The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in June

I tried these (in burgundy) for Running Week, and they were among my very favorite pairs of shorts. I’ve been wearing them a lot since, so when Bandit restocked them in black, I decided to indulge in another pair — quickly, because they sell out fast. They’re just a really perfect running short. Given the quality and the truly hundreds of miles I expect to get out of them, I think the $78 is ultimately worth it.

The pet store I go to, on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, has a big rack of these toy animal figurines. At first, I thought it was a strange thing for them to be selling, but now I realize the genius behind it: It scratches the itch for kids and adult animal lovers who want a pet (or another pet) but not everything that comes with one. I’ve bought one of the animals every time I’ve been there in the last six months. My son recently started saying “moo” when we ask him what a cow says, so over the weekend I got him this cow.

I have a decent amount of kitchen storage for a Brooklyn apartment, but lately, given my job, it’s been overloaded. I bought this cabinet to place in a small nook on my stairway landing (it fits like a glove, and I have a taller version of it downstairs in the living room). I rearranged a lot of stuff: So far, the new shelves hold serveware I don’t pull out every day, plus stuff for outside eating (like a big set of old glassware I don’t care too much about, leftover disposable plates, and the newspaper scraps I use in my grill chimney).

My 2-year-old loves painting, but it makes the most unbelievable mess. A friend recommended these to me — they’re far more saturated than crayons, almost like oil paints. They dry very quickly, and leave no mess, so I’m happy for Aoife to “paint” in the mornings after breakfast (and in the evenings before her dinner, and then before her bath …).

I go through a copious amount of paper towels, to the point where I may be single-handedly responsible for razing about an acre of the Amazon. Luckily, a new crop of environmentally friendly alternatives have presented themselves, including Reel, which offers paper towels made out of either bamboo or recycled paper. (I opted for bamboo, which is abundant and extremely fast-growing.) I really haven’t noticed any difference from Bounty, except for the fact that I can now release my guilt about employing some thousand-year-old forest to mop up oil splatter.

I picked up an Askinosie chocolate bar from Foster Sundry on a whim, and while I’m certainly no stranger to bougie artisanal chocolate, I was truly blown away by how good it was — rich, smooth, velvety, balanced. I promptly went on their website and ordered a big variety box of their dark-chocolate bars in mini grab-and-go sizes, and there’s literally no better midday pick-me-up.

I bought this ring at El Be Goods in Tucson, and I’ve been wearing it every day for the last few weeks. It’s made by a local artist, Claire Webb. And we have a problem because I now want all of her rings. They’re made with a polymer-clay set with vintage Swarovski crystals, covered in a metal leaf and then a layer of resin. It’s incredibly light and it catches the sunlight so beautifully. I wear it on my middle finger and treat it like sort of a fidget spinner when I’m deep in thought. I’ve never had a piece of jewelry like this; it’s so pleasing to play with and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it.

Last month, I bought this cute pair of pink striped shorts that quickly became my go-to pajama bottoms (and occasionally my work-from-home bottoms when I was feeling lazy). They’re made of the same material composition as the Strategist’s favorite affordable pajamas, so they’re smooth, soft, and flowy, making them perfect for summer. I love a good groutfit and wanted a second pair of the shorts, so I bought the same pair in heather gray this month to give my pink pair some backup. In the past, I’ve found other pajama shorts with a tight waistband to be uncomfortable, but the waistband on these shorts is flexible enough for me to sleep without a problem.

This is a rather boring purchase, but it has been so helpful as I store my cold-weather clothes for the summer. The pack came with 15 storage bags of various sizes, so I could store everything from my heavier duvet cover under my bed with room for other necessities. To vacuum-seal, you just use a no-frills hand pump that attaches to a resealable valve.

Speaking of celebrations, I went to San Francisco this month for my best friend’s bridal shower. I was there with my group of college friends, and we all went to Chez Panisse for dinner one night and had a truly great meal. To remember it, I brought home a pair of these etched Chez Panisse water glasses, one of which promptly took up residence on my bedside table when I got back to New York.

I also treated myself to a pair of actual sunglasses — I was drawn in by the look of the “infinity lenses” on these ones from Krewe, and the brand’s “second chances” replacement guarantee helped justify the price.

Finally, I bought this handy silicone doodad to use as a streamlined makeup bag in my purse because I’m never ready to leave the house on time and I’m always doing my already minimal makeup in the car. It easily fits my personal essentials — an eyebrow pencil, a small tube of mascara, a concealer stick, and a blending brush — and has a nifty magnetic closure, too.

If Sk*ms has one hater, it is me. I’m also a reluctant consumer. Nothing compares to the brand’s classic scoop bra, which, like a healthy relationship, makes me feel held but not restricted. I missed out on the sale because of a self-imposed no-buy, but when my fiancée said she was in dire need of a new bra, I knew what to do. Usually, she wears sports bras or bralettes in a similar sweat-wicking fabric, but after years of rotating the same six bras, she noticed she was getting acne in the areas where her band sits. I suspected it had to do with the material trapping the bacteria (is it just me, or after a while athletic stuff doesn’t feel as clean?) and suggested cotton instead. I’d only ever worn the stretchy compressive Skims fabric, but I liked the shape enough to buy the cotton-jersey version for her. They arrived a few days ago and once she put it on, she shrugged and said, “Comfy,” and wore it for the rest of the day. No rash, either, so I’d say it was a success.

I edited the story on the sprouting kit and immediately purchased my own. Now I, too, eat broccoli sprouts daily.

I had been waffling for years over buying a personal blender, but then I recently learned that Vitamix has a special adapter that lets its classic models — one of which already lives on my kitchen counter — blitz up personal-size quantities of smoothies and sauces. I’ve used it three times already.

This year, I have set an intention to dress more evil, which means buying many of the same things I already have except in black and optic white. I had a big success this month when I found a black Pendleton skirt from a Depop seller for about $30; I’ve been wearing it constantly since. I actually owned a navy-and-green tartan Pendleton skirt suit, which I loved for its authoritative swoosh and structure. The black one is even better — more of a suiting-weight wool, lightweight and loose enough to wear in 80-degree weather, and it goes with anything and adds an unexpected proportion and texture to your outfit. Look for the label that says “100 percent virgin wool” and “pure virgin wool made in USA.” Here’s one that really needs to be ironed but has the right specs; here’s a two-for-the-price-of-one special.

I literally never get hangovers anymore because I take these electrolytes before and after drinking. I recently had a birthday dinner and had the good sense to bring one with me. After my second martini, I mixed a Cure pack with water and downed it. The next morning, I woke up as if the night before had been a regular, retiring evening. I even bought a bag for a friend — jury’s still out on whether they work as well for him.