7 Quick Takes: Bridal Registry Edition

For today's 7 Quick Takes, I'd like to share with you seven items that I either received before my wedding or came across after, that I wholeheartedly recommend for any new bride. So, if you are getting married soon and are at a loss when it comes to creating your registry, or shopping for the bride who has everything, hopefully you will find some inspiration here!

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

{source}

From the top, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. Never ironed a pair of men's pants before? Martha's got you covered. Not sure how to clean those granite countertops, that's there, too. As in most things she does, efficient perfection is the name of the game, as Martha covers all the bases of "Homekeeping" (is that a mixed metaphor?).

Next up, also from the queen of clean, is a subscription to Food Everyday. For under $15, the bride to be will receive 10 issues full of easy dinner recipes that are classy without being elitist (if you know what I mean), and quick articles / recipes on such topics as Wine Basics, How To: Perfect Omelets, and Sunday Dinner (with a Monday menu utilizing leftovers). Beautiful pictures and easy instructions seal the deal on this one as a winner.

Moving on from Martha, let's talk about Dutch ovens. I use my Dutch oven almost everyday; it can go stovetop or in the oven. My husband jokes that if he would have known, we wouldn't have registered for all those "other things!" Le Creuset is the undisputed creme de la creme, but I actually didn't think to register for one, so post wedding I went on a search. When I came across an article in the ever authoritative Cook's  Illustrated magazine that rated this one a close second I was on it. I love my Tramontina, and it was a fraction of the cost. The price has increased since I paid $35 for this piece (unbelievable, I know!), but $59.97 still comes in way under the Le Creuset MSRP of $345.

The next one, a basic tool kit, I received from my sisters. It has been so helpful. Hanging pictures, using a wrench to fix that leaky faucet (don't worry, Martha tells you how to do that in Homekeeping, above),  and a thousand other little things, these tools are so darn handy!

Serving ware, that's number five. Some great looking serving ware can make the simplest of fare elegant and special (presentation is at least 70% of the equation...). We chose basic white because we already had some white Pfaltzgraff pieces that we had inherited. It was a great decision; it is simple, elegant, it lets the food shine and is easily mixed and matched. 

Luxurious bedding. Go for the highest thread count available, just do it. The "marital bed" is worth it. And pick a color that looks good on you. I'm blushing already; enough said!

And the last, one, oh I hesitate to include it, but what the hell... The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Let me begin with a disclaimer: I don't agree with every thing the good doctor says, I haven't read her other books, and I don't listen to her radio show because it annoys me. So why am I recommending her book? Because she challenges the individual reader to evaluate certain harmful attitudes and the behaviors that flow from them, and it places the power to impact change with the reader. Many marriage books seem to point out things that aren't good for marriage but that require both partners to get on board for change.  Rather than reading a book that tells you its bad to have a TV in your bedroom and makes you angry with your husband (because he put a TV in your bedroom), I think its better to focus on how you can effect change by changing yourself. And as a final word, I can imagine a chorus of feminine voices rising up to complain that Dr. L. is too hard on women, etc., etc. My response is that she is hard on women because she is writing advice for women. If she was to write for men, she would be equally tough (or should I say caustic?), because that is just her style. 

Are you married? What bridal shower or wedding gift have you found indispensable? Please leave me a comment below, or find with my sisters on Facebook and share some love!