The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in November

I read a Strategist article recently about the best notebooks, and someone had mentioned that Moleskine’s paper quality had gone down, so they switched to the Leuchtturm journal. Curious, I picked one up during a recent McNally Jackson haul and can confirm that the paper is thicker and smoother. I also like the brand’s take on navy just a little better. I’m not even halfway done with my current journal, but I’m excited to write in my new one when I use it all up.

I don’t miss much about college, but I do miss sitting in a classroom full of people who are thinking deeply about the world and its structures. I’ve decided to get back to it by way of a two-person book club with one of my best friends. Our first book is this one by Cedric L. Robinson, a foundational text upon which lots of contemporary Black thought rests.

I ran into a friend of a friend, Dan-ah Kim, at the Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair earlier this month, where she was sharing her lovely new work, The Train Home. It was already sold out by the time we got there, so I ordered it online. It’s about a young girl named Nari who lives in a loud city apartment with her rambunctious family. She longs to escape somewhere quiet and imagines all the places the train can transport her to, like the beach, a grand library, even space. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed, and the story universal. We love it.

I have a lot of holiday parties coming up, so I focused my Black Friday shopping on festive attire. Batsheva was doing 30 percent off its sale, so I picked up this swingy coat dress, which I plan to wear a dozen times this December.

Unfortunately, I have no new home purchases to report. I sold my old dining table, which I thought was too small, and bought something larger that technically fit but ultimately made the space feel cramped, so I sold that too. I thought if I shopped for another replacement on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, I would be too pressured by the deals and make another rushed, regretful buy. Instead, I found these loafers on sale at Aritzia. As long as they fit, I think I made the right decision.

I scored these deeply discounted kitten heels during Anthropologie’s Black Friday sales event. I was keen on the teeny-tiny bows, which are having a moment, and the pointy shape. I plan to wear them to a few holiday parties I’ll be attending in December. I went for the black colorway (sold out now), but there are still sizes available in this lovely dark-green shade.

Instead of a real Christmas tree this year, I went the artificial route. I can happily report that the slimness and nine-foot height are a hit in our somewhat cramped living room (with high ceilings). It doesn’t take much fluffing to bring out the fullness, and because it’s pre-lit, the assembly process was virtually headache-free. I also got it for 50 bucks off, and I’ll be able to use it again next year.

I got top surgery this month, and on doctor’s orders, I have been beveragemaxxing in recovery. They recommended I buy Gatorade or electrolyte tablets, but I’m not a huge fan of the medicinal fruit flavor, so I decided to look for Pocari Sweat, which is a chill, vaguely grapefruit-flavored clear Japanese sports drink. It’s wildly expensive most places in the States — roughly the same price per bottle as Topo Chico, and I could not have a beverage in the Topo Chico price tier be my recovery drink — but I found these packets of Pocari Sweat powder on Amazon, which I decanted into a glass 1.5-liter pitcher and kept in my fridge. Extremely worthwhile purchase (it came out to 0.173 cents per milliliter; I am a grad student in coupon math), and I do think having limitless Pocari Sweat on tap helped me heal.

I’ve been on a quest to find a pair of actually good over-ear noise-canceling wireless headphones for under $100, which, I admit, is an unrealistic expectation. But multiple friends pointed me toward this pair from Anker, which turned out to be a killer recommendation. The Q20is drown out the noise around me — such as office chatter and subway sounds — very well, but they also provide deep bass and clear, brilliant treble, all for under $70.

Maybe I’m a Luddite, but I’ve never owned an electric toothbrush until this month. After reading our guide to the best electric toothbrushes, I ordered the Pro 1000, our best overall pick (I also snagged it for over half-off during Black Friday). My teeth feel extra clean every time I brush with it. It’s like the difference between taking your car to an automatic car wash with huge, powerful rotating brushes — and washing it with a hand sponge.

I discovered this shade of the Nars liquid blush via a happy accident: My go-to pink-toned shade Orgasm seemed perennially out of stock, so the lady at the counter suggested it as an alternative. It’s a similar shade with more of an orange tone. As someone who likes a simple, bronzy base, I find that it works far better for me (sometimes, an overzealous dab of Orgasm would leave me looking like a Munchkin). I’ve tried at least a dozen liquid blushes, but Nars remains my favorite as they melt into the skin, and a little really goes a long way — this is my first restock since spring.