The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in December

My Owala water bottle spilled all over me one too many times mid-flight for me to travel with it ever again. (Pressure changes can cause this to happen.) So, with holiday travels on the horizon, I took a chance on Bink, which makes the silicone-wrapped glass water bottles I’ve been seeing rumblings about online. The mini size I bought on Cyber Monday holds almost three times the amount of water that amini Hydro Flaskcan, but it’s still small enough to fit in my bag. I’ll report back on how it fares in the air.

As soon as temperatures drop, I become incredibly aware of my hands and how dry they feel. I’ve tried manyhand creamsthat alleviate the discomfort at first, only to make my hands feel more sensitive an hour later. When I was doing some shopping downtown, I tried out some lotion from Aesop and was amazed that my hands still felt moisturized after hours of popping in between shops in the cold. I took that as a sign to treat myself to a tube. The clove note smells especially festive.

If you thought I was finished with sheer things for the year, think again. I couldn’t even bear the thought of waiting for this headband to arrive. Instead, I made sure it was in my hands by day’s end (thank you Brookfield Place). Unassuming as it may appear, it’s been an elegant and elevated swap for the stretchy cotton bands I usually sport, subtly shiny in the right lighting, and helps me further tap into my inner Charlotte York (especially when paired with a blowout and buttoned trench).

I finally bought these frommy first “Strategist Brain” of the year. They were wonderfully on sale for Cyber Monday.

I found a vintage Dansk butter warmer at an antiques mall near my parents’ house and gave it to one of my best friends for Christmas. It was extremely well received, and she immediately put it to use as a simmer pot. There is something endlessly charming about the cute little wooden knob.

I also picked up a copy ofA Dictionary of Color Combinationsto give to a different friend.

My brother and I bought this fancy box of chocolates to send to our grandmother and aunt as a little holiday treat. Everything Dandelion makes is so good.

We hosted a holiday dinner for friends this past weekend, and I put a Christmas cracker on everyone’s place setting. Each one has a little metal toy (some surprisingly decent, some expectedly lame), a gold paper crown, and a cheesy joke written on a piece of paper inside. Honestly, the best-spent $15. A very fun way to start a meal.

I’ve been using a Cotopaxi backpack (I like theAllpa 28L) as mygo-to carry-onfor the past year, but before that I’d been using the same suitcase I’ve had since freshman year of high school. It’s been on its last wheel for several years, but spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy suitcase never became a priority for me and my handful of trips per year. I’m traveling a lot these days, so it made sense to get an upgrade, and as soon as I saw this bright orange carry-on in my local Scheels, I had to have it. In addition to coming in my favorite color, it’s sturdy, the handle’s grip is pleasant to hold while walking, and I’ve been impressed with how much it’s able to hold. I’m mad I didn’t upgrade sooner.

Kickboxing is my go-to way to stay active, and my gloves are pretty beat up. I’m already mourning my oldHayabusa gloves; they’re comfy, protective, and have a nice cloth material over the thumbs to help wipe sweat away. But I’ve been eyeing the company’s leather gloves for a while: They have a classic boxing look that feels like it belongs in the ring and a dual-wrist-strap system that seems more supportive than what my current gloves offer. I’ll miss my trusty purple gloves, but I can’t wait to put these new ones on once they arrive.

I’m now on my third tub of these bath salts, which I first read about over the summer when Jess Graves included them in a newsletter about how to take avery elaborate bath(highly recommend for anyone who wants an excellent at-home-spa situation over the winter break). What I love about them is that they’re inexpensive, and you can just absolutely shovel them into your tub without the guilt of squandering more expensive salts. Plus, they leave your skin feeling really refreshed.

I can’t offer any justification for buying anything of Manolo Blahnik’s. I’m not in Carrie Bradshaw’s tax bracket, but I couldn’t help shopping for myself after shopping for other people all this month. They’re inspired by the interiors in 18th-century Austrian palaces. As I went to Vienna this April, I think it’s kismet!

If you missed it,Banana Republicfinally feels like the same brand that had Nora Ephron and Hunter S. Thompson write product reviews for itsmail-order catalogue. I’m happy with the quality of everything I’ve bought at Banana Republic this year, especially this merino-wool crewneck sweater. I first ordered it in brown, and now, navy. I can’t remember how many times I’ve worn them so far.

I had been dying to try The Outset, the skin-care brand co-founded by Scarlett Johansson, and with the extreme dryness and cold weather happening in Pittsburgh, it felt like the perfect time for a new night cream. This formula is super bouncy and does a great job of hydratingandsmoothing my skin thanks to the niacinamide and bakuchiol, which is considered a gentler alternative to retinol. I’ve already added more Outset products to my Christmas list.

Every winter, I’m inspired by my colleague Kitty Guo’s roundup onfun tights. So, during the Reformation sale earlier this month I decided to hit purchase on these delicate lace tights in the ivory shade. I haven’t had a chance to style them yet, but I think I’ll just have to whip them out before 2026.

I’ll admit to being skeptical when I first came across this sweater from a company best known for making ski poles, but I’m happy to report that my doubts were totally unwarranted. The 68 percent alpaca blend construction gives it the fuzzy appearance of mohair, with none of the scratchiness. In fact, it’s the softest sweater I’ve ever touched, even softer than luxury label cashmere. After reading that it fits true to size, I opted for a large to get a more relaxed fit and am glad I did. The addition of nylon and spandex to the blend gives it a slinky, stretchy drape that makes me feel like I’m being swaddled in a blanket. It’s definitely nice-looking enough to wear out, but I have been enjoying pulling it on as soon as I get out of bed to keep the cozy vibes going as I get ready for my day.

Like Beaujolais nouveau wine, olio nuovo — new oil pressed from the freshest olives — is only available this time of year. Unlike wine, however, olive oil is best enjoyed as fresh as possible, which is why I’ve been drizzling the verdant olive oil from California-based Ricchiuti Family Farms on everything from soups and salads to vanilla ice cream. At $30 for a half-liter glass bottle, it’s well-priced compared to imported oils of comparable quality, but is no less flavorful. It smells of fresh-mowed grass, tastes like lemon zest, and has a peppery finish with a real kick to it that will only continue to fade the longer it sits in the pantry.

As I mentioned inlast month’s Strat Haul, I’ve been doing a lot of home decor shopping. Turns out, the end of the year is a good time to do so because there are tons of sales going on. I got these curtains on sale from Anthropologie. I needed a short set, as the window they’re for is over a radiator, and I absolutely love the print. Turns out Anthropologie is one of the few places (at least that I could find) that sells 63-inch curtains, and luckily they have a lot of cool options.

I finally finished off a 1.8-pound bag of peppercorns I got from Diaspora a while back and decided to give another purveyor a try (no knock on Diaspora’s excellent Aranya peppercorns). I also picked up thesmoked peppercornsand was bummed that they were out of thesesalted pepper berries.

Even though I already get regular shipments of beans through theBean Club, I order four to six pounds of these black beans a couple of times a year because they are just that good (and a favorite of both my kids). I reupped my supply ofBlack Caviar lentilsandPuglia lentilswhile I was at it as well.

This pink Aelfric Eden hoodie came straight from my tween’s wishlist, a reliable sign that it’s trending on TikTok. The cartoon dachshund graphic checks all the “cool” boxes: oversized, cozy, and a little quirky.

When I spotted this wine gadget in Dominique’sNifty Doodad gift guide, I knew it would be the perfect gift. She says it’s “great for decanting bottles that need to aerate and will also fish out any bits of cork that break off while opening — which can happen to everyone from novice drinkers to seasoned collectors.” I got it for both my stepdad and for my in-laws who are always pulling out decades-old bottles of wine during the holidays.

A nice dinner out during our most-recent cold front left me realizing I need a nicer, warm coat to wear on nights when I want something more put together than my puffer. I’m a huge fan of Abercrombie’s petite sizing (I’m 4-foot-11), so after a scroll through their sales section I stumbled upon this beautiful brown wool coat. Not only did it ship quickly (it arrived 3 days after I ordered), but it fits absolutely perfectly.

I also stopped by the studio sale of TXTBooks, a small Brooklyn-based press churning out a variety of ephemera: zines, prints, stickers. I ended up with a huge haul on my hands, but my favorite was this book of mini games and puzzles, meant to be pored over and interacted with.

I love fancy granola, but it is often too pricey to buy on a regular basis. So, because my husband also loves it, I like to put it in his Christmas stocking. This year, I bought him a bag of this very special granola that is made in the Hudson Valley. I got a bag of it as a gift postpartum and have subsequently given it to friends when they had babies too. For this gift, I picked the strawberry and salty peanut flavor, yum.

In my extended family we do secret Santa for adults. This year I got my sister in law — shhhhhhh! — and because she is also a mom, I sent her a jar of Mater body balm from the maker of one ofour favorite hand soaps. It’s a luxurious all-in-one beauty product that you can use on your lips, face, elbows, hands, feet, etc. Hopefully she’ll like it as much as I do.

My 7-year-old daughter performed as a Little Mouse inThe Nutcrackerand was so envious of the warm-up booties that all the older ballerinas were wearing backstage. When I realized they werethe same ones that Kitty wrote about a couple years ago, I ordered a hot-pink pair for her to wear at home as a wrap gift for killing it in her first real-deal ballet.