The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in April

I brought Oddbird’s NA sparkling orange wine to a friend’s craft hang recently, and it was a hit. It disappeared faster than the alcoholic wines (likely due to it being a Monday night). It has a lovely melon hue and tickles the palate with a symphony of peach and citrus — I can absolutely see it being a staple of my picnic baskets come summer.

I was initially gifted this Primis Imports everyday cuvée olive oil, but my boyfriend liked it so much that we went and bought two more bottles. (It also didn’t hurt that it’s the olive oil Kenji Lopez-Alt uses in his cooking videos, which we watchreligiously.)Between this and theAlgae Cooking Club oil— another sample that we ended up repurchasing — we’re pretty well-stocked on cooking oils for the foreseeable future.

Until recently, I was relying on a skinny vase I bought at my local hardware store to display my bouquets. I bought this one, so I could finally give my flowers some much needed breathing room. (And since it only cost $10, I can justify buying more flowers, too.)

This cup has been on my wish list for months now, and after seeing it in-person at my friend’s house, I finally gave in and bought it. The first time I used it, I accidentally dropped it, spilling my coffee everywhere, but the cup is so sturdy that it didn’t even chip. In the days since, I’ve used it to sip my daily coffee, its little red hearts contrasting nicely against the warm brown of the cold brew.

I already carefully consider every purchase I make, and with a recession looming (??), I’m only being more careful. But even within that lens, I bought these sheets. The brand sent me a set in full size about a year ago, and when I decided to finally upgrade to a queen size bed this month, I felt like I truly couldn’t live without them. They aresosoft and only get softer with each wash. They look and feel truly luxe, and they have not pilled or thinned — not even a hint — after many, many washes. And the sage-leaf color is perfect — my ideal shade of green. I’m not sure I ever saw myself spending almost $300 on sheets, but after a year sleeping on these, I think they’re well worth it.

Whenever I’m decluttering, I always try to make sure the things I’m getting rid of don’t just end up as trash. Usually I’ll give things away, sell them, or donate things somewhere I feel confident they’ll be used (because many donations do justend up in a landfill anyway). But I never quite know what to do with clothes that no one else would reasonably want — those free T-shirts we all somehow collect, hole-y socks, etc. — other than maybe use them as a rag. But recently I discovered Trashie, a company that collects textile waste to be properly recycled. You have to buy the bags to send them your clothes, but once they receive your donation, you’ll get rewards to apply when shopping at a variety of retailers. I wish there were more easy and accessible ways to ensure stuff is properly recycled, but I’m excited to see a company trying to fill in the gaps and rewarding you for recycling!

I have mentioned this brand more than a few times now on the Strategist, but I will continue to sing its praises. I got this bodysuit during a sample sale this month and am already so happy with my purchase. It’s made from supersoft but substantial-feeling organic cotton and spandex. And it has a full-coverage bottom, which I prefer for a bodysuit. I got the “Morning Glory” print, which is so delightfully dainty (especially with the little rosette detail) — and still discounted, for anyone else interested in taking advantage of sale prices.

I have some festivals and vacations coming up, and while I don’t really need much, this studded skirt caught my eye. It’s super-duper mini, so I decided to size up, which was great foresight from me — I don’t think I could have worn my regular size out of the house. I’m looking forward to pairing this much more respectably sized one with bikinis and baby tees, and maybe even over pants if I can find a close enough black pair.

After five seasons of partnering with Nike, Liverpool football club is returning to Adidas next season. I was going to wait until then to buy a shirt (previews of them have been released, and they’re the nicest we’ve had in years), but then last weekend we won the league and I lost my head a little. I got Salah’s name printed on the back — a little obvious, but if you’ve been following his season, you’ll understand.

I’ve tried a variety of dog beds for our basset-hound puppy, Ringo. At one point, we had about six dog beds around our home, but he immediately gravitated toward this donut-shaped one. The brand Best Friends by Sheri appears in ourdog-bed shopping guide, but with this version, thefauxfur is less shaggy, and the fill is denser. It’s so soft and cozy, and looks lovely with our décor — I’ve actually debated buying one of those human dog beds fromPluflfor myself because Ringo always seems so comfortable. He recently had a growth spurt, so I ordered the next size up. He loves curling up in this bed, and the bolstered sides support his little head so nicely. I get such joy seeing his ears hang off the sides as I’m sitting at my desk working.

Over the weekend, Aritzia finally restocked its completely sold-outcollaborationwith Sperry, and I was able to score the Slim Boat Shoe. These remind me a lot of the popularMiu Miu ones, but for under $150, they are a steal. I haven’t received them in the mail yet, but I’ll be adding the extra set of colorful laces to each shoe for the summer. Boat shoes are so back.

The Outlier Grid Linen towel has been an indispensable part of my beach, camping, and travel kit for nearly a decade, but its thin and fast-drying 100 percent linen construction is a bit austere for everyday use. Outlier’s new DeepGrid towel keeps the grid pattern, adding just enough plush cotton to make it soft enough for everyday use while maintaining the fast-drying, anti-odor properties of linen. The result combines the dense sturdiness of Turkish towels with the plush airiness of a Japanese waffle weave.

One of the first purchases I made after my no-shopping Lent was a secondhand PS1 bag from the Real Real. As I wrote in the latest edition of theSecret Strategist, I was looking for a crossbody bag for an upcoming trip to Paris that was leather, had a secure closure for valuables like passport and wallet, and was big enough — but not too big — for a camera, small notebook, and other essentials. I also consideredthis bagfrom LeSportsac but ultimately wanted something a little more formal. Turns out, there’s a ton of secondhand PS1 bags on TRR for between $200 and $300. Mine was in “very good” condition and cost about $250 but honestly looks barely used. The shoulder strap is a little shorter than I would have liked, but I think that actually makes it more comfortable, since it won’t be banging against my butt when I’m walking.

It took me over two years to act on Rachael’s persuasive ode to theSonic Scrubber, but I finally bought it this month to deprive myself of excuses for not cleaning the shower. Our shower has small square tiles lined with thick borders of grout — it’s impossible to get them clean scrubbing by hand, but for the Sonic Scrubber, it’s a breeze. It’s like a giant electric toothbrush with enough interchangeable heads for any task: I used a circular nylon bristle brush for the shower, but there’s also a pointed-tip brush for corners and crevices and four scouring pads with different levels of hardness. I have been calling it theHitachi wandfor tile, but I just looked it up and the Sonic Scrubber is actuallymorepowerful than the Hitachi wand by about 2,000 RPM.

All my life I’ve been told that the clothes I like are insane and/or ugly, and this year, I’ve resolved to stop listening to that unsolicited feedback and dress for myself. I truly believe these Juicy Couture board-short-length terry-cloth sweatpants that are two sizes too big (so they fit oversized) will be a look. I’m going to wear them with a big graphic T-shirt and myZ-Coils. All the clothes people I talk to despair about the state of recent vintage since so much of the clothing made after the ’90s is too low-quality to resell if it isn’t already in a landfill. But from what I’ve seen, Juicy Couture holds up! Mostly cotton and the older stuff is made in America, which, to my eyes, makes it a heritage brand like Levi’s or Carhartt.

[Editor’s note: Erin actually boughtthese sweatpants, but they linked to a similar pair that’s still available.]

I’ve been buying this liquid eyeliner since 2017 and just took a break from my usual black for this dark brown shade. I’m incapable of using any eyeliner that’s not a felt-tip, even though I’ve been applying cat-eyes since the age of 15. This glides so smoothly, distributes an even amount of product (no spurts of ink!) and doesn’t dry out too quickly. (I store all my eyeliners upside down to extend their longevity.)

I snagged a pair of Ganni’s mid-calf boots during an online 260 Sample Sale for under $200. (These weren’t the exact ones, but they have the same silhouette.) They’ve pretty much replaced my Docs, since they’re as sturdy and durable but have a slight platform and slim shaft that makes them a bit more fashionable. Out of the box, they’re super comfortable — I boldly chose to wear them for the first time out to a club, and my feet weren’t sore or blistered after a night on my feet. And, I get compliments every time I wear them.

In addition to some longer, bigger, more standard-fitting T-shirts I have (mostly old Hanes I’ve stolen from my fiance over the years), I wanted a slightly cropped white T-shirt for summer. So I bought this Gap style in a medium petite (I’m usually a size small so I figured this would be a bit boxier). It’s extremely cute (I’ve worn it a few times already), but, in fact, on the smaller side. So the other day I ordered another in a petite large for a roomier version (I have yet to try it on). Overall, there’s great thickness, a nice neckline, and a cute little snip on the seams on each side. I like that the sleeves are a little more cropped than a standard tee, too.

This is embarrassing to admit, but I own and wear a wider variety of running shoes than everyday shoes. When I’m not running, I usually only wear one of three types of shoes: myheeled Doc Martin boots,leather vans, orblack Tevas, when it’s warmer out. I’m trying to be more adventurous about the shoes I wear, so when these Doc Martens ballet flats that I had been lusting over for a while went on sale earlier this month, I treated myself. So far they’ve been a fun way to spruce up my outfits and there have been no blisters so far (a win!). I have my eyes on a few more to add to my rotation — including some non-black shoes — so, watch this space.

My 9-year-old likes wearing picot-trim socks with her Sambas and had long outgrown the pairs I’d gotten her in kindergarten (I finally noticed).

I prefer having a lot of coverage when I’m outdoors and had resigned myself to wearing those overly slick-feeling synthetic sun protection shirts and rashguards when I was hiking or at the beach. But this year, I think I’m instead going to try linen button-ups and this hemp-blend anorak, which I picked up during Jungmaven’s annual Earth Day sale.