The 31 Best Things Strategist Staffers Bought in May

My boyfriend and I discovered this pasta shape while browsing a charmingItalian grocery storein Portland, Maine, last year. It’s comparable to fusilli but with a better bite and more surface area to soak up sauce. Ever since we learned about it, I’ve been prowling pasta sections in search of it, which has mostly resulted in disappointment. (Eataly is one of the few places I’ve found that stocks it, but it’s expensive — as in, about $10 a box.) So when I noticed our local grocery store added ($6) vesuvio to their Sfoglini section, I audibly gasped. We have a few boxes in our pantry now.

Knowing we had a rainy Memorial Day weekend with his family ahead of us, my boyfriend and I bought a set ofNertzto keep everyone entertained. It’s a fun, fast-paced game that combines the best elements of Solitaire and Spit. You can also use the standard-issue playing cards for other games like Hearts and Blackjack.

I am typically a carry-on-only traveler, but on my most recent trip to Europe, I decided to try Briggs & Riley’s new medium-size checked luggage. At 24 inches tall, it’s 2 inches taller than the carry-on (which I’ve happily used all over the world for over a decade) and 2 inches shorter than its checked luggage (which I’ve had for about five years but rarely use). It turns out, a couple of inches makes a huge difference. It’s way easier to steer and pick up than the bulky 26-inch bag and feels cavernous compared to the carry-on version. I intentionally started the trip with a lot of extra space, knowing it was going to be filled bythe shopping I was planning to do. And by the time I’d stuffed it full and checked into my flight home at Heathrow a week later, it was still three kilograms under the limit — which has not been the case when previously flying with the larger bag.

I didn’t expect to love this quarter-zip, but the bird’s-eye knit pima-cotton construction makes for a highly breathable yet cozy sweater that’s perfect for transitional layering — or for taking the chill off a summer night. Schöffel is typically associated with upper-class Britons who live in the countryside. These men prefer their shirts and pants to fit quite slim — you can look up recent pictures of Prince William to see what I mean — so I was pleasantly surprised by its rather relaxed fit. It’s the perfect cut for highlighting this soft, slinky fabric, and the mossy-green color looks lovely in the sunlight.

I found these very cute snail earrings linked on my favorite secondhand shopping newsletter,Trash Panic. They come in a variety of great colors, but I was most drawn to these jade-and-turquoise babies. I think they will add just the right amount of whimsy to my summer outfits.

When myotherfavoriteshopping newsletterfound out Sophie Buhai was wearing on-sale calf-hair Nikes, I immediately bought a pair. They are now discounted all the way down to $53, which is a complete steal. I’m also planning on buying the new slip-on, cutoutAir Rifts, so my sneaker wardrobe is growing a lot this month.

These are just nice, lightweight, perfectly drapey pants, and I used Uniqlo’s free alteration service to have them shortened, so they fit great. I got a compliment from the cashier at Trader Joe’s the first day I wore them (he called them “cool”), and while writing this, I saw they were on sale for $10 off, so I bought them in another color. I plan to wear both all summer.

A bit of an impulse buy. I got a similar-looking top in multiple colors from Banana Republic Factory last year that I wear all the time, and I still regret not getting it in brown. So when I saw this one on sale for $30 in a rich brown, I went for it. It’s a thicker, nicer cotton than my Banana Republic Factory ones, and if I didn’t already have so many tops like this, I’d get it in red, too.

I’ve had a pair of Teva flatform sandals for a few years and they’re easily one of my most-worn shoes in the summer. Lately, though, I’ve been wanting a slimmer sandal. I was considering a pair offlip-flops, but then I found these slim Tevas discounted at an outdoor consignment shop. (Second Gear in Asheville, North Carolina, is worth a stop if you’re ever visiting.) I’ve been wearing them constantly since I bought them mid-month, especially as it’s been warm and rainy. Mine are black, so they are simple and easy to style with just about anything in my closet. The footbed is slim, as the name suggests, and I’m not sure they’d hold up to a20,000-stepday, but they are considerably more comfortable than a cheap flip-flop. Plus the Velcro straps keep them much more secure on my foot.

In a continued effort to keep my cats from scratching things they aren’t supposed to scratch, I bought awall-mounted scratching boardthat came with this Cat Dancer toy. While they haven’t shown much interest in the scratcher, my kittens have been absolutely obsessed with the Cat Dancer. It’s a super-simple toy — just a bouncy wire with cardboard on the end — but something about the way it moves absolutely captivates them. I’ll definitely be buying more of these in the future.

I tried this on atBungee Spaceand fell in love. Nothing like the color combination of wafer pink and bright red, and the cotton jersey is so preternaturally soft and smooth that it feels like how I imagine a Sims T-shirt would feel. Both the big shirt and the little one sewn to the front are wearable — if you wear the small one, the bigger one hangs down your back — and you can also maneuver a twist where you go in one sleeve and out the other. At this point, I’m buying most of my clothes secondhand, but I’ll always make an exception for a beautiful idea from an independent designer.

I did quite a bit of Memorial Day sale shopping this year and ended up buying a bunch of new striped things. This shirtdress is one of them — I had tried it on in the store a while ago and loved how airy it was. I know I’ll wear it at least once a week to the office as soon as it stays consistently above 80 degrees out.

More stripes! These shorts are made of an almost stiff cotton poplin that feels crisper than the pajama-esque poplin of similar pairs I’ve tried. They’re true weekend shorts and ones that I plan on packing for some beach trips in July.

I’ve never considered myself particularly into black licorice, but I tried these Schoolkrijt candies on a whim, and before I knew it, I was in the throes of a full-blown addiction. Resembling sticks of white school chalk, they have a hard, crunchy mint exterior and an interior filled with a soft, anise-flavored paste. They’re strong, they’re chewy, they’re satisfying, and I absolutely cannot stop popping them, to the point where I may be in danger of giving myselfblack licorice poisoning.

I realized that all my rice paddles were made of plastic and went on the hunt for a wooden version. I have a bunch of wooden kitchen spoons, but you need something wide and thin for rice so that you’re not smushing the grains when you’re fluffing them or scooping them out of the pot. I wanted something made in Korea and found this beautiful birch one on Etsy. I love that it has a broad and flat shape, textured surface, and, most important, a thin bowl width. It’s extremely beautiful and a pleasure to use. Shipping from Korea was $12 and fast — it arrived in 12 days. I may get a second one in the darker walnut finish.

I’d been waffling on these toe shoes for the past year or so and finally took the plunge after a pair came up in my size (they sell out frequently). They’ve quickly become my most-worn shoes, and every time I wear them, I either get a compliment or someone asks me if they’re comfortable (extremely so). I’ve been trying to make them work with almost every conceivable outfit, to varying degrees of success. Now I want another color. Maybe pink or white.

I’ve mentioned before thatI buy Tubby Todd’s All-Over Ointment on repeat. In restocking our supply during the brand’s current sale, I saw that they sell two refill sizes of the body wash, which we have also become fans of in my household (the lavender-rosemary one, specifically, and mainly for use on our 3-year-old). We like it so much that I got the gallon jug.

Thebig version of these lidsI bought back in January have worked well enough that I sprang for the smaller size. They fit my1/5L tulip jars, which are a good size for shaking up salad dressings.

I’ve been pretty chill on spending this month, so besides some routine beauty purchases, there is just one standout: I bought these pants several weeks ago and have already worn them regularly since they showed up. I can tell they’ll be a true staple this summer. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and flattering, and I think the brown gingham is adorable.

I’m such a sucker for a mock-neck and live in either mock-neck or full turtlenecks for most of the fall and winter. I miss that part of my style during the summer, so I was excited to see this mock-neck tank as part of the recent Madewell sale. I bought it in two colors: chocolate plum and dark driftwood, fancy names for mauve and olive green.

I’ve been wanting a Miele vacuum for years but never lived in a space large enough to store one — nor to justify needing one. My husband and I arefinallymoving into a larger apartment this week, and the Memorial Day weekend sales were perfectly timed. After much deliberation between models, I decided on the Turbo Team to help keep pet hair (we have a dog and a cat) under control.

I just bought these today, so they haven’t arrived yet. But I have been very pleased with Zara Kids’ shoes in the past and was intrigued by its “barefoot” sneakers and sandals. I like that these look light and summery and easy to put on.

I love fruit Popsicles, but they are often hard and icy where I would like them to be creamy and smooth. These blackberry sorbet pops from Alden, maker of excellent ice-cream sandwiches, are the perfect creamy consistency and taste like the most delicious ripe and slightly tart blackberries.

Not even Cinderella’s glass slippers are as dreamy. They’re wildly impractical, but I don’t mind. I should be bridal-carried in them. (Did you know Queen Elizabeth’scoronation shoeswere Roger Vivier?) They were a birthday gift to myself. You only turn 30 once — so I hear.

It’s a “multi-sensorial experience,” as promised. I imagine this is what the Amalfi Coast smells like, or at least theCapri Room at Buca di Buppo. I feel like the citrus and mint are dancing on my lips.