Radio 831: A Romance Podcast

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 Loops.

A few of our favorites from his West Elm collection are this checkered rug, this pepper mill, this etched glassware, and this shell bowl for cereal or anything you please.

Didn't know we had to announce it, but we're #teammascara. See: Kevyn Aucoin'The Volume Mascara and Lily Lolo Mascara…and let us know your faves at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.

Give your hair a boost with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

Get the good writing tools with ​​JetPens—free JetPens marker and washi tape with any $50 order when you use our link until 6/30/24.

Go green with Fast Growing Trees—get an additional 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO.

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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 guided runs on the Nike Run Club App (also: our past episode with Coach Bennett that we still think about), Fabletics Define PowerHold High-Waisted 9" Short, Panache Wired Sports Bras, and LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix (also a bonus shoutout to Pocari Sweat).

The idea of the closing shift came to our attention via The Everygirl newsletter, and it lead us to think about Mike Bise's Gap Store Playlists.

Dip into our 2020 convo with Nikki, too!

What are your Thingies? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.

Give your closet a spring refresh with Nuuly and take $20 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO20.

Make some new plant friends with Fast Growing Trees—get an addition 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

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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 giggle: this 2016 headline from The Cut: "Americans Still Believe Granola is Good for Them."

People are dyeing their brows at home! Specifically using henna or Just for Men, but Harper's Bazaar recommends getting brow-specific products or going to a professional.

After one of y'all shared enstrual discs as a Thingie, we received several votes for Flex —they have disposable and reusable versions.

Lots of discussion about making natural deodorant actually work. Erica is using Megababe's Soapy Pits plus Space Bar Underarm Soap. People like Nuud, which is its own ~vibe~. There's also a lot of discussion about using CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser for its 4% benzoyl peroxide—and LOL at the "How to Clean Armpits with Cerave" TikTok page.

Thoughts on deodorant? Vaginal discs vs. cups? Share with us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.

Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link.

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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 Anderson Cooper explores anticipatory grief.

If you care about a person (any person), give Being Mortal by Atul Gawande a read—it offers much good guidance and framing for tough conversations.

A couple planning resources: Policygenius for life insurance and Trust & Will for, you guessed it, trusts and wills.

Share all of your thoughts with us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.

Refresh your wardrobe with Nuuly and take $20 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO20.

Treat your hair to Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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!), Freda Salvador shoes and the Jada ballet flats in particular, The Other Two on Max (see also: The State, Party Down, and Girls 5Eva), the podcast Time Capsule: The Silver Chain.

There was a lot of food talk, naturally: Jo raves about Norah Ephron's pasta alla cecca recipe, and some Philly restaurants she loves include Friday Saturday Sunday, Trattoria Carina, and Zahav.

Jo's Italian heritage liaison: Laura Lee of Digging Up Roots in the Boot.

Want more Jo? You are in LUCK! Her new release The Sicilian Inheritance has an Elena Ferrante meets Gabrielle Hamilton meets Liane Moriarty vibe, and it pairs perfectly with this non-fiction podcast where Jo, NBD, works to solve a family murder. And dig into her other books We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff, and How to Be Married. Want something to listen to? Dive into Under the Influence, Wilder, Committed, Fierce, She Wants More, and Too Much Money.

What are *your* Thingies? Let us know at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or chat with other Bobs in our Geneva.

Change your clothes with Nuuly and take $20 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO20.

Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link.

See your garden thrive with Fast Growing Trees—get an addition 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 compelling Lucky Charms sculptures.

More tiny things!! LOL at this mini backpack you can put on your Stanley Cup; a case for mini soda cans.

Erica just went to Tokyo and has thoughts on the Muji Hotel and Miffy's dominance (see: a florist called Flower Miffy: Dick Bruna's Atelier with Flowers, where the classic arrangement uses a mum for Miffy's head). We also surfaced an important piece of lore about Miffy and Hello Kitty's relationship via The Guardian.

While Erica was in Japan, Claire was reading Bride by Ali Hazelwood (NSFW discourse warning!). For those who don't know what TF the omegaverse is, this episode of Fated Mates breaks it all down (and the show notes include lots of reading recs).

Grappling with everchanging pant trends after a meeting with Katie Anderson of Mend Tailoring and reading Jonah Weiner's New York Times Magazine piece about pants. TY to High Sport for continuing to make a strong case for the crop.

Do you eat or drink in the shower? Let us know at 833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq—or get into it in our Geneva.

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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 case of timeliness on our part, Lucky Charms™ Limited Edition St. Patrick's Day Just Magical Marshmallows. We also can't help but mention the MMX Marshmallow Crossbow we included in last year's gift guide.

Peeps have also been up to some things. Our concerns include Dr. Pepper flavors, dog ropes, "Hanging with my Peeps" merch, and Pepsi's Peep-flavored soda. For enthusiasts, check out Racine Art Museum's Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition, and we have to admit we're kind of charmed by Peepshi.

Fruit innovation! We're talking pineberries (great in a Marcella Hazan recipe for macerated strawberries with balsamic vinegar!), sumo oranges, raspberry oranges, cotton candy grapes,and pink lemons.

According to the NYT, chocolate chip ice cream is falling out of favor—very upsetting to us.

What do you think we should name the fruit marketing revolution? Share your ideas with us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.

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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 Away," Leon Bridges performing Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," T Pain's On Top of the Covers album, the Like a Version YouTube show, and Norma Fraser doing Sheryl Crow's "First Cut is the Deepest."

The high five being 47 years old feels, stay with us, kind of like this tweet. Related: High Five by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri is an excellent children's book by the duo who brought you Dragons Love Tacos.

Fortune cookie–related things include Coming Soon's nickel-plated version, Chefanie's giant ones, and a recipe from Red House Spice.

On the dismal state of internet searching, "The Tragedy of Google Search" by Charlie Warzel for The Atlantic. Other search engines out there: DuckDuckGo, Startpage, and Perplexity, seen in Laura Reilly's installment of the Why Is This Interesting? newsletter.

Favorite covers, favorite fortunes? You just let us know at 833-632-5463, [email protected], @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.

Impress yourself and your nails with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link.

Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link.

Gift Charles Chocolates—the good stuff!—and get 15% off your first purchase with the code ATHING15.

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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 York mag.

"You may also like" newsletters: Casey Lewis's After School, Lauren Sherman's Puck Line Sheet, and Chris Black and James Ellis's Public Announcement.

Emily's Thingies include FIT Center for Continuing Education classes, The New York Times and New York magazine archives, making hot sauce, pickles (some of note include Hot Girl Pickles and Grillo's) neighborhood field trips, poker, and treating your shower like a room. Other loves: Fara Homidi's lip compact and Soft Services Theraplush.

Share your Thingies with us at 833-632-5463, [email protected], @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.

Treat yourself to the good chocolate with Charles Chocolates—15% off your first purchase with the code ATHING15.

YAY.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 in L.A., Nancy Silverton's (also) in L.A., Marc Vetri's in Philly, and the Hart's/Cervo's/The Fly trifecta in NYC.

More on color analysis via Calin Van Paris's story for Vogue. Related: Kibbe types, c/o The Concept Wardrobe and Vox.

So much on miniatures! The Guardian article "'A place where millennials can own a home': why doll's houses are having a big moment" by Nicole Cooley, Shrunk magazine, DWR's Vitra miniatures collection and Champagne Chair Contest, Yuta Segawa's vases, Tatsuya Tanaka, and the (40th anniversary!) Marc Jacobs show.

We're seeing bitsy charms on all sorts of things, including Susan Alexandra Tiny Joys Lucky Charms, Haricot Vert "Dear Diary" Charming Bag, Mother Denim Lucky Charms Beanie, and Hello Adrienne Bite Size Dangles. And let's pleeease not forget Mini Brand magnets.

Share your favorite small restaurant empires, color analysis thoughts, fave minis, and more via 833-632-5463, [email protected], @athingortwohq, or our Geneva.

Get your chocolate fix with Charles Chocolates—15% off your first purchase with the code ATHING15.

YAY.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.