From kitchen to kids, I love to share things that I use and love. Whether it’s a gadget that makes life easier, an appliance I love, or a new product that I’m super excited to have found.
I personally am a hardcore review-reader and appreciate when someone shares products with me that they value. The items in this list are not random crap. Though I may get a small commission from any affiliate links I use, I actually have or have had all of these things myself, and they’re my honest faves!
This list will be updated continuously so be sure to check back once in a while!
SPOTTED ON ETSY
Did you know I have an Etsy shop?! love to design & create all sorts of things for food, family, and life!
You can favorite my shop and you’ll see when I add new items. Meal planning stuff is in the works! Eventually, you’ll be able to shop directly from my site, but for now, just go through Etsy. These are just a few items listed in there:
KIDS PACKING LIST
One of my best sellers! This Kids Packing List makes it easy for kids to feel independent and for parents to remember everything that needs to be brought on vacation. These digital files are one-time purchases you can use over and over!
75 SOFT CHALLENGE TRACKERS
The 75 Hard Challenge has been around for a bit. It’s a little aggressive for some but the Easy/Soft and Medium adaptations are great and this PDF bundle helps you stay on track! There’s a variety of colors and an Editable PDF version. Check it out!
SMALL APPLIANCES
Keurig K-Elite I love this particular Keurig because of its large water capacity, five cup sizes, and Iced Coffee option.
Ninja Foodi Grill & Air Fryer is a great medium size air fryer perfect for 3-4 people. Though it has several cooking options I almost exclusively use it on Air Crisp or Grilling!
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 love love love my Instant Pot! Now, do I use all the fancy buttons on the sides? Nope. Do I think that Saute feature works great? Nope. But does it make perfectly tender meats in a mere fraction of the time? YEP! And that seals the deal for me.
Hamilton Beach Flip Belgian Waffle Maker for when you want homemade waffles, this little guy is impressive and easy to use! I love the flip-style waffle makers because I feel they cook more evenly.
Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker Plus not only does this machine make it insanely easy and quick to make fresh pasta, it’s also a really fun activity to do with the kids. I actually have this Williams Sonoma exclusive model which is the same thing but in black and it comes with more discs for additional pasta shapes.
KitchenAid 5 QT Stand Mixer Since I don’t have dedicated counter space for my stand mixer I honestly don’t use it much. This guy is heavy and a tad cumbersome to take in and out for simple mixing tasks. Yet I still love it and use it when making multiple cookie batches or especially for shredding cheese and veggies with the additional attachments which is such a huge time saver.
KITCHEN TOOLS, GADGETS & SUCH
KitchenAid Slicer/Shredder Attachment If you have a stand mixer, this attachment is super handy for shredding veggies and cheeses in minimal time!
Ninja Express Chop is basically a mini food processor that is super convenient and works well for quick chopping of herbs and veggies. I got mine at Target, where apparently it’s half the price of Amazon.
Milk Frother Obsessed with this little guy! It makes the best froth for yummy lattes and cappuccinos at home. Plus there’s like 50 color choices that are super cute! I’ve gotten several of these as gifts and everyone loves them.
OXO Cereal Containers I tried several cereal containers and these are definitely my favorite. They fit nicely next to each other, are easy to hold, fit regular or large cereal box, and easy for kids to pop open and closed (which I especially wanted because our previous containers weren’t seal entirely when my toddler closed them and kept going stale.) I bought the 3-pack but they also sell them individually and with additional sizes/capacities for granola, nuts, etc.
Food Storage Containers I use these for a variety of my dried foods (flours, sugar, pasta, rice, chocolate chips, etc.) The measuring cups are really convenient to store within the container, especially for rice and flour. I use the smaller containers with little openings for baking soda and chocolate chips so it’s easy to scoop and level or pour. You can also buy some of these as separate containers instead of the bundle.
OXO Prep & Go Salad Container When I was working at an office I used this container ALL the time. It’s perfect for keeping wet/dry salad ingredients separate or for warming up a protein on the separate plate before mixing your salad together. The dressing cup was also handy and never leaked for me!
Garlic Rocker This is literally the best tool for mincing garlic, especially if traditional hand-held garlic presses are hard for you to use. It requires very little effort, almost no wasted garlic, and super easy to clean. I recently tried a regular press again and there is simply no comparison!
Oil Dispenser Another thing I’ve had for years and absolutely love! Olive oil is best stored in dark-tinted glass, ceramic, or stainless steel to keep it tasting its best. I keep large bottles in my pantry away from heat and light and refill my counter dispenser as needed. The fun shape looks pretty and makes it easy to pour. Plus it comes in a bunch of beautiful colors!
Can Opener – simple, easy to use, and never fails. I don’t think can openers need to be fancy. Just a good, comfortable grip and that’s exactly what this one has!
Avocado Slicer Do I use this all the time? No, I’m too lazy to clean all these crevices when a knife will suffice. Do I use this when I have more than one or two avocados to prep and slice? Definitely! There is a time-benefit analysis one must consider!!
Foldable Silicone Trivets These are super convenient! They fold up nice and small to fit in your drawer, and are easy to clean if they get dirty.
COOKWARE & BAKEWARE
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6-Quart I honestly love this dutch oven. It cooks just as well and is just as durable as the fancy brand but WAY more affordable! It’s my favorite pot for low and slow soups but also perfect for baking a fresh crunchy loaf of bread! *I have the 4.5 Qt and find myself often wishing it was just a tad bigger so I listed the 6 Qt here.
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Covered Casserole Pan, 3.6 Quart this guy right here is one of my favorite pans and works so well for everything from sauteed chicken cutlets to saucy one-pan dishes. It heats so well and cleans up easy. The only thing to note is that it is heavy. Most cast iron dishes are, but I’ve read that Lodge is heavier than Le Creuset (though I don’t have personal experience.)
COOKBOOKS
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
Kids Knives These are amazing! They do a surprisingly great job cutting MANY fruits, veggies, cheeses, breads, etc. and they have not cut my kids fingers!! Highly recommend these if you have little kitchen helpers! (I also saw this other brand with a bunch of other colors or this one with cute multi-color sets if you prefer!)
Hawaiian Shaved Ice Snow Cone Machine Got this for my daughter last Christmas and it was a hit! Her neighborhood friends love it when we make these, they find it so fun and a special treat! The set has cups, straws, syrups and nozzles. It also comes with two containers to make the ice pucks needed to make the shaved ice. Each puck makes about 2 snow cones. We keep a zipbag in the freezer with a few ice pucks ready to go!
KID STUFF
Bentgo Kids Chill Lunch Box with Ice Pack I absolutely love this lunchbox for my kiddos. It’s easy for them to open. It includes a super convenient ice pack that sits underneath the compartment tray. It fits a decent amount of food for both my 7 and 2 year olds (though I do sometimes put an extra snack or two on that side that doesn’t need to be kept cold). It might be a tad pricier than some others BUT it has so far held up for 2.5 years of daily use through school and summer camp with my older daughter so it’s totally worth it!
Bentgo Insulated Lunch Bag These bags are so perfect! They’re double insulated so they help keep foods cold a little longer (though you still need to use an ice pack.) They are slim enough to fit inside a backpack but large enough to fit the Chill lunch box AND a 10oz thermos! They have a water bottle sleeve on the side that tightens, a shoulder and a hand strap. Plus, they actually clean really easily with a little dish soap and sponge, then just rinse it off and let dry. Not to mention they have a lot of really cute patterns!
Bentgo Kids Snack Box This small snack box by Bentgo is literally just a small snack box. It fits a banana cut in half on the large side and a handful of puffs/chips on the small side. I mention it because I needed something for my toddler to take to daycare (because apparently, the provided lunch is not enough for my hungry little monster.) I didn’t want to send a whole lunch bag for a small container and tried a few kinds. This one is easiest to clean, and easiest for a 2 year old to open on their own. No ice pack though so I stick to non-refrigerated snacks.
Bixbee Backpacks These backpacks are perfect for your little ones (daycare-elementary)! They are horizontal and fit their bodies/shoulders WAY better than regular backpacks. they have super fun shapes and patterns. My 2 year old has this spaceship one (can’t find it on Amazon anymore) and loves to wear it. Their website has a bunch more options, plus I’m now seeing they have a ton of other fun, cute stuff for kids I never knew about!
