A Romantic-Fiction Primer and Some Identity-Protection Intel from Allstate

Let’s go in-depth on romance novels! But first, we’re chatting with Madeline Nusser from Allstate Identity Protection, which oh-so-graciously sponsored this episode, to dig into something equally sexy: doing what you can to thwart identity theft. 

the linkage:

• Go to AIP.com/AThingOrTwo today to see if Allstate Identity Protection is available through your employer. If not sign up there to get a 30-day free trial.

• Check out The Washington Post article on the rise of romance in the U.S. and this Twitter thread from Helen Rosner on the weirdness of publishing categories. 

• Some books that are not romance novels but kind of are: 

  Normal People by Sally Rooney

  Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

  Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

  The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (but her book Instructions for Dancing counts!)

  Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

  Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

• Books we endorse for romance newbs:

  The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

  The Roommate by Rosie Danan

  How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

  Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

  Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

  Book Lovers by Emily Henry

  The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

  Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (see also: our podcast ep with Tallia)

  Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

  Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola (who’s a great Twitter follow)

  Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

  Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

• More romance authors with many books to dive into: 

  Jasmine Guillory 

  Abby Jimenez

  Tessa Bailey

• Have a romance novel you want, neeeeeed to recommend? 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!):

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

• Look into Allstate Identity Protection (and see if your employer offers it, too). Use our link for a 30-day free trial.

• Try Bombas and take 20% off your first purchase when you use our link.

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

YAY.

Stroll Don’t Scroll, Organized Whimsy, and Grandma Sayings

Join us! We’re revisiting how we approach creativity and talk about people who refuse to be hemmed in by expectations and the algorithm. 

the linkage:

• For some insight about opening up to what interests you at a time and trusting that it will serve you, check out Steve Martin’s memoir, Born Standing Up, and read Pamela Adlon’s essay for Harper’s Bazaar.

• After watching the newest Julia on HBO Max, we’re doing a Judith Jones deep-dive—next up: reading her memoir The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food. Another book that’s making us think about creative possibility: Margiela: The Hermès Years. 

• People who spread their (creative) wings: Stacey Abrams and her romance career as Selena Montgomery, Serena Willaims and her nail technician story, Venus Williams founding her design firm V Starr Interiors the same year she was ranked No. 1, David Lynch and his woodworking, and Bella Hadid, who has a new glassblowing hobby.  

• Rachel Tashjian’s Opulent Tips newsletter—sign up via DM!—introduced us to the idea of STROLL DONT SCROLL, and her recent Harper’s Bazaar pieces on Christopher John Rogers and Schiaparelli are great reads that show ya how her brain works. 

• Tune into Details Matter, from Jenni Kayne Home, a podcast we’re producing that has also been giving us a whole lot of inspiration, including the IG algorithm bit we mention ℅ Amanda Gunawan.

• Do you have any top-tier grandma sayings? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Take your business to the next level with Shopify. Try a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Embrace and love your unique waves, curls, kinks and coils with LUS Brands. Get 15% off your first purchase of $50 or more when you use code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Kavi Ahuja Moltz’s Thingies and a Good Ol’ Potty-Training Update

It’s Guest Thingies Day! We’re so excited to chat with Kavi Ahuja Moltz, the CEO of the exceptional scent co. D.S. & DURGA and the sort of person who knows cool stuff, always.

the linkage:

• But first: potty-training and a related story from Romper about camping with kids. 

• Our favorite D.S. & DURGA perfumes include Italian Citrus, Coriander, and Rose Atlantic…and don’t sleep on the candles and genius auto fragrances, either. Ooh, also: This one-minute quiz is surprisingly delightful.

• Kavi’s Thingies include traveling with playing cards, Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Cream Blush in Daiquiri Dip, looong walks, and potato chips (Charles Chips in the tin especially—and shout-out to this Eater story about why we don’t have masala chips at our grocers). She also loves fun socks! Her faves are from Simone Rocha and Tabio (see also: Darner and Hysteria), and her standard go-tos are Adidas black with white stripes.  

• Do you have tips for how to make walking meetings work? Please share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Check out Allstate Identity Protection (and see if your employer offers it, too). Use our link for a 30-day free trial.

• Sip on De Soi and get 15% off when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Vacation with BÉIS and snag 15% off your first purchase with our link.

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

YAY.

Best of the Monday Newsletter and Hamlet, but with Karaoke

It’s time to chat about all the stuff we’re obsessed with lately, most of which has been included in our Monday newsletter—do you get that thing??

the linkage:

• Keep an eye on Fat Ham, a play we think will definitely have a second life, ideally on Broadway. 

• We both got a lot out of Burn Rate by Bonobos founder Andy Dunn, which tells the story of founding, running, and ultimately selling his company all while grappling with severe bipolar disorder. For another excellent memoir about bipolar disorder, read Kay Redfield Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind. 

• Huge endorsement of the walnut larb at Good Night in Woodstock New York. The closest recipe comp we have surfaced is the one from walnuts.org. 

• For a perfect after-dinner candle, it’s all about Big Night’s Dinner Party one. See also: Epicurious’s story about dinner-party-appropriate scents, No.10 Aboukir by Maison Louis Marie, and Park Life by Boy Smells.

• Want to make sorbet at home? Everyday Food from Martha has a vid withThomas Joseph that involves floating an egg to achieve the ideal sugar content and texture.

• Cam’s forest camp introduced us to the amazing Muddy Buddy, we’re getting more our of our walks listening to Marcos Trinidad's Human/Nature podcast, and we’re on top of hyper-local news thanks to Patch.com.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Grow your business with Shopify. Try a free 14-day trial with our link.

• Drink something different with De Soi and get 15% off when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Slip on some Bombas and take 20% off your first purchase when you use our link.

• Embrace your waves, curls, kinks, and coils with LUS Brands, and get 15% off your first purchase of $50 or more when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Gardening, Second Kids, and Slackers

Buckle in, folks! This week, we’re talking about our garden-curator journeys, second-kid thoughts, and the slacker–to–chaos goblin line cook pipeline. 

the linkage:

• Looking for Fast-Growing Trees? Thank goodness there’s a company that sells exactly those.  Love the Bloomerang lilac shrub, and you clearly need to know about the smoothie kit. If you wanna grow the ~cool~ flowers, check out Plantgem. A few faves they sell: ProCut plum sunflower, crocus saffron bulbs, and Irene Parrot tulip bulbs. Peony fans should investigate Styer’s, David Austin is as good at roses as at customer service, and for regional wildflower seed mixes, look to Wildseed Farms. 

• How’d you decide whether or not to have a second kid? Please share any and all thoughts you have on this topic with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq.  An article related to this conversation: Emily Gould’s NYT piece "More Kids? After the Last Two Years? No Thanks.”

• For thoughts about the present-day incarnation of the slacker, check out this tremendous tweet by @yeehaw_meg. (Of course, we’re thinking about it in the context of The Bear.) 

• Any plants you’re obsessed with? Have theories about slackers? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

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

• Jazz up your wardrobe with Nuuly. Get $10 off your first month when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO10.

YAY.

Noah Kalina's Thingies and Destination Sandwiches

This is a jam-packed episode: We’ve got destination sandwiches. We’ve got photographer Noah Kalina’s Thingies. We’ve got baby-wipes expertise from grown-ups. Ready? Great.

the linkage:

• If you’re in NYC, please scurry to & Sons Buttery for their salami cotto sandwich (please also eat at the restaurant—a ham bar!) and Court Street Grocers for their vegitalian. Special shoutout to The Bobbie from Capriotti’s in Wilmington, Delaware, too. For further destination-sandwich reading, check out Helen Rosner's New Yorker story about the plane sandwich and the Turkey and the Wolf cookbook by Mason Hereford with JJ Goode. 

• Check out Noah Kalina’s Instagram, his curiosity-filled newsletter, his podcasts JPEG 2000 and Do you hear that?, his incredible portraits of chickens, and, wow, so much more.

• Noah’s Thingies include the Samsung Frame that turns into art (art!) when it’s off, Cometeer coffee, the Toto Washlet, Water Wipes for when you’re away from your Toto Washlet, (bonus rec from Claire for toddlers: Coterie Wipes), Ego power tools, and Crocs (<< Erica has feelings.). 

• Share your Thingies (and destination sandwiches…that might also qualify as Thingies) with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Travel better with BÉIS and snag 15% off your first purchase with our link.

• Treat kids to Little Passports and get 50% off of your first month’s subscription when you use our link.

• Refresh your closet with Nuuly. Get $10 off your first month when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO10

• Try some non-alcoholic apéritifs and get 15% off your first purchase at De Soi with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Corrections, Follow-Ups, and Milan

It’s about time for an addendums episode! AKA an ep where we dump our additional thoughts (and your feedback) on topics we’ve discussed—because there’s always more to say about styling, aging, and, apparently, catalogs.

the linkage:

• Looking for a method to define your personal style? Check out Allison Bornstein’s Three-Word  Method on TikTok: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6 for your clicking pleasure. (Call us with your wooords!!) More about her philosophy in this Harper’s Bazaar profile.

• Re: styling, a follow-up on Amy Smilovic, including the outfit that stopped Claire in her tracks and her shirt-tying innovation. When it comes to button-downs, Claire loves her custom oversize Chava one—it’s great with elastic-waist pants (as is this Roucha tank top.) 

• In response to our discussion of marbling, we learned about some family-owned places to get monogrammed marbled gifts in Florence: Alberto Cozzi and Riccardo Luci. 

• Speaking of Italy, we both recently visited and fell hard for Milan—it lives up to the promise of Jenny Walton’s Instagram and Sight Unseen’s Design Week coverage. Keep an eye out for a future Secret Menu installment starring our favorite Milan spots. 

• Also on the docket: push-up tips, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande for grieving and coping with aging parents, and The Flamingo Estate catalog for zaniness…and as a resource for anyone in L.A. who might want to receive  a bag of manure as a gift.

• Share your thoughts with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Refresh your closet with Nuuly. Get $10 off your first month when you sign up with the code ATHINGORTWO10.

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

YAY.

Lauren Sherman's Thingies and It's a Trip, Not a Vacation

Who better to talk Thingies with than Lauren Sherman, the chief correspondent at The Business of Fashion and the host of their wonderful—and quick!—new podcast The Debrief?! NOBODY. She fills us in on the third-wave coffee movement (We have a lot of questions.), a great investment T-shirt, and the trick that keeps her kid well-rested while traveling. Speaking of travel: There is a difference between a trip and a vacation, and we’d like to manage some expectations.

the linkage:

• Listen to The Debrief—it has as feeling more fashion-industry-informed than we have in years.

• Lauren has a LOT of insight on third-wave coffee and natural-process coffee beans. Some of her favorite places to get them: Andytown in San Franciso, Heart Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon, Tandem Coffee Roasters in Portland, Maine, 49th Parallel in Vancouver, Cafe integral in NYC, Dune Coffee Roasters in Santa Barbara, and Kumquat Coffee & Tea in Los Angeles. She’s also passionate about Three Trees almondmilk and making coffee with an AeroPress.

• If you’re looking for a stand-out T-shirt, Lauren loves Dries van Noten’s. If you find yourself in Europe, scoop ‘em up there for better prices—or keep an eye on Yoox and The Outnet for deals. Other especially good brands for tees: James Perse and the men’s dept. of Comme des Garçons. 

• When hitting the road with a baby, Lauren highly recommends bringing a SnoozeShade for Pack 'n Plays.

• How do you order stuff that doesn’t ship to the U.S.? Lauren uses Reship.com for that, and KoreaBuddy is a good option for items from Korea specifically. 

• We 1000% need some new catchphrases. Share your thoughts with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Support 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.

• Turn to Thinx and get $10 off your first order when you visit rethinkyourcycyle.com and use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Treat kids to Little Passports and get 50% off when you use our link.

• Get comfy with Bombas and take 20% off your first purchase when you use our link.

• Travel better with BÉIS and snag 15% off your first purchase with our link.

YAY.

A Bouquet Hack, a Brunch Cookout, and What to Wear When It’s Hot—It’s a Grab Bag!

Today in mishmashes: We’re sharing some of the tricks and treats we’ve discovered recently, featuring Claire’s flower-wrapping upgrade, Erica’s brunch cookout recipes, and what to wear when it's hot, hot, hot. 

the linkage:

• Erica’s rooftop brunch agenda included ordering donuts (from Doughnut Plant if you’re in NYC), finding a reliable friend to be in charge of grilling sausages (or, um, sausage strips!), and  whipping up two frittatas: the mustard-asparagus one from Cookie + Kate and the mushroom-ricotta one Julia Turshen’s Now & Again cookbook. 

• And for dinner, Erica’s favorite canned cherry tomatoes from Mutti are great for many things, including her go-to summer tomato sauce c/o Alison Roman.

• Claire’s revisiting this Mo Willems interview often, and on the diaper-bag front, she recommends Longchamp's Le Pliage (or any flat bag like it!). 

• As we slip back into shorts, we like these knit guys from Kordal, a pleated linen pair from Alex Mill, grown-up cut-offs from Agolde, and these rolled jorts from Raey. 

• Some options on our quest for a great summer dress include ones from Mille, Mirth, Sunspel, Organic by John Patrick, Kule, Falke, Loup Charmant, and Anaak. 

• And on the topic of summer jeans, we like these from Agolde, and these from Roucha Pala. But also, these Jenni Kayne trousers!

• Finally, if you’re looking for a dopamine hit, we highly recommend you search #sheldon shrimp to see the wonderful world of Sheldon Shrimp the Jellycat stuffed animal and his friends Herman Hermit, Crispin Crab (and, course, Bashful Bunny). 

• Have anything related to this grab bag you’d like to share with us? Please do at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership!

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

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

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

YAY.

Aging and Longing (Um, the Wisdom Episode?)

We’re wise enough to know it’s about time for a ~wisdom~ ep. We share our feelings about feeling our age and some excellent advice we caught about living with a little longing.  

the linkage:

• Some readings that impacted how we’ve been navigating aging include Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Casey Johnston’s Swole Woman program, Cheryl Wischover’s “What Changed When I Started Lifting Weights” in the Gloria newsletter, and Kayleen Schaefer’s “How 50 Pushups A Day Helped Me Cope In An Uncertain World” for Elle. 

• If you have thoughts on longing or musings about aging share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And try out a Secret Menu membership for more recommendations.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Slip on Thinx and get $10 off your first order when you visit rethinkyourcycyle.com and use the code ATHINGORTWO.

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

YAY.

Getting Dressed and Making Small Talk—SO HARD

Today we’re answering a listener question that we’ve been asking ourselves our whole lives: How TF does one get dressed (and, you know, feel good about what they’re wearing)? Also: We grapple with the big challenges we’re having with small talk.

the linkage:

• For those looking for a tailor in NYC, Mend Tailoring and Alteration Specialists do house calls, and Silhouettes & Profiles on the UWS is great. In L.A., it’s all about Elias in Santa Monica.

• Check out Amy Smilovic, Katie Sturino, and Jenna Lyons-era J.Crew for styling tips. Another stellar rec from our editor Maddie: Allison Bornstein’s TikTok. 

• If you have any small-talk tips (and advice for what to wear with Issey Miyake Pleats Please pants) we want them at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

• Amp up 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.

• Get better sleep with Beam Dream and get up to 35% with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Try Thinx and get $10 off your first order when you visit rethinkyourcycyle.com and use the code ATHINGORTWO.

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

YAY.

How We Vacation-Plan and Y2K Trends, the Second Time Around

So you picked a travel destination…and then what? We’re sharing the (only somewhat insane!) steps we take and the resources we love for planning a vacation. Also: Let’s spend a moment discussing the late nineties/early aughts trends that are re-catching our eyes and the ones we think we won’t wear again. 

the linkage:

• Some reflections on the Miu Miu skirt ℅ this NYT article “Brief Encounters With a Micro Miniskirt.” 

• When thinking about trip-planning, this Harvard Busiess Review article on "The Hidden Traps in Decision Making" and this installment of Val Monroe’s newsletter came to mind.

• We love scoping out hotels on Welcome Beyond, Tablet Hotels, iescape, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (hot tip, their write-ups of what to do nearby will also point you toward good sites, shops, and restaurants). We also check out the press section on a hotel’s website, see if they’ve won any awards (which led Erica to amazingplaces.cz for Czech Republic recs), and use TripAdvisor and Instagram location tags to see some realistic photos of each hotel. For rentals, we search Airbnb and Vrbo reviews for terms like “noisy,” dig into host profiles for other properties, and remind ourselves that you can reach out to hosts with Qs.

• Our favorite guides come from Goop, Curbed (like "The 21 Best Things to Do in Milan If You Love Design") Eater, Sight Unseen, Remodelista, Afar, Here, Fathom, Stranger’s Guide, and New York mag’s “Steal My Vacation", and Cabana. The physical Wallpaper* City Guides are great, and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Shultz is a satisfying book to have + mark up.  

• Share your planning tips and the trends you’re retreading (or rejecting) with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. For many more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

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

• Entertain and educate kids with Little Passports and get 20% off when you use our link.

YAY.

Guest Thingies with Emma Straub and Negotiating Advice That’s Stuck

Guest Thingies from Emma Straub—what a treat! If you haven’t read her many charming novels, start with her latest, This Time Tomorrow, and if you haven’t patronized her beloved Brooklyn bookstore Books Are Magic, we know you’re aching to remedy that. First up: business/money advice we’ve gotten that’s as quippy as it is useful.

the linkage:

• Emma’s Thingies: skincare, tea, allergy meds, and big underpants—starring facials from Rescue Spa, Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 toner, and Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches. Her tea-drinking routine includes Helen Levi mugs and Twinings English Breakfast hot or iced (and she might have to give Claire’s tea rec Nunshen a shot, too). Emma also shares her love for Flonase and ARQ’s hugely cute underpants.

• When you’ve got the author of This Time Tomorrow and the co-owner of Books Are Magic on the Zoom, you have to talk reads. Emma’s recent favorite is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, especially for fans of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon and The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.

• Do you have negotiation thoughts? Guest Thingies ideas? Share ‘em with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• Get thicker and healthier hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Find comfort with Cozy Earth’s temperature-regulating sheets and take 35% off when you use the code ATHINGORTWO.

• Sleep better with Beam Dream and get up to 35% with the code ATHINGORTWO.

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

YAY.

"Um, What Watches?!" and Other Gifting Qs Answered

We’re dipping our toes back into going places, and there’s been a real learning curve, tell you what. We’re talking toddlers ‘n travel and unpacking our packing lessons. Now to just remember to put this stuff in a carry-on next time…

the linkage:

• If it’s time to gift someone a watch: Max Bill for Junghans and Baume & Mercier Classima are classics and about $1k. Uniform Wares has minimalist vibes and top out around $500. Check out Fewer Finer for some vintage options! We also recommend looking into a sporty/casual vintage watch from Casio or Seiko—Foundwell and eBay are great places to explore (this one, this one!). Also: Swatch does custom. If you’re looking for a watch for a little, Flik Flak’s still got it (see: their recent Hodinkee collaboration), and Parchie and Mini Kyomo are cute for kids, too. For true watch experts, turn to Hodinkee and Dimepiece.

• For men turning 40 whose watch taste is too $$$: We love the idea of a signet ring, and Kathryn Bentley does great ones. We also recommend a record player (and personally endorse Plus Audio and Technics by Panasonic Direct Drive Player System via eBay). To add to the record collection, maybe gift a subscription to Vinyl Me Please or round-up albums that came out during their birth year. Related gift: fancy speakers like the ones by Oda. Nice luggage is also a good call—we love Want Les Essentiels, Porter-Yoshida, and classics like Rimowa, Tumi, and Calpak. For hobby gifts, how about a surfboard, a film camera from Photodom, ceramics classes (s/o to Artshack near us!), or pickleball gear from Recess or Nettie (on the topic of pickleball, this New York mag profile of Connor Pardoe). Last but not least, NORMALIZE GIVING MEN FLOWERS! 

• For retirement gifts: Ask close coworkers to participate in something personal—maybe use Tribute or Padlet or go old-school and collect pictures and letters to make a scrapbook. We also love Storyworth! Or how’s about helping them get oriented with a new hobby: For the dad in our VM, maybe a Backroads Bike Tour or a Bianchi bike (find them and other snazzy bikes used on Bike Exchange). There’s also personal training: For a virtual option, check out Future (a good review). 

• When someone’s having a baby but not their first one: Set the parent up with a massage (maybe an at-home one through Zeel) or food delivery from Ipsa, Three Owls, or The Culinistas. Treat them to a robe, slippers, a weighted blanket from Bearaby, or a bed tray (Chairish and 1stdibs for cool vintage ones and West Elm, and Offi for new ones) Or: Get something to keep the sibling busy! Non-messy craft projects like needlepoint/sewing kits (love Unwind Studio and LittleExplorersPlay) or a subscription to The Picture Book Club. For the new baby, what about a not-hand-me-down, home-from-the-hospital look from Makie or Lewis? Or something keepsake that second (and third and fourth) kids tend to get less of like a handknit blankie or a puzzle name stool from Damhorst Toys.

• What to maybe, possibly ask for when you move into a new home: A return-address stamp from Paper Source or custom house numbers from House Number Lab or Casson. Outdoor stuff can be pricier than expected, so ask for plants from Fast Growing Trees, Plant Gem, and David Austin Roses, a local-nursery gift card, or gardening tools from The Floral Society or Terrain. What about a Solo Stove or a Barebones Living Portable 30" Fire Pit? Or a grill! We like the Weber Spirit II E-210 LP and the Lodge Sportsman’s Pro Cast Iron Grill. Get into composting with an indoor bin from Bamboozle. Entertaining stuff is a good call—think an Insalata Serving Bowl or platters from Conran Shop, Bitossi Home, Christian Lacroix, Farmhouse Pottery, vintage spongeware from The Six Bells, and vintage Limoges on Etsy. Ooh, and framing, c/o your local frame shop or Framebridge! Finally, stools: Artek, TipToe, Bed Bath & Beyond, Metal Lab, and ChezRai ones specifically. For other relevant recs, check out our Secret Menu wedding-registry guide.

• Share your gift ideas or quandries with us at ​​833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. For many more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

• 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.

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

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

• 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.

YAY.

What We Always, Always Pack and How to Travel with a Toddler

We’re dipping our toes back into going places, and there’s been a real learning curve, tell you what. We’re talking toddlers ‘n travel and unpacking our packing lessons. Now to just remember to put this stuff in a carry-on next time…

the linkage:

• Our forever packing list: Birkenstock EVAs (the Madrid style especially) and ‘tween pants like the Outdoor Voices jogger, a multi-functional kanga/wrap/scarf, a chambray shirt, a Baggu tote, a flat clutch (Clare V. and Madewell make some good ones), an umbrella, the Jade Yoga Voyager mat, an OXO on-the-go lint brush, a paper fan, a Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody for the winter, a Patagonia Houdini in the summer, and bedside-comforts bag (featuring Zicam, Advil, Pepto Bismol, allergy meds, and Band-Aids).

• For the journey, we love a Muji plane pillow, a separate cords pouch, packing cubes (rec Baggu, Muji, and Paravel!), a fold-up bag (great ones from Muji in-store and Paravel), and Comrad compression socks, possibly tucked into a Thingies-winning Lo & Sons The O.G. 2 carry-on.

• Seven minutes of great content: the “Rachel Jacobson Tries to Act Like She's on Vacation All the Time” ep of The Best Advice Show.

• Share your travel-planning tactics and queries at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

the sponsors (and promos!):

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

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

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

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

YAY.

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.