Tag: reader outfits

Is there anything cuter than babies actually sleeping like babies? From helicopters to grocery carts, eight Cup of Jo readers share the surprising/funny/adorable places their babies have fallen asleep…

Above: “On a rafting trip in Oregon, my four-year-old fell asleep while floating down the Deschutes River to our next campsite. You wouldn’t know it from the photo, but just 15 minutes before she’d been squealing with joy.” — Nicole

“When our son Jack was four months old, he fell asleep on the changing pad. He was awake when I lay him down, so it was hilarious to witness him fall asleep so quickly!” — Aveena Mathew

“We moved into a new house when our son Otis was one and a half, and he fell asleep while we were getting settled. We’d unpacked exactly two things for him: his dinner bench and his books — everything else was chaos in boxes. Now Otis has a little brother, too. My kids are not great sleepers, but they are great people. I stand by that trade.” — Chloe Hall

“I spent too much of my eldest’s first year (years?) stressed about naps and trying to manage her sleep, so when we flew to India to visit my sister-in-law’s extended family I was nervous about the flight and jet lag. But, for a baby who treated sleep as optional that entire first year, my daughter napped on all the sightseeing tours. I wish I’d taken that lesson home with me!” — Melina Gac Levin

“Our son Frank once fell asleep on my lap while watching a parade! My favorite part about wheelchair naps with the LapBaby carrier is that, even though I couldn’t see his face, I always knew when Frank was sleeping because of how his body felt. Both my kids adore sitting on my chair with me and ask to climb on when they are sad or scared.” — Jessica Slice

“My son went through a phase where he would fall asleep everywhere, even snow tubing!” — Kali

“All four of my babies could — and would — fall asleep at meal time (usually dinner) in this IKEA high chair.” — Kaitlan

“My son, Henry, can sleep anywhere! He’s slept through a helicopter ride over volcanoes, kayaking excursions in the Puget Sound, and more meals and shopping trips than I can count. We credit Mariners baseball games for making him flexible. To keep us humble, our second child never falls asleep anywhere but her bed.” — Katherine

Where is the greatest place your baby ever fell asleep? Please share below…

P.S. Sleeping outside in Denmark, and what’s your child’s bedtime routine? (This made me laugh.)

22 COMMENTS

We adore this Cup of Jo community, so we asked readers to send their favorite personal photos from 2025. We received so many incredible snapshots — it was impossible to choose! — but here are 11, including a surprise wedding and winning Wordle guess…

Above: “Turning 100 days is a huge milestone for Korean babies. I was thrilled to celebrate our beloved babe — and also elated for myself that I’d passed the ‘fourth trimester’ mark. Motherhood is simultaneously the most difficult and wonderful journey, and I’m grateful to have a community that celebrates our baby’s milestones as much as her umma and appa.” — Joanne

“This photo taken on a weekend getaway is pretty much how my sister and I always look: cackling our way through life. Two years ago, I ended a 20-year marriage, and earlier this year my sister lost her boyfriend to cancer. Things aren’t always easy, but we’re so lucky to have each other.” — Keely

“This photo is from my first time skating on ‘wild’ ice on Kenai Lake, Alaska. I had planned to just go to Alaska for a February vacation, but I ended up falling in love with the rugged wilderness and moved here in June!” — Emily

“This was our first trip to the beach last summer, six months after I had our second child. We live in Sweden, and after spending all winter nursing indoors, I felt like I was alive again! My daughter was so excited to swim, and the baby had never felt sand. Months later, seeing that hand on my leg still makes me cry.” — Morgan

“When I was newly postpartum, my sister flew from England to help out. It was during Ramadan, and we were trying on outfits for Eid. At that moment, I had to nurse my baby, so my sister sat down to complete reading her Quran, and my daughter sat next to her. It wasn’t a posed pic, but I saw them and I was like STOP! DON’T MOVE! This photo captures the incredible bond between an aunt and niece. In our tradition, we say ‘the mother’s sister has the same station as the mother,’ and I think that’s so beautiful.” — Sumaya

“My favorite photo is bittersweet. In the summer, we learned my beloved grandfather ‘Hoppi,’ who was in hospice care, likely wouldn’t make it to our fall wedding. My grandmother and I organized a surprise ‘wedding’ at their Florida home, with family flying in from all over the country and my sister acting as officiant (ordained by the Universal Life Church, of course). It was a true mitzvah for someone I’ve loved for 31 years. He passed peacefully a few weeks before our actual wedding, and I’ll cherish this memory forever.” — Morgan

“My husband took this photo of me this spring — in the months prior, I had undergone a bilateral mastectomy and radiation to treat breast cancer. During radiation, I started knitting this sweater in the brightest yarns I had — all dyed by my friend! I was so excited to wear it for the first time, to go to lunch with my husband, and to have a day of feeling like myself again.” — Allison

“A few years ago, I went to nursing school after being a stay-at-home mom of two boys. Nursing school was incredibly hard, but I met the most wonderful people. We graduated in May and now we all work in the same hospital. To celebrate, we went for a 10-mile hike in the Adirondacks. The hike was difficult but worth it — the perfect metaphor for our nursing school experience.” — Lyndsey

“This photo — taken on January 1st at my community garden plot with my 4-week-old daughter — captures my very first solo outing with her, the start of a fresh new year, and the beginning of what felt like a reclaiming of my sense of self. This trip to the garden fed my soul and reminded me of how far we’d come in those wild first few weeks. I felt so proud, hopeful, and peaceful — just me and my girl.” — Erica

“This picture was taken on Halloween at a dress-up place in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s me (top left) and my older sister (top middle) with my two girls and her two girls. My sister’s family lives across the country, so cousin time is a huge treat. The girls created core memories, like having a Hocus Pocus movie night and riding the train to Salem during spooky season. We are now official a coven, and the cousins are already scheming their next visit.” — Liberty

“I always play Wordle starting with whatever random word pops into my head at the time (I used to play the same opening word each time but decided that was boring). After I guessed correctly, I actually shrieked and fist pumped the air, and even though I was alone in my room, looked around wildly for someone to high five. Even though I know this was absolute dumb luck, it is totally an accomplishment, where’s my trophy y’all?” — Katie

What’s your favorite snapshot from the year? We’d love to hear…

P.S. Twelve readers share their favorite photos and more great reader comments, including their happy moments and favorite winter outfits.

99 COMMENTS

How’s your summer going? We asked Cup of Jo readers on Instagram to share photos of happy moments and got over 100 responses! They felt impossible to narrow down, but here are 13 that made us smile…

Above: “We went to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. I learned about it from Joanna’s Copenhagen post a couple years ago and was tickled to finally visit. My son Henry and I loved the installation Gleaming Lights of the Souls by Yayoi Kusama — so magical!” — Katherine, Bremerton, Washington

“Here I am with my best friends from college. Two of us just turned 40, and one of us is going through a divorce. We had no idea how healing and celebratory it would be to scream our faces off with 20,000 other Backstreet Boys fans. No spa trip could ever compare.” — Lauren, Queens, New York

“This summer, I saw Backstreet Boys live for the first time, as previously I didn’t have the funds to see them. My husband came to Vegas with me, but none of my friends wanted to go to the concert, so I just purchased my ticket and had the time of my life. They played my favorites, like ‘I Want It That Way’ and ‘Drowning.’ I also met some great ladies in line, and we’ve kept in touch.” — Carol, Brooklyn, New York

“Kayaking with our dog, Barley! Before having a kid two years ago, our adventures centered around our dog. While our toddler kayaked with Grandma and Papa, we got to hang out with doggo like old times.” — Aimee, Minneapolis

“Every year, a pair of swallows builds a nest on our front porch. We’ve learned that the magic number of babies-to-grown-birds is three. Any more babies, and at least one dies due to lack of space in the nest. This summer, there were FIVE baby birds. We agonized over potential deaths; I grieved in anticipation. Then one day, I stepped outside and counted seven swallows soaring and swooping over our front yard. All five babies made it to flight day! A miracle flying over our home.” — Ashley, Fort Worth, Texas

“My family and I went on a five-week road trip. I meticulously planned our stops, including baseball games, National Parks, playgrounds, bookstores, etc. But one of my favorite moments was unplanned. In Pittsburgh, a lady overheard my husband and me talking about our West Virginia plans. She told us that we must go to Cathedral Falls. Seeing our son and daughter wading in the streams was unparalleled.” — Kohinoor, Queens, New York

“My nine-year-old son and I have ‘spa mornings,’ where we make something together (a yogurt and honey face mask, or a hand scrub with sugar and coconut oil) and then pretend we’re running a day spa, complete with a lavender candle, nature sounds, and — the pièce de résistance — a blanket warmed in the dryer. Slow living at its best.” — Tracy, Tequesta, Florida

“Every July, when it’s 100+ degrees at home, we head to the mountains for a week. We always hike four miles to Williams Lake in New Mexico. The trail is lined with wildflowers and rocks to rest on, and our motivation is the pretzels and beer waiting for us at The Bavarian Restaurant at the end.” — Lisa, Edmond, Oklahoma

“I’m due with our second baby in September. We live in a small apartment with our preschooler; I work with kids; and I’m introverted. Naturally, I constantly feel touched out. So, this July, my spouse and kid went to visit my in-laws, while I stayed home alone in the blissful quiet. I ate whatever I wanted, I cleaned up after only myself, and I slept in the middle of the bed. It was glorious.” — Kim B., Oakland, California

“My boyfriend and I visited Bhutan, where on my spiritual birthday I crossed the suspension bridge at Punakha. It was drizzling, and near the end, he said, ‘Look back, there’s a rainbow.’” — Em, Pasig, Philippines

“For years, we’ve hosted a shaving cream fight with our neighbors. We wear goggles and bathing suits, and blast a playlist that includes Ozzy (RIP), Pantera, and the like. As a mom who struggles to play with my kids, I cherish this tradition, which ends with pizza, popsicles and an old-fashioned garden hose.” — Rebecca, Decatur, Georgia

“I live in Germany, far from my family in Kansas City. My big sister was traveling with her family in the UK, so I jumped at the chance to meet them for a few days in London. After we lost our dad in December, and my pup died in January, hugging my sister in London felt like the first exhale I’ve managed in this Big Year of Grief.” — Anna, Hamburg, Germany

“Is there anything sweeter than lying in the grass while soft baby hands explore your face? My husband and I spent the Fourth of July at Troutbeck hotel, just like we did in 2024 when I was pregnant. There’s nothing more magical than realizing that the future we dreamed of last year is here.” — Sarah, Arlington, Virginia

What was a good moment of your summer? Please share below…

P.S. A very low-key summer checklist and a great summer read.

55 COMMENTS