The Most Colorful Weekend

This weekend was fantastic and colorful!  Friday night, after work, Mike and I drove down to Rhode Island.  I asked two of my best friends to be bridesmaids in my wedding [more about that later this week!] and they also created hashtags for our wedding.  [That's how you know it's legit!]. #megandmiketaylor & #taylorwedding092014

 

Celebrating with drinks /// I have an engaged friend!!

On Saturday morning, Shannon, her bf, Mike, and I drove up to Mass for Providence Color Me Rad.  You know how much I LOVE CMR [see example #1 and example #2] but I will never, EVER run it in Providence EVER again.  We got off the exit [which was 1.7 miles from the speedway where it was held] 45 minutes before the start of our wave [as the emails suggested].  We weren't parked until AN HOUR after the start of the race.  Yes, we went a little over a mile and a half in just under 2 hours.  It was absolutely ridiculous, and the situation leaving was equally messy.  I would NEVER suggest anyone ever go to that race.  Color Me Rad definitely needs to work on their organizational skills at this venue.   Besides the pouting I did before the race, I did have fun during the actual race.  Mike and I ran a pretty good time [33 minutes] and got tons of color. 

Mike, Matt, and Shannon before...

Me after

 

With Mike and Shannon

When we finally got home, I had to stop at work.  Since the traffic was so awful, I had to go straight to my office without stopping home to change or shower.  My staff thought I was insane! On Saturday night, Mike, his friend, Todd, and one of my staff members, Christie, and I played in a glow ball golf tournament.  They lined the cart paths with luminarias, put glow sticks down the fairways, used tiki torches for the tee markers, decorated our golf carts with more glow sticks, and, of course, used glow balls.  It was so fun!  

 

Starbucks was much needed for night golf /// and our glow balls!

Our decorated golf carts

Morning Glories!

How we didn't run into trees...

Linking up for This Weekend I..., Weekend Shenanigans, and Monday Funday!

Skirtember

What's that you ask?  A fun excuse to wear skirts/dresses each day in September.  Kristin and Chantal came up with this great idea, and I finally remembered to wear skirts and take selfies almost each day this week! 

 

Monday /// Tuesday

 

Wednesday /// Thursday

Friday /// Sunday

Yeah, whoops, I missed Saturday, but I'll fill you in on my excuse tomorrow!

Fall Ciders: Part 2

I thought I had them all covered when I wrote about EIGHT ciders I've tried less than a month ago.  Then, two UConn football games happened on back-to-back weekends, and Mike went out of his way to find even more.  

 

Well, we won't be at another home game for two months, so I thought I'd update you with the last two weekends' finds:

Angry Orchard Green Apple: Holy moly, this is my new favorite ever!  It is a bit tart, but even more than that, it tastes a bit sour.  I could drink at least a few of these!

Woodchuck Pumpkin Reserve: From the best, to the worst.  Sorry, Woodchuck, this is the worst.  It's not at all a genuine pumpkin flavor, but a fake and sweet flavor covering any resemblance of cider.  One of our friends said it best [and was so strangely accurate]: it tastes like you're drinking a Dum Dum lollipop.  

Woodchuck Crisp: Another not-so-good flavor.  To be honest, Mike and I call it the "water cider."  It really just tastes like a sweet cider with a few too many melted ice cubes in it.  Sorry, Woodchuck.

Woodchuck Pear: I would have to say that this cider is more on the dry side, which surprised me because other brands of "pear" cider have been pretty sweet.  Mike doesn't get it, but I say this cider [much like many IPAs and other beers I try] tastes like soap.  Does anyone know what I mean?? People always laugh that I know what soap tastes like, but hasn't everyone had soap in their mouth by accident in the shower or when washing their face at least once?  Alright, sorry, back to the cider.  This one is alright, but I know better Woodchuck flavors.  

Harpoon Craft Cider: My first ever cider strikes again.  They added the word "craft" before cider, but don't be fooled if you see this in the store, it still has the same great, dry taste.

Stella Artois Cidre: Nice work, Stella - I wasn't sure you could handle it, but this cider is nice and tart.  I would definitely buy it again. 

Magners Original: Magners is a great Irish cider.  It's pretty much what I'd think a European cider would taste like.  It's not as sweet as many American ciders, and has a very different apple tang.  The one weird part of this cider is the chemical after taste.  The first time we had it was on draft and we thought it was iodine from the dishwasher, but no, it's the real taste.  Don't worry, it's not overwhelming, and you know me, I always think things taste funny! 

Check out some photos from the last two weeks of football tailgating:

UConn vs. Maryland 9/14/13

UConn vs. Michigan 9/21/13

Sunshine Award

Thank you so much to Ashley for nominating me for the Sunshine Award.  The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers who brighten up your day.  She certainly brightens up my day, especially now since we share the common theme of a fall wedding!  I am especially loving all the little ideas I'm borrowing from her for my big day next year!

The Rules Are:

1. Include the award logo in your post.

2. Link to the person who nominated you.

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award.

Ashley's questions for me:

1) What is the best book you've read recently? I'm loving Dan Brown lately.  I just read The Lost Symbol and am starting Digital Fortress.

2) What's something that you do every day? Hmmm... shower? Straighten my hair? I can tell you one thing I do NOT do every day... put on makeup [legit... haven't worn anything more than chap stick in over a year].

3) What are you most looking forward to this fall? I loooove cider mills and picking pumpkins!

4) Share a link to your favorite post you have ever written. This is so difficult! Hmmm... I don't know, so I will go with my most viewed post - a cupcake order I did for a baby shower. I miss making cupcakes!

5) If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which would you choose? Definitely the 1960s... I'd be a great hippie.

6) Starting with the oldest picture on your phone, what is the 6th photo you have saved? Well, my memory card goes back to 2 phones ago, so this photo is circa Julyish 2010: Mike and my parents' cat Bernie.

7) If you could travel anywhere and money was no option, where would you go? Australia and New Zealand

8) If you had to choose one food to eat the rest of your life, what would you pick? Right now, it's Buffalo Chicken Dip.  Mike might be on a business trip today, so I might be making a batch all for myself for dinner. 

9) What was your favorite toy when you were a child? I love this one, Ashley!! I was an Easy Bake Oven girl for sure, but I also loved these little dolls in snow globes. [Looking to try and find their name, I stumbled upon this page with TONS of my favorites!  I totally forgot about Polly Pockets and Sally Secrets!  Oh, and those snow globe dolls were called Krystal Princesses by the way!]

10) Tell me something that you like about yourself. (:  Hmm, I like my life! I'm lucky to have an amazing fiancee, a fun job, and supportive people all around me. 

I nominate:

Madi @ And So I Did
Annalee @ Life, Laughs, and Ladds

Ginny @ Buttergirl Diaries

Heather @ From Here To There

Amanda @ MandaLoves

Patty @ Make It Cozee

Kate @ Daffodils

Nicole @ Adventures of a Semper Fi Family

Casey @ Everyday Adventures

Jen @ Adventures of Our Army Life

My Ten Questions for the Nominated Ladies:
1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
2. What are you most excited about this fall?
3. What is your favorite dessert? Bonus points for the recipe.
4. What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
5. Share your favorite GIF or Meme of the moment.
6. Favorite article of clothing? More bonus points for a selfie wearing it!
7. What is your favorite post you've ever written?
8. What is your guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
9. Share the fourth oldest photo on your phone.
10. What is one goal you have for this year?

Two Weeks In...

It's been two weeks since I started my half marathon training.  I'm up to 4 miles or so, but have been trying to do a lot of cross training.  Including the running [obviously], ab workouts, a couple Insanity workouts, doing every crazy activity with my kids at work, and walks around the neighborhood at night with Mike, I've simply been trying to stay more active.  
I also joined The Fit Approach's Sweat Pink.  I am now a Sweat Pink Ambassador!  I love their supportive network of strong women working together to live a lifestyle and challenge ourselves.  

I also bought some awesome LunarGlide+ 5 running sneakers from Nike.  They are great for running and stability.  

The laces attach to these "Flywires" [the little pink elastics going into the shoes] that tighten the whole shoe around your foot when you pull the laces.  They really give the shoe an awesome, custom fit.  

I allow myself one pair of new sneakers for every half marathon I run, so when I add my Sweat Pink pink laces to them this week, I will be ready to go!

One Year From Today...

Mike and I will be getting married.  

We've been through a lot together over the past three and a half years, and I know this next year of planning is going to be so much fun and bring us even closer together.

The Boy Behind My Blog

Now that he's my fiancee [not that he hasn't been introduced to my blog before (in fact, he even has his own post tag), he's even written a guest post], I thought it would be fun to do "The Boys Behind the Blog with Mike!  He played Wii Golf, I ate Rice Krispies for a nighttime snack, and of course, I asked him these questions:

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be? "A Megimal" ::Funny look from me [Back story, he puts my name into everything... song lyrics, words (megaggerate is his favorite.  Get it? Meg + exaggerate?), everything. It's really cute, I swear.]:: "I don't know, an ocelot! Because of their little spots, no but really, they're really fast and hang out in trees."

2. What is your favorite meal? "Meghan's macaroni and cheese and ham." [Here's that recipe!]

3. Do you use any forms of Social Media? What is your favorite? "I use the Twitter." "Don't you remember you have Instagram?" "Oh yeah, but I don't use that too much."  [Here are his Twitter and Instagram links if you want to follow him ;) ]

4. Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above? "Beer, no, cider!" [I'm glad he agrees with me on this one!]

5. Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..." "gone to Hawaii.  I want to go to Hawaii!" [hint, hint, maybe sometime after a year from now, fiancee who reads my blog. Hint, hint!]

 Last weekend at the UConn football game and over three years ago on our first vacation!

This was fun, thanks, Mallory and Stephanie!

A New Link Up?!

Hi friends, Amanda and I have been thinking about starting something new combining two of our favorite things: blogging and cooking!

We are calling it "Kitchen Mix-Up."  It's a new monthly link up where we will give you four ingredients at the start of the month and then ask you to go wild!  Cook or bake something with those ingredients over the month and link back up with us at the end of each month with your recipe or even just some photos of your creation.

So let me ask you, would you be interested in participating? Added bonus: we are thinking that every person who links up at the end of the first month will be entered into a little giveaway, maybe to for a giftcard to Starbucks.  Does that sweeten the pot? Be honest!  We are looking for any and all ideas and critiques :)