Snuggle Up: Hot Chocolate Recipes

We've been snowed in for 2 days here in the DC area. Schools have been closed and most places of employment have followed suit.

One thing we love in our household are things that make you feel warm and cozy, a plush robe, warm slippers and of course, hot chocolate! Snuggle up with your sweetheart and enjoy one of these delicious cups of warm cocoa.

Here are our favorite hot chocolate recipes...enjoy!

from Martha Stewart.com

• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups cocoa
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• Whole milk for serving

Click here for full recipe

from Budget Savvy Diva

7 oz of Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Cups of Chocolate Chips ( milk chocolate)

3/4 Cup of Heavy Cream

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

3 cups of Milk ( 2%)

Click here for full recipe

White Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 vanilla bean

3 oz of quality white chocolate

Light whipped cream

Cocoa powder

See more here

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cocoa

Serves 4

1 1/3 cups hazelnut chocolate spread, such as Nutella

4 cups whole milk

To make:

                       Heat milk and nutella in small saucepan, stirring constantly until hot but not boiling.
                                                                                  Pour into mugs and enjoy.

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Spirit Day 2013

Say I Do! proudly supports Spirit Day.  It is our hope that bullying and harassment of LGBT youth ends as hate acts against others is and always will be intolerable.  We encourage everyone, every business and every organization to stand with us on this day to remember those who took their lives because they felt that was the only way to end the bullying they endured.

For those who may not fully understand what Spirit Day is all about, we've covered it all below. We hope that you too, stand with us in standing for our youth.

What is Spirit Day anyway?

Started by a teenager Brittany McMillan in 2010, Spirit Day is a day to support lgbt youth and pay honor and remembrance to those who took or lost their life as a result of bullying. "Going purple" refers to either/or wearing purple or changing your online profiles images to purple to show your support and solidarity. It is honored annually on October 17th. According to a 2011 survey by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 63.5% of LGBT students indicated they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. Almost a whopping 82% reported being verbally harassed.

I was browsing my Tumblr blog in late September of 2010 when I came across several articles about LGBT teens who had lost their lives to suicide. Every day for a week, it seemed like there was a new suicide every time I logged in. And it made me sick.

I wanted to do something to spread awareness about the loss of these teenagers, and I wanted to show support for anyone going through similar problems. Being diagnosed with depression myself, I knew firsthand what it’s like to feel suicidal.   

- Brittany McMillan, Creator of Spirit Day as told to the Advocate.com

That's nice, but how does that help?

It shows that you are taking a stand against bullying and that you agree that bullying an individual because of their sexual orientation (or any reason) will not be tolerated.  It just takes one person to stand up to make a statement. All individuals, organizations and companies are encouraged to take a stand on this day in support of the youth who were lost. It is about awareness and unity among the LGBT community and our allies. The goal is that out of these tragedies  the lives lost are not in vain but serve as a movement for us all to ensure that we make a safer place for LGBT youth to exist and thrive without the threat of bullying.

Oh, I see...but why purple?

Great question!  There are six colors of the gay pride rainbow flag, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Purple, symbolizes spirit; hence why this color was chosen.

Okay, what can I do?

Well, for starters...wear purple! When someone asks you why you're wearing purple, tell them! Change your business and personal profile pictures on Facebook or Twitter to purple. Here are some other ideas:

1. Do a blog post, declaring your support
2. Send out a special notice to your subscriber base explaining why Spirit Day is important to you
3. Share details about Spirit Day on your social networks
4. It's a perfect time to review your marketing materials to ensure they are inclusive and LGBT-friendly (we can help with this, email info(at)sayido(dot)com for details
5. Encourage others to show their support as well!

"Going purple" is the least we can do to show that we are anti-bullying, we'd love to see what you do to stand in solidarity with the millions of people, businesses and organizations who believe enough is enough. We should not have to loose one life to bullying.  Post your links in the comment section to your content and networks so we can see how you went purple. We'd love to see it and support you as well!

Celebrities who went purple today: Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Nick Cannon, Melissa Etheridge, Kristen Bell and the list goes on and on.

For more information visit: http://www.glaad.org. 

The Icing on the Cake

Say I Do! isn't in the business of same-sex weddings...not exclusively. That may come as quite a shock to some, since we do produce wedding expo's for same-sex couples (and we love doing it!). Yes, we believe in marriage, marriage equality and helping you to create a special day to celebrate your love. But that's just the icing. We care about what comes after "i do" as much as the day you say "i do"!

What we are in the business of is relationships...because what's a relationship without a strong foundation? 

Weddings are awesome, amazing and we so do adore them. But in the span of time two people spend together, its a beautiful blink of the eye. It's the relationship that needs to be fostered, nourished and maintained...that is the hard work but also the most rewarding.

This is why we have workshops at our events that not only address wedding "stuff" but also financial and legal "stuff" that will help you secure your relationship. This is why we hold tele-seminars on topics important to couples.  Because its the relationship that truly matters.  Our job is to bring you resources for our community and connect you with experts and professionals who understand the unique needs of our community. This is what we are about and this is what you can expect to see more of in the future.

So we invite you to join us, we need your input and feedback to help us bring more relevant content for LGBT families. We created an "insider" program so we can better serve you and meet your needs. Just like your marriage or committed relationship...we're in it for the long haul! We know the issues LGBT couples face aren't limited to just finding great LGBT-friendly professionals for their wedding. We also lack in resources on how to build and sustain healthy relationships. We are here to help you celebrate your love and help you navigate all the ups and downs relationships bring. Join us as an insider and become part of the movement. 

Weekly Roundup: Top 5 Headlines in Love, Marriage and Equality...

Been too busy to pay attention to what's been going in the past week? Don't despair! We've rounded up the top 5 headlines that we've been watching right here!

1. The Fed says "i do" to federal benefits for legally married same-sex couples. It's about time! Here's what you need to do now.
   
2. We celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the March on Washington. Progress has been made, but still much work to do.
   
3. Liz Cheney does not want her lesbian sister to legally wed. Find out why Liz Cheney is not pro-gay marriage.
   
4. Let Them Eat Cake...For Less!  Trim the costs on your wedding cake with these 20 tips.
   
5. We found some tear-jerking proposals...get your tissues ready and see them here.

image from: http://www.akashicbooks.com

Best Gay and Lesbian Wedding Proposals

While listening to a few oldies but goodies on YouTube the other day, I happened to stumble across the cutest lesbian proposal I'd ever seen, and then another and another... If you're looking to feel all warm and mushy inside this post is for you!

The Flash Mob Proposal

The Google Proposal

The Birthday Proposal

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did! Congratulations to all the happy couples...love always wins!

Note: This list isn't mean't to be exhaustive by any means, these are just a few of many. Who knows maybe I'll follow up with a part 2!

Engagement: Jen and Marie

We received an email from Jen who shared with us some beautiful photos of her proposal to her partner and future wife Marie.  We love to post engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements on the Say I Do! Facebook page, its just part of what we do. While we normally only post one picture of the couple we had to make an exception, we couldn't choose among the pictures Jen sent over, so we are posting them all here!

Congratulations to the beautiful couple this is an awesome proposal!

Jen and Marie were engaged in Hollywood Hills near the Hollywood sign. Jen proposed to the love of her life, Marie on March 8, 2013.  The couple hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

3 cheers for Jen and Marie!