Gift Guide Part 1: Boyfriends, Husbands, Kids, and Pickleball Parents
Part 1 of our gift guide is here! We have an abundance of recs for stocking stuffers, boyfriends, husbands, moms, sons, and kids!
Part 1 of our gift guide is here! We have an abundance of recs for stocking stuffers, boyfriends, husbands, moms, sons, and kids!
the linkage:
Stocking Stuffers
“We are only doing stockings for adults this year - all the fun stocking stuffers, please.”
Favorite musician merch - Olivia Rodrigo Perfect All-American Bitch hat
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?!
Hoto Brushless Drill - .like the Dyson hairdryer of drills!
Open Studio: Do-It-Yourself Art Projects by Contemporary Artists by Sharon Coplan Hurowitz and Amanda Benchley
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)
Bruno Munari Pencil Holder (with a set of Blackwing or Pineider pencils)
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.
Book repair (as recommended by Lauren in our Geneva last year)
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.
PillowsPostersPapers Guy Fieri Fan Sequin Pillowcase -we all just need to know this exists
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
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!!
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.
Nora McInerny's “Don’t honk I’m already crying” bumper magnet - if she has the sense of humor for it!
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
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.
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.
Very Christian mother-in-law who writes historical fiction
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.
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
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.
Kids
Impressing a 5-year-old on Christmas morning without a massive plastic Barbie house
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
Custom name tags from Label Weavers or Name Bubbles
A toddler whose parent wants "less stuff" in the house
Consumables!
Soap Dough Co (℅ Kyra on IG)
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…
Junior HappyMe Journal, for ages 6-12
Stylophone S1 Pocket Synthesizer and e-Blox Circuit Blox 120 Build Your Own Sound Machine and Radio
See you next week for part 2!
Share any gift ideas with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
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.
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French Cuffing, Biz Rizz, and I’ll Have What She’s Having
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!
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!
the linkage:
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!
the sponsors (and promos!)
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.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Doppelgänger and Thingies c/o Karah Preiss, Our Pop-Culture North Star
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.
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.
the linkage:
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!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
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Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Scary Stories, True Citrus, and the Dangers of Flossing
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!
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!
the linkage:
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!
the sponsors (and promos!)
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.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Chicken Salad, Gas-Station Shopping, and Sandra Boynton After Dark
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’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.
the linkage:
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!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Rats, Rain Clogs, and Romance
Finally, it’s time to talk about our current favorite Rs: rats, rain clogs, and romance!
Finally, it’s time to talk about our current favorite Rs: rats, rain clogs, and romance!
the linkage:
Our rain-clog conversation has reached new heights! As in: We have a Calzuro review for you.
Holiday shopping season is starting early because the Staten Island Pizza Rat hats are back in stock.
Now onto romance! For an IRL one, try Julia Allison and Noah Feldman. Fictional romances we love include You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (bonus read: this Vulture story about fanfics-turned-bestsellers by Elizabeth Held), The Art of Scandal by Regina Black, Tessa Bailey’s books including It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, and Chase Me, and Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Re: sports romances, see Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Kennedy Ryan in general, and this GQ interview with Phillies player Bryce Harper. Also! Let’s talk about Danielle Steel’s desk—Samantha Leach did a good profile of the icon for Glamour—and Rachel Antonoff’s fall fashion campaign (completely unrelated but we love her email roundups to her vet).
Share the romances you’re into with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Try professional counseling from BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Learn from the best with MasterClass and get an additional 15% off an annual membership with our link.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Tattoo Season and Music, Music, Music
Question for you all: Is tattoo season a thing? Follow up: Are tattoos cooler now than they used to be? Please think about your answers while listening to country artists we’re loving right now (and Post Malone while you’re at it).
Question for you all: Is tattoo season a thing? Follow up: Are tattoos cooler now than they used to be? Please think about your answers while listening to country artists we’re loving right now (and Post Malone while you’re at it).
the linkage:
On country music having a moment: Vulture and Rolling Stone.
Here are some artists (and their songs!) to dig into: Luke Combs (“When It Rains It Pours” and his cover of “Fast Car”), Zach Bryan ("I Remember Everything" featuring Kacey Musgraves, “Something in the Orange,” and his All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster live album), Kane Brown (“Nothing Compares to You” with Mickey Guyton), Midland (“Cheatin’ Songs” and “Burn Out”), Maren Morris (“The Bones,” “My Church,” and “Rich—and this Diary of a Song on her pop hit “The Middle” and everything The Highwomen), Kelsea Ballerini (“If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” “Hole in the Bottle,” and a special shoutout to her CMT Awards performance), Mickey Guyton (“All American” and “Black Like Me”—she was a judge on the Apple TV show My Kind of Country, too) Lainey Wilson (“Things a Man Oughta Know,” “Heart Like a Truck” and “Straight Up Sideways”), Hailey Whitters (“Everything She Ain’t” and “I’m In Love”), and Brooke Eden (“Sunroof”—video with her then-gf, now wife!).
For further women-in-country reading, we re-recommend Her Country by Marissa R. Ross.
An artist we hope doesn't disappoint us: Post Malone.
Let us know what music you’re loving right now at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.
Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou.
Head back to school with an MBA from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Listen to Bad on Paper—if you like this podcast, you’ll like that one.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Nyming, Labor Musicals, and Autograph Books
A new day calls for new Thingies with Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty at BoF and creator of the Glossy narrative skin-lightening podcast Unfair. But first: a camelid costume contest.
We’re *nyming*! This week we’re covering the new era of nyms (acronyms): LIWMs (Laura Ingalls Wilder Museums), ABs (autograph books), LMs (labor musicals), SKSs (squeaky kids shoes), and CPAs (co-parenting apps). TTYL!
the linkage:
Our new nyming era is inspired by one of our greatest TikTok minds, Jake Shane (see the toks here and here). We also reminisce on Erica’s chronicles of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and Nancy Meyer’s Instagram post about her daughter’s autograph book, and we can’t get over the Ikiki kid’s shoe lore, specifically the stories of Gina the Giraffe, Rafiq the Rhino, and Brittany Eversweet. AND! Give us all the intel on OurFamilyWizard—we’ll start with celebs that use the app and the company’s new offices.
If you’re looking to observe strike season, check out our favorite labor musicals The Pajama Game (1957) and Newsies (1992). Queue up “Carrying The Banner” and “Seize the Day”; cackle at the signs from a Newsies-themed WGA picket at Disney.
We will hear any and all of your favorite nyms at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Turn to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Cancel your unwanted subscriptions with Rocket Money—and manage your money the easy way.
Get 50% off your first DoorDash order up to a $20 value when you use the code ATHINGORTWO at checkout.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Alpaca Fashion Shows and Beauty Insider Priya Rao's Thingies
A new day calls for new Thingies with Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty at BoF and creator of the Glossy narrative skin-lightening podcast Unfair. But first: a camelid costume contest.
A new day calls for new Thingies with Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty at BoF and creator of the Glossy narrative skin-lightening podcast Unfair. But first: a camelid costume contest.
the linkage:
Priya’s beauty-centric Thingies include 111 Skin Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™, Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, Ilia Limitless Mascara , and Half Magic’s Glitter Pill. Her non-beauty Thingies? Cadets shorts for her kiddo (Claire also loves Billie Blooms), Lovevery Play Kits, The West Wing (and, ok, Felicity, Joy Ride, and Past Lives). Bonus reccomendations: the Sherri Papini story (coming soon in doc form), Scamanda, My Husband by Maud Ventura, and The Retrievals.
Do you have new Thingies? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Help out your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Head back to school with an MBA from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.
Cancel your unwanted subscriptions with Rocket Money—and manage your money the easy way.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Same Grade, Mood Boards, and Why We Don’t Get the Good Ice-Cream Bars in America
The oddness of mood boards, some back-to-school content, and one heck of a food journey, featuring international ice cream, dream potato-chip collaborations, and dip delicacies worth dealing with baggage claim. Buckle in!
The oddness of mood boards, some back-to-school content, and one heck of a food journey, featuring international ice cream, dream potato-chip collaborations, and dip delicacies worth dealing with baggage claim. Buckle in!
the linkage:
The oddness of mood boards, some back-to-school content, and one heck of a food journey, featuring international ice cream, dream potato-chip collaborations, and dip delicacies worth dealing with baggage claim. Buckle in!
Erica loves Word. notebooks, and Claire is all about the MochiThings checklist ones.
Some foods discussed: Magnum Double Starchaser, Jon and Vinny’s house salad, the 40 Aprons creamy clam dip recipe, Tenayo bean dip, Brothers Products black bean chipotle hummus, NYT's vegan onion dip recipe, and Gwyneth’s black bean recipe.
This AIGA Eye on Design story by Elizabeth Goodspeed had us reconsidering the mood board.
Decoupage! Some of our favorite pieces are ones by Michelle Kim (see also: Kneeland Co.), John Derian, Joseph Heidecker, and Quintana Partners. See also: all the good stuff on Chairish. And, PSA: Mod Podge makes dishwasher-safe gloss and has incredible branding in general.
Share how you do your to-do lists with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Try professional counseling from BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Embrace BTS season with an MBA from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Morning Baths, Workout Wear, Butter Money, and Kale Phones
Make sure to double-knot your shoes because we’re running through a bunch of activewear brands, morning baths, kale phones, butter money, and COTC (corn on the cob, clearly).
Make sure to double-knot your shoes because we’re running through a bunch of activewear brands, morning baths, kale phones, butter money, and COTC (corn on the cob, clearly).
the linkage:
You can read more about Vuori’s lore in Courier (and try out their Pose fitted polo, Daydream drew, and All the Feels bra for yourself). Other workout wear of interest: Splits59 (specifically their Raquel flared leggings), Wilson (how ‘bout these Wynne pleated pants and the pleated court short?), Tracksmith ( their Article One running sunglasses collab!), District Vision, Satisfy, On, Tory Sport, and Sweaty Betty. Curious about cool sports stores? We’ve heard good things about Distance in Paris, we love FrontRunners in L.A., and we have to hand it to Pete Carlson Golf and Tennis in Palm Desert for going *deep*.
The everything shower! Consider this reel from The Everygirl your primer.
If you’re looking to limit your oblivion time, check out the OneSec app…or consider the cocaine/kale phone, via George Mack by way of Trung Phan. Also, the to-google notepad, ℅ Courtney Martin.
Butter sculpture season, our Bama Rush? A great read: "The Secret Feminist History of Butter Cows” by Lyz Lenz.
What activewear brands do you like, how do you morning bath if you do such a thing?! Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Paint your nails like a pro with Olive & June and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your first Mani System.
Trust Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
Give your hair an assist with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Head back to school with an MBA from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Regrettably Worth It and Driving
Get it, bitch, we’re going…to talk all about cars, with a sprinkling of Thingies that are regrettably worth it.
Get it, bitch, we’re going…to talk all about cars, with a sprinkling of Thingies that are regrettably worth it.
the linkage:
Some regrettably worth it submissions from IG (and our brains) include Skims (related from The Cut), sleep consultants for toddlers, law school, putting your phone in another room after 8 p.m., professional framing, going to Ikea, getting your shoes repaired at Leather Spa (see also: New York Sneaker Society), peeling chickpeas, and stretching.
Do you love car washes as much as Kris Jenner, who compared the experience to Disneyland?
Car accessories that peak our interest include the car trash can, car tweezers, elevated car air fresheners (featuring DS and Durga, Three Potato Four, L:A Bruket, and Hello Adrienne), and, last but *certainly* not least, CarLashes.
Meghan Palmer’s That's so Interesting Newsletter gave us some great insights into car conversations.
What are your favorite car listens—songs, audiobooks, all of it? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Get some support with professional counseling from BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
Shop for groceries with Thrive Market and take 30% off your first order plus snag a free $60 gift when you use our link.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Become a green thumb with Fast Growing Trees—15% off your order when you use our link.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
The Notebook, Stickers, and Your Pioneer Intel
We share our (hot?) takes on stickers and The Notebook; we share yours on your younger selves and Pioneer Day.
We share our (hot?) takes on stickers and The Notebook; we share yours on your younger selves and Pioneer Day.
the linkage:
This week’s past-selves quotes come to you via Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didian and this profile of Ryan Gosling in GQ by Zach Baron.
The Notebook—James Marsden also has thoughts, ℅ this W mag profile by Evan Ross Katz. Related-ish: Roger Ebert’s own love story "Roger loves Chaz."
Stickers! Sandylion on Etsy, @stickerarchive, Red Bubble's nineties collection, and the Xyron Create-A-Sticker, for starters.
Let us know if you’re watching 1883 at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Try professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Level-up your garden with Fast Growing Trees—15% off your order when you use our link.
Start hiring now with a $75 sponsored-job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Parenting Brush-Offs, Your Thingies, and Corn
Today we’re diving into *your* Instagram Thingies submissions, rain clogs (yes, again), parenting stuff, and—wait for it—cotton-candy burritos.
Today we’re diving into *your* Instagram Thingies submissions, rain clogs (yes, again), parenting stuff, and—wait for it—cotton-candy burritos.
the linkage:
We learned about cotton-candy burritos via Amy Sedaris’s wonderfully random IG account. Who’s opening that Creamberry franchise?
Two most popular Thingies right now: Checking out cookbooks from the library and the Owala FreeSip water bottle. Speaking of beverages, y’all have many ideas, including ice-cold Lillet Blanc with frozen orange slices, a Hugo spritz (prosecco + elderflower + soda water), a homemade Arnold Palmer, and a matcha lemonade (a close personal friend of said Arnold Palmer).
Re: golf, Malbon’s collab with Nike (see also: Laura Reilly’s Magasin newsletter). Re: rain clogs, Calzuros, for your consideration. And do we all know about the AIGA Eye on Design blog?
In your good-news corner: Brentwood Country Mart’s celebration of Ninja Dave's retirement from UPS. Related: that Man Repeller style profile of their USPS guy, Aubrey Dowridge.
CORN! SeaVees shoes, Fernando Laposse wood, Shucked, fresh corn mochi cake c/o Food Network (paired with all the corn soft-serve we’re seeing), and Corn Kid content (the original viral video here; its musical remix here).
Finally, if you’re in NYC, do yourself a favor and see Alex Edelman’s one-man Just For Us on Broadway. (Related-ish: the romance novel A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee.)
What Thingies are you loving right now!? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!
the sponsors (and promos!)
Give your hair a boost with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.
Find wellness on your next stay at Westin.
Take advantage of the Partner to Empower program for entrepreneurs of color from Brookfield Properties—apply by August 11.
Watch your garden flourish with Fast Growing Trees—15% off your order when you use our link.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
PMS and Joy (Brought to You by Jubilance!)
This week, we’re talking all things PMS and the many, many joy-givers in our lives. Shout-out to this ep’s sponsor, Jubilance, the most advanced scientific PMS mood relief supplement. Yes, that’s a thing—one that you can try by heading on over to jubilance.com/AThingOrTwo or using the coupon code ATHINGORTWO at checkout.
This week, we’re talking all things PMS and the many, many joy-givers in our lives. Shout-out to this ep’s sponsor, Jubilance, the most advanced scientific PMS mood relief supplement. Yes, that’s a thing—one that you can try by heading on over to jubilance.com/AThingOrTwo or using the coupon code ATHINGORTWO at checkout.
the linkage:
Kicking things off strong with the TikTok Taylor Swift Albums as Period Flows Pt. 2, which reminds us how major it was when Kotex used red liquid instead of blue and when Always got a ton of credit for showing…a red dot (more on the bluid from The Atlantic).
PMS can get worse as you age—and is tied to mental health stuff. More on that from Health.com and Romper.
Happy, happy vs. joy, joy?? Reading c/o a Psychology Today interview with Dr. Pamela King, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee by, and Inciting Joy by Ross Gay.
The hot bunny account: @officialaqibra.
What brings YOU joy? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Try Jubilance for $10 off by visiting jubilance.com/AThingOrTwo or use the coupon code ATHINGORTWO at checkout.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Covered Wagon Core, Friendship Ambition, and Summer Movies
Coming through with some thoughts on the intersection of friendship and ambition, covered wagon core (not to be confused with cottagecore!), and ~summer movies~.
Coming through with some thoughts on the intersection of friendship and ambition, covered wagon core (not to be confused with cottagecore!), and ~summer movies~.
the linkage:
Following up on our Wilder conversation, we’d like to discuss covered wagon core. See Kim K.’s CR Fashion Book spread “The Pioneer Woman,” Rudy Jude, Salter House, and making jam.
Re: actual covered wagons, Conestoga does a luxe wagon and a bar wagon, both, and Pioneer Woman has a roundup of campgrounds with covered wagons.
Rainesford Stauffer’s “We Should Be Ambitious About Our Friendships” for Elle sparked our convo about friendship ambition—she’s also the author of An Ordinary Age: Finding Your Way in a World That Expects Exceptional and the new All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive.
We love this tweet about friendship discussion agendas. As for books, this topic calls to mind Courtney Martin’s The New Better Off, Kayleen Schaefer’s Text Me When You Get Home, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman’s Big Friendship, and Hua Hsu’s Stay True.
On our TBR list: Sheila Liming’s Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time. (In the meantime: “The Case for Hanging Out” by Dan Kois for Slate and The Ezra Klein Show episode "The ‘Quiet Catastrophe’ Brewing in Our Social Lives.")
Bring on the summer movies! Obsessed with Past Lives, itching to see Theater Camp, Joy Ride, Problemista (see also: I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres), Red, White, & Royal Blue, Challengers, and, of course, Barbie (all the prophecies, including Margot Robbie in Vogue and Greta Gerwig in Gentlewoman, whet the appetite).
Do you have easy, low-pressure ways to keep up with friends? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Turn to Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.
Take advantage of the Partner to Empower program for entrepreneurs of color from Brookfield Properties—apply by August 11.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Squishy Cheeses and Life-Improvers
Cottage cheese, pimento cheese, and us bringing our trademark cheese???
Cottage cheese, pimento cheese, and us bringing our trademark cheese???
the linkage:
Cottage cheese—"whey cool," per the WSJ; a forever classic, per us. Skip the TikTok recipes and try this savory Bon Appétit salad or this (also BA) horseradish dip. If you’re in NYC, get yourself to Dimes for the breakfast Papaya D’Lite. (Somehow related: charred Mexican zucchini recipe.)
Calling all pimento cheeseheads: We rec Callie’s and Zingerman’s, wanna try this NYT Cooking frittata, and got a real history lesson from Serious Eats.
It’s a life-hackathon, and the winners are the sticker produce thing, Option-Shift-Command-V and keeping stain remover in the bedroom (see also: Miss Mouth’s, savon de Marseille, and Soak).
All hail long vacation lunches! If you happen to be in Paris, get yourself to Glou and Mokonuts.
Some community Thingies submitted via our Instagram: Taylor Swift Lyric Sporcles, Famous Amos cookies (um, this, ℅ the History Channel!), and the Nili Lotan Brady tee (file under: regrettably worth it).
What’s regrettably worth it in your life? Do you have a family apple? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Find more weeknight dinner recipes at Pillsbury.com.
Get your groceries with Thrive Market and take 30% off your first order plus snag a free $60 gift when you use our link.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Savannah Bananas, and the Floss Life
It’s time to revisit some ghosts of podcasts past, from rain clogs to private creative practices to an incredibly detailed review of an electric flosser.
It’s time to revisit some ghosts of podcasts past, from rain clogs to private creative practices to an incredibly detailed review of an electric flosser.
the linkage:
Our discussion of fun sports experiences is ongoing thanks to the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team that’s a must-follow on Instagram and TikTok. More on their founding story via WBUR.
A morning-pages follow-up: Wendy MacNaughton created a DrawTogether 30-day Drawing Habit Experiment Challenge as a visual companion/alt. A quick hospice aside: Check out her forthcoming book How to Say Goodbye and the new release The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos R.N.
A IG Thingies contributor recommended Plasticana mules as a summer rain shoe. And speaking of summer moisture, our listener Carly suggests battling mosquitos with Tougher than Tom Mosquito TNT. Report back?
On a private writing—or any creative!—practice, this Hanif Abdurraqib’s tweet thread.
Looking for a gift? May we suggest some of the items we are obsessing over, like Cat’s Cradle (see also: this TikTok), a Slate Flosser, Message sandals, and the Forme bra.
Can’t shut up about the podcast Wilder! It digs deep into Laura Ingalls Wilder (good and bad) and made us think of this classic 2007 Jezebel piece by Lizzie Skurnick.
Let us know your flossing philosophy at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Give professional counseling a go with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.
Perfect your at-home manicure with Olive & June and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your first Mani System.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
The Other Summer Dressing, Overhosting, and Minor League Baseball
It’s time to soothe your mind about summer (salad) dressing stress! Also, we talk the ideal American sporting event and overhosting, a term that speaks to us more than we’d like.
It’s time to soothe your mind about summer (salad) dressing stress! Also, we talk the ideal American sporting event and overhosting, a term that speaks to us more than we’d like.
the linkage:
Some dressings for summer and really whenever: Via Carota’s, Toro Bravo's, and Kewpie’s BUT FROM JAPAN. Both Mark Bittman and Samin Nosrat do a strong miso-mustard, and our no-recipe recipes are a honey-mustard (just honey, French’s yellow, red-wine vinegar, and olive oil) and the never-fail combo of ketchup, mayo, Old Bay, lemon, and salt.
Re: minor-league (and G league) sports, more on the short-lived Pizza Rats c/o the New York Post.
If you’re magnesium-curious, look into the ones from Moon Juice, Calm, and ReMag.
What makes a summer dressing to you? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Grab a Secret Menu membership for all the recommendations.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Trust Shopify with all your ecomm needs and get a free 14-day trial with our link.
Try SKIMS Fits Everybody and get free shipping on orders over $75.
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This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
Creativity and Exercise Updates That Feel Weirdly Related
Can we spend a little time talking about creativity and exercise, including how our takes on both are feeling surprisingly similar these days? GREAT. Let’s get into it.
Can we spend a little time talking about creativity and exercise, including how our takes on both are feeling surprisingly similar these days? GREAT. Let’s get into it.
the linkage:
For more on morning pages, we direct you to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. And, a book that comes up a lot despite our mixed feelings about it: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
A YouTube vid Erica followed to write a novel, as recommended by Mary HK Choi.
Some workout wardrobe staples include unitards—check out Girlfriend Collective and Héros—and the posture-correcting sports bra from Forme (more from Fast Company).
If you need a work-out pep talk, you can always count on Coach Bennett. (And while we’re here: Thanks for programming this ep, Sarah.)
How do you keep going with exercise? Are you a morning-pages person? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Grab a Secret Menu membership for more, more recommendations.
the sponsors (and promos!)
Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou.
Thwart PMS with Jubilance and get $10 off with the code ATHINGORTWO.
Amp up your garden with Fast Growing Trees and take 15% off your entire order with the code ATHINGORTWO.
YAY.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.