What’s the Best Thing (Under $200) You Bought Yourself This Year?

Jamaal Bowman

The Force is like my religion. This game helped me get through fundraising and dialing for dollars for my campaign. It’s one of the most incredible gaming experiences anyone could ever have. You travel from planet to planet as a Padawan on your path to becoming a Jedi. It’s awesome.

Miranda Kerr

I am obsessed with karaoke, and I got the Bluetooth karaoke microphone so I could perform on the go. It has been one of our favorite family activities during quarantine.

Sarah McNally

A fabulous robe to slightly glam up my quarantine life. It’s from Laina Jane, a sexy mom store on Christopher Street.

Penelope August

My daughter loves it: She’s looked at her hair and mine, and our saliva (TMI?), and she goes around the park picking lichen off rocks and collecting leaves to examine. I help her make the slides and focus the lens — it is very much a hands-on toy.

Phillip Picardi

This bright mix of citrus and white florals is the right amount of freshness for an everyday clean scent for the air (and upholstery) in my home. It far beats the noxious fumes of Khloé Kardashian’s favorite, Febreze.

Franci Girard

I put one drop directly in my mouth at the beginning of a day. It calms me without making me groggy.

Rebecca Zhou

The perfect weight, a super-flattering fit, and the drawcord ankle cuff is really comfortable. I bit the bullet and bought two pairs — I already owned one — and now I have enough to wear in between laundry days.

David McGillivray

I had to have them and I don’t regret a thing. They don’t offer much support from an orthopedic perspective, but they are incredibly comforting to slip on in the morning.

Nicky Hilton

My daughters are obsessed — I use it as my new bribery trick. In two minutes you have rich, creamy, barista-quality hot chocolate.

This is great for sculpting and lifting. It feels so good. I love using it for lymphatic drainage.

Amanda Assad Mounser

Opening the set of 150 colored pencils gave me the adult version of the rush I felt as a kid upon receiving a 120-count Crayola box.

Brian Davis

These felt like a serious upgrade from the Baggies I usually work out in. A nice cut in a functional lightweight mesh that’s great for running, but just as good for kitchen kettlebell workouts.

Yi Guo

It’s been a fun workout.

Tiler Peck

Life is too repetitive these days, which is why I love the variety in this perfume set. Wearing a different one each day feels like a nice little surprise.

Michael Cuby

Snuggling tightly in the comforter’s pillowy soft contours is the first time I’ve found peace since the blissful innocence of my childhood.

Lisa Dennison

The Ferrari of all pans. Named after Avalon, the mythical island where the sword of King Arthur was forged, it has a five-ply copper core and a hammered black finish that is much swankier than my everyday stainless-steel versions. It comes luxuriously packaged and includes, believe it or not, silk storage bags, making it feel a bit like expensive lingerie.

Impossibly comfortable, fun to look at, and they double as stuffed animals if you have kids at home.

Naj Austin

The color is bright and happy, and it comes with shorts, so I feel like I’m putting on an entire outfit.

Charlotte Cho

It tastes as good as it sounds — creamy, with a sweet rice flavor just like Korean nuurongi (which is also known as “scorched rice”).

Heidi Rose Robbins

Jules Blaine Davis makes the most beautiful heart-shaped cutting boards. I bought two and use them for everything, from cutting up apples to serving a snack of carrots, nuts, and orange slices to the kids.

Alison Freer

It’s a paraffin-wax dip machine like they have at the nail salon. Giving my hands and feet a soothing, moisturizing dip has become the highlight of my day.

Benjamin Edgar

I discovered Mark Thomas’s truly beautiful (and almost lighter-than-air) wineglasses at a favorite restaurant in 2019. Having them to pair with my dinners at home brought a bit of the magic of fine dining to my kitchen.

Cat Marnell

I spent all summer hunting for my obsession, faux fur, online, because I was anticipating eventually sitting at a lot of outdoor bars and restaurants surrounded by heating lamps. Fake is better in every way: the price, the colors, the durability. This poncho from Donna Salyers Fabulous Furs is like a portable blanket you can wear over jeans. You can wear it to bum a cigarette outside the new Delancey Street Popeyes or you can wear it to eat the chic caviar at my favorite restaurant, Le Crocodile. You know?

Akin Akman

Whether I use it to help organize my schedule or to take quick notes during meetings, the pencil has been a game changer for working on my iPad Pro.

Jacqueline Woodson

I ordered it for both of my kids, who are dealing with all the things that happen to your skin when you’re 12 and 18.

Sophia Wilson

People stop me on the street to ask what designer they are all the time.

I keep it in the living room.

Paul Scheer

I’m a big Theragun person — I love its massage devices that are basically drills with a softer head on them. The Wave Roller is the brand’s newest product, and it is perfect. I have tight legs, and it’s really hard to roll them out properly. This robot does the dirty work for me: All I have to do is get on it, and it vibrates right into the muscles. It’s such a great feeling, especially if you like a massage. Get yourself one and you’ll never have to ask your partner about a massage again.

Akili King

Super refreshing and nonirritating and works wonders on my maskne.

This not only purifies the air but also doubles as an oil diffuser that’s great for aromatherapy, eczema-prone skin, allergies, and just keeping me healthier throughout cold-and-flu season. It’s also cute.

Tayari Jones

I joined with my bestie. Each month we receive a box containing everything we need for DIY mixology: bitters, exotic syrups, aromatics. When the kit arrives, we do a FaceTime happy hour. Aside from a flambé situation that set off my smoke alarm, the experience has been an absolute delight.

Mark Oliver Everett

Carly Hughes

An instant pick-me-up for your face and spirit. I use them almost every day to lift, tighten, de-puff, and refresh.

For a solo date night, I spent a little extra and treated myself to two 1.5-pound lobster tails — yes, I said two 1.5-pound tails. I cooked one and put the other in the freezer.

Sally LaPointe

Just the best. I just can’t get enough.

Dr. Woo

It has improved my home workouts like crazy.

Tracy Anderson

I just moved to Pennsylvania, and I have to say the wine selection in the state is not great. So I’ve been ordering cases of my favorite Pinot Noir from Flowers. It’s gorgeous, not absurdly expensive, and Pinot Noir has the most antioxidants of any red wine.

Alexander-Julian Gibbson

The tint is subtle enough for me to wear them indoors as glasses.

The cut and fun print helped me ease into my reintroduction to the outside world.

Brianna ‘Breezy’ Dotson

The perfect nightly send-off — especially at a time when the world can be overwhelming, to say the least.

Ivy Pochoda

Heritage Foods is the gold standard in ethical, ancient-breed livestock meats. Its double-cut long-bone pork chop is the Cadillac of swine — velvety, perfectly marbled, with a wonderful, almost nutty flavor. The chop is decadent but easy to prepare, and I’d venture better than anything you could order in a restaurant. Plus, you can get down and dirty with that extra-long bone in the privacy of your own home. Believe me, you’ll want to.

Michelle Buteau

Treating myself to these house slippers probably sounds silly because everyone has house slippers. But I didn’t and now my feet are so warm and comfy and cozy.

Editor’s note: House of Fraser lists all prices in British pounds, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.

Karen Phelps

A super-functional incense burner with incredibly thoughtful packaging. I use mine multiple times a day.

Devon Sawa

It’s been hugely helpful in getting my son to fall asleep on tougher nights, like when he has to go to bed early or when he’s had a lot of Zoom school. We throw it on after story time, and it helps him drift away.

Jenna Wolfe

I traded my Kirkland slippers for these. All-wool, comfy, and surprisingly chic!

Katie Sturino

A fancy foam roller from Goop that I lie on when I’m watching TV. It feels like heaven.

Shannon Maldonado

When I received the package, I screamed, and when they touched my skin, I moaned. They are so soft and stretchy, and I never want to wear jeans again.

Scott Haven

Like so many others, I was not able to take a traditional vacation this year. This room-spray trio is one of those hotel luxuries you can bring into your home.

Tennis Warehouse listed this on its “best for beginners” list. The racquet, coupled with a MasterClass course from Serena Williams, has been so much fun. But I am still terrible.

Mi-Anne Chan

I got the rug in May, three months into self-isolation. At that point, I was going a little stir-crazy, getting drunk on Zoom every other night, and maniacally “decluttering” my apartment. This was a perfect surprise: The rug just pulled the living room together. Rolling it out onto the floor was like taking a deep breath.

Maria Dueñas Jacobs

This mug (along with a whole lot of sweatpants) keeps me feeling cozy and warm in the colder months of the pandemic. It has a battery in the base and can heat my tea for close to two hours, so the mug has become my constant companion on work calls, everlasting home-school Zooms, and at impromptu tea parties with my daughters.

Utibe Mbagwu

When I came across this desk lamp on Hay, a switch went off (pun intended) and I needed it. The pleated paper shade is a welcome reprieve from the mushroom lamps currently saturating my Instagram feed.

Tayo Giwa

West Africans the world over know this versatile staple. Egunsi Foods’ obe ata is premade and fresh. My favorite preparation is as a sauce over rice, chicken, and spinach.

Chantel Lou Tattoli

After my brother passed away this spring, I picked out this pewter frame to display a loose Kodak photograph of us when we were little and tea-partying topless in the house we grew up in. Given all the distance between people and those they love this year, frames are making a comeback.

Michael Ian Black

It’s where my son goes to college (when he goes to college, which he has not done since March because of COVID). I’ve worn it pretty much every day since I got it.

Harling Ross

Under normal circumstances, I might have thought twice before getting white sweats because of stains. But knowing I would be wearing these mostly at home or on quick errands made it seem like a practical enough acquisition. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve worn them almost every day since they arrived. Also, if something ends up getting stained, I’ll just tie-dye it.

Danny Green

My go-to recipe is strawberry, banana, peanut butter, and protein powder. Natreve’s vanilla-flavored powder is my favorite.

Tayla Parx

I ended up getting a few: I have strawberries, salad greens, peppers, and all kinds of other things growing in them.

Doree Shafrir

The improvement it had on my restorative yoga practice was immediate. My relaxation now knows no bounds — that is, as long as I can stop my mind from racing.

Siraad Dirshe

While spending $65 on soap is a bit over the top, the small amount of joy it brings while I wash my hands is worth it.

I can’t have hand wash without hand cream, so I splurged on this too. The cream really seals in the scent of the Suede Hand Wash. It stays with me for the next hour or so.

Sylvana Ward Durrett

My work-from-home space is sacred. I want it to be relaxing and Zen, which is why I always have my favorite Christian Tortu candle burning.

Dexter Peart

Comfortable, stylish classics I wear even while just at home.

These ten-minute meditation sessions have become my go-to for keeping centered, inspired, and motivated on even the most challenging days.

Tommy Dorfman

The air fryer instantly transformed me into a culinary legend, the Rachel Ray of Silver Lake, a master chef. Prior to this purchase, I only knew how to make basics in the oven or on the stove. Now, I can rival even the most experienced home-cooks in skill. The last reason, if you need any more, is cleanup: In under a minute she’s on the drying rack.

Maeva Heim

I’ve been using it to keep my Zoom outfits pressed. And I can’t wait to take the portable steamer on travels when borders open up.

It’s the most unstylish, ridiculous blanket-jumper thing to wear around the house. I have absolutely zero regrets. It’s far softer, fluffier, and more comfortable than I had imagined, and actually very well designed, with a giant front pocket (for snacks, AirPods, your phone) and cuffs around the wrists so it doesn’t drape over your hands.

Editor’s note: The Avocado Oodie is available to order now, but won’t ship until December 30, according to the retailer.

Jennifer Cattaui

We sprung for this fun ottoman to make my daughter’s Zoom space for school and homework more comfy. The furry fabrication makes the whole online-school thing a bit more bearable.

Ryan Norville

With some extra time on my hands, I picked up an old pastime of knitting. I set out to make some blankets for the baby I just had, but I ended up buying two sweater kits for myself, including this vest kit from Wool and the Gang.

Yeardley Smith

With 2020 working overtime to be remembered for all the wrong reasons, I wanted something I could wear every day that has decisively good mojo. Enter this delicate Tibetan quartz. All of Margaux Perrier’s pieces come beautifully gift wrapped, even if you buy one for yourself.