10 Things That Delighted Us: From Lands’ End Towels to Asparagus Candles (2024)

Photo: Retailer

As Strategist contributor Erika Veurink puts it, some things in life are just as good as you remember them, like caramel apples, The Parent Trap, and, yes, Lands’ End. The Midwest-based brand is known for its quality pieces, including canvas totes, timeless knitwear, and the iconic Supima-cotton sheets we’ve covered before. Veurink is also a fan of these striped bath towels, which feel like a “utilitarian art piece” in her tiny NYC bathroom, she says, adding, “I’ve washed them every week and they just keep getting softer.”

Are more folks wearing weighted vests for long walks, hikes, and jogs? Well, after noticing a surge of interest in the bulky pullovers, Strategist contributor Liz Krieger spoke to experts (including researchers who have conducted studies on weighted vests) to find out whether this is a fad or a brilliant health hack. According to Rachelle Reed, a trainer with a doctorate in exercise physiology, these vests can be especially great for people who hate the gym or struggle to exercise. The TRX vest is very adjustable — both at the waist and shoulders — and comes in different weight sizes “so that you can progress over time,” Reed says.

“This is a sleeper, and I feel like I need everyone to know about it,” says Dr. Becky Kennedy of the one-a-day desk calendar she can’t live without, which has a new “completely random fact” for each day. “One of the things I love about this is that during the school year, it’s a reason for my kids to get dressed and come for breakfast,” she says, adding that it sparks nice family moments. “We always have some conversation around it, sometimes longer than others, never forced, but it inserts some topic that we would’ve never brought up.”

In our latest installment of “Strategist Brain,” we heard from our writer Kitty Guo, who is a self-proclaimed “ride-or-die stan of the library.” But sometimes, Guo will buy a used book, like this monograph she spotted at a sidewalk sale. “It’s called The Shopping Bag: Portable Art, and it’s filled with images of iconic, design-forward shopping bags, from Bloomingdale’s Big Brown Bag to the Cafe Du Monde’s takeout bag,” she says.

If there’s one thing Christina Ricci wears every day, it’s these black tank tops. “I’m sure that people who don’t know me well think I wear the same clothes all the time, but I love a uniform,” Ricci told us. “And right now, my uniform consists of a clean one of these black tank tops pretty much every single day.” They don’t require a bra, which is what Ricci loves most about them, she says. “They’re also a really classic cut, they’re easy, and they come in packs.”

In last week’s edition of The Strategist Beauty Brief, each of our beauty writers shared the body lotions they actually buy. Guo says Nécessaire’s formula is the one for her. “Strongly scented body lotions often conflict with my perfume, so the fragrance-free aspect is paramount,” she says. Plain old Cetaphil does a fine job, but Guo says Nécessaire’s lotion has a creamier texture, making it feel much more luxurious. “It soaks right in, though, so it’s not sitting heavily on your skin,” she notes.

You may have missed October Prime Day, but you can still find discounts on thousands of items across departments at Target’s Circle Week — but only until tonight (or 2:59 a.m. ET on October 13). For those who want to get a head start on holiday shopping, tons of toys are on sale, including the dinosaur plushie that our sleep writer Amelia Jerden says is better than a weighted blanket.

More news on the Target front: John Derian’s back with a Thanksgiving collection. Like last year’s collection, there’s a beaded turkey pillow, but our writer Ambar Pardilla also spotted plenty more from the découpage artist, including everything from dessert plates and serving sets to these wax asparagus tapers. The best part is that most of the collection is under $30, so don’t forget to set a reminder for when it officially goes live tomorrow, October 13.