The Items Keeping Our Staffers Busy (Sans Screens) This Holiday Season
Bid boredom farewell!
If you’re fortunate enough to take some time off this holiday season—for goodness’ sake, we all deserve it—then you’ve probably found yourself with a few more leisurely hours than usual. Since decorating cookies and wrapping gifts for a loved one can only last for so long, we polled our staffers to see which items or activities are keeping them busy as we all await the new year. From trying new recipes to skateboarding to making jewelry, they’ve all found innovative ways to minimize excessive screen time and keep the Netflix bingeing to a minimum.
Leya Kaufman, Head of Sales
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
$270 $150
While my husband is more of the bona fide master chef in our house, I love to take on foodie passion projects. That usually means that I make a huge mess in the kitchen and walk away with a subpar snack. Enter: The Air Fryer. This holiday season, you can find me playing with this new foolproof kitchen toy. I think I’ll start by experimenting with truffle fries, air-fried chocolate chip cookies, and nitrate-free beef jerky.
Stone Beads Box Set Kits
$40 $28
I rediscovered my creative side a few months ago and purchased an inordinate amount of power beads from Amazon. Before life got a bit too busy, I found beading to be a welcome break from the device fatigue that was plaguing my time at home. So this holiday season, I can’t wait to bring all my beads back out. It’s time to create a few DIY additions to my bracelet stack.
Ole Henriksen Happy Juice Set
$69
This extended time at home has also inspired me to add multiple steps into my skin-care routine, and this season I’ll continue to indulge in self-care. Right now I’m stocking up on skin-care sets with three or more steps to try, like this vitamin C–powered, citrus-infused collection with a transportative scent that makes me feel like I’m on a beach vacation every time I use it.
Hannah Baxter, Senior Beauty Editor
Proper Gnar It’s Lit Skateboard Deck
$60
Learning to skateboard has been my crowning achievement of 2020, but the winter weather isn’t ideal for practicing at my preferred parking lot. Luckily, I have a garage right below my building with plenty of room to push around. If you’re at all curious to learn, I recommend snagging a deck from this female-founded, Black-owned skate brand. Be sure to get one wide enough for beginners (I ride an 8.5", for reference) and splurge on some fat, cushy wheels, plus bearings and trucks. Any local skate shop will help you put it together!
Madewell We Are Knitters Beginner Dinka Scarf Kit
$50
I bought a knitting kit from We Are Knitters during peak quarantine, and I can’t wait to get back in the habit this winter. They’ll provide everything you need—needles, yarn, or wool (you can even get alpaca fiber), plus instructions for your favorite pattern. It’s surprisingly calming and pretty easy once you nail the basic stitches.
Tiffany & Co. Metallic Playing Cards
$100
Are you kidding me with these cards? I grew up playing poker, gin, war, speed, Egyptian Ratscrew—you name it, I’ve fought tooth and nail to beat my sister in a game. There’s never been a better time to upgrade to the most painfully chic deck of cards I’ve ever seen. I’ll happily display this little blue box on my credenza for everyone to admire.
Alex Bair, Senior Sales & Brand Partnerships Manager
Ghia Apéritif
$33
If there’s one thing I miss, it’s going out for a spontaneous happy hour with friends. That said, the pandemic hasn’t stopped me from experimenting with some new, at-home drink combinations. Last week I sipped on a bourbon apple cider (complete with a luxurious cinnamon stick and apple garnish, might I add), and this holiday season, I’m excited to try out Ghia’s non-alcoholic apéritif packed with only pure, natural extracts. Their “Slow Burn” Ghia Mulled recipe combines water and fresh ginger with coriander to make the perfect non-alcoholic alternative to a classic hot toddy.
La Mer The Renewal Oil
$250
When the colder months hit, I always do an overhaul of my skin-care products. I’ve been trying to keep my routine as clean as possible while still achieving max hydration, nourishment, and that dewy plumpness we all know and love. La Mer’s beloved The Renewal Oil has been on my wish list forever because of its clean formulation and dual-phase, hydrating effects. I may just treat myself this season so I can bask in soft, ultra-smooth, glowy skin rolling into 2021.
Moon Juice SuperYou
$49
I am a huge believer in holistic practices and their ability to help ease the stressors of daily life. Moon Juice is one of my favorite health and wellness brands because they create products that actually work AND are vegan, sustainably sourced, non-GMO—all the good stuff. For my next purchase, I’m ordering their SuperYou Daily Stress Management capsules to help improve my energy, mood, and focus this holiday season. They say it even helps regulate cortisol to reduce the effects of stress… Say no more!
Camille Freestone, Writer
Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
$28
My motto for quarantine is “WWBCD,” or in other words, “what would the Barefoot Contessa do?” (Phrasing courtesy of Lorelai Gilmore.) Using the holidays as an excuse to test my skills in the kitchen, I’ve been plowing through a ton of these recipes. And in true Ina Garten fashion, a cocktail is *always* in hand.
Ballard Designs Bunny Williams Diana Bust
$179 $152
As I’m moving into a new apartment in January, interior design is my new vice—the number of hours I’ve spent on Pinterest lately is absurd. This may have been a bit of a Black Friday impulse purchase, but I’ve since been dressing her up with jewelry and scarves because why not?
Crossrope Starter Set
$76 $68
Jumping rope is another of my quarantine discoveries. I’ve become a complete Jump Rope Dudes convert, and they swear by this brand. While the price may seem a little steep for a jump rope, you’ll understand why it’s worth it once you start jumping.
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