, but I follow a Facebook page called Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Fan Club & Spoilers (I don't really spend any time on Facebook anymore, but this is one of the only reasons I sometimes pop back in). The group is totally nuts/evangelical about heirloom beans, and they share great recipes -- the comments are rich in tips and ideas for what to do with particular varieties of beans, how to cook them, etc. (It's one of the best comment sections I've encountered outside Cup of Jo/Big Salad.) I'm a journalist in Iowa, and I don't typically link to my own writing in comment sections (but yes I did post this article on the Rancho Gordo Fan group's Facebook page, and I got lots of lovely comments from across the country). It's from a cooking column I started writing for fun, on the side of regular reporting: https://www.nwestiowa.com/family/lets-cook-beans-a-love-story/article_43c3e595-bb65-4fbc-afe0-32c56a96213d.html
Incredible!! Thanks for sharing, Aleisa!! x
Thank you for the recs for NA drinks! I've been really into these lately as I cut back on alcohol.
Ooh maybe I need that grief activity book for myself?! What a cool thing.
love the coffee table book. I keep a basket of fidgets on my coffee table (rubiks cube is the favorite, mind teaser puzzles (like the bird in a cage from the christmas gift guide), 15 puzzle, etc.) and it's a hit with the 9-year-old boy crowd.
Yes to Crodino! Amazing little drink!
If you like Crodino try Sanbitter! The bottle is just as cute and it tastes like campari!
Good to know! I will look for this!
Hannah's dress rehearse comment on What's the Best Advice a Therapist ever Gave You really hit home for me. Before my daughter, who was barely 1 at the time, underwent surgery, my therapist recommended that I focus only on 'what if it went really really well?' instead of all of the bad outcomes (something I tend to do) but I think there's something to dress rehearsing both the tragedy and the joy. When she came out of surgery, she had symptoms in recovery that we were not anticipating and it was a rough two weeks in the hospital. Since then it's been challenging, and maybe unrealistic, for me to only be optimistic when scary or difficult things are on the horizon but there's comfort in holding equal space for both good and bad outcomes, and to not overshadow one with the other. Thanks Hannah :)
!!!!! The cover photo was taken where I used to live - in Bonn, Germany! Made my day to see this. The cherry blossoms truly are this beautiful and should be in bloom right about now or very soon š„°
I love CoJ and every issue of Big Salad. So many fun and useful tips for us ladies in our 40s. The Burga phone case you showed is adorable, but why is the first phone case on their website called āoath keeper?ā Yikes! Hopefully it is just a coincidence and not a nod to a political movementā¦
Thank you, Kelsey, for the childrenās grief book recommendation. Iām going to get it for my sister in law who recently lost her mother. I could have used it when my own mother died. At our core, no matter the age, weāre all children inside when we grieve our parentās death. To do activities aimed at our child self makes emotional sense. And Iām so sorry for the loss of your beloved father. ā¤ļø
I've found the nonprofit Rainbows for All Children to be a great resource for children dealing with grief of all kinds, including the loss of a parent. I recently attended one of their events and it was so wonderful to see these kids being supported through their grief. As an adult who lost my mom many years ago, some part of my inner child was healed knowing that these kids have grief resources and a support network.
The Crodino sounds so good! Bummed it doesn't appear to be available in my area yet! āļø
I loved it so much, I had it shipped to my house! haha
Love Crodino! Sanbitter is another good one.
Iāve been reading your blog for about 15 years now (I think the first one was about three little buns) and still I can find interest, inspiration and chuckles in any given article or within the comments. You keep evolving and me too and wow, weāre still in this together.