12 More Must-Haves for the Shortcut Chef

A few months ago, we shared our 12 favorite gadgets, tricks, and doodads for equipping a fully functional crafty kitchen. Well, after even more experimentation here at Brit HQ, we've got 12 more must-haves to show you! From the perfect tool for hulling strawberries to a totally magical colander, here we go!

Flag Conversion Tea Towel

Shanna Murray for West Elm, is a whimsical typographical illustration of the most basic kitchen conversions, from teaspoons to tablespoons to ounces to cups, and so on.

2. Cuisipro Herb Keeper ($20): Love cooking with fresh herbs but don't have a good spot for an herb garden? This herb keeper helps keep your store-bought herbs fresh as can be for much longer than your cheese drawer.

3. Trap Door Colander ($20): Perhaps the best colander we've seen! After you drain or strain you pasta, veggies, etc, simply open the trap door on the bottom to put directly on a plate, back into a pot, or into a baking pan. So simple!

4. Silicone Brownie-Squares Baking Mold ($9): This little darling came in handy for our Cappuccino Stout Brownies, Funfetti Macarons, and could even be used to be make custom chocolates. We love the mini-ness of it, and the break it gives our muffin pan.

Strawberry Huller

Strawberry Cheesecake Jello Shots and just can't get enough. Yes, its a very specific tool for a very specific thing. But in the summertime, we like to incorporate strawberries into anything we can, and this tool makes our love for strawberries even greater.

7. Garlic Twist ($17): If you're mincing a lot of garlic at once, you'll love this little twist. Throw a clove or three of garlic in, twist, and you've got perfectly minced garlic. The cleanup is easy, and you get a lot more garlic than what you get out of a press.

8. 3-in-1 Design Rotary Peeler ($12): Need a peeler that's compact and can actually handle all the different fruits and veggies you're peeling? This little darling has a standard blade for potatoes and carrots, a soft skin blade for tomatoes and kiwis, and a julienne blade for making thin matchstick strips.

9. Mocubo Modular Cutting Board ($40): A cutting board and veggie storage system in one? Win! This is great if you're doing a ton of food prep and end up with piles of veggies on plates all over your countertop. Also great for extra crackers for cheese plates. We love using it when we want to prep food while socializing in the backyard or at the kitchen table. It's your one stop chop shop!

10. Compact Herb Chopper ($19): One thing we love about summer is the plethora of fresh herbs in just about everything you eat, drink, and make. This super compact herb chopper is a chopping block and blade in one, and is perfect for herbs. The surface is slightly curved to complement the blade, and it definitely beats using a whole cutting board for a few springs of mint.

12. Striped Paper Straws ($7): Finally, straws! How do you plan on serving all those delicious boozy cocktails without festive summery straws? These are just the finishing touch any cocktail needs, and double as popsicle sticks when you're in a pinch.

Whether you're looking to smooth fine lines, boost hydration, or brighten dull skin, a great anti-aging serum can be your skincare BFF. The term ‘anti-aging’ is a bit of a misnomer – of course, no skincare product is going to stop you from actually aging. What you’re really looking for in an ‘anti-aging’ serum is a formula that’s anti-wrinkle, anti-fine line, and anti-dark spot.

Some common ingredients to look out for in anti-aging serums include retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and peptides.

These top 10 anti-aging serums will restore mature skin and give it a youthful glow!

Amazon

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is a total powerhouse ingredient when it comes to anti-aging skincare products, and this serum's essentially packed with it. It helps even out skin tone, fight against free radicals, and even supports collagen production for plumper, firmer skin.

Amazon

Olay Super Serum

This serum from Olay is formulated with niacinamide, vitamin C, collagen peptides, vitamin E, and AHA for instantly noticeable hydration, healthier-looking skin, and an even looking skin tone.

Amazon

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum

Targeted directly toward fine lines and wrinkles, this affordable $12 serum simultaneously hydrates and firms up your skin after applying it.

Amazon

COSRX Snail Mucin 96% Power Serum

This serum's an Amazon #1 best-seller for a reason: it expertly addresses skin that's desperately in need of hydration and nourishment, banishing dryness and signs of aging almost instantly. Oh yeah, and a bottle's only $18 (was $25).

Amazon

Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum

Hydrated skin is healthy skin, and this high-end serum hydrates for over 10 hours after just one application.

Amazon

Bliss 'Youth Got This' Retinol Serum

Retinol can help encourage faster cell turnover on your skin, so it's constantly cycling dead, dry skin out in favor of newer, fresher skin cells. This obviously means smoother, more youthful skin – and this $21 (was $32) serum truly nails it down.

Amazon

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum

If brighter skin is what you seek, opt for this vitamin C-packed moment! It has 4.6 out of 5 stars from Amazon shoppers for its ability to improve the appearance of fines lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks.

Amazon

La Roche-Posay Hyaluronic Acid B5 Serum

With a combo of hydrating hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this serum will leave your face soft and plump to the touch every single time.

Amazon

Cetaphil Healthy Renew Anti-Aging Serum

This anti-aging serum improves your skin's firmness, texture and tone in just 2 weeks using purified peptides, which are essentially an easier alternative to retinol, which can be tricky to tap into since it can affect your skin's sensitivity.

Amazon

Anua 10% Niacinamide+ 4% Tranexamic Acid Serum

This serum seemingly does it all: it improves dullness and enlarged pores, soothes and hydrates, and strengthens the skin barrier – all while being gentle enough for continual AM and PM use.

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

While extremely unique and modern-sounding baby names have risen to popularity in recent years, especially among celebrities, more moms and dads are going against the status quo. In fact, "old-fashioned" baby names are making a comeback, and to some, it might be a bit shocking. The resurgence has, in part, been furthered by TikTok, with trends like "old person baby names" and "old money baby names" going viral. But it's a bandwagon that might be worth jumping on.

Classic baby names have an undoubted strength to them. Those who came before us and survived difficult events in history, from world wars to the great depression, had a certain resourcefulness and grit that might feel less prevalent nowadays. So, whether you're currently expecting or just hoping to stockpile some adorable baby names for future additions, here are eight old-fashioned baby names that are still going strong in 2025.

These are the old-fashioned baby names people can't get enough of right now!

1. Hazel

Tatiana Syrikova

According to the Social Security Administration, Hazel was the eighteenth most popular girl's name in 1897. Over a century later, this name is exploding in popularity again. It was even the twenty-fourth most popular girl's name in 2024.

Hazel, which means "from the hazelnut tree," is of English origin. It's beautiful, vintage, and can be used for boys, too.

2. Ruby

Anastasiya Gepp

Fans of luxurious red gems may love the baby name Ruby. It's Latin in origin and means "deep red precious stone."

It was especially favored during the early twentieth century, peaking as the twenty-second most popular baby name in 1911. But aside from evoking images of strong, rare stones, Ruby is also a name that's been carried by many notable figures, including Ruby Bridges, a civil rights pioneer, and Ruby Johnson, a 1960s soul singer.

3. Edith

Natalie Bond

The name Edith means "prosperous in strife" and is British in origin. It was quite popular from the late 1800s to early 1900s and, like Ruby, has been held by various influential women in history.

For instance, Edith Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1901 to 1909, and Edith Wharton was an American writer who penned numerous influential works and became the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with her novel, "The Age of Innocence."

4. Fern

William Fortunato

With English roots and a meaning tied to nature, Fern is a charming botanical name that once flourished before witnessing a decline in popularity during the 1940s.

It has an undeniable vintage appeal and earthy simplicity that makes it a go-to choice for parents who love the great outdoors. Other classic names with a similar vibe include Willow and Faye.

5. August

Vika Glitter

Moving on to boys, August is a strong name of German origin that means "great" and "magnificent." Your baby doesn't have to be born in the month of August to take on this name, either.

It soared in popularity in the United States during the 1890s, and today, it's still considered stylish and sophisticated. Not to mention, August has plenty of cute nickname options, like "Gus" or "Auggie."

6. Franklin

Louis LIM

Franklin is another iconic, old-fashioned name that lends itself to plenty of nickname variations. It's English, means "free man," and was actually held by two different United States presidents: Franklin Pierce and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

For short, babies named Franklin can be called "Frank" or "Frankie," the latter of which is sometimes used as a baby girl's name as well.

7. Edmund

Ksenia Chernaya

Those who love "Bridgerton" might be especially fond of the name Edmund due to the Bridgerton family's charming patriarch, Lord Bridgerton.

This English name means "fortunate land protector" and represents a more unique option than Edward. It has a timeless charm and carries historical significance while still offering plenty of opportunities for nicknames like Ed or Eddie.

8. Archie

Helena Lopes

Finally, after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child into the world in 2019, they chose the name Archie. This news catapulted Archie back to popularity.

With German origins and the meaning of "genuine" and "bold," this boy baby name is a nickname for the even more old-fashioned name "Archibald."

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This story includes spoilers for Sweet Magnolias season 4.

After the whirlwind of Sweet Magnolias season 4, and all the literal and emotional storms it brought Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen's (Heather Headley) way, fans are clamoring for a Sweet Magnolias season 5. And one of our favorite stars already has an idea of where she'd like her character to go.

Here's what Heather Headley had to say about Helen's journey and Sweet Magnolias season 5.

Heather Headley wants her 'Sweet Magnolias' character Helen to continue to "show what women go through."

Netflix

As a self-proclaimed Landman fan (hey, me too!!) Heather Headley admits she wants Helen to experience more conflict in Sweet Magnolias season 5 and beyond.

"They're always like, 'We want her to be happy' — I wasn't happy for the first 3 episodes!" she tells Brit + Co over Zoom. "I was one of the people that when the storyline was, Oh, she might get pregnant, I was like, 'No, I think she has everything. I think we're here to show what women go through and what women don't go through.'"

Sweet Magnolias does a wonderful job of highlighting so many different women's experiences, and Heather says that "there are women that go through infertility and miscarriage, and they go through being single and divorce and all this kind of stuff."

"I remember saying to [the writers], 'There are women who watch our show who unfortunately had miscarriages, and it's closer to all of us than we think,'" she continues. "It's closer in the room than we think, right? Some of us have had it. And so I remember saying to them, 'I think Helen should not have something that she wants. She should not get something that she wants.'"

Now, while Heather wants to continue flexing her acting muscles by allowing Helen to hit a few more road bumps, she's still hoping for a happy ending. "I do think, like any other person on this earth, that she should have a few hindrances, a few hiccups along the way," she says. "My hope for her is that in the end, she'll find love and that she will be happy."

Is Sweet Magnolias going to have a season 5?

Netflix hasn't greenlit a Sweet Magnolias season 5 yet — but as soon as we know more you'll be the first to know. Because I have quite a few questions. Um, namely, is Maddie really going to leave Serenity for Manhattan?! Ugh, only time will tell (and I hope we know sooner rather than later).

Stay tuned for the latest Sweet Magnolias season 5 news.