A Few Things With Claire And Erica

Di-hards, Clairericas, ATOTs, Thingles, actual listener name TBA: It's time to dive even deeper into Rivians lore, share the case for sleeping in socks, and add a new one for hand warmers. Also, it’s feeling like the tong discussion on this podcast is just beginning… Listen to the How I Built This ep with the founder of Rivian; read the WSJ story “‘If You Sleep in Socks You’re a Psychopath.’ Health Tip Kicks Up Controversy.” Ocoopa hand-warmers—have we tried? Or Zippo’s? What should we call ATOT fans? Now’s your chance to let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—and bring the debate to our Geneva (either the app or the browser version!). Hire for that role with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.

May we ask a question? Are you a Framebridge groupie yet? We’re partnering with the fantastic company on this glorious ep—and an event at their Park Slope store from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, with 15% off! Which is all to say: If you’re not already hooked, you’re about to be. Behold, CEO Susan Tynan’s Thingies, your family-photo anxieties, and how what we’re hanging on our walls offers a lens into ~the culture~. Susan’s Thingies include egg rolls in a bowl, Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA, Pomela Casa mugs, the Marrakesh frame from Framebridge, Caroline’s Cakes 7-Layer Cakes, and the Spoonful of Comfort Thinking of You Package.  The Framebridge gallery wall sets = a stroke of genius. If you’re commissioning illustrations for future framing, we love the work of Julie Houts and Olivia de Recat. What are your framing conundrums? How have you taken ownership over your own bday happiness? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—and chat it up about anything at

We’ve got some hot topics like celebrity activism and when to share pregnancy news—and even hotter topics like verbal leashes, sleeping with socks on, and weird terminology for just wearing your damn clothes. New nym alert!!! Good Inside by Becky Kennedy brings us MGI: most generous interpretation.  Claire’s IG exchange with Nancy Meyers in this Instagram post confirms that there are, in fact, Vicente Foods bags in The Holiday (and that N.M. is the greatest).  The thing having a moment this week: Rivians and their mascot, Gary the Gear Guard. Two things we’re happy about being “in” in 2024 include outfit-repeating and going to the movies. Shoutout to this @flwrchldtweets tweet and Dwight Garner’s Grub Street Diet.  Dog people: Is a verbal leash (not the yet-to-be-written spinoff to Best in Show) a thing? Please let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—and chat it up about anything at all in our Geneva!

Let’s talk Thingies with Samhita Mukhopadhyay, a writer and editor who covers feminism, politics, culture, fashion, racial justice, and existential dating dilemmas—in short, so much we want to read. She’s the editorial director of The Meteor, the co-editor of the best-selling anthology Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance and Revolution in Trump’s America, and the author of Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life and (forthcoming!!) The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning. Yes, consider this the you-hear-it-here-first pre-order nudge. Samhita’s Thingies include Ranavat hair oil, wearing her partner’s class ring, Care Touch lens wipes, Jolly Rancher Chews, a poem by Hala Alyan, and Megan Thee Stallion’s bodyodyody.  The phrase “Oh, I’m JV” is brought to us by Sara Petersen’s Substack In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, and we have a bonus Thingie: the memoir installments of Kim France’s Substack!  What areas are you happily JV in? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingort

Let’s dive into some Hellmann’s drama, TSwift x Wordsworth, and lots more re: the secret life of girls (thank you to Wired for the Notes App *respect*!!!). To know Prof. Stephanie Burt is to love Prof. Stephanie Burt—this NYT  interview about her Harvard Taylor Swift class will get you there. A fave on the syllabus: Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff. It’s pintxo season (we say!). Woldy Kusina shows us how it’s done, and Despaña is a great ingredient source. (Also: RIP the Prune Chicago Matchbox Bloody Mary.) Indoor/Outdoor Boyfriends brought to you buy Ella Risbridger’s You Get In Love And Then newsletter. (Have you read her book Midnight Chicken?)  Did you know Hellmann’s mayonnaise is known as something else entirely in parts of the West? Share your thoughts on this revelation at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq, and chat it up about anything at all in  our Geneva! Get your nails in good shape with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System with our link. YAY.

We’re wise enough to know it’s about time to revisit this wisdom episode from the vault. We share our feelings about feeling our age and some excellent advice we caught about living with a little longing—and we very much would like to hear if this one hits differently the second time around.     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.

Today we present a very *us* episode from the archives: 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! 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

We’re so excited about this Guest Thingies ep with Ellen Van Dusen of Dusen Dusen—a greatest hit if there ever was one! But first, some nuggets of wisdom from famously creative famous dudes. We’re definitely taking inspiration from Rod Stewart’s model railway side project and Tom Hanks's advice to Austin Butler.  Ellen’s Thingies include being comfortable inside and outside the home (please see: her delightful robes…and brand-new slippers!!), @Favetiktoks420 on Instagram, and cool silverware (especially David Tisdale’s Picnic Flatware, which makes us think of Ahimsa dinnerware for kids). She also loves tile right now—see: Heath Ceramics, her collab with Concrete Collaborative, Fireclay, and Oasis—and you have to, have to check out her backyard mosaic. Last but not least: Her love of bird-watching has us asking when she’s going to start selling the birdhouse she designed for Brooklyn Botanic Garden (in the meantime, the MoMA one we’re all into). Ooh, and as we told Ellen, Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a grea

This week, we’re talkin’ Thingies with Alison Roman, the woman behind a SLEW of recipes we cook all the dang time. We know you know her, but JIC, she’s the author of NYT bestselling—and gifty!—cookbooks Sweet Enough, Nothing Fancy, and Dining In, she doles out the most delightful kitchen content in A Newsletter and on her Home Movies YouTube channel, and she delivers guidance of all kinds on her Solicited Advice podcast. In essence: She’s full of thoughts, and we want them all. First things first, what we would bring to a pilot kid-gift swap (thx, Leslie!): Spirograph, Yellow Owl Workshop DIY Pin & Flair Kit, Bastien Contraire Stencil Kit, Majo Ideas Art Pack, and Pop Tubes. Alison’s tabletop Thingies include beeswax candles (try Greentree Home Candle—maybe in the sangria color?!), candle holders *in general* (e.g., this Sophie Lou Jacobson one), and interesting serving platters including Bordallo Pinheiro's. For the bod, she loves using Laneige’s lip mask as lip balm, and Davines’s Vegetarian Miracle M

Whoop! Whoop! This week we are discussing our marathon-cheering behaviors, chicken anxiety, iconic hot dogs, and weightlifting thanks—in part— to the Beckham doc.  The term chicken anxiety was brought to us by Rosie Seabrook on TikTok.  We can’t believe we haven’t talked about The Wieners Circle yet. Their Instagram is one of the only safe places on IG. This Vogue story about Victoria Beckham's weightlifting routine inspired us to ask you all how you are thinking about this, and you have answers: @evlofitness programs, CoPilot app, @kerimantie, Ladder app, Liftoff: Casey Johnston’s Couch to Barbell, Stronger by the Day, and Peloton strength classes. A big sell on weightlifting comes from Yasi Salek in the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter.  Send us your weightlifting thoughts at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq, or share in our Geneva! Learn from the best with MasterClass and get two memberships for the price of one with our link. Join Book of the Month and get your first book for

It's time for a grab bag featuring a *measured* celebrity fan account, a cooking north star, our POV on holiday cards, and a grand Notes App follow-up.  Gained some wisdom from @OlsenOracle, a perfect fan account (that is maybe even Olsen approved???). We’re having a Marcella Hazan moment, thanks to, as Food & Wine put it her “radical simplicity.” Some recipes we’ve been cooking: THE tomato, onion, and butter sauce, grilled fish romagna style, pesto, rice and smothered cabbage soup, and chimney sweep’s gelato.  Speaking of cooking, we must discuss this Julia Child gas stove story by Rebecca Leber for Vox, which pairs well with “How the Fossil Fuel Industry Convinced Americans to Love Gas Stoves,” which she wrote for Mother Jones.  Your Notes Apping!! See: this packing-list  revelation from@rileejsmith (um, the template). We also love this TikTok from @kiramackenz. What weird things are you up to in the Notes App? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva

It’s time for the (whopping) second half of our 2023 gift guide! We tackle dads, sisters, in-laws, friends, coworkers, and some ideas for presents to ask for yourself when that feels like a necessary thing.  For the full link-rich rundown, you’re best off heading over to our site: athingortwohq.com/gift-guide-episodes If there’s someone on your list that we didn’t get to this year, let us know who you’re shopping for in our Geneva! And share more gift ideas with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq. Tackle all that holiday shopping at MoMA Design Store and take 10% off your purchase when you use or mention promo code ATHINGORTWO online and in US MoMA Design Stores  through November 23, 2023.   Give your hair the gift of Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY. Gifts for YOU! My in laws are great people who will buy exactly what ask for as long as it's 1) not personal care or appearance-related AT ALL, 2) not a ""luxury item"" or a

Part 1 of our gift guide is here! We have an abundance of recs for stocking stuffers, boyfriends, husbands, moms, sons, and kids!  Share any gift ideas with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva! Gift yourself professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link. Tackle all of your holiday shopping at MoMA Design Store and take 10% off your purchase when you use or mention promo code ATHINGORTWO online and in US MoMA Design Stores through November 23, 2023. YAY. Stocking Stuffers “We are only doing stockings for adults this year - all the fun stocking stuffers, please.” Opinel key chains Noso patches Scout Regalia sticky hooks Favorite musician merch - Olivia Rodrigo Perfect All-American Bitch hat Custom family matchbooks Nutscene Colorful Tiddler Twine Rose Los Angeles x Gossamer CBD Rosin Delights Redecker Hedgehog Table Brush Silk Daisy Chain Kit Nata Concept Store Farfalle Candle Hinoki Drawer Bag Lisa Angel bottle stoppers /

French-cuff your pants and open your Notes app because this week we’re diving into some cooking thoughts, new vocab, Nora Ephron lore, and more!  Cookbooks! S/o to this tweet from Jen Rose Smith and Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner, which has been Claire’s dinner salvation of late. As for the It veggies of the season, we present Grub Street’s “When Did Cabbage Get So Sexy?” and T mag's ”Radicchio Is in Season — And in Style.” New terms to use in a sentence: biz rizz, friend-in-law, and RFP, as applied to dating.  Fall reading material: I’ll Have What She’s Having by Erin Carlson. See also: I Shock Myself by Beatrice Wood and No Crying in Baseball about the making of A League of Their Own. Now a question: Is “How ‘bout that?” a thing outside of the Travis Kelce cinematic universe? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva! Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.  Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou. Learn fr

We’re back to talk Thingies with Karah Preiss, the co-founder of Belletrist, an online reading community and production company she started with Emma Roberts. She’s an executive producer of Tell Me Lies and First Kill and so many things you will watch IN THE FUTURE, and she’s also just an absolute delight.  First things first, we gotta discuss Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein.  Karah’s Thingies include The Cockmark (somehow reading-related), May December (out November 17), Rosie O'Donnell (and the taxi announcements of yore and her Friend of Barbie doll), Jenna Lyons, and Tumblr (and, related, the Pop Culture Died in 2009 account and the Swipewipe app).  Share *your* Thingies with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva! Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link. Give your hair a boost with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Start professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10%

We’re pursuing some new interests this week including picking apart oral-care TikTok, attending monster truck rallies, and finding angry aunts that give incredible advice. OOOH, and don’t forget to hit us up with your gift-guide requests—the phone lines are open! Need noise-cancelers for your next monster truck rally (or Eras viewing)? We’re fans of Loop Earplugs. And! Zach Helfand on Monster Jam for The New Yorker. Highly recommend The Brooding column by Kathryn Jezer-Morton for The Cut,  Especially the pieces "Raising Kids Is the ‘Best Job in the World.’ Why Is Caring for the Elderly the Worst?" + "My Mom Is Selfish. Do I Still Have to be a ‘Good Daughter’?" + "Are Helicopter Parents Actually Lazy?" Kathryn Jezer-Morton is also behind Joanna Goddard’s post-divorce Q&A and "What If You Just Didn’t Clean That Up?" Related-ish: Tamar Adler’s food scraps advice newsletter The Kitchen Shrink, Maddie Coleman’s newsletter Wait Have Your Read This?, and the site Girlhood. For oral-care recs, we were inspired

We’ve got a grab bag for you today featuring tampon testing, Boynton Blends, Chicken Salad Chicks, and capturing the elusive joy of shopping while at the gas station.  We were blown away by this Mother Jones article “​​Wait, Tampons Weren’t Being Tested With Human Blood?” We’re back on our Sandra Boynton beat! See Audrey Gelman’s piece for The Strategist about  Boynton Blends coffee, Anne Diven's Gaga x Sandra TikTok, and an eBay trove of vintage wallpaper. Friends, we had to do a deep-dive on Chicken Salad Chick (thank you to this How I Built This ep for much of the intel!).   Jacob Gallagher's "The Hottest Shop in America Is Your Local Gas Station" for the WSJ is very quotable—and about the state of shopping, really.  Have you eaten Chicken Salad Chick?! Tell us everything at  833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva! Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.  BOTM YAY.

Finally, it’s time to talk about our current favorite Rs: rats, rain clogs, and romance!  Our rain-clog conversation has reached new heights! As in: We have a Calzuro review for you.  Holiday shopping season is starting early because the Staten Island Pizza Rat hats are back in stock.  Now onto romance! For an IRL one, try Julia Allison and Noah Feldman. Fictional romances we love include You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (bonus read: this Vulture story about fanfics-turned-bestsellers by Elizabeth Held), The Art of Scandal by Regina Black, Tessa Bailey’s books including It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, and Chase Me, and Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Re: sports romances, see Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Kennedy Ryan in general, and this GQ interview with Phillies player Bryce Harper. Also! Let’s talk about Danielle Steel’s desk—Samantha Leach did a good profile of the icon for Glamour—and Rachel Antonoff’s fall fashion campaign (completely unrelated but we l

Question for you all: Is tattoo season a thing? Follow up: Are tattoos cooler now than they used to be? Please think about your answers while listening to country artists we’re loving right now (and Post Malone while you’re at it).   On country music having a moment: Vulture and Rolling Stone.   Here are some artists (and their songs!) to dig into: Luke Combs (“When It Rains It Pours” and his cover of “Fast Car”), Zach Bryan ("I Remember Everything" featuring Kacey Musgraves, “Something in the Orange,” and his All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster live album), Kane Brown (“Nothing Compares to You” with Mickey Guyton), Midland (“Cheatin’ Songs” and “Burn Out”), Maren Morris (“The Bones,” “My Church,” and “Rich—and this Diary of a Song on her pop hit “The Middle” and everything The Highwomen), Kelsea Ballerini (“If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” “Hole in the Bottle,” and a special shoutout to her CMT Awards performance), Mickey Guyton (“All American” and “Black Like Me”—she was a judge on the Apple TV show My K

We’re *nyming*! This week we’re covering the new era of nyms (acronyms): LIWMs (Laura Ingalls Wilder Museums), ABs (autograph books), LMs (labor musicals), SKSs (squeaky kids shoes), and CPAs (co-parenting apps). TTYL! Our new nyming era is inspired by one of our greatest TikTok minds, Jake Shane (see the toks here and here). We also reminisce on Erica’s chronicles of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and Nancy Meyer’s Instagram post about her daughter’s autograph book, and we can’t get over the Ikiki kid’s shoe lore, specifically the stories of Gina the Giraffe, Rafiq the Rhino, and Brittany Eversweet. AND! Give us all the intel on OurFamilyWizard—we’ll start with celebs that use the app and the company’s new offices. If you’re looking to observe strike season, check out our favorite labor musicals The Pajama Game (1957) and Newsies (1992). Queue up “Carrying The Banner” and “Seize the Day”; cackle at the signs from a Newsies-themed WGA picket at Disney.  We will hear any and all of your favorite nyms at 83