Indonesian Bags, Fish-Bone Pliers, and Other Recent Strategist Finds

“I like to listen to true-crime podcasts to fall asleep, which I know suggests I’m a psychopath, but I’m not. I’ve tried a bunch of different earbuds, and these are the only ones I’ve ever found that are comfortable. They last all night and actually have very good sound.”

“On the weekends, I’ll cook fish. These pliers work well for removing bones. They have a simple little spring, and they pinch the pinbone without snapping it. The angled tip helps pull out a submerged bone without ripping the flesh.”

“How many sweat suits does one person need? Three, apparently. Cease’s are just so good. They’re made of a 20-ounce fabric, which is probably too hot for some people, but I think it’s perfect. The silhouette is really baggy; it’s sexy to me.”

It was a day off for public-school kids when I found myself sitting at a co rnertable at Joe & the Juice in Soho. Nearby, gaggles of tweens and teens filmed TikTok videos, unboxed hauls, and decided where to go next (Blank Street?). One thing caught my eye: a zip-up cable-knit hoodie from Brandy Melville no fewer than six girls were wearing. I wondered, Is this the new “It” sweater? Since it could replace the $38 dupe of Polo Ralph Lauren’s American-flag sweater they all were wearing six months ago for the same babysitting-cash-friendly price tag in a blend of cotton and acrylic, I’m willing to guess it’s a strong contender.–Bella Druckman

“People think of melatonin as something to help you fall asleep, but research has shown high doses of it actually act like an antioxidant. I take a high dose of melatonin every night. It can help repair damaged cells and protect them from further inflammation.”

“I switched to a pillow that has ergonomic cutouts for your shoulders, the sides of yourhead, and the back of your head. It keeps your neck and spine very neutral. If you roll onto your side, the cutout prevents squishing of your face, which gives you crow’s-feet.”

“I used to wear a glucose monitor, and it showed that when my alarm went off, my cortisol and sugar would spike. Now I use a Philips sunrise alarm clock that brightens up the room a bit before the alarm goes off so it’s less stressful when I wake up.”

“You can get a little crazy with the technology. I have a bunch of stuff at home, including an infrared sleeping bag that’s heated; it’s been shown to help with circulation.”

“There’s an app I subscribe to for binaural beats, which put you into a meditative state. I’ll listen to it on the airplane to switch time zones and prep my body so that when I do fall asleep, it’s a lot easier for me to have that deeper sleep.”

I loved the way these shoes felt while I was walking: The wide toe box gave my feet plenty of room to flex, and the mesh-lined insole was comfortable with or without socks. I only wished these had more arch support to make standing on line at the farmers’ market more pleasant.

I was initially skeptical because my feet have never agreed with Birkenstocks. But this pair’s new, more flexible sole made all the difference. The prominent arch support no longer felt overly constricting, and the polyurethane lugs were grippy on trails and uneven sidewalks.

On the softer side of the support spectrum, this pair has a foamy midsole that feels more like a recovery slide than a trail-ready hiking shoe. The styling is also just a bit too hype for my taste.

These shoes introduced the category of all-terrain clogs, but no matter how much I adjusted them, either my toes would be crammed against the front or the heel straps would constantly slip off. That said, they were the best-looking clogs I tried.

These look like shoes that an Asheville-based river guide would wear while throwing tasteful red-clay pottery to sell on Instagram. They fit true to size, feel good barefoot or with socks, and have enough arch support to keep my feet from sliding around. The heel strap stays up no matter what, and the lugged outsole is as grippy as any Vibram-branded rubber I’ve tried.

Since tariffs went into effect and the de minimis loophole closed, I have been mourning how much easier it used to be to buy goods from small designers overseas, like this bag from the brand Fuguku. Luckily, it’s still available at the L.A. store Hexi. It’s made through an Indonesian tie-dyeing process called jumputan. Paired with the high-tech pleating, the results are arresting.–Erin Schwartz

This beauty came into my life via my boyfriend, who picked it up at a baking-supplies store. It’s become our joint-custody baby—we pass it between our apartments depending on who is making what. It has a lid tall enough for three layers, but it’s the extra features that make it my carrier of choice. The base has several rings of treads so cakes don’t slip around in an Uber. It fits full pans, like one for a nine-inch round cake or a Bundt. It comes with cupcake inserts, and if you flip the base over, the bottom becomes a serving tray with four separate compartments and a center circle for chips and dip. So it’s not just a cake carrier; it’s a dessert bodyguard with sturdy latches and a faithful sidekick that always punches above its weight.–Casey Elsass