A Few Things With Claire And Erica

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. This week, we’re getting wrapped up in a conversation about robes, the practice of towel time, and our favorite shopping memories featuring dated (but iconic!) tie skirts and timeless wrap dresses.    Some of the robes we love, for your lounging pleasure and leisure: Parachute’s Classic Turkish Cotton Robe, Skin’s Sierra Robe and Basic Double Layer Wrap Robe, Eberjey’s Rosalia Robe and Alpine Chic Super Sherpa Robe, and all the fun ones Block Shop and Print Fresh make. And how ‘bout this wings + horns Ace take?   Share your robe and towel-time rituals! 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.   For many, many more of our favorites, get yourself a Secret Menu membership.   Discover N°1 DE CHANEL.   Produced by Dear Media

Get ready to take a trip down (your nose’s) memory lane because we’re talking about the scents of our youth. Oh, and: We’re making a plan to prevent contingency-planning from becoming a full-blown hobby.   Scent-sational reading: this 1988 New York Times article, written during the dawn of the age of the perfume ad, the book The End of Fashion by Teri Agins on how perfume and stockings became luxury-brand cash cows, and this BBC article about the heyday of celebrity fragrances.    Scentmatchers.com—go for the URL, stay for the extensive dropdown menu.    Check out our near-obsession Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman for a welcome perspective on time-management.    Did you have a signature scent? Is there some discontinued fragrance you’re sniffing around for? We need to know—@athingortwohq, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and 833-632-5463!    Sign up for Secret Menu for more, more, more where this came from.   Give professional counseling a try with BetterHelp—10% off your first month with our link. Support y

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. We’re in need of things to enjoy—no, relish: Bring on the comfort content! Please! If you have recs, share ‘em with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.   Read more about CUNY’s anonymous cash donor in the New York Times.   Check out Lewis Miller’s Flower Flash book, his Instagram, all of it.   To watch All That Jazz (not on a Delta flight), it’s all about the Criterion Collection.   Listen to  Once Upon a Time…at Bennington College podcast for all the hot 1980s undergrad goss about literary icons. (Check out the oral history that inspired the podcast, too.)   Everything Mindy Kailing touches is gold, and we’re especially sweating The Sex Lives of College Girls (what a name). As for things we’re excited for in the future? Season 2 of Starstruck, Season 2 of White Lot

This week, we talk Thingies with the writer, creative consultant, and theorist behind the 3 p.m. outfit expiration, Harling Ross Anton. She also breaks down her rubric for what makes a good recommendation. All this to say: Everything is nice in here.   Harling’s Thingies! Fleece-lined black tights (all of them, really), Merit's The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick (Harling uses the shade bisque.), Chinya’s milk frother, Mighty Sesame Co.’s Tahini in a Squeeze Bottle, a made-just-for-her button-down shirt from Chava, DGL licorice extract for heartburn, D-Mannose for UTIs, and fantasy novels like A Court of Thorns and Roses.   Plz, plz follow Harling for so many more recs! She’s extremely good at them.   Share your favorite thingies at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.   For more of our favorites, get yourself a Secret Menu membership.   Produced by Dear Media

It’s the first episode we’re recording in 2022, and we have THOUGHTS! TO! SHARE! We discuss the It’s Not That Deep archetype, the wackiest (slash most ingenious)  “work smarter and not harder” moments, and acknowledgement sections—unskippable, if you ask us.   Related to the It’s Not That Deep mentality: Tune into our perfectionism ep (and maybe pick up Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, too.).   Two essays on the acknowledgment section: "With a Little Help From Their Friends (and Agents and Librarians and Fact-Checkers ...)" by Jennifer Senior and "Against Acknowledgments" by Sam Sacks.   One of our favorite acknowledgement sections of late was from Black Buck—and don’t worry, we asked the author Mateo Askaripour about it when we interviewed him.   Have thoughts (or a story about an extreme case of working smarter and not harder)? We want to hear them at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq! If you like this, you’ll love Secret Menu. We think!   Produced by Dear Media

If you need a Week Two 2022 pick-me-up, how about an all-consuming romance novel and some Thingies from our guest Kelly Wright, founder of the internet’s coolest hardware store, Yuns?    For romance novels featuring autistic leads, pick up The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test, and The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (

This episode is all about the pressures we feel on our lives and our time (and, to a lesser extent, our necks and our tailbones). Don’t sleep on this one, is what we’re saying.   Live that ComfiLife! Side-sleep with a Hullo pillow!   The “Things We Want to Leave Behind and How to Start a Running Routine” ep we reference.   The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin—there’s also a quiz for that.    A handful of reads related to parenting (and, sigh, house work): All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior, Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu, and More Work For Mother by Ruth Schwartz Cowan.   An enthusiastic endorsement of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.   Dirt’s “The season of tabs” newsletter by Alex Aciman. WE RELATE.   "The Myth of the Productive Commute" installment of Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study newsletter.   Talking about protecting your time with Mimi O Chun and “what happens if you don’t?” with Caroline Moss.   For last-min. presents, might we

We’re steaming (and pan-frying!) a lot of frozen dumplings, and we’re recommending a lot of Thingies. Come along with us, huh?   But first: latke cookies.    A dumplings-as-an-aesthetic episode of this very podcast.   Frozen dumplings we’re into: Fly by Jing and Nom Wah.   Stunning rainbow dumplings we’re into: Sandita’s rainbow dumplings.   Three things that make a big difference when cooking up dumplings at home: a bamboo steamer, Chinkiang black vinegar, and these Wing on Wo soup spoons. Another helpful resource: Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes.   Ok, Thingies!! Kevyn Aucoin Beauty The Volume Mascara (Claire) and Lily Lolo Natural Vegan Mascara (Erica), Saint Olio cleaner (plus hand sanitizer), Wolford tights (start with Velvet De Luxe 50 or 66), Zicam lozenges, Maldon salt (see: this Bon App article), Kewpie Deep-Roasted Sesame Dressing, Lo & Sons The O.G. 2 carry-on (plus a charming video), Kinto kids’ dishes, and Trader Joe’s Roasted & Salted Marcona Almonds with Rosemary.   Secret M

Caroline Moss, host of the podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It!, brings joy to everything she does, and we’re jazzed to ride her wave of holiday-giving enthusiasm straight through December and into 2022. Another thing we’re taking into next year is our new mantra: What happens if you don’t?   Julie Houts did the wonderful new illustration of us ya see in our podcast art! You’ve gotta check out her Instagram! Ooh, and shop her prints!   Related content: Erica waiting for Claire in fitting rooms.   If you don’t listen to Caroline’s podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! yet, you’re in for a treat. Our Black Friday ep with her could be a good starting point. Don’t sleep on her gift guides either—or the book she co-wrote Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails.   Caroline’s go-to Hallmark holiday movie: The Christmas List.   A few holiday giving initiatives Caroline supports and you can too (like, this year—not at all too late!): Operation Santa (there’s a doc, Dear Santa, about

What an episode we have in store! We’re going deep on some of our favorite recent discoveries from our Monday newsletter—which: If you aren’t signed up for that thing, now's your chance to fix that.   The usefulness of the term bitch eating crackers (BEC) (for context: Someecards).   Celebrity memoirs as audiobooks: Inside Out by Demi Moore, Acid for the Children by Flea, and Yearbook by Seth Rogen (see also: this profile by Jonah Weiner for NYT Magazine). Next up: My Life So Far by Jane Fonda, Faithfull by Marianne Faithful,  The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. Oh, and: the podcast Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily. Also: Please read Open by Andre Agassi and J.R. Moehringer!   Important breaking news: There is now Spelling Bee merch.      Let’s hear Claire’s QVC pitch for the Pattern mist spray bottle!! Somewhat related: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater...as a hair product?   Erica’s 11 a.m. tea go-to: Soul Chai. Another (slightly sweetened rec): Dona.   A workspace-c

You know what we love? When someone makes a thing we’re really desparate to use. Which means we can’t wait for the launch of Postcard, a tool to help us share our travel recommendations in an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing way. We’ll let David Cho tell ya all about it...and share his Thingies. That’s right: a guest Thingies ep. Tell us how you feel about that?? Two relevant celebrity memoirs: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling and Yearbook by Seth Rogen.   Oh, the joy of a website called findcelebrityjobs.com.   Be Postcard guinea pigs! Make some lists! Send them to us!   David’s Thingies! Orion Turtle Chips Choco Churros Flavor (and Sweet Corn if you’re us), Rose Delights, therapy!!!, Golden Fertile Eggs, Sun Ha Jang in L.A., and “A Home Movies Thanksgiving Special with Alison Roman” (also her spring chicken with crispy leeks recipe).   Do you have Thingies noms? Hit us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.   For so many more of our favorites, get yourself a Secret Menu subscription.

Gift Guide Round 3: Siblings, Teens, Co-Workers, Friends, and Grandparents!   Our third gift guide ep already?! We know. There’s so much ahead—and behind if you missed part 1 and part 2—but if you’re still on the present hunt, subscribe to Secret Menu for many more holiday-shopping thoughts ‘n feelings.   Kids and Teens!   Almost 14 year old girl Brooklyn kid Art! Ideal Bookshelf 974: Feminists by Jane Mount, The Ten Largest, No. 2, Childhood, Group IV by Hilma af Klint, Krista Marie Young painting, and Amber Vittoria prints The start of a charm bracelet, maybe with this Catbird Holy Cannoli charm Studs e-gift card Lizzie Fortunato Little Candy DIY Kit (for a younger kid: Super Smalls or Susan Alexandra) Olive & June mani system Dye Kween Sleep mask or socks Kule T-shirt This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew Macmillan Visual Dictionary D C-T! by Joana Avillez and Molly Young Donation to Girl Up Monogrammed tech accessories from Leatherology   Angsty teenage nephews who already have everything

If you just CAN’T with the gifting stress, drama, and intrigue this year and are looking to do some one-stop shopping, well, welcome to our second gift guide of the season, in partnership with the glorious, aesthetically driven team over at MoMA Design Store. Use the code ATHINGORTWO online or in store for 10% off your purchase now through November 24 (fine print below)—and know that every purchase supports the museum's collection and education programs. Talk about a GWP!   Heyo: Dig into all of our MoMA Design Store gifting picks.   Healthcare practitioners who I see regularly but don't know on a personal level 2022 Stendig Poster Calendar or 2022 Jumping Point Calendar  Yoshitomo Nara Bandages Italian Ball Candle MoMA Monet and Ed Ruscha artist masks   My new colleagues who I want to love me. Something cheap, cute, and maybe useful. Extendable Phone Stand Denis Guidone Milano Times Hourglasses Twist Cable Protector - Set of 3 MoMA Touchscreen Mist Cleaner   I have to buy gifts for approximately eight th

Gift Guide Round 1: Moms, Dads, and Significant (or Formerly Significant) Others   It’s gift-guide season around these parts, and here we are with the first of three—three!—installments to help you along with the hardest-to-shop-for people in your life (hopefully). If you need more ideas, subscribing to Secret Menu might be just the answer.   Moms and Mothers-in-Law!   Single mom by choice to an amazing little girl. Since it's just the two of us and she's a toddler, I need to help her buy her a gift for me. I realize that buying a gift for one's self shouldn't be difficult but I'm saving to buy us a condo and this will be my one quality and/or impractical spend for the foreseeable future. So I want to make it count and I'd love your help. I am willing to spend up to $400.00. I appreciate smart function in design and I have lost zero baby weight, so anything that involves sizing has the potential to make me cry, which feels like it would defeat the purpose. I work about 75 hours a week and am currently doing s

What a treat it is to talk to one of our favorite artists, Mimi O Chun, who just mounted her first gallery show! Deeply impressive, we know. Speaking of impressive, there’s one department store that’s doing it for us lately, and we (predictably) have a lot to say about that.   Friends, a contest. Submit your best stab at a description for this podcast via voicemail to 833-632-5463, email to podcast@athingortwohq.com, or IG DM to @athingortwohq. There’s Professional Enthusiast merch in store for the winner…   The lore of the set of tires being returned to Nordstrom: It's true.   If you’re in the Phoenix area—or will be between now and January—go see Mimi O Chun’s show It’s all cake at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.    Watch this video for a taste of Mimi’s work and, dear god, please follow her on IG.   “Museum of Oat Dreams (for One)”—wowowow.    Stuffed Hipster Emblems!   Mimi’s sister Miro is an amazing ceramicist, too: Check out Miro Made This for her work.   Find a professional counselor with B

Today, we bring you love and affection for a renowned butter sculptor, complicated feelings about baking, and some pretty sweet recipes for Q4 2021.   The retirement of the Minnesota State Fair butter sculptor, per The StarTribune! Related: the Christopher Guest-ish movie Butter.   Andy Murray and the case of the stolen tennis shoes and wedding ring that were returned.    Dorie Greenspan’s compelling argument for baking in a recent Garden & Gun interview.   Three baking cookbooks Erica loves: The Cake Bible, Cannelle Et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood, and The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book: Uncommon Recipes.   Some baking recipes we have up our sleeves: Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond Cake, Julia Turshen’s Afternoon Cake, Smitten Kitchen Strawberry Summer Cake, Yotam Ottolenghi’s Flourless Coconut Cake, Julia Child’s Genoa Almond Cake / Pain de Gênes (page 78 here), Emily Luchetti’s Ginger Cookies (and Emily Luchetti’s Stareos), Ovenly's Salted Peanut Butter Cook

Two content powerhouses we just can’t seem to get enough of these days: The Sesame Street crew on social media (looking at you, Count Von Count) and A.J. Daulerio in his newsletter The Small Bow and podcast Really Good Shares, both of which address recovery in really thoughtful, nuanced ways that speak to us as people who aren’t in recovery.   An Adweek story from 2010 about Sesame Street’s social-media presence when the strategy was run by Dan Lewis, the guy behind the Now I Know newsletter.   A few Sesame Street things you need to see: Count Von Count on Twitter, Big Bird x Oscar from 2018, Oscar the Grouch on #MetGala.   We’re such massive fans of A.J. Daulerio’s work—subscribe to The Small Bow! Listen to Really Good Shares!   “My Years in the Florida Shuffle of Drug Addiction” by Colton Wooten for The New Yorker.    The Really Good Shares ep with former Jezebel and Hairpin editor Emma Carmichael about a truly terrible year.   Our crossover moment: A.J.’s newsletter about Sesame Street.   Another pitch for

Wowowowow, are we grateful to our pals over at Projector, the free web-based software for collaborative design, for partnering with us on this ep to bring you—and us!—the scoop on colors, fonts, trends, and even some loose rules, ℅ a couple of our favorite designers to work with and one we aspire to work with someday. Obviously you’ll need to deep-dive into everything Colin Smight, Rachel Herzig, and Andrew Kuo after listening…   Colin Smight of Cul de Sac Studio! Relevant clickage: Collage Culture, the font foundry ABC Dinamo, Rose Los Angeles, and By Humankind.   Rachel Herzig! Relevant clickage: It’s Nice That and Jieyi Lee.   Andrew Kuo! Relevant clickage: his basketball podcast Cookies Hoops and @earlboykins2.   Get ready to fall as hard for Projector as we have. It’s basically like Google Drive for design projects, and we use it daily. You don’t need any design experience to use it, and free—to sign up, to use, all of it.   Produced by Dear Media

The perfection of the packaging of Clinique’s 3-Step System. The joy of convincing a dad at a drugstore that lipgloss is just a balm. The best possible name for a cow toilet, the MooLoo. Oh, what an ep we have in store for you.   Care of the Associated Press: “No bull: Scientists potty train cows to use ‘MooLoo.’” Related-ish: Oh Crap! Potty Training and the Potette.   A few beauty products from our youth that we’re interested in revisiting: Aveda Shampure (and, also Shampowder dry shampoo?!), The Body Shop’s Mango Body Butter (or perhaps Olive Body Butter), Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (which Erica still wears—and Claire wears as Superbalm), and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (Claire’s long-time sig scent).   Get professional counseling with BetterHelp—10% off your first month with our link! Try Nutrafol for thicker, healthier hair. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO. Download the Zocdoc app (for free!) and schedule a doctor’s appointment already. YAY.   Produced

You know what we have a lot to say about today? A lot of things, from high praise for neighborhood restaurants and actually useful apps to sharing weddings FAQs and advocating for yourself at the doctor’s office.    Behold, the Covid wedding template of our dreams: Our beloved friends & family, It's only 30 days until our wedding! We're so glad that you are coming and celebrating this special day with us.  A few announcements regarding the wedding:  Serious stuff You must be fully vaccinated to attend the event. Please send your proof of vaccination to EMAIL ADDRESS. For children and adults with underlying medical conditions preventing them from getting vaccinated, we ask that you obtain a negative PCR Covid-19 test result within 48 hours prior to the event. Your health is of utmost importance to us, and we have therefore decided to cancel ANY CHANGES TO EVENT SCHEDULE. Fun stuff X, Y, Z!   Apps worth your limited phone storage space: Weather Strip, Libby, and PictureThis (related-ish: Merlin Bird ID)