A Few Things With Claire And Erica

However many months in, we’ve found our fitnessing-at-home rhythms (which, no, do not involve dance cardio). Also! We’ve landed on a way to keep our very clean hands moisturized: shea butter, specifically the stuff from Eu’Genia Shea, and we clearly needed to talk to the company’s founder Naa-Sakle Akuete for the inside scoop.   The linkage:   Have thoughts? We want your DMs and VMs! Get us at @athingortwohq or 833-632-5463.   Online fitness stuff we’re now in long-term relationships with: the Peloton app, Melissa Wood Health (which you can try out on her IGTV), Revolution Motherhood, Exercise Snacks, Sky Ting Live & TV, and Kate Posch’s streaming yoga classes.   Home equipment worth the investment (in money and space!): Bala Bangles, Manduka cork yoga blocks, the Exercise Snacks Snack Pack, and a Jade Yoga Harmony mat.      We’re so very into Naa-Sakle Akuete’s company Eu’Genia Shea and its stocked-at-Target spinoff, Mother’s Shea.   More info on the Target Takeoff Accelerator program Naa-Sakle went thro

As two married gals getting older by the day, this ep feels like a real throwback. We’re talking babysitting and dating—the latter with Lindsey Metselaar, the savvy host of the We Met at Acme podcast who knows much more about the topic than we do at this point. Something we’re obviously NOT talking about: inviting the person you’re dating to the house you’re babysitting at without permission.   The linkage:   Do you know about our Secret Menu? It’s our new thingy where, for $4 a month, you get access to a weekly members-only newsletters.   You’ve heard about The Baby-Sitters Club Netflix reboot? Course you have.   Further BSC reading: Michelle Ruiz for Vogue.com, Gal Beckerman for NYT, Katie Baker for The Ringer, and The Hollywood Reporter interview with the showrunner Rachel Shukert. Further listening: The Baby-Sitters Club Club podcast!    Tune into Lindsey’s podcast We Met at Acme to get your regular dating updates and intel.   Add The Newsette to your morning routine. Snag the latest issue of the health-a

Oh, it’s just us, with a little to say about a whole lot of things! There’s some playlisting, some cookbooking, some sunblocking, some angsting—you’ll see when you dive in.   The linkage:   We have a new thing! It’s called Secret Menu, and, for $4 a month, you get access to a very special members-only newsletter. Yes, intriguing.   Powdered SPF! We’re all about it, especially for babies, scalps, and pandemic scenarios when you definitely don’t want to be touching your face in public. Brush On Block is our new (translucent) go-to.   The source of our playlist-for-the-ages tip: the wonderful Cat Dash. Related: Spotify’s Time Capsule feature.   The quick version of what Claire refers to as the gospel theory of activism.   A recent installment of Courtney Martin’s newsletter and one of Mona Chalabi’s excellent graphics compare the duration of the current BLM protests to the Montgomery bus boycott.   This Mother Jones article "The Gas Industry Is Paying Instagram Influencers to Gush Over Gas Stoves" 1) is about so

Um, aspirational friendship alert!! We’re bringing you THE Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow, hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, brilliant minds behind Shine Theory, and authors of the book Big Friendship that all of your pals are going to be talking about on the group text. They’ve gotten practice writing—and talking—about the hard things in their relationship and working through conflict and, in doing so, are downright inspirational. But what’s new?   The linkage:   Big Friendship! Have you ordered your copy yet?!?!   If you aren’t consuming all that Amina and Ann create, get on that—starting with Call Your Girlfriend and Shine Theory.   To share any and all thoughts with us, DM us on IG at @athingortwohq or leave us a VM at 833-632-5463.   Subscribe to the Folding Chair newsletter for a weekly rundown of underreported stories impacting Black lives.  YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

Slip on your comfiest shoes (ideally the ones that don’t go outdoors?) and get ready to curl up with a good book—or, rather, our enthusiastic endorsements of 26 novels by Black authors. YA and romance included, duh.   The linkage:   If you want more from us on Instagram, head to @athingortwohq. If you want to give us a ring, dial up 833-632-5463.   Some (Birkenstock-y) house-shoe picks: Arizona Essentials EVA, Boston Essentials EVA, and Boston Suede with Shearling.     NOVELS BY BLACK AUTHORS! That we love! Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue; The Idea of You by Robinne Lee; The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, and more (!!) by Jasmine Guillory; The Nickel Boys (and next up: Sag Harbor) by Colson Whitehead; My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite; American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson; What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons; An American Marriage and Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones; The Mothers (and next up: The Vanishing Half) by Brit Bennett; Another Brooklyn by Jacqu

What’s up over here? We’re still giving too much headspace to Instagram...but our perspectives are shifting. And we’re also eating some of our very best meals of quar, thanks to Vanessa and Kim Pham, the sisters behind Omsom and its outrageously good Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino sauces. Dig in?   The linkage:   Andrea Whittle wrote about whether the protests will change IG for W mag.   Whoa, did this @_nanders post get the wheels turning about the WHY of sharing content that’s getting shared a lot.    We always love Mary H.K. Choi, and this ep of her Hey, Cool Life! pod about optics and allyship really landed.   Another shout-out for 15 Percent Pledge!   We are obsessed with Kim and Vanessa Pham’s Omsom sauces, made in collaboration with the NYC restaurants Fish Cheeks, Jeepney, and Madame Vo.   For more ideas on how to put Omsom sauces to excellent use, their Instagram is a treasure trove.   Cookbooks endorsed by Vanessa and Kim (for reading as much as cooking): I Am a Filipino by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel

The two of us are calling our reps, donating money, consuming so much news, researching our primary candidates...and also rethinking where we spend our money and the businesses that warrant our support. We have SO MANY THOUGHTS. Also: We’re giving a free ad spot a week to a Black-owned business. If you’re interested, drop us a line at podcast@claireanderica.com!   The linkage:   The Who? Weekly episode intro that really spoke to us.   Check out the 15 Percent Pledge, which the Brother Vellies designer Aurora James started to urge major retailers to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. But it applies to consumers, too!   Some places to find more Black-owned businesses to support: Instagram highlights (1, 2, and 3) from Erica, a spreadsheet compiled by Lingua Franca, restaurant spreadsheets via Helen Rosner’s IG, Julee Wilson’s list of 125 beauty brands, Black-Owned Brooklyn, Shoppe Black, banks (and many other businesses!) from Amira Rasool’s IG.   The Harvard Business School 2014 working

Have you all read Uncanny Valley? Because this episode is a long way of saying, “Wow, you really should.” We are bubbling over with thoughts about Silicon Valley, gender and tech, and Anna Wiener’s all-around exceptional writing. Oh, and we also have something to say about going to the doctor during these times, as people who’ve had to go on multiple occasions.   The linkage:   You got a dreamy VM you want to leave? 833-632-5463—come on.   Two companies doing a good job thinking about medical solutions during this time: Capsule Pharmacy and Thirty Madison, with its online urgent care.   A case for taking babes to the doctor: this NYT story about vaccine rates dropping among kids.   Breaking news alert: Erica is now the proud owner of the jumbo tin of Luxardo cherries (and is stocked-up on her favorite GF pasta, too). Put your Luxardos in a Tom Collins!   Read o’ the week: Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener. If you want a taste, it was excerpted in The New Yorker (and also started as an n+1 essay).   Here’s the “Me

You know who wrote the book on socks (and started one of the best Tumblrs and bakes internet-famous cookies)? John Jannuzzi, and he’s here to share his creative side-hustle tips (but not any of the burnt malted milk and Kit-Kat cookies—he’s keeping those for himself). Before we dive in, though, can we discuss long-distance collaboration between two people who live four blocks apart? Yes, we’re talking about us.   Visit www.DailyHarvest.com and use code ATHINGORTWO for $25 off your first Box! Also, visit www.nyssacare.com and use code ATHINGORTWO for 15% off your order!   The linkage:   We’ve picked up some good work habits from the book Making Ideas Happen.   Breaking snack news: The Daily Crave smoked gouda lentil chips might be a wise bulk purchase (as they have been for Claire), and the makers of Pretzel Perfection are donating party mix to school districts and food banks.   How to Wear Socks! It’s John Jannuzzi’s new book. Feels very appropriate for dads ‘n grads, no?   Classic white Bombas! John’s favori

We’re getting saucy—even more so than usual?—and dipping into the spreads, schmears, and drizzles we’re treating as essential supplements to our souls as well as our fridge-clearing batches of fried rice. Also! We’re coming at you with a bunch o’ thoughts on how to practice ~friendship~ right now, whether you prefer a postcard or a week-long game.   The linkage:   Condiment for us (and for you): Chinkiang vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, mirin, Fly by Jing sichuan chili crisp, Marmite, hoisin, Seedible sesame butter, Thai Kitchen curry paste, Iasa hot pepper in olive oil, Tutto Calabria Rose Marina, Mike’s or Red Clay hot honey, Holy Schmitt’s horseradish and horseradish mustard, and (drumroll) Luxardo cherries, which are available in this large-format option.    A couple recipe mentions: sauteed greens with onions and soy sauce and tofu and green beans with chile crisp.    Breaking news alert: grapefruit updates!! We learned about a grapefruit-eating tactic from a YouTube vid (by way of the wonderful Deez Lin

What does it say about us that we’re taking a great deal of pleasure in having a mug of something warm as a near-constant companion? You be the judge! Also for your consideration: a nail-painting tool, a line of chic retro dinnerware, a milk-frother, and an oddly satisfying timer to help get at least a couple to-dos checked off.   The linkage:   Oh, hey: Take our survey!   We’ve been getting such good VMs, including the one at the end of this ep. If you want to join the fun: 833-632-5463.   Souvenir mugs we have or aspire to have: Russ & Daughters (they’ve discontinued the original), Hart’s, Cafe Du Monde, and Veselka. Also, vintage art museum mugs! And why not just make some on Zazzle and Shutterfly for friends when the mood strikes? A good way to memorialize photos, good or embarrassing.   Makers of the pretty ceramic mugs we want to have and to hold: Molly Anne Bishop, BTW Ceramics, Hasami Porcelain (There are two separate lines: one from Takuhiro Shinomoto, the founder of Tortoise General Store, and t

This week in “it’s the small things” content, we’re sharing the Instagram accounts bringing us joy, the T-shirts we have possibly (definitely) too many thoughts about, and the campaign we’re launching to book our dream pod guest. Let’s make #qaiqaispromise happen, people!   The linkage:   Join the #qaiqaispromise movement. We’re counting on you (and, of course, Qai Qai).   If you aren’t following these IGs, you’re in for a bunch of treats: @grossypelosi, @thetinychefshow, @laurentamaki, @lilystockman, @thelesliejordan, @dritadavanzoladyboss, and @theonion.   T-shirts! Sunspel, Skin, Re/done, AMO, Calder Blake, The Great, and Petit Bateau all make ones we wear ‘n swear by. Claire is also very interested in trying this Bandier tank, fwiw.   Get cookin’ with Sun Basket—$35 off your order with the code ATHINGORTWO.   And make the world a better place with Causebox— 30% off your order plus Free Shipping!   YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

Apparently, we have a lot of pent-up thoughts about Instagram in need of an outlet, namely this episode of this podcast. Dive in for how we think about consuming and posting (in this time and in less insane ones), the features we want from the app, and, importantly, our differing takes on liking and commenting on celebs’ accounts.   Visit DailyHarvest.com and enter promo code: ATHINGORTWO for $25 off your first box!   The linkage:   If you haven’t caught our IGTV stuffs, vids are over at @clairemazur and @ericacerulo. Only some of them are about the romance novel The Idea of You! (HAVE YOU READ IT?)   Speaking of Instagram, you gotta give our Phil Chang ep a listen. Oh, and our Taylor Lorenz ep, too.   The Julia Turshen cookbook Claire mentions, Feed the Resistance.   Two accounts that hit the IG tropes hard and are still very strong follows: Erin Foster and Nell Diamond.   Nab $25 off your first Daily Harvest box with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

Things we’re rejecting (some days): three square meals. Things we’re embracing: square-toe shoes...and also special treats in pretty much any form. Including a long-distance update from our one-time pod producer Alex, the Roz to our Frasier.   Visit www.causebox.com/athingortwo with code: ATHINGORTWO for 30% off your order!   The linkage:   833-632-5463 for voicemails—we love ‘em.   Are you listening to Who? Weekly? And their extra-special Patreon content? Get on that.   Our dinnertime playlists right now: Sam Cooke Radio + Legendary Women of Country.   Celery! Erica’s in. Claire’s not. Maybe try this salad with dates and parm, this one with apples and gorgonzola, or the braised recipe from Salad for President and decide for yourself?   The ol’ kale-stem shock and awe.   PSA: We now have an Amazon Storefront and a Bookshop.org page if you’re looking to dig up some of our recs.   Relevant to square-toe shoes: The Witches the book and also the movie, the slingbacks that Aeyde is serving up, and a lot of what In

Geez, does Marisa Meltzer know how to get the wheels turning. We talk to her about her shiny new book This Is Big, which digs deep into dieting, wellness, feminism, body positivity, and the intersection of those topics—and also about friendship and snacks. Much to discuss, you see. But first! A truly odd (if entertaining) NYC campaign we didn’t want you to miss.   The linkage:   If you somehow want more on the Billy Never Idles campaign, well, here you go.   Read Marisa’s book, This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World (and Me)! Do it!   Jean Nidetch’s NYT obit from 2015—and the whole Overlooked No More obit project.   A wonderful article Marisa wrote a while back for Elle about diets + feminism.   We enthusiastically endorse Katie Sturino’s Boob Sweat podcast. Marisa shouts-out this interview with CeCe Olisa in particular.   Let’s talk about SNACKS real quick: Graham crackers (with cream cheese, covered in chocolate, or as part of an #indoorsmore situation), The Daily Crave smoked gou

Here we are again, talking about stuff no one else is talking about (and we hope that’s a good thing?). Today, we’re digging into a surprisingly handy word and plenty o’ business insights from the bonafide retail legend Mickey Drexler, who’s lived through plenty of ups and downs.   The linkage:   Introducing a weirdly useful term: webonair.   Have you listened to the podcast Bad on Paper? ‘Cause ya should.   If you didn’t catch our first chat with Mickey Drexler, you can do that right over here.   Alex Mill is Mickey’s latest undertaking with his son...and we have been talking about too much on this podcast, we’re aware.   Here’s the Agnès B. cardigan Erica was wearing that you couldn’t see through your headphones. It got a nice send-up from The Cut recently, too.   Reminder that you can sign up for our newsletter, get coupon codes, etc., etc. on claireanderica.com.    Produced by Dear Media

Reading newsletters and doing ironing—two indoor-kid activities no doubt! Ok, seriously, though, take care of yourselves, find some good distractions, and maybe try to get some fresh air?   The linkage:   Claire bought a full-size ironing board by Brabantia and highly endorses it, and Erica has this hook thingy to hang her ironing board on that she thinks is just great.   The most ironing-enthusiastic person in our world—Claire’s mom—swears by the Miele Rotary Iron (a.k.a. a mangle) for sheets/linens and the LauraStar ironing system (um, as featured in Parasite?!).   To avoid ironing jeans: dryer balls, like these from Heart Felt and these from Food52.   Ok, newsletters! Here are allllll of the ones we love: The Ann Friedman Weekly, Girls’ Night In, Shelter, This Week in Scams, Garden Variety, Here for It w/ R. Eric Thomas (same name as his new book), Why is this interesting?, Cassandra Daily, Well To Do, Deez Links, Quartz Daily Obsession, The New Consumer, Sehat, The Examined Life (from the author of The Ne

There’s so much to think about right now, it seems, but we’re going to take this opportunity to focus on one truly magical person: Jason Polan, an artist we’ve been in awe of for at least a decade who passed away at 37 in January. In a word: heartbreaking—but also a push to embrace living as much as he did. As we reflect on his life, his work, and his approach to both, we wanted to resurface an interview we did with him back in 2017, and if it makes you feel compelled to draw something (anything!), we bet he would have really liked that.   The linkage:   This feels like a great time for voicemails, huh? Give us a ring at 833-632-5463. Just a smattering of Jason Polan’s wonderful work: Every Person in New York (us included), Taco Bell Drawing Club, a Marvel Comics cover, and so many major brand collabs (Nike, Warby Parker, Uniqlo, Levi’s, Soludos, Baggu!). A good use of an hour: reading Jason’s IG captions. Come on with the ridiculously charming ad he ran in The New Yorker for the post office.  @this_girl_is_a

 When Nikki Ogunnaike got a new job as GQ’s deputy fashion director, we were immediately all, “What’s it like?!” So we took this opportunity to ask her about making the move from women’s fashion to men’s...and where she gets the bags she couldn’t afford when she was starting out. Oh, and while we’re at it, we’re sharing a three-minute exercise another friend used to make a tough decision, too.   The linkage:   Voicemails: We love ‘em. You can get us at 833-632-5463.   Our pal Eliza Bent, who recently made a big move and whose decision-making tactic we co-opted.   Follow Nikki Ogunnaike and her #bathroombigfit looks...and maybe subscribe to GQ, which is what we’re doing? See: this Keanu Reeves profile, this Larry David cover story, and this story about how a wide range of dudes are eating in 2020.    Two menswear brands Nikki is v. into: Alex Mill and Brandon Maxwell.   To source the bags she couldn’t get as an assistant, Nikki turns to The RealReal, Fashionphile, and Threads Styling.   Nikki bought multiple c

Not to brag or anything, but our reading has range. Please accept the authors we discuss in this episode—buzzed-about novelist Kevin Wilson, person you’ve definitely heard of Jessica Simpson, and children’s book phenom Sandra Boynton—as proof. But first: We schmear it on thick with the Marmite.   The linkage:   You like coupon codes? Course you do.   C’mon with Marmite’s very knowing mugs and personalized (!!!) jars.   How about putting Marmite on toast with Greek yogurt like Erica? Or on avocado toast like Table on Ten? Maybe you also want to blend it with butter or use it in this chicken dish.   Speaking of salty condiments: We’re very into Momofuku Hozon and Bonji, both available at Peach Mart in Hudson Yards.   Books! Claire’s latest favorite: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. If you’re into this, you may also like Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link or Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam.   Erica’s latest favorite: Open Book by Jessica Simpson. If we don’t sell you on grabbing a copy, maybe this NYT profile