Best Purchases of 2023

My favorite buys of the year

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• What It Is: Storyworth
• How Much It Costs: Starts at $89
• Why It’s Awesome: I gifted this to my parents for Chanukah and my Mom fully took it over as her own project, which is wonderful because she’s a beautiful storyteller with some lovely insights from her past experiences. Basically, each week she gets a prompt (“What was it like when MLK Jr. died?” “Were you involved in any clubs in high school?” “What’s your favorite smell?” “What relationship advice would you give your children?”) and types up her answer. At the end of the year, her responses will be bound in a book and sent right to her. While it’s a gift for her, I get to choose the prompts and am emailed a copy of her responses so I get a little gift each week as well.

• What It Is: Snackle Box (technically MATCH UP Memory Snack Tray Green Travel-friendly tray)
• How Much It Costs: $18
• Why It’s Awesome: I filled each little compartment with a couple snacks (goldfish, yogi melts, broken up fig bar, Annie’s bunny grahams) and let Finn find them. It kept my 16-month-old occupied for a solid 45 minutes, aka half our flight. Since he doesn’t like to sit still and refuses to just watch an iPad, this was an absolute travel game changer. You could always just buy an actual tackle box or giant pill box, but this worked really well.

• What It Is: Hummus – Holy Hummus (Jerusalem style with tahini) and Little Sesame (particularly the collab with Fly by Jing)
• How Much It Costs: $4.99
• Why It’s Awesome: Holy Hummus just may be the best, most authentic store-bought hummus I’ve ever found. I love that it’s made just down the road in Brooklyn but wish it was more widely sold so I could more easily purchase it. And I didn’t expect to enjoy a pumpkin chili crisp flavor but Little Sesame won me over with their Fly by Jing collab.

• What It Is: Olive & June Nail Polish Remover
• How Much It Costs: $10 ($8.49 on sale at Target)
• Why It’s Awesome: My polish comes right off. I went through a phase where I avoided painting my nails because I knew after three days it would start chipping and I hated scrubbing with a cotton ball. All I do now is dip my finger in this little container, give it two quick twists, and my nails are fresh and ready for a new coat of paint.

• What It Is: Rare Beauty All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick & Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump
• How Much It Costs: $22 and $12, respectively (the lip gloss is normally $24, but I got it on super sale)
• Why It’s Awesome: I had two great Sephora finds this year. This eyeshadow stick is as good as the Laura Mercier caviar stick but for a full $10 less. The lip gloss is hydrating and plumping (really, it plumps!) – all without being sticky. I like that it’s a gloss that goes on like a stick with a fun click mechanism. It also has just a bit of tint. It might even be worth it at full price!

• What It Is: Shoott mini photo session – a new business model that uses local freelance photographers and short sessions (booked at scale) to make professional pics more accessible
• How Much It Costs: The session itself is free (!) and you just pay for as many photos as you want to keep – as little as $25 for a single photo and as much as $295 for the full gallery (plus an additional tip for your photog, which I highly recommend).
• Why It’s Awesome: There was a nice mix of shooting locations so we didn’t feel like we got the same old tired Central Park bridge/rock that everyone does. We did our session in the West Village where we often hang out and had coffee and croissants to keep Finn entertained and the poses natural. The price was fantastic, we supported a female-, Asian-owned business, and got some wonderful family photos. I was also able to snag some updated headshots at the end (which I needed) without having to book a whole other session. Finn can’t handle a long session anyway, so something quick and easy like this is ideal.

• What It Is: Necklace from Etsy
• How Much It Costs: $32.44
• Why It’s Awesome: It’s been years since I’ve worn any Judaica. I had plenty of jewelry that I wore as a tween/teen, but it was stuffed to the back of my jewelry box years ago when I went to college. This was mostly because my style changed, but also because I didn’t want to broadcast my religion. I didn’t love the looks/treatment I received when people found out I was in a Jewish sorority and was tired of people casting judgement based on stereotypes before getting to know me. If I wore a Star of David necklace, people around campus would decide who I was before even speaking to me. (Yes, that’s sad to actually write out.) But something changed on October 7th. After the Hamas attacks, antisemitism rose to terrifying levels and I, like many secular Jews, found a renewed connection to my religion and culture. As a people, we have survived so much. As a community, we understand our little quirks like nobody else can. We are strong, we are smart, we are resiliant, we are caring, and we are hopeful. I am proud to be part of something like that. With everything that has been going on, I am tempted to hide, but I realize this is a time to be proud. When I am pushed into hiding – when I temper this part of myself – that’s when they win. I decided it was time to once again wear some jewelry and purchased a necklace that includes both a Star of David and my son’s Hebrew name (Baruch). In addition to honoring his great grandfather, the name Iiterally translates to “blessed,” which I very much am – and don’t want to forget. I would be lying if I said I felt comfortable wearing it at all times. Many of the days I clasp it around my neck, I soon tuck it underneath my shirt (and won’t wear it if that’s not an option in case I walk somewhere that would make that unsafe), but I know it’s there. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good first step. Aside from all that beautiful meaning, it’s a great looking piece and the designer offers a bunch of font options.