Your favorite gifts ever, the secret to surviving coach, behind-the-scenes blending

Each week we cut through the noise to bring you smart, practical recommendations on how to live better – from what is worth buying to the tools, habits, and ideas that actually last. As the weather grows cooler and we switch out our sleeveless tops for sweaters, some of us are also swapping out our smoothies for steaming soups and stews. Food writer Marian Bull recently whipped up gallons of both as she tested out nine different blenders for The Filter in pursuit of the very best. In a recent conversation, Bull took me behind the scenes and shared with me the challenges of appliance testing in an NYC kitchen, how she found the perfect pair of “cooking shoes”, and what she did with all that soup. How was your experience testing all of these blenders in your tiny New York kitchen? Bull: The most logistically challenging part of it was figuring out how to position everything so I could plug most of them in at a time. My prep space is basically in my living room. So I have one sort of piece of antique furniture that’s technically called a commode, but it’s basically like a butcher block. And so I had the personal blenders on there, and then on my dining table I had the big ones. What surprised you most during the testing process? Bull: There were actually only one or two blenders that could crush ice without any help. I was really impressed with the Breville. And that had an ice crush functionality. I am generally quite skeptical of the buttons on the blenders, like the buttons that say “smoothie”, “green smoothie.” But on the Breville, I did the crush ice function, and it really worked. What did you do with the leftover food that you made in all of the blenders? Bull: The big things that I made were pestos, smoothies, and soup. I put basically everything in the freezer. I filled two big Ziplocs with smoothie, and then I froze them flat. But they were so thick that I couldn’t break them off, so I had to partially thaw them in order to actually blend the bit of frozen smoothie. Testing out all of these blenders was more grueling than it may sound, often requiring Bull to be on her feet for long stretches of time. Thankfully, she found the perfect product for that too: a pair of Hokas that she deemed her “cooking shoes”. Here at the Filter, we’ve noticed that readers are gravitating towards two blenders recommended by Bull: the top-shelf Vitamix 5200 and the Oster Classic which sports a glass jar rather than plastic. Lauren Gould Editorial coordinator, the Filter US On the go: AR glasses Working on a laptop while cramped in a tiny airplane seat is never fun. But long-time tech writer and self-proclaimed workaholic Adam Doud may have found a solution: He reviewed a pair of AR glasses that project your laptop screen in front of your eyes. He likens it to using a portable monitor, one that only you can see. And when you’re done with work, they make a pretty sweet movie theater, too. Read the full review here: These glasses make economy class bearable with a virtual 147-inch screen Best of: pillows Despite reviewing products for a living, Kori Perten admits she never put much thought into bedding, often opting for whatever could be found on sale. But when neck pain forced her to reconsider, she found the Coop Original Adjustable, a premium pillow with a legion of devotees. Five years later, Coop is a pillow powerhouse with more than a dozen different models, and Perten wondered if any of them improved on the original. So she got to work, pitting different varieties against each other to find out if anything could replace her longtime favorite. Read the full story here: I thought I found the perfect pillow. Could these three unseat my favorite? Lauren’s Picks A few small upgrades I’m enjoying right now: ***In the kitchen: My new apartment has a dishwasher (a true rarity in New York City), which has incentivized me to stop ordering takeout and start chopping up some veggies. This inexpensive bamboo cutting board gets the job done perfectly without plastic, making it a wonderful non-toxic staple for weekly meal prep. $9.98 at Amazon ***Small-space living: One of my New Year’s resolutions was to stop working from my bed. And although my room’s humble size doesn’t allow for the fancy writing setup of my dreams, this teensy desk offers just enough room for my MacBook and a cup of coffee. $29.99 at Ikea ***Wellness reset: Fall tends to be a busy time of year, and I’ve found myself more stressed than usual. To cope? Plenty of at-home yoga, where I’m often clad in a pair of leggings and a tank. These leggings are breathable and buttery soft, making them perfect for stretchy flows or morning meditations. And of course, my yoga setup isn’t complete without a high-quality mat. $59 at Lululemon Put to the test: preserving your greens Picture this: you open your fridge, ready to prep a salad instead of ordering Thai food for the third time that week (although believe me, I’ve been there), only to find that all of your greens have gone bad. Anita George tried to find a solution, testing different products and hacks that’ll make it hard to find an excuse not to eat that bag of kale you’ve been avoiding. And the most effective trick uses an item you already have in your kitchen. Read more: Six tips and products to keep leafy greens fresh longer, tested Your favorite gifts ever What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? We asked and you answered. From the handmade to the store-bought, we wanted to know all about the gifts that have stuck with you through the years. Below are just a few of our favorite responses. The cozy: One year for Christmas, a coworker presented me with a gift bag containing an inexpensive but well-made fleece throw blanket and a Kathy Reichs novel. Talk about curling up with a good book! It started a decades-long enjoyment of Kathy Reichs novels, but also gives me a true warm and fuzzy feeling of friends remembered when I look at that blanket. The heartfelt: At Christmas, when I was eight, my grandfather gave me the “World with a fence around it”. A classic globe with a handmade picket fence, painted white. I used the globe all through my childhood to take imaginary voyages and have never forgotten what a wonderful gift it was. The quirky: Yes, I am that adult who dribbles and spills on every top when she is traveling. So I was delighted when my daughter found me an attractive line of adult bibs – they look like scarves but have a discreet magnetic fastener to protect me from my sloppy eating habits. The life-changer: As a child, my mother had taken us ice skating a few times each winter. But as we aged and went to work, we lost the habit. At some point in my 30s, I talked my sister into going skating with me and had to practically learn all over again. Each time we went, I would see someone graceful, who looked at ease on the ice, and I would remark that I wished I could skate at least that well. On my 40th birthday, I was gifted new skates and ice skating lessons. I put off going for months out of nerves, and when I finally went, I loved it and kept it up for seven years. My skating instructor also taught yoga, and I took it up on the side and developed much better posture, which I credit for my never having back pain as I’ve aged. I eventually stopped skating, but I kept up with yoga and am very flexible for my age, strong and balanced. And it is all due to the best gift ever. Some submissions have been edited for length and clarity.