A Few Things With Claire And Erica

We love hot industry intel and gossip! Of all industries, really! And when it comes to the land of hyaluronic acid, celeb makeup lines, and derm backlash, no one gives it better than Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins of the Breaking Beauty Podcast. But before we go deeeeeep down that rabbithole, we need to answer one pressing question: What looks will Cam be working for fall 2020?!   What’s Cam wearing this fall?! Some combination of babyGap (beware of baby vanity sizing!!!), Petit Bateau, Búho, Emile et Ida, Bobo Choses, Oeuf, Poudre Organic, Lewis, Tinycottons, and Patagonia (this vest!). For these brands and lots more, Claire’s all about scraping the sale sections on Smallable, Scandiborn, and Melijoe. And when it comes to shoes: Native, AF1s, Air Jordans, and Timberlands, scuffed-up ideally.   To get so much more of Jill and Carlene, subscribe to the Breaking Beauty Podcast.   Scientists giving their clean-beauty takes: Dr. Michelle Wong (@labmuffinbeautyscience), Stephen Ko (@kindofstephen), and Jen Novakovi

You know, it feels like we haven’t asked each other “So, how are you doing? Really?” in a bit, and we’re taking this podcast as an opportunity to do that. We get into pandemic socializing, news-consumption, and soup-making. Recommended pairing for this ep: a walk.   A couple NYC-specific food things helping us get by: Pierless Fish for seafood and For All Things Good for masa for Claire’s taco nights.   Chris’s new desk, and Thomas’s recent read Hate Inc. that’s informing Erica’s media consumption.   The gray-on-gray-on-gray Birkenstock shearling clogs Claire scored, and the Hobonichi planner that’s keeping Erica’s 2021 mood up.   It’s (coconut-milk) soup weather, ok? Erica’s making coconut curry noodle soup from The Woks of Life, coconut corn soup from Smitten Kitchen, and curried lentil, tomato, coconut soup by Yotam Ottolenghi.   For running in the cold, Claire recommends a Patagonia down hoody and neck gaiter, a Uniqlo down vest, and Yaktrax for snow/ice. Also, The Strategist has a good guide by temp, and

Our doctor visits are your doctor visits! Or something! Kidding aside-ish, we figured sharing our recent mammogram and colonoscopy experiences might make them at least a smidge less anxiety-inducing for you, and we’re very here for that. Join us on our healthcare journeys, won’t you?    We love voicemails (833-632-5463)! We love DMs (@athingortwohq)! We love reviews! About milk pouches, gallon challenges, or anything at all!   Some guidance on when to start getting mammograms: 40 per the Mayo Clinic, 45 per the American Cancer Society, and 50 per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. So: a real talk-to-your-doctor type of situation!   Some guidance on when to start getting colorectal screenings: 45 per the American Cancer Society. (But ya know: Ask your dr.)   Fancy Brodo bone broth for colonoscopy prep or just, like, life!     Colonics: still having a moment (we guess?).   Breast self-exams! The "Touch Your Tits" vid from Mae Ryan and Mona Chalabi is a great how-to   If you like what you heard here and wa

HEY, we’re back from hiatus! And like everyone else, we’re stressing (spiraling?) about the election constantly. This week, we’re talking to Adair Ford Boroughs about what it’s like to actually be on the ticket—she’s the very impressive and overqualified Democratic candidate running for Congress in South Carolina’s Second District—and our big plans for election day (spoiler: bein’ poll workers).   Gah, we’ve missed you! Have you missed us? KIT with voicemails (833-632-5463) and IG direct messages (@athingortwohq), huh? And join Secret Menu even.   We’re volunteering to be poll workers. Do you wanna do it, too?! Check out some stats about the typical poll-worker demo (spoiler: high Covid risk!) via NPR and a very useful IG story from Helen Rosner about her experience doing this in past years.    Snuffleupagus getting nosy in the voting booth during a 1957 episode of Sesame Street. (And, bless, he is still on the show!)   Dig into all of the many ways you can support Adair Ford Boroughs and her run for Congress

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

Talk about thrilling: We have a bonafide icon on today’s ep. We’re talking to Mickey Drexler—who spearheaded Gap and J.Crew in their heydays and is now helping make magic happen at Alex Mill—about how he works and just plain does his days. But first: sweet potatoes, which aren’t boring, ok?   The linkage:   Three recipes for exciting sweet potatoes! Ones loaded with lentils, citrus, and feta, ones topped with tahini butter, and ones baked into a (paleo) bread. And one non-recipe: almond butter and seasoned rice vinegar mixed into a sauce and topped with furikake.   Mickey Drexler’s latest retail undertaking (led by his son, Alex Drexler!) is Alex Mill. We love it. Erica wears these and this all the time, Claire can often be spotted in this and this, and just about everybody sweats these.   When it comes to meditating, Mickey is into Hamsa and Transcendental Meditation.   A home-goods business Mickey likes: Snowe.   Wow, do we get psyched about voicemails: 833-632-5463!   Yay!   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 New

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

Two things we love: 1) women’s bodies 2) problem-solving. So imagine our delight when we discovered that MoMA Design Store put together a whole freaking beautiful, educational, and useful pop-up around Design Innovations for Women. In partnership with the MoMA Design Store team, we sat down with Chay Costello and Alex Glaser, the buyers responsible for spearheading this initiative who, yes, also happen to be work wives. We talk menstruation, motherhood, menopause—and you bet your vulvas we asked what it’s like to discuss these topics at the office.    The linkage:   You can shop MoMA Design Store’s groundbreaking Design Innovations for Women pop-up online and at their Soho store in NYC until September 27. So, so, sooo good.   A couple of previous podcast eps relevant to this conversation: Pledging to Shop Better and What to Expect When Claire’s Expecting.   Michelle Obama’s recent pod ep on menopause—definitely worth a listen.   A few of Claire’s personal faves in the Design Innovations for Women mix: the Elv

Yes, we like white walls and pale wood, but our eyes need some *excitement* these days, and we have a whole bunch of ways to give ‘em what they require (without going full Gigi Hadid maximalist). Also worth adding to your “Hues You Can Use” moodboard: just about everything in Kacey Musgraves’s merch shop.    The linkage:   More where this came from c/o Secret Menu! (Click-y name, right?!)   All hail Merch Queen Kacey Musgraves! This longsleeve tee, this velvet poster, her Boy Smells collab Slow Burn candle (and companion Burn in a Hurry lighter), the Lonely Weekend Self-Care Kit, High Time rolling papers, an ugly Christmas sweater, and faux snow (but of course?).   Breaking August news: Kacey’s Christmas album really is so good (and can we talk about this Dolly Parton holiday album announcement?!).   Some of the places we’re getting our colorful interior inspiration: Tina Seidenfaden Busck’s The Residence, Matilda Goad, Justina Blakeney, Ellen van Dusen’s Brooklyn home, Beata Heuman, Laurel Broughton’s Echo P

When you are expressing gratitude these days, are you appropriately prayer-hand-emoji for video streaming (and, frankly, the streaming wars that are keeping us so deep in good content)? We’re taking this week’s ep as an opportunity to really lay our thanks on thick—for The Fight, I May Destroy You, Shrill, and Love on the Spectrum specifically. Light spoilers in some spots (and possibly too much excitement in others).   The linkage:   First things first: boiled potatoes!! With seafood, in a niçoise salad, and as leftovers...which gets you halfway to fried or roasted potatoes like Julia Turshen’s Kinda Sorta Patatas Bravas or these crispy roasted potatoes with burrata.   Also, congrats to white potatoes on joining the Whole30 club. Sorry the announcement of this news didn’t feature a more flattering photo of you all.   Ok, second things second: our watch list. The Fight available for rent on various platforms, I May Destroy You on HBO Max, Shrill (Season 2 specifically) on Hulu, and Love on the Spectrum on Net

Big day, team! We’re catching up with our very favorite photographer, Jamie Beck, who moved to Provence, France, longer ago than we like to acknowledge and who has been creating all kinds of greatness recently—much of which you can even purchase for the first time. Friends, let’s dive in.   The linkage:   Ok, you have to follow Jamie Beck on Instagram for the full behind-the-scenes.   Jamie’s incredible #IsolationCreation project, which she invited her community to contribute to (and, whoa, did people!).   Lucky us! Jamie started selling her work, in the form art posters featuring her isolation creations—and there’s a signed, limited-edition finale poster coming, too (along with phone cases, camera straps, fine art, stationery, journals, a couple books…).   You know about our Secret Menu? Joining will get you a ~bonus~ members-only newsletter once a week.   Our DMs and voicemails are open! Get us at @athingortwohq or 833-632-5463.     Produced by Dear Media

What is ambition anyway? And ambition toward what? Join us as we contemplate—and, frankly, give side-eye to—one of the driving forces of our lives.   The linkage:   WOW, Maris Kreisman’s “Where Did My Ambition Go?” essay. (It’s probably worth following Maris on Twitter too, while you’re at it.)   Tavi Gevinson on shutting down Rookie, and Grace Bonney on shutting down Design*Sponge.    The profiles of The Chicks and Viola Davis that resonated.   We want more from you! Get in touch at @athingortwohq or 833-632-5463. If you want more from us, join Secret Menu, which will get you a members-only newsletter once a week.   Give Noble Cup, Ethiopia’s first menstrual cup, a shot. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

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