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of the best-selling anthology Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance and Revolution in Trump’s America, and the author of Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life and (forthcoming!!)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 @athingortwohq—and chat it up about anything at all in our Geneva!

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 Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.  Turn to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link. YAY.

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 great book and a much better movie than it gets credit for being. Share your dream Thingies guests with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq. And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

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 Mask for her hair. On the food front, how about chopped fermented chilies—use them to make her Brothy Chickpeas with Calabrian Chili (and/or these chickpeas)—and, for dessert, Kolsvart gummies.  Share your Thingies with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq, or drop them in our Geneva! Give yourself the gift of professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link. Trust us: It’s all about Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

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 just $5 with the code SWEATER. YAY.

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! Turn to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link. Join Book of the Month and get your first book for just $5 with the code SPOOKY. YAY.

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 splurge version of something (ie no fancy candles), and 3) under $100. I'm a dedicated audiobook listener and | don't need any more cookbooks or board games. They won't do a donation in lieu of gift. Gift giving is their love language but only if the gift is very practical or they got it on a significant discount. We're fortunate to be in a financial position where I'm generally able to buy practical as they're needed, but my in laws hear ""I don't need anything!"" as a snub. Help!" Uniqlo Heattech Something Yamazaki Cookbooks (like The Lula Cafe one!) A traditional restock (plants, PJs, etc.) Directing them to a go-tostore like MoMA Design Store and Zingerman’s Dinnerware/cookware to build on every yea—Le Creuset, vintage Fiestaware, Dansk, Heath, etc., etc. Charms for a charm bracelet/necklace like Jet Set Candy passport stamp charms (+ their NYPL card one is also very good) Dads & Fathers-in-Law My Dad sounds more like a brand persona than a real person. He's very cosmopolitan/urbane, lives in the city center even though he's 60, takes public transit, legitimately does his weekly grocery shopping at boutique cheese/bread/specialty food stores, always dressed impeccably. OWNS a beautiful specialty meat slicer that he has in his kitchen and uses for fresh/thinly sliced prosciutto (before you go there I've done ham hocks more than once). Interests: art, food and entertaining, culture. Loves to read, usually big sweeping historical books. Always the hardest person to shop for on my list because his taste level is very out of my price range and I'm tapped out on the specialty food theme. Dad recently become a grandfather (2 grandsons and one more coming in Jan) and it was a little weird for him - he loves my sons but the image of an old guy in a rocking chair teaching kids how to whittle didn't jive with his understanding of himself. He's starting to settle in. Has a very unique grandpa name with many indecipherable layers of historical context and family history that the grandkids will probably never understand. Buys them beautifully made clothes that they would immediately ruin. Talks to them about their shared interests: boats, planes, and other well-designed machines. Hoste Bottled Cocktails  Regalis Black Truffle Microwaveable Popcorn Nordic Ware Indoor/Outdoor Kettle Smoker  Custom Opinel Berea College Intersections Charcuterie Board Big Nights Planner Suzanne Sullivan Porcelain Playing Cards or Bone Inlay Domino Set Blackwater & Sons Return Address Stamp Billion Oyster Project donation Rex Design Oyster Plate My dad. 82 years old. Loves to read serious nonfiction but bus all the books he wants. Loves French and Italian wine but his taste is too expensive for me and he has all the gadgets. Generally expensive taste that's above my pay grade. He dresses pretty dapper and lives in NYC. Gets lots of compliments on his glasses and clothes. Grills meat for dinner nearly every night but stuck in his ways when it comes to cooking. Very much a creature of habit. Likes jazz and classic rock. Best gifts I've gotten for him are interesting casual clothes he wouldn't find himself, a dapper custom English umbrella, taking him to see live jazz… Campo Grande The Durand - bottle opener for old bottles/corks Ralph Lauren custom stuff! Hello, cashmere sweater. Vintage tie clip or cuff links from TRR Vinyl Me, Please subscription The Jazz Loft Project: Photographs and Tapes of W. Eugene Smith from 821 Sixth Avenue, 1957–1965 Preservation Hall Drum Ornament or Tambourine Blue Note merch Okay, now that I've seen this I feel okay sending a description of my dad. He's a 67-year-old workaholic lawyer many have described as "quite the character, huh?" He takes himself very seriously, though he also can be quite mischievous and loves to stir the pot. His interests include fishing, geopolitics, and monologuing. I truly feel like I've explored all gifting avenues already with him: consumables for his major sweet tooth, outdoorsy gear that he already buys himself, political or economic books that won't lead to arguments (he's conservative, I'm liberal), and seemingly every dog toy or black Labrador art print under the sun. He doesn't drink and mostly sticks to heart-healthy food. While he has many entertaining childhood stories, it seems unlikely he will set aside time for something activity-based like StoryWorth, as he spends most of his at-home free time watching YouTube videos about things like beekeeping (yes, I've gotten him multiple artisanal honeys that had little impact). I'm at my wits' end with this conundrum of a father, please help! Unexpected: 30 Years of Patagonia Outdoor Photography Custom Smathers & Branson Belts Port Bait Co. Bait/Lures reMarkable North Spore Mushroom-Growing Kits Pack of Avec Merippa House Shoes Father-in-law is the definition of introverted, deeply obsessed with cars (has several classic ones), and model trains (legit has an entire room for trains that has like, an actual functional drawbridge for the trains). Also loves good food and good tequila! “Rod Stewart's ideal Christmas present? Brushes for his model railway” Dining by Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine by James D. Porterfield Charles Ro Supply Co. gift certificate Toyo Toolbox  Chevrolet Corvette 1961 Lego Set Major Minis  Alessi The Tending Box Sisters & Sisters-in-Law Present for woo-woo disorganized sister who holds a grudge & has two adorable kids House of Intuition Candles A Daily Cloud Calendar Hightide DTLA Moon Calendar Ha Ko Incense Leaves Golde Superfoods Mask Kit Esker Bodycare Discovery Set Julia Elsas Wiggle Wall Hooks Ok this one is may be a doozy. New SIL: she describes herself as an author but will never discuss her writing, we've never seen anything, nothing published (she is 40, we had a running theory maybe her "writing" was OnlyFans? It's unclear.) She loves Disney (I have secured Hanna Anderson Disney Christmas PJs), Rudy Giuliani (!!!), and believes enough conspiracy theories that we had to change our will about w hich uncle would get our kids if we died. Zola was "too downmarket" for their wedding registry but she doesn't know which fork to use (to be clear, both of these things are fine, just incongruent, right?). So I need something that feels sophisticated but maybe...isn't. Ami Ami Mulled Wine Kit Gentlewoman Modern Manners Postcard Set Anya Hindmarch Bespoke Passport Wallet Madewell Disney Mickey Mouse-Embroidered Cardigan Sweater in (Re)sponsible Cashmere Kitsch & Disney Satin Pillowcase - Desert Crown Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Black Women Writers at Work  How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee Cultish by Amanda Montell Four Seasons Total Landscaping Hat Boyfriend's sister: 29, children's librarian and loves children's books/ movies. Pretty much hates everything I've ever given her and doesn't really have any taste that isn't just stuff her 63 y/o mother likes... when I try to get her clothes that are more age-appropriate (read: no for a woman in her 60s), she never wears them. She's not materialistic BUT loves going to Home Goods just to get stuff? Also has a New Year's Day bday so I need two things. And this is a big bday (30!)! My boyfriend got her a big set of glass Tupperware which was a huge hit, but then got her a nutri bullet (the mom loves hers) and she hated that. HELP!!! Book of the Month subscription Persephone Gifts Tortuga or Schoolhouse or Justina Blakeney bookends Brooklyn Public Library Books Unbanned donation Vintage READ Posters from American Library Association Ralph & James - framed children's picture book art prints Film Art Gallery - classic children’s movie posters  Yellow Paper House Junque Journal Our Place Wonder Oven SIL Trying to be an influencer and posts sporadic videos on THIS APP about a home design of a suburban cookie-cutter house. Always mansplains the littlest things. Snobby but for no reason. But also probably a nice person to people she likes? Probably! Fiona’s Pasta Gift Box Maria Ida Designs Madre Linen Napkins Big Night or The Six Bells depending on her vibe—anything from either feels safe! Canva subscription Allison Bornstein or Lakyn Carlton styling session Livable Luxe by Brigette Romanek Arranging Things by Colin King   Beata Heuman: Every Room Should Sing Sister-in-law: she is a corporate lawyer and very much a Dallas girly (lives in Dallas but also embodies the Dallas vibes with beach blonde hair, very fancy car to drive 5 minutes to work, has a texting relationship with sales associates at various designer stores). If you read the NYTimes article from a few months ago explaining the Dallas food scene, she embodies the Dallas consumer exactly. She is a bit of a Broadway nerd. She is basically the opposite of me in almost every possible way, and I'm always afraid to shop for her. Last year I got her a gift set from The Crown Affair and I don't think she knew a thing about it. Would like to stay