A Kitchen for The Future You

Registry recs, an iced coffee pitcher and midweek reads

Our registry series continues (here’s the first part from last week) today! But first, I have to share a long list of Abortion Funds that need support. Remember to support local organizers who have been doing this work for decades over national organizations (my grandma used to be an abortion clinic escort). I’m not shocked by this news, but it’s still deeply upsetting, and there’s so much work to be done.

Switching gears to stocking the kitchen, if you find yourself in a situation where you get to make a registry, here are some things you might want to get! Remember registries are not just for weddings (more on that next week with a very special guest) and they’re not just for couples! If you are shopping for Mother’s Day/Taurus season birthdays/any caregivers in your life, my gift guide is a comprehensive resource and Red Clay gift sets are a great option (use Abigail20 for 20% off).

I’m very bad at thinking ahead (I can do a few months but someone asked me my five year plan last week and I froze), but building a registry is an exercise in hope for the future. Are you hoping to be someone who entertains or makes bread (or ice cream) at home? I think being realistic is important—make sure you’ve tried the hobby at least a few times before upgrading to fancy equipment. You don’t want clutter, you want things that you’ll use. On a related note, we are not saving the fancy dishes and wine glasses for a special occasion. Life is the special occasion and it is short. If you break a dish, you break a dish. Put on the Mamma Mia soundtrack and clean it up. Another way to narrow down the vast options is to keep a running list on your phone of what you use in a week (or longer). See what bugs you about your current set up (a chipped mug, a too small cutting board, tupperware that doesn’t stack or is missing lids, not enough pie dishes for your baking marathons) and go from there.

Now, the products:

Dishes: I really love my dishes from Hawkins New York (throw in some marble coasters to your order) and they’ve held up well so far (I got them in December). For a more handmade option, I love Heath Ceramics but they have very high shipping rates. I like having matching plates and bowls and then a more eclectic mix of small bowls for serving snacks (Julia got me a gorgeous vintage wooden salad bowl set from Etsy that I love using). You can also get beautiful dishes on Ebay and Etsy and at Estate sales. On the glassware front, there are beautiful vintage options and I love Estelle Colored Glass (Grace has a great collection).

Image via Hawkins. I use the blush bowl every morning for oatmeal and am contemplating another set