A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

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.    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.   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. Produced by Dear Media

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.    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.   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.   Produced by Dear Media

Revisiting a crowd fave from last year! Happy Memorial Day! Has perfectionism jumped the shark? And how do we remember names when we start meeting new people again?! Clearly, we have a lot of questions (and some answers).  If you like this, you’ll probably really like Secret Menu. A couple books that made us ponder perfectionism: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi, and Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu. Related convos: our ambition ep, this episode of Jam Session, and the Wit & Delight posts here and here. Come and get us at @athingortwohq, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and 833-632-5463!    YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

It’s that sneaky second gifting season of the year (dads, grads, retirements, anniversaries…you get it!), and we’re here to answer your calls for help. Ooh, speaking of calls: Want to leave us a voicemail at 833-632-5463 and share any thoughts/feelings that demand our podcasting attention?   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.   Produced by Dear Media

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…   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.   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 ATHINGORTWO20. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

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.   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.   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.   Produced by Dear Media

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.    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’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?’” 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.   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. papaya reusables (CB)  Cut back on paper towels with Papaya Reusables and get 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO20. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

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.    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.   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.   Produced by Dear Media

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.   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.   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 ATHINGORTWO20. 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. Produced by Dear Media