Blog Posts by ManhattanMini

Photo: Caroline Keyzor

Things you love about traveling: delicious new foods, beautiful new landscapes, fascinating new cities and enchanting new people. The only problem: planning a trip overseas can be an overwhelming job, and it usually requires a good chunk of time off and an even larger chunk of cash. Solution: think about bringing a vacation to you, right here in New York City!

Couchsurfers from all over the world make their way traveling by relying on the generosity of people just like you to host and show them around the secret nooks and crannies where you live. The bonus for you: playing host to visitors from foreign lands and meeting perspectives from another culture (or three!) might be just what you needed to make up for not having that new stamp in your passport.

Some experiences waiting for you:

Italian Feasts. Play host to a native Italian, and in thanks he might present you with a Sicilian feast! Try a real Italian meatball, and then do some comparison dining together on

Read More »from Hosting Couchsurfers: An Exotic New York City Staycation

No matter what the weather, New York City is the "hottest" place on earth. Here are some of our favorite things to do and summer date ideas in NYC for when it's hot (or if your air conditioner's still in storage):

Ice Cream Tasting Marathon

Tour all the best ice cream shops in Manhattan in one night, from the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck to more refined favorites like Il Laboratorio del Gelato, Emack and Bolio's, and Mario Batali's new GelOtto cart. Ice cream flavor says a lot about someone, you know.

Baseball Game at Citi Field

Baseball games are slow enough that you can get to know someone even if you're an avid fan. Plus, Citi Field has surprisingly delicious dinner options. With upscale choices like Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, Daruma Sushi, El Verano Taqueria, and World's Fare Market, there's something for everyone.

Picnic in Central Park

A classic that never goes out of style. Pack up some easy finger foods and relax in the park all afternoon as you get to know

Read More »from Dating in NYC: 8 Fun Summer Date Ideas for Hot Weather

Couples in New York City often find themselves moving in together for financial reasons as much as romantic ones. In a high-priced city like NYC, a gorgeous Soho loft starts to look more realistic when you're only paying half the rent! One problem many couples overlook, though, is that combining two households into one can often be a chaotic and messy affair.

If you and your significant other are planning on moving in together, it's a good idea to have a plan of attack. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have an easier time transitioning from "mine" to "ours".

Take Inventory. Talk with your partner first, and assess how important his sports trophies, his college beanbag, or your crystal vase collection are to both of you. This will help you set up expectations and priorities for the Merging of Stuff.

Define "Need." Two lifetimes' worth of stuff is too much for one 5th floor walkup apartment. Get rid of duplicate kitchen appliances or furniture beforehand, and

Read More »from Cohabitation in the Big City: Advice on Making the Move and Merging Belongings

In the wondrous world of moving there subsists an excess of headaches, a duffel bag of mixed emotions, the blood- sweat-&- tears effect, and that dreaded myriad of empty cardboard moving boxes. There isn't all too much I can do to help you through all of these, but I'll try. Now for the headaches I'd suggest popping the recommended dosage of your favorite pain reliever. Personally Motrin seems to do the trick for this guy, but to-each-his-own. For the blood-sweet-&-tears issue you've got yourself into it really depends on how much we're talking about here. If it's a light flooding, just go ahead and pick yourself up some Band-Aids, a headband (preferable not white), and a box of Kleenex. Anything more than that, I'd hop in the car and get over to a hospital. As for those mixed emotions, I'm no psychiatrist so you're on your own for that.

Alright so now that you're all moved in & snuggled up on the couch listening to your in-home psychiatrist try to work out those deep mixed

Read More »from Creative Ways to Reuse Your Cardboard Moving Boxes

kitchen-cabinets

Photo by Rachel Shingleton

Time to Organize Kitchen Cabinets? Here's the Do's and Don'ts!

How do you know if it's time to organize your kitchen cabinets? Take our quick test.

1) By the time you find a spatula (inconveniently located next to the flour, which is side-by-side with the salad plates), have the eggs already burned in the pan?

2) Do you have to search for 15 minutes to find the snacks you bought yesterday in anticipation of the big game?

If the answer to either of these question is YES! then we can definitively say it's time to organize those kitchen cabinets! Here's how in four easy steps:

Steps to Organize Kitchen Cabinets

Step 1: Go Bare or Go Home! Don't just organize kitchen cabinets by moving a few things around - commit! Remove everything from your kitchen cabinets. That's right: all your glasses, coffee cups, plates, silverware, lids, mixing bowls, spices, dry goods, magazines, bouncy balls, pepper spray, and whatever else you've stored in

Read More »from Organize This!: Kitchen Cabinets

marriage-and-cohabitation

June Weddings Mean More Couples Are Combining Two Apartments Into One!

Ah June, the traditional month for weddings. It's certainly exciting, but can also be stressful. Marriage and cohabitation is something couples can and should start planning for even before they walk down the aisle, starting with the number one thing two people need to ensure a long life of wedded bliss…

The Marriage and Cohabitation Golden Rule: Give Them Space!

Let's face it. Marriage and cohabitation isn't going to be a cakewalk. But if you remember that everyone, even the person you just married who you love so much, needs a little room to breathe, you'll be all right. Keep in mind the following:

• Living Together Doesn't Mean You're Always Together.

  We all need a little space to be by ourselves. According to the Moving-in Together Survival Guide by relationship website The Frisky, nurturing other relationships-including the relationship you have with yourself, will give you

Read More »from Here Comes the Bride…and Her Stuff! Marriage and Cohabitation Advice for Newlyweds