A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

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!

Prepare to be charmed! We have writer, social strategist, and gal about the internet Peyton Dix hand-deliveringher Thingies. Also: This Ask a Manager post demanded discussion.   Peyton’s Thingies include Aesop Post-Poo Drops (available in Europe, pals), being bi, Kellyoke, Noihsaf Bazaar, having less screentime, and sharing your location. Peyton’s bonus-round Thingies: wired headphones, SLT, Todaytix, The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative by Vivian Gornick, game nights, “Karma” by JoJo Siwa, and Ouai Curl Cream. Have any new Thingies? Share ‘em with us via 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. Source the good writing tools with ​​JetPens—free JetPens marker and washi tape with any $50 order when you use our link until 6/30/24. Amp up your garden with Fast Growing Trees—get an additional 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. Do your own nails (well!!) with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link. YAY.

We are here to report on our experiences at TWO Major Cultural Events: an Olivia Rodrigo concert at MSG (incredible and moving!) and a screening of The Idea of You (really fun—lots of laughter!). Fans of the The Idea of You book—if you haven’t read this yet, let’s GO!— join us for a night of trivia on May 1 at The Crown Inn in Brooklyn.  The Idea of You lands on Prime Video on May 2, and you better believe we’re watching it again. If you, like most we know, consider Lauren Sherman’s newsletter Line Sheet required reading, tune into her new podcast Fashion People on Tuesdays and Fridays, too. When you watch The Idea of You, PLEASE share your thoughts with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva. We probably need to air some reactions, right?! Score the good writing tools with ​​JetPens—free JetPens marker and washi tape with any $50 order when you use our link until 6/30/24. Impress yourself and your nails with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link. YAY.

You want more Thingies? We’ve got more Thingies! This time with one of the most charming interior designers around, Billy Cotton, who has a stellar new collaboration with West Elm and a book we love, love, love. Billy’s Thingies include a Lorezi Milano toothpaste squeezer (paired with Marvis Toothpaste at the moment), Cowboy Carter (but of course), Hillstone (specifically the Bal Harbour location) Elephant and Castle (Michigan Star!), the city of Houston, and, of course, Fruit Loops.  A few of our favorites from his West Elm collection are this checkered rug, this pepper mill, this etched glassware, and this shell bowl for cereal or anything you please. Didn’t know we had to announce it, but we’re #teammascara. See: Kevyn Aucoin'The Volume Mascara and Lily Lolo Mascara…and let us know your faves at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.  Give your hair a boost with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Get the good writing tools with ​​JetPens—free JetPens marker and washi tape with any $50 order when you use our link until 6/30/24. Go green with Fast Growing Trees—get an additional 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.

Editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, Nikki Ogunnaike, shares her Thingies including Uniqlo U white T-shirts and Vegamour GRO Biotin Gummies. They discuss running Thingies like Coach Bennett's guided runs and Fabletics shorts. Explore the concept of the closing shift and Mike Bise's Gap Store Playlists. Dip into their 2020 convo with Nikki and share your Thingies at 833-632-5463 or podcast@athingortwohq.com.

We’re giving some children’s programming rave reviews, digging into your trending Thingies, and reading a lot into an interesting story about Manhattan’s history.  Endorsed by Claire (and Cam!) Cosmic Kids Yoga (+ guided meditation!) and Numberblocks.  People love granola! Now more than ever, according to Global Newswire! If you’re in NYC, seek out the greenmaket seller Baker’s Bounty; if you’re anywhere else, make Bon Appétit's Vanilla-Scented Granola. Also, something that makes us giggle: this 2016 headline from The Cut: “Americans Still Believe Granola is Good for Them.” People are dyeing their brows at home! Specifically using henna or Just for Men, but Harper’s Bazaar recommends getting brow-specific products or going to a professional.  After one of y’all shared enstrual discs as a Thingie, we received several votes for Flex —they have disposable and reusable versions.  Lots of discussion about making natural deodorant actually work. Erica is using Megababe’s Soapy Pits plus Space Bar Underarm Soap. People like Nuud, which is its own ~vibe~. There’s also a lot of discussion about using CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser for its 4% benzoyl peroxide—and LOL at the "How to Clean Armpits with Cerave" TikTok page.  Thoughts on deodorant? Vaginal discs vs. cups? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.  Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.

This week, we’re issuing some micro updates and corrections before we dive into the meat of this episode: grief. (A content warning, if you will.)  Some corrections: The Stanley cups are WEARING the backpacks (find a visual aid here), BonBon Swedish candy is having a nightlife moment, and the Pineberry also goes by Berry de Blanc.  On loss: The LA Times story "How Not to Say the Wrong Thing" by Susan Silk and Barry Goldman delves into the ring theory of grief, and All There Is with Anderson Cooper explores anticipatory grief. If you care about a person (any person), give Being Mortal by Atul Gawande a read—it offers much good guidance and framing for tough conversations. A couple planning resources: Policygenius for life insurance and Trust & Will for, you guessed it, trusts and wills. Share all of your thoughts with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.  Refresh your wardrobe with Nuuly and take $20 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO20. Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.