The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in August

My 7-year-old came home from the playground asking if we could get these reusable water balloons she saw another kid with. Little did she know that they were already en route to our home because I had seen them elsewhere and thought they were very smart (and possibly the toy of summer 2023 in NYC?). I’m usually not a fan of water balloons because of all the waste they leave behind, so I’m glad this option exists.

I know I don’t need yet another pair of sandals, but the simple design of these Montbells has been calling to me since last summer. I like how the straps are rounded so they won’t cut into or abrade my feet the way webbing does. Plus, the blue is just too good.

My husband is a coffee snob, and our standard drip pot and Keurig machine weren’t meeting his standards. I bought him a glass French press, and while it worked fine, the glass was very delicate and broke within a couple of weeks (he also noted that it didn’t keep the coffee hot). I replaced it with this stainless-steel one, which is far more durable, keeps the coffee very warm, and can be popped into the dishwasher.

Over the past few months, I’ve been looking to change up my dinnerware, and have become obsessed with “blates,” a bowl-plate combo. I contemplated ordering dishes from East Fork, Jono Pandolfi, or my personal favorite, Felt+Fat, which all offer blate-esque options; however, I was nervous to splurge on a large (and costly) set without any prior testing. While scrolling on Pinterest, I came across semi-matte ceramics from Vancouver-based brand Fable and was impressed by its more reasonable price points. At an hour way past my bedtime, I finally hit purchase on this speckled bundle. While it doesn’t include the blate of my dreams, I was able to score four place settings with a heavy discount.

I got sent this interactive cookbook from Phaidon, and it’s terminally cute. The idea is that you and your child (I would suggest age 3 years or older) cook along to the book — each page illustrates a step in the recipe to make some (well-seasoned!) spaghetti with tomato sauce. If your kid’s a little younger, like mine, then there are several very satisfying push-and-pull sections that will tide them over until you feel ready to brave the stove. I’m already adding the taco, pancakes, cookies, and pizza iterations to my Christmas gifting list.

I have been wearing the same Nike running hat for at least six years, maybe more, and it smells like it. I honestly feel bad anytime I wear it around people. I’m not very picky about my running gear and especially not picky about my hat. I just need it to fit my smaller-than-average head, be breathable, and cost $30 or less. People on the internet seem to like Outdoor Research’s Swift Cap, which happened to be on sale for $15 when I was browsing, and some even mentioned that it’s good for their small heads. I figured its buckle closure might give it a longer shelf life than my Nike hat’s velcro closure did, and because I left the page open on my computer for so long while I considered all my options, Outdoor Research sent me a code for free shipping. That sealed the deal. It fits my head, is very breathable, and was only half of what I wanted to spend.

I’m not a spicy-food person, but I recently reupped on a jar of Burlap & Barrel’s Silk Chili after I started using my first jar so much, it took up permanent residence on my counter cooking tray alongside salt, pepper, and olive oil. The flakes come from the same plant that makes Aleppo pepper, which means it leans mild, but it’s still so flavorful — a tinge of heat backed by floral and fruity notes. I sprinkle it on eggs, dips, meat, fish, and roasted vegetables.

No one reading this needs to know too much about my oral health, but after seeing my dentist this month, I have officially gone from using Colgate to using Sensodyne, which is beneficial for teeth sensitivity and gums. It tastes pretty good too! Not a sexy purchase, but this is real life!

I discovered Blue Crow Media when I was searching for a cool wall calendar (they come out with a brutalist one every year) and was very charmed by its collection of illustrated and annotated city maps, which offer guides for everything from the great trees of New York to 20th-century architecture in Tbilisi. Tourist guidebooks can feel like relics, but these are an exception, more like a very knowledgeable and nerdy friend directing you through their favorite places in their city. A couple days before a trip to Montreal, I bought its brutalist map of the city, which did not arrive in time for me to use but is very beautiful — I plan to use it when I’m back.

I love Everybody.World’s recycled cotton basics, especially its Boxier tees — as a shorter person, the length fits me perfectly, and there’s a nice balance between the loose cut and the heavyweight fabric. They are kind of expensive for a T-shirt, but if you sign up for its email list, it occasionally has sales on factory seconds or overstock.

My 7-month-old son is moving into his own room this month, which means that I will finally have space in my bedroom for a small writing desk. I’ve known this was the plan for a while and have used the time to obsess over just the right desk to purchase. This one from Ikea has everything I wanted: a secret trench for chargers and other wires, a small drawer for hiding clutter, enough space for a lamp without being so big it takes over the whole room, and a design that looks more like an antique vanity table and less like a sterile, sad home office. I haven’t sat at the desk yet because we are still moving other things around, but it’s really beautiful and solid. I have it in dark blue/green — because I figure stains won’t show as easily — but it also comes in a lovely cream color.

I received these shoes as testing samples, but they were the shoes I looked forward to running in the most last month. They’re inspired by track flats; they have a low profile that gives you lots of groundfeel — the opposite of carbon-plated supershoes with tons of cushioning underfoot — so they’re best for speedier track workouts, which is mainly what I’ve been using them for. I definitely feel faster in them (compared to running in a daily trainer), and I plan to keep using them for similar running workouts in the future.

My younger daughter and my eldest niece both started kindergarten this month, so I bought them each a copy of this lovely book about a brand-new school building’s first day of school and the anxiety it feels as it realizes it will soon be full of kids, teachers, and staff. Written by Adam Rex with wonderful illustrations by Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street), the story puts the school building itself in the shoes of a nervous first-time student — including one little girl who doesn’t want to come inside at all. “I must be awful,” thinks the school; at one point, it “has an accident” with its fire alarm. But as the day goes on, things start looking up, and after the children go home, the school quietly asks the building’s janitor if he can please invite everyone back tomorrow. It’s a clever tale for validating — and easing — those first-day jitters.

I may have a crewneck sweatshirt problem — they are all I ever want to wear, at least when the weather is cool. I recently added this slightly cropped Adidas style to my rotation, and it’s pretty perfect — generously cut and very comfy, but not too bulky. Even though I’m not much of a logo person, I love the retro trefoil, too. The rust color I bought is now sold out, but I’m eyeing the ivory shade next.

Last summer, as I turned 23, I inexplicably developed acne for the first time in my life. My usual cleansers wouldn’t cut it, and various routines I experimented with — involving salicylic acid, retinol, and benzoyl peroxide — all failed to make a difference. Things changed when I forgot to pack my skin-care products for a week at my boyfriend’s house earlier this month and only had his Cerave soap bar to cleanse with. By the end of the week, I’d stopped developing new blemishes and instead of dreading my first morning look in the mirror, I was practically running to his bathroom to see the results. Three weeks on, I’m now blemish-free — and a total convert.