A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

Bobs! In surreal news, this is the final episode of this podcast. To close things out, we answer listener questions, walk down memory lane, share our final Thingies, and recommend a few podcasts to fill the ATOT void.   Starting with a hot take: Labubu is not for us.  Now for the Thingies to end all (podcast) Thingies: We are loving Botox for migraines, a skateboarding corgi, a breakfast spinach salad (relatedly: Dinosaur Time), Painterland Sisters Skyr, Dill Pickle Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and Primary Activewear for kids. And since you'll have some more podcast real estate, give a listen to Jam Session, Bad on Paper, Lemme Say This, and Shameless! Want to stay connected with fellow listeners? Our Geneva will still be active! You can also stay up on our future Thingies by subscribing to our newsletter at athingortwo.substack.com. For longtime listeners: Don't miss the Alex update at the end! Learn lots with MasterClass and an additional 15% off any annual membership when you use our link. Grow your garden with Fast Growing Trees. Take 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Find your next favorite book with Underlined. Cozy up to Sixpenny's furniture offerings—they're doing a really fantastic job. You'll see. Bye!

On the penultimate episode of this podcast, we're talking about the things that make us feel happy @ home, courtesy of the wonderful crew over at Sixpenny. (Remember the chair and a half?! They're responsible!) Also: our final—and dare we say most exclusive—Thingie guest… Sixpenny's furniture just makes us feel GOOD?! Check out the Neva Chair, order some fabric swatches, consider the power of a slipcover, explore the best-looking storage ottomans you ever did see. A whole bunch of little ways we're improving our space and how we feel in it: flowers from Park Deli, lighting from In Common With and Audo Copenhagen, a quilt from Aloka, high-touch framing from Ulfig Projects, recaning from Yorkville Caning, collections of limoges boxes(shout-out to the Midwest of Cannon Falls Dairy Queen collection) and niche food servingware, and rugs from WovenyHome, Baby Blue Studio, and Block Shop. Some favorite fabric sources: Maharam, Block Shop, Svenskt Tenn, Caroline Z Hurley for Schumacher (and Schumacher in general), Bolé Road Textiles, and Ottoline. Cam's Thingies include Greek mythology, The Corpse Bride, and Harriet the Spy the TV series. Take a browse around Sixpenny's furniture offerings—they're doing a really fantastic job. You'll see. YAY.   

Thingies time! We're so excited to sit down with Lana Schwartz, the author of the newest 831 Stories release, Set Piece. We talk favorite character actors, joining ClassPass in 2025, and an incredible podcast season that inspired her book.   Lana's Thingies include ClassPass (she's been hitting up MADabolic, Lucent, Good Move, and New Love City), Lorne by Susan Morrison, Sex and the City rewatches, movie trivia at Syndicated, the Rilo Kiley reunion, and Easy Weeknight Dinners by Emily Weinstein.   Lana got some inspiration for Set Piece while listening to the You Must Remember This podcast season on Polly Platt.   Get more of Lana c/o her book Build Your Own Romantic Comedy: Pick Your Plot, Meet Your Man, and Direct Your Happily Ever After and upcoming 831 events in NYC, LA, and Boston.   Foxtails for all!   Want to stay connected with fellow listeners? Join our Geneva! You can also keep in touch at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq. Last ep airs May 19! Start your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Get plant-happy with Fast Growing Trees. Take 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Change your clothes (monthly!) with Nuuly and get $28 off your first month when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO. Boost your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

Coming through with an exlcu: The A Thing or Two podcast is airing its last ep on May 19, ten years (!!!) since we started this thing. Get ready to walk down memory lane in the coming weeks, but for now, we're sharing what we'll miss about podcasting and what we're ok to leave behind! But: The A Thing or Two newsletter will live on! What were your favorite moments of the podcast? Share em' at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.Launch your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Sleep better with Bearaby and use the code ATHINGORTWO for an exclusive 10% discount. Get more plants in your life with Fast Growing Trees. Take 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Thank you to Nuuly, both for sponsoring today's episode and for making it easier to get dressed during these hardest times of the year for CLOTHES (spring for Erica, summer for Claire, thanks for asking). Have we sold you on Nuuly yet? Use cases: trying out a bunch of jeans (or, gasp, shorts), dealing with wedding season, test-driving a bunch o' new looks without having to own them, navigating maternity and post-partum dressing…we could go on. And! Right now you can get $28 off your first month of Nuuly when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO Starting off with our pre-season preparation, we're curating a no-skips underwear drawer with help from Laura Reilly's newsletter (and Claire's love for the Natori Bliss Brief lives on!). We're also giving our shoes TLC at Leather Spa and getting a little post-winter warm-up with Tan-Luxe The Gradual, Tanning Water, and St. Tropez's Face Mist and Bronzing Mousse.  Ok, onto clothing and accessories! Porselli x Alex Mill ballet flats and Chalo cowboy boots have been in Erica's rotation, and though she's already found jean shorts from Agolde (ahem, via Nuuly), she's looking for sporty shorts like Justin's. The barefoot shoe crowd got us curious about the Xero Genesis, we're going to The Consistency Project for jeans, and Claire is growing a jean shacket collection, intentional or not.  To try to reinvigorate our excitement for getting dressed, we're reading Emilia Petrarca's piece on embracing glamour for Harper's Bazaar.  Respect to Rebecca Jennings for naming the Big Baby trend. How do you get yourself more excited to get dressed up? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva. Change your clothes (monthly!) with Nuuly and get $28 off your first month when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Follow-up time! We did some boots-on-the-ground reporting, and so did you: We have updates on anxiety bookshelves, Santa, calendar systems, PowerPoints as gifts, and (but of course) Kuromi..   Delighted to spot Kuromi in the flash tattoo folder at Haven Tattoo Studio!   If you're heading to the theater soon, we highly recommend seeing Buena Vista Social Club and Grief Camp—and you'll find us at LaGuardia High School's All-School Musical come December!    Do you have any updates on our updates? Share ‘em at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.   Learn from the greatest (and most charming) with MasterClass and an additional 15% off any annual membership when you use our link. Get growing with Fast Growing Trees. Take 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Sleep better and get 20% off your Helix mattress when you use our link.  Give your hair some love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

Boy, do we have topics to cover: a go-to kids' podcasts, sweet treat updates, a new approach to nyms, duvet cover drama, and more.    Yes, we know about the Greeking Out podcast from National Geographic, and it is great. Speaking of NatGeo, we love Mickey Rapkin's Pattie Gonia profile.   Our sugar fix(es): Katz Honey Vinegar, tiramisu served tableside at Piccola Cucina Osteria (or in a wee NY Yankees cap), See's Scotchmallows, Zu's Candies chic boxes, and pandan in cereal and ice cream sandwiches and many other treats.    This classic Onion article from 2000. Related: Are you an Onion print subscriber?   Backronyms! The Waffle House Index! We'll cut it out with Wikipedia links for now.    Does anybody own a Nuvet? If so, share your review at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva. Start selling on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Plant, plant, and plant some more with Fast Growing Trees. Get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Change your clothes with Nuuly and take $28 off your first month with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Update! Update! Come get your update! We learned a lot of info about Velveeta loaves, lucky girl syndrome, seasonal treats, minimal shoes, and more that we gotta share!    On Erica's iPhone note for seasonal treats in April, you will find  an Ojai Pixie Party, Great N.Y. Noodletown's softshell crab, and Styer's Peonies, and coming up with DIY traditions reminds us of The New Better Off by Courtney E. Martin.    Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy gives cozy-soapy, which is exactly what we want right now.    Time for an acupressure mat update: Claire's loving it! Erica's still into her Yoga Toes.    Speaking of toes! We're still thinking about minimal shoes, and we think these Adidas Taekwondo Shoes are a contender.    Do you have news we can use on things we discussed in previous episodes? Share them at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Celebrate spring with Fast Growing Trees. Get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Support your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWOGIFT. Get good sleep with Bearaby and use the code ATHINGORTWO for an exclusive 10% discount. YAY.

We have Ollie to thank for bringing us this ep about a topic near, if not dear: the headache of feeding ourselves and others. (We have to do this multiple times a day?!?!). The app helps you figure out what to cook, makes your grocery list, and *learns what you like*—it's a whole thing, and we're grateful for the robots for helping us with this task. In related topics: our always-on-hand grocery items and supermarket immersive theater.   Stuff always in our pantries/fridges: Chara's Kitchen Barbeque Sauce, Kewpie Roasted Sesame Dressing (the made-in-Japan version!), Mutti Cherry Tomatoes, Bjorn Qorn (related:nutritional yeast), Chaokoh Coconut Milk, The Rice Factory Rice, Painterland Sisters Skyr Yogurt, Portugalia Market tinned fish.    Recipes we love rn include Eric Kim's shredded chicken in the Instant Pot for Food52, Sarah DiGregorio's salmon and kimchi skillet for NYT Cooking, Smitten Kitchen's slow-roasted sweet potatoes, and the tofu sheet-pan dinner from the cookbook Kid in the Kitchen by Melissa Clark,    Two exceptional easy-cooking cookbooks with companion newsletters: What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers and Small Victories by Julia Turshen.   Download Ollie today in the app stores or at ollie.ai/athingortwo to save two of the recipes we're cooking most.   What's your grocery routine looking like? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Let Ollie help you figure out dinner: Download the free app and use the promo code ATHINGORTWO to cook what we're cooking. YAY.

Another day, another grab bag! This time, books for dolls and/or anxious people, kitchen timers, TikTok decorum, and Miranda July's mesmerizing Substack.    Meditations for Mortals makes a great case for pleasure reading.   Two of our current top Substacks: Miranda July's and Heavies by Chris Gayomali.    Shoutout to Caroline Lusk on TikTok. We will be downloading your videos and sharing them with our pals for the foreseeable future.    Double shoutout to Nasirin's Kitchen, Erica's near–Carnegie Hall restaurant of choice.   If you're looking for a low-tech kitchen timer, wind up Dusen Dusen's Everybody Kitchen Timer and Frieling's Magnetic Retro Kitchen Timer.    We have many questions about what happened during the 100 years of NY NOW.    Finally, is the anxiety bookshelf the Jibbitz of reading? Please share your intel at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Learn from the best (and most charming) with MasterClass and an additional 15% off any annual membership when you use our link. Lean into spring with Fast Growing Trees. Get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Promote a balanced gut microbiome with Ritual's Synbiotic+ and get 25% off your first month with our link. Start your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.

Are exposed ankles back? Luigi Mangione sure says so. Also, stuffie reports, Jibbitz musings, purchasable solutions, travel lacrosse balls, and more!   Stuffie bag charms are happening at 10 Corso Como, we ate up Liza Corsillo's "I Spent 3 Hours at the Jellycat Diner" for NY Mag, and we're just getting to know Mofusand and their loreless world via their Uniqlo collab.    Jibbitz-inspired living is taking over! The Boulder Public Library hosted a make-your-own jibbitz event, and shoe charms and sandal rings are coming for Birkenstocks. Speaking of Birks, do you have thoughts on Reykjaviks?    We love this Ruth Madievsky quote in her piece in The Cut about the Berlant/Novak podcast:  “The pair bonded over their mutual obsession with purchasable solutions to the problem of being alive.” Two of our current solutjions: a lacrosse ball when traveling and a magnifying mirror with a light. The concept made us think about the book Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.   What purchasable solutions to the problem of being alive (aka Thingies?) do you rely on? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Treat your hair nice with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Ring in spring with Fast Growing Trees. Get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Sleep better and get 20% off your Helix mattress when you use our link.  YAY.

First things first: You won't get sick from touching a bag of S'noods! We're also coming at you with custard oatmeal, holiday mash-ups, and the many sides of the TikTok creator fund.   We have a lot of thoughts about S'noods, their origins, and the sweet kugel flavor.    Custard oatmeal is the new breakfast of champs around here. Erica's recipe is from Life Around the Table, but there are a lot of fancier versions still.   The Minnesota Zoo and Anchorage Bird Rescue also got in on the fun of ex-centric V-day fundraising.    A follow-up on produce drawer cold remedies, @dr.beachgem10 has thoughts.   We found some comfort in Sarah Eckel's "How I'm Staying Sane" installment of her Substack It's Not Us.    Get your store running on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Welcome spring with Fast Growing Trees. Get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Change your clothes with Nuuly and take $28 off your first month with the code ATHINGORTWO. Sleep better with Bearaby and use the code ATHINGORTWO for an exclusive 10% discount. YAY.

We have some denim thoughts we can't bottle up anymore! Also: cookies, curse words, and no-polish confidence. Here we go.   Irene from the Real World made a great TikTok about sitting jeans vs. standing jeans. Shoutout to The Consistency Project for helping us find vintage denim that fits and Jane on Jeans for endless intel—the place for denim discourse.    The limited-edition Tate's White Chocolate Raspberry cookies? So good!    These little wooden mushroom nutcrackers + shelled walnuts = a nice pre-dinner snack-slash-activity.     We are hacking ourselves out of Google AI by adding curse words to our searches.    What corners of TikTok are grabbing your attention? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Start your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link.   YAY.

Coming to you live from the couch! We have a batch of miscellaneous updates for you, from Julius and Tree Paine fanfic to food trends, cute and otherwise.   Cutie news! Hello Kitty + Miffy statues have shown up at 17 State St. in  NYC, and we're excited to see these two powerhouses partner in this way.    We are captivated by the very elaborate Fluffy Algodón Cotton Candy Art and floof cotton candy cakes.    Also! Rebecca Jennings's story on “pick me” foods for Vox is an incredibly interesting piece about how food trends change, and it brought some great memes to our attention.    Speaking of meme accounts: We suggest taking a peek at Assistants vs. Agents on Instagram and their Hollywood Agent Awards specifically.    What celeb content are you fanfic-ing? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Show your hair some love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.   YAY.

Happy Valentine's Week! Let's celebrate with a cat-neutering campaign, to-go Velvetta, Jibbitz vision boards. Oh, and Santa.   We're super charmed by CUNY's callout for couples who met on campus and want our alma mater to do the same. And: Please take note of River Kitty Cafe's ‘Neuter Your Ex' initiative.    How do we these Vans in adult sizes?    If you're in NYC and looking for Galentine's Day plans, come to our event about the bonkbuster on Feb. 13. Dream panelists!!   Back to the onions: Pauline Chalamet advocates for putting a cut one under your bed when you start to feel sick.   Live La Dolce Velveeta with Vel2Go, lol.   Fiber! See: Floura.    Also, are we manifesting via Jibbitz now?   Friends, the fire-proof bag.   Do you know who Claire's Secret Santa is? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Learn from the best with MasterClass and an additional 15% off any annual membership when you use our link. Support a balanced gut microbiome with Ritual's Synbiotic+ and get 25% off your first month with our link. YAY.  

It's time to treat ourselves to a good, old-fashioned catch-up. Ready for some updates on workouts, hair styling, hot dogs, and marriage?   Kayleen Schaefer's Elle article “How 50 Pushups a Day Helped Me Cope In an Uncertain World.”    Three hair recs: Ranavat Fortifying Hair Serum, the Dyson Airwrap, and Christophe Robin Temporary Color Gel.   Shoutout to PDT, the speakeasy behind Crif Dogs, and the Turkey and the Wolf Cookbook by Mason Hereford and JJ Goode. High-end fun?!    Claire's beloved Kikkerland back scratcher; Cam's beloved Champagne poppers.   “62 Extremely Passionate Recommendations” ℅ Harling Ross's Gumshoe Substack.   Looking for a little pick-me-up? Share what's been cheering you up lately at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Launch your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.  

Ah, we can't wait for you to get to hang with Upasna Barath! We chat *THINGIES* with the author and playwright—and also discuss her experience writing Comedic Timing, a modern bi-awakening with exceptional dialogue and the most charming friendships. It's the next exceedingly delightful 831 Stories release, out tomorrow!   Upasna's Thingies include incense in the mornings (Upstate Stock's Albany Black Spruce, specifically), scented body oil over perfume (Nuxe FTW), a red lip with no makeup ( Violette Bisou Balm—and maybe she'll try Ilia Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon?), Italian hand gestures, a heating pad, meaningful apologies, and Opsin Archive ceramics.    Also, onions are approaching A Moment in untraditional formats (as in, on feet?)?    Keith Haring helps us define cutie eyes—shoutout to Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Gooch—and even if you can't make it to Luna Luna, check out the original posters and merch.   What does a meaningful apology look like to you? Share at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Launch your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.  

In the throes of everything 2025 is throwing at us, we're discussing how we approach wellness and the small things we do to take care of ourselves (at least a little bit!!!). Major thanks to OSEA for bringing us this episode—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO!   Can we start with some praise for OSEA's Undaria Algae Body Butter? It absorbs quickly, it feels excellent, and it's making Claire actually moisturize every day.   Claire is also exercising with Cam, opting for phone calls over Zooms, going on “do not disturb” more often, making lunchbox drawings, and watching TV on her phone while doing other things.   Erica's getting an actual desk setup, eating a fulfilling lunch (shoutout to Chris Gayomali's Heavies Substack about soup), revisiting her five-year journal, maintaining a saved sentence archive practice, and having high-end fun and heavy snacks.    How are you taking extra care of yourself right now? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Give your skin a New Year glow-up with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA and get 10% off your first order sitewide with code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Before diving into the newness of 2025, we wanted to reflect on our top Thingies of last year. Fashion, framing, food, and a full-blown flurry of favorites ahead!    Claire's best-of Thingies include the PJ Library, Wisp, Épice Paris, Bluesafe24 glasses, Caro Chambers, and the Natori Bliss Girl Brief.    Erica's Thingies of the year include Biryani Bol, Nelle Atelier (specifically their Laura style), Susan Orlean's Wordy Bird Substack, Framebridge, Buena Vista Social Club the musical, and, of course, Josh Hartnett's return.    What were your 2024 Thingies? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva!   Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor's appointment now. Launch your store on Shopify and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.  

It's time to let your inner Larry David out because we have THOUGHTS to SHARE!  Gen Alpha has a new (jarring??) way to learn their alphabet.  We were suspicious of isitpacked.com for planning a Disneyland trip, but we've changed our tune. Things we won't shut up about include OSSA phone straps and Goop Kitchen.  Let's discuss Uggs, shall we?  Do you/kids in your life have daily affirmations? If so, send them in at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or pop them in our Geneva!   Learn from the best with MasterClass and get up to 50% off when you use our link.  

Call it a classic grab bag from this time last year! Please note that we are still in the market for your Notes App intel…    Gained some wisdom from @OlsenOracle, a perfect fan account (that is maybe even Olsen approved???).   We're having a Marcella Hazan moment, thanks to, as Food & Wine put it her “radical simplicity.” Some recipes we've been cooking: THE tomato, onion, and butter sauce, grilled fish romagna style, pesto, rice and smothered cabbage soup, and chimney sweep's gelato.    Speaking of cooking, we must discuss this Julia Child gas stove story by Rebecca Leber for Vox, which pairs well with “How the Fossil Fuel Industry Convinced Americans to Love Gas Stoves,” which she wrote for Mother Jones.    Your Notes Apping!! See: this packing-list  revelation from@rileejsmith (um, the template). We also love this TikTok from @kiramackenz.   What weird things are you up to in the Notes App? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva!   Give your hair the gift of Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

In a rerun of an *absolute hit* episode from last holiday season, we're talkin' Thingies with Alison Roman, the woman behind a SLEW of recipes we cook all the dang time. We know you know her, but JIC, she's the author of NYT bestselling—and gifty!—cookbooks Sweet Enough, Nothing Fancy, and Dining In, she doles out the most delightful kitchen content in A Newsletter and on her Home Movies YouTube channel, and she delivers guidance of all kinds on her Solicited Advice podcast. In essence: She's full of thoughts, and we want them all.   First things first, what we would bring to a pilot kid-gift swap (thx, Leslie!): Spirograph, Yellow Owl Workshop DIY Pin & Flair Kit, Bastien Contraire Stencil Kit, Majo Ideas Art Pack, and Pop Tubes.   Alison's tabletop Thingies include beeswax candles (try Greentree Home Candle—maybe in the sangria color?!), candle holders *in general* (e.g., this Sophie Lou Jacobson one), and interesting serving platters including Bordallo Pinheiro's. For the bod, she loves using Laneige's lip mask as lip balm, and Davines's Vegetarian Miracle Mask for her hair. On the food front, how about chopped fermented chilies—use them to make her Brothy Chickpeas with Calabrian Chili (and/or these chickpeas)—and, for dessert, Kolsvart gummies.    Share your Thingies with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq, or drop them in our Geneva!   YAY.  

Are a majority of today's topics serendipitously eighties related? Yes. Are we inadvertently excited about that? Indeed.      Pizza Hut updates! Tomato-basil Pizza Wine and American Girl's Book It! Set.    Someone barefoot 24/7: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins.     And spotted! Cutie eyes on Kacey Musgraves merch.    We are loving Rivals, which is based on a novel by Dame Jilly Cooper. See also: her takes in this Financial Times interview and “It's Family ‘Sex Scenes' Night” by Anya Kamenetz for The Cut.   If you're in NYC soon, check out Luna Luna at The Shed, and read Joe Coscarelli's piece on it in the New York Times for more backstory.    Share your follow-ups and/or recommendations at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments!   Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Learn from the best with MasterClass and get up to 50% off when you use our link. Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor's appointment now. YAY.

You ready to talk about romance, feminism, and monsters? We sure are, and so is Sanjana Basker, a psychology PhD student and bookish content creator who we're obsessed with (in a totally normal way). Also: some animal updates, thank goodness.    Animal Updates! Kacey Musgraves is an NYC rat defender (join the club), the raccoon at LaGuardia has captured our hearts, and Claude has arrived at Erica's house (by way of Long Island Rabbit Rescue)!   Sanjana's Thingies are Rivals on Hulu, mass-market paperbacks, Calzedonia tights, @poetssquarecats (see also: @catworkers), and L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil.   Some authors mentioned in this ep include Lisa Kleypas and Libba Bray, and books mentioned include Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt, Office Hours and Sabbatical by Katrina Jackson, Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba, and Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm by Emmeline Clein.   Want to more of Sanjana? The way she talks about romance on TikTok is an absolute delight, and her episode of the Care So Much Podcast is fantastic.   What romances are you loving right now? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments!   Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Upgrade your cleaning experience with Blueland and get 15% off your first order when you use our link. YAY.  

We are so excited to chat with photo director/visual cultural commentator/incredible Instagram follow Emily Keegin about her Thingies! Also: some thoughts on where to get your gift guides this year, should you not be overwhelmed with them already. Thank you for respecting our decision not to do 2024 gift guides! If you want past installments, we have five year's worth here. For the freshest stuff, check out Helen Rosner's for the New Yorker, Goop (the modern Neiman Marcus catalog?), Caroline Moss of Gee Thanks!, Alisha Ramos of Downtime, T mag, The Strategist's searchable Gift Scout, and a roundup of Substack gift guides from last year (that'll point you toward this year's too, certainly).  Emily's Thingies include Thomas Tallis polychoral music from the 1500s (Fifty Shades–coded?), spraying perfume or hand sanitizer on your armpits and vodka on your clothes, passionfruit, Madness, Rack, and Honey by Mary Ruefle, and scrolling through someone else's Instagram feed. What are your Thingies lately? Please share with us at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments! Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. Learn from the best with MasterClass and get up to 50% off when you use our link. YAY.  

Welcome to Article Club! A few that require our attention this week span topics from an important anniversary to management tips to recommendation culture. Now off to go eat a personal pan pizza… Is it an overstatement to say that Book It! is one of our generation's premier cultural references? This NYT story commemorates the 40th anniversary, and an LA Times article from 1985 made us feel nostalgic. See also: pins for sale on eBay and Tejal Rao's fascinating review of Chain.  We loved “Want To Be A Good Boss? Be A Bitch.” by Samhita Mukhopadhyay for Bustle. Here's to intergenerational slaying! The Locavore Guide to Shopping NYC by Caroline Weaver is a tribute to physical guidebooks of yore featuring 670 NYC shops. It has a a searchable digital directory too! Relevant: "The Banality of Online Recommendation Culture" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker. Does anybody have any intel on Cutie Eyes? Please share with us at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments! Look to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.

Another day, another kookalook collection of topics from us, including new lingo care of (honorary Bob) Jack Schlossberg, wrinkle makeup, minimalist shoes, LaGuardia Airport, and a straw cupdate.    Wrinkle makeup—not what you think, probably! Check out a couple of looks by @shine__rising and rachy_mua. Related: crackle lips.    In which we dip our toes into the minimalist shoes conversation: Gait Happens, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, and The Infinite Race 30 for 30 doc by Bernardo Ruiz are all relevant on the content front. Some brands of interest: Muki, Vivo Barefoot, and Groundies. They kind of remind us of Prada Sport from the late 90s/early aughts, Miu Miu rope sandals, and ballet flats with wide toe boxes from Sandy Liang and Proenza. Also: Let's take this opportunity to shoutout Yoga Toes.    We've been considering giving our ComfiLife a break and trying a kneeling chair. Memor and Varier are good-looking options!   In the world of straw cups, Claire got a BrüMate and really likes it! (Don't get her the MargTini though.)   Where do you stand on Eat/Pray/Love vs. FMK? Do you believe they can coexist? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments!   Care for your hair love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Learn from the best with MasterClass and get up to 50% off when you use our link. YAY.

We are DELIGHTED to have Alana Cloud-Robinson on today to share her Thingies from her perfect, wood-paneled home (more on that, clearly). She's the author of the 831 Stories release Hardly Strangers, out tomorrow, and, wow, we can't wait for you to read this one.   Alana's Thingies include shoulder pads, thrifting (see: The Council Shop!), her home in Century City, and Irish culture (shoutout to Fontaines D.C., and Say Nothing).   Want more Alana? Check out The Artists Are Frightened, her premier collection of personal poetry.   Also, a really important album that is (somehow) a follow-up to our milk.com conversation.   What are *your* Thingies? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments!   Find some support with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link. Level-up your cleaning experience with Blueland and get 15% off your first order when you use our link. Fall in love with 831 Stories and take 15% off your order with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

After this episode, we have some action items for the Bobs: 1. Petition Dairy Queen and Carvel to make their ice cream cake minis available nationwide, year-round. 2. Use “whenharrymetsallying” in a sentence. 3. Send us your thoughts on NYC Marriage Bureau merch.  We aren't doing gift guides this year, but we'll tell you good places to look once it's time! Start with giftguide.substack.com.  We're excited to meet Chewbie, Hi-Chew's new Mascot, but perhaps this is a "say less" situation? The Rat Pack is still in our lives, and it introduced us to the MeowSquad.  Speaking of local government initiatives, the NYC Marriage Bureau has merch! We especially love the Witness Tee and "I Got Married in New York City" mug.  All about Split59's Raquel high waist crop legging, and we'll try their Icon legging and report back. A shoutout to A24's book Hey Kids, Watch This! It's full of movie recs, great design, and FUN.  What menu items do you whenharrymetsally? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments! Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. Send your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO. Pre-order Hardly Strangers from 831 Stories and get a free Only One Bed Keychain—and take 15% off any order with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

We have some very serious reporting about very serious topics coming your way, including the official Sanrio character rankings, a Jellycat status update, and some wild news from the domain-hoarding beat.   We have to take a moment to show some love to Kuromi, the third-ranked Sanrio character overall and Sanrio costume-sourcing, ℅  Sueju Design and Nerdy Treasures by Amy.  How Jellycat became so popular with kids and grown-ups alike. Also: Their pop=ups give Sew Your Soul vibes, in our opinion.  Let's talk tech! Our listener Olivia shared her Notion tips, we are flatted for the credit you're giving us for Google Tabs, and we loved the piece “The Million-Dollar Mystery of Milk.com” by Alex Mayyasi for The Hustle.   Finally, have you listened to "Longer Gone" yet?   Name how much $$ it would take for you to change your email for at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments! Show your hair love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Send your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO. Upgrade your cleaning experience with Blueland and get 15% off your first order when you use our link. Get a free Sage guidebook for parents with kids ages 5 to 12 who want to better navigate tech and their digital worlds. YAY.

Just a heads up, this episode will make you want to refresh your bra and underwear drawer! We're talking Thingies with Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, the authors of the smart, compelling, and fast-pased book Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. As mentioned, bra and underwear Thingies incoming! Chantal absolutely swears by the Tom Bra from the brand Mary Jo, and Lauren likes bras from Only Hearts, Notori Bliss underwear, and Bombas UItra Stretch Calf Socks. Also, shoutout to Le Bon Shoppe's Her Socks.  Misc. Thingies include Chantal's go-to assassin's pasta and Lauren's rejection of (most) kids' music.  Want more of Lauren and Chantal? Lauren writes Puck's Line Sheet newsletter and hosts the companion podcast Fashion People, and you can find Chantal's writing in The Cut (see: “The Unbranding of Abercrombie”), for starters. Friends, you gotta read Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. We are thinking and talking about it a lot, a lot. Finally, for those intrigued by Soupstack, check out Anne Helen Petersen's 3rd annual soup roundup (4th annual coming…sometime, we'd bet?!). Ella Risbridger of You Get In Love And Then is also testing crowdsourced soups, and Becca Freeman shared her favorites too. A few of our own favorites: Ottolenghi's curried lentil, tomato, and coconut, 101 Cookbook's red lentil with lemon, Smitten Kitchen's carrot with miso and sesame, Thomas Keller's butternut squash.  Actually good: Souper Cubes.  Do you have bra and underwear recs we have to know about? Please share them at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Treat your teeth well with a Slate Electric Flosser and get 10% off when you use our link. Try L.A. Burdick's delightful and individually handcrafted chocolates (the ghosts, the coffin!). Give your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO.   YAY.

Gather round! We have a whole lot to say about Fudgie the Whale, learning chess, finding your inner paid tier, and a whole lot more. But what's new?    This many week post-launch of 831 Stories, we're so grateful for the love you've shared for Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff! If you're looking for additional recs to hold you over until Hardly Strangers by A.C. Robinson comes out in November, take a peek at our list.   Did you know Fudgie the Whale's mold moonlights as Santa during the holidays? Check out this CNN article for the deets. If you're feeling ambitious, we love this Ali Slagle ice-cream cake recipe.    We are now deeply committed to Jouer's Skin Barrier Cream. Shoutout to Knockout Beauty's facialist!    We're also hyped on Seed's Pediatric Daily Synbiotic and Storytime Chess over here.    "If" by Rudyard Kipling has some good life advice for 8th graders and grown-ups alike.    What's your personal paid tier? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Challenge your preconceptions about the real origin of our species and check out Eve by Cat Bohannon, available everywhere books are sold. Tackle your fears with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link. Give your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Bobs, you all have been sharing a lot of Thingies that are unignorable. They've been moving, unhinged, funny—and we must discuss them.    We're loving the nym SNAG: Sensitive New Age Guy, ℅ Maia via the podcast Shameless.    Portlanders, have you been to The Croc Stop yet—a jibbitz lending library, brought to our attention by Kelly? See also: shoe charms…which we're kind of charmed by.   Your bathing rituals, friends. Kelsey had a tip on washing makeup brushes in the shower; Rebecca has a tub desk that we could talk about for hours.    Also, very publicly hoping our favorite establishments follow Garlic Expressions's lead and give us some bottled salad dressing! Thank you for the comments on this one, Laura and TK.   Keep those Thingies coming! Enlighten us at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. Support your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Challenge your preconceptions about the real origin of our species and check out Eve by Cat Bohannon, available everywhere books are sold. YAY.  

Status report: We're a little bit hanging on by a thread over here, and we're so impossibly grateful to Duckbill—sponsor of this week's ep!—for helping us chip away at our to-do lists. (Or, better yet: taking on projects so we don't have to put them on our to-do lists in the first place.) More on this, along with chore charts, a useful response to the having kids question, and an important discussion of snapping.   Duckbill—a recurring Thingies submission from you all—is an executive assistant for your personal life, led by expert humans and enhanced with AI superpowers. Use the code ATHINGORTWO for 50% off your first two months, plus priority off the waitlist.   Oh, look, a bunch of ideas for how to use Duckbill.   Do you have any Notion tips ‘n tricks? We're here for them.   Tell us your favorite ways to use Duckbill at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Get support with Duckbill and take 50% off your first two months, plus priority off the waitlist, with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

Want the scoop on what the kids are up to? Casey Lewis is your gal. We're chatting with the genius behind After School—iconic newsletter and epic new podcast tracking all things Gen Z—about back-to-school trends, curly-hair controversy, and, of course, Thingies.   Some trending BTS items include tube tops and sweats (ideally together?), On shoes, Adidas Campus sneakers, Birkenstock Bostons, *the* Abercrombie camo hoodie, and Dae's Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream with Taming Wand.   Casey's Thingies include the Wet Brush (Claire is trying out the Bounce Curl brush, too), fiber (chia seeds!), a walking pad, and the Funky Nassau from the Lot in Greenpoint (combo of white wine and Grapefruit Spindrift).   Subscribe to the After School newsletter and podcast, both. Casey knows how to make trend-tracking very entertaining.   Cooking oil recs from us: Algae Cooking Club and Enzo infused olive oil (Organic Basil Crush and Organic Fresno Chili Crush specifically).   What's your take on the (potential) skinny jeans resurgence? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!   Boost your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Turn to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. YAY.  

We are THRILLED that cultural commentator/overall delight Hunter Harris—of Hung Up and Lemme Say This fame—is joining us today to share her Thingies! We couldn't chat with her without asking for her takes on all the hot pop culture gossip, so unwrap your Fruit Roll-Up and enjoy!   Want more of Hunter? If you don't already, subscribe to her must-read newsletter Hung Up and listen to her Wondery podcast Lemme Say This, which she co-hosts with Thingies alum Peyton Dix.    Hunter's Thingies are LMNT electrolyte drink mixes, Fruit Roll-Ups, lemon and orange essential oils in the trash can, Rhode Pocket Blush, washing her makeup brushes, iS Clinical Active Serum, and tennis.   She gets her news (aka celeb gossip) from Gossip Time, StraightioLab, Las Culturistas, Who? Weekly, and of course, Reddit influencer snark.    Want to get in on the accidental Idiocracy x Crocs collab? Share your thoughts at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!  

Oh, we are excited about this week's Thingies guest! Get ready to dive into the mind of the inaugural 831 Stories author, Alexandra—AKA Zan—Romanoff. We gab with her about Big Fan, fanfiction tropes, Hanson, ocean swims, online vintage shopping, you name it.   Zan's Thingies are Henné Lip Tint, Bask reef-safe sunscreen, Will Rogers Beach in Santa Monica, the Gem App, and the public library.     Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff is out tomorrow, September 10. Grab a ticket to one of Zan's LA or NYC events (we'll be in attendance too!) and dive into the all of the book-universe bonus features (including an epilogue).   Get even more Zan: Read her YA books (Grace and the Fever is very Big Fan–adjacent) and listen to the pop culture + sports podcast she co-hosts with Sarah Enni, On the Bleachers.   More on Canadian Shack fics (um, delightful).   Also, we want to make sure you know that we are in the Jack Schlossberg/Miele fan club.   What's your fandom of choice? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!   Follow @haagendazs_us on Instagram and let them know in the comments that we sent you!  YAY.  

In a true throw-back classic episode from last year: Make sure to double-knot your shoes because we're running through a bunch of activewear brands, morning baths, kale phones, butter money, and COTC (corn on the cob, clearly).   You can read more about Vuori's lore in Courier (and try out their Pose fitted polo, Daydream drew, and All the Feels bra for yourself). Other workout wear of interest: Splits59 (specifically their Raquel flared leggings), Wilson (how ‘bout these Wynne pleated pants and the pleated court short?), Tracksmith ( their Article One running sunglasses collab!), District Vision, Satisfy, On, Tory Sport, and Sweaty Betty. Curious about cool sports stores? We've heard good things about Distance in Paris, we love FrontRunners in L.A., and we have to hand it to Pete Carlson Golf and Tennis in Palm Desert for going *deep*.    The everything shower! Consider this reel from The Everygirl your primer.    If you're looking to limit your oblivion time, check out the OneSec app…or consider the cocaine/kale phone, via George Mack by way of Trung Phan. Also, the to-google notepad, ℅ Courtney Martin.    Butter sculpture season, our Bama Rush? A great read: "The Secret Feminist History of Butter Cows” by Lyz Lenz.   What activewear brands do you like, how do you morning bath if you do such a thing?! Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!   Show your hair the love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.  

Is anybody looking to start a hummus business?!? Do we have some domain names for you! In addition to our GoDaddy closet sale, we also have a grab bag to discuss, including mouth tape, face shaving, rat poop legal battles, WNBA mascots, and more!   Re: personal catchphrases: the title Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner got us thinking.    If you want to hear the case for VIO2 mouth tape that converted Claire, check out our Guest Thingies episode with Glynnis MacNicol.    Claire loved getting dermaplaned at Carrie Lindsey Beauty in Brooklyn.    Erica's nightgown journey involves the Skims Fits Everybody and Soft Lounge dresses, while Claire's includes Taleen, Eileen West, Vermont Country Store, and Salter House—if you're chasing the Victorian ghost aesthetic.    For all your LA luxury cat hotel needs: Check out Chats de The, Purrvana, and Cateau Marmont.   WNBA star to stan: Breanna Stewart. US Open player with peak energy: Taylor Townsend.    Want to start ratemyvcs.com? Great, get in touch via 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Follow @haagendazs_us on Instagram and let them know in the comments that Claire and Erica sent you!  Slip into your new fall shoes from Marc Fisher and use the code ATHINGORTWO to receive 20% off your purchase. YAY.  

Some of you Detective Bobs have already caught on to this, but: We're starting something new! It's officially time to give you the scoop on our romantic fiction entertainment company, 831 Stories…and the first book we're publishing, Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff. It comes out September 10…which means right this second is the perfect time to pre-order it.    Special thanks to Bea and Leah Koch, behind The Ripped Bodice, for kick-starting this journey! Our podcast episode with them from 2019 for a taste.   The authors and titles that made us fall hard for romance include Robinne Lee's The Idea of You, Talia Hibbert (The Brown Sister Series—and our 2021 podcast interview here), Tia Williams's Seven Days in June, Tessa Bailey (start with It Happened One Summer…or our recent chat), Abby Jimenez (loved Yours Truly), Lyla Sage's Rebel Blue Ranch series, and Yulin Kuang's How to End a Love Story.    We also think about what Sanjana Basker shared about romance on the Care So Much podcast all the time.   Sign up for the 831 newsletter, follow 831 on Instagram, and pre-order Big Fan. We cannot WAIT to share it with you.   What was the romance novel that got you into the genre? Tell us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Show your hair the love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Find your new fall shoes from Marc Fisher and use the code ATHINGORTWO to receive 20% off your purchase. YAY.

Another great day for Thingies! This time from newsletter legend Caroline Chambers, whose book What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking (a verified banger!) comes out tomorrow. You're in for a treat.   Caroline's Thingies are Sézane Jimmy trousers (often worn with Sézane Lenny low mules), the Olympics (DUH), having swim-safe kids (New Yorkers: Imagination Swimming), and Taylor Swift singing to Travis Kelce. Also, some romance recs! Pucking Around by Emily Rath, Kulti by Mariana Zapata, and Happenstance by Tessa Bailey.   Hey, The Idea of You fans! Check out Caroline's interview with Robinne Lee on her podcast So Into That.    P.S., if you are as riveted by the idea of “lockstep individualism” as we are, read this Washington Post article “The mysterious tyranny of trendy baby names” by Daniel Wolfe that references Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Names Wizard. And sign up for the Gloria newsletter that surfaced this!   What's your fave thing to cook when you don't feel like cooking? Please share away at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Tackle stress with Stress Relief from Ritual and take 25% off your first month with our link. YAY.

Aaand we're BACK! We are returning from our summer vacation with lots of updates and some Thingies from the great Tessa Bailey. (If you haven't read her books yet: WE BEG YOU.)   If you're looking for good places to start in the Tessa Bailey universe, try It Happened One Summer, Chase Me, and her latest, The Au Pair Affair. She also has an absolutely tremendous TikTok.   Tessa's Thingies include cleansing wipes for her nose piercing, avocados, Blistex, GXVE by Gwen Stefani's Liquid Lipstick, Merit (specifically the cream blush and the highlight stick) "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" by Taylor Swift, the RedHanded podcast, and Apotheke's Earl Grey Candle.   Her first romance read was Hidden Fires by Sandra Brown.   Ahead of Tessa's appearance, we talk LMNT's Watermelon Salt flavor (thanks Nikki Ogunnaike!), romcoms in action movie clothing, and a London stuffie report (Paddington was there, and we found a Miffy x Liberty London collaboration we didn't know we needed).   What's your favorite Tessa Bailey book? Did any Thingies happen during our break? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.