Haunted House in New York City for Halloween

Blood Manor

359 Broadway, New York, NY 10013

(212) 290- 2825

Happy almost October 1st!! 

This year I'm super excited to be celebrating Halloween with my friends and family. Wear fun costumes, take the kids trick-or-treating and take lots of photos. After all the celebration only comes once a year. 

This year I wanted to do something I've never done before so I decided to accept an invitation to visit Blood Manor. If you're not familiar, Blood Manor is an interactive haunted house where groups of 5-6 people walk through rooms getting frighten by professional actors who look like they just came out of a horror movie. If you love the thrill of getting scared, then you'll love this. It's opening weekend right now!!

The recommended age to attend the show is 14 years and up. Believe me it's not for the faint of heart.

You can purchase tickets at BloodManor.com or at the door. Watch my experience here. 

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¡¡Feliz casi primero de octubre!!

Este año estoy súper emocionada de celebrar Halloween con mis amigos y familiares. Ponernos disfraces divertidos, llevar a los niños a pedir dulces y tomar muchas fotos. Después de todo, la celebración solo llega una vez al año.

Este año quería hacer algo que nunca antes había hecho, así que decidí aceptar una invitación para visitar Blood Manor. Si no está familiarizado, Blood Manor es una casa embrujada interactiva donde grupos de 5 a 6 personas caminan por las habitaciones asustándose por actores profesionales que parecen recién salidos de una película de terror. Si te encanta la emoción de asustarte, entonces te encantará esto. ¡Es el fin de semana de apertura ahora mismo!

La edad recomendada para asistir al espectáculo es de 14 años en adelante. Créeme, no es para los débiles de corazón. Puedes comprar boletos en BloodManor.com o en la puerta.

 A message from our editor: Johnnybell 

I find it so fascinating how I've been able to share my life through photos and text for almost 11 years. That's how long I've had this blog for. NYTM started as a fun little hobby and has become an extension of my life. You've seen my family and myself grow for over a decade. You were there when I moved from Astoria. You were there when I found out I was pregnant with James. You were there when I bought my first house. You were there when I launched Shop Johnnybell. You continue to support me with every single collaboration I take on. That will always blow my mind! Thank you for sticking around even through my inconsistency on here. These past four years have been the most challenging in my life as becoming a mother for the third time after so many years can feel like the very first time. 

As school is back in session and James has entered pre-K, I finally have free time to hop back into blogging. You might remember I attempted to do this a few months back but wasn't able to maintain a consistent schedule due to the lack of down time. 

In pure transparency, having 6+ hours to myself now that he's in school feels like a breath of fresh air. MY GOD! I forgot what it felt like to actually desire to write and want to create content out of pure desire not obligation. It's so gratifying.

Thank you for continuing to show up for me. I love my community. I love you. 

Packing for Miami + New favorites!

Departing New York City via Amtrak

Today we start our journey down to Miami, FL via Amtrak. An experience finally scratched off my bucket list. The expedition will take roughly 31 hours and no, that's no typo. We're currently 3 hours in and just stopped at the Baltimore, Maryland station. So far so good. Kids are entertained with their books, Nintendo Switch and dozens of snacks and I'm very pleased with the leg room. Again, it's only been a few hours so I'll check back later with more updates on this passage. 

The Natural Deodorant that works!

I've always been skeptical about clean deodorants until I tried  Lavanila.  These deodorants have No Aluminum, No Paraben and No harsh Chemicals. I have been using them for over two weeks and love the results. They have many scents but my favorites are the Vanilla Eucalyptus and the Sport Lux (perfect for applying before a good sweat session). This natural velvet formula allows your skin to breath. 

Each deodorant is $12-$14 and is available at Ulta, Ulta.com, Target and Target.com

Dominican Republic 2022

Nordstrom X Central Park Conservancy Playground Partners Annual Family Party

Yesterday, my family and I attended the Nordstrom X Central Park Conservancy Playground Partners Annual Family Party. This event was a fundraiser to support Central Park's playgrounds which helps keep the 21 playgrounds safe and clean.

Blueberry Lemon Glaze Cake

Treats from TOUS les JOURS

By now you probably know how much my family loves visiting Korea town and Flushing, NY. It's become a weekly activity for my family for more than 10 years. One of our favorite places to visit is Noona Noodles in Korea town. After indulging in the absolute best noodles, we like to stop by TOUS les JOURS. What we love about TOUS les JOURS is that each good is freshly baked daily. This makes the quality exceptional and each item consistently delicious. 

A few days ago TOUS les JOURS reached out to share their limited-time desserts from their Mother's Day collection. I was over the moon!! They treated me to a variety of my favorites baked goods and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. 

new Mother's Day assortment from Baked by Melissa

If you didn't already know, Mother's Day is May 8th and I'm already feeling so loved by my family and friends. Every year I come around here talking about "everyday should be Mothers Day... blah blah blah" and yes that's partly true. but the whole truth is I LOVE Mother's Day and if it was celebrated everyday it wouldn't be so special! Yes, we should appreciate our Mothers, love and care for them on a daily basis but.. also treat them a little extra special on Mother's Day. We deserve it. 

& nothing says I love you like a box of delicious mini-cupcakes in a beautiful floral box from Baked by Melissa. 

If you're thinking of purchasing a few mini-cupcake assortments be sure to use code: JOHNNYBELL10 for 10% off your order on BakedbyMelissa.com 

expires May 9th