A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

If mid-July has you a bit out at sea with your routines—show of hands?!—this might be just the right time to revisit one of last year’s hit eps about creativity and exercise. Let’s do this. For more on morning pages, we direct you to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. And, a book that comes up a lot despite our mixed feelings about it: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.  A YouTube vid Erica followed to write a novel, as recommended by Mary HK Choi. Some workout wardrobe staples include unitards—check out Girlfriend Collective and Héros—and the posture-correcting sports bra from Forme (more from Fast Company). If you need a work-out pep talk, you can always count on Coach Bennett. (And while we’re here: Thanks for programming this ep, ​​Sarah.) How do you keep going with exercise? Are you a morning-pages person? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Grab a Secret Menu membership for more, more recommendations.

Let this greatest-hits ep be all the proof you need that things are still a mess! Should you need supporting evidence, might we direct you to Leah Chernikoff’s recent article for Harper’s Bazaar on the topic? On gel manicures: Uché Blackstock is going to keep getting them, and Claire is too—but now with Maniglovz to protect her hands from those UV lights (and with CND Shellac whenever she can). For a one-coat at-home mani, Olive & June Cosmic, Pleasing Pearly Tops, and Dior Glow deliver a shimmery, sheer finish. A listener said Dazzle Dry is one of their Thingies, and multiple of y’all have called-out Londontown Kur Nail Concealer (

Why *wouldn’t* we revisit any entertainment property—this podcast ep included—starring Channing Tatum?! Behold, one of last year’s hits, for your (re-?)listening pleasure. What do the critics have to say about Magic Mike? Here’s Shirley Li at The Atlantic, Emma Specter at Vogue, A.O. Scott at the NYT, Richard Brody at The New Yorker, Bob Mondello at NPR, and Kyle Smith at the Wall Street Journal.  Channing’s look right now! Specifically this Met Gala pic and this Variety cover! He and Zoë Kravitz share a stylist, Andrew Mukamal (who was featured on Kell on Earth—see also: this Interview interview with Kelly Cutrone).   If you’re into the business side of Magic Mike, check out WSJ’s story “For Magic Mike, Channing Tatum Looked for Strippers Moms Could Love.” As for Channing’s other creative projects: Sparkella, Born & Bred Vodka (more from BonApp), and the much-hyped romance novel he’s writing with Roxane Gay. (Unrelated but also totally related, Tessa Bailey’s reverse-harem romance Happenstance.)   Oh, Girl Scouts, preparing girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character since 1912! We love the logo redesign by Collins, and if you need a cookie source, buy them from Troop 6000, a first-of-its-kind program designed to serve families living in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, or from trans girls around the country.  Another scouting org we love: Radical Monarchs, which creates opportunities for girls and  gender-expansive youth of color—this doc is great. Share your Magic Mike reviews with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   The juggle is real. Don’t just respond to stress, get ahead of it with Stress Relief from Ritual. Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/athingortwo. Start Ritual or add Stress Relief to your subscription today. YAY.

We’re back with some new nyms, a report from Paris, housekeeping news, and more! Steve Dolinsky bravely tackles PIGUE (Pizza I Grew Up Eating) Syndrome head-on.  Time for a Paris report! Shoutout to the Moxy hotel in the Marais for its ideal location. Shopping for men’s clothing? Stop by Cuisse de Grenouille, LA panoplie, and Le Mont Saint Michel. For kids, go to Petit Bateau, Monoprix, Bonton, and the top floor of Le Bon Marche. Sabre Paris also has the cutest kids' flatware. We also recommend a visit to The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, specifically for the exhibit "The Birth of Department Stores," La Grande Mosquée de Paris, and Roland-Garros (you know, next year).  A bonus shoutout to When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Sato. Thank you to the Dear Media team for a very long run! Extra high fives to our lovely producer Olivia Meade! Do you have a personal PIGUE? Share it with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva! See ya in August! Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Ready your wardrobe for summer with Johnny Was and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your order. YAY.

Listen, spending the summer in Paris isn’t in the cards for us, but spending an episode with Glynnis MacNicol talking about 1) her summer in Paris 2) her book about it, I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself and 3) her Thingies…a surprisingly close second. Glynnis MacNicol’s memoir I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself is out this week! We also love her previous book No One Tells You This and her podcast Wilder, about the life and times and lasting impact (for better and/or worse!) of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Glynnis’s Thingies include VIO2 Mouth Tape, not putting moisturizer on after retinol (she likes La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, ideally purchased in France!), Last Summer directed by Catherine Breillat, and Garnier Ombrelle Face Sun Protection. The books she mentioned: Speedboat by Renata Adler, Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Guest by Emma Cline, Swimming in Paris by Colombe Schneck, and The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy.  Re: the golden age of podcasts, we’re very excited about A.J. Daulerio’s The Small Bow Podcast, Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike, Lemme Say This with Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, and Fashion People with Lauren Sherman.  What are your Thingies? Share ‘em with us at with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!  Prepare your wardrobe for summer with Johnny Was and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your order. Give your nails polish with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link. YAY.

Some philosophies on dealing with customer service-heavy moments, the benefits of estate sales, and some plane-travel RWIs. Things to shove in your summer-travel carry-on (whether that’s an Alex Mill Perfect Weekday Tote or a Lo & Son O.G. 2): a Dagne Dover Arlo Neoprene Tech Organizer, a foot sling, a Sarisun headrest travel pillow (pair with a Lunya Washable Silk Sleep Mask or an Alaska Bear), and a packable duffle like Paravel’s.  Estate sale curious? @handledestatesales is a great follow, and we’re sending a special shoutout to Bumble Bee Estate Sales in Charlotte, North Carolina. What are your tips for visiting estate sales? Please share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!  Revisit the heyday of the department store with the wonderful book When Women Ran Fifth Avenue. Start reading Line Sheet everything else Puck covers—use our link to sign up for a 14-day free trial. Get ahead of stress with Stress Relief from Ritual and take 25% off your first month with our link. Ready your wardrobe for summer with Johnny Was and use the code JWPODCAST for 20% off your order. YAY.

Oooh, do we have some Thingies of you, ℅  Katherine Lewin, the brains behind one of our top shops Big Night and its wonderful new companion cookbook SLASH hosting guide. Also: a listener’s Olivia Rodrigo concert insight that is really quite moving?? Related to FUN + Olivia, this Romper essay by Glynnis MacNichol “My Job As An Auntie Is To Tell Parents They’re Doing Great.”  Katherine’s Thingies include B Sides Lasso jeans and Nelle Atelier denim, carrying a lady bag along with her Extra Large L.L. Bean Boat Tote, brown mascara (perhaps Covergirl's Eye Enhancer 3D Mascara in Berry Brown?), and Gap High Rise Boyfriend Joggers. We loving shopping at Big Night, and we’re about to love cooking/having-people-overing from the Big Night book, which has 80+ recipes for 6+ people and just all kinds of tips and tricks.  Do you have any Thingies or dream Thingies guests? (Oprah included!) Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!  Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. Care for your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Give your nails polish with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link. YAY.

As we revisit this crowd favorite episode from last year, can we ask you to leave us VMs and tell you how you’re coping with cringe now? Is it changing? What’s to thank (or blame)? 833-632-5463!  If you’re not getting our newsletter! Today’s prompt: Nell Diamond’s repost of a tweet from @isabelunraveled. (For more on Nell, founder of Hill House Home, dip into these profiles from New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.) The Justin Long post. Discuss! For some cringe backstory: Kaitlyn Tiffany’s story “How Did We Get So ‘Cringe’?” for The Atlantic. We had to revisit Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic—because avoiding cringe and chasing perfectionism are related…no? See also: Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, David Brandon Geeting’s installment of the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter, and the edition of Kaelen Haworth’s Kael Mail newsletter about ins but no outs.  Check out Her Country by Marissa R. Moss. Among the themes: how Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton gave up on wanting people to like them to find success.   On finding affection for your younger self: this Anne Helen Petersen newsletter, Jonah Hill’s doc Stutz, the podcast Mortified, Justin Cooley on his role in Kimberly Akimbo, and Mo Willems in the NYT. A definition of post-cringe; an example of post-cringe: Kaitlin Phillips. How are you embracing cringe? Who’s your cringe-spiration? You know where to find us: 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!

Lots of discoveries this week! Including amber wine, UHNWs, Mike’s Bites, people as fonts, customizables, and MORE.  Mike’s Bites probably deserve a whole documentary, honestly. Some great customizable things: a whole lot of stuff in Ralph Lauren’s Polo Create Your Own Shop (including a perfect plain baseball cap), Artifact monogrammable canvas bags from Omaha. Monica Vinader’s Nura Tiny Fine Chain Bracelet and Signature Signet Rings, and Anya Hindmarch’s The Bespoke Collection (also: her T mag profile about decluttering).   If you haven’t read Miuccia Prada Vogue cover story yet, do it! Some basics we’re loving: Donni’s pointelle tee, Favorite Daughter’s The Mischa jeans and The Jordie jeans, and Richer Poorer’s perfect gray sweatshirt. Worth the resale-site stalking: Wardrobe.NYC’s denim jacket (via Poshmark) and Proenza Schouler long-sleeve tissue jersey tees (via The RealReal). Ok, what are your thoughts on Costco’s rotisserie chicken? Give us the lowdown at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!

New nyms! Thoughtful follow-ups on previous episodes! Romances we’re loving right now! All that and more in your ears right this second.  Our previous episode about grief led us to the GQ profile "The Dave Matthews Guide to Living and Dying" by Alex Pappademas and “The Jewelry I Wear to Help Me Grieve” by Leah Chernikoff for Harper’s Bazaar and spurred some thoughtful conversations in our Geneva. More on the perimenopause discourse: Miranda July’s new novel All Fours and The World’s First Podcast’s interview with the endocrinologist Dr. Jordan Geller. Three romances we read and loved: Yulin Kuang’s How to End a Love Story, Abby Jimenez’s Just For the Summer, and Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance.  What are you excited about right now? Share all your thoughts via 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!