The 34 Best Things Strategist Staffers Bought in January

New Year, newwater bottle. I own a zillion variants of stainless-steel water bottles, but, a gerbil at heart, I only seem to enjoy drinking out of bottles with straws. The custom color combinations plus the metal straw and silicone mouthpiece on this Frank Green bottle made it very appealing. It’s also really well balanced — unlike, say, a Hydroflask, if you nudge it with your elbow, it won’t fallcling-a-ling–ing to the floor.

Shopped the Flabelus sale, didn’t I? I’m worried they look a little Calico Critter Couture in reality, but in my dreams I’m Audrey Hobert, wearing them with bootcut jeans.

Unfortunately for my wallet, Cocofloss really is as good as everyone (includingRachel AntonoffandJenny Han) says it is. The brand sells a bunch of flavors, but I’ve been restocking classic mint for a few spools now. Nothing tastes more fresh!

Ahead of the snowstorm, I stopped by Uniqlo for someHeattech socksand ended up leaving Soho with one of these cashmere-blend Heattech tops, too. It’s so soft, lightweight, and warm that I’m already plotting my return to buy another.

I have to give both kittens multiple oral medications per day with a syringe, which was not an easy skill to learn — shout-out to theHelpful Vancouver Veton YouTube, whose instructional video on the topic helped my partner and me master the technique. Even though we have gotten better at administering the meds, the kittens do not like it (fair enough), so we’ve started bribing them with these Greenies for kittens and they absolutely love them. I can’t prove it, but I think they have become more cooperative while getting their medicine because they know they’ll get a Greenie afterward.

I adopted two kittens earlier this month and both of them have been a bit sick. When I took them to the vet, she told me both were dehydrated. To encourage them to drink more water, I got them a drinking fountain that continually circulates water. Apparently cats like moving water, which makes sense — standing water is usually less safe to drink in the wild. I wanted to find one that had a stainless-steel bowl as a fellow cat owner told me they are easier to clean. A pet shop near me had these, and in addition to meeting my criteria, they are so cute. I can already tell my cats are drinking more from this fountain than they did from the bowl.

When Liza Corsillo wrote about this new eye creamearlier this month, I was intrigued. I have extremely dark under-eye circles, so the site’s before and after photos convinced me to add it to my cart. This was my first time ordering from Soko Glam, so I took advantage of the $20-off welcome offer and also treated myself to theDieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizerto see what the hype is all about.

I was worried my cold-weather gear wouldn’t be enough to brave the cold and make it through my eight-mile run last weekend, so I bought a pack of HotHands as backup. Although I eventually got too hot with them mid-run, they were an incredible hack for staying warm while commuting to where my run club meets up.

My first Blundstones! I bought them ahead of the snowstorm this weekend. And yes, I know they’re notpropersnow boots, but they’reclassic city winter bootsand I figured they’d work well enough to protect my feet during the quick stints I spent outside the last couple of days (which they did indeed) and then continue to be extremely wearable once all that snow melts. I’m also going to take my colleague Jeremy’s advice towaterproof them furtherwith this incredibly cheap trick.

I bought the aforementioned boots IRL at a Park Slope shoe store called DNA Footwear (there are a couple in Brooklyn). They also had a display of beanies at the front. I happened to be desperate for one, as I lost my old hat recently and the replacement I ordered from Madewell is taking forever to ship. I tried it on and it looked shockingly cute (a feat for my small head). It was only $20, so I bought it and proceeded to wear it all weekend. It’s extremely soft and warm and made less random by cutting off the small “DNA Footwear” logo at the front (no shade to DNA Footwear). It was sewn on and snipped easily without any damage to the knit.

Ever since I started taking more mirror selfies for work, I’ve been searching for a wooden-framed mirror to replace the slightly hazy estate-sale find I’ve been using at home. This has been harder than expected, but the large Thuma Cove in the walnut finish turns out to be the perfect match for my space and needs. Its warm-brown color nicely compliments the stained wood trim around my windows. At 65 inches tall by 20 inches wide, it’s also big enough to capture my full six-foot-two frame from a close distance but not so big that I have to tidy the entire room behind me to get a presentable backdrop for a shot. Crucially, at nearly 50 pounds — almost twice the weight of some similar-size mirrors in this price range — it’s impossible for my cats to knock over during their daily rough-housing sessions. It also comes with the most robust wall-mounting kit I’ve ever seen, including all necessary drywall anchors, mounting hardware, and a life-size cardboard drilling guide that’s also handy for triple-checking your desired placement. I’m not yet ready to commit to a permanent location, but I look forward to making use of it when I do.

The Smith Pursuit sunglasses offer all the wind and sun protection of a foam-padded pair of ski goggles but at less than a third of the weight — even with the magnetic side shields, TPU nose guard, and extra-wide retainer strap attached. This isn’t a big deal when you’re riding ski lifts all day, but that extra quarter of a pound makes a noticeable difference when you’re touring uphill under your own power. My local resort has about 2,000 feet of elevation gain from the lodge to the summit, so skinning to the top is about the same as taking the stairs to get to the Empire State Building’s observation room twice in a row with skis strapped to your feet. I’ll gladly lose those grams wherever possible.

I’d had my eye on these towels ever since we put them on our wedding registry last year, and I finally went for them when they were half-off recently. They are without a doubt the bestbath towelsI’ve ever owned — they’re plush but not spongy, big but not bath-sheet size, and somehow both very absorbent and fast drying. Within a few days of receiving them I ordered a couple of matching hand towels, and eventually (over the course of hopefully many more Bloomingdales sales) I would like to replace all of our towels with them.

This porcelain flower reminded me a lot of a set of place-card holders that my grandmother had when I was a kid (and, now that I think about it, also of the flowers that were on display atthe Frick, but fora lotless). Each of the place settings was its own flower in a different color, and the way the pieces were painted was actually very similar to the way this flower is painted. My grandmother was very elegant and always put thought into making her home a lovely and welcoming place, and so whenever I find something that feels in her style and spirit, I like to add it to my own.

I got a pair of these as a gift from someone several years ago, and they are actually a pretty decent pair ofleggings, especially for the cold. They’re made of a thick fabric and have a brushed inside that almost makes them feel fleece-lined. For whatever reason, I mostly only wore them for lounging, but on an especially cold day this month, I realized they are probably the warmest leggings I own, so I wore them for a chilly jog. They were great. They kept my legs warm without overheating; they’re tight but not too tight and have a tie waistband to ensure they stay put; and they’re long, so none of my skin is exposed. I saw they were on sale for less than $40 (which they still are; they are probably almost always on sale) and bought another pair soon after that run. Running clothes can be so expensive now, but these are the right price for me.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to not buy any new clothing or shoes for myself, and if I absolutely need something, I have to get it secondhand. I am trying to do less shopping in general, but before the end of 2025, I made a couple of last-minute purchases, including this rice pot from Staub thatAlison Romanfirst told me about. My beloved, decade-plus-oldCuckoo rice cookerstill works fine, but the latch is on its last legs, even after I MacGyvered it with putty several times. I’ve also been moving away from using nonstick kitchen items and wanted a dedicated pot for making rice that wasn’t a regular stainless-steel saucepan or my donabe, which is too wide for rice anyway. The Staub is naturally nonstick thanks to its cast-iron interior and the perfect size and height for making stovetop rice. Wash the rice, bring it to a boil, reduce the flame, then let it simmer for 15 minutes, and voilà — perfectly cooked rice every single time in a fraction of the time my rice cooker took.

There’d been a visible difference to my skin in the weeks I went without thisbody wash(on account of my own procrastination in restocking). And there was a near-instant change once I was reunited with it again. I’ve been using the Brightener for nearly a year and am reminded why I continue to return to it: As both a face and a body wash, it’s gentle for use multiple times a day and gives my skin an unmatched boost in glow and brightness (as the name suggests). There’s a very faint citrusy smell and the gel cream lathers generously once on, making it a refreshing and slightly exfoliating (but not irritating) boost during a winter that’s tried to pin me down with flakes and itchiness.

Though I’ve heard of Shop-Pêche through the grapevine for some years now, I’d not yet pulled the trigger on anything until a recent swarm of ads on Instagram finally got to me. An appealingly designed 100 percent leather loafer at under $150 simply felt too good to be true. The brand’s Lower East Side boutique reopened at just the right time for me to stop by and investigate. Not only were the shoes even better-looking in person, but I’ve been wearing them nearly all month since walking out with them. As an anti-Tabigal, I think these are reminiscent of Tabis in an acceptable way. The Odina’s have taken the spot of aloaferand boot through the chills of the last few weeks, wearing well through light rain and even some slush when paired with a cashmere sock. There was nary a break-in period, and they’ve been easy to pair with just about any look, from the office to dinners and dates. They’re likely the best $130 I’ve spent in some time and will carry well into spring.

I have a lot of Weck jars that I haven’t been using because the glass lids with the rubber gasket are a pain and the plastic Weck lids I got many years ago now off-gas a weird smell that gets absorbed by the contents of the jar. I finally thought to look for a third-party alternative, and so far, so good.

Working onStationery Weekand cleaning out and reorganizing an art-supplies drawer made me realize we really needed somepens— but I wasn’t exactly sure which ones to get since I have yet to find a favorite. Luckily, JetPens has all kinds of pen samplers, and I went with its most popular gel one.

I wanted a very fun, shimmery shade for winter, and this delivers: It shifts from pink to purple depending on the light. I was being lazy and put two coats of this on, no base or top coat (I’m sorry!), and it lasted a week without much chipping.

I bought this miniaturespace heaterto solve a very specific problem — the heat in my apartment does not reach one of the bathrooms, a situation that was filling me with dread every time I faced brushing my teeth in my pajamas. This teeny and inexpensive space heater, which turns off automatically if it tips over or gets too hot and turns on with one button, has pretty much solved the problem.

I tried this peanut butter from CB’s Nuts, and it ruined all other peanut butters for me. Personally, I love a thick, gooey, cement-your-teeth-together peanut butter with lots of crunch and texture, and that’s exactly what this is. Sadly, a jar costs like four times more than what you’d find at the supermarket, but what can I say? Jif simply doesn’t hit the same …

Most of my other shopping was for gifts, including this Emily Dawn Long towel I got for the same friend above, who is a regular at the nude beach. I imagine it will get a lot of play come Memorial Day.

Helped by a Christmas-present gift card, I purchased this necklace from Mosquito, which makes beautiful things likejade-tassel combsandmother-of-pearl earrings. I like the idea of having long ropes of beads around my neck à laIris Apfel. I don’t know if I could pull it off as she did entirely, but this lets me believe I could! There’s something very grounding about the onyx here.

I really just can’t pay more than $20 for a day-to-daybra. That’s a really high bar for inexpensiveness, but I hit it frequently. It helps that I don’t get too complex. Always mesh. I just found this random Amazon-brand balconette in December and bought a second pretty blue shade this month. My breasts aren’t small, and it’s supportive and feels good while I’m wearing it.

I’ve been working out like a fiend the past six weeks or so in an attempt to manage my serious chronic pain. These wipes have really worked to keep me not-stinky (actually, quite fresh) in those hours between showers.

This has been my go-to water bottle for kickboxing classes since I bought one last summer. Unfortunately, I misplaced mine and had to order another one earlier this month. I’m glad to have it back, as it’s the only water bottle I’ve found I can use without having to take my gloves off between boxing rounds. Plus, it comes in a fun orange; as I’vementioned, I love anything that comes in orange.

A couple of weeks ago I drove up to Beacon with my family in a terrifying snowstorm. Once the driving part was done we had lots of fun going to Dia Beacon and walking around town. I particularly enjoyed a kids’ shop called Sibling that had several pairs of these Reima x Moomin snow boots in toddler sizes on sale for 40 percent off.

In December I made cupcakes for my son’s 3rd-birthday celebration at preschool, and in an attempt to be slightly healthy about it, I made banana-bread cupcakes with cream-cheese frosting. They tasted great, but making the frosting was exhausting and it still turned out lumpy. I treated myself to an ice-blue KitchenAid hand mixer to hopefully avoid similar baking fails in the future.