A cheery table cloth IKEA This sweet, no-fuss tablecloth adds pop to your party spread, no matter what you’re serving. Designed by Swedish artist Evelina Kroon, this 100% cotton IKEA Vinterfint Tablecloth draws nostalgic inspiration from her holiday childhood memories while also experimenting with scale and proportion. We love how Kroon’s bold checkered pattern crackles…

The discontinued Hay Beam is a good-looking rack and could be a great option for a bathroom. But with no end caps on this design, the hooks could easily slide off the frame. The ILoveHandles Switchboard  seemed like a very customizable rack but it was actually a nightmare to install. The company forgot to include…

The Volume EdgeLift Brush (left) has smaller side edge divots than the Define EdgeLift Brush (right). Both have wider top edges for bangs, layers, and shorter hair. Hannah Frye/NYT Wirecutter Both EdgeLift brushes are made with vegan boar bristles. The brand says these help to smooth and define curls, while the edge design, composed of…

At age 9, both of my daughters began taking on more grown-up tasks: My oldest daughter fell in love with baking, whipping up cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet treats. My younger daughter asked for a sewing machine, wanting to try her hand at making and embellishing clothes. When it comes to presents, you might consider…

Available in nine delightful colors, this neat butter holder comes with a dainty, stainless-steel knife that fits in a thin slot between the lid and the surrounding dish lip. In our house, we go through unfathomable amounts of butter (bless our Costco membership). So I like to keep some soft on the counter — perhaps…

For weeknight dinners, DeBoschnek said she relies on the durability and maneuverability of stainless steel cookware. “I only cook with stainless steel,” she told me, opening her cabinet to reveal her extensive collection. She cited the “harder sear and deeper flavor” yielded by the pans, which call for high heat to prevent sticking. Her go-to…

Our kid testers of all ages liked the 150-piece National Geographic Motorized Marble Run. The corkscrew elevator uses three AA batteries (sold separately) to keep marbles in continuous motion. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter Based on my research, I’ve found that a good marble run should do the following: Encourage engaging, repeatable play: The best marble runs…

At 7, children go from being little kids to grade-schoolers. They start showing off their ability to engage in complex thinking, which includes anticipating next steps (like figuring out complex ways to avoid chores or delay their bedtime!). Some kids may be ready for toys and games that require longer-term strategizing, so this is a…

Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter With unparalleled opacity, pigment, and gloss, these watercolors are the best we’ve found for all manner of amateur artists. Anyone with an interest in making their own art — like Samantha — might appreciate the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors set, made by a 117-year-old sumi-ink manufacturer in Nara, Japan. For the novice…

Until recently, I didn’t think I cared much about showerheads. Familiarity often leads to fondness, and as a renter, I’ve mostly been content with whatever nozzle was already installed in the bathroom when I moved in. That is until I moved to Los Angeles, a city with notably hard water that, in my case, dried…