10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Baggu to Birkin (Plants)

This week, we launched a new series called Steal My Holiday Party in which we ask stylish hosts to share their entertaining secrets. We talked to Dan Pelosi, who shared his secrets to planning the perfect holiday cookie-decorating party, where “the act of making them is very much a part of the conversation.” But when it comes to hot chocolate, store-bought is fine. “Nothing hits quite like 20 packets of mix and five pounds of milk,” he says. And to serve the hot chocolate at its ideal temperature, Pelosi bought this machine: “I set out marshmallows and straws and liquor next to it, too.”

Ludacris told us that he works out a lot: “I jump a lot. I do a bunch of burpees. I’m always on the move.” And since he’s on the move so much, he needs supportive underwear — specifically these briefs from Polo Ralph Lauren: “I like briefs because they are able to hold things together a little bit. I’m such an active person, so why not do it in fashion and style? That’s the best way to explain that.”

Strategist writer Erin Schwartz noticed this Birkin philodendron when flipping through a greenhouse catalogue. The story goes that the philodendron was originally so rare and pricey that it drew comparisons to the highly valued Hermès handbag. Fortunately, prices have deflated to a reasonable $25 for a four-inch to six-inch pot. The plant itself is lovely, with light pinstripes across its leaves that resemble hand-drawn lines. One thing to note: The Birkin is an unstable mutation of the Rojo Congo philodendron and can spontaneously revert to producing large, reddish leaves (or, in some cases, half-and-half pinstripe and red leaves.

We are big fans of Girlfriend Collective’s sustainably made, size-inclusive, and actually nice-looking activewear, all of which is on sale for Black Friday. These Float leggings are a favorite of Luster author Raven Leilani, who told us that “there’s no compliment better than a compliment from another woman, and whenever I wear these, I get the most compliments from other women.” They “suit many body types — you don’t have to have a perfect body to wear this and look good.”

If you’re stumped by what to give your brother for the holidays, we’ve pulled together over 30 options for every type of brother — including the one who is just starting to collect NFTs. This hardware wallet will let him carry his crypto securely without worrying about hackers.

If you missed out on the original UGG x Telfar collaboration, you’ll be thrilled to know round two is kicking off now — and you can preorder the entire collection at Saks, which includes a fuzzy robe, bucket hat, and this shearling shopper. We suggest moving quickly if you want a piece of the action since the last UGG x Telfar drop flew off the shelves as quickly as it came. Note that the expected ship date is no later than December 2, so if you were hoping to make someone on your list very happy come Christmas morning, the goods should arrive in time for the holidays.