House < Home

They say a home is better than a house and since we have moved out to California, I have been trying to make our house feel more like a home by hanging more pictures or art work on the wall, adding some decorations whether I bought them or made them to put around the house and to make it feel like it's ours even if only for a limited of time. It is hard to settle into a house and call it a home if you only plan on being there for 3 years max, so I am happy that I feel like I can actually call it that even though I know we do plan on moving from here hopefully soon.

This was added onto our baby bucket list to make/buy things for our house. These objects are something that we can take with us whenever we move from here. Now, I doubt I will ever be finished buying or making things to add into our home but I believe our goal was accomplished so far so it's time to cross it off.

Here are some recent items that I put up.

When Matt was just recently deployed, he was given the opportunity to climb a mountain while in Malaysia. So these are a couple photos and his badge that he wore. 

These photos you will be seeing are from our homecoming from when Matt returned home in June. To see more of these photos and larger, look at this post.

Matt bought me this awesome art work that is stitched but you would have no idea unless you look at it up close. It's beautiful. I want to say it was from Hong Kong. I will have to make sure on this though.

Matt's certification from climbing the mountain in Malaysia 

Boomerang Matt bought on this last deployment.

Beautiful artwork from Singapore. 

(up close) Not exactly sure what the writing says, but it adds a nice touch to our guest bedroom/office.

To take a look at some of the things we either bought or made that was actually blogged about, you can look back on these posts here, here, here, and here.

Husband Caught A Shark

Yea, that's right. My husband and his friends had a guys day and went out spearfishing. Him and his friends helped catch this leopard shark last weekend spear fishing. Don't worry, leopard sharks are harmless to humans due to their mouths being so small that they wouldn't be able to bite. Their teeth are still sharp, but it's to catch their predators such as clams, spoon worms, fish eggs, shrimp, crabs, and bony fish.  If you're on the East Coast, you probably haven't seen one of these swimming around and that is due to them remaining in a certain area since they don't like to swim long movements anywhere else. They also stay together as a pack rather than swim alone.

Anyways, here is a picture of Matt and his two friends, Kyle and Brandon. 

You can see the little teeth if you look close enough. 

The guys also caught 6 fish which he grilled up along with the shark.

Cutting open the some of the fish. This is a better view of the shark too. 

Who knows, maybe I'll have even more pictures since we are going out tomorrow to spearfish and snorkel! 

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

I came across this recipe on the internet and fell in love with it when I read it because 1.) we love chicken. and 2.) we love bruschetta. I figured that this recipe could not let me down! And it didn't; it was absolutely delicious!! Definitely this is one I'm saving in the books….. er, whenever I actually write out my recipes - until then they are just put on this blog so I can share to others and also so I won't forget, haha.

One of the best parts about this meal? Only 200 calories - yes, that's right! and 5 ingredients.. that's it!

What you will need:

2 boneless chicken breasts halves

1/2 cup KRAFT sun-dried tomato dressing

half tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup basil, chopped or dried

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Put chicken breasts in large ziploc bag and add about 1/4 cup of dressing and shake it up so it's coated. Then put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, or if you want to really get it soaked into the chicken - you can poke a few holes into the chicken by using and fork and allowing it to sit in the dressing for the entire day. Otherwise, this works just fine!

Place foil on half of the grill then turn on the grill to medium heat. For the first 6 minutes, grill the chicken breasts on the side without foil.  

During this time, begin making the bruschetta mixture by adding in the dressing, some cheese, tomato, and basil. 

After the 6 minutes is up, flip chicken breast over and bring it to the foil side for 8 minutes or until done. When you move the chicken breasts to the foil side, top it with the mixture and add a little bit more cheese on top then close the lid for those 8 minutes.

It is absolutely delicious. Mmm, I'm hungry thinking about it. 

Single File!

Since Matt and I have been married, I have been telling him how I think we should get a filing cabinet and that it has become a necessity because of all the paperwork we have from our medical records, moving, military, my schooling, taxes, and all other sorts of stuff we have going on that it will be a lot more organized and simpler.  Well, I have looked online for a nice filing cabinet that is not too expensive and it turns out, filing cabinets are expensive. They run anywhere between $70-250.  I was not willing to pay that price so I've been hunting for a few months for used one in pretty good condition. 

Finally, I found this on craigslist! I took my friend Sarah with me (scary to go alone after watching 'The Craigslist Killer') It was $40. I tried to go lower but that lady didn't budge. Oh well, it's a pretty good price for a wood filing cabinet. So, I have great plans for a DIY project makeover. It can use some TLC.  So - stay tuned in ;)

 This is what our current filing cabinet looks like. Yep, that small plastic container with overflowing papers.

 Organizing, sorting, trashing.. 

3.5 hours later, and this is what it looks like. So much better.

Seaworld Visit

Every year, Matt and I go to Seaworld to take up the opportunity of getting in free due to his service in the military. It usually is a relaxing, fun afternoon for us and we only go for a few hours at a time. Oh and their funnel cone ice creams are tasty.

Waiting for the dolphin show to begin

 Cirque De Soliel show they have at Seaworld is pretty good and funny!!

waiting in line at the Manta - which is a great rollercoaster! Pretty long and smooth ride

My Country Tis Of Thee

For the 4th of July, we spent the entire day from 11am-10pm at the beach with our friends. The base throws this big get-together party with tons of vendors and giveaways, fireworks, etc. It is a lot of fun. Below are some of the pictures we took throughout the day.

our little set up

Until next years beach bash…

Rides, Games, Food, and Fun

I love the fair. Especially the fair they have in San Diego. It is so huge and just has everything and anything you can possibly think of. It is a lot of fun. Here are some pictures we took while we were there in the beginning of July.

Giant Colossal fries

On the ferris wheel

 Part of the fair view from the ferris wheel

 Mexican Funnel Cake    amazing!! It's like a churro but a funnel cake combined. So good, must try if you ever get a chance!


Can't wait to go again next year!