The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in May

I’ve been spending this first month back from maternity leave in New Haven, Connecticut, with my parents, who are helping with child care. Any time I visit them, I try to take advantage of having a car — a true luxury in my opinion — to buy groceries in bulk or go on shopping trips to Ikea. Buying a big pack of seltzer is one of the first things I do, because it’s so difficult to do in Brooklyn, especially now that I have a baby. Polar is my favorite seltzer brand because it’s cheap and unassuming and the bubble size is perfect. Lemon is my go-to flavor, but this month I went out on a limb and bought grapefruit.

This will be my son’s first summer. To mark the occasion, I bought him this adorable beach romper rash guard thing. I don’t know when we’ll go to the beach for the first time, but I know it’ll be cute and that I will take an obscene amount of photos.

While I was on a trip to Marbella, Spain, earlier this month, disaster struck when I managed to stain a lovely white lace top with fake tan. As the top is so delicate, I didn’t want to throw any tough bleach its way or run it through the washing machine half a dozen times. Just as I’d lost all hope, Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone pointed me toward Vanish OxiAction. I added a scoop to some lukewarm water and let my top soak in it for a few hours. By the time I fished it out, it looked as good as new. I’ve since gathered all my white baby tees and bedsheets and repeated the process with those, and the satisfaction of seeing them dazzle again is priceless.

My 11-month-old Labrador retriever was neutered two weeks ago, and I was very nervous about his recovery process and how he’d react to wearing an oversize plastic cone. As I suspected, he was not able to sleep or eat comfortably, and his peripheral vision was blocked, which was irritating for my wannabe guard dog. My husband found this inflatable collar on Amazon and it worked like a charm. My pup didn’t try to snatch it off and was able to eat and sleep in his crate without any issues. And since he really appreciates a fluffy, soft place to lay his head, he liked using this collar as a neck pillow so he could snooze comfortably wherever he wanted.

I was on the hunt for a new bar soap this month, and I instantly thought back to this one from Ursa Major. I first tried it a couple years ago after receiving a press sample and was surprised by how energized my skin felt after using it. It is made with peppermint extract and eucalyptus and has tiny bits of pumice that exfoliate the skin. Using this soap is extremely refreshing — the skin equivalent of brushing my teeth with an extra-minty toothpaste.

I liked the one-piece swimsuit that I picked up in March so much that I bought a second one in red.

My daughter turned 1 this month, which meant we attended a slew of birthday parties for her age-mates. My go-to gift has been a book from Sandra Boynton’s suite of charming rhyming board books (the series is known as “Boynton on Board”). So far I’ve given Woodland Dance, Pajama Time, and Barnyard Dance, but they’re all wonderful. The illustrations are zany, and the rhymes are fun enough to bear endless repetition.

Our beauty columnist, Rio Viera-Newton, tested 32 brow gels and eventually selected a favorite: a $6 pot from e.l.f. So when I was searching for a new brow gel for myself, I didn’t have to do the same level of experimentation. I only tried her pick but can officially cosign it. As Rio wrote, it “creates a natural, fluffy, feathered-brow effect that holds your brows in place without leaving any crunchy residue or flakiness behind.” Basically, it makes my brows look polished without appearing unnatural, which is exactly what I want.

After our electric kettle finally kicked the bucket, I headed straight to our Best in Class guide to find a suitable replacement. I’m not too fancy — I mainly used our kettle for tea, oatmeal, or heating up water quickly to boil pasta — and wanted to keep it under $40. This kettle has been a workhorse, consistently and quickly (I’m talking two minutes) boiling water every day for the past month. I also appreciate that it automatically shuts off after you pick up the kettle from its stand, even if it’s not done boiling.

My TikTok For You page served me a video of someone unboxing their Pusheen Box, which is a quarterly subscription filled with apparel, home décor, and accessories emblazoned with the cartoon cat’s likeness. Right as my thumb was poised to scroll away, the video creator mentioned that the company also offers a box for your cat (!). Before I knew it, I was entering my email for the 10 percent discount. Luckily, I happened to sign up just in time to get the spring box, which arrived last week and included, among other things, a boba-shaped treat jar, kicker toy, and neckerchief that has amplified my huge orange tabby’s cuteness levels exponentially.

I needed a new face lotion for the spring that wasn’t too light or too heavy, so I asked Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla what she uses, because her skin always looks flawless and I think we have similar-ish coloring. She told me about Eadem’s Cloud Cushion moisturizer, calling it “the lightest, greatest formula — and it comes with a gold spoon.” I had always been interested in Eadem, a WOC-owned company that specifically formulates its products for skin of color, and I used Ambar’s glowing recommendation (and a Sephora sale) to motivate me to finally try it. In the cool months, I use CeraVe for my dry-to-combination skin, but as we were approaching spring, I wasn’t feeling very excited about my go-to for summer, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost, because that felt a little too thin and watery. The Eadem is the ideal in-between. It feels cloudlike but substantial and melts right into my skin without leaving a sticky residue (which the Neutrogena would do) or feeling heavy, like the CeraVe. I haven’t paid close enough attention to whether it helps with dark spots, as it purports to do. All I know is that it’s now my favorite moisturizer.

My roommate owns a set of well-seasoned cast-iron cookware, and though she was totally laid-back about my using it, I was too nervous about becoming one of those roommate horror stories who accidentally ruins some beloved pan passed down by Grandma. Also, I have next to no arm strength, and it was near impossible for me to hold the pans with one hand while pouring and scraping. Clearly, I needed my own cookware, and after much deliberation, I settled on this three-piece set from Material Kitchen, which comes with the approval of Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman. It heats quickly and evenly and feels light enough for my weak wrists; I especially love using the nonstick skillet, which features the most gorgeous shimmery teal shade.

When I walked into Dobbin St. Co-op and saw this little tabby cat snoozing on her orange cushion, I knew I had to bring her home. Not immediately, of course — I took some time getting to know her, sitting next to her and giving her some gentle pats (the pillow’s velvet backing is very soft) before taking her up to the register. After some sleuthing, it turns out the pillow is the completed product of a needlepoint cushion kit designed by Elian McCready; it comes with everything you need to create your own napping kitty, including a cotton canvas, wool yarns, and a needle.