Cowboy Boots, Grapefruit Techniques, and Clearing a Path for Love

This week’s grab bag includes clearing a path for love, the country-music equivalent of The Great British Bake Off, beige rice, and, ya know, lots more.

the linkage:

• Are you watching My Kind of Country? Start with Dhruv Visvanath’s cover of “Ring of Fire."
  

• Shout out to Chalo cowboy boots and this Brie Larson cover story for Harper’s Bazaar for styling inspo. 
  

• Sam Youkilis’s Instagram brought the topic of cutting citrus back to the podcast. See also: Priya Krishna and Connie Wang’s essays about cut fruit as a culturally Asian love language. 
  

• An idea: Joe Holder’s one-week-a-month reboot. 
  

• Cosigning a Jill Singers Thingie, The Rice Factory New York.
  

• Liana Satenstein’s piece in Vogue about Donna Karan gave us the Y2k fashion we want to embrace. 
  

• Share your thoughts about today’s ep with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or joinour Geneva! For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Level-up your underwear with SKIMS Fits Everybody and get free shipping on orders over $75.
  

• Drink water like never before thanks to air up. Get the best of both worlds, tasty flavors, and all the benefits of water today at https://airup.link/3nNRCZ7.
  

• Make that garden grow with Fast Growing Trees and get 15% off your entire order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

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 Reintroduce Ourselves—and Share *Your* Thingies

If you’re a new listener curious about our ~lore~, you’re in luck! But before we discuss us, let’s talk about you and some of the Thingies you’ve been evangelizing about on Instagram.

the linkage:

• Moisturizing agents recommended by listeners include Dior Creme Abricot, Olive & June Overnight Hand Treatment, Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick, Weleda Skin Food, Everyday Oil, Brazilian BumBum Cream, Ouai Body Creme, Tubby Todd, Summer Solace Tallow, Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment, and tinted ChapStick. (Wait, sorry, did we know about custom ChapStick??) 
  

• Also you all shared beauty products we’d never heard of before, like Kate McLeod Sex Stone, Nicole Caroline Facial Ice Sphere Kit, Londontown Kur Illuminating Nail Concealer, and The Ordinary Brow Serum. 
  

• Earrings you can sleep in! From Maison Muri and Hey June. Also: clear earring backs for napping!!
  

• What else are you obsessing over? Keyboard-cleaning goo like this stuff from Kikkerland, stain removers like Savon de Marseille and Grandma’s Spot Remover, and salad dressings like the ones by Little Creek Dressing and the Gotham Greens Green Goddess. 
  

• People feel strongly about Oofos—are they the new Crocs?!
  

• Our favorite Thingie of all? Bringing tea on a walk, leaving the mug in a random bush, and picking it back up later. Iconic.
  

• Share your Thingies with us at  833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or joinour Geneva! For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Get professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
  

• Give your hair an assist with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Tune into to Bad on Paper—if you like this podcast, you’ll like that one.
  

YAY.

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.

Seam Rippers, Gifting Pacts, and Leftovers

This week, we’re covering pressing and important moments in culture (the Scandoval), products of innovation (seam rippers), gifting strategies, a revelatory cookbook all about leftovers, and a topic we can not let sit any longer: cute postage stamps. 

the linkage:

• If you’re new to the Vanderpump Rules Cinematic Universe, we highly suggest Sexy Unique Podcast as a viewing companion. 
  

• Message Monsters stamps by Elise Gravel, a children’s book author, are available on foreverstamps.net.
  

• Museum Gel will secure breakables from gentle earthquakes (toddlers running around the house included). 
  

• To have your leftovers world rocked, we recommend The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z by Tamar Adler, which is a companion to Love An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace.
  

• Do you have a gifting plan? Thoughts on the Scandoval? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or joinour Geneva! For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Try out professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.

YAY.

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.

Manicures and Mess

May we discuss manicures, messes, and the intersection between manicures and messes and the social pressure to present as *having it all together*? Let’s go.

the linkage:

• On gel manicures: Uché Blackstock is going to keep getting them, and Claire is too—but now with Maniglovz to protect her hands from those UV lights (and with CND Shellac whenever she can).
  

• For a one-coat at-home mani, Olive & June Cosmic, Pleasing Pearly Tops, and Dior Glow deliver a shimmery, sheer finish. A listener said Dazzle Dry is one of their Thingies, and multiple of y’all have called-out Londontown Kur Nail Concealer (<< the name!). For growth (and nail-biting-prevention), try Nailtiques. For setting yourself up for DIY success, arm yourself with  Olive & June dry drops and the brand’s clean up brush. 
  

• We have a lot of thoughts about mess, and so do some other people. Dig into For Scale’s “Exquisite Chaos” installment, "Girl Clutter" by Molly Soda, “What If You Just Didn’t Clean That Up?” by Kathryn Jezer-Morton for The Cut, and “This Trend Is a Mess” by Callie Holtermann for NYT. For a listen, check out "How to Keep House While Drowning" on Terrible, Thanks for Asking with guest KC Davis, the author of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing. 
  

• Our convo also reminded us of the books All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior and In My Room: Teenagers in Their Bedrooms by Adrienne Salinger (a sampling of some of those pics here). 
  

• And a retaliation to the white-box era we’ve been living in can be found on @officialsadbeige.
  

• For a clustercore explainer, we’ve got Better Homes & Gardens. For primo examples, we always think of friend-of-the-pod Rumaan Alam and David Land’s collection of George Washington paintings in their dining room, and dip into Catherine Newman’s home tour on A Cup of Jo. 
  

• Two messfluencers to know: Alix Earle and Julia Fox. 
  

• On the topic of digital messiness, how many tabs do you have open right now? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or joinour Geneva! For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Try Shopify, the trustiest ecomm platform around, and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
  

• Level-up your sandwich with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Super-Stylist Karla Welch’s Thingies and Some Distraction Action

Karla Welch, celeb stylist and co-founder of The Period Company, is here to talk Thingies, from life-changing books to an L.A. bagel worth a one-hour wait. Also, we dig into distraction…and deleting social-media accounts.

the linkage:

• Re: the impact of social media on our societies, ourselves: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier (and Zach Baron’s GQ profile of Jaron), Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (and David Marchese's NYT Mag interview with Cal, and (what’s new?) Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. 
  

• Get your Karla Welch fix via her MasterClass on personal style and by shopping The Period Company, which now available at Walmart.
  

• Karla’s Thingies include Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Marie Brown (which made us think about Saving Time by Jenny Odell), Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, her client Sarah Polley (see also: Sarah’s film Women Talking and her New Yorker profile), Rhode peptide lip treatment, the NYT Cooking app (follow this IG account for the full commenter experience), Erewhon’s strawberry glaze smoothie, and Courage Bagels in L.A. 
  

• Share your Thingies (and dream Thingies guests) with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Get that protein and fiber with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Go plant-crazy with Fast Growing Trees and get 15% off your entire order with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Listen to Bad on Paper—if you like this podcast, you’ll like that one.

YAY.

Magic Mike and Girl Scouts (Channing, Call Us)

If you’ve been asking “Why aren’t more podcasts talking about Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Girl Scouts?” you’ve come to the right place. Shall we??

the linkage:

• What do the critics have to say about Magic Mike? Here’s Shirley Li at The Atlantic, Emma Specter at Vogue, A.O. Scott at the NYT, Richard Brody at The New Yorker, Bob Mondello at NPR, and Kyle Smith at the Wall Street Journal. 
  

• Channing’s look right now! Specifically this Met Gala pic and this Variety cover! He and Zoë Kravitz share a stylist, Andrew Mukamal (who was featured on Kell on Earth—see also: this Interview interview with Kelly Cutrone).  
  

• If you’re into the business side of Magic Mike, check out WSJ’s story “For Magic Mike, Channing Tatum Looked for Strippers Moms Could Love.” As for Channing’s other creative projects: Sparkella, Born & Bred Vodka (more from BonApp), and the much-hyped romance novel he’s writing with Roxane Gay. (Unrelated but also totally related, Tessa Bailey’s reverse-harem romance Happenstance.)  
  

• Oh, Girl Scouts, preparing girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character since 1912! We love the logo redesign by Collins, and if you need a cookie source, buy them from Troop 6000, a first-of-its-kind program designed to serve families living in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, or from trans girls around the country. 
  

• Another scouting org we love: Radical Monarchs, which creates opportunities for girls and  gender-expansive youth of color—this doc is great.
  

• Share your Magic Mike reviews with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Try out professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
  

• Help your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Get more out of your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Sleep well with Boll & Branch—get 15% off your first set of sheets when you use the promo code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Tantrum Logic, Serendipity Tax, and Food Revelations

Our two new favorite terms and a bunch of thoughts on what to eat (such a conundrum, always, why?), coming at you on this week’s episode. Dig in!

the linkage:

• Ok, food things: We’re big fans of the the Food52 Simply Genius cookbook (and Food52 Genius Desserts, too) by Kristen Miglore. To start, try the 5-minute tomato sauce from Heidi Swanson (which reminded Claire of this slightly more complicated sauce she had last summer) and Canal House’s chicken thighs.
  

• Some other cooking wins: this polenta soup recipe from Christopher Kimball, oven-fried artichokes, Ali Slagle’s cheesy white bean tomato bake, and Toro Bravo's radicchio salad with manchego vinaigrette.  
  

• This Eater story by Jaya Saxena speaks to our love of tiny spoons and brought this amazing T-shirt to our attention.
  

• Let us know your tiny spoon stance at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. .

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Level-up your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.
  

• Get that MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

YAY.

Rachel Tashjian’s Opulent Thingies (and a Splash of Cringe)

This week, we’re talking Thingies with Rachel Seville Tashjian Wise, fashion news director at Harper's Bazaar and creator of the coolest invite-only newsletter on the block, Opulent Tips. Also, we bring you more CRINGE. 

the linkage:

• For mTo ride the cringe wave, check out this perfect Julie Houts post, Yasi Salek and the podcast Bandsplain (friends, the T-shirt), and the newsletter Club Leftist Tennis’s installment “Tennis is for Weirdos” by Kate Wagner. Also, NYT’s misread of cringe.

• Rachel’s Thingies: hats (including ones from The Hat Shop, Amy Downs, and Gigi Burris), collections of strange objects (see also: Leanne Ford’s Feel Free mag), the weird Hitchcock movies like Vertigo (for more good blond wigs: Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express), designers who are creating wardrobes (including Toteme, Casey Casey, The Row, Sofie D'Hoore, Lauren Manoogian, 7115 by Szeki, Lafayette 148—read Rachel’s story for more on this!), and this profile of Judith Thurman along with her book, Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller.

• Some other things discussed: the Isaac Mizrahi doc Unzipped, the brands Puppets and Puppets and Luar, the Lydia Tár Twitter account, Spur Jewelry’s usage of close friends, and Etéreo Vintage. 

• Have thingies you want to share? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Try our beloved ecomm platform, Shopify, and get a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Explore an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

• Get more out of your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Room Dividers, TVs, and Three Gals About the Internet

Hello, this is she! Today we’re reaching into a grab bag filled with TVs, social omnivores, room dividers, and favorite internet follows. 

the linkage:

• For more on the social omnivore, check out this Bon Appétit article by Ali Francis. 

• Room dividers have come a long way—see: Lichen, The Inside, Sarah Ellison's for DWR, and Sight Unseen’s round up.

• Delightful follow number one: Emily Sundberg and her newsletter Feed Me. She wrote "Whole Milk Mounts its Triumphant Comeback" and "Welcome to the Shoppy Shop" and recently surfaced this 2019 interview with Kevin Systrom by Stella Bugbee, too. (Related-ish newsletters: After School by Casey Lewis and Public Announcement c/o Chris Black and James Ellis.)

• Number two: Delia Cai, whose debut novel Central Places is out now—*please* see also: her IG for the book, her Twitter account, and her interview on this pod. (Other v specific IG follows: @smallbizmemez and @dankartdirectormemes.)

• Number three: the financial-literacy TikToker Seema Sheth aka Bobeema and her financial cleanse series. Speaking of $$ stuff, Carl Nassib’s compound interest lesson from Hard Knocks and Women and Money by Suze Orman.

• Finally, this tweet (by Lily Marotta, co-host of the Celebrity Book Club podcast) transported us. 

• Where is the TV in your home? How you you answer the phone? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Look into getting an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

YAY.

Revenge Songs, Going Out to Dinner, and Babies on a Plane

Break out the headphones because have recommendations for those looking for audio-based catharsis, starring revenge songs and an insightful podcast about grief. Also: We’re redefining our relationship with restaurants and asking men to start paying more attention to the parenting discourse.

the linkage:

• Some ideas for your next revenge playlist: “BZRP” by Shakira, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift, “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Gaslighter” by The Chicks, “Love Yourself” by Justin Beiber, “Cherry” by Harry Styles, “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé, “You Oughta Know” by Alainis Morrisette, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, “Kerosene” by Miranda Lambert, and “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett. 

• We also highly recommend you check out the discography of Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

• More for your ears: Anderson Cooper’s podcast All There Is. Start with the "Anticipatory Grief" and "Molly Shannon’s Unspeakable Loss" episodes. 

• If you’re in NYC and looking to redefine your restaurant experience, try Gjelina for bfast, Wagamama for lunch, and Joe’s Shanghai—or your Michigan Stars—for dinner. 

• On the current state of social media: Kyle Chayka’s New Yorker piece “The Year in Apps I Gave Up On.”

• We want/need your thoughts on vintage! Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or joinour Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Give professional counseling a go with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.

• Support your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Explore an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

YAY.

Updates! Featuring the Induction Stove Discourse and Grandpa Jibbitz

We have some follow-ups, ok?? Let’s revisit induction stoves, slipping rib syndrome, living with longing, being in touch with your younger self, and, of course, jibbitz—specifically ones featuring a grandpa’s face.

the linkage:

• Oooh, has that induction cooktop convo heated up! Read this from the Public Interest Research Group on the Inflation Reduction Act (and $$$), this Bloomberg article “US Safety Agency to Consider Ban on Gas Stoves Amid Health Fears,” an installment of Michael Thomas’s Distilled newsletter “I Measured the Pollution From My Gas Stove. It Was Bad,” Alison Roman’s Twitter AMA, and Remodelista’s guide to compact induction cooktops/ranges. 

• To learn more about zankha, Lina Mounzer's Twitter thread (and the related Reddit post).

• Speaking of dishware, Heller Vignelli’s is back at MaMA Design Store! Read more about it here.

• Kate’s Butter, a Thingies award winner, changed its packaging :( :( :( More on the flattening of design from a Business of Fashion op-ed by John Whelan "The Revolution Will Not Be Serifised: Why Every Luxury Brand’s Logo Looks the Same." 

• This Death, Sex & Money Podcast episode with The Daniels!! And Daniel Kwan's related IG post!! 

• Finally, how could we not to turn a corner on jibbitz after watching this TikTok of Liam Ryan presenting his grandchildren with Crocs and *jibbitz with his face on them*. Which reminded us of this WSJ story “When Grandma Is a TikTok Star and the Grandkids Are the Managers.” 

• Are there any topics from previous episodes you want us to revisit? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor’s appointment. Let’s do it.

• Get that good sleep with Boll & Branch—get 15% off your first set of sheets when you use the promo code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

The Consumption-Wary Stylist Lakyn Carlton’s Thingies and Scooped-Out Foodstuffs

We’re giving you the styling and Thingies scoop with our special guest Lakyn Carlton! Bonus scoop: the pros and cons of scooped-out foods.

the linkage:

• Introducing the scooped-out pizza, ℅ Minnesota’s Hazelwood Food & Drink. And leave it to the New York Post to provide scooped-out bagel commentary in 2010 and 2016.
  

• Get more Lakyn via her fantastic newsletter True Style and her virtual and in-person styling sessions.
  

• Lakyn’s Thingies include Muddy Paw Coffee in L.A. for a dog-friendly coffee experience (and proximity to one of her go-to vintage shops, The Curatorial Department), her Bown of London robe (additional robe content: ones from Block Shop and Ulysses and the romance novel Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn), and a custom doormat from TheDoormatory on Etsy.
  

• Share your take on pizza with salad and/or personal style at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Try out a Secret Menu membership for more recommendations.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Do ecomm right with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.

YAY

CRINGE

Buckle in, listeners, because we’re diving head-first down the rabbit hole of *cringe*. What does cringe look like these days? How do we embrace it—the good kind? How do cut everyone (ourselves included) some cringe slack?

the linkage:

• If you’re not getting our newsletter!

• Today’s prompt: Nell Diamond’s repost of a tweet from @isabelunraveled. (For more on Nell, founder of Hill House Home, dip into these profiles from New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.)

• The Justin Long post. Discuss!

• For some cringe backstory: Kaitlyn Tiffany’s story “How Did We Get So ‘Cringe’?” for The Atlantic.

• We had to revisit Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic—because avoiding cringe and chasing perfectionism are related…no? See also: Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, David Brandon Geeting’s installment of the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter, and the edition of Kaelen Haworth’s Kael Mail newsletter about ins but no outs. 

• Check out Her Country by Marissa R. Moss. Among the themes: how Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton gave up on wanting people to like them to find success.  

• On finding affection for your younger self: this Anne Helen Petersen newsletter, Jonah Hill’s doc Stutz, the podcast Mortified, Justin Cooley on his role in Kimberly Akimbo, and Mo Willems in the NYT.

• A definition of post-cringe; an example of post-cringe: Kaitlin Phillips.

• How are you embracing cringe? Who’s your cringe-spiration? We need your thoughts at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

Winter Beach Chic, Pegboards, and Some Movie-ish Thoughts

We are rejuvenated-ish from our holiday breaks and are ready to fill you in on winter-wedding dress codes, the pegboard discourse, sexy high school, and, ope!, more Midwest updates.

the linkage:

• Our discussion about wedding dress codes brings us back to Kayleen Schaefer’s story for The Cut “The Bride and Groom Formally Request That You Dress Up.” And for actual winter beach dressing, see this 2017 Vogue cover and Harrison Ford’s shorts with sweaters. 

• We loved this 2019 NYT story about how brand names become generic.   

• Re: pegboards, Julia Child’s is obv the ultimate, but for mini ones, look to Quark and Little Anana. 

• If you’re also disillusioned by movie trailers, read this Vox story by Alissa Wilkinson. (Also, we endorse She Said the movie…but She Said the book more.)

• Next time you're in the Midwest, get kringle from O&H Danish Bakery or a *kringle single* from Racine Danish Kringles.

• What foods are you sneaking into the movies? Let us know 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

Stove Disrupters, Photo Explainers, and TikTok MD

This week’s conversation knows no bounds! We’ve got key limes, medical answers via TikTok, makeup-buying IRL, a photo-minded Instagram follow, induction stoves, and a solution to the silicone storage bags issue (because there is one).

the linkage:

• Have you made Alison Roman’s take on key lime pie? It involves yogurt/sour cream, a win if you ask us. Related-ish: Leaked Recipes: The Cookbook: A Collection of Over 50 Recipes Found in the World's Biggest Email Leaks and the Stories Behind Them, Neiman Marcus’s “leaked” cookie recipe, and Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie.

• Um, medical updates, coming through! Thanks to @roseytimestwo for bringing slipping rib syndrome to our attention. Also: Our pitch for Capsule for your prescription needs still stands (and check out Alto Pharmacy if Capsule doesn’t serve your city). 

• Shopping in-person brought the impressive Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops into Erica’s life (paired with a brush from Vapour).

• If you’re over storage bags soaking up the scent of your dish soap, try HoldOn for compostable kitchen (and garbage!) bags.

• For an incredible lens into imagery’s impact on society, Emily Keegin and her IG is blowing Claire away. 

• To learn more about induction stoves, dig into this Fast Company article and Melissa Clark’s NYT story and follow what Copper (thanks for sharing, Sofia!) and Impulse are up to. 

• Have thoughts on any and all of this to share? Reach out to us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join ur Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Try professional counseling with BetterHelp—now’s the time!—and take 10% off your first month with our link.

Conflicted Boots, Toddler Gossip, and Vending-Machine Salads

Get ready for an extra-magical grab bag episode—partly because we’re recording in person! Its stars: a question we loved so much, our conflicted boots, gossiping about toddlers, an impassioned pitch for Farmer's Fridge, setting calendar alerts for topics of conversation, and the most revelatory jeans that have ever crossed our fitting-room doors.

the linkage:

• Movie we’re itching to see: Women Talking (thanks for the pitch, Fran.) based on this Miriam Toews book.

• The winter boots we have mixed feelings about…but wear the crap out of: Claire’s No.6 clog ones (covered by The New Yorker *and* The New York Times) and Erica’s Doc Marten zip chelsea style.

• Should you find yourself in an airport: Eat Farmer's Fridge! Try the baja bowl, green goddess salad, or pineapple coconut chia pudding.

• Dr. Harvey Karp’s Happiest Toddler on the Block, source of toddler gossip advice.

• Anne Helen Petersen on calendar culture.

• For some WOW-inducing jeans, check out Ganni’s Figni style (and perhaps watch the vid of how they work?). For more on statement flies, see Tibi’s double-waisted Sam jean and this Vogue story. Another good denim source: Totême.

• Have thoughts about jeans/winter boots/airport food? Let us know 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Zip over to Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

• Get that good ecomm experience with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Count on LifeMD to get the telehealthcare you need, when you need it.YAY.

Thingies c/o the Design Gurus Behind Sight Unseen, Normal People, and a Perfect Hate Gift

Let’s talk Thingies with Monica Khemsurov & Jill Singer! They’re the masterminds behind Sight Unseen, our go-to design resource since 2009, and the authors of the new book How to Live with Objects that has helpful tips aplenty (along with ample inspiration). Plus: a hate-gift idea and a belated love letter to Normal People. 

the linkage:

• How about a donation to Moms for Moms, pitched to us as an A+ hate-gift by a listener?

• Monica and Jill’s book How to Live with Objects is out now! Wow, is it great—and what an ideal present for the “person who has everything” type.

• Their Thingies, coming through: oversize decor, miniature fountains (Monica’s is from Lily Clark.), only buying the best version of a consumable something (Jill loves the Marie Veronique Barrier Lipid Complex, rice from The Rice Factory New York, and Glaser Organic Farms Almond Butter.), microwaves (David Chang Cooking at Home and Anyday cookware fans unite!), and saved search terms when exploring vintage objects. 

• Are there entertainment-y things you’re SHOCKED we haven’t talked about on this show? Leave us a voicemail at 833-632-5463, email us at podcast@athingortwohq.com, DM us at @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva and share!

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Care for your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Check out Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

• Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor’s appointment.

YAY.

Build-a-Bear After Dark, Dua Lipa, and the Most Midwestern of Sayings

Ope! We’re back with a grab bag of questions: What does “After Dark” mean to you? How does one explain what consulting is? Are you signed up for Dua Lipa’s newsletter? What does it mean to actually *build* a bear? All this and more in your ears now!

the linkage:

• For some discomfitting Build-a-Bear products for adults, enter The Bear Cave. For other “but what does it MEAN?” After Dark content, check out National Parks After Dark and this edition of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers. 

• Check out this YouTube video from Charlie Berens for on ope usage and Midwest vs. Everybody’s great ope merch. Also: on the rise of the Midwestern vibe.

• Takeaways re: "A ‘Landmark’ as Women Will Coach Against Each Other in Men’s Soccer," which also made us think about this episode of Throwing Fits.

• Join us in subscribing to Dua Lipa’s newsletter Service95 and listening to her podcast At Your Service. 

• Share your thoughts on all of this at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Get into professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.

• Visit Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

• Feel great in Honeylove and get 20% off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Dig into your business’s numbers with Netsuite.

YAY.

Resale Doyenne Kate Lindello's Thingies and Corn Nuts (Brought to ya by Noihsaf Bazaar!)

For this glorious ep, we partnered with Noihsaf Bazaar, the Duluth, Minnesota–based resale site curated by real people with excellent taste. Wow, how excited we are to talk secondhand shopping and Thingies with the very in-the-know founder Kate Lindello…and we’ll also take this (any?) opportunity to go nuts for corn nuts.

the linkage:

• Kate’s Thingies include Monastery Attar Concentrate (perhaps start with—or gift—the discovery kit), Tibi Style Class, the Dik-Dik from Matek (which makes us think of dickey situations from Nanamica and Mijeong Park), Better Things, Peter Witrak’s mobiles, the wool cloud from Scarf Shop, and, of course, Minnesota in general (and Grandma’s Marathon specifically).

• Hit us up at at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq to let us know your dream Thingies guests, and for even more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership and join our Geneva. 

• Join a super-cool community of buyers and sellers at Noihsaf Bazaar. So much awesomeness to be had! We dare you to find a more informative (and enticing) brands page anywhere, and don’t sleep on the kids and home finds, ok?

• For all our ideas, check out the archive of gift guides past—and keep those VMs and DMs coming at 833-632-5463 and @athingortwohq!

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Visit Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

YAY.

Gift Guide Part 2: Siblings, Kids, Colleagues, Friends, and Everyone Else

We’re wrapping up (heh) this year’s gift guides with ideas for siblings, kids, aunts and uncles, colleagues, and the randos in your life you wanna treat extra nice. Have holiday-shopping thoughts of your own you *need* to share? Join our shiny new Geneva and spread that intel!

the linkage:

Sisters!

For my sister and me because we both had/are having babies this year, and we are culturally christian literally only for the christmas cheer. Baby's first christmas holiday ornaments that aren't absolutely dreadful. So much cheesy stuff, doesn't have to be baby themed but looking for a cool way to commemorate.

• Custom porcelain charms from OKS

• FoxBlossomCo custom bent-wire ornament 

• Lizzie Fortunato Alphabet Soup charms 

• Celina Mancurti monogrammed Christmas stockings or one-of-a-kind ones from Pyschic Outlaw
  

Step-sister; 18 and just got engaged. Likes to hunt. We are quite different.

• Ranger Station perfumes

• Yeti something! Various of the tumblers are customizable.

• Camber sweatshirt

• Vuori

• Beis weekender

• Flannery Beef
  

My sister who is a palliative care nurse with a broadway and true crime obsession

• Antipast compression socks

• Bonnie and Neil wave bath mat

• TodayTix gift card

• Broadway Dance Center classes

• Salty Seattle Crocchi croissant-shaped gnocchi

• Tickets to True Crime: The Musical at The Players Theatre in NYC
  

Brothers!

25-year-old brother, aspirational and practicing writer/actor/director, v into self-improvement (Tim Ferriss vibes), not into receiving gifts, would rather just buy what he wants when he wants, the curveball is he did say I could make him some art or buy him some art as apartment decor.

• Artwise signed posters and lithographs

• Art from Kneeland Co.

• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art posters and prints

• Get Your Shit Together by David Shrigley

• Martin Scorsese MasterClass
  

Early 20s brothers who still live at home.

• A24 99 Movie Crosswords

• Rap Capital by Joe Coscarelli

• Solid Wiggles, which now ships on Gold Belly

• Athletic Greens

• Dohm white noise machine

• Anyday microwave cookware
  

Sons!

25 year old son who buys the nicer things because they last, but who is also a minimalist.

• Something from Labour & Wait or Puebco

• Ettitude sheets. 

• Toyo toolbox

• Bottega Veneta moneyclip
  

Kids and Teens!

5-year-old who bounces off the walls and loves telling stories and recapping movies.

• Hugimal weighted stuffed animal

• Haba doorway puppet theater or Wonder & Wise by Asweets playhouse

• Cosmic Kids Yoga subscription 

• P.S.- We Made This: Super Fun Crafts That Grow Smarter + Happier Kids! by Erica Domesek

• Little Passports

• Kidamento camera

• Lego MiniFigs

4-year-old who loves twirly dresses but mom's aesthetic is minimalist Brooklyn hipster.

• Unwind Studio needlepoint kit for kids

• Kazoo magazine subscription

• OLODesigns costumes

• All Small Co dress section (see: kiwi puff tutu dress and Lisa Says Gah x All Small Co puff sleeve dress) 

• La Réunion custom azure patchwork dress 

• Primary cozy plaid dress or tutu dress

• Follies playhouses: Casa Azul set, The Bauhaus set, and Canvas set
  

13year old girl who claims she discovered preppy fashion and also loves hair product

• Vintage Ralph Lauren shirts—use search terms Y2K, cropped

• Used copy of The Official Preppy Handbook

• Monogrammable mini backpack from Paravel

• Rose and Co candle makers 

• Pattern mist spray bottle + microfiber hair towel

• Shop Milk Teeth barrettes

• Chunks hair accessories

• Some TikTok-adjacent cooking things: DIY fortune cookie kit, The Dough Club mochi pancake and waffle mix, Takashi Murakami flower pancake pan

• Lumber Club Marfa stool
  

Aunts and Uncles!

A generous aunt whose language is giving other people gifts, but hard to buy for herself. She's a real estate agent, into some woo-y self-help stuff, and buys anything she needs right away. Have tried gift certificates for experiential things, but she's a busy lady and these often don't get redeemed.

• An easy-to-redeem gift card for food that’s good for entertaining that comes to her. In NYC: Stocked by 3 Owls gift card. In LA: Lady & Larder. Nationwide: Beauty & the Board.

• Cultish by Amanda Montell 

• A flower subscription from Flowerbx or BloomsyBox

• Moon Lists workbook / guided journal

• Amiacalva tote or monogrammed Clare V Tropezienne. 

• Fancy, pretty makeup like Dries Van Noten lipstick or perfume discovery set or Hermès lipstick or blush brush. 
  

Colleagues!

Beloved senior colleague retiring: works in a museum, fun dog, rocks a funky necklace. 

• Lux Eros personalized pet bowl

• Kikkerland wooden ball launcher

• Ameico candle stacks

• Roxanne Assoulin necklace

• Susan Alexandra dog collar or leash

• Saint Olio aromatic dog refresher
  

Coworkers/direct reports - ideally one idea for all. We are remote so a digital gift is ideal. 

• A Thing or Two Secret Menu subscription

• Substack subscription: To give a gift subscription, go to the homepage of the publication you’d like to give, then add “/gift” to the end of the URL.

• Libro.fm subscription

• Gjusta Goods herbed salt and Burlap & Barrel Zanzibar black peppercorns and Graza olive oil

• Allie’s banana bread 

• Good-looking games like Wingspan, Azul, Lacorsa Grand Prix, and Casa Lopez Playing Cards. 
  

My boss - owns a company that runs farmer markets. I’ve been with the company since may. He is currently starting a farm (he has been a farmer before). I am honestly not sure if he is a Christmas guy. He doesn't seem jazzed about it, idk. I know he cares enormously about sustainability, our food system, etc. but is also a business man. I have literally zero ideas for him. The additional piece is that we should get him a gift as a group (we are a pretty small team) but should I also get him a sep gift? No, right? Agh. I assume he's in his mid to late 40s. White. He has small kids that I haven't met.

• Chocolate! ℅ Fossa, andSons Chocolatiers, and JST Chocolate 

• Alec’s Ice Cream

• Séka Hills olive oil

• An Illustrated Catalog of American Fruits and Nuts

• Flamingo Estate 9-pound bag of manure 

• Donation to Black Farmer Fund paired with We Are Each Other's Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy by Natalie Baszile

• Donation to Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at University of Arkansas
  

Friends!

Best friend (36 female) loves wine and who my 5 yo thinks has chosen being an aunt as her career. 

• Josephinen glasses

• Special bottle from Walker Wines or Winebid

• Cote wine club (also has a gift box option)

• 99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines by André Hueston Mack

• An American in Provence: Art, Life and Photography by Jamie Beck
  

Female friend. Preppy/classic style. Likes fancy crafts (i.e., embroidery). Vegan. ~$40

• The LL Bean tote with an in joke, catchphrase, embroidered

• Loop Canvas needlepionts

• StirCrazyCrafterUK embroidery journal kit

• Blockshop original block-printing kit

• Vintage napkins with her initial or monogram on Etsy/eBay

• Typology tinted lip oil

• Donation to animal sanctuary, like Farm Sactuary: “adopt” a goat named Jennifer or a donkey named Albert!

• Brutus Bakeshop goodies
  

One of my best friends who has two boys under 4, is writing a thesis on how policing was formed out of military-imperialist activities, and is a great chef and baker (vegetarian and gluten-free). She did all our friends' wedding hair and makeup (me included) and took us to the Usher residency in Vegas for her 36th birthday. Lastly, and most importantly, her family is very wealthy (and generous - they have taken me on MANY incredible once-in-a-lifetime trips). Lastly, she is a BIG SHOPPER but still hunts for a deal. If you're wondering, I have already given her a custom Katie Kimmel pet vase.

• Vintage Usher tee

• Tani Greenspan custom matchbook print 

• The Last Course by Claudia Flemming (and Melissa Clark) + her new book Delectable (with Catherine Young)

• Chava studio shirt or a gift cert 

• Alepel custom shoes or cardholder 

• Memor phone case or vase. They also sell jibbitz…er, shoe charms.

• Arcana Books gift certificate

• Hermès passport holder
  

Recovering cool girl that doesn't want any more vinyl, just something useless + gorge. 

• Somthings2021 vase or candlestick

• Escentric Molecules gift set

• Casa Veronica wall hook or candle holder

• Isabel Halley wine cups

• Siafu Home beaded water carafe

• Molly J. CBD gummies advent calendar

• Kiosk48th advent calendar

Everyone Else!

Brother's girlfriend who loves to read, has 2 cats, hates clutter, and many food allergies.

• Coway air purifier

• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes 

• Craighill perch bookmark

• Cat ruff collar

• Meyou Paris cat scratching post or bed

• A donation to a local cat rescue organization
  

Gymnastics moms who plan trips, organize fundraisers and figure out carpool.

• A bottle of something fun and a little surprising: Pipeno red ( with Papaya Reusables paper towels?),Forthave Spirits Red Aperitivo, non-alcoholic De Soi or Non or Proxies

• Stationery / office-supply grab bags with finds from Yoseka Stationery, St. Louis Art Supply, or your local art store

• Cheerie Lane kitchen gift set
  

Millennial who loves gardening and just started a high powered public job in the city.

• Leath at-home growing system

• Soltech Solutions hanging grow light or bulb

• Sneeboer garden tools

• Garden clogs from Gardenheir

• Natureking flower press

• Donation to GrowNYC

• Ichendorf Milano waterlife ball

For all our ideas, check out the archive of gift guides past—and keep those VMs and DMs coming at 833-632-5463 and @athingortwohq!

---

the sponsors (and promos!)

• Explore our favorite MoMA Design Store finds—a one-stop shop!

• Give your hair TLC with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.