La Fermiere Vanilla Yogurt
“I am a fairly distractible shopper, known to go out for orange juice and come home with two bags of impulse buys. It ain’t good, and nowhere is this habit tested more than my neighborhood Whole Foods. How could I not give these adorable little periwinkle ceramic pots of yogurt a try? If I hated the yogurt—and I consider myself a pretty tough yogurt critic—at least I could use the vessel for a spider plant or something. But I was hooked by the first spoonful—decadently creamy, just sweet enough, and flecked with vanilla beans. It’s ridiculously rich, but still feels like breakfast, as opposed to dessert. Happily, I’m starting to see the French brand crop up more and more around here—you can also find it at Colada Shop and Elle.” –Ann Limpert, executive food editor (prices vary, La Fermiere)
Aldo Nusz Tote
“A couple of days into February, I was struck by an extremely minor tragedy—the strap to the bag I’d had for two weeks broke on my way into the office. After finessing a refund for the broken bag, I scoured the internet for a replacement and found the Nusz bag from Aldo, which I picked up at Pentagon City. This bag is #TheOne! A beautiful caramel brown with fun pops of yellow, it’s big enough to hold a laptop and several notebooks, but small enough that it doesn’t look bulky. And, most importantly to me right now, the crossbody shoulder strap is sturdy and durable!” -Adia Robinson, editorial fellow ($60 at Aldo)
Rappahannock Oyster Company’s Cthulhu Hot Sauce
“Hot sauce is something you usually think about after food is in front of you. I’ve been whipping up excuses just to use Rappahannock’s amazingly flavorful house concoction: eggs, bloody Marys, even dabbed on oyster crackers. Of course it’s best on actual oysters at the Union Market location where you can buy it, or my personal favorite, the oyster-bacon stew. The hot sauce is a play on supermarket favorite Cholula, but with black garlic and a months-long fermentation process that gives it the tangy flavor of Tabasco. It’s more savory than spicy, but it’ll definitely kick your food up a notch.” -Anna Spiegel, food editor ($15 at Rappahannock Oyster Bar)
Extra-Long Stainless Steel Handheld Shower Hose
“For three years now, we’ve made do with a too-short shower hose when we washed our dog. This provided us insufficient access to the most dirt-prone areas of his undercarriage after he had a good old muddy romp, and frankly that state of affairs was just fine with him. Well, sorry, Archie, but we just bought you a one-way ticket to sparkle town.” -Andrew Beaujon, senior editor ($10 on Amazon)
Jade Harmony Yoga Mat
“These tend to deteriorate with frequent use (I’m on mine four, maybe five times a week, and bought my last one in June). But they’re the absolute best when it comes to traction, and there’s nothing worse in yoga class than trying to hold a tough pose with sweaty hands or feet on a slippery mat.” -Marisa Kashino, senior editor ($83 on Amazon)
Sweat: Kayla Itsines Fitness App
“So, I gotta admit: I didn’t actually mean to buy this. This purchase is the result of attempting to grift off a free trial, then forgetting to cancel it before the charge kicks in. But! I’m actually a convert! As someone who exercises often but still has the upper-body strength of an overcooked noodle, I can use all the help I can get when it comes to strength-building workouts. These not only put together the routines for you, but walk you through how to use the equipment and do the workouts safely—a big plus when said overcooked noodle is trying to navigate its way through an intimidating, bro-laden weight room.” -Mimi Montgomery ($20 a month via iPhone app store)
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
