10 Things We're Doing Besides Finding That Work-Wife Balance

erica’s things

• Roasting carrots in seven minutes flat with the help of a spiralizer and this winner of a recipe.

• Kicking off the weekend with a 30-minute facial at Heyday...and imagining a world where this could become a semi-regular thing.

• Counting down the days ‘til the 2017 U.S. Open (good thing I’m stellar at counting!). Think I can validate purchasing a bottle of Chambord to serve up (heh) the punny and oddly delicious signature cocktail, the Honey Deuce, in the meantime?

• Praising whoever created this free invoice generator—because why not make that process as easy as possible.

• Feeling so much more informed about cycles of poverty in American cities thanks to Matthew Desmond’s gripping Evicted, which follows eight families and two landlords grappling with the rental-housing realities in Milwaukee.

claire’s things

• Drumming up serious enthusiasm for the absolute superstars of Brooklyn United marching band and danceline—and knowing that from now on any party where they don’t perform is going to be little bit of a let-down.

• Telling Us Weekly to watch its back because The Ringer’s Jam Session podcast is coming for it. Think: If A Few Things was exclusively about celebrity gossip.

• Conducting a trust-fall-free team retreat in a ridiculously convenient and chicly outfitted Breather space.

• Thinking LaCroix fan art has definitely peaked with the launch of this site that lets you design your own can.

• Discovering that jumbo paper clips make a surprisingly elegant gift wrap accessory. Use ‘em to attach greeting cards to ribbon or other surfaces—just don’t tell washi tape I told you because I don’t want it getting jealous.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Smudging this goodness on my cheeks, my lips, and any other parts of my mug that need some cheering up.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Thinking Up Witty Subject Lines

erica’s things

• Sweating the concept of The Heirloomist, which gives keepsakes the larger-than-life status they deserve in the form of rad, poster-size still-life photos.

• Brightening up my towels 'n tees with The Laundress Whites Detergent. Next up, I'll de-wrinkle clothes with some ice cubes.

• Looking for more, more reading material on Jesse Krimes, an artist who produced work during a 70-month jail sentence using prison soap and bedsheets that is showing right now in NYC.

• Counting down the days 'til Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk hits theaters. MAN, did I love that book—do right by it, Ang Lee, plz and thx.

claire’s things

• Giving gravity—and stress—the ole heave-ho for an hour by hanging out in a pitch-dark, epsom-salt-filled float pod.

• Banking a new party trick: Shoving my phone in people's faces to show them the money shot from this cents-less accident.

• Passing out copies of The New Better Off to friends, and not just because I'm dying to talk about it with anyone who will listen—it's an immensely useful and comprehensive consideration of the changing standards we're all holding ourselves to.

• Revisiting a high-school love affair...with Ally McBeal. Late nineties fashions, early Jane Krakowski, and that dancing baby—a perfectly escapist time capsule.

Other people's things (aka #my10things—submit away!):

• Drinking oh-so-much more ginger tea: These frozen cubes (available at Trader Joe's!) deliver that spicy goodness, no peeling required. Discovered by @therussianist.

• Getting all hopped-up on two bun-tastic discoveries: the existence of rabbit speed-dating (discovered by @marysunnymccoy) and these bags that disguise your junk as a lop-eared bundles of joy (discovered by @wenxiao.guo.tiano).

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Thanking Erica's mom (!!!) for discovering the ceramicist who made this stunning creation.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Taking 25% off Select Jewelry—’Til Tonight!

erica’s things

• Contemplating stripping a wall bare so that I can hang one of Lily Stockman's goooorge paintings over my couch.

• Sprinkling this on all of the things—it tastes like a paprika and crushed red pepper mash-up.

• Committing to my washi tape by buying it a dispenser; feeling very good about our relationship status.

• Fearing the return of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark—the catalyst for many a childhood nightmare—which is apparently getting both a feature film and a documentary, Google told me.

• Spending possibly (definitely) too much time with #goatyoga after seeing this.

claire’s things

• Mainling all six chapters of Framed, a Serial-meets-Big Little Lies true-crime story from the LA Times.

• Feeling that new-school-year excitement for the first time in awhile, thanks to iMentor, a crazily impressive program that hooks you up with a HS student to help them get on the road to—and through—college. (Pssst: They especially need more male mentors!)

• Giving my wedding dress a new life as a navy garment, courtesy of the same dyeing studio responsible for all sorts of fancy (and colorful) high-fashion moments.

• Aspiring to be more like Nancy Spector, chief curator of the Brooklyn Museum and all-around inspiration on everything from career to art to feminism to parenting.

• Working out all sorts of knots and kinks with this golf-ball-sized thing, which I should probably just keep in my purse at all times.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Stocking up on these because I really like sending birthday cards and really don't like shopping for them.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Binge-Listening

erica’s things

• Ruminating on Equity, an incisive, knowing Wall Street movie with three—three!—female leads (and women in the roles of director, producer, and investor, too).

• Encountering a new wine list category, snuggled in right between white and rosé: flor, for fino sherries and other nutty, dry, 'n earthy stuff that gets its flavors from certain yeasts.

• Giving some structure to my fall boot search. Parcel lets you round up shopping picks, set budgets, mark things as purchased—smart, smart.

• Wiping the dry-erase marker outta my life. It's about the whiteboard crayon, kids.

claire’s things

• Listening in on a delightfully awkward interaction between two coworkers who got into a somewhat public spat before they found themselves at the same company.

• Feeling outdone by a doll—my style will never be as good as this.

• Keeping my summer kicks bright and white all the way through Labor Day thanks to this magical stuff.

• Really wishing this list had existed when we were starting Of a Kind.

Other people's things (aka #my10things—submit away!):

• Flying our flag with this gorgeous collection of alternate takes on the stars and stripes, submitted to the Eisenhower administration after the additions of Hawaii and Alaska in 1958 and 1959. Discovered by @jessjmccormack.

• Rocking the on-the-rocks game ℅ this slick and sturdy silicone ice cube tray. It even has a lid to block out weird freezer smells. Discovered by @em_c_nola.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Playing favorites when it comes to our latest releases—I discovered this artist when one of her pieces was on display in a friend's home, perfectly situated next to a painting by my late Grandma Shirley, who would have loved her kindred take on color and perspective.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Giving You 10 Bucks for Your Thoughts

erica’s things

• Questioning my commitment to this newsletter: How have I never shouted-out Califia Farms Coconut Almondmilk Blend here? After downing about a hundred (unsweetened) bottles, I think I can say it’s been vetted.

• Dog-earring this membership to gift to the readers in my life: Each month, very plugged-in judges serve up five book options, you pick one, and it shows up in the mail.

• Snuggling up to Toymail, which makes it possible for kids to send voice memos using cute critters instead of a phone.

• Falling back on this no-recipe summer salad more weeks than not: Slice up some stone fruit and tomatoes, cut the kernels off a couple ears of steamed corn, toss all that in a tangy dressing, and add some cheese—feta if you’re feeling something light or burrata if you’re really going for it.

claire’s things

• Backing this gorgeous and thoughtful tribute to women Olympians who, as Ann Friedman notes, were inspiring well beyond just their physical feats in Rio.

• Placing bets on a friend’s unborn child. Don’t worry, we’ll put the winnings towards his college fund and all that.

• Waiting patiently for a new issue of the extremely sporadic and hilarious Janooz You Can Use. The most recent installment was a real doozy.

• Bookmarking this extra-special podcast ep about running as spiritual practice for anytime my motivation starts to falter—it manages to hit allll the notes (and a few tearducts, too, IIBH).

Other people's things (aka #my10things—submit away!):

• Faking a trip to Cuba (hey, no airfare required!) via the new VR short A History of Cuban Dance. It's a very good excuse to rumba, salsa, and reggaeton in your living room with a Google Cardboard pressed against your face. Discovered by @jeffreyabramson.

• Putting a lid on that pantry mess with these jadeite jars—'cause those fall recipes are gonna be all about makin' it grain. Discovered by our own @elsheldo.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Adding one of these to my nightstand to catch the earrings I so often forget to take off before I fall into bed (why is that?).

10 Things We're Doing Besides Getting Down

erica’s things

• Flashing a glowy smile: This teeth-whitening situation is the easiest I've encountered—no strips, no lasers!—and it doesn't make your chompers sensitive, either.

• Using the soupy weather as an excuse to spend a Sunday with some A/C and an awesome novel, The Unseen World, about virtual reality, Alzheimer's, identity, and the experience of being a teenage girl.

• Thinking about the I-can't-believe-it's-not-gluten banana bread from Two Hands in Tribeca, oh, daily—and the espresso mascarpone that tops it, too.

• Posing a question to the fitness gods: Why hasn't some boutique studio concept popped up around the Skip-It? In the meantime, do I buy one or just hum the jingle? (Ok, two questions, turns out.)

claire’s things

• Cheering on the launch of Ladies Get Paid. The name says it all.

• Plotting how to get away with planning a company retreat in the South of France—this dreamily designed, absurdly charming little spot could sleep our entire team for a dime.

• And, in the meantime, channeling my inner Francophile with a newly developed taste for pastis, a refreshing, not-to-sweet (and anise-y!) aperitif that tastes like summer. Give Henri Bardouin a try.

• Finding solutions to a perplexing interior-design riddle: Where does one find a good-looking shower curtain? The answers are Coyuchi and Quiet Town.

Other people's things (aka #my10things—submit away!):

• Solving our "How can I possibly use up this much kohlrabi?!" dilemmas with The CSA Cookbook, stuffed with brillz recipes (like tomato-leaf pesto!) to make the most of everything in that weekly haul. Discovered by Jori.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Dressing-up my humidity hair top-knot by slapping on these guys where I'd usually put a few bobby pins—makes it look like I tried, right?

10 Things We're Doing Besides Playing the Pajama Game

erica’s things

• Repelling the mosquitoes with this Zoe Organics bug spray, made with a bunch of (weirdly good-smelling) oils that I feel great about rubbing all over my limbs.

• Marveling at the fact that the woman responsible for Chilewich (you know, the placemats?) also cofounded the tights line Hue.

• Gobbling up this eggplant concoction—secret ingredient: honey. It's the bee's knees.

• Cozying up to Lingua Franca's way-cool cashmere embroidery. Teach me, teach me!

claire’s things

• Telling RBG to watch her back: Terry Gross is fast becoming the internet's favorite feminist, complete with iconic merch and a quote generator.

• Not tearing up at all watching just-married pals twirl across the floor to a song you thought you knew 'til you heard the acoustic version.

• Cruisin' around France with a sleek new suitcase that solves for just about everything except my over-packing habit. I mean: The thing has a charging station built into it.

• Getting some pro-tips on how to get a good interview out of Kanye (just in case!) ℅ the Longform podcast ep with celeb profile heavy-hitter Zach Baron.

Other people's things (aka #my10things—submit away!):

• Dreaming of vacation vibes near our home shores with A-Team Paddleboarding, which offers group lessons in the Rockaways, 45 minutes from NYC. Discovered by @mathildepanaget.

• Getting our eight glasses a day in the most adorable way: The Plant Nanny app tracks your water consumption with the help of some dang cute potted avatars. Discovered by our own @tinybloom!

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Awaiting the day when Claire and I both show up to the office wearing this.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Gitting ‘Er Done

erica’s things

• Counting the number of hours my parent friends would save by signing up for Rockets of Awesome—charming ‘n cute kids clothes show up in the mail, and you only pay for what you keep.

• Cooking up extra rice just so I can have some leftover to fry it up with whatever else is chillin’ in my produce drawer.

• Finding a reason to blabber even more about my favorite bodega greengrocer, Mr. Melon. Appreciate the backup, Lucky Peach.

• Using “non-complementary behavior” in a sentence after listening to a totally gripping Invisibilia episode about the power of flipping the script.

claire’s things

• Getting to know Susan Kare, the woman who designed some majorly recognizable computer icons, including the Mac system failure bomb and your favorite pre-Facebook timesuck: Windows Solitaire (now available as a real card deck!).

• Delighting in an everyday water pitcher (carafe, if you’re fancy) more than I ever thought possible. The ergonomics! The aesthetics! The size! All perfect.

• Feeling like a real dummy that I haven’t been destemming kale this game-changing way the whole time—did everyone know about this but me?

• Daydreaming about the fish tacos at Fatty Daddy, a total hole-in-the-wall on Smith Street in Brooklyn, NY.

Other people's things:

• Telling every woman we know (especially mothers-to-be!) to do their compensation and maternity-leave research on Fairygodboss. Discovered (and co-founded by) @samksam.

• Minimizing our hot-weather stove time with Heidi Swanson's protein-packed, five-minute egg-y quesadillas. Discovered by upcoming Of a Kind designer (!) @carleen_us.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Secreting this—I’ve been dreaming of the comeback of the anklet since 2012, you should know.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Making Wedding Registries Great Again

erica’s things

• Remembering what's so GD lovable about McSweeney's after chuckling my way through "Etiquette Tips for Women Who Insist on Aging" and "Casting Notice for New Female Talent."

• Banishing all the threatening messages about the state of my startup disk with CleanMyMac, which basically de-gunks your comp of the files that definitely don't spark joy.

• Discovering flower imprinting—it's like tie-dyeing and bouquet-making had a baby (definitely a water birth).

• Demanding an episode of Lip Sync Battle with Naomi Campbell after seeing her in this.

claire’s things

• Dropping everything when The Genius Layer newsletter hits my inbox. Leah Finnegan nails it every time. Someone give that woman a talk show.

• Perfecting the art of power napping with the Pzizz app. If you're like me, turn the voice function off and just let the soundtrack do the trick.

• Falling down a rabbit hole on For New York—a local's guide to indie businesses that's making me really want to get out and rediscover the city I've lived in for 10 years.

• Calling all pencil-obsessed people: There's a home for you on the internet.

Other people's things:

• Finding a whole lotta boxing inspiration in Claressa Shields and these knock-out Society Nine gloves. Discovered by @azlant.

• Considering a move to Iceland, care of this charming guide 'bout raising kids there—what's not to like about a country where newborns learn to swim and, um, everyone believes in elves?! Discovered (and published) by @joannagoddard.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Appreciating honesty in any form.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Going Beyond

erica’s things

• Contemplating how to make this John Oliver segment assigned viewing for anyone lucky enough to have a retirement account. I'm calling the genre 401(k)omedy.

• Freaking on behalf of my nine-year-old self, who would have melted at the chance to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in South Dakota for an outdoor production of The Long Winter. (For now: I'm filling the calico-and-sugar-snow void by revisiting this.)

• Subscribing for weekly installments of the funniest beauty-product reviews I ever did read.

• Tending to my miniscule balcony garden with this sleek, timeless, and right-size watering can—the mint and tomato plants seem to really perk up when they see it coming.

claire’s things

• IDing the anchors of the the perfect pantry pasta: These noodles give fresh ones a very serious run for their money, and these canned tomatoes are A+ and DOP-certified.

• Spending 24 hours in Cincinnati—plenty of time to be totally surprised and impressed by how much cool stuff has popped up there recently, which, it turns out, was no accident.

• Living for Mondays now that I've discovered Spencer Pratt's (aka @prattspencer) amazing, bizarre Snapchat reviews of Us Weekly. Thank me later.

• Cutting down on caffeine crashes by replacing my second cup of coffee with Runa, which still gives me a legit jolt, just in a somewhat smoother and longer-lasting fashion.

Other people's things:

• Lurkin' on Ed Ruscha's omelet game and Edwidge Danticat's soup style in the unexpected and thoughtful new version of The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook that's very worth a pre-order. Discovered (and authored!) by @nevegarrett.

• Getting our recommended eight glasses a day thanks to Mountain Valley Spring Water, the American answer to Perrier—retro green glass bottle and all. Discovered by @afatula.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Telling my down comforter to chill for awhile and falling asleep under this July-appropriate gloriousness instead.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Grieving

erica’s things

• Wanting to see the script for the thoughtful, funny, and dialogue-very-light play Small Mouth Sounds, about six people at a silent retreat.

• Landing on the best way to cook dry beans. (And, no, it does not involve overnight soaking.)

• Looking into the future: Behold, Shazam for fonts.

• Glimpsing into the inner workings of my chain restaurant of choice, Chili's, a place where many a fajita-and-free-soda-refill memory were made.

claire’s things

• Getting the answer to a question that has plagued me regularly for years: Which load of laundry do you put the striped shirts in?

• Leaving it to master entertainer Frida Kahlo to have had a plate-lickingly good zucchini salad recipe.

• Bookmarking this list of 100 black-owned restaurants and bars in NYC—Ode to Babel is a favorite, and The Crabby Shack has been at the top of my summer to-do list.

• Feeeeeling Emma Cline's reflections on a childhood obsession: Archie Comics. (And, admittedly, being comforted by the fact that I'm not the only weirdo who spent way too much time reading and re-reading them.)

Other people's things:

• Banishing beach-hair knots in the shower with the J&D Duet Wet Brush—a cult fave that we keep hearing about all over the place. Discovered by @kaitlyn.1031.

• Getting the flight outta dodge, like, now: The genius new app GTFO lists the best round-trip deals leaving from your city in the next 24 hours. Discovered by our own @sallytherose.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Saving a friend's day (and outfit) while getting gussied-up for a fancy event because I happened to have these magic things in my bag.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Taking 30% off Editions

erica’s things

• Coming late to Mary McCarthy’s The Group, a 50-year-old novel about a posse of besties from Vassar class of ‘33 and their post-college days in NYC that’s so a precursor to Sex and the City and Girls.

• Tossing some gluten-free pizzas on the grill: This dough is where it’s at (and, if you ask me, pineapples and pepperoncini make great, if controversial, toppings).

• Finding some unlikely elegance in New York’s litter-strewn everything. Behold, the Periodic Table of NYC Trash.

• Remembering all the words to a song of the summer of 1996...that has very much earned a revival two decades (!!!) later, courtesy of Betty Who.

• Shoving some watermelon in a blender, straining it into a juice, mixing it with tequila and lime, and calling it a cocktail.

claire’s things

• Wishing I liked bananas more because, damn, they make cute dolphins.

• Slamming shots of ginger and adding drops of peppermint oil to the tub in an attempt to stave off the symptoms of a summer cold.

• And, relatedly: Feeling remarkably fond of what is hands-down the best hot/cold pack on the block.

• Pre-ordering the crap out of Julia Turshen’s Small Victories—if the fact that she co-authored everyone’s go-to cookbook doesn’t convince you to follow suit, this charming interview might.

• Flipping straight to the back page whenever a new issue of Bloomberg Businessweek shows up because, yes, I do want to know how someone ends up becoming the CEO of Build-a-Bear (and Girl Scouts and BET and UFC…).

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Slipping one of these into my carry-on as a hostess gift...and treating myself to nice-smelling luggage as an added bonus.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Climbing Aboard the RSS Of a Kind

erica’s things

• Feeling a bit of a seventies moment after gobbling up the latest issue of Gather Journal, filled with Rumours, Bob Mackie, Pop Rocks, Three’s Company, and, oh yah, recipes.

• Playing a game—and not just because of its purty design. Something tells me Machi Koro is going to be a Settlers of Catan-style hit very soon.

• Getting a taste of the Minneapolis grain-to-booze scene at Norseman Distillery (strawberry-rhubarb gin!) and Fair State Brewing Cooperative (hibiscus sour beer!).

• Twisting open a jar of superior pesto. Now, for my next trick: not using it all up in a week.

claire’s things

• Reaching for my earbuds whenever Of a Kind designer and music junkie Kaelen Haworth publishes a new Spotify playlist. Her summer mix is my current go-to.

• Cruisin’ for a cavity ℅ of Sweet Saba’s seriously delightful (and beautiful!) works of art.

• Leveling-up my mom’s knitting hobby with custom labels for the top-notch sweaters she churns out.

• Ticking-off a bucket-list item with a meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and walking away with some (uh, less expensive) news you can use: That savory yogurt of theirs that I’m always giving side-eye at fancy groceries is actually delicious. The squash flavor makes an A+ afternoon snack.

Other people's things:

• Rejoicing for fellow introverts everywhere upon discovering Silent Book Club—it's BYOB (bring your own book), there are zero points for class participation, and you NEVER have to host. Discovered by @kristinapp.

• Wishing FarmRaiser existed when we were kids—the genius service connects students with farmers so they can fundraise by selling carrots instead of candy bars. Pretty fresh, huh? Discovered by @ligisini.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Feeling relieved that I can finally answer “Of a Kind” to the myriad people who ask me where I got this stunner that’s always on my shoulder.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Having and Holding

erica’s things

• Experiencing oddly warm ‘n fuzzy feelings about my new dishwashing powder. Listen, it just really works.

• Seeking the answer to a question that has haunted me all of us for decades: Scott Speedman or Scott Foley?

• Mastering the art of cooking scallops. The trick, ℅ Mario Batali, is only searing them on one side. AHA.

• Buying tix to see Maren Morris, my favorite up-and-coming country act (and I’m not alone in my affections, either).

claire’s things

• Remembering a time when Vanessa Lachey was Vanessa Minnillo and you didn’t even have to use Google to remember who that was.

• Getting a business crush on Miss Info after meeting her and falling even harder after reading her whole backstory.

• Going through a real caesar salad phase (addiction?) and deciding there’s really only one recipe worth following—Mark Bittman’s, of course.

• Pledging allegiance to a new hair-styling cream—the first silicon-free one I’ve found that really pulls its weight.

Other people's things:

• Finding a silver lining in all this election craziness, in the form of the brilliant BallotReady—which provides "just the facts, ma'am" info on where every candidate on your local ballot stands. Discovered by @maggiestohler.

• Taking baby-gift crib notes (ha) from The NightLight—and suggesting all our expecting-mom friends bookmark it, stat. Discovered by @notjaneclaire.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Proclaiming my loyalty to bar soap of all stripes. I hear it’s staging a comeback—so, like, alert your loofah.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Asking For Your Things

erica’s things

• R&Ring in Northern Italy: If you’re into quiet pools and citrus trees and pesto binges, I highly recommend taking your tush to Prati Palai on Lake Garda and/or Villa Rosmarino in Camogli.

• Rooting for Racquet Magazine, which promises to very coffee-table worthy, right next to those issues of Cherry Bombe and The Gentlewoman. Ace idea.

• Switching my cocktail allegiances from a classic negroni to the negroni sbagliato, where prosecco stands in for gin and lightens things up a whole heck of a lot.

• Forgetting to send a bday card before leaving USPS territory and calling on Postable to take care of that like a hero.

• Anxiously awaiting corn season—and, until then, feasting my eyeballs on this crazy-stunning glass gem variety.

claire’s things

• Staying young and computer-savvy by learning all the keyboard shortcuts with Cheatsheet.

• Preparing for aunty-status as some of my closest friends near their due dates and hoping to be half as chic as the ones featured in Meera Sethi’s work—on display now in Toronto...and in coloring-book form!

• Lugging Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing with me everywhere I go in case I have a free minute to crack it open. Worth the sore shoulder and then some.

• Wanting to add roasted, mandolin-ed broccoli to every recipe I make ever, but sticking to just this one for now.

• Doing a deep-dive into the amazing history of Marimekko (Giorgio Armani makes a cameo!) after learning that the company is 94% women.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Playing favorites: This guy’s got my heart, but I wouldn’t kick any of ‘em out of bed.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Carding All Dads

erica’s things

• Prepping for vacation by setting up If This, Then That hacks—like one to text me when I get messages from certain email addresses so that I keep my nose outta my inbox .

• Crowning this pea pesto with pasta my what’s-in-the-freezer, steamy-kitchen dinner king.

• Learning a lot about the history of dating from the book Labor of Love. Such as: Didya know that in 1965 T.G.I. Friday’s was the first ever straight singles bar, modeled after the gay bars in NYC’s West Village?

• Feeling both pride and shame for having purchased these somehow-fancy shipping labels. They really do make living that boxes-in, boxes-out ecomm lyfe so much easier.

• Drinking up the goofy and bright blog Wine. All the Time, the only thing that’s ever made me want to read vino reviews.

claire’s things

• Vowing (for real this time) to never be without an emergency stash of my migraine pills because the seriously brilliant, stupidly simple Capsule Pharmacy has taken away every last excuse I had left.

• Finally understanding the whole YouTube personality thing—the hilarious and charming Evelyn from the Internets cracked it open for me. Start with this gem of a Beyoncé tribute.

• Picking up the pieces of my blown mind after discovering Hands On Everyday, which appears to meet me exactly where I’m at with my graphic-design needs.

• Declaring this seriously inspirational Instagram account the final push I needed to get with the program and start watching Murder She Wrote.

• Getting impatient for the Olympics because I can only watch this Simone Biles video on repeat so many times before I’m going to need some fresh material.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Squeezing in an emergency pedicure: I went about 10 days without this polish on ma toes, and it felt way too long.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Truly, Madly, Deeply Discounting

erica’s things

• Having a real frittata moment—you don’t have to saute or anything to throw together this shaved asparagus winner or this smoked salmon eggs-celence.

• Opening all the tabs when a new installment of Undrrated hits my inbox.

• Ignoring the NBA Playoffs completely...but paying some mind to basketball courts, which, turns out, can be so very pretty.

• Stumbling upon the chillest, loveliest brunch scene I ever did see at Blooming Hill Farm, 60 miles and, ya know, worlds away from Manhattan.

• Tearing through the novel Rich and Pretty in a day. Rumaan Alam hits on something really real about female friendship—so plz don’t let the fact that he’s a dude dissuade you.

claire’s things

• Working my way through the extensive Design Matters archives and getting to spend some quality earbud time with a few of my favorite illustrators as a result—Lisa Congdon, Maira Kalman, and Alison Bechdel among them.

• Resolving to spray more and sun less now that there’s a Sugared and Bronzed nearby.

• Feeling like a real dummy for not realizing sooner that everyone’s favorite French onion dip is the perfect candidate for a Greek yogurt-as-sour cream substitute.

• Finding the perfect midday snack—and tons of tempting takeaways, from condiments to candles—at Miscelanea, a tiny little jewelbox Mexican grocery and cafe in NYC’s East Village.

• Surprising nobody by falling for the latest gimmicky workout routine, Orangetheory—perfect for anyone who loves a side of data with their calisthenics. If that’s not your bag, try this: It’s a boot camp that doesn’t make you want to throw up or pass out.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Sizing up this guy as a truly ideal travel companion for my upcoming summer tourist-ing plans.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Refreshing our Routines

erica’s things

• Suddenly seeing Jonathan Gardner’s art all over the place—and feeling great about that.

• Telling my immersion blender to get with the program ‘cause this watermelon-tomato gazpacho is going to be in heavy rotation as we head into the too-hot-to-cook months.

• Finding a reason to look forward to August: The Get Down, a Netflix series about the seventies Bronx origin of hip hop as directed by Baz Luhrmann, looks whoa. (And gimme more, more about the costuming, please!)

• Battling a sore throat and proclaiming my loyalties to Ricola’s Honey-Herb Drops in the process: They’re neither too medicinal-tasting nor sacchariny.

• SMH-ing at just how many movies I saw in theaters in 1996, the year the summer blockbuster really came into its own, turns out. I’d like to take some credit (blame?) for making this happen as a bored middle-schooler in the suburbs flush with babysitting cash.

claire’s things

• Dealing with the stink downside of my sockless running habit by spritzing this powerful stuff liberally.

• Taking away one important piece of intel from NYC Design Week: Fake flowers are back, and they’re actually cute now.

• Feeling like I had no choice but to squander a Saturday night (and a handful of brain cells, no doubt) consuming Vanderpump Rules after both The New York Times and The New Yorker published endorsements of it. The show exemplifies my new favorite (and surprisingly useful) term: “sexy high school.”

• ….And attempting to balance that binge by watching the truly wonderful—and considerably more high-brow—Nora Ephron documentary.

• Drooling over all of the gorgeously minimal pieces that emerged from Shaker Design Project’s “Furnishing Utopia” workshop. Gimme those baskets.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Struggling to believe we still have any of these around. Maybe I need to ask my plants to write personal testimonials (ideally incorporating phrases like “favorite watering hole” and “best buds”)?

10 Things We're Doing Besides Sending You to Nashville

erica’s things

• Funding a book called Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls—ya had me at Serena Williams. (I mean, you always have me at Serena Williams.)

• Finding a way to cope with an aBUNdance of unBEARably rainy days.

• Venturing trepidatiously into the world of homemade gluten-free breads. Those Hemsley + Hemsley sisters make it easy, though—and related: Their latest cookbook is real, real good.

• Celebrating the return of Cribs (to, erm, Snapchat) by grinning my way through this Destiny’s Child ep from *the year 2000*.

• Skipping shampoos by subbing in dpHue’s ACV hair rinse for suds on alternating days. And I don’t think my head even smells like salad dressing, so there!

claire’s things

• Having serious indecision problems when it comes to planning my next vacation, but trying to narrow down my options via the Hitlist app.

• Admiring my husband’s new frames, courtesy of the eyewear geniuses at Gogosha in L.A. They’ve got a stellar selection from independent designers and an insanely efficient system for helping to determine your perfect pair.

• Trying out a whole slew of running shoes over the past year and landing back at these super-light and super-tight ones.

• Making bedtime reading out of each of the chapters in designer Michael Beirut’s How to… book. The one on the 2000 election is a real winner.

• Thanking the Amazon.com gods: My favorite Japanese popocorn is finally, FINALLY accessible stateside. If you only ever take one piece of snack-related advice from me, let it be this one.

turn it up to 11—from claire!

• Leaving cleaning supplies out on the counter on purpose.

10 Things We're Doing Besides Hiatus-ing

erica’s things

• Getting outta bed with no snoozing (!!!) due to the very annoying and very effective Kiwake app.

• Experiencing history with a nice UX: Histography.io makes events chronicled on Wikipedia all navigable and pretty.

• Raging about capital punishment and our oh-so-flawed criminal justice system while reading Bryan Stevenson’s *important* Just Mercy.

• Doing so much—too much?—internet research: What to buy? What travel to plan?

• Snacking on lupini beans. The pitch: They’re kind of like Italian edamame.

claire’s things

• Learning to shuck my own shells at Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market on the North Fork of Long Island.

• Keeping with tradition—specifically the anniversary one that dictates cotton for year two of marriage—by getting my guy a gift certificate for a custom-fitted shirt from the tailoring-obsessed experts at Kamakura.

• Learning, via a thoughtful essay from Grace Bonney, that my all-white-everything interior-design tendencies are bathed in controversy. Who knew?!

• Rethinking my judgy stance on store-bought bloody mary mix thanks to some guy named Curt.

• Loving this fashion-nerd deep-dive into the big-picture thinking and tiny, granular details that go into the creation of a Met Gala look.

turn it up to 11—from erica!

• Accumulating a stash of this wrapping paper—it’s so happy-making and, since it comes in newsprint-style sheets, easy to store.