Alert alert! Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away! If you’re in need of gift ideas for mom or grandma, I rounded up a few things from The Home Depot that I know would impress the special ladies in my life

I know I sound like a broken record, but The Home Depot really does have everything. Since we have so many projects going on at our house, Nick and I both shop there weekly– him usually in store and me online. The Home Depot offers free shipping on orders over $45 and super flexible delivery options including free in-store pick up or 2-day shipping to home + free returns! It’s really a one-stop-shop for all your home improvement needs, as well as gifts!

1. Gallery Wall Frame Set | 2. Hydrangea Shrub | 3. Special Edition Keurig | 4. House Plant Collection | 5. Cricut DIY Mug Bundle | 6. KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 7. Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill | 8. Faux Fur Heated Blanket | 9. SodaStream Soda Maker | 10. Hanging Jewelry Box Mirror | 11. Designer Mirror Dupe 

The post Mother’s Day Gift Guide appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

We had the sweetest gender celebration party for our little one over the weekend. If it’s wasn’t obvious… IT’S A BOY! We are over the moon and SO excited to meet our little man in August. I still can’t believe it. A BOY! Nick and I both grew up with younger sisters. I have one and he has two– so we’re both pretty pumped about welcoming a little man into our family!

MY OUTFIT DETAILS // One Shoulder Pleated Dress (on sale for $25- wearing size 4) | Similar White Pumps | David Yurman Bracelets | Gold Necklace

So I have to confess. Pretty much all our friends knew we were pregnant and having a boy before our party. Nick and I aren’t big on secrets and weren’t really feelin’ the idea of making our baby’s gender into some big surprise reveal– especially since we already knew ourselves. Over the last two weeks we sporadically told all our friends the news and basically just planned this party as an excuse to celebrate and have all our pals over to our place 🙂

The party itself was really simple to plan! We ordered pizzas, served a bunch of chips and dips, I ordered a few types of blue candies, made a cheeseboard and baked cupcakes using Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix (so good btw!) Nick also picked up his favorite kinda beer– Sam Adams and of course Blue Moon to fit the theme 😛

Decor is the one thing we did go all out on! I made three small floral arrangements using blue and white hydrangeas and baby’s breath (all purchased from Trader Joe’s.) Nick and I also put together this epic DIY balloon garland the night before our party. It took about 2.5 hours to blow up and hang, but was absolutely worth the time considering it only cost us $44. I included links to the balloon kit, electric pump, sticky glue dots, and tape we used below!

BALLOON GARLAND SUPPLIES

Balloon Garland Kit— there are so many types and colors available! Most kits are $20 or less— total steals!
Electric Pump— 100% necessary. You DO NOT want to be blowing these up by hand– you will get exhausted!
Sticky Glue Dots— Our balloon kit came with a roll of these, but in the future I’d probably order extra since we ran out
Balloon Garland Decorating Strip— Many kits come with a plastic strip with notches where you attach all your balloons and then use to hang in an arch shape. Since we wanted a more custom shape we chose to only use this in top right corner of our garland in the area over our hall. All the rest of the balloons were just attached using the glue dots and tape!
Heavy-Duty Shipping Tape— This is what we used to attached the two ends of the plastic decorating strip to walls over our hallway. We also used this as adhesive when we ran out of glue dots (note: regular Scotch tape will NOT work– we tried that too!)

A few weeks before our party I had reached out to a couple local entertaining companies just to see what it would cost to hire someone to do the balloons for us and the quotes I got were INSANE. These vendors were charging $750+ for exactly what you see here. Crazy considering we spent under $50 to do it ourselves. If you’re curious to see how we hung up all the balloons, you can watch us do it this video.

 

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Had to go all out with decor for baby’s first party Fun fact! This cost us only $44 (including electric pump & balloon kit!) & was absolutely worth the 2.5 hours it took to blow up & hang I’d reached out to a few local party companies to find out the cost to have it done for us & was told $750+ … ya NOPE We had so much fun & it wasn’t as hard to do as it looks! The kit came with sticky glue dots & a plastic strip for attaching all the balloons together, however I would recommend having some clear heavy-duty packing tape on hand as a backup! We put this up the night before baby boy’s party & 48 hours later it still looks just as good . All supplies needed, our furniture + my outfit info is linked on the @liketoknow.it app here: http://liketk.it/2KIjw Dizaro – Oh My

A post shared by Katie Manwaring Gomes (@katiesbliss) on Feb 23, 2020 at 11:43am PST

Keep scrolling to see more party snaps! So grateful for all of our wonderful friends who came to celebrate with us. Baby is already SO loved!

The post It’s A Boy! Gender Reveal Party appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Can I get a drumroll please? Are you sure you’re ready? Then without further adieu, let me introduce ya’ll to my absolute favorite cocktail: the Apple Cider Margarita. At first glance it may sound a little strange, but trust me this drink is THE BOMB. The recipe is a little bit different than your standard margarita and perfect for enjoying during the fall when fresh apple cider is in season.

I actually started making these last year after being put in charge of the drinks for Thanksgiving dinner. While I’m 100% down for traditional margaritas year-round, I wanted to find a way to spin the recipe and make it more seasonal. Pinterest is a beautiful thing my friends because after a quick search I found my solution: swap out tequila for mezcal and add fresh apple cider. Everyone loved my apple cider margaritas so much that I made them again for Christmas and haven’t stopped shaking them up since. It’s such an easy cocktail to serve at home (Nick & I prob make them at least 1x a week for ourselves!) and the ingredients are minimal.

For those not familiar with mezcal, it’s basically the “dirty” sibling of tequila. Mezcal and tequila are both agave-based liquors, but have very different tastes. Tequila is a very smooth alcohol and typically has minimal flavor apart from the agave. Mezcal on the other hand is rich in flavor and has a really unique smokiness that makes it an amazing spirit to use in fall and winter cocktails. Don’t get scared off by the word “smoky” though. When you pair mezcal with the fruitiness of cider and lime juice it creates a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

OUTFIT DETAILS // Faux Leather Skirt | Sweater | Over The Knee Boots | Similar Necklace | Red Lipstick

What really makes this cocktail amazing though is the cinnamon sugar + salt rim. Sometimes when we have these at home I’ll catch Nick literally just sitting there LICKING the rim off of his margarita glass. Not even drinking!!! Like why even waste time sipping your marg when the rim is that good? I can’t with him sometimes– he seriously cracks me up! Once you try one though you’ll see what I mean. It’s like drinking fall in a glass! Please do all your friends and family (along with yourself! ) a favor and whip these up immediately.

Apple Cider Margarita Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1.5-2oz Mezcal (essentially 1-2 shot glasses)
3oz Fresh Apple Cider
1.5oz Lime Juice (I use store-bought key lime juice)
Ice Cubes

THE RIM:
Cinnamon + Sugar + Kosher Salt

OPTIONAL GARNISH:
Dried Apple Slices + Cinnamon Sticks + Nutmeg

SHOP WHAT YA NEED:

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: RIM YOUR GLASSES. I highly recommend not skipping the step because the sweet and salty rim is honestly what makes this drink. All you have to do is combine a few dashes of kosher salt, cinnamon, and granulated sugar (I buy pre-mixed cinnamon sugar to make things easier) on a plate and then dip the edge of your glass into the mixture. I always lightly wet the rim of all my glasses under running water, but you can use a lime wedge too! Feel free to use whatever type of glass you prefer. I like old fashioned-style, but I’ve used stemless wine glasses in the past as well!

STEP 2: MAKE THE MARGS. Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add your mezcal, apple cider and lime juice. Shake for a few seconds until the ingredients are combined and then pour into your deliciously rimmed glasses. If preferred, add a few ice cubes to each drink.

SIDENOTE // You cannnnn use a silver tequila in place of mezcal, but I really wouldn’t recommend it. I was curious about the difference so I tried it myself and the margs didn’t taste nearly as special. A smooth tequila just doesn’t bring out the flavor of the cider the way the mezcal does. Don’t get me wrong– it’s still a tasty drink with tequila, but trust me when I say mezcal takes it to another level.

STEP 3: ADD A GARNISH. Totally optional, but if you have peeps to impress or wanna get #fancy for the ‘gram I’d suggest adding an apple slice, cinnamon stick and a dash of nutmeg to the top of each margarita. I personally like dried apple slices though I’m sure a fresh apple slice would be tasty too! The garnish doesn’t really add much to the flavor of the drink itself but it looks really pretty!

So have I sold you on apple cider margaritas yet? I PROMISE I would never lead you guys astray, especially when it comes to drinks. If you end up making these margs please send me a photo on Instagram so I can see! Also make sure to save the graphic below to your Pinterest so the recipe is always a click away

The post Apple Cider Margarita Recipe appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Raise your hand if you’re addicted to watching TV… Those of you who keep up with my Instagram story know that I am obsessed with reality TV and Netflix. If I could envision my perfect weekend afternoon it would be snuggling up on the couch and binging season after season of an intense thriller or drama. What can I say? I’m a homebody!

Up until now I’d only revealed my little addiction on Instagram, but it’s been getting harder to ignore all the requests I’ve been getting to put together a list of my favorite shows. I’ll admit that I was a little hesitant to post this because, well, now you all know the true extent of my obsession. Before your jaw drops seeing this list just keep in mind this is a compilation of 8+ years of commitment to watching the tube— DON’T JUDGE.

Check out my Living Room Tour for details on my furniture and home decor!

Similar to my taste in books, I tend to favor thrillers and action series. I also loooooove a good historical drama. If you’re looking for lighthearted cable recs or comedies– you aren’t going to find any of this list. Basically the more shock factor and OMG moments: THE BETTER. I have such a short attention span it’s hard for me to get into basic cable shows when everything on HBO, Starz, Showtime and Cinemax can just take the drama to a whole other level. I also prefer binging more than one episode at a time, so many of these series I watched via Netflix. Shoutout to my Pop Pop for letting me use his subscription He’s the REAL MVP.

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE TV SHOWS

Ok let’s start with the all-time favorites. These are shows that spoke to my soul and were so good I’d actually re-watch over and over…

Game Of Thrones
True Blood
Homeland (Seasons 1-4, the most recent ones have been lame)
Breaking Bad
Handmaid’s Tale
The Tudors
The Walking Dead (Seasons 1-5)
Revenge

TV SHOWS I’VE RECENTLY WATCHED & ENJOYED

These are the shows I’ve really enjoyed watching in the last few months. My top 3 recommendations are BOLDED.

Ozark
Sharp Objects
Succession
The Affair
The Innocents
Killing Eve
Safe
The Sinner

TV SHOWS I LOVED BUT EVENTUALLY GOT BORED OF

It pains me to include this category, but I gotta be honest with ya’ll. Don’t get me wrong. These are great shows. But for various reasons like not knowing when to end (cough cough Walking Dead) or repetitive story lines I just lost interest. These are definitely worth checking out the first few seasons though!

The Walking Dead
Fear Of The Walking Dead
Scandal
American Horror Story
Orange Is The New Black
Sons of Anarchy
Penny Dreadful

“INSPIRED BY” HISTORY

I always gravitate towards shows with a historical spin, particularly anything medieval or revolving around a monarchy. I couldn’t narrow it down to 3 so I BOLDED my top 5 recommendations!

Peaky Blinders
The Tudors
The Last Kingdom
Versailles
Vikings
Godless
Frontier
Marco Polo
The Crown
Turn
The White Princess
The White Queen
Camelot
Boardwalk Empire
Hatfields & McCoys

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS AKA SHOWS THAT WILL TOTALLY MINDF*CK YOU

Nothing like binging a psychological thriller right before bedtime! These are the type of shows that once you start watching you won’t be able to stop and after the last episode you’ll still be thinking about what you just saw for days later. My top 4 recommendations are BOLDED.

Sharp Objects
Handmaid’s Tale
Stranger Things
Bates Motel
The Innocents
The OA
Alias Grace
The Leftovers
The Night Of

SCARY & GORY BUT IN A GOOD WAY

Blood and gore may not be for everyone, but I don’t mind it. Bring on the zombies, vampires and monsters!

The Walking Dead
Fear Of The Walking Dead
American Horror Story
Penny Dreadful
True Blood

CRIME, MURDER, MYSTERY, ETC.

Shows that revolve around crime or solving a mystery always get my attention. I loooove a good murder or kidnapping (LOL that sounds so demented??) Top 5 recommendations are BOLDED.

Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad spinoff)
Killing Eve
The Sinner
Ozark
Narcos
The Following
American Crime Story (OJ Simpson season– Versace season was disappointing)
American Crime
The Killing
Manhunt: Unabomber
Happy Valley
Safe
True Detective (Season 1)
The Staircase (this is a docuseries about an actual murder)
Making A Murderer (another docuseries)
Dexter (I never watched this, but Nick did & he says it’s one of his all-time favorite shows)

DRAMMMMAAAASSSS

Love triangles. Affairs. Family feuds. Political backstabbing. All the feels. My top 6 recommendations are BOLDED.

Succession
Scandal
Big Little Lies
Shameless
Billions
The Affair
House of Cards (the most recent season was blah)
Homeland
13 Reasons Why
Orange Is The New Black
Gypsy
Bloodline
Weeds
Ray Donovan
Sweetbitter
The Resident
Revenge
Friday Night Lights
Yellowstone

SHOWS THAT ARE REALLY RAUNCHY

Ok so real talk. These are borderline softcore p*rn. You definitely don’t want to watch these with your parents or any kiddos in the room! That could get reallllyyyyy awkward… Top 3 favorites are BOLDED.

True Blood
Power
Black Sails
Spartacus
Banshee
Quarry

REALITY TV

I love me some good trash TV and have known to keep Bravo! on for hours at a time…

Basically anything on Bravo!…
The Real Housewives (every single city but Beverly Hills & Atlanta are my favorites)
Southern Charm (only Charleston– the other spinoffs were lame)
Million Dollar Listing New York
The Bachelor / Bachelorette / Bachelor in Paradise
Siesta Key
Jersey Shore
Teen Mom
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Chrisley Knows Best
Queer Eye
Top Chef
90 Day Fiance

The post All My Favorite Binge-Worthy TV Shows appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Almost immediately after we got engaged I started getting asked, “Where are you going to register?” I’ll admit that I actually had to Google “what is a wedding registry?” and “when do you register for a wedding?” I told you guys I’m completely clueless about all things bridal!! I’ll fill you all in on where we’re at with wedding planning a little later in the post, but first let’s chat about wedding registries.

Once I finally educated myself on what registering actually is, it got my wheels turning and I couldn’t resist browsing the dining and entertaining offerings on Bloomingdales.com. Almost immediately I started envisioning ditching our mismatched flatware (that I’ve had since college) and hand-me-down dinnerware (also mostly from college) in favor of fine china and crystal glasses.

Over the last few years I’ve held off on replacing everything in our kitchen because I knew we’d eventually get engaged and our moment would come to register for all the porcelain things That said, of course the second I started clicking around Bloomingdales.com I spotted some tabletop goodies I resist to have in our home now.

SIMPLE & SUNNY SUMMER TABLESCAPE

Lemon Dinner Plates | Lemon Accent Plates | Stripe Napkins | Polka Dot Highball Glasses | Stripe Placement | Similar Flatware

I dunno how I’m only just finding out that Bloomingdales has an amazing selection of kate spade new york tabletop products. I was so impressed! I’m talking everything from bar essentials, dining sets, silverware, bakeware, serving trays– you name it! I ended up picking out a few new dinner and accent plants from the Lemon Melamine collection, along with these stripe placemats and napkins. I already had the gold polka dot highball glasses so I was really excited when I realized everything matched! That’s 1 big kitchen win for Katie

Chip & Dip Platter | Polka Dot Apron

Raise your hand if you love guac! Nick and I are all about our chip and dip snack nights so when I saw this platter I felt like it was made for us. The little bowl in the middle is removable, which makes placing in the dishwasher for cleanup super easy. Oh and can we talk about how there’s a measurement guide printed on the inside of my apron? G-E-N-I-U-S. Everyone needs one of these in their kitchen! I’m obsessed!

So what do you guys think of my summer tablescape?? While we may not be ready for delicate china just yet, I’m all for fun seasonal melamine dinnerware (hard dishwasher safe plastic) acrylic glasses and serveware that’s easy to clean. But since a girl cannnn dream I did make a point to check out some porcelain goodness from Lenox. Not THIS SET is prob what I’ll be adding to our registry and oh gosh this rose gold cutlery!!! Feel free to dream along with me peruse my mental wishlist below

I know I’ve talked a little bit about our wedding planning progress on Instagram, but now that’s we’ve actually checked off a few big things on our to-do list I figured I should fill you guys in here on the blog. First of all… I can’t believe we’re been engaged over a month! I swear it felt like just yesterday!

Secondly! Surprisingly everything has been moving along really smoothly!! So far the only stressful moment was when I began researching venues and decided to set up tours at 9 different places over the course of one weekend. Now THAT was a doozy. Luckily our location scouting went really well and while we found three venues that we loved, there was one that was a clear standout and just felt so perfect. So YES, we found our venue and we have a date!!! Once we locked those two things down I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off our shoulders and since then lots of other things have been falling into place

Here’s a lil list of what we’ve completed so far, what we’re currently focusing on and the things we’re aren’t worrying yet!

WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR

✓ Decided on a venue
✓ Confirmed the date (October 2019!!!)
✓ Created a budget spreadsheet
✓ Found our wedding planner (I quickly realized this was a necessity considering we have no idea what we’re doing)
✓ Confirmed photographer (just sent in our deposit yesterday!)
✓ Confirmed videographer (Big thank you to everyone who encouraged me to get this– I can’t believe I was considering cutting it from our budget!)

WHAT WE’RE FOCUSING ON NOW

Securing a band (hoping to have this locked down in the next week or so…)
Reserving room blocks at local hotels
Pulling together design inspo & trying to wrap our head around what we want our wedding to look like

WHAT WE’RE NOT WORRYING ABOUT (YET)

Exact guest list (we both are on same page about sticking to 100 guests!)
Our bridal parties
What we’re going to wear (I honestly could care less about my dress… Is that weird??)
Catering or cake
Decor/Flowers/Rentals
Invites
A bunch of other things that I’m sure my wedding planner will remind me about LOL

Big thank you to Bloomingdales for sponsoring this post!

The post Simple Summer Tablescape + Wedding Planning Update! appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Big thank you to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for sponsoring this post! 

So I’m a shameless Pitch Perfect 3 fan. It’s just one of those feel good funny movies that I can watch over and over again and still crack up every time. Whenever I see that the first or second film is replaying on TV best believe I’m stopping to watch (for the 1000+ time…) I remember playing and singing along to the “Cups” song (pretty terribly might I add) on repeat in my car during my senior year in college for months after the first movie hit theaters. Such good times!!!

There are so many great comedies that never get sequels, so I was really pumped when they came out with the second movie and even more excited to hear there would be a third installment. Did any of you see Pitch Perfect 3? If you have get ready to do a happy dance because it’s now available on iTunes for your viewing pleasure at home and if not check out the trailer below for a glimpse at all the laughs in your future.

Word on the street, the home entertainment release includes new musical performances, funny bloopers and some extended scenes not seen in theaters—def check it out if you’re looking to get your laugh on this weekend! It’s also the perfect excuse to invite your bffs over for a aca-mazing viewing party (sorry I had to :P)

Obviously, no girls’ night in is complete without the right snacks and drinks. I’m all for channeling my inner Fat Amy so here’s a super easy no-bake sweet and salty party mix recipe that reminds me of one of the film’s more famous lines: CRUSHED IT. True story my mom actually used to make a variation of this for me all the time when I was younger. If I opened my lunchbox and found a zip lock bag of this mix I knew it was going to be an awesome afternoon. Once you have a bite you can’t stop! It’s that good. Tip: pair the mix with Orange Crush soda to really “crush” your hostess duties

 “Crushed It” Sweet & Salty Party Mix Recipe

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 cups whole wheat Chex
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup pretzels (optional)
½ cup honey roasted peanuts or nut of your choice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. In large microwavable bowl, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Stir in Chex, pretzels and nuts.
2. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring each minute. Spread on cookie sheet to cool, about 10 minutes. Crush into bite-size pieces.
3. In microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High about 1 minute 30 seconds or until chocolate can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot).
4. Drizzle chocolate over snack. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store in airtight container or zip lock bag.

Definitely let me know if you end up making this party mix or if you end up hosting your own Pitch Perfect 3-themed viewing party! I dunno about you guys but I’m ready to settle down on the couch for some binge watching… Who else is with me??

The post Tips For Hosting The Perfect Girls’ Movie Night + An Easy Party Mix Recipe appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

It’s finally happened: my friends are beginning to get engaged. Everyone kept telling me it would start around age 25 and they were right — in the past few months I’ve had multiple friends and family members announce upcoming nuptials!

It’s hard to believe that I’ve only been to two weddings. One was my aunt’s when I was SUPER little (my sister and I were flower girls) and the other was for Nick’s cousin when we first started dating. I’ll admit, I’m a little new to the wedding process and have had to ask my mom, grandma, coworkers and married friends a ton of questions as I prepare for all the events I’ll be attending over the next few months. Bridal showers, bachelorette parties and ceremonies — it’s a lot to navigate and there’s a lot of gift-giving involved. Apparently you’re supposed to bring a gift to both the bridal shower AND the actual wedding. Who knew?

My cluelessness about weddings aside, one thing I do know is any gift should always be accompanied with a card. Today I’m partnering with Hallmark and Walgreens to talk wedding season and the importance of always including a heartfelt written message with any gift, no matter the occasion. 

I was wearing…
Eliza J Lace Halter Dress c/o | Christian Louboutin Pigalle Pumps (back in stock in every size!!)

I love to buy in bulk (who doesn’t…) so I stocked up on Hallmark cards at my local Walgreens knowing I had multiple events to attend this summer and fall. Supermarkets and convenience stores are much smaller when you live in a city and often won’t have a wide selection of the same type of item, but I was really impressed with the variety of cards for bridal showers, engagements and weddings at my teeny tiny Walgreens up the street. There was everything from 99 cent budget cards (that were actually really cute) to higher end Hallmark Signature cards adorned with little embellishments and attention-grabbing colors. I even found some pretty floral wrapping paper and gift bags that I’m going to use for wedding gifts!

So who else is navigating wedding season for the first time? I have to say it’s been an interesting and fun experience. I’ve actually been looking forward to having some of my friends get engaged since I’ve been to so few weddings. Everyone’s told me I’m crazy and not to get too excited since it does it involve spending a lot of money on gifts and traveling, and even more if you’re in the bridal party. I haven’t been asked to be a bridesmaid yet, but I’m sure it will be happening soon! I’m attending my first bachelorette party next month and I can’t waittttt.

Are you attending any weddings or bridal showers this summer? Any tips for me?

Make Sure You Check Out These Posts!
Why I Still Send Handwritten Cards
My New Must-Have iPhone App
Tips For Hosting An Ice Cream Party

Big thank you to Walgreens & Hallmark for sponsoring this post!
#HappilyEverHallmark #HallmarkAtWalgreens

The post My First Wedding Season With Hallmark & Walgreens appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Entertaining friends and throwing parties has been a highlight for me since we moved into our current apartment. I’m a hostess at heart and will think of any excuse to invite all our friends over for bites, drinks or dessert. I have been craving ice cream like crazy so it obviously made sense my next gathering revolve around my go-to summer treat.

This was my first time throwing an ice cream party so it took a little planning! At the top of my grocery list? Häagen-Dazs® ice cream (my all-time favorite brand) followed by lots and lots of toppings. After gathering all the necessary supplies on Friday afternoon from Duane Reade, my friend Alex and her boyfriend Nick dropped by to send off the work week in the sweetest way possible. 

Big thanks to Nick for snapping these photos!

I’m really glad I did my research because hosting an ice cream social isn’t as simple as you’d think! When your main ingredient can melt into drippy mess there’s a lot that can go awry i.e. carpet spills, stained clothing and sticky serving utensils. Surprisingly our party went off without a hitch and thanks to pre-planning cleanup was a breeze. Here are my tips for hosting your own!

Tips For Hosting An Ice Cream Party

1. This is probably obvious but make sure you have a variety of flavors! I’m a chocolate girl at heart (my all-time favorite Häagen-Dazs flavor is actually Chocolate Peanut Butter) but I also got Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
2. Pre-scoop the ice cream! I prepped half of each Häagen-Dazs container a few hours before so everyone could skip scooping and head straight for the toppings.
3. If you pre-scoop, knock down your freezer temperature a few notches to ensure ice cream is cold as possible.
4. For easy cleanup, keep all your topping dishes on trays to avoid spills and stains  landing on your table.
5. Ice cream and colorful toppings are pretty enough on their own, but if you feel the need for additional decor I’d suggest colorful placemats (mine are kate spade), cocktail napkins and flowers. I was so excited when I found these peonies at Trader Joes!

Ready to throw your own ice cream party? If I haven’t convinced you this may change your mind: select Duane Reade and Walgreens locations in the city are having an amazing Häagen-Dazs BOGO deal. Yes, if you buy one Häagen-Dazs you’ll get one for free! Make sure you take advantage and hit up your local store during July 3rd – July 9th or July 24th – July 30th.

Also, check this. Throughout July, select Duane Reade & Walgreens locations in the city will be giving away free Häagen-Dazs samples. Sweeeeettttttttttttt!

Häagen-Dazs Free Sampling Locations
Thursday, July 7th
Duane Reade – 40 Wall Street, New York (10am – 12pm) 
Walgreens – 145 4th Avenue, New York (1pm – 3pm)
Monday, July 11th
Duane Reade – 1 Remsen Ave, Brooklyn (10am – 12pm) 
Duane Reade – 750 New York Avenue, Brooklyn (1pm -3pm)
Tuesday, July 12th
Walgreens – 4415 Kissena Blvd, Flushing (1pm – 3pm)
Walgreens – 1371 Metropolitan Avenue, Bronx (10am – 12pm)
Wednesday, July 13th
Duane Reade – 135 E 125th Street, New York (10am – 12pm)
Friday, July 15th
Duane Reade – 1915 3rd Avenue, New York (10am – 12pm)
Duane Reade – 300 W 135th Street, New York (1pm -3pm)
Monday, July 25th
Duane Reade – 310 E 2nd Street, New York (10am -12pm)

Thank you to Häagen-Dazs and Duane Reade for partnering on this post!

The post Sweet Summer Social | Tips For Hosting An Ice Cream Party appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

I bet the title of this post caught your attention! Yes, my friends and I did recently indulge in some painting and drinking. Wondering where one can do this in Manhattan? Click through to find out!

Big thanks to Jen, Nick, Amanda, Alex, Allie, and Kyle for coming and my Nick for snapping all the photos 

I fell in love with Muse Paintbar earlier this spring after taking a painting class with Nick at the Tribeca location (this is what we painted!) We were looking to switch things up and do something different for date night and omg guys, we had so much fun. You can imagine how thrilled I was when Muse reached out offering a private class for me and my friends. It was a B L A S T.

Essentially what Muse does is combine taking a painting class with a restaurant experience. You’re given step-by-step instructions from a professional artist all while having the option of ordering drinks and appetizers from a full bar. The class was totally reminiscent of the fun I had growing up going to art classes and pottery painting studios, just with an adult twist! I also really like that the experience isn’t too formal. You’re welcome to follow the steps (each class has it’s own theme with a different work of art that you recreate) or you can go totally rogue and paint whatever you want with no judgement. I personally find painting to be so relaxing and such a stress reliever. It was also a lot of fun to do with a big group of friends because no one really took it too seriously (well, maybe some ).

I can’t recommend the Muse experience enough for a fun date, night out with your friends, family activity (Muse is kid friendly) or birthday party! Right now there’s just one Manhattan location in Tribeca, but there are actually a number of studios in the northeast. I’m already looking forward to my next class!

Have you ever taken a painting class? What are some fun out-of-the-ordinary activities you like to do with friends?

The post Say Yes to Painting and Drinking! Muse Paintbar Tribeca Painting Class appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

How is it already almost Valentine’s Day? It seems like only yesterday that Nick surprised me with dinner and tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway last year. Typically we’ve always exchanged gifts on Valentine’s Day, but since we both really enjoyed doing something so meaningful together we’ve decided to continue that tradition again. More to come!

However, there is an exception to this rule and just because we are forgoing gifts doesn’t mean we don’t plan to give one another a Valentine’s Day card. Growing up I was always encouraged to write handwritten notes and thank you cards after receiving a gift. That hasn’t changed as an adult and Nick and I still give each other cards on every special occasion.

With the holiday right around the corner, make sure you visit your local Walgreens for the perfect Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards for your loved ones. Nick and I visited the store together and had the best time being sneaky when picking out our cards. We ended up buying a few so the other wouldn’t know the exact one we each chose!

Clearly we both gravitate towards cards with funny sayings or cute animals. Guess that makes sense since we are both so alike! While a card is only paper there’s so much meaning behind the sentiments inside. I’ve saved special Hallmark cards I’ve received for years just so I can go back and look at them when I’m feeling nostalgic. So much of our communication is done digitally but I think some thoughts are better expressed on paper. Anyone else agree?

How do you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? Anyone else save Hallmark cards like me?

Big thank you to Walgreens for sponsoring this post! #HallmarkAtWalgreens #CareEnough

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