As Strategist editors, it’s our job to notice how people shop. Over the past nine months, we of course reported on people all of a sudden buying sourdough starters and bidets and sweatpants and home-office chairs and Zoom lipstick. But we also heard the stories about people just going for it and buying things that in Normal Times they would never consider, from new pairs of old-school roller skates, to prime cuts of mail-order pork, to baby grand pianos. So as the holidays rolled around we decided to ask some of the most interesting people we know a simple question: What is the most satisfying thing you bought for yourself this year? Below, all of the under-$50 things these folks with discerning taste — who include a congressman-elect, a Real Housewife, two Coppolas, a butcher, some bakers, and even a couple of candlestick-makers — bought in quarantine that would make great gifts. If you’re looking to spend a bit more, we’ve got options under $200. And if you’re looking to splurge, we’ve got stuff over $200, too.
Sarah Cooper
Comedian
Turn it on, put your feet on it while you’re working, and it’ll warm them up. Can you tell that I just love being comfortable? It’s the best gift I’ve ever given myself.
Yeardley Smith
Voice of Lisa Simpson
A fast, efficient tabletop setup that I can move easily from room to room. This particular ring light comes with multiple settings, from warm to cool, because of “digital permanence.”
Ivy Pochoda
Author
No fuss and effortlessness. I buy them a size larger, which brings them into the orbit of pajamas (without making me feel sloppy or hungover), yet they remain polished enough for an online book event or waving to a neighbor. The fabric is forgiving of wine and coffee stains, and there’s no need to iron or dry-clean them. They actually look better wrinkled (perhaps even dirty), which gives off a bit of a Dickie Greenleaf vibe.
Jessamyn Stanley
Founder, the Underbelly
This brush is the gospel. If there are thick curls in your life, get thee to Felicia Leatherwood as quickly as possible.
Tze Chun
CEO and founder, Uprise Art
There’s enough variety that toddlers can keep busy making new creations for hours. But the set is curated enough that they use their supplies carefully, and you don’t end up with hundreds of popsicle sticks on the floor.
These are easy to grasp and like paint, but dry quickly and don’t require water or brushes to clean up. Three artists that my gallery represents, who are also parents, recommend them, too.
Kaylin Marcotte
Founder, Jiggy
I’m cooking more than ever, so I’ve indulged in quality olive oils. Pineapple Collaborative’s is sourced from women producers and growers in California, and its ingredients are sustainably harvested in small batches.
Harry Litman
Former U.S. deputy assistant attorney general; host, Talking Feds podcast
The leash has a waist belt that keeps hands free. A lot of people use it for jogging with their dog, but that’s too frenetic for me.
Susan Korn
Founder and accessories designer, Susan Alexandra
My apartment’s mini-fridge leaves me with little to no room for a Brita filter. These charcoal rods in a pitcher of water are my hack: They make water taste sweeter and cleaner, which makes me drink so much more.
I cannot tell you how pleased I am with this knife. Not only does it slice through the crustiest boules, but it also yields the thinnest, most precise tomato slices.
Franci Girard
Founder, the Sixes
ManiMe sells custom-fit, stick-on gel nails developed with proprietary 3-D technology. They are easy to apply and remove with zero damage. I’ll definitely keep using them post-quarantine.
Andrew Kuo
Painter
After almost two decades of this story appearing here and there, Ware’s graphic novel Rusty Brown is finally all in one place.
Ashley Graham
Model
One of my favorite parts of modeling is traveling to tropical locations. I miss soaking up the sun on my off days, which is why this has been a dream. A quick spritz before bed and I wake up with a luminous, sun-kissed glow.
Leigh Plessner
Co-creative director, Catbird
I bought a set for my 3-year-old daughter, Bluebell, but also for me. We play with them together. They are the sort of thing my mother would not have bought me, so they feel like a great extravagance.
I’ve been wrapping everything I can find, from rose-scented wax tablets and small bottles of hand sanitizer from Santa Maria Novella to a secondhand copy of Island Boy by Barbara Cooney and a white bakery bag full of marzipan. Whether I use sheets of leftover tissue paper or pages torn from the New York Review of Books, this metallic floss makes the humble wrapping gleam.
Liana Finck
Illustrator
I’ve been leaving it out on my window sill for the birds — mostly mourning doves — who fight with each other and whom I love. There’s also a lonely pigeon who comes now and then, whom we’ve named Beauteous.
Yossy Arefi
Food writer; photographer; author, Snacking Cakes
I switched to tea a few months ago, and I love how fast this electric kettle boils water. The carafe is made of borosilicate glass, and it automatically turns off when the water boils.
This pan makes beautiful, tall loaves of Ali Stafford’s sourdough that are perfect for sandwiches.
Trey Zoeller
Founder, Jefferson’s Bourbon
My 15-year-old son and daughter and I, along with many friends, have spent countless hours on the back porch shooting arrows with the bow. (After quickly losing one, I ordered the refill pack of 12.) We sit around the fire and just shoot the shit while shooting arrows.
Cynthia Gordy Giwa
Co-creator, Black-Owned Brooklyn
Love Notes No. 2 is a blend of black amber, lavender, and pear that elevates our home into a flickering, aromatic experience.
Tayo Giwa
Co-creator, Black-Owned Brooklyn
With a balanced combination of spice and heat, it’s the perfect break from monotony and can go on everything from fish to chicken to eggs.
Chantel Lou Tattoli
Writer
They’re slim, but still cushy, and the pink floral is the most granny colorway.
Vanessa Price
Author, Big Macs & Burgundy
I bought five of these Hula-Hoops — and some twine to hang them from the ceiling — for my dog, to keep her stimulated. After watching a few YouTube videos, she can now literally (and quite satisfyingly) jump through hoops. They’ve provided hours of activity for us, and she gets so excited to play.
Alex Morgan
USWNT forward
Shannon Watts
Founder, Moms Demand Action
As both a Buddhist and baked-goods aficionado, I’m a fan of these brownies made at a Yonkers-based café sponsored by the Zen Community of New York. It hires people facing barriers to employment and supports a nonprofit community-development organization that offers housing, social services, child care, and HIV-related health care.
Self-care is a vital part of activism. These CBD (but THC-free) bath bombs ensure a good night’s sleep.
Dara Allen
Model
I broke so many off-brand $15 chargers this year. The Anker charger gets my phone to full battery in the time it takes me to do my hair in the morning, and the six-foot cord withstands pretty much any bend or position. It’s klutzproof — or should I say Dara-proof.
Lisa Dennison
Chairman, Sotheby’s North and South Americas
Aside from a drizzle on charcuterie and cheese boards, it’s wonderful on a spicy pizza or on the most decadent grilled cheese sandwich, and makes a great glaze for game birds. I’ll run out before I run out of ideas for how to use it.
Drew Seskunas
Architect; founder, Saw.Earth
Ongoing donations to this organization are a gift to myself and all New York City residents who benefit from its work to revitalize our parks and green spaces.
Sally LaPointe
Founder and fashion designer, LaPointe
The best retinol I’ve found. A313 is effective without being harsh or irritating.
Julia Alvarez
Author, Afterlife
I turn it on in the bedroom and we’re in a tropical forest. I’m still searching for the perfect essential oil that will bring a combination of creativity, calm, inspiration, and enlightenment.
Corianna ‘Coco’ Dotson
Co-founder and accessories designer, Coco & Breezy
Brooklyn-based HealHaus is committed to providing wellness to the Black community. As a fellow Brooklynite, I have found it a safe haven for yoga and meditation classes that have helped my mind, body, and soul.
Rebekah Peppler
Stylist; author, Apéritif
After getting sick with COVID-19, my cooking and eating shifted to being completely anti-inflammatory. So I’m flying through my turmeric stash. Diaspora’s is truly the best.
Amanda Shires
Singer-songwriter
These are made using real flowers and come secured on seeded paper. You don’t have to be a horticulturist to enjoy the happiness they bring; plus, you can mix and match.
Fiorella Valdesolo
Writer, creative consultant
Why not try to start my 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter young? She can’t stack them without assistance, but she is very content to arrange the colorful wooden set into various designs and into a long line on the floor. Miraculously, she’s also very into putting them back into their handy box and sliding it shut.
It’s a marker board and chalkboard, has a roll of paper attached to it for drawings parents want to keep, and is magnetic — so kids can practice writing letters and numbers alongside magnets. It’s also small enough to plop on any surface or tabletop, and can easily fold up.
Shannon Maldonado
Founder, YOWIE
Dab it on before bed and some mornings to keep the dark circles and crow’s-feet at bay. The applicator is so unique and, dare I say, fun.
Michael Cuby
Editor-at-large, Them
RuPaul’s Drag Race is perhaps the only show I can watch in any mood. With a simple monthly subscription (via Prime Video), you can get seasons one through ten whenever you’re in need of some Werk Room drama.
Gia Coppola
Filmmaker, photographer
Getting crafty during happy hour with the spices from this kit, and a bottle of my red or white wines, has saved me from getting bored of the same drink.
Sofia Coppola
Writer, director
My friend’s company, Soap & Paper Factory, makes natural soaps and candles that smell amazing. It’s a women-owned small business: They source everything in the U.S., and they’re made in New York. I’ve been enjoying them during all this time at home, and I even worked with her to create a candle to go along with my namesake wine from my family’s winery.
Verena von Pfetten
Founder, Gossamer
This spicy green paste kind of feels like a delicious secret. The stuff makes literally everything you put it on — avocado toast, eggs, plain rice, meat, buttery-cheesy-but-otherwise-plain pasta — taste better.
Subscription boxes, and their endless parade of un-asked-for nothings are not usually my cup of tea. But Brother Vellies’s commitment to artisan design practices gives this one a more enticing touch. While I’ve certainly loved some of my somethings more than others, all of them — from a terra-cotta mug to a hand-sculpted flowerpot — do indeed feel special.
Aurora James
Founder and accessories designer, Brother Vellies
These perfect beeswax candles come from Alysia Mazzella, one of my favorite makers. I fill my house with them — when lit after pouring a glass of wine, they’re my little piece of Paris in New York.
Akin Akman
Model; co-founder, Aarmy
This brief history of humankind has given me perspective and inspired a lot of interesting conversations over the past few months.
Chloe Kernaghan
Co-founder, Sky Ting Yoga
Speeds up chop time and gives the perfect julienne cuts. Just make sure to be extra careful when using the extra-sharp blade.
Julia Fox
Actress
While stuck in New York, I fostered a dog from Social Tees. I ended up adopting her because there’s no end in sight to this pandemic. And because she’s the best.
Crystal Anderson
Founder, A Very Good Job
My fiancé and I discovered that our dog Blanche loves bubbles. So we bought this bubble machine for her … but mostly for our entertainment.
Sylvana Ward Durrett
CEO and co-founder, Maisonette
The perfect shoe for around the house and being outside in the country on warmer days.
Paul Feig
Director
During quarantine, I learned how to make more than 100 cocktails — and invented 10 of my own — with help from these tools (and the world’s largest collection of obscure cocktail ingredients).
Stephanie LaCava
Author, The Superrationals
This is the best lavender oil I’ve ever smelled. It’s made by a community of Cistercian monks founded in 1148. They cultivate not only lavender fields, but olive groves as well. The oil is extracted at a Luberon Valley distillery. Throughout quarantine, I used it to help fall asleep at night. In order to have reasonable shipping costs you may have to order a few bottles, as well as the spray and candles. They all make great token gifts for insomniac or anxiety-ridden friends.
Yewande Komolafe
Chef, writer
A meal-delivery service with a menu of ready-to-eat Nigerian classics. The brand seems to have mastered that Naija “party food” flavor. The spices, the smokiness — everything just pops!
Red Bay Coffee is an exceptional small-scale roaster out of Oakland. Its darker roasts are quite exquisite; I’m currently drinking Slow Burn as I write this!
Lauren Napier
Founder, Lauren Napier Beauty
I was uprooted from my apartment in the midst of quarantine. Creating the most comfortable, cozy, safe space became top priority as I moved into my new home. It’s a most gorgeous apartment, but the sound quality was pretty poor once I was settled in. I actually purchased these soundproof rug pads for my upstairs neighbors. It might seem intrusive coming from a neighbor, but I used a very kind approach, and they were receptive. They’ve given me absolute peace while working and living all day and night at home.
Akili King
Beauty assistant, Vogue
Super helpful for at-home workouts. Sometimes I find myself just wearing them around the apartment for an extra toning boost while making tea or walking around.
Jena Wolfe
Co-founder, Piecework Puzzles
The perfect coffee companion for long, early walks in the morning with my toddler.
Rachel Hochhauser
Co-founder, Piecework Puzzles
This chocolate company based in PDX makes my new favorite treat. It’s made from raw honey and coconut oil and has to be refrigerated, so it feels like an indulgent step away from your run-of-the-mill chocolate.
Zara Tisch
Founder, Terez
The disco dog sits right next to me at my “work space” in my bathroom. It makes me smile as I work. I love the nod to Jeff Koons and the sparkly glitter. The brand makes the most colorful and whimsical resin pieces that are filled with nothing other than joy.
Bianca Gates
CEO and co-founder, Birdies
A soft and empowering T-shirt that reminds me to stay authentic and positive.
Charlotte Cho
Co-founder, Soko Glam; founder, Then I Met You
Simple, single-use coffee bags you steep with hot water, just like a tea bag.
Katie Sturino
Founder, Megababe
It’s expensive, but my sweatsuits smell fancy after I use it. And it makes me excited to do laundry.
Mi-Anne Chan
Video director, Condé Nast
Despite the fact that I will not be serving chips nor dip at a party anytime soon, I bought this green glass bowl set. I’ve already imagined a myriad of uses: a salad bowl, trinket dish, a place to keep masks on the sideboard near the apartment door. It practically pays for itself.
Naomi Fry
Staff writer, The New Yorker
On the recommendation of a friend, I signed up to do the Class: an hour-long, kind of goofy, somewhat cult-y form of exercise that combines cardio and strength training. It involves a lot of jumping around and “clearing” of “energy” (one is encouraged to emit sound while doing it), but it somehow never fails to lift my mood. I would never have attended the Class in person (too stressful and intimidating, as well as pretty expensive), but when I do it alone at home it’s kind of perfect and makes me feel like I’m pushing myself (I sweat like a crazy person when I do it). The price point is also pretty reasonable — and the first two weeks are free.
Kate Spencer
Author; co-host, Forever 35 podcast
This is a hefty sleep mask, but boy does it feel good on my face. Sleep is an elusive thing for me during the pandemic, but this has helped me snooze a bit longer in the morning thanks to its light-blocking power. It’s soft, cozy, and it doubles as a headband, so I end up wearing it while I have my morning coffee to really complete my “haven’t left my house in seven months” look.
Tuesday Bassen
Illustrator; founder, Tuesday of California
A tome, a bible, a massive compilation of traditional Scandinavian baked goods. Put your cardamom to work!
I’ve been drinking this chocolaty, graham-cracker-y medium roast on and off since college. This year, I started getting it delivered on a regular basis.
Nate Jones
Education professor, Boston University
After a day of working on my computer — and the previous evening spent wrestling with my small children — my glasses are nothing but smudges and kids’ glitter. Every day, at approximately 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., I get up from my desk, walk to my industrial-size box of Zeiss Eyeglasses Wipes, and pick out a single, individually wrapped wipe. They smell just chemically enough, leave no smudges, and give me the brief refresh I need to get me to dinner.
Tiler Peck
Principal dancer, New York City Ballet
This bodywash makes my everyday routine feel more extravagant.
Taylor Tomasi Hill
Creative and fashion director, THE YES
A great resource for real news. Host Jessica Yellin, a former chief White House correspondent for CNN, has helped me navigate this crazy political time.
Siraad Dirshe
Social content manager, Flamingo
The pitcher — the largest vessel shown in the photo — makes something as mundane as drinking water feel elegant.
Marie Kondo
Professional organizer
I use them to tend to my garden, where I’ve been spending a lot of time. The act of snipping and pruning is very meditative.
Suzanne Vega
Singer-songwriter
I joined Misfits Market in the beginning of the pandemic, when we had trouble getting food delivered from other places. It sends boxes of slightly misshapen produce every two weeks. Most of our meals are now based around in-season fruits and vegetables.
Bernie Kaminski
Sculptor
I’ll read just about any 1970s baseball memoir, but this is one of the better ones. Flood describes playing Minor League ball during the 1950s in the segregated South, detailing the challenge of baseball’s labor policies, which ended up going to the Supreme Court.
Jacqueline Woodson
Author
I bought one like this to run in, but I mostly just wear it whenever I can. I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha during my second year in college. One of our chants was “Deep in my heart, I love my AKA,” which has proven to be more than true over the years as I continue to see my sorors — from Ida B. Wells to Ava DuVernay to Kamala Harris — get their shine.
Lacey Herbert
Writer, Lionsgate
These superthick socks have replaced the Doc Martens I’m known for marching around the office in. I have them in almost every color.
Conway Liao
CEO and founder, Hudson Wilder
Tashon Hopkins, my trainer, started offering classes on Instagram when the pandemic started. Since then, he grew his followers from 3,000 to more than 50,000 and moved the classes to this platform. They’re amazing: I lost five pounds and I have a lot more definition in my arms, legs, glutes, and abs. It’s a whole body workout. People from all over the world tune in.
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