Jen’s Favorite Things: Winter 2024 Edition.

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RAG + BONE JEANS // DETANGLER // EVERGREEN POTPOURRI // RUNNING TEE // DAPHINE EARRINGS // LIP TREATMENT // INEXPENSIVE GUA SHA TOOL

A few things I’m absolutely loving right now:

+Rothy’s Clogs — I can’t stop wearing or talking about these. My daughter was just wearing them around the house this morning and she said, “I get what you mean, these do kind of massage your feet.” So comfortable.

+Utz Malt Vinegar Chips — just the best. These tie with the Siete Serrano and Vinegar chips. If you are a vinegar head, especially one from the Mid-Atlantic, these are for you.

+La Double J Herald Scarf. Somehow goes with everything in my closet — black, taupe, brown. The pop of pink is so fun, too! Super warm and soft — I’ve been wearing daily.

+A Very Nancy Meyers Christmas playlist on Spotify. Self explanatory.

+Rag + Bone Sofie Jeans (seen below). I’ve written a lot about these lately but they are my current favorite pair of jeans. So flattering and comfortable, and I love the way they look with a slightly pointed boot/bootie. I’m in that phase of denim obsession where I have to actively deter myself from wearing them everyday.

+Lolavie Conditioner and Glossing Detangler. Candidly, I tried the detangler over the summer and was underwhelmed by it at the time, but I’ve now been using multiple Lolavie products for the past few weeks and am totally blown away by the conditioner and detangler in particular. I don’t know if maybe my hair is drier now or just responding differently, or if using the entire system helps, but WOW. My hair feels so silky and glossy! I’m obsessed.

+Evergreen Potpourri — my MIL gifted me this when we hosted Thanksgiving, and we put it out into a decorative bowl in the front living room. It smells incredible and looks festive — and you don’t need to be burning a candle all the time to achieve it! I love to burn candles in the evening but I will say there’s something luxe about walking through a room in the middle of the day and catching an unexpected whiff of Christmas magic. The other holiday scents I’m loving: Linnea’s Noel (burning in our family room) and Linnea’s Forest Fir (burning in our living room).

+Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pads. Have I been living under a rock?! THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. You must try them. I swear I had new skin in a few minutes. I was so excited I made Landon try it the very night I first used them! I’m so passionate about this, I want to send some to a Magpie reader — just drop a comment and I’ll randomly pick a winner to send some of these and maybe a few other beauty goodies!

+Cranberry French 75s and Mr. Magpie’s Egg Nog. I was so inspired by Katie posting about these (the recipe she used is here) that I literally drove straight to the store that very afternoon to buy the required provisions. So festive and fun. (Ed. note: I would personally advise rounding down in the recommended measurement of cranberry simple syrup in the recipe — I would prefer something closer to 1/2 oz so it’s a tad less sweet!). And we’ve been dipping into Mr. Magpie’s egg nog, which we’ve been aging for several weeks now! His recipe here. We’ve been enjoying both of these out of my favorite coupes.

+My New Balance running vest and Tracksmith running tees. I was just talking with a girlfriend this morning about running in cold weather, and I passed on advice another runner gave to me: it’s about minimizing the amount of skin exposed and keeping your core warm. I wear a hat, earmuffs, neckwarmer, socks, gloves. And I really think a breathable vest helps keep heat in without suffocating you. I have an old NB running vest they no longer make (only avail in one size here) that I wish they’d bring back. In general, every single NB running item I’ve ever purchased has lasted forever and been my favorite in its respective category. I love their heat tech line, and wish they’d come out with more models more consistently! It is SO GOOD. For this reason, I just ordered this half-zip with the same technology as the vest. I would also consider Lululemon’s vest if you’re in the market and can’t find the NB in your size — I like that it’s specifically designed for running, which has its own requirements (needs to be breathable, water-resistant, and insulating, with cleverly positioned pockets; also has to be fairly fitted and not add much bulk). I also love the Tracksmith Brighton tees. They are thin and stretchy but insulate beautifully — and they aren’t itchy despite the merino wool! Good running gear, and stuff that works in the weather, makes the run so much more pleasant. On the running front, I can’t yet vouch for these because I’ve not yet thoroughly tested but I am over the moon — Bose is sending me a set of their open earbuds. This was crazy timing as I was just complaining to Mr. Magpie that my old running headphones died, and I’ve been using my AirPods for awhile and now only one AirPod charges well, so half of my runs, I’m listening to music in only one ear. He was doing research and said the open earbuds are getting a lot of praise because they make running safer (you can hear cars, bikes, etc), and people love the cuff style fit. I cannot wait! Will report back.

+Chef’s Steps 24 Layer Lasagna. Mr. Magpie made this over the weekend and OMG. I’m ruined for all lasagnas. We were speaking in exclamation points about it all evening! Absolutely delicious. Side note: I have had so many people comment on my holiday kitchen towels while in my home. My children were also SO excited when I first pulled them out after Thanksgiving. They are Weezie and such a fun way to extend the holiday decor to the kitchen. The exact trio set I ordered is sadly sold out, but you can still get the wreaths (seen below) here.

+Daphine Fran Earrings(seen below, alongside the La Double J scarf!). I’ve been reaching for these chunky but lightweight gold earrings a ton lately, especially for daytime wear. They look perfect — slightly modern / trendy — against a chunky knit or a slim turtleneck. I love the look, and they don’t weigh down the lobe.

+Dear Anabelle Gift Tags. My children and I spent a good chunk of Sunday afternoon wrapping gifts and I am absolutely smitten with these tags. The paper is thick and luxe, and the tag itself uses a combo of thermography and foil in the cheeriest red script. They are so special and instantly elevate the gift.

+Chip City Cookie Butter Cookie. (You can order them via GoldBelly here!) I stopped into the Bethesda Row Chip City on a total whim as I happened to be parked there and the cookie butter one is OUT of bounds. Mr. Magpie had some buddies over to play poker on Friday, and the second photo below was my sidecar while watching Netflix holiday movies in bed upstairs: glass of champagne and a Chip City sampler.

+Sharpie 0.4mm Felt Tip Pens. Just got a fresh bouquet of these and they are sparking serious joy.

+The Outset Lip Oasis Treatment. These must have gone viral because they are now sold out EVERYWHERE, but you should put yourself on the notification list. This is definitely the best lip hydration product I’ve ever used. I had been really like the YSE lip mask but the Outset stuff lasts a lot longer / I don’t feel the constant need to reapply.

Not (yet) a favorite thing, but something on my radar at the moment — gadgets for skin. Who uses them, and what do you think? Nellie Diamond of porcelain, ageless skin was recently asked for her skin tips and she said: if you’re in NYC, go to my dermatologist; if you’re anywhere else, a red light mask. I’ve actually had a red light mask (mine is this brand) charging in my office and have not yet tried it, which I know is sinful. I keep finding it challenging to work into my routine — when do I use it? I feel like the best time would be in the morning, after cleansing and moisturizing, before makeup, but that window is SO short for me on schooldays. And then if I wait until after I work out, I’m always chomping at the bit to get to my desk and want to skip this step. Who uses these and how and when do you use? How often?! Help!

While we’re here, I’ve also been eyeing a few other technologies/gadgets for the skin. The first is the Newa, which reportedly helps with collagen production, and the second is the ZIIP, which helps with facial lifting/sculpting. Has anyone used any of these? Do you use multiple or does one override/obsolete the others? It seems like all three do different things. Help!

Last little gadget I did order and can’t wait to test — an inexpensuve gua sha tool. Do these work or was I “got” by a TikTok ad? Haha. Or are there other tools you love?

P.S. The meaning of life, probably.

P.P.S. Widening the margins in my life. Ways I’ve brought this to bear this month: saying no to three holiday events; carving out time to exercise; and purposefully underscheduling us last weekend so we could trim the tree and wrap gifts without feeling time boxed. So glad we did that. It was such a restful and cozy weekend.

P.P.P.S. If your kid is sick this week and you are losing your mind, just remember: you are where you need to be, mama.