Lifestyle
Forget turkey: Oprah’s elves unveil her 101 Favorite Things
NEW YORK—Thanksgiving? Meh. Who needs turkey when one can advance directly to Oprah’s Favorite Things for the gift-giving holidays.
Yes, it’s that time of year, when “O, The Oprah Magazine” unveils the queen’s curated gift suggestions, to be included with discounts in the December issue. For 2016, there are exactly 101, a majority available on Amazon for the second year.
Oprah elves Gayle King, the magazine’s editor-at-large, and Adam Glassman, the creative director, presented highlights of the haul Tuesday after schlepping to food and trade shows in search of products for the boss lady to consider in June, when their Christmas begins.
“It was summer and the air conditioner broke so she was sitting there sweating like a brahma bull, but you know she’s always very pleasant,” King told The Associated Press in an interview with Glassman, of Oprah’s hands-on process this year.
“And she was wearing this cute little one-piece onesie,” Glassman said, “and I kept saying, ‘Don’t you want a T-shirt?’ and she kept saying, ‘No, I want my onesie!”’
“With the tennis shoes and the vest,” King chimed in.
The outfit they spoke of has Oprah looking Christmas fly in red stripes, Santa cap and bright red high-tops on the December cover, to hit newsstands soon.
The list includes a range of price points for a range of gift recipients.
Some highlights with suggested retail pricing:
Oprah’s Poinsettia Flower Pot Cake: On the outside, it looks like the actual holiday plant. On the inside is chocolate cake goodness with vanilla mousse. Very sweet. From MadeinHeavenCakes.com. $165.
“Food, Health and Happiness,” by Oprah herself: Part memoir, part cookbook, a little bit of self-help. Weight Watchers points are included. It’s for fans willing to wait until the book comes out in January. Meantime, it can be pre-ordered. $35.
Yonanas Elite: Speaking of points, fruit equals zero. This sorbet maker turns frozen fruit into soft-serve with no added sugar. Yonanas.com. $130.
Tech & Tech Tools
Travel Cord Rolls: Who hasn’t wasted way too much time untangling cords? Oprah has, and she’s had it. This is a compact, roll-up case with slots to keep your ear buds and charging cords in order. In colored leather, including blue, pink, green and aqua. $20.
Beats by Dr. Dre, Powerbeats3: They’re wireless, light weight and offer a quick five-minute charge for one hour of playback. Apple.com. $200.
Tiny Tunes: They’re little-creature speakers that pack a powerful sound via Bluetooth, and they’re one of Gayle’s favourites this year. Oddly enough, you can enable a selfie feature and snap a pic. MyAudioPet.com. $25.
Bath & Beauty
Supersonic Dyson Hair Dryer: Oprah promises that it’s super-fast, and it has the signature Dyson hole in the middle. It promises a quiet motor, three magnetic attachments and, did we mention, speed. $400.
Organic sachets: They’re filled with dried rose petals and lavender florets to scent lingerie. In a gifty little green box topped by a big splashy flower. Bloembox.com. $20.
Peoni cleansers and toners: New line of products from Oprah’s facialist, Jennifer Brodeur. Free of toxins, artificial fragrances and gluten. Jbskinguru.com. $60 for toners, $195 for creams.
FOR THE KIDS
Jellycats: Unusual, inviting critters with fluffy feather appeal. The hug potential is great. In medium and large sizes, including an ostrich, swan and chicken. Jellycat.com. $23 to $50.
Children’s slippers: Washable terry cloth with non-slip bottoms. Choose cushy white bunnies, brown pups, yellow ducks and more. Yikestwins.com. $24.
Family onesies: Just like Oprah’s. Let baby and bigger kid in on family pajama bonding in horizontal holiday red-and-white stripes. In cozy organic cotton. Burtsbeesbaby.com. $13 to $40.
Pricier gifts
Glyph: It looks like headphones but in true “Star Trek” manner it plugs into any HDMI-supported device, goes across the eyes and can be used for everything from checking email to watching movies in digital HD. Avegant.com. $549.
Serif TV: Owe somebody a big-box gift that’s functional and looks like a piece of modern art? This elegant smart TV can be placed on a counter or on its own minimalist stand. It has apps, a full web browser, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Samsung.com. $1,500.
The Cocoon: Yes, gifting someone a mattress may feel strange, but this memory-foam baby’s got buzz. It ships in a remarkably hassle-free box, Oprah promises. From Sealy. Cocoonbysealy.com. $399 to $849.