reilly's essentials

Kia ora, and welcome to clipboard, an occasional newsletter about good shit by me, Reilly Hodson. I hope you're doing your best on this weird in-between-not-public-holiday-Monday. Today: self-indulgence.

If I'm ever bored and scrolling through YouTube, my go-to type of video to kill a few minutes is GQ's 10 Essentials. You know the one: it's some celebrity like Andrew Garfield or Olivia Rodrigo literally opening their bag to the world - what scent they use, which brand of cereal bar they prefer.

There's something so intimate and fascinating about the things that people use regularly. Not the stuff they're paid to promote (although there is a bit of that), or what their stylist picked out from them, but what they pick up when they're at the supermarket, the shoes they buy multiple pairs of.

So, as I continue to kickstart this newsletter for the new year, I thought I'd share the things that I'd bring in if I was asked to present one of those videos, in front of that weird two tone blue background. So here it is: a portrait of a mid-20s corporate shill through his stuff, captured on Liv's pink Fuji Finepix.

Kinto Keep Cup
If you have a bought coffee habit like mine, there's no excuse not to have, and use, a reusable cup. It means you can convince yourself that not only are you supporting the service industry and the local economy, getting a little fresh air from the office, but you're doing your part for the planet as well. My cup of choice is this insulated one with a rubber plug from Kinto that I bought from Daily Daily, but the fuzzy feeling will come no matter which brand.
Buy one here

Kindle
Amazon is no one's favourite company, and nothing beats a physical book for the pure pleasure of reading, but the Kindle I got for Christmas has made the barrier to reading just as low as doom scrolling, and as a result I've read way more books this year than I would have otherwise. Easy to throw in a bag and read on the bus without adding weight to the walking part of my commute. I certainly wouldn't be lugging the Oppenheimer book into town and back every day. Plus, an easy way to get books that aren't available at your local bookstore, library or bookhub.co.nz.

MD Paper Diary
I've tried all of the to do apps, but by far the best way for me to organise my day is on paper. This diary lines up perfectly with the way my brains work - the pages aren't dated, so you don't waste paper on lazy weekend days, and they have sections for to-dos as well as events in your calendar, and notes in the margins for while you're on the phone. MD Paper make the most satisfying stationery, I heartily recommend everything they sell. I bought this from Everyday Needs but can't find it online anymore, here’s the product page on the Japanese website in case you want to go searching.

Yu Mei Cardholder
In my opinion, Yu Mei is New Zealand's best luxury goods business, and while this bag is on my forever list, I bought the Frank cardholder to match my fiance's, and it's really the perfect wallet. Great for accessing the cards you use all the time, not too bulky but with room for receipts or cash (lol), and the leather has aged in a really lovely way.
Buy one here

Aesop Tacit
My favourite, and only, scent - not very overbearing and doesn't have that overly masculine "cologne" smell that you might find in other popular sniffs. For me it's perfect for smelling good and put together, but in a way that no one is going to comment specifically on.
Buy it here

Candlesticks
A surefire way to make your home feel a bit more romantic is to go full "no big light" mode and just light a bunch of candles. We like to buy colourful ones from Flotsam and Jetsam on Ponsonby Road, and I got way more into lighting them regularly after having breakfast at a pop up at Rose's Dining Room - candles at 9:30am add a certain je ne sais quoi to a croissant and a long black.

"Engineering Matters" Hat
My grandad is a civil engineer, specialising in earthquake strengthening. He loves to tell us all how important engineering is as a profession, and so my aunt had these hats made for his 80th birthday. I wear it all the time and everyone thinks it's from some sort of post-ironic streetwear brand, when in fact it's merch for my grandpa.

Xbox
I got an Xbox last year for the first time in a long while, and I've since become hopelessly hooked on EAFC24. Spending hours getting beaten by teenagers at virtual football is apparently the way I want to spend my downtime in the glory years of my life - no regrets.

Grand Seiko Watch
Everyone should own a non-smart watch in my opinion. Yes, you can tell the time on your phone, but that almost always leads to scrolling needlessly through whatever your brain-off app of choice is. I got this one from Zayyar at Wynn & Thayne, who is the best in the business if you're looking for something fancy. If you're not, get a Casio calculator watch - timeless.

So those are my essentials, hope you enjoyed a bit of voyeurism! If you enjoy clipboard, share it with your coolest friends and I'll see you again sometime soon! If you'd like to get in touch, you can do so on Instagram or just by hitting reply on this email.