12 great iPhone cases

I have the world's most boring iPhone case—one of those ugly thick ones to keep it from breaking if Toby drops it or dunks it into his cereal. But! There are so many cute cases these days, I might just have to switch...

First row: Scales, gold foil, phone booth.
Second row: Bonjour, heart, bike.
Third row: Tulips, wooden, nope.
Fourth row: New Yorker cartoon, 1966 GQ Magazine cover, sun.

Thoughts? What's your case like?

P.S. This sparkly one is cool, too.

(Round-up by Joanna; graphic design by Rachel Ball for Cup of Jo)

Weekly Challenge #6

Have you ever meditated? I recently hung out with a new friend, Louise, who grew up in a Iowa town known for transcendental meditation. At just five years old, she was taught to meditate by repeating a mantra while she played with toys. At her high school, all the students would meditate for three hours a day. Amazing, right?

I've never been able to meditate. Funnily enough, I think it's because I'm too anxious. Alex and I once went to an evening meditation workshop for a story he was working on, and the whole time I sat there trying to figure out where we should go to dinner afterward. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the point.

But meditation can actually make you happier. According to a fascinating New York Times article, researchers have shown that daily meditation-like thought can shift brain activity toward "positive emotional states...that make us more likely to engage the world rather than to withdraw from it." In the study, participants were told to "relax with their eyes closed, focus on their breathing, and acknowledge and release any random thoughts that might arise," and voila! With as little as five minutes of meditating a day, "a happier outlook is yours for the taking."

So! Who wants to give it a go? This week's challenge is to meditate for 10 minutes a day. Because if it really makes you calmer and happier, then 10 minutes would be worth it, right?

Andy Puddicombe, author of Get Some Headspace: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day, says it's best to meditate first thing in the morning, if possible, and in the same place every time. "Avoid judging your meditation," he told the Huffington Post. "It is tempting to think you are 'good' or 'bad' at meditation. In truth, there is no such thing...Taming the mind is a skill to develop over a lifetime."

What do you think? Have you ever meditated? Did you feel good afterward? Would you be up for trying it?

P.S. Are you too busy? Also, cat bounce.

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Weekly Challenge #5

How much do you know about your parents? Obviously, you know the basics, but how often do you really ask them about themselves? Here's the fifth challenge...Read More >

Weekly Challenge #4

The other evening, we were hanging out, and Alex busted out the word "postprandial," as in "Let's take a postprandial walk with Toby." NICE. (This was my reaction.)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there's nothing more attractive than hearing someone use a vocab word in regular conversation.

So here's the weekly challenge: Choose a favorite vocab word and pepper it into conversation this week. Are you game? Here are the 250 most difficult SAT words, if you'd like inspiration. Peripatetic. Innocuous. Sycophantic. Taciturn...Which word will you choose? Let's nerd out!

P.S. British words and annoying words.

(Photo of Grace Kelly. Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

The Best Broccoli Soup You'll Ever Have

Alex loves loves loves soup, and he always orders it at restaurants. (It's like his thing.) So when Momfilter wrote about this delicious broccoli soup that kids also beg for, we knew we had to try it (wouldn't it be perfect for winter lunches?)...
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The Best Homemade Doughnuts You'll Ever Have

Today, the lovely Rachel from Elephantine is sharing her recipe for homemade doughnuts (with two secret ingredients!). Take a look...
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Fall Challenge #3

The third weekly fall challenge is to eat something you've never tried before. For example...
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Fall Challenge #2

Our family used to drive six hours to visit our cousins for the holidays, and to help pass the time, my mom and I would nerd out and memorize poems. The first one we chose was this picker-upper from Emily Dickinson. I still remember every word.

So, for the second fall challenge, let's each memorize a favorite poem by next Thursday. How amazing to have beautiful words bouncing around your head. What do you think? Are you in?

P.S. Rudyard Kipling's If and Mary Oliver's Wild Geese are both beautiful...

(Photo by the wonderful Kari Herer; graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Who's game?

After watching the Happy documentary, I've been mulling over the idea of happiness. One evening, I was reading a magazine, and a single quote gave me a lightbulb moment...

"Happiness isn't being cheerful all the time," says John Sharp, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School. "It's being interested in things—finding out more about something, learning how to appreciate something better, incorporating something new that fits with what you already have."

So! Inspired, I decided to have more everyday adventures this fall. Then I wondered if I should make it a new series on the blog, since it's more fun to do things as a group. Would you want to join me?

How it would work: Each week, I'll issue a single challenge. (Think: learn to tell a great joke, write a handwritten letter, go see a movie by yourself.) The following week, we'll regroup and share our experiences! What do you think?!

The challenge for this week, should you choose to accept it, could be to not watch TV for a week. (Or, at least, cut way back.) And see what surprising things unfold in your life...

Thoughts? Are you in? Does this sound fun to you? Fingers crossed, I really hope so!!!

P.S. The no-complaining challenge...

(Photo by Christine Carreira. Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Favorite fall hair

Oooh, yes, middle parts, fishtails and tiny braids. That's my hair plan for the fall:) What's yours? Anyone getting a brave haircut or doing anything drastic?

P.S. 15 hair tutorials...

(Photos from Teen Vogue, Tory Burch, Holly Fulton. Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Paris daydreaming

Who's daydreaming of Paris this fall? The city feels extra dreamy when everyone's bundled up in wool scarves, ducking into cafes for thick hot chocolate. Well, here are seven pretty pieces to inspire some romance at home...

1. Eiffel Tower plush, $68.
2. Paris print, $30.
3. John Derian plate, $48.
4. Saint James shirt, made in Normandy since 1850, $90. (See one on a model here.)
5. Metallic flats, $125.
6. Tea candies, $14.
7. Map tote, $20.

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)