A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

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

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 / Annie Raysee wine stopper TheWhiteStreetMarket wick trimmer Kahawa 1893 Single Serve Coffee Packs Brightland Olive Oil minis Sqwigl Straws Curaprox toothbrushes Boyfriends/Husbands My husband, 34. Senior web developer manager. Likes home projects, sci-fi books/tv, awesome dad to our 4 year old and 8 month old. He hates spending money and “doesn’t want gifts” but wants gifts. It’s historically been a damned if you do, damned if you don’t type situation. His favorite gifts from me ever have been a car washing kit, a woobles crochet kit, and a Dyson vacuum. Wtf do I get him now?! Sven-Saw Hoto Brushless Drill - .like the Dyson hairdryer of drills! Yuns Hardware gift certificate Singer Heavy Duty 4423  Open Studio: Do-It-Yourself Art Projects by Contemporary Artists by ​​Sharon Coplan Hurowitz and Amanda Benchley Harvest Label Sling Bag Slate Flosser Camper wool Wabi slippers Signed Ursula Le Guin or Octavia Butler My graphic designer husband who likes quality over quantity, is picky and lives in fear I might buy him clothes as a gift. An architecture or design book from a city you visited over the last year—make it an annual thing? A piece of art or a study from an artist he likes (for something more accessibly priced, depending) Marjolein Delhaas 2024/366 Planner Higonokami Knife Rose Gold wrench Balmuda toaster  Bruno Munari Pencil Holder (with a set of Blackwing or Pineider pencils) Saint Olio body oil Husband - new dad, hates buying himself anything. He's bookish and British, and his interests include cycling, cooking, video games, F1 and the Tottenham Hot Spurs. Everything nice he wears is because I bought it for him. Want to get him something good this year because he's been so underslept and overworked, juggling baby and a new job. Lewis Hamilton Almave Tottenham Hotspurs vintage gear Book repair (as recommended by Lauren in our Geneva last year) WhiteSpacePress on Etsy for vintage Penguin Classics, etc. Fog Linen Brass Cookbook stand or Puebco Cookbook Stand Persol 714 - Original (foldable) sunglasses Blackstock & Weber Loafers Asked for gift ideas for a quar romance a few years ago. We bought a house together this year. He's wonderful. His favorite drink is espresso. He loves Guy Fieri. He plays an Irish sport called hurling. We go on bike rides together and love exploring new places. We both lost our grandmothers this year.  Air Fieri crewneck sweatshirt PillowsPostersPapers Guy Fieri Fan Sequin Pillowcase -we all just need to know this exists Ivo Angel Italian splatterware espresso cups Oaxacan espresso cup Baba Tree bike basket Nocs Provisions Binoculars Wren Off-Road Growler Safety Pizzeta The Expert Grounded Gift Card Kabin Bonfire Builder A custom print of something meaningful to him of his grandmother’s from The Heirloomist Sons Help! I'm desperate for gift ideas for my 22-year-old son. He's a new grad; job hunting, close to securing his first job, just moved home from Montreal. Uni girlfriend relocated from overseas to our hometown Toronto. He's very private. Hates receiving gifts (?!!?). Is gracious at the time he receives but they always find their way to the return pile. Loves a good bargain, and hates that we spend $ on him. Sooooo hard to buy for. Best gift ever was 3 month cheese subscription sent to school last year. Makes fun of the various prints I've bought him. Lots of friends, but very introverted; sporty; foodie; funny; middle child; does not share info, let alone gift ideas; nothing to see here folks, just move-on kinda guy. Help!!!!!! Gift cert for an Island Creek Oysters party with friends (plus a couple of shucking knives) or tinned fish.  Hawkins New York cheese knife set - under $40, looks fancier Ricki's Cheese Making Kits Sowaca Ceramic Cooking Pan The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook by Sohla El-Waylly Restaurant gift certs—something fancy he and the GF would never do on their own like Prime Seafood Palace or just a favorite spot of two of theirs that feels like a treat Luggage! Like the Wallybags Travel Garment Bag, Patagonia Black Hole Duffle Bag, and Alex Mill Perfect Weekday Tote.  Moms/Mother in Laws  Quintessential Midwest mom of 3 adult kids who loves baking, reading, watching PBS shows, musicals, traveling, and getting her steps in walking her two black labs. Has been referred to as the "mommiest mom" in the past. Puts up with a lot of BS from her curmudgeonly husband (my dad). I've given her many kitchen items and books over the years. Favorite brands are things like Emma Bridgewater, Hanna Anderson, and Talbots. I recently moved to NYC, so I'm hoping to get her something that will make her feel less "abandoned" and more cared for. Thank you for any suggestions!!  Met Opera on Demand TEKLA bathrobe Lake Pajamas 50 States, 50 Pies by Stacey Mei Yan Fong  Fresh Midwest: Modern Recipes from the Heartland by Maren Ellingboe King Haden electric tea kettle Galley & Fen oven mitt Vintage PBS shirts Mom, in her mid-50s, a new grandma. Had a really hard year mental health-wise but making positive changes. Goes to therapy but new at it. Loves to be social, have dinners, see movies and Broadway shows. Loves 80s pop music and Jason Isbell. Enjoys trying new things but tends to move on to something else quickly. Molly Mahon block-printing kits Martha Mae How to Paint a Cloud Bundle Nora McInerny's “Don’t honk I’m already crying” bumper magnet - if she has the sense of humor for it! Semikolon 5-Year Diary / Midori 5-year Diary Loftie clock - because of sleep hygiene! Subscription to Mubi or Criterion Collection Subscription to Saipua TV…paired with Saipua Garden Tea that’s made by Deborah Needleman My Mom! She's 70. A former elementary art teacher...retired and living on a budget. We completely mis-gift each other every year. I try to give her nice (not overly luxurious, but nice) scarves, sweaters, earrings, etc and they always flop. My brother and his girlfriend gave her a plastic porch goose and it's her favorite thing ever. She doesn't read. She's crafty but her medium is always changing and usually something very specific like needle felting. Pink Picasso paint-by-numbers custom kits or non-custom ones by Paint Anywhere Art Life Practice Kit Melanie Abrantes DIY Wood Carving Kits Friendly Loom Black and White Potholder Loom Kit  Pattern and supplies to DIY her own porch goose outfits—there’s even a crochet one for making hair for them?! A duck candleholder to go with her porch goose Ok, how about my mom? I'll let you describe her though 😂.. something that's not a cookbook and also maybe not clothes because she buys those for herself anyway… In exchange, I'm sharing a brilliant gift idea (or at least I think so) for someone who likes to cook/bake a lot: mudaustralia.com. They have a line that you can not only bake on but then serve on because it's beautiful ceramic! Mom is a fancy Bay Area retired real estate lawyer w/ incredible taste, loves to cook and bake and is not intimidated by complicated recipes (has cooked basically everything from the Pok Pok cookbook), loves to entertain, has a fondness for cute animals and cute things in general. A good storyteller and letter writer, feels very strongly about thank you notes. A grandmother to two boys and a dog named Steve who dressed up as a martini for Halloween. Fashion sense errs towards high-end FUN— a think: Dries Van Noten, Commes des Garcons, etc. Is a very talented crafter with a whole room very chicly dedicated to it, has been very into needlepoint lately. Also a voracious reader.   Escali Primo Digital Scale  Masienda gift kit Laetitia Rouget Butterfingers Butter Dish Michelle Kim Chicken Mitt Helle Mardahl Espresso Cups TheMagic5 Swim Goggles gift cert  Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect Lena Rewell Throw I need holiday gift help for my boyfriend's mother. A few details about her: She's a professor in the Boston area and an immigrant from a Scandinavian country. She has great taste (homewares, design) and a Scandinavian sense of restrained style -- she's a woman of a certain age after all, not a Copenhagen TikTok girlie. And she has nice-things disease. You know, the stuff in her house is nice. For a general sense of her style, she's always worn Birkenstock Bostons, carries an Everlane backpack to campus, and has functional and pretty cookware (like a beautiful espresso machine). I've struck out on all the gifts I've given her, and I thought I was good at gifting! They include a handmade and hand-painted pottery vase, artisan granola, and Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies (She said she liked her NYer stories, but alas the book didn't work, per her son) She has a dog she's obsessed with, and a beach house, though it's pretty outfitted. Maybe I could try something there? Food and wine/bev gifts are out because of health issues. Message Slides + Socks, for an alt to her Birkenstock Bostons Deiji Flannel Pajamas The Sleep Shirt Malaika x Kneeland Co. Seashell Towel Saint Olio Aromatic Dog Refresher Verloop dog sweater Pogo Pet Bowl Very Christian mother-in-law who writes historical fiction Judy Kim Gingerbread Cookie Wreath Flowers of Provence by Jamie Beck Powder Puff Pullover Bridie Hall Intaglio Soaps In search of gift ideas for my 83-year-old fancyish, but not fussy mother-in-law. Born and raised in DC, still rocks a blond bob, loves hydrangeas, obsessed with bunnies. Raised 5 kids and is over cooking but loves anything with cranberries, nuts and raisins. Hobbies include bowling, Irish dancing, shopping at Aldi, and finding a bargain. Very tech-challenged. Coral & Tusk Bunny Hydrangea Tea Towel Juliet Wine Block Shop Italian Cashmere Wrap Italian marquetry pieces from Litten Tree Antiques Mother Shrub in Cranberry Capital City Mambo Sauce Gift Set Mother-in-law, early 70s, notoriously difficult and anxious, prefers austere things, drinks a lot of black, understated-but-fancy tea, secretly addicted to watching Teen Mom Lea & Nicholas beautifully austere mugs Hot Cool Tokyo Tea Storage Container or Kinto canister Umezawa Hinoki Tissue Box Naoto Fukasawa for Onao Co. Siwa Carryall Bag Bare Hands Dry Gloss Manicure Kit Annie Ernaux books Mother-in-law has a big heart and a big personality. Is from Colombia. Likes blue, good food, and excellent tequila. Plays tennis and has picked up pickleball. Masienda mezcal cups / Kneeland Co. Rarities mezcal cups / Viski Himalayan salt shot glasses Verve Culture Mezcal and Tequila Infusion and Tasting Set Mi Cocina’s denim placemats/potholders/table runners Mark & Graham customizable pickleball bags Chefanie Tennis ball cocktail napkins Picnic Time Parisian Picnic Basket  Junedays cooler Tanchen Wine Bag Laines London tequila slippers Kids Impressing a 5-year-old on Christmas morning without a massive plastic Barbie house Haus or Follies playhouses SMOL bounce houses Wonder & Wise Theater Setup Gathre trampoline Lip Smacker Crayola 24-Piece Lip Balm Vault Eames Giant House of Cards Deck (and create-your-own ones) Ban.Do four in a row All my friends just started having kids. Best gifts for babies under 1 year Nothing - donate in their name to the National Diaper Bank Network Bath crayons Stapelsteins Custom name tags from Label Weavers or Name Bubbles A toddler whose parent wants "less stuff" in the house Consumables! Tattly x Richard Scarry  Twee sidewalk chalk name sets Soap Dough Co (℅ Kyra on IG) Supernatural sprinkles/baking sets The Dough Project Make Your Own Playdough Kit Two nephews, 2nd grade and 4th grade. Live in the Midwest. They both like video games. My sister-in-law and brother are recently teaching them that "expensive college isn't worth it" (even though my brother went to two expensive colleges and is a successful lawyer). I adamantly disagree. They play soccer, and violin (I also play violin). They don't seem to like sweets or treats unless it's pure sugar. They visit us and my parents in the mountains in Colorado often so they appreciate the outdoors but try not to go into it very much unless my parents force them to go backpacking. I don't want to buy them anything they expect, or that my SiL might throw away or think is too expensive. This is also kind of a gift guide request for my SIL if you're catching on to what she's like, too… Anyway Mag Subscription  Junior HappyMe Journal, for ages 6-12 Bo and Mei Lunar New Year Celebration Boxes Custom Chuck Taylors Stylophone S1 Pocket Synthesizer and e-Blox Circuit Blox 120 Build Your Own Sound Machine and Radio  Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Flik Flak Watches MMX Marshmallow Crossbow Who’s She? Board Game See you next week for part 2! 

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 from the best with MasterClass and get an additional 15% off an annual membership with our link. YAY.

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% off your first month with our link. Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou. YAY.

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 by this Claudia Sulewski TikTok, Curaprox toothbrushes (this travel set!), and the Slate Flosser.  Which True Citrus are you? Did The White Gown traumatize you as much as it traumatized us? Please let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva! Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou. Look into an MBA from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Join Book of the Month and get your first book for just $5 with the code SPOOKY. YAY.

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.