Whoa, whoa y’all – this post has seriously been in the works FOR-EV-ER!  And well, today is the day, sister.  When Eric and I first got engaged in 2014, the whole process of wedding planning seemed fun but admittedly a little daunting.  One task that didn’t scare me at all though – handling the wedding registry.  I mean, shopping is my thing.  Send me to a store armed with some sort of scan gun situation and I’m ready, Freddie.

What I hadn’t planned on was every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to tell you exactly what you should be registering for.  “Definitely register for fine China, even if you don’t think you’ll use it.”  Huh?  No.  By the time we got married, Eric and I had lived together for close to four years, so I had a pretty good grasp on what we’d use, what we wouldn’t, and what we couldn’t wait to get our hands on.  Eric didn’t seem too jazzed by the registering process, so I went alone.  I grabbed some breakfast and then headed to the mall for my scan gun.  It was a good day.

Over the last year plus a couple of months (that totally flew by), I’ve gotten a hold on the things we’ve really used and loved around here, so today I’m sharing a few.  Now, I’m not trying to be the aforementioned Tom, Dick, or Harry, but here’s my two cents if you’re in that registering phase and looking for a bit of direction.  (Or, if you’re just looking for some new goodies for your own kitchen.)

Scroll down for my picks, but in the end, just consider your own life with your partner.  Do you need the super expensive silverware that’s going to tarnish in the dishwasher and make you spend your Saturdays polishing it?  I don’t know your life, maybe you do need it.  Do you really need three sets of various nesting bowls?  Well maybe, because I freaking love them.

1.  Keurig Brewing System – There’s no time like the wedding registry to finally get that fancy coffee maker you’ve been wanting, and if you’re like me, it’ll be something you use everyday.  And maybe, multiple times a day.  Personally, I love the Keurig machine, but Eric is more of a normal cup-o-joe kind of guy so we also have this coffee maker.

2.  Cake Plate with Dome – Admittedly, I did not put one of these on my registry, but I’ve recently acquired this one and love it.  No, I’m not in the kitchen baking cakes all day, but this house does frequently have doughnuts or muffins or some other sort of pastry situation going on, so why not put them on display?

3.  Cheese board – I registered for, like, four cheese boards which is probably a lot, but we really like cheese.  We do pretty much use all of them, but in particular I love this slate board because you can put it in the fridge beforehand to keep cheeses or other apps cold for a bit longer.  Also, this one – we use it a ton.  And although they can be beautiful, I don’t really recommend the wood and marble combo versions because in my experience, they just don’t look nice for very long.

4. Kate Spade Vase – Aww, that sweet friend of yours shows up with unexpected flowers, and you coolly drop them into…whatever water pitcher or wine bottle you can find.  Hashtag, adulting.  I never had nice vases before our registry, and now it’s nice to know that I’ve always got a couple on hand for when I surprise myself with peonies.  (Aw, I shouldn’t have.)

5. 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set – See #8 for my obsession with nesting bowls, but I love that this little set is adorable and comes with lids – perfect for mixing, storing, and even bringing a little something yummy over to a friend’s house.

6. Pepper Mill – I didn’t actually register for a pepper mill, but one of Eric’s aunts gave us a really great one engraved with our names and wedding date.  I thought it was a really neat gift, but I had no idea how much we would use it.  ALL. THE. TIME.  There’s just something about using real cracked pepper, and I use it every single time I cook.  A wooden version is always nice, but I’m also loving this little seafoam one.

7. Stemless Wine Glasses – I received some beautiful, stemmed wine glasses from our registry and promptly shattered one in my hands the first time I hand washed them.  We still love and use them (carefully), but I find myself mostly grabbing for our simple, stemless glasses – and then tossing them in the dishwasher.

8. Nesting Bowls – Before my wedding registry, I never knew what a stacking bowl fanatic I was, but then, there I was, just oogling every nesting bowl situation I came across.  While I think a classic glass set is great, they’re heavy as hell when stacked, so I definitely use this lightweight version the most.  Plus, I love the turquoise color.

9.  Chicago Cutlery Knife Block Set – I love to cook, and for years before our wedding I was literally sawing through vegetables with the dullest knives on the planet.  Not ideal for your fingers.  Eric recommended getting new ones, but I lovingly reminded him that we would someday put them on our wedding registry.  Someday.  Having a nice knife set has seriously made me love cooking even more, and I love that this knife block has the sharpener built in.  There are a ton of knife block sets out there though, so this one may require a little bit of research to figure out what you really want.

10. Serving Trays – Because around here, parties happen.  And frequently.  So it’s nice to finally have a bunch of different platter and serving tray options for serving up whatever.

11.  Calphalon Non-Stick Multi-Pot with Lid (also here) – You just don’t even know how happy this pot makes me.  Is that weird?  Ha!  It has a built-in colander for easily draining pasta, veggies, you name it and also comes with a basket for steaming vegetables.  I went for all Calphalon pots and pans and am really happy with them.

12.  Wooden salad bowl – We make a lot of salads around here, and if I served them up in any old dish, what kind of a monster would I be?  I kid, but I do LOVE these wooden salad bowls.  I have a larger version for servin’ up friends and family and this smaller one for when it’s just Eric and me.

13.  Crock-Pot (or any slow-cooker, really) – Anyone who follows along on my Instagram stories knows that I’m ALL about my Crock-Pot.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually have to register for one for our wedding because we already had…three of them.  When you’re a fan, you’re a fan.  This particular one is my favorite because I love that the lid latches on – things seem to cook faster when you need them to.

14. Nesting storage containers with lids – Maybe I’m a weirdo, but the day that I could finally kick all those mis-matched, hodge-podge storage containers that were causing an avalanche in my cabinet to the curb in favor of this sleek, stacking set was a good day.   And in fact I’m thinking I may need to spring for a second set.  These are always in use in our house.

15. Oil & Vinegar bottles – I registered for oil & vinegar pour bottles because I thought they’d look so nice on our counter.  Now, they’re so much more than just counter decor, and we use them all the time, either when cooking, making salads, or having cheese and crackers.  Bonus, the friend who gave them to us included a nice bottle of balsamic vinegar and blood orange olive oil.  So yum.

16. Vitamix – I picked out every single thing on our registry while Eric was at a football game, but the Vitamix was Eric’s one request.  They’re pretty pricey, but this machine can make ALL of the things.  We use it a ton for smoothies, and I’ve even made a couple of soups.  (The blades spin so fast that if you leave ingredients in for a few minutes, you’ll actually get a piping hot soup.)  Also, you can make homemade almond butters and things like that if your inner Martha is just aching to emerge.

xoxo