Radio 831: A Romance Podcast

This week's conversation knows no bounds! We've got key limes, medical answers via TikTok, makeup-buying IRL, a photo-minded Instagram follow, induction stoves, and a solution to the silicone storage bags issue (because there is one).

Have you made Alison Roman's take on key lime pie? It involves yogurt/sour cream, a win if you ask us. Related-ish: Leaked Recipes: The Cookbook: A Collection of Over 50 Recipes Found in the World's Biggest Email Leaks and the Stories Behind Them, Neiman Marcus's "leaked" cookie recipe, and Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie.

Um, medical updates, coming through! Thanks to @roseytimestwo for bringing slipping rib syndrome to our attention. Also: Our pitch for Capsule for your prescription needs still stands (and check out Alto Pharmacy if Capsule doesn't serve your city).

Shopping in-person brought the impressive Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops into Erica's life (paired with a brush from Vapour).

If you're over storage bags soaking up the scent of your dish soap, try HoldOn for compostable kitchen (and garbage!) bags.

For an incredible lens into imagery's impact on society, Emily Keegin and her IG is blowing Claire away.

To learn more about induction stoves, dig into this Fast Company article and Melissa Clark's NYT story and follow what Copper (thanks for sharing, Sofia!) and Impulse are up to.

Have thoughts on any and all of this to share? Reach out to us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or join ur Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

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.

Try professional counseling with BetterHelp—now's the time!—and take 10% off your first month with our link.

YAY.

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The holidays can be *hard*, and if you need some guidance on figuring out how to show up for the people in your life, Nora McInerny knows what she's talking about. Fire up this rerun from 2021, and crack open her latest book, Bad Vibes Only, which makes for an excellent way to kick of a strong year of reading.

In case of emergency gifts for grown-ups: consumables (candles, condiments, beauty products!). For babies: Lewis swaddles and Sophies. For kids: Twee chalk, Sunprint Kits, and Omy coloring posters.

Dig into everything Nora McInerny puts out into the world, including the tremendous podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking and her books It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too), No Happy Endings, and Hot Young Widows Club (and created a Facebook grief support group of the same name).

The NYT piece on the sex educator Justine Ang Fonte and the platinum rule.

The Ring Theory, which we really buy into and talk about a lot!

A Kids Book about Empathy...that's potentially useful for adults, too.

Friends, this TikTok series from Carly Aquilino on Y2K fashion.

Hit us with your guest noms—or anything else—at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq. Or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

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.

Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor's appointment. New year, healthy you?

Care for your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of our most popular (winning??) episodes of 2021, coming at you!

The usefulness of the term bitch eating crackers (BEC) (for context: Someecards).

Celebrity memoirs as audiobooks: Inside Out by Demi Moore, Acid for the Children by Flea, and Yearbook by Seth Rogen (see also: this profile by Jonah Weiner for NYT Magazine). Next up: My Life So Far by Jane Fonda, Faithfull by Marianne Faithful, The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. Oh, and: the podcast Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily. Also: Please read Open by Andre Agassi and J.R. Moehringer!

Important breaking news: There is now Spelling Bee merch.

Let's hear Claire's QVC pitch for the Pattern mist spray bottle!! Somewhat related: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater...as a hair product?

Erica's 11 a.m. tea go-to: Soul Chai. Another (slightly sweetened rec): Dona.

A workspace-changing Philips Hue light strip. You may also like: Gorilla mounting tape, Storage Theory Power Perch, and the Pretty Handy Girl video for changing your doorknobs.

Jewelry renovation with Spur = talk about amazing.

Have thoughts?? We want 'em: 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for an extra-magical grab bag episode—partly because we're recording in person! Its stars: a question we loved so much, our conflicted boots, gossiping about toddlers, an impassioned pitch for Farmer's Fridge, setting calendar alerts for topics of conversation, and the most revelatory jeans that have ever crossed our fitting-room doors.

Movie we're itching to see: Women Talking (thanks for the pitch, Fran.) based on this Miriam Toews book.

The winter boots we have mixed feelings about…but wear the crap out of: Claire's No.6 clog ones (covered by The New Yorker *and* The New York Times) and Erica's Doc Marten zip chelsea style.

Should you find yourself in an airport: Eat Farmer's Fridge! Try the baja bowl, green goddess salad, or pineapple coconut chia pudding.

Dr. Harvey Karp's Happiest Toddler on the Block, source of toddler gossip advice.

Anne Helen Petersen on calendar culture.

For some WOW-inducing jeans, check out Ganni's Figni style (and perhaps watch the vid of how they work?). For more on statement flies, see Tibi's double-waisted Sam jean and this Vogue story. Another good denim source: Totême.

Have thoughts about jeans/winter boots/airport food? Let us know 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

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.

Zip over to Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

Get that good ecomm experience with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.

Count on LifeMD to get the telehealthcare you need, when you need it.

YAY.

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk Thingies with Monica Khemsurov & Jill Singer! They're the masterminds behind Sight Unseen, our go-to design resource since 2009, and the authors of the new book How to Live with Objects that has helpful tips aplenty (along with ample inspiration). Plus: a hate-gift idea and a belated love letter to Normal People.

How about a donation to Moms for Moms, pitched to us as an A+ hate-gift by a listener?

Monica and Jill's book How to Live with Objects is out now! Wow, is it great—and what an ideal present for the "person who has everything" type.

Their Thingies, coming through: oversize decor, miniature fountains (Monica's is from Lily Clark.), only buying the best version of a consumable something (Jill loves the Marie Veronique Barrier Lipid Complex, rice from The Rice Factory New York, and Glaser Organic Farms Almond Butter.), microwaves (David Chang Cooking at Home and Anyday cookware fans unite!), and saved search terms when exploring vintage objects.

Are there entertainment-y things you're SHOCKED we haven't talked about on this show? Leave us a voicemail at 833-632-5463, email us at [email protected], DM us at @athingortwohq —or join our Geneva and share!

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.

Care for your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

Check out Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor's appointment.

YAY.

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ope! We're back with a grab bag of questions: 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 this YouTube video from Charlie Berens for on ope usage and Midwest vs. Everybody's great ope merch. Also: on the rise of the Midwestern vibe.

Takeaways re: "A 'Landmark' as Women Will Coach Against Each Other in Men's Soccer," which also made us think about this episode of Throwing Fits.

Join us in subscribing to Dua Lipa's newsletter Service95 and listening to her podcast At Your Service.

Share your thoughts on all of this at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations.

Get into professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.

Visit Noihsaf Bazaar to buy, sell, and even make new friends.

Feel great in Honeylove and get 20% off with the code ATHINGORTWO.

Dig into your business's numbers with Netsuite.

YAY.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a registered dietitian, Shira Barlow MS, RD (aka The Food Therapist) has built a broad clientele. From celebrities seeking a nutrition plan for their next big role to moms trying to fit in a healthy bite during naptime, Shira has identified one of the most common challenges that we all share: we struggle to eat thoughtfully while navigating busy lives. Listen along every Monday - Friday as Shira shares tips and tricks to help uncomplicate your relationship with food in Dear Media Originals' new daily podcast Good Instincts. 

 

Produced by Dear Media. 

For this glorious ep, we partnered with Noihsaf Bazaar, the Duluth, Minnesota–based resale site curated by real people with excellent taste. Wow, how excited we are to talk secondhand shopping and Thingies with the very in-the-know founder Kate Lindello…and we'll also take this (any?) opportunity to go nuts for corn nuts.

Kate's Thingies include Monastery Attar Concentrate (perhaps start with—or gift—the discovery kit), Tibi Style Class, the Dik-Dik from Matek (which makes us think of dickey situations from Nanamica and Mijeong Park), Better Things, Peter Witrak's mobiles, the wool cloud from Scarf Shop, and, of course, Minnesota in general (and Grandma's Marathon specifically).

Hit us up at at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq to let us know your dream Thingies guests, and for even more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership and join our Geneva.

Join a super-cool community of buyers and sellers at Noihsaf Bazaar. So much awesomeness to be had! We dare you to find a more informative (and enticing) brands page anywhere, and don't sleep on the kids and home finds, ok?

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're wrapping up (heh) this year's gift guides with ideas for siblings, kids, aunts and uncles, colleagues, and the randos in your life you wanna treat extra nice. Have holiday-shopping thoughts of your own you *need* to share? Join our shiny new Geneva and spread that intel!

For all our ideas, check out the archive of gift guides past—and keep those VMs and DMs coming at 833-632-5463 and @athingortwohq!

A quick thanks to our sponsors:

Explore our favorite MoMA Design Store finds—a one-stop shop!

Give your hair TLC with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Sisters!

For my sister and me because we both had/are having babies this year, and we are culturally christian literally only for the christmas cheer. Baby's first christmas holiday ornaments that aren't absolutely dreadful. So much cheesy stuff, doesn't have to be baby themed but looking for a cool way to commemorate.

• Custom porcelain charms from OKS
• FoxBlossomCo custom bent-wire ornament
• Lizzie Fortunato Alphabet Soup charms
• Celina Mancurti monogrammed Christmas stockings or one-of-a-kind ones from Pyschic Outlaw

Step-sister; 18 and just got engaged. Likes to hunt. We are quite different.

• Ranger Station perfumes
• Yeti something! Various of the tumblers are customizable.
• Camber sweatshirt
• Vuori
• Beis weekender
• Flannery Beef

My sister who is a palliative care nurse with a broadway and true crime obsession

• Antipast compression socks
• Bonnie and Neil wave bath mat
• TodayTix gift card
• Broadway Dance Center classes
• Salty Seattle Crocchi croissant-shaped gnocchi
• Tickets to True Crime: The Musical at The Players Theatre in NYC

Brothers!

25-year-old brother, aspirational and practicing writer/actor/director, v into self-improvement (Tim Ferriss vibes), not into receiving gifts, would rather just buy what he wants when he wants, the curveball is he did say I could make him some art or buy him some art as apartment decor.

• Artwise signed posters and lithographs
• Art from Kneeland Co.
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art posters and prints
• Get Your Shit Together by David Shrigley
• Martin Scorsese MasterClass

Early 20s brothers who still live at home.

• A24 99 Movie Crosswords
• Rap Capital by Joe Coscarelli
• Solid Wiggles, which now ships on Gold Belly
• Athletic Greens
• Dohm white noise machine
• Anyday microwave cookware

Sons!

25 year old son who buys the nicer things because they last, but who is also a minimalist.

• Something from Labour & Wait or Puebco
• Ettitude sheets.
• Toyo toolbox
• Bottega Veneta moneyclip

Kids and Teens!

5-year-old who bounces off the walls and loves telling stories and recapping movies.

• Hugimal weighted stuffed animal
• Haba doorway puppet theater or Wonder & Wise by Asweets playhouse
• Cosmic Kids Yoga subscription
• P.S.- We Made This: Super Fun Crafts That Grow Smarter + Happier Kids! by Erica Domesek
• Little Passports
• Kidamento camera
• Lego MiniFigs

4-year-old who loves twirly dresses but mom's aesthetic is minimalist Brooklyn hipster.

• Unwind Studio needlepoint kit for kids
• Kazoo magazine subscription
• OLODesigns costumes
• All Small Co dress section (see: kiwi puff tutu dress and Lisa Says Gah x All Small Co puff sleeve dress)
• La Réunion custom azure patchwork dress
• Primary cozy plaid dress or tutu dress
• Follies playhouses: Casa Azul set, The Bauhaus set, and Canvas set

13year old girl who claims she discovered preppy fashion and also loves hair product

• Vintage Ralph Lauren shirts—use search terms Y2K, cropped
• Used copy of The Official Preppy Handbook
• Monogrammable mini backpack from Paravel
• Rose and Co candle makers
• Pattern mist spray bottle + microfiber hair towel
• Shop Milk Teeth barrettes
• Chunks hair accessories
• Some TikTok-adjacent cooking things: DIY fortune cookie kit, The Dough Club mochi pancake and waffle mix, Takashi Murakami flower pancake pan
• Lumber Club Marfa stool

Aunts and Uncles!

A generous aunt whose language is giving other people gifts, but hard to buy for herself. She's a real estate agent, into some woo-y self-help stuff, and buys anything she needs right away. Have tried gift certificates for experiential things, but she's a busy lady and these often don't get redeemed.

• An easy-to-redeem gift card for food that's good for entertaining that comes to her. In NYC: Stocked by 3 Owls gift card. In LA: Lady & Larder. Nationwide: Beauty & the Board.
• Cultish by Amanda Montell
• A flower subscription from Flowerbx or BloomsyBox
• Moon Lists workbook / guided journal
• Amiacalva tote or monogrammed Clare V Tropezienne.
• Fancy, pretty makeup like Dries Van Noten lipstick or perfume discovery set or Hermès lipstick or blush brush.

Colleagues!

Beloved senior colleague retiring: works in a museum, fun dog, rocks a funky necklace.

• Lux Eros personalized pet bowl
• Kikkerland wooden ball launcher
• Ameico candle stacks
• Roxanne Assoulin necklace
• Susan Alexandra dog collar or leash
• Saint Olio aromatic dog refresher

Coworkers/direct reports - ideally one idea for all. We are remote so a digital gift is ideal.

• A Thing or Two Secret Menu subscription
• Substack subscription: To give a gift subscription, go to the homepage of the publication you'd like to give, then add "/gift" to the end of the URL.
• Libro.fm subscription
• Gjusta Goods herbed salt and Burlap & Barrel Zanzibar black peppercorns and Graza olive oil
• Allie's banana bread
• Good-looking games like Wingspan, Azul, Lacorsa Grand Prix, and Casa Lopez Playing Cards.

My boss - owns a company that runs farmer markets. I've been with the company since may. He is currently starting a farm (he has been a farmer before). I am honestly not sure if he is a Christmas guy. He doesn't seem jazzed about it, idk. I know he cares enormously about sustainability, our food system, etc. but is also a business man. I have literally zero ideas for him. The additional piece is that we should get him a gift as a group (we are a pretty small team) but should I also get him a sep gift? No, right? Agh. I assume he's in his mid to late 40s. White. He has small kids that I haven't met.

• Chocolate! ℅ Fossa, andSons Chocolatiers, and JST Chocolate
• Alec's Ice Cream
• Séka Hills olive oil
• An Illustrated Catalog of American Fruits and Nuts
• Flamingo Estate 9-pound bag of manure
• Donation to Black Farmer Fund paired with We Are Each Other's Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy by Natalie Baszile
• Donation to Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at University of Arkansas

Friends!

Best friend (36 female) loves wine and who my 5 yo thinks has chosen being an aunt as her career.

• Josephinen glasses
• Special bottle from Walker Wines or Winebid
• Cote wine club (also has a gift box option)
• 99 Bottles: A Black Sheep's Guide to Life-Changing Wines by André Hueston Mack
• An American in Provence: Art, Life and Photography by Jamie Beck

Female friend. Preppy/classic style. Likes fancy crafts (i.e., embroidery). Vegan. ~$40

• The LL Bean tote with an in joke, catchphrase, embroidered
• Loop Canvas needlepionts
• StirCrazyCrafterUK embroidery journal kit
• Blockshop original block-printing kit
• Vintage napkins with her initial or monogram on Etsy/eBay
• Typology tinted lip oil
• Donation to animal sanctuary, like Farm Sactuary: "adopt" a goat named Jennifer or a donkey named Albert!
• Brutus Bakeshop goodies

One of my best friends who has two boys under 4, is writing a thesis on how policing was formed out of military-imperialist activities, and is a great chef and baker (vegetarian and gluten-free). She did all our friends' wedding hair and makeup (me included) and took us to the Usher residency in Vegas for her 36th birthday. Lastly, and most importantly, her family is very wealthy (and generous - they have taken me on MANY incredible once-in-a-lifetime trips). Lastly, she is a BIG SHOPPER but still hunts for a deal. If you're wondering, I have already given her a custom Katie Kimmel pet vase.

• Vintage Usher tee
• Tani Greenspan custom matchbook print
• The Last Course by Claudia Flemming (and Melissa Clark) + her new book Delectable (with Catherine Young)
• Chava studio shirt or a gift cert
• Alepel custom shoes or cardholder
• Memor phone case or vase. They also sell jibbitz…er, shoe charms.
• Arcana Books gift certificate
• Hermès passport holder

Recovering cool girl that doesn't want any more vinyl, just something useless + gorge.

• Somthings2021 vase or candlestick
• Escentric Molecules gift set
• Casa Veronica wall hook or candle holder
• Isabel Halley wine cups
• Siafu Home beaded water carafe
• Molly J. CBD gummies advent calendar
• Kiosk48th advent calendar

Everyone Else!

Brother's girlfriend who loves to read, has 2 cats, hates clutter, and many food allergies.

• Coway air purifier
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
• Craighill perch bookmark
• Cat ruff collar
• Meyou Paris cat scratching post or bed
• A donation to a local cat rescue organization

Gymnastics moms who plan trips, organize fundraisers and figure out carpool.

• A bottle of something fun and a little surprising: Pipeno red ( with Papaya Reusables paper towels?),Forthave Spirits Red Aperitivo, non-alcoholic De Soi or Non or Proxies
• Stationery / office-supply grab bags with finds from Yoseka Stationery, St. Louis Art Supply, or your local art store
• Cheerie Lane kitchen gift set

Millennial who loves gardening and just started a high powered public job in the city.

• Leath at-home growing system
• Soltech Solutions hanging grow light or bulb
• Sneeboer garden tools
• Garden clogs from Gardenheir
• Natureking flower press
• Donation to GrowNYC
• Ichendorf Milano waterlife ball

Produced by Dear Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's that time of year: the unveiling of the best gift guide in the podcast multiverse (we like to think). Part 1 stars your most charming—and trickiest—partners, parents, and grandparents. Next week, tune in for part 2, and, in the meantime, dig into the ol' present-paralysis back catalogue.

For the full episode recap—with ALL THE LINKS!—head to the A Thing or Two site.

• Get the ecomm support you need with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link.
• Shop our favorite MoMA Design Store finds—so many holiday crowd-pleasers!
• Feel your best in Honeylove and get 20% off with the code ATHINGORTWO.
• Book that doctor's appointment already by downloading the free Zocdoc app.

Husbands and Boyfriends!

42-year-old male. Recently started dating. Lawyer. Dad. World traveler. Cyclist. Just bought a new house. Moved back to the area (Philly) from upstate new york. photographer. reader. avid home cook. knows a Parisian knot. loves a good meal out. linen shirt wearer. loafers/boat shoes with shorts kind of guy. Enjoys wine and cocktails. catholic raised. city dweller. nerdy and thoughtful.

• Linoto linen boxers
• Artemis loafers
• Stranger's Guide Fellow Travelers Club
• Arabica coffee plant
• Photodom photography-themed Croc Jibbitz (Or really anything from Photodom—they have a cute gift guide on their site.)
• Ghiaia cashmere
• La Salumina Amatriciana kit
• Rapha cycling backpack
• Tiptop cocktails
• Depths of Wikipedia tickets—NYC live show on 12/14 or Pittsburgh show on 12/16—or mug
• Donation to TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image's teen photo program in Philly

Husband who thinks he's outdoorsy but hasn't been camping in decades.

• Bluefeel Kruca camping fan
• Gramicci gadget shorts or pants
• Battenwear bouldering pants
• 1733 duffle
• An actual camping weekend for next summer for him—a lot of places book a year or 9 months in advance. Recs: Hither Hills State Park and Assateague Island.
• Getaway House gift certificate
• Wildsam National Parks or Road Trip guides
• Donation to a local preservation organization, like, say, Save the Boundary Waters in MN
• REI outdoor skills classes

Husband who owns a ceramics company and has an eye for design.

• Courier mag subscription
• Dusen Dusen for MoMA Subu slippers
• Quark pegboard for his office or studio
• Carson Converse small-format quilts
• Glass-blowing or leather-working class
• Sight Unseen book How to Live With Objects
• Donation to People's Pottery Project

Wives and Girlfriends!

Chronically ill wife with long-covid 2.5 years, doesn't like surprises, and in bed most days. loves sports, her friends, sitting in the park, and a great deal.

• Nocs Provisions binoculars—they did a cool collab with the Native artist Amelia Winger-Bearskin that includes a strap
• Cliq portable chairs
• Vintage Masters golf gear, like this eighties ringer tee or this nineties hat)
• WNBA custom jersey
• Offhours home coat

Grandparents!

My 90-year-old grandma who refuses hearing aides because we don't visit enough and lives off of chipotle and chips.

• Liberty London 2-in-1 game set - ludo and backgammon
• Quilted Snakes & Ladders set
• Frontera Grill carnitas taco kit
• Fancy chip clips + chips & salsa of the month club subscription

My mostly home-bound grandma. Loves her tomato plants, vitamins, and Bob Barker.

• Flamingo Estate roma heirloom tomato candle
• Nonna's Grocer tomato famiglia candle set
• Bordallo Pinheiro tomate apertifs plate—or lamp!
• If you have kids who she can share it with: Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi
• 1986 Price Is Right board game
• Come on Down sweatshirt
• Chronically Chic pill organizer for her vitamins

Moms, Stepmoms, and Mothers-In-Law!

My mom is my white whale: needs nothing, no guilt in buying herself things she wants. Hates Christmas but derives joy from getting to complain about it. Good cook with a global palette (has all the gadgets she approves of and a long list of gadgets she does not endorse), news junkie, reads a lot. 61, both of my parents are retired, lives in the Pacific Northwest. Has taste but no style, hates clutter. Buys her clothes at Costco. Drinks nice wine that she also buys at Costco. Thinks art is stupid (I am an artist). She's very funny but she really leans into her brand of "antisocial curmudgeon." Successful gifts in the past were an NYtimes subscription and a fancy amaryllis bulb that she can text me about and shame it for blooming the wrong time of year. I try to veer towards consumables. She can also appreciate a handmade ceramic (functional, not decorative).

• Masienda tortilla starter kit (with Dona Rosa tortilla press) and the companion Masa cookbook
• Diaspora Co. chai kit
• Talbott and Arding cheese club subscription
• Yun Hai dried fruit—there's a gift set
• Omsom IYKYK shaker set
• NYT Spelling Bee hat
• Hadley & Bennett apron
• Roz Chast books, like What I Hate from A to Z, or Roz Chast wall art
• Rachael Pots functional ceramics
• Ikebana bowl & bulb from Utility Objects (could pair with fancy Japanese floral scissors)

My mom: She always asks for electronics and then ends up not being able to figure them out - or just doesn't use them. Want to get her something meaningful she will use.

• 1Password membership
• Lomi composter
• M0de electric toothbrush
• Aarke water purifier

Stepmother-in-law who is a spiritual counselor in Colorado. Obviously vegan.

• Vegan JapanEasy by Tim Anderson, with Moromi soy sauces
• Rebel Cheese club membership
• Yellow Leaf hammock
• Esalen Institute merch or gift cert
• Nora McInerny books
• Esker gift sets

Mother In Law - has more clothes than Nordstrom. Lives alone but her party line is always ringing.

• Bitossi set of 6 wineglasses
• Gohar World bottle apron
• Casa Velasquez bolero apron
• Gossamer Happy Hour hemp pre-rolls
• Conserva Culture tinned fish gift set
• Snacks for Dinner: Small Bites, Full Plates, Can't Lose by Lukas Volger
• McNally Jackson seminar
• Custom sweater mending from Repair Shop
• "Come Over" hat from Big Night
• Dress for Success donation

This one is for my five-foot-tall Italian American mother in law who has the thickest New York accent I've ever heard and could be described as "a tiny tank" in both stature and personality. she lives on Long Island and has access to everything; also tends to buy herself whatever she wants. so she's extremely hard to gift for. Whatever we give should probably be a physical gift vs. an experience. she is very judgmental and critical and not warm and fuzzy - but she has also had the difficult task of being a single parent to two kids, one of whom, my SIL, is living at home with significant physical and intellectual disabilities and who my MIL devotes all her time to - my SIL is so well taken care of. Looking for a gift that somehow recognizes/responds to all of this.

• Unspun gift kit
• Ipsa, depending on part of Long Island
• House cleaning from We Can Do It! – Si Se Puede Women's Cooperative (only operates in the five boroughs)
• Missoni Home blanket
• Roscioli Italian wine club
• Marcella's favorites gift set from Gustiamo

Mom and her husband just bought a boat. So something nautical or for small space living.

• Year of Knots by Windy Chien
• Malaika hand-printed beach towels
• Personalized life saver buoy (U.S. Coast Guard-approved!)
• Salty Home tide clock
• Framed nautical flags
• Haptic Lab sailing ship kite
• Petit Kouraj x SVNR tote fishnet seashell tote
• Issimo inflatable mini terrycloth pillow
• Ingredients for a session dark 'n stormy
• Donation to The Ocean Cleanup

Mother-in-law who is the solo living grandparent to our 4-year-old and Buddhist priest who wants nothing but time with us. However, she is always a generous and thoughtful gift-giver so I can't just give her time. She is a tea lover but you can imagine how much tea I've already given her. She has a dog, loves the color periwinkle, and spends a lot of time on Zoom with her Sangha. She's forever 'writing a book' and loves getting on board with a system (for writing, for organizing, whatever). Help!

• Joyoung soy milk machine
• Daruma doll holding a dog
• Dog ball launcher
• MQuan Bell
• Rice xax candles for meditation
• Mountain Valley Seed Company seed starter kit medicinal & herbal tea
• Books to read with the grandkid: Jon J. Muth's The Three Questions and Zen Shorts and Thich Nat Hanh's Where is the Buddha? and A Handful of Quiet
• Lena Corwin peace towel + matching kid-size one for the grandkid
• Scrivener subscription

Dads, Step-Dads, and Fathers-in-Law!

My dad, who is a retired chef (he still has knives from 40 years ago that he painstakingly cares for and finds most home kitchens to be very pretentious), can build/fix anything, loves to read non-fiction, and was suspended from Twitter frequently for tweeting insults at Donald Trump

• The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow
• Peeko oysters
• Sitka Salmon Share
• Cabi original trio
• Vintage RAADVAD bread slicer
• Manufacture de Digoin vinegar jar to make his own vinegar
• Milk Street Turkish közmatik
• Donation to his local food bank

Mid 60's Frenchman who lives in Alsace with his wife and they travel a lot in their RV. they are also coming to the states next spring on a cross-country RV trip so I really think it should revolve around that. but more about him- he doesn't drink or smoke (some Frenchman he is) when we would drive to Florida once a year he would always be so excited to get to put on Latin American music on the radio. last year we got him a record player and records that I am 100% sure he doesn't use. he loves scrabble and card games, and he builds these badass card holders out of wood that he then does wood-burning personalized deco on. he has everything he wants and he wears lee jeans.

• Neepa Hut food tent
• Camping chair from Cliq, Woods, or Blue Ridge Chair Works
• Penco box tote
• Papier travel journal
• National Parks pass
• Personalized leatherbound America: National Parks Atlas (from PBS shop)

Dad who enjoys perfecting logistics and explaining credit card point strategy.

• Scott's Cheap Flights premium membership
• Timeshifter app
• Solgaard carry-on closet suitcase (there's a MoMA collab!)
• "Clipper Club" 1950 Pan Am membership lounge rocks glass
• Bug-out bag from Judy
• Portable phone charger
• iPad keyboard + Valerie Constance monogrammed keyboard case

Former CIA and green beret but loves appletinis and bubble baths.

• Straightaway Cocktails
• Bathing Culture body wash
• Sophie Lou Jacobsen martini glasses
• Esker bath board
• Avec x Atelier Saucier bundle of cocktail napkins + drink mixers + garnishes + recipes

I need help finding a gift for my picky and hard-working lawyer Dad. He loves outdoor adventures, Neil Young, doing puzzles with my Mom, and reading. My parents recently became part-time New Yorkers and keep buying art museum memberships. He loves to do research before purchasing anything and tends to buy whatever he wants. My Mom is a chronic shopper, so he usually has multiples of whatever he confesses to liking - Ugg slippers, Jack Black face wash, William Henry knives. He is a big guy and doesn't fit into standard S-L sizes. He also doesn't drink alcohol or coffee. In the past, he has disliked gifts that involve more labor (i.e. a smoker, a drone). I am not opposed to making a donation in his name, but my family's love language is gifts and I would need to accompany a donation with something for him to unwrap. Per Claire's request for dental records, he lost his front teeth as a kid playing Pee Wee football. He broke his fake set in a fight the day of his junior prom and attended the dance sans front teeth. He is so fun and deserves a great gift. Last year, I got him a Storyworth membership and he loved it (thanks for the recommendation!) I am hoping for a repeat success. Also, he is a January birthday, so I could use multiple ideas. Please help!

• Birding Bob walk in Central Park, plus a donation or membership to Wild Bird Fund
• Tickets to a Happy Medium art class
• Day at the spa at Governor's Island
• Joyce Gold tour
• Fancy pajamas from P. Le Moult
• Todd Snyder x New Era nubby Yankees cap (see also:Dodgers, Cubs, and Red Sox hats)
• MoMA Design Store has great puzzle selection. Also: this Neil Young jigsaw puzzle and Different Puzzles, which are fun and *challenging*

Wisconsin Father in Law who likes sports. End of list.

• Lambeau Field stadium tours
• Depending on his teams, gear from a previous stadium—signs and even seats that go up for sale
• ChamberlainMade keyboard sticker
• Wisconsin hoodie ornament
• MLB Validation Pass-Port
• Wisconsin tri logo tee/sweatshirt
• Donation to Special Olympics Wisconsin

YAY.

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