Collier Meyerson’s Thingies (Hello, Femme Sandals!) and a Breast-Feeding PSA

How excited are we to talk Thingies with Collier Meyerson? So. Her most recent project Love Thy Neighbor is a podcast about a 1991 event known as the Crown Heights riot and what it says about about racism, antisemitism, and police violence here and now. Collier comes bearing books, outdoor couches, and alt uses for photo-printing sites. But first: a bit of breast-feeding intel.

the linkage:

• Some further reading from our breastfeeding/weaning discussion: Joanna Goddard’s piece about her first episode of depression and how it happened right after abruptly quit breastfeeding (and be sure to read the comments!) and Meaghan O’Connell’s "Life on Planet Weaning" in The Cut (also Meaghan’s book And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready, and, yes, her Twitter feed). Different but related: “It Feels Like Every Mom I Know Is Medicated” from Romper—plus Best C-Section Ever and Romper in general!—and, uh, Moody Bitches. 

• Listen to Love Thy Neighbor, Collier’s five-episode podcast about the riots that took place over four days in 1991 in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. So good, so personal.

• Collier’s Thingies include Dr. Scholl’s Molefoam Padding Strips for pesky bra wires, the Eliot Patio Loveseat from Target, and Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution by Nona Willis Aronowitz (out in August). If you’re inspired by Collier’s femme sandal pursuit, here’s her Kyma pair (They arrived; she loves them.). She also recommends a Tosaryu hinoki incense and holder duo from Jinen for a housewarming gift and Artifact Uprising baby board books for gifts in general—not just for babies.

• Do you have weaning/new-parent experience to share? Hit us up at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Explore our spring gifting faves from MoMA Design Store and use or mention the code ATHINGORTWO online or in U.S. stores for 10% off your purchase now through May 29.

• Get both sunscreen and skincare with Murad's Correct and Protect Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 45. Save 20% and get free shipping with your $60 purchase when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Snuggle up in Cozy Earth’s temperature-regulating sheets and take 35% off when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Grow thicker and healthier hair with Nutrafol. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Records, Catalogs, and Business Hygiene—That's Right, It's a Grab Bag

Ready for a grab bag? ALWAYS, right? We surprise ourselves by endorsing record players, we bemoan how few catalogs are getting it right, and we share some coming-of-age retail thoughts. Oh, and we break down the term “business hygiene,” which doesn’t involve deodorant at all. 

the linkage:

• Two record-player recs: Technics by Panasonic Direct Drive Player System (Craigslist is a good place to shop for this!) and The+Record Player for an all-in-one option. 

• But how ‘bout the records themselves?! Check out a Vinyl Me, Please subscription—and maybe make vintage ones a vacation souvenir? Also, hello, Sesame Street Fever.

• The catalogs we love right now are from Zingerman’s, David Austin, and Tracksmith. If you’re still nostalgic for dELiA*s (<< We’re sorry, but it has to be written like this!!!), click on over to deliascatalogs.tumblr.com, and follow the model Janelle Fishman on IG. 

• What do our record collections neeeeeed? Tell us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Get both your sunscreen and skincare from Murad's Correct and Protect Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 45. Save 20% and get free shipping with your $60 purchase when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Replace so many paper towels with Papaya Reusables and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Thinx is offering $10 off your first order when you visitrethinkyourcycyle.com and use code ATHINGORTWO at checkout.

YAY.

Guest Thingies We’ve Tried and Loved

We’ve road-tested a whole slew of the Thingies recent guests recommended, and we have much to share! Join us for this and some extremely entertaining voicemails responding to our question “What’s the sorority version of ‘praise and polish?’”

the linkage:

• From our episode with Rumaan Alam, Claire was inspired to listen to the audiobook version of Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, and Erica has been using Fitbod (but only doing the exercises she wants to). 

• Thanks to Harling Ross Anton’s recs, Erica’s gotten indigestion aid from Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL). 

• Claire took Kelly Wright’s suggestion and subscribed to Ronny’s Seltzer (which is a great supplement to her at-home Aarke seltzer maker). 

• Erica’s been very into Jessica DeFino’s The Unpublishable newsletter, which Val Monroe raved about. A great installment to start with: Bella Hadid's Old Nose. Related content: The Glossy Podcast and the newsletter After School.

• Whose Thingies picks do you want to hear? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Shop our spring gifting faves from MoMA Design Store and use or mention the code ATHINGORTWO online or in U.S. stores for 10% off your purchase now through May 29

• Arm your immune system with Athletic Greens and get a one-year supply of Vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase when you use our link.

• Upgrade your piercing and earring experience with Studs and take 20% off your first order when you use our link.

• Support a business of any size with Shopify. Dig in with a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Cut back on paper towels with Papaya Reusables and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Our Best Party Tricks (Yes, for Actual Parties) and the TSA's Social-Media Prowess

It’s party (discussion) time! We get into games, snacks, drinks, desserts, and—but of course—tricks. Also, you know we love the airline culture and lifestyle beat: We have to dig into the NYT profile of Janis Burl, the brains and puns behind the incredible TSA Instagram account. 

the linkage:

• Our fave party games include quizzes about the guest of honor, custom crossword puzzles,  Mölkky, and whatever this filling-up-a-cup-with-water game is called.

• We have a lot of thoughts about the snacks to which we are accustomed, which include The Good Crisp Chips, Torres Chips, YuBuns, Yossy Arefi’s Vegan Onion Dip, Smitten Kitchen Corn Salad, Corn Salad with Feta and Walnuts from Real Simple, Fromage Fort from Julia Turshen’s Small Victories cookbook, Cacio E Pepe Kale Salad from Lemon, Love & Olive Oil cookbook. Also: Don’t sleep on cute cocktail toothpicks and vintage oyster/relish forks—and Sophia Roe’s advice on how to do a crudite situation.

• For dessert, we love an ice cream cake, Blueberry Cornflake Crisp from Bill Clark’s fantastic A Piece of Cake newsletter, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from Barefoot Contessa, Ipsa frozen cookies, Levain frozen cookies, Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, and Jeni’s Street Treats.

• When it comes to drinks, how about a big batch Palomas, Bloody Marys with McClure’s or Stonewall Kitchen mix, non-alcoholic Ghia or De Soi, and/or Lunar hard seltzer?

• Share your favorite party tricks with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. For more recs, sign up for our Secret Menu.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Get what you need for a business of any size with Shopify. Dig in with a free 14-day trial with our link.

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

• Download Best Fiends—it’s free!—on the App Store or Google Play.

• Book that doctor’s appointment today: Download the free Zocdoc app.

• Take your vitamins in whole-food form with GEM and take 30% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Thingies with Laura Stylez (an Icon!!) and Consuming Peripheral Content

Time for another Thingies ep with a dream guest: We’re graced by Laura Stylez, co-host of the best radio show in all the land, Ebro in the Morning. We talk music, hangover cures, and baby toys—you know how we like a good mix.

the linkage:

• Laura’s Thingies: Mombella Mimi Mushroom teether, which both little ones and their parents love, and the ultimate, travel-friendly hangover cure: coconut oil, turmeric, and activated charcoal, all in pill form. On the music front, Rihanna's Anti, Beyonce’s Lemonade and Beyoncé, Kelis's everything, and Lil’ Kim's Hard Core. Laura also recommends God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop by Kathy Iandoli (who also wrote Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah, and Lil’ Kim: The Queen Bee, which is out 2024) and My Voice: A Memoir by Angie Martinez. 

• Your notes on the TV shows  you're consuming without actually watching them, please!! Get us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Grow thicker and healthier hair with Nutrafol. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Ditch paper towels with Papaya Reusables and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Get your sunscreen and skincare at once with Murad's Correct and Protect Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 45. Save 20% and get free shipping with your $60 purchase when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Have a stellar piercing and earring experience with Studs and take 20% off your first order when you use our link.

YAY.

Our Wedding Rundowns and One Very Special Dinner

Per a listener request—which: We welcome them!—we’re talking about weddings. Specifically, our weddings, from our favorite and least favorite parts of the planning process to how it all went down day-of. Plus: a stand-out dining experience (two, if we’re rounding up).

the linkage:

• Check out Dept of Culture Brooklyn for excellent Nigerian food and the opportunity to talk to strangers! Also, when in Joshua Tree: La Copine.

• If you’re considering an NYC City Hall wedding, Fox Fodder Farm has the flowers. 

• If you have wedding questions ‘n thoughts to share, let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. For more recs, sign up for Secret Menu.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Get your sunscreen and skincare at once: Shop Murad to save 20% and get free shipping with your $60 purchase when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Replace your paper towels with Papaya Reusables and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Dramatically improve your piercing and earring experience with Studs and take 20% off your first order when you use our link.

YAY.

Our Buying-Things Update

For your consideration, we’re sharing some thoughts about buying things, including a letter of recommendation for shopping in person and takes on sourcing made-in-America products, participating in One Fit February, and acquiring things while traveling. If you have tactics or conundrums, we want to hear them: 833-632-5463!

the linkage:

• If you’re interested in the idea of One Fit February (or the less alliterative One Fit April), score yourself some cool points and check out this installment of the Blackbird Spyplane’s newsletter by Jonah Weiner.

• A rundown of some cool made-in-America brands here, and, if you’re looking for something specific, check out stillmadeinusa.com.

• A couple standout MiA brands include the only whisk manufacturers in the U.S., Best Manufacturers based in Portland, Oregon, (more on them), and Libman mops and brooms based in Arcola, Illinois, since 1896 (the mayor Jesus Garza's story also!).  

• Do you have opinions about buying things? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• Grab a Secret Menu membership for more, more recommendations.
  

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Eat your vitamins with GEM and take 30% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. 

• Cozy up to Ettitude sheets: Get 20% off your order plus free shipping when you use our link.

• Swap your paper towels with Papaya Reusables—20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Have the best piercing and earring experience with Studs and take 20% off your first order when you use our link.

YAY.

Thingies and “Unmentionables” with Mia Clarke and Eden Laurin of Nyssa

This ~bonus Thursday ep~ is brought to you by the heroes at Nyssa, a company providing products that support women through the most transformative times of life, from puberty to post-menopause. (Hit their site and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 15% off everything, including absolutely ideal postpartum gifts for a friend who had no idea she might need this stuff!) We’re diving into a discussion of “unmentionables” and, duh, Thingies with two of Nyssa’s charming and game-changing cofounders Mia Clarke and Eden Laurin. Oh, and just a quick note: Miscarriage and pregnancy loss come up at the end, in case those are topics you want to skip today. 

the linkage:

• The one that started it all: Nyssa FourthWear Postpartum Recovery Underwear.

• Mia and Eden’s Thingies: Betty’s Co., which kicks off women’s healthcare at a young age, Nyssa VieWear Period Comfort Underwear and Nyssa VieVision Between Legs Mirror, Dame (see also: “Sexual Wellness Brand Dame Settles Lawsuit With MTA, Debuts First Subway Campaign” from Adweek), the book Designing Motherhood by Michelle Millar Fisher and Amber Winick that features the story of Margaret Crane (who invented the first pregancy test!), the menopause-care hub Elektra Health, "My Miscarriage, in Photos" by Becca Leitman with photographs by Casey Kelbaugh for The Cut.

• How great is this free, downloadable teen period guide-slash-checklist?!

• Share your Thingies at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. If you’re looking for more recommendations and more fun, a Secret Menu membership is for you.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Head on over to Nyssacare.com and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 15% off.

YAY.

Even More Home Trends and the JLo Content That’s Luring Us In

Why haven’t we been talking about JLo more here? Well, we’re about to remedy that—and fill ya in on more, more, more design trends that are speaking to us right now.

the linkage:

• The women artist biographies/books Claire will be picking up include Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five PaAnne Truittinters and the Movement by Mary Gabriel, Daybook: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt, and Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa by Marilyn Chase.

• If you’re also looking to do a JLo deep-dive, we recommend reading How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder, Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman, the story of the full-page ad Ben took out back when, Vulture’s Peoria, Illinois, analysis re: Marry Me, and this GQ article about THE dress. Also, listen to Just Like Us: The Tabloids that Changed America hosted by Clare Malone and watch the music video that Ben made to “On My Way To You” for Jen for Valentine’s Day.

• In the home-design realm, some inspiration comes from two incredible New Orleans hotels, Hotel St. Vincent and Hotel Peter and Paul. 

• Fellow lovers of yellow furniture should bask in Billy Cotton space for Grace Morton, Sophie Ashby’s giant yellow velvet couch, and this kid’s room. 

• If you’re thinking of doing some furniture-painting on your own (inspiration: Matilda Goad’s London home!), see Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves make-over a dresser on IG and read her guides for refreshing trim and kitchen cabinets. 

• Wood paneling—SO COOL. See: Sound View Hotel, ​​Les Arcs ski resort, Jane Hallworth for Tinder co-founder Sean Rad and his Wife Lizzie Grover Rad, and Wall for Apricots. 

• On the Swedish tile stove front, we love painter Mary Nelson Sinclair’s dining room, Victor Hugo’s fireplace, Lindholm Kakelugnar, and this explainer from Messy Nessy Chic.

• Your favorite niche JLo stories need an audience! Share ‘em at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• So many more recs coming at you with a Secret Menu membership!

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Download Best Fiends—it’s free!—on the App Store or Google Play.

• Grow hair that’s thicker and healthier with Nutrafol. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Help those muscles chill: Try Theragun for 30 days.

YAY.

Guest Thingies with Véronique Hyland and, Ugh, Cooking

It’s time for an update on how we’re doing with our (non-work-related) creative practices, and—hey, while we’re at it—we’ll go ahead and share some thoughts on what it's like to live in a shoe household vs. a shoeless one. 

the linkage:

• A smattering of dinner-making inspo if you need some too: 1) Brothy soup recipes—vegetarian lemon rice soup, beans and greens soup with harissa, and Helen Rosner’s Roberto specifically 2) The Magic of Tinned Fish: Elevate Your Cooking with Canned Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel, Crab, and Other Amazing Seafood by Chris McDade 3) @glucosegoddess.

• Véronique’s Thingies, coming through! Joe Iconis & Family, beach noir films + TV shows (including but not limited to Inherent Vice, Night Moves, Cutter’s Way, Veronica Mars, Terriers, and Moonlighting), and entertainment podcasts like I Saw What You Did, Junk Filter, and Nostalgia Trap. Key Twitter follows: @the_80s_man and this one account that recaps Paul Schrader’s Facebook posts. Her music recs: atmospheric YouTube videos (see: Music in an Empty Mall) and Mother Earth’s Plantasia. And when it comes to fashion, she needs you to know about Dauphinette by Olivia Cheng—amazing coats and other incredibleness also.

• You can find Véronique at @niquepeeks,  veroniquehyland.com, and, of course, in the pages of Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink

• Book events—something we love and have missed! See Véronique in conversation with Robin Givhan in D.C. on March 19 and chatting it up with Marisa Meltzer in NYC on March 25.

• Share your Thingies at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• Get all the recs, all the weeks with a Secret Menu membership!

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Feel oh-so-fresh with Native and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

How We're Thinking About Creativity and Shoeless Households

It’s time for an update on how we’re doing with our (non-work-related) creative practices, and—hey, while we’re at it—we’ll go ahead and share some thoughts on what it's like to live in a shoe household vs. a shoeless one. 

the linkage:

• Claire’s creative resources: Wendy MacNaughton’s DrawTogether podcast, The Artist's Way (plus this New Yorker interview with the author Julia Cameron), and Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.

• Erica’s creative resources: Jami Attenberg’s #1000wordsofsummer and Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell.

• Share your creativity thoughts and feelings (and shoes-in-the-house musings) at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• Get more recs in your inbox with a Secret Menu membership!

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Understand your reproductive health with Modern Fertility—$20 off your test with our link.

• Support your business of any size with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Get your birth control online with The Pill Club, which will make a $10 donation to Bedsider.org when you use our link..

YAY.

Beauty Stuff We're Loving—Plus Themed Entertainment

Introducing an ode to the beauty products and concepts we’ve been very into. Plus! The odd joy of creating entertainment syllabi to curb streaming (and reading) indecision.

the linkage:

• If you’re also looking to take a Kirsten Dunst deep-dive, you’re gonna want to read this New Yorker piece.

• The beauty products we’re all about: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, Freck Cheekslime in Fielding, Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Petal, Trish McEvoy Long-Wear Lipliner in Barely Nude, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude, Jenni Kayne Oak Essentials Cleansing Balm, Clinique’s Take the Day off Cleansing Balm, and Shani Darden Retinol Reform. 

• And if you’re looking to learn more about dry skin vs. dehydrated skin, dig into this Byrdie article. 

• Let’s not forget to acknowledge accidental plopping after a Sunday-night shower.

• Share the beauty stuff you think we really have to try at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• If you’re in the mood for many more recs, there’s a Secret Menu membership for that.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Get your vitamins from whole foods with GEM and take 30% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Author Rumaan Alam's Thingies and the Cross-Body Phone

This week, we muse on cross-body phone holders—time will tell if the trend wins us over—and talk Thingies with Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind, That Kind of Mother, and Rich and Pretty…books that are Thingies in their own right.

the linkage:

• His Thingies: The Fitbod app, audiobooks of dad books via Libro.fm, uniform dressing, Cate Le Bon, and some real page-turners including Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson, Luster by Raven Leilani, Last Resort by Andrew Lipstein, and Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor. 

• Share your Thingies guest noms! 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• A dose of our recs coming to your inbox weekly with a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Try Nutrafol for thicker, healthier hair. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Give professional counseling a shot with BetterHelp—10% off your first month with our link.

• Slip into Honeylove, bras and underwear you can feel great about. 20% off your second item and 10% off your whole order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Download Best Fiends—for free—on the App Store or Google Play.

YAY.

The Home Trends That Have Us Wanting to Redo a Room

Recording live from a frictionless day, we’re talking all about the home trends that we’ve been loving right now, from Murano glass to canned-tomato decor.

the linkage:

• If you’re also having a Murano glass moment, check out this NYT article and this YouTube video showing the process and then dig into some of our favorites in the Murano and Murano-inspired world: Sogni Di Cristallo, Ichendorf Milano, LagunaB, Susan Alexandra, Edie Parker Flower, Face Vessel by Degen, Casa Celva, and Serena Confalonieri. 

• For fans of marble everything, No One Alike goes hard at the decor, Concrete Cat makes epic lazy susans, Voutsa x Lambert McGuire Design has incredible wallpaper, and if you’re ever in Italy, Il Papiro in Florence makes incredible marbled paper goods as does Conti Borbone in Milan.

• For floral motifs and more Italian vibes, check out Lisa Corti, Miho, and Issimo. 

• For turning your space into a GD garden, we love Bill Rebholz’s canned tomato print, Erin Jang’s asian pear print, and the oh-so-classic Enzo Mari apple print. Nonna’s Grocer carries some hyper-real citrus candles, and Handmade Soap Emporium has outrageous grape soaps. And we can’t talk about produce decor without mentioning Bordallo Pinheiro's cabbage dishes (also: the pepper storage box and the cabbage lamp).

• For some magical hand-painted walls and furniture, check out the hotel Mesón Hidalgo in San Miguel de Allende, this Jake Arnold dining room, Beata Heuman kid’s room and this bar in another Beata Heuman project, and these bedside tables from Studio Ashby.

• For some lots more design inspo, check out Annamarie Tendler’s profile in Harper’s Bazaar, Jayna Maleri’s home tour in Domino, Maire Coulson’s house in Architectural Digest, Brett Heyman’s home tour in Domino, Margherita Missoni home tour in Architectural Digest, and Beata Heuman’s mom’s house. 

• Let us know what home stuff you’re into (or any glass-blowing class experience you have!) at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.

• More recs coming your way with a Secret Menu membership!

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Discover N°1 DE CHANEL.

YAY.

Val Monroe’s Thingies and the Weirdness of Signatures

Let’s talk about signing your name (hello, strange custom) and dig into Val Monroe’s Thingies! This genius woman—the former beauty director of O, The Oprah Magazine—writes the extremely thoughtful and epically named newsletter How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, and we’re fairly obsessed.

the linkage:

• Let’s talk about signing your name (hello, strange custom) and dig into Val Monroe’s Thingies! This genius woman—the former beauty director of O, The Oprah Magazine—writes the extremely thoughtful and epically named newsletter How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, and we’re fairly obsessed.

• Sign up for Val’s newsletter at valeriemonroe.substack.com immediately. This is the moving installment on Facetiming with her granddaughter.

• Val had a bunch of reading (and audiobook-listening) recommendations: the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel, How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Tom Stoppard: A Life by Hermione Lee, Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris (see also: Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris and Rewrites: A Memoir by Neil Simon), The News Sorority by Sheila Weller, The Overstory by Richard Powers, The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal, and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

• For a companion newsletter to Val’s, subscribe to Jessica DeFino’s The Unpublishable. 

• Beauty-ish things Val raves about: her aminolevulinic acid treatment experience, Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50, the French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, Laura Geller Baked Foundation, and Tocca Florence Laundry Delicate.

• Share your favorite Thingies at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. Please!

• If you’re in the mood for many more recs, there’s a Secret Menu membership for that.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Get your birth control online with The Pill Club, which will make a $10 donation to Bedsider.org when you use our link.

• Feel fresh all day with Native and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Our Best Shopping Memories—and Our (Many) Thoughts on Robes

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. 

the linkage:

• 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.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Discover N°1 DE CHANEL.

YAY.

Grappling with Planning and Revisiting Nostalgic Scents

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.

the linkage:

• 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.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Give professional counseling a try with BetterHelp—10% off your first month with our link.

• Support your business (big or small) with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Better understand your reproductive health with Modern Fertility—$20 off your test with our link.

• Try Honeylove for bras and underwear you can feel great about. 20% off your second item and 10% off your whole order with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Content We Feel Great About Right Now

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.

the linkage:

• 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 Lotus, and a Marcel the Shell with Shoes On movie!

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Harnessing the revitalizing powers of the Red Camellia flower, Chanel research introduces a new generation of sustainably developed skincare.

YAY.

Guest Thingies with Harling Ross Anton and “Everything Is Nice in Here”

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.

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the linkage:

• 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.

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the sponsors (and promos!):

• See that show you’ve always wanted to see—or discover something new that you’ll love just as much, for even less - visit TodayTix and use promo code athingortwo to get ten dollars off your first purchase.

• Get thicker, healthier hair with Nutrafol. Your first month’s subscription is $15 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• You know we love any phone distraction that’s not social media - download Best Fiends FREE today on the App Store or Google Play

• Try professional counseling with BetterHelp—10% off your first month with our link.

YAY.

The It’s Not That Deep Woman, Acknowledgment Sections, and Next-Lev Work Hacks

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 acknowledgment sections—unskippable, if you ask us.

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the linkage:

• 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!

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the sponsors (and promos!):

• Right now, The Pill Club is offering a $10 donation to Bedsider.org for every A Thing Or Two listener who becomes a patient.

• Download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for FREE and book a top-rated doctor

• Honeylove is designed for comfort and looks. Get 20% off your second item, PLUS an ADDITIONAL 10% off with code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.