Welcome to The May Edit! How’s it going? Freddie and I just got back from a weekend at the beach, and I’m excited to share an amazing cottage rental discovery with you next Tuesday. (We’ll be starting to send short and punchy Tuesday emails every other week.) Feel free to sign up for a paid subscription here, if you’d like to get all the emails.

This month, we sent four issues:

• 7 things we spotted people wearing in Paris, plus a chic haircut

• Freddie and I have been dating for nine months, so I was curious to ask readers, how do you know if your partner is the one?

• 10 women open up about tough mother/daughter relationships, including

  Aminatou Sow
  on how it feels to be a motherless daughter

• Finally, 15 page-turning books to read this summer, and a funny Q&A with romance author Emily Henry on sex, the Midwest, and her #1 marriage tip

On Friday, we’re featuring fashion designer Somsack Sikhounmuong, of Alex Mill, who reveals an offbeat vacation destination and how to wear a button-up shirt so you look like a Copenhagen girl. Excited to share!

1. “When traveling with family, I like wearing pajamas (versus a ratty tee) when making eggs together in the morning or watching a movie with the cousins before bed. How cute is this pair from Folkloore?” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder

2. “Anton begged to get some kinetic sand at the toy store, and I have to admit, it's incredible. The dry, moldable sand feels so good in your hands. Anton even skipped screen time last night to build a castle, which equals the world's most enthusiastic recommendation from an 11-year-old.” — Joanna

3. “A few months ago, the lovely

   Erika Veurink
   surprised me with an adorable mini version of L.L. Bean’s tote, and *every time* I go out, people give it compliments. The bag is roomy enough to hold all the essentials, plus a summer novel, and you can also get it monogrammed.” — Jannelle Sanchez, Cup of Jo editor

4. “For my son’s birthday, we hosted a big, chaotic party at home. I wanted to serve easy food that both kids and adults would enjoy, and I settled on an herb-y pasta salad, pizza bites (the dads DELETED these in two seconds), and a plate of berries, which were perfect for toddlers.” — Maureen Heffernan, Cup of Jo partnerships director

5. “I don’t always like listening to celebrities interviewing celebrities — they sometimes go back and forth just complimenting each other — but I loved Amy Poehler’s podcast episode with Michelle Obama and her brother (‘Do you call her Mrs. Obama?’ Amy asks him). Remembering Michelle’s 2014 cameo on Parks & Recs, Amy says, ‘I was very jazzed, and I went to say my line and I drooled. Do you not remember? I’m so glad. I full on drooled.’” — Joanna

6. “My friend makes delicious desserts from scratch, so when she brought cookies on a camping trip, I assumed they were handmade. But no! She told me they were Trader Joe’s Super Chocolately Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough. Now I’m wondering if there’s a new contender for the best supermarket refrigerated cookie dough.” — Kaitlyn Teer, Big Salad editor

My twin sister was the first person who turned me onto Rothy’s shoes. She told me that doctors find them cute and comfy for walking around all day. “My friend even wrote an article about how medical shows aren’t realistic,” she told me. “One of the main reasons is that everyone should be wearing Rothy’s.” Then my friend Erika — a model and fashion writer in NYC — raved about how great (and machine washable) they are. Sold from all angles, I tried their casual clogs and now wear them all the time. I love the cushion-y contoured footbed, and they’re easy to slip on for a morning coffee walk or to play basketball at the park with the kids.

Rothy’s is having their friends and family sale right now, so I’m eyeing their buckle slides, which would be perfect for summer travel — no blisters, no breaking in. I also love wearing their ballet flats with jeans and white tees, and these lollipop red flats would make a work outfit pop. You can see all their styles here, if you’d like.

Thoughts? What summer styles are you into?

(This post is sponsored by Rothy’s. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo and Big Salad.)

1. A funny, glamorous novel that Bess Kalb recommends reading this summer

2. The market bag that Joanna spotted all around Paris

3. A movie about grief that Tyler Feder watches when she needs a good cry

4. Perfectly fitting white jeans that Joanna wears for ”stick of butter” dressing

Says Andrea on How Do You Know Your Partner Is the One: “I’ve never commented before, but this post touched me. I’m also divorced, and I started dating again in my 40s. Within three months of meeting my now-husband, we both knew: this was it. There’s a clarity that comes with age. Our love wasn’t flashy or impulsive; it was quiet and steady. The kind of love where you sit on the couch together and read in companionable silence. I wasn’t anxious — just calm and safe. That’s how I knew.”

Says Jennifer on 7 Things I Spotted People Wearing in Paris: “Tucking in a shirt all-the-way feels so hard after decades of a half tuck. Maybe this is the push I needed.”

Says Catharine on Found! The 15 Best Books to Read This Summer: “I read Tilt by Emma Pattee last month. The novel opens with a nine-month-pregnant woman in a Portland, Oregon, Ikea when a massive earthquake hits. The book keeps coming back into my brain, and I'm still trying to make sense of the shock and awe.”

1. Catherine Newman Shares 12 Cool Things for a Messy, Funny, Joyous Life. Polar plunges! Paul Rudd! What to do right before people come by!

2. Four Ways I’ve Learned to Deepen Friendships. The last one might be a little controversial :)

3. Ochuko Akpovbovbo's Colorful Apartment in Germany Will Boost Your Mood. Plus, what it was like to move abroad.

officialsadbeige

A post shared by @officialsadbeige

1. What Nonfiction Books Do You Love? The comments are AMAZING.

2. A Few Days in Brooklyn. My mom came to visit, and the best part was...

3. What Are Your Favorite Baby Names? Plus, a fun announcement.

4. A Really Good Easy Dinner. One pot. Five minutes.

5. The Color I Saw Everywhere in Paris. Inspired, we found 12 similar pieces.

6. This Mom of Two Moved Into Her Grandparents’ Comfy Home. “Every time I wash dishes, I feel my grandmother’s presence.”

(Opening photo of Barton Springs by Alex George / Unsplash. Photo of Amy Poehler and Michelle Obama by Evan Ross Katz. 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 for reading! We have a fun, juicy issue coming up on Friday, and meanwhile I’ll be doing these nine rituals. :) Lots of love, as always. xoxo

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