12 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Scootcases to Landlines

“As the Strategist’s kitchen and dining writer, I find myself inundated with brands telling me how they’ve innovated in the cookware space,” writes Emma Wartzman. Few of those pans have impressed her as much asMisen’s new carbon nonstick skillet, which combines the best parts of nonstick, stainless-steel, and carbon-steel cookware into a heat-responsive, never-sticky, lightweight pan that can actually handle acid. “I would unquestionably tell anyone to buy this,” adds our senior writer Michael Zhao, who has also tested the pan. It’s sturdy enough that you could “even leave it with roommates who don’t really cook,” he says.

With the advent of child-specific packing cubes and a$700 kids’ suitcase from Rimowa, thekids’ luggage spacehas become decidedlyfancylately. To make sense of which suitcases (and scootcases) are actually worth parents’ money, our travel writer Katherine Gillespie tapped our team ofStrategist parentsfor their traveling-with-kids wisdom. While most of them can’t get behind monogramming (for the sake of hand-me-downs) and kid-size suitcases, this scootcase that turns a plane seat into a bed has senior writer Lauren Ro’s seal of approval. “In the airport, our kids like to sit on it,” she adds. “Somebody can pull them along, or they can use their feet to scoot themselves.”

Since New York public and charter schools’“bell-to-bell” phone bantook effect earlier this month, more and more teens across the city have been wearing analog watches to keep track of the time. “Everyone always wants to know when class is going to end,” one teen told us. So whether they go for this colorful option from Shark or a vintage Cartier watch from their mom’s closet — both options we heard about — “Every friend group needs one kid who has a watch,” says writer Alexandra Lange’s 14-year-old son. “I’m the watch guy.”

For parents on the fence about getting their kid a smartphone,smartwatcheshave become an increasingly attractive compromise. The most popular options on the market vary widely in restrictiveness, functionality, and ease of setup and use, so Strategist contributor Youngna Park spoke to families about what they wanted from these watches and even tested some of them herself. While some, like the limited-functionalityGabb Watch, include games, this one from Bark “focuses on children’s safety and monitoring; parents who are particularly concerned about bullying, tracking their child’s location, and providing high oversight may be most interested in this option.”

And if your kid isn’t ready for a smartwatch, there’s always a landline. We’re fans of the kid-friendly ones fromTin Canthat are complete with a curly-twirly phone cord and retrodring dringof a ringtone. While it’s currently only available for preorder, a few Strategist kids have gotten their hands on it, and the early feedback is strong: “[My daughter] called my dad last night just to say ‘good night’ before bed, and before school this morning just to say ‘hi,’” says senior editor Jen Trolio. “She’s got his number memorized … and is young enough that the novelty of just calling a few special family members is so cool.”

Along with a big tub ofCetaphil moisturizerandSulwhasoo’s firming cream, chefMelissa King’s beauty-product shortlist includes this clay pomade that she learned about from her barber. “It’s not too greasy or shiny, and it gives just the right amount of lift and volume my hair needs,” she says. “I have one at home, one in my Dopp kit, and one in every place I stay.”

With ballet flats having long been a fall-shoe staple, Ro has lately found herself preferring pairs with a higher vamp, which she calls “the mock turtleneck of shoes” and “a more elevated option that has just the right amount of coverage without being a full shoe like an Oxford or loafers.” Among her favorite pairs are these “enticing fuchsia suede” ones from the Florentine house behind Porselli.

Editor’s note: Pierotucci lists all prices in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion to U.S. dollars.

“I prefer to dance barefoot when I can because it allows me to feel more grounded and articulate more precisely through my feet,” says Strategist writer and lifelong dancer Kitty Guo. But when a class with shuffling and quick footwork is on her calendar, she’ll protect her toes withthese ultrathin, extremely bendy sneakers, which she’s worn for “three straight hours of dancing with nary a twinge, pinch, or spasm.” They work for regular workouts, too: “I feel much more stable as I whip kettlebells around than I would if I were wearing a sneaker,” Guo writes.

“After a rare bit of luck finding a beautiful sterling-silver ring at a vintage market, I’ve been trawling Etsy and eBay in earnest for more bits and bobs to add to my (already overflowing) jewelry stash,” writes our deals editor Sam Daly. And while these reasonably priced charms aren’t quite vintage, they’re still onher Strategist Brain. “They’re quite delightful and not too pricey,” she says.

Good news for anyone hoping to get their hands on one of the always-sold-out New Balance sneaker-loafers (or as we call them,snoafers): This week’s installment of “Don’t Dillydally” included a new pair that got the Ganni treatment with a snake-print upper and patent straps. Considering older pairs have “become a hot-ticket item for hypebeasts and resellers alike,” according to Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, it’s best not to wait.

Though Strategist senior writer Michael Zhao often struggles with the, shall we say, assertive branding of many Yeti products,this wine chillerhas earned a permanent spot on his table. “I’ve found it requires no prechilling or additional ice to keep a bottle of white or rosé (up to one liter in size) drinkably cool for hours on end,” he writes. “It’s simply ready to go whenever I am and is a much more elegant solution than the large, drippy ice bucket it replaced.”

WhileBobbi Browncurrently uses this tote for neighborhood walks and car trips, she’s hoping Alex Mill will make it in a mini-size someday, too — just “something that you could throw your makeup in, and your keys, and organize it,” she says. In the meantime, though, she counts this bag among the items she can’t live without. “I just have ‘BB’ on mine, which is my grandmother name from my granddaughter. She calls me BB, so it means a lot to me,” she adds.