Looking for an editor to join the Cup of Jo team

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Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! Can you believe 2014 is right around the corner?! Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Honestly, this year has has some ups and downs—long-time readers know that I'm not great with pregnancy hormones!—so I'm more grateful and touched than ever to have such incredible people returning to Cup of Jo. I love your funny, heartfelt and insightful comments and emails every day. I learn so much and can't express how happy I am to have you here. It's such a gift to have this warm and dynamic community of likeminded women.

Here's a quick look back over the past year, if you'd like...
Motherhood posts, such as co-sleeping with your children, six words to say to your child, five genius motherhood tips, naked babies at the beach, toddlers in the kitchen, a lullaby that really works...and the most moving post of my entire blogging career about a stillborn baby boy.
We also did a motherhood around the world series, where we interviewed mothers living in India, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Norway, Congo, Japan and Abu Dhabi. I was completely riveted by their answers and was inspired by parenting norms in different cultures. We'd love to do another series in 2014 with more countries.
Posts about toddler Toby, such as conversations with a two-year-old and three-year-old, playing his violin, his donut birthday cake, going on a babymoon trip for your older child, bringing his favorite book to life and preparing him for a sibling (thank you so much for the enlightening tips!)
Post about our new arrival, Anton, such as announcing our pregnancy, seeing his sweet profile, choosing a name, fast labors in cabs, introducing our two boys for the first time and decorating our very first Christmas tree.
Beauty posts, such as hair tutorials and nail polish trends, which are my secret favorite. We also did four reader makeovers (here are the afters!).
Fashion posts, such as a five-second trick for feeling pretty, my fall uniform, and the most flattering jeans.
TV posts such as the 101 best written TV series of all time, celebrity look-a-likes, casting auditions for The Office, SNL's spoof on Girls and a fantastic ballet documentary.
Design posts, such as natural home scents, how to arrange supermarket flowers, lost loves, the rain room and how to do...anything.
Home posts, such as a 500-square-foot San Francisco apartment, a vacation rental website for families and our own apartment makeover.
Career posts, such as a Q&A with the Girls costume designer and a Q&A with an animal photographer.
Food posts, such as crunchy roast potatoes, the beauty of eating dinner alone, 11 Nutella recipes, how beer's taste alone gets you a little high and three flavored waters.
Friendship posts, such as what to say when there's an awkward silence, how to say goodbye at parties, a spot-on personality test, the power of empathy, three things you're grateful for, wise words for when you're freaking out and the wobbly path to success.
Travel and NYC posts, such as 9 crazy things about living in NYC, what British people say vs. what they really mean, 11 untranslatable words from other countries, Swedish slides, a Positano travel fantasy and how to piss off every New Yorker in 36 seconds.
Relationship posts, such as making out in public, saying I love you, having sex on your wedding night, what marriage means, how to give a reflexology foot rub, having friends officiate your wedding, what you'd do differently if you got married again, celebrity crushes and a brilliant speech about the word "gay".
And, as always, random posts, such as a When Harry Met Sally prank, goats yelling like people, how a key actually works and how to walk on ice.

I hope you enjoyed this year on Cup of Jo, and thank you again for reading. Very much looking forward to new series and exciting adventures in 2014, and sending a big kiss to you. Happy holidays!!! xoxo

P.S. I'll resume posting on January 6th, if you're in a blog-reading mood:)

Salted Caramel Molten Chocolate Cakes

This month, we've asked food bloggers to share their favorite holiday desserts, and today, Izy of Top With Cinnamon reveals how to make these molten chocolate cakes with salted caramel. How insanely rich and delicious do these look? Here's how to whip them up...
Read More >

Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy holidays! Are you heading anywhere this week? We're leaving tomorrow for our annual trip to Palm Springs and Los Angeles. We debated whether we should go or not, since a cross-country trip with two little dudes sounded intimidating, but in the end, we figured we'd give it a go! I'm so excited to see our family. This year, Anton's basically the same age as Toby when he had his first Christmas. And last year Anton was just a bump:)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

Beautiful nature photos.

Hibernation sweatshirt. Right on.

This snowy week, we watched almost all of Homeland season two—so addictive! This tumblr made me laugh.

Parents see their youngest children as smaller than they actually are.

Note to Santa: This is at the top of my wishlist.

A ballerina dancing at 39 weeks pregnant.

Santa school.

The Queen of England likes wearing blue.

Cute way to hang a wreath.

My friend Susan gave us this book and it's awesome.

The movie Her has been getting amazing reviews. Are you going to see it?

Why you should bring olive oil to a dinner party.

Cool Brooklyn pennant. (You can get any city you'd like.)

Great stocking stuffer.

Wish us luck on the flight tomorrow with those two little stinks! And if you need them: 10 tips for traveling with a baby, and 10 ways to entertain a toddler on a plane.

Lots of love and safe travels! xoxo

No Heat Beach Waves

There are loads of diferent types of these no heat tutorials for this beachy hair look, and the reason to that is that most people (including me) just love that messy hair. And if you don't, just remember - embrace it! It's an all time (or maybe I should've said immortal) hairstyle that goes with everything! It's playful and can give that 'wow' effect on your whole look. So, I had to do some serious searching to find the perfect tutorial that can do the trick - and i found it! It's an easy breezy tutorial posted by the amazing Aimee Song from Song of Style. All the redit goes to her and her amazing trick! 

1. Part your slightly damp hair into two sections (right and left) and start twisting from the root to all the way to the end of your hair. Make sure you twist well!

2. Using a bobby pin, pin the end of your twisted hair to the crown of your head.

3. Twist the other side of your hair in the same direction (I normally twist outwards) and pin to the crown of your head like the first side.

4. Let your hair dry naturally overnight and in the morning, unpin the ends. Shake your head and pretend your in a shampoo commercial, and voila! You got waves! If you'd like to hold the waves, top off the look with a lightweight hairspray such as the Vida Sassoon Pro Series Flexible Hold Hairspray.

Clip in bangs - Zooey Deschanel look

Hey everyone! Today is a very special day here! It's the day before Easter and everyone is painting egs and just enjoying this great sunny weather! And since I'm feeling very excited, I thought that I should post something also very spring inspired - the Zooey Deschanel inspired hairstyle!  This tutorial I've found on Bobby Glam and I must say, all of their tutorials and posts are absoloutley amazing! All very nicely put together, I love it! I also have to say that the girl in the tutorial used a clip in fringe that you can buy in their shop here.

For the full tutorial, here is the video! 

It's a very classy look, prefect if you want to try something new! And while creating this hairstyle, don't panic if the moment you put you fringe in place it doesn't look good. 

It just needs a little ajusment and practice. Soon I'll

post a similar tutorial also incuding bangs, but created
in a different way, so untill then, have fun creating this,
fun, edgy but still very classy hairstyle!

Happy Friday friends! 

Kristen Stewart at the KCAs 2013: The Messy Fishtail

Hey everyone! I know it's been a long time since this year's KCA, and since all that time I've been admiring Kristen's whole look. From the cool playsuit to the amazing hair, I was blown. It just leaves an impression of youth and freedom combined with great fashion taste. Oh, and the purple smokey eyes, that the icing on the cake! I just loved it! Therefore I couldn't resist to post a great and easy hair tutorial that I've found here (click there to get more info on the products used) and plus, a makeup tutorial for her look!

Hair magician ADIR ABERGEL hooked the 22-year-old up for the night by styling her long auburn tresses in quite possibly the coolest fishtail braid I’ve ever seen. Using the Fekkai products he created this, undone, fresh and simple to recreate hairstyle. So, here is the hair tutorial (just wait a few seconds and the video will appear itself).

AND NOW, THE MAKEUP...

Kristen posed for the KCA cameras giving them a smouldering ultra-violet stare courtesy of her smoky deep purple eyes. Chanel Celebrity Makeup Artist JILLIAN DEMPSEY was inspired by both her eye color and the shade of her outfit.

Before starting, Jillian had to start with a clean palette.

“I prepped her skin with CHANEL Hydra Beauty Sèrum followed by CHANEL Sublimage Essential Regenerating Fluid and then dabbed a little CHANEL Sublimage La Crème Yeux under her eyes.

I used a combination of CHANEL Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Sunscreen Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 on Kristen’s face and neck and CHANEL Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer with soft focus on pigments to conceal and event out her complexion.

On the apples of her cheeks, I lightly dusted CHANEL Powder Blush in Rose Initial. I then did a series of highlights on her upper cheekbones and bridge of her nose with CHANEL Exclusive Creation Poudre Signèe De Chanel Illuminating Powder.”

Now, for the eyes!

“The eyes were the cornerstone of this look. I chose CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eyeshadow in Vanitès and relied on the deep purple shade to add depth to Kristen’s eyes. I blended and layered metallic accents on her lids to intensify the purple shades using CHANEL Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirifique. To continue the purple iridescence theme, I traced underneath her lower lashes with CHANEL Precision Eye Definer in Violet Smoke.

I also used CHANEL Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Black Shimmer on her upper lash line for extra definition.

I curled the lashes and added two coats of Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Noir. I added a few individual lashes to finish.”

And for the perfectly pale pout?
Jillian used CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Candeur on her lips “for a natural, peachy nude hue.”

Textured Knot

Hey everyone! Long time no see! I can't wait to show you this new look, which has first appeared at the Band Of Outsiders fall 2013 show. This artfully rumpled style has been created by Duffy, a beauty expert. I've found this tutorial ( well, more like, a video) on Vogue.com on its top 10 stories from this week. I must say that this fashion season will be mostly marked by a little more classier and sleeaker hairstyles, but nevermind, because this is a great mixture of messy and classy! And even though this is a very casual style, it's the texture of the hair that makes it so exceptional!

For more info about the products used in this video (oh yeah, don't be afraid of clicking the link, It's not a virus or a pop-up, It will just open an extra tab and you will watch it there!) you can visit the Vogue page here. And as for the video, just follow this link: http://bcove.me/5i06rgeb

Big Classic Bouffant

I really am a fan of this look, and I always was. It's so classic, feminine and the dramatic cat eye eyeliner is probably my absolute favorite look, although I don't wear it. Anyway, I found this handy tutorial on Bobby Glam Blog, and If you want to check it out you will find lots of these classic hair tutorials. 

Firstly, you need to fit the Hair Booty hair extension to help achieve a big bouffant to rival Brigitte Bardot’s! You need to take a section from the front of your hair to pull back over the Hair Booty once it has been fitted. Like you can see in the pics above, if you have a fringe like me, take the section from behind your fringe. If not, begin so you are in line with your temple. Take a section about 2cm wide to cover the Booty.

Take the sectioned hair and secure with a sectioning clip to keep it out of the way whilst you are fitting your Hair Booty.

Now you need to fit your Hair Booty, the trick here is to put the Booty quite high up on your head as it creates a much bigger and more voluminous bouffant. So the clips of the Booty will be fitted on to the top of your head, with some falling around your crown area. Now, if you’re wanting a super duper bouffant you could always backcomb your hair before you fit the Booty. If you don’t want oodles of volume, you can skip this step … totally up to you.

Once you have your Booty fitted you then need to un-clip the section that you sectioned off in step 1. This will be pulled over to cover the Hair Booty. Backcomb this section a little and spritz with hairspray to ensure all of it is covered.

Pull all of your hair over to one side and secure in place with bobby pins. The side you choose is completely up to you; generally the same side as your fringe works best.

Then if you have a fringe, you need to pull this over and secure neatly with a bobby pin. If you don’t have a fringe you can just pull a section of hair to the side and secure it with a bobby pin too … it should still look the same.

Next you need to take your hair straighteners or curling tongs, whichever you prefer, and carefully add a few curls throughout the ends of your hair. Be sure to start the curl from the mid-lengths of your hair to achieve that classical look!

Holiday Hairstyle Inspiration

Hey! I haven't posted anything a long time ago... sorry about that. But I'm very happy today, because here, it's Christmas! I've spent this day wathching some Christmas movies like 'Home Alone' with my family and of course, eating! And I am so excited, so It seemed nice to post sometnig finaly. So, these are my top three festive, kinda, holiday inspired hairstyles, and I have a tutorial for each one of them! I hope you'll enjoy it! And Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating it today just like me!!!

No1: Loosley Curled Chignon

This is a tutorial I found on She Lets Her Hair Down, (actually I found all of these tutorials there) and I really like that blog! It's so inspirational, and you can really find any hair tutorial! I love it, thank you! 

Prep your hair by spraying hair spray all over it and brushing it through twice to have a texture that can easily be molded. You need that "dirty" texture in order for your hair to hold a curl and to achieve a hairstyle like this. 

Separate a section of hair at the top of your head and clip it out of the way.
Curl all of the rest of your hair in whichever direction you'd like. This doesn't need to have a rhyme or reason to it because it is just to give your hair texture. Once it is all curled, separate the curled hair into two equal sections and twist them until you reach your ends. 

Keep twisting them together and overlap the two sections over and over to create a loose bun at the back of your head. Pin the bun in place using strong bobby pins. Don't make it too tight on the sides. Take down the section of hair at the top of your head and curl it all going back and away from your face. Loosely separate the curls with your fingers.

Bring the curled hair at the top of your head back towards your bun and twist the ends so you can pin it into place. Loosely pin the top section towards the back using hair pins. The look should be loose and have a little bit more volume at the top than on the sides. 

No2: Mini Crown Braid

As always, it's best to have slightly dirty hair so your braids stay in place and so you can easily attach pins into your hair. Here are some products you can use to give your hair that "dirty hair" texture.

 Start with a small triangle section on one side of your middle part. Split that small section into three smaller sections. Start a normal three strand braid by taking the section that is closest to your middle part and bringing it under the middle section making it now the middle section. Now take the section closest to your forehead and bring it under the middle section.

You're now going to add hair to your three strand braid by taking a long section from your middle part to where your braid is laying. Add that hair into the section that is closest to your middle part.

Now take that whole section under the middle one making it the new middle. Next, take the section closest to your forehead and bring it under the middle section (you're not adding hair on this side). Now you will repeat steps 4 and 5 until you reach the end of your middle part (about 3 times).

After reaching the end of your middle part, you will continue braiding like normal without adding hair.
Once you absolutely can't braid that hair anymore, you can tie it off with a small elastic band or with a bobby pin.Repeat the same braid on the other side and secure it at the end.

Wrap each braid around your head and pin the ends into the braid on the other side. Hide your pins and the ends of your hair by tucking them under the other braid. It might help to add some hairspray to the spot where you will pin the ends into to make sure the pins and braid stay in place.

No3: Stars Chignon

I already posted a very similar tutrorial, you can look up the tutrorial here. But If you would like if you want to look up the whole tutorial go to She Lets Her Hair Down. Here's a quick gif to show you how to warp the chignon, and for the rest well, I already posted the link. 

Don't forgent to get the "dirty" texture, it's essential. You will need strong bobbi pins, hairspray and an  festive accessorie (optional).  

The star bobbi pins are as I said, optional. Here is the original DIY tutorial for the star bobbi pins that she used here, or you can buy also similar bobbi pins on Ebay. 

Good luck!