The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in March

My local T.J. Maxx has an oddly good beauty section, and I picked this up for 60 percent off. It reminds me of a more potent version of the Fresh Rose face mask — where that one is soothing, this one is brightening. An aside: This mask smells quite strongly of Jolly Ranchers, but I don’t mind it.

One of my best friends just had a baby! I’m in London, so I can’t fly to Brooklyn with a lasagna for her freezer, but this sandwich basket from Eli Zabar’s is the next best option. I chose it over other options because it can be eaten one-handed and is good for lunch and dinner.

The Strategist team Slack channel heard it first, but these polka-dotted New Balances are how I’m joining in on the polka-dot craze. I followed the brand’s advice to size down a half-size and am happy to report that they fit perfectly. They’re the perfect shoe to wear while running errands or spending a day on your feet in the city. Best of all: no blisters!

You’d think after writing about jeans all month I’d be sick of them, but there’s always a gap in the closet to be filled. As of late, I’ve been searching for a pair of jeans with a stripe down the side and stumbled across these during a recent trip to Soho. They’re technically barrel jeans, but the barrel shape is less accentuated, meaning when I wear the jeans, my legs just look long and more curvy.

I simply cannot drink regular water anymore without dropping in a Nuun tablet. They’re the perfect pick-me-up during a long afternoon slump or vigorous cardio-dance class — ebulliently fizzy with an unobtrusive fruity flavor that doesn’t leave a sickly, artificially sweet aftertaste I’ve encountered in other water enhancers. The citrus flavors — Lemon Splash and Orange Sunrise — are my favorites, but they’re all reliably good.

We’ve been making a lot of noodle soups lately — udon, pho, beef-noodle soup — and eating them out of dinky little cereal bowls. I finally put my foot down and hopped on Pearl River Mart’s website to look for noodle bowls, which are large, wide, and, most importantly, deep. I eventually settled on these made-in-Japan ones in poppy red and lime green from the Sendan Colors collection. The ceramic is dishwasher- and microwave-safe, and the fun hatched design and contrast piping provide a nice pop of color in our kitchen.

Every once in a blue moon, I get highlights for fun. I did so back in February and while I love how they look, they’ve also (inevitably) made my hair feel drier than normal. I’m a recent fan of Act + Acre (still working on my last bottle of its now-discontinued curl cream, and I absolutely love theleave-in conditionerfor everyday frizz-fighting). Their products across the board don’t weigh down my fine hair, so I thought I’d give the conditioning mask a try. I’ve been applying it a couple of times a week for the last few, and it seems to be helping my texture tremendously. I can really feel the difference.

I have quite a few weddings coming up. For one in June, I’m going to wear a vintage dress I bought last year (and haven’t worn yet) — but it requires different shoes and a different purse than anything I own, so I bought these chocolate brown slides last week. They have a very low block heel, which is fitting both because it’s a pretty casual affair and because a lot of it will take place outdoors and on grass. Plus, they’ll be easy to repurpose for the rest of the summer.

After reading heaps of praise for this game on the Strategist, I finally played it with my book club a few weeks ago and am hooked. I bought my own copy, so I can now force other people outside of the book club to play with me.

I bought a different pair of Matisse mules last year, and they are easily one of my most-worn pairs of shoes now. I was quietly yearning for these fuchsia mules for a few months when, lo and behold, they went on sale for 50 percent off at Lisa Says Gah. I was still hesitating until LSG sent me a 25 percent off code that stacked on the already-discounted price — I can only resist so much. I plan to clomp around in these Polly Pocket–esque shoes until it’s too hot to wear suede.

For Lent this year, I gave up shopping (and sugar). That means no buying anything besides food, consumables like toiletries, and gifts for other people until after Easter. My husband is doing the same. This extends to the kids as well: no books (there’s the library for that), toys, or clothing for them either. Besides saving money, it has saved me a whole lot of time. Plus, I have the great fortune of (online window) shopping for my job, so I’m not really missing much! But I have to tell you about these shoes. I bought them in January when they were on sale for half-off and finally got to wear them this month. I’d always had my eye on them, but their being so popular with the fashion girlies put me off — until I couldn’t resist anymore. Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Olympia Wedges are the real deal. They’re sexy. They’re comfortable. And they go with every warm-weather outfit imaginable. I wore them on vacation in St. Kitts last week, and they were as perfect with white paper-bag shorts as they were with an LBD. I was worried about the vinyl straps getting sweaty or digging into my feet, but I barely noticed them. I want to get another pair inblackwhen they go on sale again.

The pull of theGapaissancewas too strong, and I ended up stocking up on five very cheap tank tops for the summer.

My dermatologist recommended I start using this zinc soap, since it’s supposed to be helpful for both acne and the occasional eczema flare-ups I get on my forehead. (Zinc oxide is the main ingredient indiaper cream, after all.) My skin has definitely gotten smoother; right after washing, I feel squeaky clean but not dried out. Donotget this in your eyes, though! (I usually take off eye makeup with my trustyNeutrogena cleanseror micellar water, then follow up with this.) I’m not a huge fan of the bar format, but what can you do!

I am a bit of a barrel-jeans hater, so I mooned over these pants for a very long time before I bought them. I am happy to report that these read as regular ol’ wide-leg pants in person. I was also torn between ordering “chocolate” or “naturel,” but ultimately decided on the latter. I’m not exaggerating when I say I wear these basically every day of the week. I finally had to toss them in the wash after I spilled something on them, but otherwise they still looked great several days in. I particularly love the stretchy waistband; since it’s a bit wide, it sits perfectly on my waist without pinching. They’re much pricier than I normally go, but were worth it.

My favorite first-step cleanser. I always restock this before I run out: That’s how serious it is. It really does just get it all off, and my dry, acne-prone skin never has a problem with it. It’s cheap. It works. It’s great!

I tend to splurge on boots rather than sneakers, so these have sat on my wishlist for ages. But I needed a new everyday shoe, so I finally ordered a pair a few weeks ago, and it was a great move. As they’re a shoe with a flatter sole, I was a little worried they’d have no support, but somehow the sole is slender yet cushy. I can happily walk around in them all day and even wore them on a cobbly day trip to the seaside last weekend. Another reason I didn’t buy a pair for so long was because I was undecided on a colorway — I liked theKill Billyellowas well as the chrome silver — but I definitely made the right choice. The beige, green, leather, and suede are handsome indeed.

Our youngest has been very into pretend play, especially with thedollhousewe originally got his older sister. He also loves to pretend to cook in his play kitchen, and I wanted to give him a way to do more of that on a dollhouse scale. I got him this Hape dining set for his second birthday since the original house came with just about everything but that. Those tiny mugs and utensils! (Not to worry, he’s not the type to put small objects in his mouth, but we’ll keep an eye on him.)

I realized that the 9-year-old had outgrown her Jungle Mocs (we call them Daddy Shoes in our household since my husband has been wearing them for years) a couple shoe sizes ago but persisted in squeezing her feet into them, so I got her a new, bigger pair.

I finally got my hands on the suede Nike Air Rifts, which are, bar none, the comfiest walking sneakers I’ve bought in recent years. I have a wide foot and am always looking for a slightly broader vamp so my foot doesn’t feel squeezed, and these are a bit wider than a narrower sneaker like the Cortez. I bought the brown ones and so far have worn them with a variety of outfits — from flood-legged jeans to a full skirt. Another bonus is that people have been complimenting me on the street — it’s a little hit of dopamine throughout the week.

I work out at home most mornings and usually do a Melissa Wood Health video. Most of her workouts require using a mat, and for the past five or so years I’d been using a grippyJadeYoga Level One Matlayered (for extra cushioning) on top of a yoga mat that I’ve had since high school. It was definitely time for something new. I came across this Retrospec mat in the gym in my building, and I was so impressed by how much more comfortable working out on it felt that I ordered it on the spot. I already feel like my joints are happier for the purchase.

Every spring, as soon as it hits 55ish degrees, I’m eluded by spring pants. I’ll wear wool slacks and dark-colored jeans for most of the winter, and I love cotton poplin, pajama-esque pants in the summer. But come March and April, I am truly confused about what weight of pants is right. So I set out this month to find a pair of true spring pants — heavy enough to keep me warm, but light in color to signify that it’s no longer the dead of winter. My hunt led me to these, which I found at Reformation and pretty much immediately fit the bill. They’re loose and light tan, and they have a long inseam that gives them some nice slouch, which I think makes them look a little more “spring pant” than regular jeans.

Warm weather is already here in Texas, but mentally, I’m not ready to wear shorts all the time. These have been heavy in rotation this month. They’re breathable, versatile (I’ve worn them with tees and more dressed up with blouses), and soft right out of the box. The inseam was just right — they hit right at my ankles — and the barrel-leg shape is just enough to add some structure without being balloonlike.

My boyfriend’s birthday was at the beginning of March, so I decided to gift him some Birkenstock Bostons. He’s definitely a slip-on-shoe person, so I thought these would be a step up from his usual Vans or Crocs. I think I nailed it because they’ve been the only shoes he’s reached for the past couple of weeks.

I made it through a few particularly rough challenges this month with retail therapy in its most indulgent form. Haus of Hands makes these incrediblecouch-length, “hands and arms” sculpture-pillowsthat I have been ogling for years and have never been able to justify buying. But! They’re now doing throw pillows of a single hand, and when they briefly offered a rare discount and the Instagram algorithm actually allowed me to see it before it expired I became the proud owner of this green velvet number with a bright red manicure and sparkly gold ring.