Entertaining

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

The Panty Game

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Engagement season is in full swing and you newlyweds know what that means…..bridal showers! Big, small, fancy, casual, almost anything goes for showers these days, which can be fun or overwhelming. How does one throw a unique shower that the bride will love? The panty game is a great start!

I ran across the Panty Game on Pinterest and thought it was a cute idea.Every guest wraps a pair of panties that reflects their personal style and as the bride opens them she has to guess who they’re from. It’s an amusing game and the bride ends up with fun undies for newlywed life. The best part will be seeing what the grandmas purchase (you’d be surprised!)

If your newly engaged friend’s family is a bit too straight laced for the game you can use it at her bachelorette party. Truth be told, my bachelorette party had a lingerie theme and I made my husband guess which ensemble was from which friend on our honeymoon (it was fun and naughty!)

Did you play the panty game at your shower or are you planning to play it at friend’s this year? You could also use the Panty Game for your next birthday to keep newlywed life hot.

If the bride-to-be is thinking about changing her name. Be sure to share this 20 Step Name Change Checklist with her!

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Newlyweds, Time to Brunch it Up!

Are you ready to brunch is up as a newlywed? Easter and Passover are coming soon, making it the perfect time to host a brunch for your families or friends. As newlyweds, you probably now have enough plates to serve a medium to large group and plenty of kitchen gadgets to try out! I thought I’d share a few of my favorite brunch recipes to make the planning process easier.

If you’re hosting a combined family meal, consider dietary restrictions. Is anyone allergic to nuts or keeping kosher for the holiday? If you’re hosting friends, you’ll need to juggle everyone else’s family obligations and meal times.

Once those details are understood you can start planning your menu. I am a huge fan of frittatas to feed a group. They’re fun, fancy and not very hard to make. Here are a few links to my top 3 frittata recipes: Baked Potato Frittata, Leek Potato & Gruyere Frittata, and a Spring Pea Frittata.

Not feeling the frittata? My other suggestion would be an Egg and Wild Mushroom Tart or a Strata. The advantage of these is that you can prep most of their components the night before.

Once you select a main recipe, you will need fruit (I suggest raspberries and black berries in a bowl) and a bread of some sort to round out your menu. Muffins, a coffee cake or croissants are great choices. Add a pitcher of juice and or mimosas and you’re brunch is ready for rave reviews from family and friends!

Are you hosting a holiday brunch for the first time as a newlywed? What’s on your mind and menu?

3 Unique Party Ideas to Get Rid of the January Blahs

Save your January with our 3 unique party ideas! The glamour, glitz and excitement of New Years have worn off, and now it’s just dreary mid-January. Much like the post-wedding blues, many newlyweds also experience a post-holiday slump. The solution? Planning a fun but low key party with friends! My favorite parties have a theme that gets guests excited and keeps me from worrying about party entertainment. Below are a few ideas (admittedly 2 were “borrowed” from my friend and amazing hostess Jill):

Favorite Things: Just like Oprah…only with a $5 to $10 limit. Figure out how many friends are attending and then have each guest bring one less than that number of their favorite things. You’ll have tons of fun unwrapping, explaining and using everyone’s favorite things. The party I attended resulting in cool nail polish, a miracle hangover cure, holiday socks, satin pillow cases and much more!

Spa/Slumber Party: Send out an evite to have all your girlfriends come over for a little pampering and a chic flick. Mud masks, nail painting, pizza and the latest girly movie will make this an event everyone can look forward too. Party favor idea: attach mini rhinestones to disposable toe separators…cute!

Swap Party: Plan a get together where you and your friends bring accessories to swap. It’s easiest to trade one size fit all items like scarves, jewelry and clutches. If you’re all similar sized, you can open it up to belts, jeans, etc. Everyone will leave with something “new to them” and a little more room in their closets!

Whatever kind of party you choose to plan, just having something to plan and knowing that you’ll be seeing a group of your friends will give you a much needed boost this January.
Please let me know your favorite of our 3 unique party ideas in a comment!

Thanksgiving As Newlyweds: Tips For Success

Ready for your first Thanksgiving as newlyweds? Millions of men and women before you have successfully hosted Thanksgiving, so why should you and your spouse be any different? The Thanksgiving meal is feared nearly as much as it is enjoyed each year.

After all, the many side dishes that come together with the giant bird require a lot of organization and planning if they are to be prepared and served correctly. That certainly doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it a try with hubby, but it does mean that you will want to create a game plan before you begin.

Deciding Who to Invite – One of the most difficult moments in every new marriage comes with deciding what should happen at the holidays. Whose family should be visited and when? How will the time be divided and who will be dined with? Having a dinner in your own home can help to avoid some of those uncomfortable moments, but you will still need to formulate a guest list that will likely be based on the amount of space you have for entertaining, the existing plans of loved ones, and the distance between you and them.

Work together to draw up the best possible list as far in advance as you can, so you can give friends and family members ample time to re-arrange schedules. Have a fussy family or a few “difficult family members”? Consider a seating chart…so draw upon who sat by whom at your wedding and got along and arrange your table accordingly.

Planning a Menu – The great part about Thanksgiving is that most of the meal is dependent on tradition. Unfortunately, while is the common denominator, many families will vary substantially in the rest of their menus. But, with some work, you can make a meal that pulls a little something special from each family’s traditions and makes everyone feel comfortable, welcome, and ultimately, full. Also, think about asking each family invited to bring a favorite side or dessert. This potluck concept lowers your workload and allows family members to feel included in the meal.

Shopping and Cooking – There is good reason that the Thanksgiving meal is consumed only once per year. It often requires a huge number of ingredients, a lot of space for preparation, and a great deal of time to make it happen. Fortunately, there are two of you and that means that tasks can be divided among you to make the whole event much more manageable. Enjoy the shopping time together, getting excited about the impending meal and work together to divvy up the cooking.

When it comes time to create, turn on some music that you both enjoy. Sing along, laugh together, and enjoy the special memories that are being made on your very first Thanksgiving. While one boils and mashes potatoes, another can be basting the turkey and chopping veggies for other dishes. With two sets of hands, what might be a very chaotic experience can be very enjoyable.

Here’s to you and your first Thanksgiving as newlyweds! Stay tuned to our newlywed blog for Thanksgiving pie recipes and ideas.

Fabulous Fall Entertaining

With the crisp cool air it’s time get ready for Fall entertaining. Celebrating with seasonal foods/cocktails and friends is a great way to make sure you take a moment to enjoy the world and weather around you. Whether you’re new to marriage and new to cooking for a group or if you’re an old pro at both…we’ve got some great ideas for you!

Set the Tone – Pick up some festive plates or get creative with one of these fall displays for your home (we especially love the acorns in the glass column). Lighting a fall scented candle can also immediately put guests in a festive mood.

Create a Seasonal Cocktail (or 2) – Signature cocktails easily elevate an event from a gathering to a party! Consider a this simple yet amazing vanilla pumpkin pie martini for the ladies and some autumn flavored ale for the gentlemen attending. Here’s a top 10 list of pumpkin beers to point you in the right direction!

Surprise Appetizers – Who doesn’t love an out of the ordinary appetizer?! Soup shooters are one of the easiest unconventional appetizers. We suggest this seasonal roasted carrot soup served in fun colored coffee or demitasse cups. The soup is warming, has a festive fall flavor and is even orange.

Pot Luck – It might sound old fashioned, but having each guest or couple bringing a component of the meal has tremendous upside (especially if they’re good cooks). You as the hostess get to focus on details like decorating or a fabulous cocktail instead of being overwhelmed…and your guests get to bring something that shows off their talents. It’s a good idea to create a theme so the recipes gel into a meal.

Pears – Pears are in season and make an outstanding end to any meal. Consider serving simple poached pears with vanilla ice cream or a pear tart with caramelized pistachios.
Whatever you decide to make, taking time to enjoy Fall with friend and family will end well.

Do you have a favorite Fall entertaining idea you’d like to share with our readers? We’d love for you to leave a comment.