Registry and Gift Forum

Best items on your registry

My FI and I will have lived together for more than 4 years by the time we get married and had our own fully functioning households before that.  There isn't a lot that we need.  I inherited my grandmother's china and crystal and my great-grandmother's silver, so we are set with formal dining options.  We are saving for a house.  So as to avoid asking for money, our plan was to create a small registry somewhere, and leave it at that.  We have identified some items we want to "upgrade" (e.g., new everyday dishes, sheets and towels, etc.) but are concerned there are things we just aren't thinking of. We both like to cook and have a pretty well stocked "fancy" appliance section already, including high end mixers, blenders, and food processors.

I am sure there are things that we aren't considering, but the prospect of trolling the internet or a store for hours to come up with those items seems terribly daunting.  So I was wondering, what are your favorite items on your registry that you think people might need, but wouldn't necessarily think of to register for?   
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Re: Best items on your registry

  • My two favorites were my vacuum cleaner (a shark) and a legit iron (a rowenta).  I had also registered for a garment steamer (LOVE), but MIL bought it for my law school graduation, so I ended up taking it off the registry before things were really being purchased.  That thing is money when I'm running late in the morning.  It's also a rowenta.

    Other random things I loved getting (brand in parenthesis):
    -A high-end wooden salad bowl (Nambe)
    -Stainless steel pitcher that works with both casual and formal tables (Beatriz Ball)
    -Awesome towels (Pottery Barn - they really are the best)
    -Sterling silver storage chest (Reed & Barton - you will need one of these if you are getting sterling)
    -High-end wine glasses (Schott Zwiesel from Pottery Barn)
    -Heavy duty luggage (Tumi)
    -Serving platters and bowls in smaller sizes/different shapes (Lenox Organic Bead & Beatriz Ball)
    -Casual outdoor dining set (Pottery Barn melamine plates & Mariposa drinkware)
    -Table linens (Pottery Barn)
    -Grill set (Oxo)
    -Enough pie plates & casserole dishes for Thanksgiving (Emile Henry - and they all coordinate)
    -Cast Iron dutch oven & braiser (both Le Creuset)


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  • We were very lucky and received a lot of great items!  Here are some of our favorites/most used:
    • Trina Turk Bedding 
    • Matching bath set
    • Shark Vacuum
    • Metrokane corkscrew and preserver set for wine
    • Sodasteam
    • Capresso Espresso Machine
    • Calphalon Unison Cookware
    • Calphalon Nonstick Bakeware
    • Lenox Barware
    • Godinger serving pieces
    • Tidbit plates
    • Glass cake stand
    • OXO Pop containers
    • WW Bathroom Scale
  • You might consider going to a store like BBB and just looking at their small kitchen tools to see what you might want.  It's a little more manageable than going in with the goal of going through the entire store.  Some things we really like:

    - Oxo nylon flexible spatulas (BBB and Amazon have them)
    - high quality silicon spoons and spatulas from William Sonoma
    - gold touch bakeware at WS--we registered for 1 lb and 1.5 lb loaf pans, and someone got us the minis as well, which I actually use more than expected and they are just fun
    - misto (for spraying oil)
  • Things we really liked off our Macy's registry:

    - kcup vue
    - vacuum
    - cast iron dutch oven
    - a couple of really nice knifes
    - kitchen towels

    Things off our Amazon registry:

    - a rain barrel
    - a wine rack
    - a hammock
    - a laundry organizer thing (on wheels - three separate compartments)
    *********************************************************************************

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  • I registered for a new vacuum and a steam vac (we have animals and a wood stove. It gets messy).
    Nice bedding and towels.
    Some office organization stuff will probably go on there (we run a business together).
    In the kitchen--food mill, canner, and dehydrator in addition to some of the usual. These are things we don't have but will use. I had a big grill on the list but took it off--just too much.
    Cookbooks
    Something to do together in our off time or when hosting friends--I added a few classic board games, camping gear, and some workout equipment to ours.
    He has almost every tool known to man, but they tend to be gone on a job when I need them, so tools for minor household chores wouldn't be a bad addition.
    Lawn mower
    Wheelbarrow

    ^some of those I don't think people will purchase, and that's OK. The completion discount is still nice.
  • csuavecsuave member
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    edited December 2013

    -Simple Human split top storage bench with shoe dividers

    -Simple Human stainless steel butterfly open garbage can<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

    -Shark Navigator

    -Hoover Floormate (a very nice upgrade from the Swiffer)

    -George Forman grill with removable plates

    -Trifle bowl

    -Dish drying mat

    -Misto oil mister

    -Egg tainer

    -Kitchen towels

    -Drawer dividers

    -Over the door pantry rack

    -Engagement/wedding ring holder

    -Air mattress for guests/travel

    -Suncast recycle bin set of 3 from Target.com

     

    If you want to dress up your china you might want to get some chargers.  My parents have the inexpensive gold plastic kind and they are fun and look nice on the table.

     

    DH and I both love our Crate and Barrel Cambridge 2-Tier Server with two rectangular plates.

     

  • Based on what you already have, are there any accessories you want for your current appliances? Like the add-ons for a mixer (ice cream maker, meat grinder, extra bowls/lids), or if you have a vacuum, pet attachments or the like.

    Do you have a big banquet folding table? These are great for additional seating at a party, or to set up a buffet on, and work indoors or outdoors. We bought one ourselves, and then gave another one as a wedding gift to a couple who mentioned they really liked the one we have.

    And you don't have to go to a store for hours. Pick one store you like (Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Macys, Target -wherever) and just go for an hour. Scan the pretty little things that catch your eye, and then call it a day. If your goal is to create a small registry, you no longer have to worry about hitting various price points, or making sure you get things you really need. If someone sees something they like, and it's in their price range, they'll buy it. If not, they'll give you cash or a gift card. No need to stress so much!

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  • @audubonbride2013, how do you like the sodastream?  DH and I asked for one for Christmas...

     

    I second the idea of attachments for the nice kitchen appliances you already have, if you want any. 

    Essentials (for me anyway!): 

    Nice pots and pans

    Slow cooker(s)

    Good knives

    Vacuum (we have and love the Shark Navigator Light)

     

    Might be nice to have:

    Vacuum sealer for food items

    Corkscrew/barware

    Wall art

    Spice rack (I have this one and highly recommend)

    Casseroles/cake pans with lids

    Table linens

    If you don't need/want much, don't register for much!  Pick out a few things that you would like, maybe a few dozen depending on the size of your guest list, and leave it at that.  And if you find the registry process daunting, choose a place that lets you add to your registry online.  Then you can research items as much as you want and add/remove things easily.

     

     

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  • daveANDkristen I honestly love it!  DH really wanted one so we registered for it.  Before we got it I thought it would be a waste of space, and I was pretty sure he'd lose interest in it.  But we use it ALL the time (multiple times everyday).  We even bought some mini bottles for it and now we take our own soda to work too.

    We've shopped around for our supplies and BBB has the best prices on flavors since you can use their coupons.  BBB also let's you exchange the empty carbonators to get a new one for half price plus you can use coupons on those too.
  • daveANDkristen I honestly love it!  DH really wanted one so we registered for it.  Before we got it I thought it would be a waste of space, and I was pretty sure he'd lose interest in it.  But we use it ALL the time (multiple times everyday).  We even bought some mini bottles for it and now we take our own soda to work too.

    We've shopped around for our supplies and BBB has the best prices on flavors since you can use their coupons.  BBB also let's you exchange the empty carbonators to get a new one for half price plus you can use coupons on those too.
    Awesome!  I don't even drink much soda but I think it would be awesome to have for entertaining.  What flavors do you like?  You can PM me if you want, I don't wanna threadjack :)
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