bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Good morning, world! It's a beautiful day!

 I just finished my last night shift until Saturday and I am super excited for my days off! (YIPPEE!!) Our home is always a little chaotic after I have a long stretch of work, so it's kind of hard for me to not stay up all morning getting things done when there's so much to do!

Here is the nature of our place at the moment:

dirty dishes to be washed. clean dishes to be filed. counter tops to be wiped down.

dust bunnies gathering under the dining table.

scattered chairs and a random jumble of things on the table.

I have alot of things planned for these next few days: study dates with Eugene, a trip to LA to hang out with my mom (after I drop Eugene off to school), a few lunch plans and a whole lot of errands. The laundry's going now, the dishes are soaking in the sink waiting to be washed in the {hopefully} near future and I've made a long list of tasks that need to be done in these next coming days! (which includes trips to Target, Costco, Ikea and the dry cleaners!) womp womp.

I wanted to set some goals for this week! Hopefully this will help me accomplish a few things I've been meaning to do for the past few months, despite the million little things I want to do!

So here are my goals for this week:

1. Make a trip out to Ikea!

(Can you believe the last time I went was when I was little enough to play in the play place?)

2. Make Freezer Breakfast Burritos (I'll post the recipe too!)

3. Replace the stove lights (they've been out for almost 4 months now... )

4. Start a recipe book to store all my tried and true recipes!

I seriously love lists, and I hope this will help me be productive during my days off!

Give Thanks: a slow night, time to spend time with my patients, seafood salads, morning texts from Eugene, quiet mornings to spend in prayer

My top 10 favorite kitchen things.

It's almost been a month since I've updated, and alot has happened since then. Our plans to move closer to LA have been put on hold for now, and we've made the decision to stay in the OC for at least another year. My wonderful, sacrificial husband has decided to commute to Pharmacy school via train for his first year so that we could stay close to church and I can keep my job. (Thanks, Eugene!) After months of uncertainty, anticipation, and changing plans from week to week, I'm so relieved that we've finally made a decision to stay. Since then, it's been much cleaning and organizing for me. Eugene is going to stop working in a week or two to prepare for pharmacy school and I've already started collecting school supplies and setting up his study room for him. :) I'm out of control.

Anyway-- with all the cleaning and organizing and nesting going on in our house, I've grown a greater appreciation for the blessing God has given me in the home and the great calling I have received from God as a wife and home maker. In hopes to share my joy with you, I'm going to start a series of lists to share some of my favorite things! 50% of my time at home is spent in the kitchen-- cooking, baking, cleaning, washing, organizing and re-organizing. I felt it was the best place to start. So here are my top 10 favorite kitchen things!

1. OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer: I never really realized how important it was to tenderize meat until I got married. Steaks are juicier and easier to season and Chicken Katsu dishes are crispier after being thinned out by this bad boy. 

2. Adjust-a-spoon measuring spoon: This one is probably my favorite gadget. It's a one-size-fits-all measuring spoon that you can adjust to measure anything from 1/4 a teaspoon to 1 whole tablespoon. Especially if dishes are not your favorite chore, this easy-to-clean and easy-to-store gadget will be a family fave.

3. OXO Silicone Pastry Brush: If you don't like having to spread butter on pastries with your fingertips or oil on pastry pans before baking things, this is really helpful. Eugene almost didn't let me get this because he said it looked useless, but it's come to prove its worth time and time again.

4. Oldie Thompson Stainless Steal 20-Jar Spice Organizer: I've never known too much about spices, but this nifty organizer has almost every spice you will ever need. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled out a recipe and saw a strange italiano-sounding spice and wondered, "what is that?!?" and low and behold I find it in my faithful spice organizer. It's a good feeling..

5. Quisinart Programmable Slow Cooker: If you've followed my blog for a while you'd know that I love slow cooker meals because of how convenient and simple it makes home cooking! Especially as a night shift worker who sleeps for most of the day, it's awesome to be able to throw in a few meats, veggies and sauces in the morning and have a full-cooked dinner by night time. 

6. OXO Good Grips Food Storage Pop Container 10-piece set: Different shapes and sizes, sturdy and vaccum seal. Need I say more?

7. OXO Good Grips Pop-up Steamer:  Since boiling vegetables can get them soggy and stir-frying them can make them super oily, this steamer has always been my middle ground. It holds alot of veggies/meat, and the handle makes for a easy transfer to the sink after its done cooking. When Eugene asks for a healthy dinner, steamed veggies and seafood is always the way to go!

8&9. Pyrex Measuring Cup and Mixing Bowl Set: I actually bought these this month and I'm in love! It's cheap, and I love the thick glass of pyrex products. Colorful food always looks nicer in a glass bowl, too! 

10. Cascade Complete All in 1 Pacs:  I always say that dishwashers were God's gift to wives and I can't tell you how thankful I am for my dishwasher. After long days of cooking, {especially for guests} its so convenient being able to just throw everything in there and know it will come out crisp and clean.  I like these pacs because I don't have to pour liquid/powder dishwasher soap, so its less mess and more convenience! It's cute too, and that's always a bonus. :)