Paula's Picks 6: Kitchen Finds & Little Things I’m Loving

Paula’s Picks 6. It’s time for another Paula’s Picks post, and this one feels very “summer at home.” I’ve been making easy meals, testing recipes, reorganizing my kitchen, and finding little products that genuinely make cooking and everyday life easier.

Some of these are practical. Some are fun. A few are totally unnecessary but still make me happy. 😄

Here are a few favorites I’ve been loving lately.

A collage for Paula's Picks 6 featuring a pink "But First, Coffee" mug, white and tan sandals, trash cans, a camera gimbal, refrigerator organizers, Burt's Bees lip balm, and tan slide sandals.

Table of Contents

Paula’s Picks 6: Products, Finds & Favorites

Portable Handheld Turbo Fan

I used to giggle at people with handheld fans, but now I’m totally hooked. This compact fan is great for travel and watching sports. The battery lasts about 12 to 13 hours, and it’s rechargeable.

Dental Floss Picks

These dental floss picks are the only way I can get my boys to floss!

A chart titled "Guide to Stains" from Paula's Picks 5 shows common stains and recommended removal methods, including grass with vinegar and coffee with baking soda, using text and colored illustrations.

Slim Kitchen Trash

This slim kitchen trash is perfect for my pantry, and I love that it has dividers for recycling.

Duke’s Mayonnaise

If you know Southern cooking, you already know. There’s just something about Duke’s in tomato sandwiches, pasta salads, pimento cheese, and tomato pie that tastes better to me.

I especially love it during the summer cooking season.

Paula’s Picks 6: My Current Favorite Lip Balm

I keep Burt’s Bees lip balm in:

my purse
my car
beside my bed
my kitchen junk drawer

Because somehow lip balm disappears constantly.

I’ve been loving anything with:

shea butter
coconut oil
kokum butter

Especially during hot weather when everything feels dry.

Glass Meal Containers

These have completely replaced mismatched plastic containers in my kitchen with these glass containers.

I use them constantly for:

leftovers
recipe prep
cut fruit
pasta salad
marinating protein

Bonus: they stack nicely and make the refrigerator look less chaotic.

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Paula’s Picks 6 Fashion

As I said in a recent email, I love turquoise and gold. I ordered these earrings and this necklace.

My Favorite Sandals

I love shoes that work with:

jeans
casual dresses
shorts
airport outfits

A simple sandal makes everything look a little cleaner and more put together without trying too hard. I like these sandals too. I got these to wear to the beach.

Current Favorite TV Shows

I’m always cooking with something playing in the background.

Lately I’ve been watching:

Crime dramas – Berlin, Nemesis
Documentaries – Marty Life is Short, Lainey Wilson
Old sitcom reruns – Younger, Working Moms

Sometimes recipe testing goes much faster with a good show playing in the kitchen.

Kitchen Tips I’ve Been Using

This first time is from a reader, and I just love it!

When bagged baby spinach is on sale, I buy several BIG bags and freeze them. Once the spinach is frozen, I “crush” it (still frozen in the bag), then transfer the crushed spinach into a large Ziplock.

When I make a recipe that calls for spinach, I grab a large handful and toss it in still frozen. The pieces are still large enough, but I do not have large pieces of wilted spinach in my final dish.

This method

Saves a bunch of space in my freezer once the frozen spinach is condensed down into a ziplock bag

I always have spinach on hand for a recipe when needed

I save money in the long run.

I also do similar with broccoli – When broccoli is on sale, I buy a lot, like 6-8 lbs or more, depending on the sale, blanch the crowns, not fully cooked, just a good blanch with most of the stem cut off. Then I drain them well with a salad spinner and freeze them on a cookie sheet.

Once the broccoli is hard frozen,

I chop most up to “diced” recipe-ready bits – then place them into a gallon ziplock.

Chop the rest into tiny bits to add to dips, rice…places where you want tiny bits (not diced size) and put them in a quart ziplock.

Next, I put both bags into the freezer. Just like the spinach, I grab however much I want to use in a recipe and add it frozen.

I don’t waste the stems – I shred or grate them, blanch them lightly and separate from the crowns, spin them dry and freeze them also to use in casseroles…my family doesn’t know there is broccoli in many of my dishes!

Instructional diagram from Paula's Picks 5 showing three ways to tie a scarf—European loop, Twist, and Fashion knot—using step-by-step visuals with a pink scarf on a mannequin.

Paula’s Picks to Make This Week

With the boys being home for the summer, these recipes are on repeat around here lately:

What I’m Loving About Summer Right Now

fresh produce
slower evenings
grilling outside
iced coffee every afternoon
easy dinners
porch sitting

Simple things just feel extra good this time of year.

Paula’s Picks 6 Final Thoughts

If you have something you’re currently loving lately — kitchen gadget, recipe, show, beauty product, or random Amazon find — tell me because I’m always adding things to my “want to try” list.

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