Topic: party planning

Last week we gave you some workout motivation in the form of an iPod Shuffle and inspiring playlist, and you may need them once you get a load of all the delish recipes in the three signed Food Network chef cookbooks we’re giving away to one lucky fan of Blisstree on Facebook, courtesy of Food Network: Alton Brown’s Good Eats 2: The Middle Years, Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade: The Complete Cookbook, 1,001 Easy Everyday Recipes for the Way We Cook Today, and Bobby Flay’s Throwdown! If you’re already a fan of Blisstree on Facebook, you’re automatically entered to win this food-lover’s gift pack. If not, you have until Sunday, November 7 at 5 p.m. EST to “Like” Blisstree on Facebook. Simply click here and hit the “Like” button. Piece of cake.

Gallery: 10 Really Politically Incorrect Halloween Costumes

Year after year, no matter how many Halloween parties you attend, one thing always happens: Someone shows up in a politically incorrect costume and makes everyone else feel really uncomfortable. Most likely this person thinks he or she is hilarious, rather than completely offensive. Unfortunately, we can almost guarantee that you’ll see at least one of these cringe-worthy costumes this weekend. What do you think: In bad taste or just harmless fun? Check out our gallery of 10 politically incorrect Halloween costumes, and let us know if you spot any that trump these doozies on October 31. More »

Dieting Gallery: 10 Halloween Candies We Hate

It’s virtually impossible to have a giant bowl of candy sitting around your house for days without dipping your hand into it every now and then. But that makes dieting during Halloween a real challenge. Yesterday, FitSugar posted some advice on how to resist the urge to dip into the trick-or-treaters’ candy coffers: Only buy candy you hate. That way, the temptation will be nonexistent. Check out our gallery of ten Halloween candies we just don’t have a taste for. You may become the most hated house on the block, but at least you’ll look good. And who knows — maybe all the little ghouls and goblins who knock on your front door will specifically ask for black licorice and candy corn. But we kind of doubt it. Let us know your least favorite Halloween candy in the comments section. More »

Demonic Desserts: 10 Haunted Halloween Cupcake Recipes

Cupcakes have been the icing on the cake of the dessert world for a while now. They have the potential to be cute, tasty, and intricately decorated. (Like these crazy Halloween cupcake toppers that you can buy directly from us.) But on Halloween, cupcakes can and should be creepy as hell. Bring on the blood, brains, and boogers — we’re pretty sure you could stick anything unappealing on a cupcake and we’d still eat it. And while we don’t think we have the patience (or hand-eye coordination) to bake all of them before October 31, you should try mixing up these 10 Halloween cupcake recipes. And then mail the results to the Blisstree offices. More »

5 Moments of Nostalgic Zen Courtesy of Our Favorite Childhood Halloween Specials

The work day is officially over. That’s totally fine with us — we’re guessing that you’re also glad it’s after 6 p.m. (at least on the east coast). To help you unwind, we present our weekly five moments of nostalgic zen. Today we’re featuring clips from our favorite Halloween TV specials from childhood to soothe your stressed-out mind during this spooky season. So sit back, grab some Sixlets, and allow yourself to be transported back to simpler times when Halloween was all about candy corn, pillowcases as candy bags, and Linus waiting in the pumpkin patch.

Gallery: Top 10 Halloween Costumes Based on Current Events (That Aren't Completely Lame)

This Halloween, we’d like to ditch the French maid’s outfit and instead take inspiration for our kick-ass costumes from events that happened around the world this year. And, when we think back, a lot of stuff has happened in 2010 so far — much of it bad, but we’re mostly focusing on the good. (We have, however, instituted a moratorium on Betty White, Lindsay Lohan, and Zach Galafianakis.) Herewith, our gallery of 10 killer Halloween costumes based on 2010 current events: More »

10 Creepy Halloween Cocktails: 5 Under 200 Calories, 5 Not So Much

Halloween isn’t just about Milk Duds, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, candy corn, and caramel apples. Actually, it is about those things, but later on in the evening (after we’ve raided everyone’s plastic jack-o-lanterns), we like to mix things up…into a cocktail or two, that is. While we’re not usually fans of gimmicky alcoholic drinks with cutesy names, October 31 is one night when we don’t mind looking (or acting) stupid. However, we did just polish off a king-size Milky Way, so we really should watch how much we’re eating. To help, we found five creepily colorful Halloween cocktails under 200 calories, and five more with frightening calorie counts. (Which you can drink, as long as you lay off the Laffy Taffy.) More »

Frighteningly Fit: 10 Best Halloween Costumes for Exercise Enthusiasts

Blisstree doesn’t have a burning interest in vampires or Dancing With the Stars contestants, but that doesn’t mean our Halloween costumes shouldn’t reflect our interests. While “watching Roseanne re-runs in our jammy-jams” doesn’t translate very well into a costume, our affinity for exercise might. We found 10 super-sporty Halloween costumes related to our healthy fitness pursuits. Let us know if you have any other low-calorie ideas: More »

Healthy Halloween? 10 Good-for-You Recipes That Don’t Suck

As far as we’re concerned, Halloween season lasts the entire month of October. But while it’s fine to indulge in candy corn every once in a while, it’s probably smart to have a few relatively healthy Halloween recipes in your jack-o-lantern. You’d hate not to be able to fit into your costume on October 31. But don’t fall asleep yet: Just because a recipe isn’t loaded with sugar and fat doesn’t mean it can’t be festive (okay, not as festive as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups). Check out these 10 healthy-ish Halloween recipes, and let us know if you’ve got any anti-junk-food seasonal staples in your witches’ brew. More »

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Doggone It: 10 Weirdest Halloween Costumes for Pet Owners and Their Pets

Remember our feelings about Halloween costumes for couples? Well, those are nothing compared to costumes for pet owners and their four-legged friends. Sure, a clever pet/owner Halloween ensemble is the perfect way to disguise the underlying sadness, desperation, and warped priorites that one often associates with dressing up your pet in costume and parading it around with you like a human on October 31. (If you happen to be an older single woman with a pet cat, this problem is multiplied.) We know you love your pet (we love ours, too), but shouldn’t your poochie just stay home and take Halloween night off…relaxing, not eating chocolate, and barking at trick-or-treaters at the front door? If not, here are 10 ways to humiliate him or her this Halloween: More »

Hungry and Haunted: 10 Seriously Spooky Halloween Cookie Recipes

Remember our 10 Scarily Disgusting Halloween Recipes? This time we’ve got a Halloween hankering for cookies, and some of the ones in our gallery are even more gag-worthy than we thought possible. Check out these ten recipes and let us know how you like to up your cookie crudeness factor on October 31. More »

The Horror, the Horror: 10 Worst Halloween Costumes for Couples

We generally frown upon doing duos for Halloween costumes. Halloween is a perfect time to assert your intellectual independence and creative chops, so why not strike out on your own this year? After all, you wouldn’t want your partner getting all the credit for that charmingly clever Fred and Ginger costume. If you do end up disregarding our advice, at least stay away from the following ten (and worst) choices. Don one of these numbers on October 31, and you’ll scare the hell out of everyone – and not in a good way. More »

Dressing Up For Halloween: Cool or Lame? Take Our Poll

Witch, ghost, French maid, vampire, paroled NFL player. Or, Halloween costumes for the somewhat less creatively challenged: A nostalgic board game from childhood; partly cloudy with a chance of showers (glue cotton balls to your shirt and carry around a spray bottle of water); or dress up as yourself 20 years ago. But, as adults, should we really get in on all this autumnal trickery, or just hand the whole damn holiday over to a bunch of ungrateful kids who wail about not getting enough candy and then complain of stomachaches later on anyway? To be in costume or not to be costume, that is the question (on October 31st). So what’s your answer? This Halloween, it’s either time for us to grow up – or dress up as a Shakespeare character.

Sorry! This poll is now closed.

Halloween Horrors: 10 Natural Face Paints That Won't Kill You

Boo. We assume the most dangerous part about Halloween is all the high-calorie candy we stuff our faces with — but what about the crap we put on our faces? Face paints contain a lot of spooky heavy metals (like lead), plus other harsh, harmful chemicals. So what to do about your (or your kid’s) genius costume that demands a full mug of makeup? Luckily, we found 10 natural, non-toxic face paints on the market. And, while we’re on the subject, let’s make a solemn pact with each other to never, ever dress up as “cougars” on October 31st. More »

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