We write about hundreds of products each week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling through the vast online-shopping universe — including Gap’s CashSoft cardigan that’s made to feel like cashmere (without the upkeep), an expandable Alessi trivet for holiday feasting, and a collab between Tulip and West Village alterations shop Eva Joan Repair.
The under-$25 cooking tool that wowed the Strategist’s Secret Santa gift exchange
A few weeks before Christmas every year, the Strategist team gathers for a Secret Santa exchange. Given that we’re a team of professional shoppers, the gifts are good — and the only rule is that they have to be under $25, including shipping. Our managing editor, Keslie Schrader, gifted these pasta-shaped pot holders to our sleep writer, Amelia Jerden, which Jerden dropped in one of our Slack channels months ago. “She’s actually dropped several pasta-related products in Slack (including this hat that was sadly out of budget), so I had a sense that pasta merch would be well-received,” Schrader says.
The jacquard jacket one senior editor is eyeing for her birthday
For this week’s Strategist Brain, our senior editor Hilary Reid told us about this gilded, jacquard Sézane jacket that she’s eyeing as a birthday gift for herself in January. “It reminds me of the Woman in Gold and also these Sanoë jackets I spotted at Holiday on Madison, but for a quarter of the price,” Reid says.
Matryoshka doll-inspired holiday cards
If you’re looking for greeting cards to mail out this holiday season, our deals editor, Sam Daly — who’s a holiday-card connoisseur — found 15 well-designed options for Christmas, Hanukkah, and the New Year. For those wanting to go the personalized route, writer Liza Corsillo likes this Papier card that can turn your child into an adorable Matryoshka doll.
A supersoft cardigan that’s made to feel like cashmere
Versatile and downright cozy, a trusty cardigan is easy to wear throughout the seasons — and right now, they’re having something of a moment, so we spoke to fashionable women to hear about their favorites. Personal stylist and Kule content director Elizabeth Tamkin loves Gap’s CashSoft crewneck, which is made with over 50 percent cotton, plus 47 percent nylon, making it the perfect weight for wearing alone as a shirt. After hearing Tamkin’s review, our junior writer Brenley Goertzen tested a sample and found that it offers a softness and airy weight similar to cashmere but with more durability. “It’s become a mainstay in my closet because it’s so cozy and plush against my skin,” Goertzen says.
A mini American Girl doll for under $25
Strategist senior writer (and resident toy expert) Liza Corsillo is always sniffing out incredible gifts, and she recently discovered a perfect under-the-radar present for kids who are into dolls and their millennial moms. Enter the mini American Girl doll. For about one-fifth of the price of a full-size 18-inch American Girl doll — which typically costs between $115 and $135 — you can get a mini Molly, Samantha, Addy, Melody, or any of the nine other historical dolls that were popular in the late ’80s and all through the ’90s, says Corsillo. Plus, each doll comes with a tiny abridged version of their autobiographical book.
High-fiber bars to help relieve perimenopausal symptoms
To help ease the side effects of hormonal changes, contributor Kira Garcia rounded up a list of recommendations from specialists who’ve helped hundreds of people through perimenopause. Dr. Kathleen Jordan, the chief medical officer at Midi Health, likes these MenoWell bars as an off-the-shelf option because they cover 25 to 32 percent of your daily fiber needs. According to Jordan, fiber “helps combat diabetes, lowers the risk of some cancers, supports GI health, and helps with weight loss.”
An extremely giftable bar of old soap
While a nice body gel is a gift practically any recipient will surely use, there’s just something more appealing and gratifying about giving a bar of soap with a decades-old story behind it, says contributor Sara Radin. According to Roger & Gallet, a brand that launched its first soap in 1879, this soap is made in a cauldron (bonus points). It has a candied-ginger scent with notes of berries and pomegranate; plus, it comes in a delightful little box.
Hand-casted replica of a T. rex’s tooth
A well-curated museum gift shop can offer an array of unusual, interesting, and delightful items. But finding the true gems isn’t always easy, so our writer Kitty Guo combed through the e-shops of museums all over the country to bring you the best ones (that would all make fabulous holiday gifts). The star of the show at the Field Museum is Sue, an enormous Tyrannosaurus rex that was the largest specimen ever found at the time of her discovery. A dino-loving kid would be thrilled to receive this replica of her tooth.
Modern trivet for zhuzhing up your kitchen
In our list of practical and decorative trivets, our junior writer Bella Druckman uncovered the Alessi Augh. It’s made of mirror-polished stainless steel and features an expandable design, so we’re giving it high points for both function and style.
An Eva Joan and Tulip collab
In our latest edition of Don’t DillyDally, you’ll find Tulip’s newest collection with Eva Joan Repair. The 30 handcrafted designs “speak to the art and beauty of vintage materials, hand techniques, and thoughtful design,” says Tulip.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
