Has perfectionism jumped the shark? And how do we remember names when we start meeting new people again?! Clearly, we have a lot of questions (and some answers).

When we can all go out in the world again, will we be getting dressed up? And what will “dressed up” even mean?! Oh, do we have questions—and some answers—about re-entry fashion...and also about kombucha titan GT Dave.

We’ve got Mateo Askaripour, author of the extremely buzzy novel Black Buck, with us today—and, hey, we also showed up with our best going-away gift ideas for a stellar boss who perhaps deserves a travel mug thingy emblazoned with his catchphrase.

You know what’s a grab bag? An episode on nineties screensavers, long breakfasts, box cutters, and recipes we’re embarrassed to share. Join us!

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but, well, we’re totally getting ahead of ourselves: Is anyone else a little clenchy about having social lives again...sometime soon? Another topic of discussion: the beauty products Erica has on rotation—top threes instead of HGs!—from sunscreens to deep conditioners.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that we won’t shut up about romance novels? Well, this week we’re chatting it up with Talia Hibbert, one of our favorite writers of the genre, about telling diverse stories, shaping conversations about consent, and writing good sex. But first: Does Erica have too many coffee devices? You be the judge.

What bras, tahini, and shaving cream do we swear by? WELL! You’ve come to the right place. Before we get into our Thingies winners: a discussion of the absolute insanity of sprinkles in 2021.

Something we’re quite sure of: what makes a good in-app workout instructor. Something we’re quite unsure about: what our thirties are meant to look like in this day ‘n age. Kayleen Schaefer has many, many thoughts on the latter. Tune in and then dig into her new book But You’re Still So Young (yes, incredible title).

Breaking news: Erica is still not having kids—but she does have some fresh thoughts on the subject, especially as many of her pals tackle parenthood. And! If you’d like a shot before your chaser, let us tell you all about The Roommate, porny and praise-worthy.

If you’re not already a devotee of Julia Turshen and her cookbooks—her latest, Simply Julia, is out next week!—well, consider this your initiation into the fan club. We’re talking with her about “healthy” and “comfort”—loaded food words, for certain!—and because we’re geniuses who knew this topic would make us hungry, we’re starting things off with a snack taste test.

What a pleasure it is to bring you all Dr. Ben Michaelis, who we think of as ⅓ management coach, ⅓ therapist, and ⅓ couples counselor (at least in our case). We’ve been seeing this guy—together!—for five-ish years, and he’s helped us to navigate much in our lives, professional and personal. Speaking of navigating, we’re kicking-off the episode by answering an age-old question: “What sort of thank-you gift do I get my snake-sitter?!”

What an educational ep: Erica teaches Claire about Craigslist scams, and Claire schools Erica on the wild, wild world of baby registries. (Can you want a leopard-print carrier and not an infant??)

The two of us think and talk a lot about ~the state of media~, and we figured it was about time we discussed it with a genuine expert. Enter stage left: the thoughtful and incredibly incisive Delia Cai, who writes the newsletter we always open Deez Links (and is a growth and trends editor at BuzzFeed by day—so clearly she’s on top of all the things.) We also figured it was ‘bout time to discuss Claire’s experience with Whole30, at least as it relates to their insurrection content.

To answer the question of many a comedy-club promoter in Times Square: Yes, we do love to laugh. And one sure-fire way to get us howling is reading anything written by R. Eric Thomas—or chatting with the man himself, turns out. But up first: some toddler funny business.

We are nothing if not (professional) enthusiasts, and we figured it was ‘bout time that we shared some products we think are best in category—from brow pencils to baby bouncers, dental floss to pasta. Join us for the Thingies! In the future, we hope our awards programming includes a red-carpet pre-show.

Let’s talk about depression—how we feel when it comes on and how we deal. Let’s talk resources, from books to therapy platforms to IG follows, for anxiety, grief, bipolar disorder, and postpartum disorders. Let’s just talk about mental health more in general, right?

Let’s kick off 2021 with a true grab bag of an episode! Because who else will tell you allllll the things they’re making/eating with rice, why they’re fascinated by hospital go bag content, and how exactly they’ve been making money over the last year, all in one go??

We’ve been following the career of Alisha Ramos since she was in college—so, um before she technically had a career. If you haven’t spotted her two businesses Girls’ Night In, a newsletter ‘n community for women who love to stay in, and Whiled, a line of cheery, artsy puzzles, everywhere you turn recently, then your pandemic experience has been very different from ours. But before we get into it all with her: Let us discuss how dumplings (the sweatpants of food?) became such a vibe.

We’ve dedicated a helluva lot of our 2020 brain space to 1) the election and 2) romance novels. Who sits at the intersection of those two realms? American hero Stacey Abrams, who has written eight—eight!—of the latter under the name Selena Montgomery. We’re talking about one of them, Reckless, today. Another thing we’re getting into: books that aren’t technically for kids but that kids can take a lot from. A real page-turner of an ep!

If, like us, you’ve been following Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham’s work for years ‘n years, you’re going to really relish digging into Black Futures, the sweeping anthology they created together. This week, we’re chatting with the duo about celebrating Blackness, developing a friendship over the course of a creative collaboration, and, um, mispronouncing words. Oh, and before they join us, we’re discussing why really big versions of things make good gifts.