We are here to report on our experiences at TWO Major Cultural Events: an Olivia Rodrigo concert at MSG (incredible and moving!) and a screening of The Idea of You (really fun—lots of laughter!). Fans of the The Idea of You book—if you haven’t read this yet, let’s GO!— join us for a night of trivia on May 1 at The Crown Inn in Brooklyn.  The Idea of You lands on Prime Video on May 2, and you better believe we’re watching it again. If you, like most we know, consider Lauren...

You want more Thingies? We’ve got more Thingies! This time with one of the most charming interior designers around, Billy Cotton, who has a stellar new collaboration with West Elm and a book we love, love, love. Billy’s Thingies include a Lorezi Milano toothpaste squeezer (paired with Marvis Toothpaste at the moment), Cowboy Carter (but of course), Hillstone (specifically the Bal Harbour location) Elephant and Castle (Michigan Star!), the city of Houston, and, of course, Fruit...

We brought back Nikki Ogunnaike, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire and writer of the very good shopping newsletter Self Checkout, to share her Thingies. Also: Closing shift, to the tune of “Closing Time.”  Ready for Nikki’s Thingies? Great. Try Uniqlo U white T-shirts, Vegamour GRO Biotin Gummies, Uzo liquid eyeliner and pencil eyeliner, and three resources for the good watches: Fashionphile, The RealReal, and Bob’s Watches. A whole sub-category of running Thingies! Like Coach Bennett’s...

We’re giving some children’s programming rave reviews, digging into your trending Thingies, and reading a lot into an interesting story about Manhattan’s history.  Endorsed by Claire (and Cam!) Cosmic Kids Yoga (+ guided meditation!) and Numberblocks.  People love granola! Now more than ever, according to Global Newswire! If you’re in NYC, seek out the greenmaket seller Baker’s Bounty; if you’re anywhere else, make Bon Appétit's Vanilla-Scented Granola. Also, something that makes us...

This week, we’re issuing some micro updates and corrections before we dive into the meat of this episode: grief. (A content warning, if you will.)  Some corrections: The Stanley cups are WEARING the backpacks (find a visual aid here), BonBon Swedish candy is having a nightlife moment, and the Pineberry also goes by Berry de Blanc.  On loss: The LA Times story "How Not to Say the Wrong Thing" by Susan Silk and Barry Goldman delves into the ring theory of grief, and All There Is with...

This week, we’re talking Thingies with Jo Piazza, author of The Sicilian Inheritance—exactly the escapist, immersive book we want at this very moment—and its companion true-crime podcast…because this woman is one of the most ambitious storytellers you’ve ever encountered, ok? Also: We raise a case for cold-calling your friends, expectations free.  Jo’s thingies include trad wives (or maybe that’s a Claire Thingie?), Oak Essentials moisture rich balm (s/o to the cleansing balm also!),...

Greetings, Thingiemabobs! We have some wee updates, a Tokyo tour, and an important (to us) conversation about whether or not cropped pants are allowed.  People are loving the idea of a shower as a room (on of Emily Sundberg’s Thingies!) and were intrigued by this IG reel where @mrsmckennabarry installs a little shelf in her shower for a lamp and a speaker. In more offputting bathing news, Jessica Biel eats cereal in the shower.  Speaking of cereal! Jacqueline Tse of Mad Brooklyn makes...

Take a stroll through the grocery aisles with us as we talk about some culinary updates featuring (metaphorical) sausage races and (literal) marshmallow innovations. The Milwaukee Brewers Famous Racing Sausages show us that we never know how any race will end. So many marshmallow innovations popping off these days, including but not limited to Stackers, Lucky Charms-shaped jet-puffed marshmallows, Just Magical Marshmallows, Jet-Puffed Bits,  Hello Kitty marshmallows, and, in a rare...

We’re (gladly) diving back into the Miffy-verse, talking cover songs and fortune cookies, and asking the question: How did Google search lose its luster?? As expected, the @miffydances Instagram account is perfection.  Cover songs—having a moment! Beyond the epic “Fast Car” moment with Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs, 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P.”, by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band in Anatomy of a Fall, the Kelly Clarkson effect aka Kellyoke, Pedal Steel Noah, Boygenius doing “Cowboy Take Me...

Before we get to Thingies with Emily Sundberg, we have an order of business to attend to: ) Our semi-finalists for listener names are here! Thingiemabobs, Loony Twonies, Thingles, and, a late entry, Two Timers. We’ll need you to cast your vote on Instagram, clearly.  If you don’t already know Emily Sundberg’s work, please subscribe to the “hottest business newsletter” Feed Me and read her iconic stories like “Welcome to the Shoppy Shop” and the “hot girl drink whole milk” piece for New...

We’re thinking big and talking miniatures, reading and listening to a book simultaneously, right-size restaurant empires, the comeback of color analysis, and a stellar Father’s Day gift for all the planners out there.  A new-favorite mini restaurant empire: Mason Hereford’s New Orleans spots Turkey and the Wolf,  Molly’s Rise and Shine, and Hungry Eyes (see also: his wonderful cookbook, written with JJ Goode). Some other faves: Ann Kim’s in Minneapolis, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s...

Giddyup! This week we’re talking about an essential Thingie, being forthcoming with one’s universe, the squashissance, cowboy love stories (real and fictional), and, as usual, a whole lot more. Big Thingie Energy: a good vet, specifically cat ‘n bunny caretakers at Catnip & Carrots.  Having a moment? Squash. Some recipes we love include Aacorn Squash with Coconut Custard from Kristen Kish for Food & Wine, Soy Glazed Kabocha Squash with Japanese Sesame Seasoning from Season...

Di-hards, Clairericas, ATOTs, Thingles, actual listener name TBA: It's time to dive even deeper into Rivians lore, share the case for sleeping in socks, and add a new one for hand warmers. Also, it’s feeling like the tong discussion on this podcast is just beginning… Listen to the How I Built This ep with the founder of Rivian; read the WSJ story “‘If You Sleep in Socks You’re a Psychopath.’ Health Tip Kicks Up Controversy.” Ocoopa hand-warmers—have we tried? Or Zippo’s? What...

May we ask a question? Are you a Framebridge groupie yet? We’re partnering with the fantastic company on this glorious ep—and an event at their Park Slope store from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, with 15% off! Which is all to say: If you’re not already hooked, you’re about to be. Behold, CEO Susan Tynan’s Thingies, your family-photo anxieties, and how what we’re hanging on our walls offers a lens into ~the culture~. Susan’s Thingies include egg rolls in a bowl, Athletic...

We’ve got some hot topics like celebrity activism and when to share pregnancy news—and even hotter topics like verbal leashes, sleeping with socks on, and weird terminology for just wearing your damn clothes. New nym alert!!! Good Inside by Becky Kennedy brings us MGI: most generous interpretation.  Claire’s IG exchange with Nancy Meyers in this Instagram post confirms that there are, in fact, Vicente Foods bags in The Holiday (and that N.M. is the greatest).  The thing having a...

Let’s talk Thingies with Samhita Mukhopadhyay, a writer and editor who covers feminism, politics, culture, fashion, racial justice, and existential dating dilemmas—in short, so much we want to read. She’s the editorial director of The Meteor, the co-editor of the best-selling anthology Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance and Revolution in Trump’s America, and the author of Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life and (forthcoming!!) The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning. Yes,...

Let’s dive into some Hellmann’s drama, TSwift x Wordsworth, and lots more re: the secret life of girls (thank you to Wired for the Notes App *respect*!!!). To know Prof. Stephanie Burt is to love Prof. Stephanie Burt—this NYT  interview about her Harvard Taylor Swift class will get you there. A fave on the syllabus: Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff. It’s pintxo season (we say!). Woldy Kusina shows us how it’s done, and Despaña is a great ingredient source. (Also: RIP the Prune...

We’re wise enough to know it’s about time to revisit this wisdom episode from the vault. We share our feelings about feeling our age and some excellent advice we caught about living with a little longing—and we very much would like to hear if this one hits differently the second time around.     Some readings that impacted how we’ve been navigating aging include Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Casey Johnston’s Swole Woman program, Cheryl Wischover’s “What Changed When I Started Lifting...

Today we present a very *us* episode from the archives: What does “After Dark” mean to you? How does one explain what consulting is? Are you signed up for Dua Lipa’s newsletter? What does it mean to actually *build* a bear? All this and more in your ears now! For some discomfitting Build-a-Bear products for adults, enter The Bear Cave. For other “but what does it MEAN?” After Dark content, check out National Parks After Dark and this edition of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers.  Check out...

We’re so excited about this Guest Thingies ep with Ellen Van Dusen of Dusen Dusen—a greatest hit if there ever was one! But first, some nuggets of wisdom from famously creative famous dudes. We’re definitely taking inspiration from Rod Stewart’s model railway side project and Tom Hanks's advice to Austin Butler.  Ellen’s Thingies include being comfortable inside and outside the home (please see: her delightful robes…and brand-new slippers!!), @Favetiktoks420 on Instagram, and cool...

This week, we’re talkin’ Thingies with Alison Roman, the woman behind a SLEW of recipes we cook all the dang time. We know you know her, but JIC, she’s the author of NYT bestselling—and gifty!—cookbooks Sweet Enough, Nothing Fancy, and Dining In, she doles out the most delightful kitchen content in A Newsletter and on her Home Movies YouTube channel, and she delivers guidance of all kinds on her Solicited Advice podcast. In essence: She’s full of thoughts, and we want them all. First...

Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, he’s your new favorite snarky talk show host. Join The Grinch (and his faithful dog Max) each week as he rants against Christmas cheer and roasts celebrity guests like chestnuts on an open fire. Starring Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson as the notorious curmudgeon and broadcasting straight from Who-Ville, will The Grinch send these famous folks back down Mt. Crumpit, or will they soften his stance against Christmas and grow his heart...

Whoop! Whoop! This week we are discussing our marathon-cheering behaviors, chicken anxiety, iconic hot dogs, and weightlifting thanks—in part— to the Beckham doc.  The term chicken anxiety was brought to us by Rosie Seabrook on TikTok.  We can’t believe we haven’t talked about The Wieners Circle yet. Their Instagram is one of the only safe places on IG. This Vogue story about Victoria Beckham's weightlifting routine inspired us to ask you all how you are thinking about this, and...

It's time for a grab bag featuring a *measured* celebrity fan account, a cooking north star, our POV on holiday cards, and a grand Notes App follow-up.  Gained some wisdom from @OlsenOracle, a perfect fan account (that is maybe even Olsen approved???). We’re having a Marcella Hazan moment, thanks to, as Food & Wine put it her “radical simplicity.” Some recipes we’ve been cooking: THE tomato, onion, and butter sauce, grilled fish romagna style, pesto, rice and smothered cabbage...