V-day underwear, good news for ebook lovers, and "moms gone wild"

Links we sent our friends #86 feat. special guest Joanna Goddard

Hi there! It’s Aja. Aliza and I are heading into a whirlwind week — I’m in Dublin for work, she’s in New York for an offsite, and we’re reuniting in Cambridge on Friday for our sold-out (!!) Galentine’s event. A few of our out-of-state friends decided to come, too, so we’re going to have a big dinner and a brunch… and by Sunday night I already know I’m going to feel completely exhausted but also extremely grateful and happy and loved. Basically: I can’t wait.

Today’s guest is someone that Aliza and I have been reading for years…

(Picture credit: Christine Han.)

Joanna Goddard

is a Brooklyn-based mom of two and the founder of daily lifestyle publications Cup of Jo and

Big Salad

. Both are both regular reads for us (and probably you too!), not just for the consistently interesting and relatable topics (see: nine women on going gray, tips for making a home feel like a haven, and an incredibly honest piece about dating post-divorce), but for the warm, engaging community Joanna’s built around them.

Sitting down with Cup of Jo feels like getting advice from a very cool older sister who happens to also have impeccable taste. The comments section alone is worth the visit — it’s one of those rare corners of the internet that actually makes you feel better about humanity.

Joanna’s links:

1. On cold winter days, we've been making baked potatoes for dinner, along with toppings like cheese, sour cream, chives, black beans, onions, mushrooms, you name it. In England, where all my relatives live, neighborhood pubs serve baked potatoes with tuna and corn; we haven’t done this yet, but I’m curious to try it!

2. My boys and I have been playing Ono 99, a card game that feels like a mix of Uno and Blackjack. It's very easy to learn, and the mood always gets hilariously intense. Highly recommend for kids age 7 and up.

3. Most of my underwear is old and ratty, so for Valentine's Day, I treated myself to a CouCou bra and underwear. I love how the rose print is flirty and sweet at the same time.

   

   These prints and soft patterns are seriously adorable — and sexy. (Picture credit: CouCou.)

4. My friend Andy made the New Year's Resolution to go to the movies more regularly. His enthusiasm was contagious, so we just got tickets to I’m Still Here — have you seen it? Any other films you’d recommend?

5. Do you have any tattoos? My friend Alison got a shrimp cocktail, since it was her late father's favorite dish, and Now I'm so tempted to get one myself. What would you get? My boyfriend often texts a smiley face like this :-) which I find incredibly endearing. If we end up together, maybe I’ll get that! (Aja: I love both of those ideas. My fiancé and I are getting matching tattoos later this year, and I’m nervous/excited.)

Aja’s links:

1. Oregon’s googly eyed bandit comes forward!

2. Wouldn’t this be fun to hang in your kitchen?

3. Exciting: Bookshop.org just launched ebooks.

4. And if you’re looking for something to read, I just finished and loved Beautyland, an incredibly charming, heartfelt, and relatable book about a girl who may or may not be a literal alien. (Aliza: This one has been on my list!)

5. I’m buying more of these beanies as soon as the colors I want are restocked. I’ve been wearing the one I got last winter basically every day.

6. If you, like me, have been watching Trump’s attack on trans rights with sadness and fear, you should also know that hundreds of same-sex couples got married in Thailand last week after the country finally legalized gay marriage.

Scenes from Thailand’s mass marriage celebrations last week — because we could all use some good news. (Picture credit: Chanakarn Laosarakham (left) and Lillian Suwanrumpha (right) /AFP via Getty Images.)

Aliza’s links:

1. I was shocked when I saw the (extremely reasonable) price of these sunglasses.

2. This 2023 article on motherhood — published when my son was not quite one yet — was one of the first links I ever shared on Platonic Love. It resonates even more now.

3. Really sweet gift ideas for the valentines in your life… (Aja: Are we valentines? Because this is very us.)

4. I tracked down the “Be Lucky” keychain that I mentioned a few weeks ago. The story makes it feel even more special: This woman-owned, Cambridge (UK!)-based shop sources each keychain (and other leather goods) from a small family-run manufacturer in Scotland, where they’re hand-finished with colorful embossing.

5. Appreciated this intimate portrayal of sisterhood — especially the reminder that the “cool girls” don’t have it all figured out either.

Do you have any Galentine’s traditions? Last year, I (Aja) wrote my friends letters telling them what I loved about them/our friendship, which I want to do again this February… (Aliza: Please do! I loved mine. 🥹)

Wearing the best beanie on a cold, foggy day in Boston. (Picture credit: Aja Frost.)

• 29 things I’m glad I did in my twenties

• How to get horny again (!)

• Helping a friend through grief (the things we wish we’d known sooner)

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