The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in March

I tried everything I could to not have to buy a new planner — lots of apps, random sticky notes, even just a plain notebook — because I just didn’t want to spend the money anymore, but nothing stuck, and I really missed handwriting my daily to-do lists. So I bit the bullet three months late and just bought a planner. I bought this one because it was weirdly so cheap (probably because it’s three months into the year), and we ranked it as one of the best weekly planners. I like it a lot and truly regret not getting it back in January.

As usual, the books. This month, I bought an impressively small number of them — two of which I found while browsing at my local McNally Jackson: 88 Names by Matt Ruff (the same guy who wrote Lovecraft Country), How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue, and Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers The last one was the most out-of-the-ordinary pick of the three. I tend to stick to literary fiction with a dash of speculative fiction thrown in, but this is a full-on romance novel, which I almost never read. It follows straight-laced 28-year-old Grace, who gets drunk and marries a random woman — and as a lifelong fan of What Happens in Vegas, this feels like it’ll be right up my alley.

Fellow Strategist editor Tony Rotunno just inadvertently reminded me I needed to order more of this stuff, when it came out in Slack conversation that he uses Splenda. “You’re still a Splenda guy??” I wrote. He replied, “I have been using Stevia a lot more lately, but only because the shop near me doesn’t carry Splenda.” I went on to send him the link to this liquid sweetener. Individually, I cannot bear stevia or monk fruit and gag at the first hint of either of them, but for whatever reason, combined as they are here, the effect is so pure tasting, it’s like you’re drinking straight from an agave plant (and as it turns out, organic agave is the other main ingredient). I don’t know why the bottle jumped out at me at the grocery store, but I decided to try it on a whim last summer, and it instantly became my secret cocktail ingredient. Add the slightest squeeze to a glass of Casamigos Blanco with fresh lime juice and a lot of ice, and it creates the sort of alt-margarita that will prompt friends to text you the next day asking for the recipe. (It doesn’t give you a sugar hangover, either!) I like it in my coffee, too.

I have a smaller-than-average coat closet, and when I decided to do some spring cleaning and order an over-the-door shoe organizer, it was hard to find one with the right width. This one was mentioned in reviews as being great for tight spaces, and it really is — and it’s also very well made and sturdy enough for other kinds of storage besides shoes. And each of the fabric shelves has a clear window, so you can easily see and grab whatever you need.

I also re-upped on my purple mask from Verb, which has been a mainstay in my shower for as long as I’ve been blonde (about a year and a half now). Not only does it get rid of brassiness, it leaves my damaged and dyed hair feeling so soft and nourished.

I’m a big consumer of water. Keep that Diet Coke, no-sugar nonsense away from me, please. And I’ve been on the search for the perfect bottle for years. Last month, I spoke to Hanif Abdurraqib about how much water we can drink when we have a straw, and I was considering picking up a traditional tumbler, but I settled on the CamelBak Eddy+ because of the spill-proof function. You have to kind of bite on the valve to get the water out, but it’s great for hikes or if you’re like me and carry you water everywhere and don’t want to think about spilling anything. I’ve tried so many water bottles, but I’ve officially turned into a CamelBak believer. You won’t see me using anything else anytime soon.

Hilary Reid, a beloved former colleague of ours, mentioned this book to me in passing as something my two-and-a-half year old might like, and of course I got it immediately. Written by Karla Kuskin in 1986, it has wonderful illustrations by Marc Simont (and for all you Thurber heads out there, he illustrated the Wonderful O and the Thirteen Clocks). As its name implies, it tells the story of how all 104 members of the philharmonic get dressed before an evening performance, which, for a two-year-old whose primary interests include buttons and zippers, is deeply fascinating. (It was also exciting to teach him about cummerbunds.) It is very New York–y and cozy.

We wrote about this tote designed by Andrew Teoh in a recent “Don’t Dillydally” – 100 percent of proceeds benefit Heart of Dinner, a nonprofit that delivers weekly hot lunches, fresh produce, and food supplies to elderly Asian New Yorkers in need — and, well, I dillydallied. Which means that my delightful bok choy tote has not arrived yet, but I eagerly await its delivery. (It also comes in white with an illustrated persimmon.)

I was in need of an early-March pick-me-up, so I bought The Book of Delights by poet Ross Gay, which is exactly what the title says it is: A book about all of the small, wonderful things we can encounter — like being waved at by a stranger, for instance, or watching a praying mantis crawl along an empty glass — by just being present in our daily lives. Gay is a poet first and essayist second, and it certainly shows. His writing is curious, warm, and buoyant, and the very act of reading his work is (dare I say it?) a delight!

I wanted a second lamp in my bedroom for the vibes, but I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on it. This $27 one has pleasantly surprised me. It was half the price of similar lamps on Amazon and other sites, but it’s proved plenty sturdy, stylish, and effective for my needs.

I’m gearing up for a move, so I’m trying really, really hard not to buy anything. And while I’m mostly doing a good job, I can’t begin to explain to you why I caved and bought, of all things, a new eyeshadow. I’ve worn hardly any makeup this last year and didn’t even wear eyeshadow pre-COVID, but neither of those truths stopped me from buying Charlotte Tilbury’s cream shadow in this beautiful bronze shade. The texture is super blendable, and the shimmer is subtle. Before errands or Zooms, I’ll smudge a little on my eyelids and look (or, at the very least, feel) a little more alive.

As an early birthday present, my family bought me a pair of honeydew green Moxi Lolly skates that I’ve been drooling over for a very, very long time. Since these are obviously a much bigger investment compared to the more affordable skates I’ve been using for the past year, I bought a pair of toe caps to try and keep the suede in tip-top shape for as long as possible. (They fasten onto the toe stop and help protect the front of the skates from scratching.)

I don’t even really like chocolate, but these lavender rose “cocoa truffle” bars from Portland-based company Honey Mama’s have become a new snacking obsession. In addition to Dutch-processed cocoa, each bar has both unrefined coconut oil and coconut meat in them, which creates this super-creamy, almost half-melted texture. While I’ve liked all the flavors I’ve tried, this one is my favorite because it has lavender oil and dried rose petals, which just feels very decadent during my 3 p.m. snack break.

There’s a lot to celebrate about warmer weather (picnics! Seeing friends again! Mister Softee!), but for me, the best thing of all is the official beginning of stooping season. And as a self-described expert at finding freebies, this is really my time to shine. So far, I’ve stooped a vegetable-themed clock, a copy of “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” a five-tiered Ikea shelf, and a framed, handmade print of some brownstones, which I securely hung with one of these picture hangers. I got mine at R & A hardware, but you can buy them almost anywhere online.

Because tennis experts told me the best beginner racket depends on the buyer, I want to spotlight something else I bought that anyone can enjoy: Nike’s Dri-Fit Stealth wristband. It’s comfortable, helps me clear sweat from my brow while playing and running, and because it’s moisture-wicking, it’s pretty much as dry when you finish as when you started.

I’d been looking for a good pair of chinos for a while, and chose to go with a pair from Hertling this month for a few reasons. First, they made our list of the best men’s chinos, according to cool guys. Second, they’re cut slim with a high rise, which I like. And finally, the company has made long-lasting clothes here in the United States for almost a century (and supplied a bunch of more famous brands with their fabrics in that time), so it felt like a sound investment.

I use this body wash on treat-myself days. The scent and texture are really special. Over the years, I’ve gotten sensitive to heavily perfumed products— so many body washes just smell like chemicals to me. But this one gives off a beautiful, natural citrus. The formula is an oil-gel-to-milk, which means it doesn’t lather, but leaves my skin really hydrated. After my shower, my skin has a very light, fast-absorbing layer of oil.

Throughout all of quarantine, I lived in this pastel sweat suit from Sweetness Tie Dye, a small, female-owned business based in Brooklyn. Their sweats are the perfect size — not too tight, not too baggy — and make me feel the perfect balance of put together yet cozy. I happily loaf around my house in it, but it also makes me feel put together enough to go for a quick walk around the neighborhood with pals. I love these sweat suits so much, I actually bought another set the other day. This “Kiwi Dragon” color is so fun — it’s a mix of lime greens, pinks, oranges, and this cool lightening effect that’s really special and incredibly vibrant. I adore it!

I actually picked up this lipstick — and a bag of my favorite sour-watermelon gummies — on a whim because I had a CVS coupon that was about to expire. Wet n Wild has a reputation for being cheap, albeit reliable, but this lipstick was, in my opinion, next level. The finish is semi-matte but feels surprisingly moisturizing and does, in fact, last. (There are even internet rumblings that the shade Bare It All is a really good dupe for MAC’s best-selling Velvet Teddy). And even if you don’t have any CVS coupons about to expire, at less than $3 a tube, it’s still a colossal bang for your buck.

I also ran out of concealer this month, so I got this one from Urban Decay that has a really nice matte finish. It spreads super evenly on the skin and isn’t heavy at all — two things I always look for — and it comes in a wide range of shades that I imagine would make it good for contouring and highlighting, too.