From favorite reads to casual clothes that won't break the bank, start your summer right by treating yourself to these under-$40 treats.
Top shelf: For a transporting page-turner, check out "To Kill a Mockingbird" ($11, bookstores), Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winner. First published in 1960, it's the best-loved novel of GH readers.
Easy listening: Urbanears' Baggis rubber ear buds ($35, zappos.com) have a microphone and a mute button — and they cleverly click together to loop around your neck when not in use.
Take it to go: Make midday meals picnic-portable with Fred Flare's Reusable To Go Lunch Cup ($9, fredflare.com; use code GH2012 for 25 percent off). The BPA-free set includes a fits-into-the-lid cup for dips or dressings, as well as a snap-on fork.
Step lively: Embellished with global-chic zigzags and in a summer-fresh salmon hue, GoJane's Tribal T-straps ($20, gojane.com) will update everything from shorts to a skirt in seconds. The foot-friendly heel heights make them all-day easy to walk in, too.
Twist of lime: For sultry nights, put on a sundress and FlirtCatalog's chic Lime Color Block Chandelier Earrings ($10.50, flirtcatalog.com; use code GH2012 for 25 percent off).
Hold your fire: Root's delicate Turquoise Tealight Holders ($9 each, sprouthome.com) have one-of-a-kind flea market charm.
Trip clippers: Stash a half-dozen salon-worthy nail tools, from clippers to a file — all petite and purple — in your bag with Sephora Collection's Compact Travel Manicure Kit ($20, sephora.com).
Do knot disturb: Swimming-snarled locks are no match for the RickyCare Wet Dry Detangler ($8, rickysnys.com): The "ouchless," bendable bristles unravel knots without breaking strands.
We can't resist: The punchy, deck-chair-brightening patterns of these Catalina Cove and Pavilion Green outdoor pillows ($20 each, Pier 1 Imports) have a lure.
Travel light: For an insta-vacay to Italy, try one whiff of Paddywax's olive-leaf- and-lemon-scented Rome Candle ($9.60, gravioushome.com; use code GH20 for 20 percent off retail).
Towel star: More than 5 feet long, PBteen's bold Kaleidoscope Blue Beach Towel ($24, pbteen.com) will be a breeze to spot by the shore.
Cold comfort: Spoon-licking luscious and creamy, Three Twins Organic Ice Cream in Lemon Cookie and 12 other flavors ($4 to $5, Whole Foods; special price with $1 printable coupon at threetwinsicecream.com/ghcoupon) is a treat.
Circle round: With its chunky Swarovski-crystal-and-classic-rope-twist band, the 14-karat-gold-plated Square Solitaire Ring ($23 each, skinnystyle.com) by Jessica Elliot dazzles, whether solo or stacked.
Show of hands: Hydrating but not greasy, Avon's Vita Moist Hand Cream ($0.99, Avon.com) quenches parched skin with vitamins E and A.
On another matter • After sizing up the new field of featherweight walking shoes, testers made the greatest strides in these three pairs.
At 6.2 ounces, the Easy Spirit Reinvent ($69) was the lightest and most affordable of the winners. The sneaker earned raves for a mesh upper that conforms to the foot, although some thought that the fit ran large.
Testers praised the Rockport TruWalkZero ($120) for comfort ("like walking on air") and fit, although a few felt "unsteady" on the rounded midsole.
Weight, comfort and cuteness were the highlights of the mid-priced New Balance 895 ($85). Some testers felt it should have more cushioning and arch support; others liked that barely-there sensation.
