On My Mind: Comfy Underwear and Vintage Picture Frames

I rarely wear bras, and I’ve been holding on to the same few cotton bralettes from Urban Outfitters for so long I don’t actually remember when I bought them — I’m sure if I figured it out, it would be too embarrassing to declare here. A few months ago, a friend hosted a clothing swap at her house and two of the women there were wearing this bra from Negative. I commented, they both sang its praises, and it’s been living in the back of my mind ever since. I think it’s time.

I’m a bit stumped on underwear. I’m a bikini and brief person (usually high-rise) and honestly have yet to call myself loyal to any one brand. I tossed quite a few old, stretched-out cotton pairs. The ones I reach for most right now are from Parade. I love the way they fit and feel when they’re on, but the top band folds over every time I wash them so that I have to flatten it out by hand, which is annoying. For a recommendation here, I turned to Strategist’sresident underwear expert,Ambar Pardilla. These from Subset are on the pricey side, but I might try a three-pack with different rises to get a feel for them — and to decide if it’s worth investing in more. Also,Everlane’s Cotton High-Rise Hipsterseems especially comfy for sleeping (though I wish there were more colors).

Another recent organization project was going through and reorganizing myfood-storage containersas I prepared forPlastic-Free Kitchen Weekon the site. My favorite new acquisitions are these from Caraway, which I’ve been using inmy pantry. The four-quart size is quite big but would be good for people who store large amounts of baking ingredients. The 2.5-quart is perfect for holding lots of rice and grains and oats, and the one-quart is great when I have smaller amounts of beans or lentils or polenta left over from their original packages.

I’ve had this tote (in a currently sold-out brown shade) for a minute, but it’s truly earning its place this summer. I take it to the farmers’ marketandthe park nearly every weekend. It’s very large, but isn’t cumbersome to carry and has three (!!!) pockets — one on the outside (great for keeping my wallet handy while shopping) and two on the inside (one with a zip for extra protection).

I wrote a story last month about thebest outdoor lighting. I tested a bunch of products, but the one that has remained far and away my favorite is the Zafferano Pina Pro, which has earned a spot on pretty much every restaurant table in America (I’m only slightly exaggerating here). While I still take it outside to grill, mine now lives on my kitchen island, where I cannot imagine cooking without that extra bit of glowy, warm light.

I’ve been eating a lot of ice cream, as one does this time of year. Usually, it’s from a shop (shout out toHeapsin Park Slope, where I got a scoop of mint chocolate chip literally three days in a row the other week). But when I recently grabbed a pint from the bodega, it occurred to me that I don’t have any dedicated vessels to eat out of. A random small bowl from my cabinet works well enough, of course, but I’m considering upping my game to this set of pretty glass coupes, which I figure could also be used to hold things like nuts and olives for parties. I like the fluting on them.

Wondering if I also need a dedicated ice-cream scoop? Probably yes.