What Curtis Sittenfeld Can’t Live Without

I like that thesebagsare machine washable, they can carry heavy loads from the grocery store, and they compress into a tiny little bunch you can literally put in your pocket. I’d estimate that I own about 15.

I once participated in a fancy writers’ conference where we received thissunscreenin our zippered tote bags. (Aren’t zipperedtote bagsthe best? Like ten times better than unzippered ones?) Anyway, that was four years ago, and I’ve been buying Beyond Coastal ever since. It isn’t greasy, and it gives off an aura of not having chemicals in it that will kill you, while still smelling like summer.

My friend Elizabeth often wearsleggings, and one morning last year at school drop-off, I asked her, “Which are the leggings that don’t give you camel toe?” She told me Athleta’sSalutation Pantand/or Salutation Tight, and later that day, I bought several pairs. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the expression about how there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women … avoid camel toe.

There’s an ongoing “water, water everywhere,and not a drop to drink” situation at my house in terms of bothpensand paper. I try to remedy it by buying boxes of these. Maybe I have the theory that if I buy pens that are more utilitarian than pretty, the universe will feel less tempted to steal them from me?

The first recipe in thiscookbookis Quinoa Granola With Olive Oil and Maple Syrup, and this is what I have every morning for breakfast (I make it without walnuts and eat it with coconut milk and a banana). I never otherwise eat quinoa, and believe it or not, I never think about eitherSliding Doorsor conscious uncouplingwhileI eat breakfast. In general, I believe it’s fine to have impassioned conversations about Gwyneth Paltrow, but those of us who do so should admit it’s a recreational activity and not a moral referendum.

I grew up in Cincinnati, the birthplace of the creamiest and most delicious ice cream with the hugest chocolate chips. Graeter’s used to be available only regionally, but an extravagant thing you could do was overnight-ship six pints to another state, in dry ice. I gave this as a holiday gift to my agent and editor a few times. Then Graeter’s started being sold in other parts of the country, including New York, so I decided there was no point. But my agent and editor both conveyed that they missed the ice-cream deluge, and I realized that when six pints show up at your house, it’s fun and festive because you probably wouldn’t go out and buy that much simultaneously for yourself, even if you could. So now that’s what my agent and editor receive from me every year now. My all-time favorite flavors areblack-raspberry chipand mocha chip. As it happens, they also taste excellent together in the same bowl.

I enjoy reading tips about how to be more organized, and I rarely implement them. But I read in a magazine (alas, I can’t remember if it was inReal SimpleorO) that to keep track of your online passwords, you should buy a paper address book and enter your passwords alphabetically — so your password for, say, Delta Airlines goes underD. I bought an address book from Office Depot, I use this method consistently, and I dream about the day when I’m organized in all ways instead of just one.

[Editor’s note: You can buy it at Amazon if you prefer, too.]

One of my kids has some food allergies, and these tasty cookies are made in a nut-free facility (though they do contain milk, eggs, wheat, etc.). They have standard cookies, like chocolate chip, and they also make very cute seasonal ones that are iced, like shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day or little chicks for Easter.

Whenever I’m in a direflossingsituation and must borrow someone else’s, I can’t believe how waxy and painful other brands are. This one is gentle yet effective. Relatedly, I think the single greatest revelation of my adult life is that I’ll actually floss if I do it when my kidsbrush their own teeth. If I wait until I’m going to bed, I’m too tired for that level of ambition.

The founder of Carrot & Stick is a woman named Susie Gelbron, and she’s a friend of a friend of mine. About ten years ago, I interviewed Susie because I wanted to make a character in a short story a successful letterpress founder. Susie was great and interesting and helpful, and I then changed the character into a lawyer (she’s the protagonist in a story called “A Regular Couple” that appears in my new collection). But I’ve ordered personalizedstationeryfrom Susie many times since, both for myself and as a gift for people Ireallylike. It’s very elegant.