Happy Father's Day to my crazy-JMU lovin' dad! (Yes, those are Mickey Mouse hands that he is wearing.) He may still act like his younger self every now and then but that is what makes him my dad!! I hope that all of you have a wonderful day celebrating with your own dads, grandfathers and other father figures that are a part of your life. 

What are you doing with your dad today?

Happy Father's Day!!!

xoxo
Megan

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Father's Day is THIS Sunday!! Since my dad is going to be out of town on Father's Day we celebrated a little early this year by going to see a baseball game and then he opened his gifts this past week. For those that are celebrating this weekend it is still not too late to make dad a gift he will love. Last year I shared with you some fun "Tie-rrific" Father's Day themed recipes. This year while searching for some Father's Day inspiration I came across these Tee-Time Cupcakes from Martha Stewart and decided that they would be the perfect Father's Day dessert treat that dad could enjoy while watching The US Open's final round this weekend. 

Ingredients
Dad's Favorite Cupcake Mix
Buttercream Frosting
1-2 cups green sanding sugar
1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
18 round white candies (for golf balls)
18 toothpicks with washi tape flags

Directions
1. Whip up a batch of dad's favorite cupcakes.
2. Once cooled, spread an smooth layer of buttercream frosting on each cupcake. Dip each cupcake top into your bowl of green sanding sugar, sprinkling with extra sanding sugar if needed.
3. To create your greens take one of your toothpicks and make a flag by folding washi tape around one end and then cut into a triangle. Place your flag along with 1 of your white candies onto the top of the cupcake.
4. To make a sand trap cupcake spoon a small amount of the graham cracker crumbs onto the top of the cupcake and them use your thumb to make the trap indent as well as shape it into your trap shape.
5. Refrigerate your cupcakes for at least 30 minutes to allow the buttercream to set. Enjoy!!

If this saying holds true:
                                            "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach"
then you are ready to go with these delicious golf themed cupcakes! Are you making a fun Father's Day themed treat for your dad?

xoxo
Megan

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With Father’s Day right around the corner now is the perfect time to recognize dad’s role when it comes to preparing for and on the wedding day. The wedding isn’t just something that the mother and daughter plan by themselves. The Knot offers a great list of tasks that the father of the bride can take care of when it comes to planning for the big day. And don’t worry most of these tasks can be done by a dad without much wedding knowledge while watching a game and drinking a beer. (The perfect scenario for any dad!)

Conducting Background Checks 
Need someone to scout limousine companies for that perfect stretch? Want to know if the hall you're considering is really suitable for a large sit-down dinner? Dads are great at legwork. Give him a checklist and the names and addresses of businesses to review, and then send him on his way.

Helping Around the House 
If a menial job threatens -- licking 200 envelopes, folding programs, transporting favors -- ask Dad to lend a hand. He'll surprise you with his willingness to help, especially if you let him watch football while he works.

Going for a Spin 
Brides, you and your dad have a big dance number waiting in the wings. Pre-wedding waltz lessons can be a great break from planning stress and provides you with some great Father-Daughter time before the wedding. Just don't outdo your first-dance with your fiancé.

Tying Loose Ends 
No matter how much you try to get done before the big day, you'll always be frantic the day before your wedding. Enlist Dad to help with last-minute activities like confirming the number of guests with the caterer, calling your vendors to verify the correct time and place, and tranquilizing your mother. All he will have to really worry about is walking you down the asile.

Reception Duties 
At the reception, ask your father to play wedding coordinator if you haven't hired one. Write up the event sequence beforehand and tell him to keep track of time. Dad is normally the official host of the reception so he will be expected to welcome everyone to the reception and start the toasts.

Playing Watchdog 
Post-wedding blues affect everyone, including your parents. Give Dad something to keep him occupied: Ask him to care for your house while you're on your honeymoon. Don't be surprised if you return to find your showers re-grouted, your leaky faucet fixed, and your lawn looking greener than ever. It's just Dad's way of telling you he loves you.

Just remember to thank him for all his help after you have celebrated your big day! What other ways have you let dad help out when it comes to your wedding?

xoxo
Megan

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It is time to recognize dad as Father’s Day is this Sunday! Last year I shared with you 10 great activities that you could plan to do with your dad on Father’s Day. My sister and I took our dad to a Nationals Game this past weekend to celebrate. While it may be a wonderful gift to do something fun with dad not everyone lives close enough to do so. So this year I have put together a list of 10 great gift ideas that you can make and/or buy for your dad. 
1. Father’s Day Card. There are a ton of cute crafting ideas on how you can make your own customized Father’s Day cards. These cute ones by Lifestyle Crafts and P.S. Blog are some of my favorites.
2. Candy “Stache.” Create a tub of your dad’s favorite candies so that he doesn’t have to rummage through yours anymore.
3. Fast Food Sweets. For the dad that loves going through the drive thru when mom is away make a batch of these delicious cupcake burgers and cookie fries.
4. Tee-rrific Goody Bag. For the dad who loves to golf purchase him a round at his favorite course and then create a little goody bag to help send him on his way.
5. Grillin’ Kit. Make a grillin’ kit for the dad who loves to cook out by filling a box or tub with all his grilling favorites. Let him know that he “smokes” the competition.
6. Car Wash Kit. For the dad who has a special place in his heart for his “other girl,” this car kit is the perfect gift.
7. Neck Tie Wreath. My dad is a huge tie fanatic so this tie wreath would be a great gift to make him for Father’s Day. Goodwill and other thrift stores are the perfect place to find discounted ties to craft with.
8. Go Digital. Does your dad have tons of old VHS tapes, pictures and slides? You can take them all to a camera store and get them converted to digital prints. Now he will be able to treasure the memories forever.
9. Drink Coasters. It may be hard to get dad to use coasters under his drink but with a set of these golf themed coasters he will want to bring them out for all his buddies to use.
10. Drinking Glasses. Your dad will get a kick out of using these customized etched drinking glasses. You could also etch on his initials, favorite team logo or just make a fun pattern.

What are you giving your dad this year for Father’s Day?

xoxo
Megan

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Happy Monday! This past weekend my sister and I decided to celebrate Father’s Day a week early. Our dad is a huge Twins fan and they just happened to be playing the Nationals this past weekend so we decided to go. So on Saturday morning my dad and I drove up to Fairfax to meet up with my sister and then head on over to the game. Even though it had been raining like crazy the past few days the weather that afternoon could not have been better! We arrived to the park a few hours early and headed over to The Bullpen for some pre-game festivities. They had a live band playing, cornhole, food and plenty of drinks available which turned The Bullpen into an amazing outdoor block party area. 
Once inside the gates we headed up to the bar under the scoreboard for their “happy hour” drink specials before the first pitch and watch the staff finish setting up the field for the game. (This is a great deal if you plan on heading to a Nats game this summer so make sure you take advantage of it!) I love how they have customized bottles for the Nats! 
After the first pitch we headed down to our seats above the Twins dugout so that my dad might get to sit near some other Twins fans. Since the teams have the same colors and similar uniforms it was very confusing to tell which fans where what, but surprisingly there were quite a number of Twins fans in attendance. Here is the view that we had from our seats. 
The game went into extra innings with the Twins pulling out a 4-3 win over the Nats on Saturday which left my dad in a very happy mood.  I was just glad that the game only went into 11 innings and not the 14 innings that we sat through last year or the 20 innings that Miami and the Mets played that day. After the game we headed down to the team store to pick up some tshirts. I loved the baseball “W” wall that they had in the store and then as it always is with my family we had a random funny picture that could not be passed up.
All-in-all it was a great weekend for a baseball game and we all had fun celebrating Father’s Day. Have you been to a MLB game this year? What are your favorite things to do and see when you go to a game?

xoxo
Megan

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Hooray! It’s Friday and National Doughnut Day!! On Tuesday I shared with you a number of great doughnut flavor combinations. There really is no limit on what people will fill, coat or top a doughnut with. With that being said I have a great basic doughnut recipe that you can then transform with your favorite toppings and glazes.

Ingredients
2 tbsp. active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water 
1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
5 ¼ tbsp. butter
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of white sugar (let it sit for 5-10 minutes).
2. In a sauce pan warm the milk, white sugar, and butter until the mixture is lukewarm.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
4. Beat in the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead the dough in mixing bowl or by hand for 10 minutes.
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and then set aside in a warm place to allow the dough to double in size.
6. Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently roll out to a ½ inch thickness. Cut your doughnuts with a floured doughnut cutter and place on a baking sheet. Leave the doughnuts on the baking sheet to rise until they double in size. 
7. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degree. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula and turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry the doughnuts on each side until they are a light golden brown. Remove from the hot oil and let cool and drain on a wire rack. Keep a cookie sheet under racks for easy clean up.

You are now ready to glaze and top your doughnuts with your favorite toppings. I am thinking a chocolate glaze with Reese’s pieces sounds like a pretty good doughnut topping combination. What doughnut flavor combination will you choose to make?

Don’t forget that you can celebrate National Doughnut Day with a free doughnut from your local Krispy Kreme shop. If you don’t live near a KK call your local doughnut shop to see if they are celebrating National Doughnut Day. Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo
Megan

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A few weeks ago I shared with you an great checklist to use when planning a wedding. Just as every person is different their wedding planning priorities are also different. However, I will say that having a photographer at your event to document all the special wedding day moments is a pretty high priority in my book. You want someone there who will be able to capture you and your groom getting ready, walking down the aisle and celebrating with your friends and family.

Here are a few tips that will make sure you get the right photographer for you.
  1. Do you two share the same vision? You want to make sure that you and your potential photographer are on the same page when it comes to what you want as an end result. Ask them why they got into the business and what their favorite thing to photograph on the wedding day is. 
  2. Do they have an assistant? You may think that 1 photographer is enough for the wedding day, but that is not exactly true. From getting ready up until the wedding party is announced at the reception you will have at least two groups of people that you will want photographed at all times. You don’t want to miss out on a great photo opportunity because the photographer was running back and forth between locations!
  3. Do you get full rights to the photos and do you get a digital copy? Since photography has gone digital this is a newer question to ask photographers when booking one for an event. There are no more negatives that you have to worry about so some photographers give their clients CD’s and full rights to the images after the event. 
  4. How quick are they in sending you all the photos after the event? I had a friend have to wait almost 6 months after her wedding before she saw any pictures. See what the photographer’s timeline is on getting photos back to their clients before you hire them. If you have an event during a busy season it may take longer than normal.

You will treasure these photos for many anniversaries to come so make sure to do your homework when it comes to selecting your wedding photographer. One of my sorority sisters, Nikki Santerre, is an amazing photographer and is 100% correct in how she describes what these wedding photos will mean to you and your loved ones: 
“As a recent bride, I completely understand all the excitement and emotions you are experiencing as you plan your wedding day. The thing is, above all else, I believe in love. This day is about YOUR love story, the start of your journey in life, and the images captured? They are the ones you will show your grandchildren one day when you’re old and gray.” 
What is your favorite wedding day picture?

xoxo
Megan

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WARNING! Reading this post may make you want to eat mass quantities of doughnuts. If you cannot resist the urge please do not continue reading. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

I wish I had that warning before I started writing this post. As soon as I started searching for doughnut ideas for this week’s posts within a minute I had a craving for a doughnut (or two). The reason for all this doughnut talk? National Doughnut day is this Friday. This holiday originally started back in 1938 as a fundraiser for the Chicago’s Salvation Army to help raise money for those in need during the Great Depression and recognize the ladies who served doughnuts to soldiers during WWI. Who knew?!? Anyways in preparation for National Doughnut Day here are 10 yummy doughnut treats that will have your taste buds screaming for a bite!
Most national doughnut chains and local stores participate in National Doughnut Day by giving out free doughnuts. And of course these make the perfect party treat for any occasion. What is your favorite type of doughnut? I’m off to go track down the closest doughnut shop! Have a wonderful day!

xoxo
Megan

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This past weekend I had a busy work schedule with not 1, or 2 but 4 high school graduations. Congrats to all those who graduated! You left me completely exhausted by Saturday evening! Once Sunday rolled around I was ready to relax, read a little, clean out some of my DVR and try a new recipe that I had pinned on Pinterest. Over the past few weeks I have gotten into a cooking mood and been trying out some recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest. Here are the ones that I have tried so far:

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce
Ingredients for 2 tacos
  • small corn tortillas
  • 8 medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined and butterflied
  • ½ cup shredded cabbage (any variety)
  • 6 oz plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro 
  • ½ of a lime, juiced, plus additional lime wedges for garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil as needed
  • Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Mix yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a medium skillet. Add cabbage and cook for a few, just to soften and warm, then set aside.
3. Cut shrimp into pieces and saute in 2 tsp. olive oil while seasoning with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (if desired) over medium heat just until done.
4. Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Build your taco with the cilantro lime sauce, cabbage and shrimp.

Chicken and Mushrooms with Asparagus
Ingredients for 2 servings
  • 3 drops vegetable oil
  • 6 oz mushrooms
  • 6-8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 10-12 asparagus stalks, cut into small pieces
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • brown rice

Directions
1. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and wipe out any excess with a paper towel.
2. Add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, and remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add the onion and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 6 minutes.
5. Add the asparagus, cooked mushrooms, lemon juice, and parsley, along with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Reduce the heat, cover, and continue cooking 10 minutes.
7. I served mine over a bed of brown rice with extra lemon juice sprinkled on top.

Omelet Muffins
Ingredients for 12 muffins
  • muffin pan
  • 12 eggs (beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper)
  • mix-ins (diced ham, bacon, carrots. tomatoes, cheese, peppers, spinach)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease the bottoms and sides of your muffin pan to ensure a stick-free removal once the omelets are done baking.
2. Make sure your eggs are beaten and you have added the salt and pepper.
3. Fill the bottoms of your muffin pan (about 1/3 of each individual tin) with the different mix-ins you chose. I decided to make ham and cheese omelets.
4. Then fill the tins with your eggs. The omelets will puff up a little when you bake them, so make sure to leave just a tiny bit of space at the top of each tin. Stir each mixture slightly to combine your eggs with the ingredients.
5. Bake your muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until you can poke the centers with a knife and it comes out clean (or almost clean).

I also already shared with you the Firecracker Cookies which was another one of my most recent Pinterest recipes. Each of these dishes were a huge success in my book and have been filed away in my recipe box for another day. An added bonus: each recipe is easy to modify when hosting a dinner party for friends and family! 


Have you tried out a new recipe from Pinterest lately? How did it turn out? Happy Monday!

xoxo
Megan

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