12 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From ‘It’ Cutting Boards to Cotton Sun Hats

While Naomi Watts told us she isn’t sweating as much as she used to, she still needs to wear deodorant for shows and presentations when “I know I’ll have extra anxiety and I know that will produce sweat,” she says. Recently, she’s been using this clear, toxin-free one with an orange blossom and jasmine taormina scent that “smells gorgeous” and “comes in nice, sustainable packaging.”

If you, too, have a Bag of Bags, our writer Erin Schwartz has a solution for you: a Bin of Bags. What differentiates the Bin of Bags from a Bag of Bags is that the bin has hard sides that will indicate exactly when your bag collection has gone too far. While you can buy your bin anywhere, Schwartz found success with Muji’s particularly affordable polypropylene dustbin, which “made my bag UX so much better,” they say. “I’m able to access the things I’ve stowed to the right and left of the bin, and no offshoot Bags of Bags have popped up elsewhere.”

While writer and director Durga Chew-Bose had been developing her adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s 1954 novel, Bonjour Tristesse, for close to seven years, when it actually came time to film in the south of France, she was at a loss for what to wear. She took note from a recommendation from Sophie Buhai in Airmail — “One would be a fool to not follow Sophie’s recommendations,” says Chew-Bose — and ordered this non-fussy sun hat. It “packs easily and looks handsome, like something Katharine Hepburn might have worn,” she adds.

Like 2020’s strawberry did for 2022’s lemon, 2023’s tomato must now make way for a new produce du jour: the radish. It’s not clear exactly where the trend started, but our writer Ambar Pardilla posits, “Maybe Loewe planted the seeds, with a runway showing painted radishes last year, or red returning to the rest of ready-to-wear.” Either way, she scoured the internet for radish-related items, and perhaps the most daring thing she found is this radish hat. “Let it be a conversation-starter before the crudité,” she says.

Since a Costco membership goes hand in hand with bulk buying, it can be intimidating to figure out where to start (and what’s worth committing to). Our resident Costco members put their heads together to create a cheat sheet of must-buy items to help you get started. Included is this pint of vanilla that Strategist staffers Jen Trolio and Lauren Ro both swear by. “It lasts Jen a good 18 months, and lasts me even longer,” Ro reports.

Currently pregnant with her second child, Zoe Latta, co-founder of Eckhaus Latta, advises that when it comes to buying baby gear, “don’t feel like you need to get it all in the beginning.” Though, if you do get a couple things ahead of time, she says let it be some medicine and soothing creams, which can “heal aching nipples or a diaper rash (or fever) in the middle of the night.” In particular, she recommends this nipple balm, which she says is “like the best ChapStick I’ve ever had.”

“Screen-free audio players for kids solve a very specific parental problem: They keep children independently engaged with music, audiobooks, and podcasts, like the modern version of an old-school Walkman or Discman,” says Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo. When it comes to buying one, though, you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to become a Yoto family or a Tonies family. At two and a half, Corsillo’s son currently prefers the Toniebox, which is better suited for younger children, but “if you’ve got longevity in mind, you probably want to go with the Yoto Mini,” she advises, adding that it’s more portable and has a bigger, more educational library of content.

When “Aritzia finally restocked its completely sold-out collaboration with Sperry, I was able to score the Slim Boat Shoes,” Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen told us in this month’s Strategist Haul. Though she hasn’t received them in the mail yet, she says, “These remind me a lot of the popular Miu Miu ones, but for under $150, they are a steal.” She adds that once hers arrive, “I’ll be adding the extra set of colorful laces to each shoe for the summer.”

“I burn a lot of incense, any kind of musk or patchouli,” Belle and Sebastian’s front man, Stuart Murdoch, told us. And while he might not be particular about the type of incense he uses, he makes sure to burn it in this incense burner — the first thing he ever bought online — that reminds him of the Ents from Lord of the Rings. “I feel there’s something quite spiritual about setting something on fire while you’re working or meditating,” he adds.

When @madebymusashi, the Instagram account run by partners Musashi Osaki and Jasmine Stoy, posted videos of this sleek black cutting board, Strategist senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman wasn’t the only person to take note. “People posted comments — lots of them — asking him about the cutting board,” she reports, and as it turns out, it’s from Japanese brand KAMA-ASA. Made from ethylene-vinyl acetate, a soft but dense version of plastic, “it’s easy on the edge of your blades, ensuring they’ll stay sharper for longer,” Wartzman says. You’ll find it at KAMA-ASA’s outpost inside of 50 Norman, but a word of warning: “The store can hardly keep it in stock,” she adds.

“I am determined not to get sunburned (or tan lines) before my wedding and have simultaneously laid down the gauntlet by planning a bachelorette party at the beach a few weeks ahead of the date,” writes Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid in this week’s “Strategist Brain.” To be responsible, she’s on the hunt for summer tops that have full upper-body coverage but are still breathable, like this cotton-poplin top from Brooke Callahan that’s complete with a boatneck and adjustable drawstring waist.

When Strategist senior writer Michael Zhao discovered his AC unit was full of mold, he took it as an opportunity to upgrade to a Midea air conditioner. Unlike traditional window units, Midea’s U-shaped design “allows for nearly full access to the window — save for the last three inches, which are occupied by the plastic connector piece and insulating foam,” Zhao writes. The design also consolidates the noisy part of the machine to outside the window. “As a result, the only sound that reaches the inside of my home is the gentle whooshing of the blower fan,” he reports.