Holiday gift ideas for the well-dressed, blob-loving creative in your life

Hello! I’m back with some more gift ideas for you! Sunday’s list was general gift ideas and Monday’s list was gifts for someone who reminds you of me; today’s list is gifts for someone who maybe reminds you a little bit of me, but whose taste is, say, 25% cooler and 60% more colorful. Like, this person fucks with a simple J. Crew sweater and a can of chickpeas, but also has good taste in music and wears hip art teacher earrings, you know? It is 100% inspired by my girlfriend and the things she owns/loves/has on her wishlist, though there’s definitely some overlap with my own. Anyway, if you are shopping for someone who is the Claudia to your Stacey, this list might be helpful.

Cold Picnic bathmat

I love this brand, and their bathmats are absolutely the gateway drug. I actually bought the one pictured at a sample sale in the spring, but there are a ton of other styles, including multiple boob mats. Buy it from Cold Picnic for $60.

Boy Smells candle

All the Boy Smells candles are beautiful, and the Cedar Stack is really nice but mellow woodsy smell. Buy it from Amazon for $36.

Supersoft mockneck sweater

This was in Tuesday’s gift guide, because, again, it’s so versatile. Available in 13 colors and sizes XXS-3X from J. Crew for $89.50.

Just Say No to Bullshit socks

For when you want to tell your coworkers to fuck off, but can’t. Buy them from Electric West for $15.

Face planter

You know Toilets With Menacing Auras? This planter is, like, the cosmic opposite of that. It’s charming but not overly twee, and has just good, sweet energy. Buy it from Group Partner for $65.

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

Another gift that would definitely appeal to Monday’s homebody! This is a great cookbook — even better than Dining In — and is aesthetically and spiritually aligned with many of the other items on this list. Buy it from Amazon for $20.12 or find it at a local bookstore through IndieBound.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9

This camera is easy to use, takes super flattering photos, and is extremely fun at a party. (You’ll get way better fun action shots than you do with a phone, honestly.) It’s also a very gentle entry point for anyone who has been thinking about getting into film photography. It comes in 10 colors; get the camera and two packs of film on Amazon for $67.86. (Urban Outfitters also has some very cute exclusive colors, including lavender, yellow, orange, and rose.)

Enamelware serving bowl

This was a purchase directly inspired by the aesthetic of Nothing Fancy, and looks way more expensive than it actually is. It’s a good size for holding a few lemons or onions and some heads of garlic. It comes in four colors; buy it from Amazon for $14.88.

Bodum French Press

This is another gift that looks more expensive than it is. It makes a single cup of coffee or tea and is really easy to use. If someone is lightly interested in getting into coffee, it’s a good place to start. The Chemex gets a lot of attention because it’s so beautiful, but it takes a decent amount of effort to make coffee with it. Meanwhile, this little press is quick/unfussy enough to use before work.

The MoMA Design Store has the Caffettiera French press pictured and a second multicolored one for $20; Madewell has a pastel version for $15; and there’s a light green one and a light blue one on Amazon for $15. If you want to gift it with some coffee, Variety Coffee tastes good and has great packaging. (In Brooklyn, you can buy it at Whole Foods.)

Yellow silicone finger grippers and lavender scraper

These are good stocking stuffers and/or a great addition to the Nothing Fancy cookbook. (Alison Roman apparently loves a scraper.) Buy them from Amazon; the grippers are $6.06 and the scraper is $5.99.

Dusen Dusen hand towels

Dusen Dusen has really unique patterns and prints, and is good for anyone who has walked into a Madewell in the past year and thought, “Boy, everyone sure is depressed, huh?” Most of Dusen Dusen’s clothing and home goods are pretty expensive, so the hand towels are fairly affordable and offer a good amount of color/pattern bang for your buck. Available in four styles; buy them for $20 each from Coming Soon.

Bathing lady dish

Who is she??? This multipurpose dish (for keys, change, jewelry, etc.) is fun and kind of unusual, and has a vintage vibe that isn’t too stuck in a particular era. It comes in five colors; buy one from Coming Soon for $40.

Areaware goober candles

These candles are less “I’m burning my scented candle for self-care,” and more “I have cool blobs on my bookshelf that make me happy, and sure, I could burn them if I wanted to.” Available in four colors; buy them from Coming Soon for $26 each.

Catbird loopdie earring

This shape of these earrings — open at the top and bottom — is fairly unusual, but the earrings themselves are not fussy at all. They are basically gold hoop earrings…that fuck. (BTW, a lot of cool/weird earrings are hard to put on or take off, but these are very user-friendly.) Buy them from Catbird — $88 for the gold pair and $52 for the silver pair.

Catbird teardrop earring

Another pair of “classic silhouette, but more interesting version of it” earrings. They aren’t full-on statement pieces, but they are unique enough to communicate to the recipient “I noticed you have good style so I got you something a little bit interesting.” Buy them from Catbird — $52 for the silver pair or $88 for the gold pair.

And a year of Spotify Premium

Spotify is something most people use every single day, but it’s something most people don’t think about using every single day because it’s literally in the background. So a gift card for a Premium account (or to cover the cost of their current subscription.) ends up being a super practical gift that is still fairly unexpected/delightful. (It’s also a good one for a couple!) Get a 3-month ($30) or 6-month ($60) gift card from Target, or get the $99 annual gift card from Best Buy.

And, of course, you can’t go wrong with some of the OG gift guide items here: the hot honey, the Chups socks, and The Art of Gathering would be my picks. ✨

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Holiday gift ideas for the Everlane-loving, shit-together homebody in your life

While yesterday’s gift idea list was meant to be pretty general, I thought it might also be fun to put together some ideas for people whose taste is more specific. Or, in this case, whose taste is just…mine. Though I don’t actually love/shop at Everlane all that much, I recognize that a Type exists, and I am a part of it! If you’re shopping for gifts for your sister/best friend/girlfriend/wife/some other cozy Millennial (or just…yourself…) this list might be helpful.

A New York Times crossword puzzle app subscription

This is, to me, an ideal gift, because it’s one of those things that is kind of annoying to pay for yourself, but is actually not that expensive as far as gifts are concerned. It’s also just really worth having! I have been cranking through the archives recently to get better at solving/be on Instagram and Twitter less. Buy it for $19.97.

The perfect lemon candle

This is, in my estimation, the perfect lemon candle. Buy it from Williams-Sonoma for $19.95.

J. Crew x Chups socks

These socks spark so much joy for me. After looking at them online every few weeks for like three months, I finally bought myself a couple pairs on Black Friday last year when they were half-price. They were so great that I was ready and waiting to buy them this year on Black Friday when they were 50% off. I am slowly but surely building my great sock collection. They come in four colors; get a single pair from J. Crew for $36 or a pack of two pairs for $62. (And also…definitely buy them during one of J. Crew’s many sales.)

Lodge Dutch oven

This is a great Dutch oven (it’s the Wirecutter pick) and the cream color is really lovely in person. It’s become the most-used pot in my kitchen. Buy it from Amazon for $59.90.

450-piece boob puzzle

A puzzle! With titties! Honestly, what more do you want from me? Buy it from Jiggy (a new brand that also has other, non-boob puzzles) for $40.

USB rechargeable lighter

This is one of those things that I didn’t know I needed until I saw it — during a sale, when I immediately impulse-bought it. It’s very beautiful and also the way it works is genuinely neat; instead of casting a flame, it just sort of…zaps your candle wicks and then they start to burn! Available in four colors; buy it from Food52 for $32.

Chenille throw blanket

For everyone who says, “Can you hand me that blanket?” approximately 10 times a day. Available in three colors; buy it from West Elm for $39 (FYI, it’s currently on sale for $19).

A Shhhowercap

I have had my Shhhowercap for a couple years now, and it is probably the most-used item in my home, now that I think about it. It’s a splurge, but if for anyone who doesn’t wash their hair that often, it’s absolutely worth it. Available in 13 colors; buy the dark pink one from Amazon for $43 or one of the other colors from Sephora.

Teeny hoop earrings

I have a lot of thoughts about gold hoop earrings, but the TL;DR is that these are great earrings. Get them from Catbird — $88 for the gold set and $28 for the silver set.

Supersoft mockneck sweater

This sweater has made a mockneck believer out of me! It’s cozy without being sloppy, and is simple enough that it actually fits a lot of different personal styles. Available in 13 colors and sizes XXS-3X from J. Crew for $89.50.

Velvet shell pillow

I have been in love with these pillows for nearly all of 2019, and finally bought myself one on Black Friday. They aren’t cheap, but are truly beautiful and special. Available in eight colors; buy it from Tamar Mogendorff for $90.

And jasmine mint toothpaste

I just love this fancy toothpaste. Buy it from Amazon for $10.34.

Also! A few items from yesterday’s list would be great for this person too, particularly the hot honey, salt box, The Art of Gathering, beeswax wraps, Home Comforts, and rosehip oil. ✨

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Just Good Shit: 12.08.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hi, friends! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Everything I'm doing to be the moistest woman in Brooklyn this winter

• Holiday gift ideas for pretty much everyone in your life

Two more gift guides still to come this week!

Reading

So, my gf and I both finished The Song of Achilles this weekend and…did not love it? I had heard nothing but good things about it, and it’s a great premise, but I just couldn’t get into it. There was so much war, and the main characters just didn’t have developed personalities. I really liked Circe so I had high hopes, but this one felt less like a reimagining of a myth and more like homework. (It honestly just felt…very straight.) But, again, I’d heard rave reviews from everyone else who read it, so YMMV!

Also:

Emotional Baggage: Inside the Toxic Work Environment at Away, The Verge.

Pinterest and The Knot Pledge to Stop Promoting Plantation Weddings, The New York Times.

In Defense of Just Eating Your Dang Thanksgiving Dinner at Luby’s, Texas Monthly.
This is so good.

How to Go Home for the Holidays When Your Family Is a Bit Much, VICE.

My home is unsafe for me to explore my gender. What do I do?, Asking Bear.

Practicing Abundance in Daily Life, No. 17.
This is Christian, which is not personally my jam, but I still liked it.

Work should be over when it gets dark, The Outline.

My Wife’s Enemies Are Now My Enemies, Too, The Cut.

The best office holiday party date story of all time, Ask a Manager.

I’m Upset: Do not give me ketchup packets, The Outline.
I love condiments and also this take!

Living

I watched this YouTube tutorial before putting lights on my Christmas tree and it was really helpful! Speaking of Christmas lights, I’ve been on a mission to find the best twinkle lights to leave up on your home year-round for like a year now, and I can report that Target’s Wondershop White Satin G40 Indoor/Outdoor Globe Lights are perfect. They give off an an incredibly dreamy candle-like glow, and cost $10 a box.

Laughing, Loving

“POV: you’re a close friend venting to me about a situation where you were entirely in the wrong.”

“Aaron earned an iron urn.”

And this lesbian meme/viral moment of the year thread.

Have a great Sunday! 🎄

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Holiday gift ideas for pretty much everyone in your life

I recently read an article about the proliferation of gift guides on the internet that asserted that no writer or editor really likes making gift guides. This…is not true!!! I fuck with creating gift guides on a deep spiritual level, which is why I’m spending my Sunday putting these together. Please, I’m begging you, let me help you choose gifts.

This is the first of three gift guides I’m going to publish on Just Good Shit this year; it contains the all-around greatest hits that I think would make good holiday gifts for men or women; people you love but also people you don’t know super well; and people who are fairly hard to shop for. I own and/or have gifted pretty much everything on this list.

Mike’s Hot Honey

This was my go-to gift in 2018; it’s unique, delicious, and costs less than $10. Buy it on Amazon for $8.48.

Anomia

One of my favorite new party games! Buy it from Amazon for $13.99.

A pretty salt box

I own this (in the Artichoke color) and have gifted it; it’s an elegant way to store kosher or Maldon salt and keep it handy on your counter. (Very useful when you make a lot of chickpea pasta.) It comes in several other colors; buy it from Amazon for $25.49.

1000-piece vintage pencils puzzle

I love puzzles as a gift, and this one is very fun/good (I own it). Buy it from Amazon for $16.39. If that design isn’t doing it for you, check out Galison puzzles and Mudpuppy puzzles; those are my two favorite brands. I’m also a big fan of a puzzle mat ($12.99 on Amazon.

Heat Holders socks

These socks are GLORIOUS; they are incredibly thick/cushy/warm. They come in 29 colors/styles; buy them on Amazon for $15.99 a pair.

Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House

I will never get sick of this book, which is basically a home ec encyclopedia that I’ve been raving about for the past two years now. Get it from Amazon for $13.53 or find it at a local bookstore via IndieBound.

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Another one of my favorite books/gifts from the past couple of years. Buy it on Amazon for $19.69 or find it at a local bookstore via Indie Bound.

A bee hotel

Bee hotel are actually good for bees, and make a nice addition to a garden/outdoor space. Buy one from Amazon for $19.97.

Compression socks

These are a good gift for runners, travelers, nurses, teachers, and basically anyone who is on their feet all day. Even my mom — who is very hard to shop for — is a fan. Available in 10 colors; buy them from Amazon for $16.67.

Mint tea tree toothpicks

Another one that I've written about! These actually look fairly elegant and would be a good stocking stuffer or gift to buy in bulk for coworkers or other groups. Buy them from Amazon for $6.74.

An electric blanket for the car

I’ve given this blanket as a gift a couple times now; it’s a good one for people who live in colder climates and drive a lot. Buy it from Amazon for 19.95.

Beeswax wraps

I love these! They smell great and feel really lovely, but are still practical and affordable. They come in four colors; buy them from Amazon for $15.

Rosehip oil

This is a such a great all-around skincare product that feels really luxurious and works for a lot of different skin types. Buy it from Amazon for $13.95.

And a 6-ft charging cable

This is a super practical gift that makes a great stocking stuffer. Buy one from Amazon for $7.99. 🎁

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Everything I'm doing to be the moistest woman in Brooklyn this winter

“Slugs must always be moist, or they can die from desiccation. Desiccation occurs when something gets extremely dry and starts to shrivel and crack. When slugs move around, they must protect their body and avoid dryness by always producing slime.” —Sciencing

Same…except I can’t produce my own slime, so here we are!

Even though I love winter and feel, generally speaking, like I have the appropriate gear to make the season not just bearable but actually enjoyable, I still tend to find myself shocked by how dry it gets every single year. I’ve finally started to do a better job of properly preventing/treating dryness and am feeling very good heading into this winter. Here’s what I’m using…

Face

My girlfriend got very into skincare this year, which has been great for both of us. My face doesn’t get terribly dry in the winter, but a couple of her products have made a noticeable difference in how bright/glowy/soft my skin looks, and how moist it actually feels in cold and dry weather. I’ve been using two products in the morning after I get out of the shower: first, I pat on Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence ($16.30 on Amazon), which I’m told is a very good SK-II Facial Treatment Essence dupe. It’s super thin/watery and I always think it’s not doing much, but then I follow it up with a couple dabs of Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream ($14.60 on Amazon). This moisturizer has the best pudding-like texture. It feels amazing, and there’s something about the combination of the two products that has really been working for me (especially when I also jade roll).

I also love this Radha Beauty rosehip oil ($14.95 on Amazon) and actually need to order some more; it’s a great one-stop skincare product, and I occasionally use it as a cuticle oil too.

Hands

My hands get very red/scaly in the winter if I’m not careful…but so many widely beloved hand creams are greasy and bad! Last year, I started using O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream ($12.95 for a pack of two tubes on Amazon) and it’s great. It’s not terribly greasy, it soaks in quickly, and it just…works. I’ve also found that using cuticle oil regularly goes a long way; I like CND Essentials Solar Oil ($8.50 on Amazon).

Part of the reason my hands get so bad is because I have Raynaud’s, which makes my hands and feet incredibly cold; if I want them to look good, I have to do my best to keep them warm. I think wearing gloves is kind of a pain in the ass (I’m constantly misplacing one or both of them), but I have two pairs to recommend: first, my doctor told me that I should wear fingerless compression gloves indoors ($14.99 on Amazon), and they really do help my hands feel/look better. I don’t wear them all day, every day, but I pretty much always wear them at night in the winter, and it makes a difference.

When I’m outside, I’m wearing J. Crew’s men’s wool smartphone gloves ($59.50, but can pretty easily be bought on sale), which are so warm and cozy and make me feel like a dad coming back home with a Christmas tree for the family. While these are smartphone gloves, I actually don’t think they allow for enough dexterity needed to, say, text while wearing them, but I don’t think most smartphone gloves do that, and I’m OK with that in this case because these gloves are so nice.

Body

Instead of trying to find the perfect body lotion, I’m just committing to applying a lotion regularly before bed. Right now, that’s Aveeno, but it could just as easily be CeraVe or Cetaphil. I also have two fancier lotions in the rotaysh. The first is Blank from the Hoxton Hotel, which you can buy in their gift shop; it’s one of those fragrances that everyone who tries it/smells it loves. The other is Aesop’s Rind Concentrate Body Balm, which was a gift from my gf. Both lotions work for hands and body, and smell so nice and feel so special that they make it easier for me to talk myself into moisturizing when I don’t feel like it.

Home

The big addition to my routine this year is the Honeywell Designer Series Cool Mist Humidifier ($65.99 on Amazon). It’s not small (most humidifiers that pump out mist longer than a few hours aren’t) but it’s also not, like, a big boxy fish tank either.

My goal is to be so well-gooed that anyone less than sopping feels inclined to throw salt on me. If you see me plodding around Brooklyn on a trail of mucus this winter, you’ll know I’ve succeeded. 💦

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Just Good Shit: 12.01.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Friends, I have…an intense shopping hangover right now. Like, I bought the J. Crew glitter booties and a Christmas tree and also a new phone. Here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

I…don’t have any links to share tonight?! I was out and about all week, and made an effort to not be on my phone during my time off. But I did blast through Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, which was a true delight. I had a couple minor questions/quibbles with it, but overall, I enjoyed reading it so much. Now I’m about two-thirds of the way done with Song of Achilles.

T-givs

Thanksgiving was really lovely this year! I spent it in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and it was incredibly cozy from T to B. On Wednesday night, we had drinks and burgers with a friend at Alameda. On Thursday, we went out and about in the morning, and then watched every single Thanksgiving episode of Friends. This turned out to be the perfect mellow activity. I’ve probably only seen 10 episodes of Friends in my entire life, so it was genuinely novel and fun for me. It felt like a more intentional version of the traditional holiday activity of scrolling through your phone while “watching” whatever channel a family member puts on.

Meanwhile, we cooked a really delicious feast! The main course was the Spiced and Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes from Nothing Fancy which was…so goddamn good. It’s a great recipe to have going in the background while you lounge and watch an old sitcom. It was just such a good, chill day, and I felt very grateful.

Have a great Sunday! 🛍

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Just Good Shit: 11.24.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hello! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

• Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

• The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

Editing

How to Support Your Partner of Color at Your White Family's Holiday Gathering

Winter Has Surprised Me for the Last Time

Reading

This week I read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, which I loved.

Also:

What It Means to Name a Forgotten Murder Victim, The Atlantic.

Here’s Why I Stopped Making ‘Healthy Swaps’ at Thanksgiving, SELF.

#1237: “What to do about deliberately bad gifts?” A post about letting go of some etiquette rules when they no longer serve you., Captain Awkward.

Sisqo Told Us the Origin Story for His Timeless Masterpiece, 'Thong Song', VICE.

Listening to

I listened to several very good episodes of You’re Wrong About this week, including “The Challenger Disaster” (one of my favorites of the series), “Enron,” “The 2000 Election,” and “The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.”

And I couldn’t stop bopping to this Nicki Minaj x Animal Crossing mashup!

Have a great Sunday! 🦃

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The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

I have a treat for you today: Terri is back! This post was borne out of a conversation I was having with a few coworkers about things to do with moms when they visit NYC. My main contribution was “I just ask my friend Terri” because it’s true — she’s truly the best when it comes to NYC recommendations. My coworkers immediately clamored for Terri’s list of mom recs. (“Terri, drop the album” is an exact quote.) She graciously obliged, which brings us to this list! —Rachel

Photo: Callum Chapman on Unsplash

My mom likes to visit New York. A lot. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, and two of her daughters and two grandchildren live here, so yeah, you could say she’s a New York stan. To be honest, I think she’d be perfectly content if every visit consisted of nonstop bonding time with her daughters and grandsons, punctuated by a few visits to Bloomingdale’s and more than a few plates of chicken parm. But! I love activities, and I love my mom, so I find distinct joy in thinking of new, fun things to do with her that make her say, “New York has changed so much since I left, I love it! Do you want a Twizzler?”

If your mom is planning a visit to New York, you may be wondering what to do with her that isn’t too touristy (or too fussy), but still feels fun and special. Luckily, I have a large data sample, and I’m not afraid to show it. Here are some favorites — you could easily apply these activities to any family member or friend that’s visiting, but know that these have the Carol Pous seal of approval: 

1. Go to Governor's Island.

   I love Governor’s Island, and so did my mom when I took her there (my dad did too, FWIW). It’s a cheap ferry ride to get there, and on a nice day, you get incredible views of the city, lots of places to bike around (get a got-dang SURREY if you know what’s good for you), food trucks, historical buildings, and usually some kind of fun event — they do the Jazz Age Lawn Festival there. Do it!!!!

2. Stroll along the Dumbo riverfront (aka Brooklyn Bridge Park).

   This is perfect for a nice day. You can see the carousel and an amazing view of Lower Manhattan, walk around the really nice waterfront and surrounding neighborhood, and eat at the new Time Out Market, which has a ton of popular New York spots and a rooftop that looks right out onto Brooklyn Bridge.

3. Visit the Tenement Museum.

   This is less of a museum, and more of an experience, but if you want something really powerful and meaningful to do, this is it. You can choose from several different stories (Irish immigrants, Jewish immigrants, Puerto Rican immigrants, Chinese immigrants, etc.) and then go inside the actual places where they lived and worked. You have to book at least a few days in advance, but it’s so worth it, especially if your mom loves history and family stories. I’ve also done the Lower East Side food tour through the museum, and I highly, highly recommend it.

4. Eat dessert.

   Do this literally anywhere?? Veniero’s and Ferrara’s are classic, old-school Italian bakeries where you can sit down and have a little coffee and some ‘zerts. I also like Serendipity, Caffe Panna, and Two Little Red Hens.

5. Go to Bloomingdale’s.

   Are there three Bloomingdale’s within a 10-minute drive of my parents’ house? Yes. Is this still my mom’s number-one favorite thing to do in the city? Also yes. It’s a New York institution, and I think my mom loves Bloomie’s so much because growing up, she couldn’t afford to shop there, so now it’s a never-ending treat that she can partake in while also eating a Magnolia cupcake (because of course there’s a Magnolia Bakery in a department store).

   However, I highly recommend skipping Magnolia and instead stopping by 40 Carats on the seventh floor, kind of hidden near the linens — you can get the delicious fro-yo in the to-go line, or you can do what my mom and I do, which is have a full sit-down lunch (I recommend the carrot soup, the pretzel bread, the three-salad combo, and any special that comes with a side of fro-yo). Overall, Bloomie’s is almost more of an activity than a shopping spot. Although there is some great shopping there, too.

6. Go to the Met.

   I mean, duh. Every visitor should go to the Met — it’s great. My mom particularly loves the Costume Institute exhibits, but the Met has everything from Egyptian artifacts to an entire Frank Lloyd Wright living room. There is something for every mom!

7. Eat a “cute” brunch.

   My mom loves doing “special things with her girls” (I have three sisters), and cute brunches are pretty high up there. Any place will do, but some tried-and-tested favorites are Friend of a Farmer, Friedman’s, Sadelle's, Westville, and Bluebell Cafe.

8. And go to a cozy dinner.

   The same cute brunch rule applies to cozy dinners. Some favorites that really play into the cozy factor are Supper (get the chicken parm and the hazelnut panna cotta) and Cafe Katja (get the Austrian meatballs).

9. Walk around the Union Square Farmers Market.

   We rarely buy anything, but there’s great people watching (big plus for Carol), and there are usually free samples (even bigger plus for Carol). 

10. Shop on Fifth Avenue by Flatiron.

    If you and mom want to go shopping, and it’s also a nice day out, this is your best bet. It doesn’t get slammed with tourists like Soho, but it has almost the exact same stores (Gap, J. Crew, Madewell, Anthro, Zara, H&M). Plus, you can walk over to Madison Square Park after and get Shake Shack and people watch.

11. Hang in Central Park.

    You already knew this, but it really doesn’t disappoint. Spread out a blanket in Sheep Meadow, bring some bagels from Ess a Bagel/Brooklyn Bagel Cafe/Murray’s/Zucker’s, sneak in some wine, and sit and watch the world go by.

12. Walk on the High Line to the Whitney or the Vessel/Hudson Yards.

    I know, I know, I said these weren’t touristy ideas, but I low-key love the High Line when it isn’t wall-to-wall people. I like sitting on one of the lounge chair thingies or walking from one end to the other; it’s just a great, scenic activity. Chelsea Market is also a really great place to stop along the way (go to Cull and Pistol and get anything with seafood).

13. See a Broadway show.

    But if you want to get cheap tickets, go to the TKTS line in Lincoln Center or South Street Seaport (not Times Square). The TodayTix app and Stubhub are also faves for getting last-minute discounts. [Rachel’s note: Every season, I just wait for Terri to tell me which show to take my mom to and her rec is always correct. My mom loved Something Rotten and The Prom. On her next visit, we’re seeing Derren Brown’s Secret.]

14. Take a ferry ride!

    You can do the whole shebang and on a proper Circle Line tour, or you can pay $2.75 and take the NYC Ferry. (Either to go to a destination or just to be on a boat for a bit — it’s very nice up top.)

15. Check out Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty.

    Again, this is kind of an obvious one, but worth mentioning. (The ticket includes both locations). If you want to save money, the Staten Island Ferry is free, and offers great views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail by. 

16. And take in the botanical gardens.

    Pick with either the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, or the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. They’re lovely when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and NYBG does some awesome exhibits like the Chihuly installation, but you can’t go wrong with either. I am freaky for botanical gardens!!!!

Thanks, Terri! By the way, here are my personal recs for moms (or really any out of town visitors): Brooklyn Flea; The New York Transit Museum (which was originally a Terri rec); the Staten Island Ferry; shopping at Flying Tiger, Fishs Eddy, and Books Are Magic; walking the Brooklyn Bridge; brunch at Miriam; and any food hall type places (like Smorgasburg, Chelsea Market, or City Point). I also recommend just hosting a house party/inviting your friends to come over to hang out/eat/drink/play games with you and your mom. —RWM ✨

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Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

Image: Birdies

As winter party season approaches, I feel compelled to share a bit of advice that I consider crucial to being a good host/good friend. It’s quite simple: if you are a shoes-off household, tell your party guests that at some point in advance of said party.

Why is this so important? Well, because snowy/sleety boots are, understandably, the sort of thing many people don’t want inside their homes. Which is fine! I have no problem with this approach! But showing up to a party and being asked to remove your shoes when you weren’t planning to ranges from mildly annoying to a real inconvenience. Like, maybe you wore very bad socks that night, or you aren’t even wearing socks. Maybe you built your entire outfit around your cute shoes, which are now sitting in your friend’s hallway. None of these scenarios are life-threatening, of course, but all can make a guest feel slightly off their game in a way that is at odds with good hospitality. And it’s all avoidable because you can just tell people up front what the situation is!

You can mention this in the Flyer. You can throw it in with the dress code/what to wear. You can work it in during the flurry of “See you tonight!” “What should I bring?” “BTW our doorbell doesn’t really work!” texts in the days before the party. Truly, the medium doesn’t matter; all that matters is that the message gets conveyed some place that is not your front door.

If you’re a shoes-on household, I think it’s more acceptable to say nothing, because most folks assume that a party is going to be shoes-on. But I also think it’s probably a good idea to make a habit of it regardless!

Some of my friends and I have started texting each other, “Is this a shoes-off or a shoes-on situation?” before gatherings, which works perfectly well, and is always an option if your host hasn’t taken this advice.

In general, I don’t consider myself dogmatic about most things I write about. Like, use these tips or don’t! I don’t know your life!!! But this is one thing I actually feel very strongly about. Like, just tell your guests what to expect, especially if that thing is “I expect you to be in socks all night”! Do what you can to help them feel more comfortable and relaxed! It is literally not difficult or awkward to say this, and I promise you that no one is going to be like, Wow, what a fuckin WEIRDO, doing me this REAL-ASS COURTESY like a BITCH if you make a point to tell them this info up front. 👠

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Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

I recently realized that you can make Spotify playlists for podcasts, which was (great!) news to me. This is so practical, particularly if you want to easily save new podcast recs from friends, or collect/download a bunch of podcasts before, say, a long trip.

After learning this, I decided to put all of my favorite podcast episodes in a single playlist. I believe Terri — who has very good taste in podcasts — turned me onto the fact that episode recommendations tend to be more useful than general podcast recs, and I now have a running list of the ones I love and recommend to friends again and again.

Here are my favorite episodes, in no particular order!

Annnd if you don’t use Spotify, here’s the full list:

1. Phonology with Nicole Holliday, Ologies.

2. The Architect of Hollywood, 99% Invisible. (An excellent Terri rec!)

3. Food Fight, Revisionist History.

4. My Little Hundred Million, Revisionist History.

5. Michael Pollan: Conscious Eating, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations.

6. Tushy, The Pitch.

7. Oprah, The Goop Podcast.

8. Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment, Revisionist History.

9. We Talk BeyChella, Still Processing.

10. Sounds Natural, 99% invisible. (Another Terri rec; she knows all the best 99PI eps actually.)

11. Gabrielle Union Is Fed Up, Death, Sex, and Money.

12. Hoodies Up, 30 for 30.

13. Return to Ring of Keys, Nancy.

14. Cellies, Ear Hustle.

15. The Pentagon's Secret Gaggle of Gays, Nancy.

16. The O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 1, You’re Wrong About.

17. Egyptology with Kara Cooney, Ologies.

While I was at it, I also made a playlist of all the podcast episodes that I’ve been on, if you’re interested!

The list:

1. Episode 27: Uniform Factor with Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Forever35

2. Episode 69: The Life-Changing Magic of Listening to Rachel, Another Round

3. How to Show Up, The Nod

4. Make New Friends (And Keep Them), NPR Life Kit

5. When Friendships Change, How To Cope, NPR Life Kit

6. The Surprising Benefits of Journaling, Stuff Mom Never Told You

7. How Am I Supposed to Make Friends?, Real Simple Adulthood Made Easy

8. 023 | Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Day in the Life

I may eventually get motivated enough to make themed podcast playlists, but I also don’t want to overpromise here. Regardless, I’ll continue update these playlists with new episodes as they come up (in case you’d like to follow them)! ✨

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