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These are the useful, practical and sometimes splurgy finds that our shopping editors tried and would recommend this month. (Photo: HuffPost )
Introducing “Would Recommend” — a monthly collection of our shopping editors’ favorite finds on the internet, brought to you by HuffPost Finds.
There are practical products — like a cutting board with a special space for your iPhone so you don’t get any flour on your screen. There are useful products — like a pair of Swedish dish cloths that’ll have you ditching paper towels for good. And then there are products you splurge on when you need a pick-me-up after a particularly long week.
Our shopping editors at HuffPost Finds know those purchases all too well, since, well, we shop a lot. We search all over for deals and dupes to popular and obscure products.
This month, we combed the internet for the cutest pots and planters for all the gardening everyone seems to be doing, dipped our toes into the tie-dye trend that has taken over our Instagram feeds and talked to the professionals about coloring your hair at home.
While we shopped around, we couldn’t help but do a little shopping of our own. And, of course, we had to tell you about the finds that we recommend.
From a pair of disco earrings for (virtual) happy hours to an over-the-door hook that’s out of this world and a video game for people who aren’t into video games, these are the finds we’ve been most excited about this month. And we’ve needed a lot to be excited about this month.
Be sure to check out what we couldn’t get enough of in March 2020 and in February 2020. And check back next month to see what we’ll be recommending in May.
Below, check out what we would recommend this month:
An affordable and cute way to make espresso at home
"Anyone who follows my Instagram knows that nothing has brought me more joy over the past 30 days than this little stovetop espresso maker set. I've been missing my daily latte or cortado (don't judge me), and French press coffee just doesn't have the same caffeinated kick. This set comes with the stovetop machine, as well as two complementary espresso cups and saucers, and it's so delightfully satisfying to watch the espresso brew right into the cups. It's a fun gadget if you want one or two cups of espresso (I'm the only coffee drinker in my house, so both cups are for me), but if you're making Americanos for the whole household, you might be better off with a regular stovetop Moka pot. I purchased this little espresso maker from the MoMA Design Store because it's just one little way you can support the museum while it's closed right now." — Brittany Nims, Head of HuffPost Finds
Disco earrings for (virtually) dancing the night away
"You've probably seen Loeffler Randall's gold lamé knotted mules on an Instagram influencer or two. Seeing those shiny shoes introduced me to the brand. And when I spotted these very sparkly earrings a couple of weeks ago, I had to have them right away. I call them my disco earrings. I've been wearing them on work calls to dress up my usual sweater-and-jeans combo, and just around the house whenever I need a pick-me-up. I can't wait to wear them out officially, whenever the time comes." — Ambar Pardilla, Commerce Writer
"I've been wanting a pair of clear sandals for the warmer weather. When I spotted these Steve Madden Issy Slide Sandals a few weeks ago, I decided to keep an eye on them until they went on sale. They were marked down in the first week of Nordstrom's marathon of mini-sales, and I added them to my cart immediately. They arrived within a few days and I've been wearing them around the house to break them in and as an excuse to dress up during quarantine. The height and shape of the heel is comfortable enough that I'll be able to take them to the streets once social distancing guidelines loosen up." — Danielle Gonzalez, Associate Commerce Editor
"Besides my little espresso maker, the other only thing that has given me as much joy this month is playing Animal Crossing on the Nintendo Switch. I should start by saying I am not a gamer. And I must confess that most of my gaming experience was learned on an N64 from 1997 to 2001. But my boyfriend insisted the newest version of Animal Crossing for Nintendo Switch would be the game for me, and he's not wrong. There is no violence or big battle sequences, so the stakes are low. (And right now all I can handle in life are low stakes.) It's a game that's subtly all about home decor and fashion — two things I love. Released on March 20, just as most of us across the U.S. began social distancing, Animal Crossing quietly became the game that saved us all from losing our minds during social isolation. If you have other friends who play Animal Crossing, you can virtually visit their characters' homes. People have even been throwing virtual birthday parties on Animal Crossing to make up for canceled plans. It's a carefree, low-effort game I recommend to anyone who wants a little low-stakes escapism from the world today. (And check out our guide to the difference between a Nintendo Switch and a Switch Lite if you're shopping for a console, too.)" — Nims
"I've been on the hunt for a pair of straight-leg jeans for what feels like years now. I ordered Everlane's The Super-Straight Jean in washed black, and it's by far the best denim that's touched my body in years. The material has just enough denim for structure but enough stretch for sitting on the couch cross-legged in complete comfort. They create the illusion of a super straight silhouette without being too baggy, hug my butt like a dream and taper in around the ankles. I'm probably going to order them in another color." — Gonzalez
"April flew by, especially with all the cloudy days and windy weather. I've been pretty cold around the house and wrap myself with blankets before, during and after work. With all the sales going on this month — from Nordstrom's marathon of mini-sales to Le Creuset's first-ever sitewide sale — I've been on the lookout for sweaters to put away for next winter. But it's not time to pull out the shorts just yet, so I've been wearing a sweater almost every day. I spotted this fluffy white one at Shopbop and snagged it since it was on sale. It feels like a cloud. I especially love the mock neck and balloon sleeves on it." — Pardilla
"I'm the handywoman in my household, so I'm always searching for easy DIY home hacks and ways to optimize every ounce of space in our less than 500-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. This weekend, I mounted a couple of inexpensive IKEA BERGSHULT / PERSHULT shelves above the doorways in our apartment to store books and bric-a-brac. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and somehow they make the space feel both bigger and cozier, too." — Nims
"Working from home has me feeling a little unorganized. My friend recommended this Daily Planner Journal from Urban Outfitters that lets you add your own date so no page goes to waste. It has sections for daily objectives, schedules, to-do lists, projects, notes and more. I forgot how satisfying it is cross things out once you've accomplished them, and it definitely feels like a way to keep track of the 'quaran-time.'" — Gonzalez
"Headbands have become my go-to for those bad hair days when even dry shampoo doesn't work. I've stocked up on lots of headbands over the years, but this Autumn Adeigbo striped jeweled headband is one of my favorites. Since it's black and white, it goes with almost anything I own. It isn't tight, so it doesn't give me a headache in the middle of the day. And putting on this headband in the morning just makes me feel like at least I tried for the day." — Pardilla
"I'm not very adventurous when it comes to my makeup, but since working from home, I've missed the routine of putting on liquid eyeliner and a bold lip. I purchased Glossier's new eye makeup, Skywash. It's a sheer matte liquid eye color that goes on like butter and is buildable to a more intense color. I snagged it in both Pool (a cornflower blue shade) and Lawn (a chartreuse green/yellow color) — two shades I would normally NEVER wear. I like the thrill of trying out something new from the comfort of my home, but I'm looking forward to the day I can try out my new eye makeup skills in the wild." — Nims
"I've skillfully set up my bedroom with no place to toss things to the side — that way, I'm forced to put my clothes and accessories in my dresser or closet right away. However, sometimes I need a place to temporarily hang my purse, hat or tote. I figure an over-the-door hook would do the trick, but I wanted something that would look like decor when the door is closed. I saw this Moon Phase Metal Over-The-Door Multi-Hook hanger from Urban Outfitters and thought it would be perfect." — Gonzalez
"I've been living in these moon and sun L.L. Bean slippers these days, but I've been going on a shoe-shopping spree over the last few weeks because, well, why not? These were the first shoes to arrive. I've been called a magpie before, and I couldn't resist the embellishments on these slides. I did size up, as reviewers recommended (I, luckily, got to try these on in-store months ago and found them to be slightly small). I ordered one size up from my usual size, and they're easy to slip on. I'll be wearing them with my finest sweatpants for now." — Pardilla
Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson died at the age of 82. He is probably best known exchanging wives with teammate Mike Kekich in the 1970s.
This week Boston Dynamics retired its well-known Atlas robot that was powered by hydraulics. Then today it unveiled its new Atlas robot, which is powered by electricity. The change might not seem like much, but TechCrunch's Brian Heater told the TechCrunch Minute that the now-deprecated hydraulics system was out of date.
Victor Wembanyama's rookie NBA season is finished. The San Antonio Spurs will sit him in Sunday's regular-season finale. Where does his first season rank among the league's greats?
Tesla management told employees Monday that the recent layoffs -- which gutted some departments by 20% and even hit high performers -- were largely due to poor financial performance, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The layoffs were announced to staff just a week before Tesla is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings. The move comes as Tesla has seen its profit margin narrow over the past several quarters, the result of an EV price war that has persisted for at least a year.
