NYC Bachelorette Party Weekend

Last weekend I hosted a Bachelorette Party for my cousin and 7 of her friends (only one of whom I had met before) in NYC. I was thrilled my cousin wanted to celebrate with all her friends in New York but definitely challenged to keep things affordable and enjoyable, especially since this was the first time some of them had been in NY!

The girls arrived on Friday morning ready to shop! First stop: Tiffany's & Co. where each girl bought a special gift for themselves. After a long day of walking around everyone came over to my apartment for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Signature drink for the night was champagne with raspberries. I ordered all the food ahead of time from Fresh Direct and had it delivered about 20 minutes before the girls arrived. I ordered a big chickpea salad, grilled chicken strips (delivered ready to serve), artichoke dip, a big fresh fruit bowl and a vegetable platter.

Before going back to the hotel Friday night we wanted one last chance to publicly embarrass the bride-to-be so we headed to a bar near the hotel, Connolly's Pub on W. 54th St.

Saturday morning we all put on our matching T-shirts that said "Buy Her a Drink Before she Takes the Plunge" and headed out for the Sex and The City tour of New York. I definitely recommend going on this 3.5 hour tour that stops at NYC hot-spots made famous by the hit HBO series. Starting at The Plaza we all pile into a chartered (air-conditioned) bus all the way down 5th toward Soho, West Village, Meatpacking District, and more! Not only does our spunky guide, Emily Sproch, reveal a ton of Sex & The City behind-the-scenes info but we make three different stops throughout the tour to walk along the same streets as our favorite characters. The first stop was at the Pleasure Chest, where the SATC girls bought their "Rabbits." (Anything purchased at the Pleasure Chest was discounted for all tour attendees.) Next stop was to the famous Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker Street. The $42 tour ticket also included cupcakes from Magnolia for everyone! The last stop of the tour was at the bar Adian and Steve owned in the show, which is actually called Onieals Grand Street located on Grand between Baxter St & Centre Market Place. (Cosmos were served at a discount for all tour attendees.)

We ended the night at Tony n' Tina's Wedding, an interactive off-Broadway performance where the audience serves as Tony and Tina's wedding guests in their crazy Italian wedding. Tickets are $90 per person and free for the bride-to-be if you're there celebrating a bachelorette party, and include dinner, unlimited champagne and a slice of cake.

Overall, the weekend was a blast and now we just can't wait for the weeding in August!

Kansas City

A few weekends ago I was in Kansas City for a wedding and was totally impressed with how cute this city is, especially the downtown area. The area known as The Plaza has great shopping and great restaurants. The Plaza was designed in the 1920s and known as the nation's first suburban shopping district. The open-air centre was inspired by Spanish architecture and European art.

For the rehearsal dinner we went to Brio Tuscan Grille where we were severed fabulous dishes- 2 different dishes of pasta, salmon, and steak, followed by 2 large dishes of dessert including the best cheesecake I have ever tasted- Mike's Famous Cheesecake and Tiramisu.

On a side note, I flew Midwest Airlines NYC-Kansas City round trip and loved it, even despite the massive delay leaving NY. Not only did each passenger have big comfy seats, the flight attendants serve freshly baked chocolate chip cookies during the flight that they bake on the plan! What a great idea!