Monday:Pick-Me-Up

I love getting anything in the mail that isn't junk or a bill. Lately I've gotten pretty spoiled by my mail man! Well...spoiled in general since I won all of these items in giveaways...

Top Left Corner --- Eye Serum from Elizabeth {The Young Retiree}
Top Right Corner --- Crocheted Hearts from Katy {A Little Lesson}
Bottom Row --- Hand Stamped Necklace via Sebastian Design from Mrs. S {The Adventures of Mr. Superman & Mrs. S}

What's the best piece of mail you've gotten recently?

Food?

Yeah... I need... and I mean NEED to go to the commissary... you know you've been cooking for one a bit too long when this becomes an acceptable dinner:

Chef Boyardee. Ewwwww. How did I eat that? And, before you ask- no I did not buy it. My husband buys them for field training weeks, he says they taste better than MRE's. There are a few cans left in the pantry that he didn't use before he deployed. I was lazy, it was late, and this happened. Time to get my act together! Anyone have awesome one person recipes? I'd love to have some more go-to meals to choose from.

Thanks!

Bloggy Friends

A little over 2.5wks ago I had the privilege of meeting up with one of the island's milspouse bloggers, Jane from A Few of My Favorite Things.

We met up, headed to Bellows Beach to soak up some sun, perused the clearance racks at Pier 1, and finally enjoyed a tasty lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. It was an enjoyable Saturday morning and afternoon... I definitely vote that we do it again soon!

I have now met 4 wonderful ladies via blogging... can't wait to meet more! 

Any other Hawaii bloggers want to join in on the fun? 

Monday: Pick-Me-Up

I have been CRAZY busy for the past two weeks... so busy that my body is pretty much done. D.O.N.E. I am not planning on leaving the house today, I need to seriously clean this house and allow my body to catch up. I have had a head and neck ache for the past 3 days and I just feel completely run down. I also realized three-day weekends aren't as fun when your husband is deployed. But... I wanted to share this little guy with you:

Meet Moku! (Moku=Island in Hawaiian) When I got him, he was no more than 4 or 5wks old... probably too young to have been taken away from his mom. He didn't even know how to use a water bottle, so for the first week I had him drinking out of a dish. I am happy to say my little guy is using the water bottle now and slowly trying new foods. He's so stinkin' cute... and "Skinnie Piggie" once again has a piggie mascot!

How is your Monday treating you?

Love Across the Ocean

Five Valentine Days have come & gone... 2008/2009 we were still dating long distance (AZ-MD/CA-MD), 2010 we were actually together, 2011 he was training many states away, and finally this year he's thousands of miles away due to deployment.

I told him that Valentine's is just not our holiday, haha!

However, I am still feeling the love... an ocean away, in opposite directions... my husband and parents sent me lovely gifts.

Cute candy dish, cards, and beautiful flowers!

I hope your day has been full of love!

Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

While I was home my mom had me make a batch of box mix brownies for the men's shelter that she and her Bible study cook/bake for once a month. After I had made them and the house smelled delicious and my dad asked if I could make another batch. My mom had only bought the one box of brownie mix... so from scratch it had to be! That night, when we ate our first squares we were a little on the fence about whether or not the recipe was a keeper... the next two days won us over, maybe these brownies are like pasta? Better the second (and third) day! *All photos taken with iPhone.

Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

• 2 cups (12oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350* & Grease 13x9in baking pan. Prepare ingredients for easy adding.

It was rotated when I uploaded it, I apologize!

STEPS

1. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stir until smooth.

 2. Remove from heat, stir in eggs.

3. Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla, and baking soda.

4. Stir in remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of nuts

5. Spread into pan and bake for 18-22min (insert toothpick in center-should be slightly sticky but not runny)
6. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Enjoy!
*If you want a richer brownie you could use milk or dark chocolate chips.

Let me know what you think if you make them!

Monday:Pick-Me-Up

Sometimes it is nice to hear someone validate the fact that you only have a {very} part-time job. Tell you that it's okay, that if you are doing well financially you don't need to be stressed out working 40+ hours a week, commuting 40-60mi roundtrip, and fighting the daily traffic on crazy freeways. Where is this coming from? An older spouse with two children pulled me aside at church today, at some point during our conversation she said: "Do not ever apologize or feel bad about your situation, if you are financially stable, enjoy your time here. Don't get close to your 3yr PCS and have to tell people - 'yeah, I lived in Hawaii but I worked 50hrs a week and the weekends were spent catching up on the household chores.'"
 

I guess I've just been thankful for the little things lately...

• The beautiful sunsets
• Finding beach glass treasures
• Dinner nights with friends
• The hunt for the perfect piggie
• Dark chocolate and red wine
• Love

What little blessings have you been experiencing?

Jamba Drive-Inn?

Yes, this actually happened.
Yes, these are my photos.
No, I didn't witness this.
(I only ran into Petco for 5min!)

I am so confused at how this even happened... Maybe if they had run into the store with the front of the car, but backing in? As far as I know the driver was not injured at all. There were paramedics on site & an ambulance for the two people who were sitting at the corner table- but no one was being rushed away by the EMTs or Fire Fighters.

Things that make you go "hmmm" ...right?!

Blog Lovin'

Check out this absolutely adorable keychain...

...it can hold a chapstick, usb, or change (and I'm sure plenty of other small things I haven't thought of yet!). I won it a few weeks back in a blog giveaway from Katy over at "A Little Lesson." I really hope the military gets their act together so she can move out here soon! #1- I'd love to meet her. #2- we all know how much it sucks being in the "transition limbo."

ANYWAY... this lovely crafty lady is holding ANOTHER giveaway and while it's not required to blog about the giveaway, they are way too cute not to share. She has made hand knitted heart pouches, just in time for Valentine's Day! I know, I know... if you're like me, hubby is deployed. BUT sometimes you just need some cuteness in your life, plus you'd be getting 4 so you can SHARE the cuteness!

So, share the blog love... go enter her giveaway.