Missing You Already

Last post of my RR series and it has taken me foreverrrr to post! Usually when I drop off the hubby, it's always 2am, 4am, 5am.... mornings where my brain isn't fully awake and all I want to do is crawl back into bed. Since we weren't on Army time, my brain had enough time to wake up and fully digest what was happening. I don't know what it is about this time around compared to the gazillion other times in the past, but it was by the far one of the hardest see ya laters. The first one was when he left to go to basic over a decade ago. Seeing a man cry is something so intimate, so out of character and it made me cry even more.

Well, I'm a cry baby period... Shoot, this post is getting me pretty weepy as I type and relive that moment. This time around, I was strong and I held it in. I knew that if I had cried, it would make it that much more harder for him. What made it worse was after we hugged and kissed our see ya laters, he held on to my hand so tightly and neither one of us wanted to let go, but duty calls. Now I feel like crawling into bed and have a good long cry about this! Geez...



When I got home, Maggie (the chocolate lab) didn't even faze to realize her Dad was gone. Frankie on the hand was mad at me and wouldn't talk to me all day. First off, yes I talk to Frankie like a normal person, no I'm not crazy. Or am I? Frankie knew even the day before that his Daddy was leaving again and he clung on to him, followed him everywhere, gave Daddy extra kisses and lovin'. He just knew. I feel bad for Frankie because ever since we've gotten him about 4 years ago, his Daddy has deployed, has been away from us months at a time through out the years and he just wants him to be home. So, do I. Speaking of Frankie, he will be turning 4 on the 21st of this month!

It was a tough couple weeks readjusting to hubby being gone, but one thing I love since he's gone back... I can text him whenever I want! When he was here, he didn't have a working phone, so if he was out by himself, I can't text him if I needed something or tell him something the dogs did or whatever. And he missed having a working phone... especially when we go out to eat and he likes to go on his phone (I HATE THAT!!). His eyes light up when there's free wifi.

Overall, things have been good since he's been gone. I miss him. Immensely. The dogs miss him... right Maggie? Who knows what's going on in her head. The doggy poop picking upping misses him too. I'm just extremely grateful for my friend Jenny and Shelley who contacted me after hubby left to check up on me and make sure I was okay.

That Gut Wrenching Feeling

Our last whole day and I could feel the tears well up at the smallest things, but I was a sport and kept on going to make the best of the day. Why ruin it with tears. The whole time he was home, we never did venture out to Seattle... we were always in nearby cities, but we decided we would go get his favorite 8oz Burger in Capitol Hill. I love their rustic decor and using locally sourced ingredients. You can read more about them here.

We started off with Beecher's mac and cheese (not pictured) and it is possibly the best mac 'n cheese I've ever had... we seriously devoured that the minute our waiter put it down. Hubby ordered their Classic 8oz while I tried their Banh Mi Burger. Oh my goodness my burger was so delicious! It's made with marinated beef/pork sausage patty with pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber, serrano peppers, liver pate and lemongrass siracha aioli all on a brioche bun. My mouth was on fireeee after I got a big slice of the pepper though, but oh so worth it.



We also ordered roasted garlic fries and bacon brussel sprouts. Truthfully, I think the way I make my brussel sprouts taste a whole lot better, but I've seen rave reviews on Yelp. I know that there's a million and one things to eat in Seattle, but if you're ever there, I recommend checking out 8oz!



8oz Burger
1401 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122 | 206.466.5989
8oz Burger | Seattle Website

Not Made for Fancy Smancy Restaurants

Excuse my goofy looking face... I never take pictures in the bathroom, but I really wanted to snap a picture of my outfit before someone walked in. If you follow me on IG, you know I posted the top which I found at F21 and I fell in love with it instantly. It's a peplum lacey top with a white collar. Originally I was going to wear it with a blazer, but I found I looked like I was going to a business meeting more than a fancy dinner. So I quickly put on my leopard print cardigan and called it a night. Oh man... let me tell you... there was a lot of huffin' and puffin' and screaming while I was trying to put falsies on. I had a full blown tantrum and didn't even bother to do my hair because I was pissed off at my eyes for not cooperating. I think I have issues.



We arrived to dinner a little early and had trouble figuring out where the heck the restaurant was and where to park. Thank you to the nice people of Bellevue for pointing us into the right direction :) The one thing hubby requested to eat when he got home was steak, so I made a reservation at Daniel's Broiler and you guys, it was FANCY SMANCY. I felt completely out of place and the area they put us in was really quiet and romantic and we even had a view of the city. It was truthfully just beautiful and I had the best date ever, BUT the whole time I just wanted to laugh really loud. Dinner was delicious! We started off with lobster bisque and grilled bacon wrapped Alaskan weathervane scallops with sambuca butter sauce. Those scallops were like butttter. Hubby had some kind of steak with the works while I went with their prime rib. In the end they even surprised us with a free anniversary dessert which were incredibly nice of them. ♥

After dinner, I dragged hubby back to Whole Foods again (it's FAR from where we live and it's up the street from the restaurant) and I just walked around aimlessly picking up a couple things here and there. Again, never go to Whole Foods without a set list!

This, That & A Side of Ikea

I've been taking foreverrrrr to make the rest of my R&R posts. Mostly due to laziness. We ate a lot while he was home since he couldn't eat majority of what we have here in the states over there. Plus, when he stopped in Japan, he had some Chili's and he wouldn't stop talking about it for a whole week! Too bad they don't have one here, but I have seen copycat recipes... so maybe I'll make him that when he comes home home.

For our anniversary, we usually don't do big grand gifts... a special dinner in or out plus spending time together is what we usually do. This year I got him a pair of shoes he's been wanting and I asked for Ikea's RÅSKOG Kitchen cart. Actually, it was more a huge hint of let's go to Ikea and spend copious amount of money to fix our home that we may or may not be living in for 2014. I really wanted the turquoise one but he got huffy and puffy so I ended up with the grey one. I'm currently using it in our upstairs bathroom to store perfume, extra lotions and my makeup brushes. I want another one for our downstairs pantry too.

Also, while hubby was home, we got lucky and got to catch one of the Cirque Du Soleil shows called Amaluna and it was AMAZIIIING! I've seen the O show a long time ago in Vegas, but this was my husband's first time. Definitely worth the money and if you're in the Seattle area, definitely go check it out!

Alright friends, that's that for the day. Hope you're all well!



edit: Evani commented how I'm using the cart and this is what I have now. I picked up the bins from Ikea (comes in a 3pk for about $8) and the other containers I used I picked up from the dollar section at Target awhile back. The dish that is holding the Maybelline Color Whisper is also from Ikea.

Anniversary + Valentine's Day {& Updated Layout}

Our wedding anniversary was on Feb 11th and we didn't really plan anything since our fancy dinner was on the 16th. Instead we went around to dealerships looking at cars. For me. We went to a couple places and ended up in Bellevue and drove an amazing one, BUT I didn't want to settle on the first one we drove. I made hubby take me to Whole Foods (I have withdrawls) and I think this one is bigger than the one in HB... going in with absolutely no plans is not smart thinking. Ever. I was entranced by all the delicious produce, aisles and aisles of goodies, fresh meat and seafood, pastries and cakes and their hot bar. I didn't go crazy, but I was really excited when I found out that they carried Mamma Chia drinks in all 9 flavors and they were all sale! I am obsessed with these Chia drinks, or Chia seeds themselves.

Off topic, but have you tried Chia? No, I don't mean buying a Chia pet, but actually consuming the seeds. They're better than blueberries, flaxseeds and all that jazz.

1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.

2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.

3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.

4. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!

5. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.

6. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Obviously, you can read up more of it here or just google it yourself.

After sitting in traffic for a good 2 hours later, we got home and I quickly whipped up BenjiManTV's pan fried spaghetti which turned out delicious! I'll have to make it again and post the recipe here, or you can click the link and watch his whole video.

The next day, we went back out to check out dealerships and ended up in Kirkland, WA and we found our car!! No, it's not the blue corvette (I think it's a corvette?) I'm pictured with above haha... Come on now... we're not crazy.

Valentine's day came and he surprised me with two bouquets of flowers. I don't even know what we did that day. While everyone on my Facebook and IG gussied up to go out, we stayed in with our sweats on, makeup off and just enjoyed each others company. Someone posted on Facebook saying how there should be 2 important days where your man should show you extra lovin'... Anniversary and Valentine's Day. In honestly, I don't need one day out of the year for my man to show me he loves me that much more... it should be every freakin' day.

This has definitely been one of the more memorable anniversary/Valentine's, but I think it's because he's not here physically. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to our anniversary together. Can you believe it's already been 9 years?!!



I also updated my layout... What do you think?

Daddy's Home

You know that excitement you get when you know something big is happening the next day so you can't sleep the night before? Yea. I felt like my eyes were bleeding by the time my head hit the pillow at 10:30AM. Hubby arrived around 7:30AM. I rolled out of bed at 5:30AM and started to get ready.... waited around what felt like forever, but just as I was getting comfortable in bed, he called. Don't you hate that?


6AM me + no sleep= still lookin' good!

We miscalculated the time he'd arrive + we miscommunicated while he had his layover in Japan + I didn't sleep a wink + Dangerously driving on the I-5 while being extremely sleepy + Hubby being a meanie = A super duper long day. I was Thankful to get at least a few hours of sleep before we ran out to Tukwila Mall for dinner and a little shopping.



It's been a pretty busy couple days... we got our taxes done, tried a new KBBQ which was pricey, went to our fave boba place in Bellevue and explored a bit up North. Things have been okay having him home... Don't want to sound like a total whiny b*tch, but I'm still adjusting okay? OKAY?

Alright friends... I should go help clean. My FIL is coming up tomorrow for a night. Actually, all I want to do is take a nap.

Break Time!

So........ basically, my iPhone and laptop currently hates me. One refuses to charge properly and the other doesn't have enough RAM to do anything. Thankfully R&R is right around the corner and the Hubby can fix it all! So, in the mean time... Just giving you a heads up that I may or may not be updating hahah Which is funny because it's not like I've been updating much to begin with. *Tsk Tsk* Shame on me for being a crappy blog friend. Seriously... blogging more was one of my goals and so far I haven't accomplished any of that. Hopefully with R&R, I'll have some good content to post and get back into the swing of things.

Planning A Day Trip to Portland

image via tripadvisor

R&R is right around the corner and I'm trying to plan out things to see, eat, do. We can't lie in bed for weeks just snuggling. We live about 2 hours away from Portland and would love to just have a day trip out of it, so I'm asking my amazing blogging friends for suggestions. Yes, I know I can Google and Yelp places, but I want to hear it from YOU! The only thing I have planned is to go check out Pretty & Cute which sells most Korean and Japanese beauty products.

We're suckers for food trucks. We don't drink wine, affordable food is awesome, museums are great :) I seriously hate planning, but secretly love it at the same time. Hubby is absolutely no help whatsoever and it's not like he doesn't have time. He does. He just chooses to play video games over chatting with me hmmph.

Any and all time is great, friends! Thank youuuu <3