Two Day Magazine

Remember, register for what you want, not what you do not need...

As you all read this today, I will be at my bridal shower.  

Right now, I'm sitting at my parents' dining room table.  Their dog, my sister Sara's dog Bailey, and our Zeus are running around the house.  Joe and Shirl, Sara and Jason are in the kitchen talking and laughing.

Seeing my parents and sister and Jason kibitzing makes me realize how lucky I am to be where I am right at this moment in my life.

I'm loved.  I'm happy.  And (allow me this indulgence...) I'm wearing jeans that are MUCH smaller than jeans that I was wearing this time a year ago.

You can't get much better than that.

That old adage about the best things in life being free feels really true right now.

That being said, I am very much looking forward to one of the best wedding activities:

Being showered with gifts.  I got to go out and buy a fancy dress and people have to watch me open presents!  That I picked out!  

(Please note that Sara and Shirl have planned a lovely, decadent luncheon and those in attendance will be blown away by the awesomeness of the grab-bag gifts and distinct lack of cheesy bridal shower games that usually have to be played to win said gifts.)

Which brings me to my real point: it is really tempting to get carried away with a shower registry.

Jason and I registered at Williams Sonoma and Target.  Target was much easier to keep under control than Williams Sonoma was.

We were like wild animals in Williams Sonoma when they handed us that scanner.  We cook together nearly every day so going to Williams Sonoma and picking out all the things we'd want in our dream kitchen was thrilling.  

When I looked at the list online a few days later, I was a little bit turned off by the kind of people others would think we were based on what we registered for.  

$16.95 ice cream scoop?  How did that get on there?  When was the last time I even ate ice cream, let alone scooped it out of a container myself?

$35.95 for a bundt cake pan?  Who am I?  Betty crocker?

I have a few words of advice to spouses-to-be who are registering for gifts:

Register for things you want but not for things you do not need (i.e. - $16.95 ice cream scoop.)

Cookbooks are fabulous things to have and are worth the space on the registry sheet.

You do not need an apple corer, despite what the woman at Williams Sonoma tells you.

Putting expensive pots and pans on your list is only ok if people actually have reason to believe that you cook.  (Kim Kardashian registered for things you KNOW she will never, ever touch because she has someone to do all of those things for her... like core her apples.)

Enable that "Allow gift cards" option on your registry.  It'll be fun going back to the store and getting things on a random Tuesday after all of the wedding hub-bub is over.

And here's the biggest piece of advice: Make your maid of honor change your password for your online registry access.  

She can monitor things and make sure there are enough items left on the list.I didn't even know I would be able to see what things were bought until I went online one day to add something and saw little "fulfilled" icons next to some items.  You picked all the items out, but it should still be a surprise to see what people actually got you!  

Trust me.  Make the MOH in charge.  Don't let yourself ruin the surprise!

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Sally Turkovich admits that she still really does want that expensive bundt pan as she truly does fancy herself to be her generation's Betty Crocker.  Please feel free to purchase it and send it to her and include a self addressed stamped envelope if you'd like a delicious piece of bundt cake returned to you.