Start Up GF

I wear a promise ring on my ring finger. People always mistaken it for an engagement ring. When I tell them it’s a promise ring, the next question they never fail to ask is, “What’s the difference?”. To be honest, the first time I was asked this question I had to think about it. I have worn my ring for about a year and a half now and I definitely have my own thoughts about what a promise ring is.

A promise ring is a girl’s pacifier. I have become really comfortable with the fact that my bf gave me this ring not just because he loves me. There is another obvious reason. That reason is to “shut up”.

Three years into our relationship I started talking to him about marriage and kids. Just to remind you guys, I date a startup founder, that means he barely has time for a girlfriend. Through the years I have learned to understand that a startup girlfriend can only be a support and knows that her bf’s goals for his startup is the priority.

Keeping this in mind, I am pretty sure the ring was given to me to let me know that he does love me and to keep me from saying “Where is my ring?”. And since this is a promise ring and not an engagement ring, we don’t have to be “engage” for years not knowing when we will actually have a wedding.

My bf will never admit that the promise ring he gave me was to keep me quiet. But, when I asked him “Was the purpose of the promise ring to keep me quiet?” His classic answer was always a little chuckle to himself.

Let me just say this, he’s one smart cookie. Ever since I got the ring I have been quiet about marriage. Some may say that I am silly because you don’t need a ring to tell you that you are loved and cared about or to be in a committed relationship, but for me it’s more than a ring. If anybody knows my bf, they will tell you that this is a guy that won’t spend a penny on a girl let alone on a diamond ring. So for him to go out and pick out a ring for me, that means a lot to little ol’ me. Now, I sit here with a diamond ring on my finger and a smile on my face quiet as can be =)

share on

Sometimes when you come home from work late and you have a hungry bf waiting for you to eat dinner…

Let’s just say it’s never a nice picture. When I come home from work I like to be a coach potato and wind down. So, how do I do this, yet produce a nice meal for the both of us? Here’s the answer:

1 Chuck Roast Beef
1 Onion
1/2 A jar of Korean BBQ Marinade
1/4 Cup of water
Slow Cooker

I marinade my beef in half a jar of the Korean BBQ over night, but I am sure it will taste the same with out marinating. Slice the onions and place them in the slower cooker. Place the beef on top of the onions. If you chose not to marinade just pour half of the jar of Korean BBQ marinade now. Pour in a fourth of cup of water. Close the slow cooker and put it on High for 6-8 hours.

Dinner time rolls along and you come home and TA-DA! Dinner is ready. Hungry bf gets fed. I get to be on the couch. Dilemma solved.

XoXo,

Michelle

share on

I love rotisserie chicken. Especially the ones from Costco. Every time I pass by their deli section I have to pick one up. I often have trouble eating finishing the chicken breasts because they are too dry for me. So, here is how I fixed it.

The first meal is just eating the chicken itself. The two of us would eat the legs, thighs, and wings, with some Sriracha hot sauce and rice. In the end we are left with the two breasts.

The second meal comes from one side of the breast. I shred the chicken into strips and use it to make a salad. Any salad of your choice will do. I used mine for Vietnamese Chicken Salad. First I chopped up some green cabbage, sliced thin red onions, mint, and crushed peanuts. For the dressing I used Nuoc Mam, a fish sauce based with vinegar and sugar. In a big bowl I mixed all these ingredients together along with some chili garlic sauce. YUM!

The third meal I made some chicken tacos. I shredded the other side of the breast and cut them into cubes. Then I heated the chicken with half a pack of taco seasoning and a fourth cup of water. I used corn tortillas and topped the chicken off with onions, cilantro, and hot sauce. Yay!

And there you have it. Three meals for two from one five dollar chicken. This way my bf eats the “left overs” and we are no longer wasting food. I am one happy girl!

XoXo,

Michelle

share on

Mother’s Day is approaching soon! I’m originally from the Bay Area and that’s where you will find my mom. Visiting my mom for every occasion is not always possible, which sucks, but I always make sure she gets a package in the mail from us.

A bubble mailer is my go to, and if it’s decorated, even better. Bubble mailers are awesome because they protect your product and they are very light. When I pay for postage, I want to make sure I am paying to ship a product, and not the box my product is in.

Anyways, I love to save my gift bags and this is where my idea came in. A gift bag is very light AND pretty. The handles make a pretty ribbon when taken apart, and with some tissue paper in the bag, it will make the product safe and snug for shipping.

Here’s what I did. I took the handles off, left the bag folded and glued down the bottom flap. I took a piece of paper glued it to the bottom flap as a place for the address. The present was wrapped into tissue paper for protection. Then with everything inside the top of the back was sealed with glue and the handles were tied into two bows through the holes where the handles were.

Then it was addressed and shipped on it’s way to mom! Happy Mother’s Day. Hope all the mom’s out there enjoy their special day and know that you guys are amazing.

XoXo,

Michelle

share on

I always have a pack of King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls around. The other day we were out of sliced bread with plenty of peanut butter and jelly. So, what do I do? I put peanut butter and jelly in between a King’s dinner roll. What I didn’t know was how awesome it would taste. The three together created a yummy chewy snack! If you have kids or even for you, this could be a simple and easy lunch, just make a couple of them for a lunch portion!

share on

We recently moved into the heart of Santa Monica, a block away from the busy Third Street Promenade.

Yes, a lot have happened this year since I last wrote. In less than six months, I have moved twice, loss many of my beloved pets (to others), went through interviews, trainings, meeting new people, and learning to wean off the culture shock from this place. I am from NorCal after all, SoCal is new to me. Many that know me, know that I do not get sick and yes I dare say it, but after these last six months I found that I am human after all. I wake up, the clock ticks, and this blog gets forgotten. Then I remember, I am suppose to be documenting our journey together. Who else would be able to tell me the best stories of our lives better than me, typing it onto this blog, while the memories are fresh in the moment. Exactly. So here I am again.

XoXo,

Michelle

share on

Hello,

I was on the I-405 today and it never seize to amaze me, to be driving by and a plane randomly flies ever so close above your car to land in LAX. I absolutely LOVE IT.

Anyways, I have been eating and cooking lots of Korean food lately. It makes sense, my bf is Korean after all. The other night I was really craving for some instant ramen noodles with an egg, it must be all the healthy food I’ve been eating and my body wanted some bad. The house was quiet and everyone was asleep with a 5:30 AM agenda, so banging pots and pans in the kitchen is probably not something they would appreciate. Of course, I still wanted my ramen so I was thinking real hard on how to make it happen. I went downstairs to the garage where most of our boxes from moving are still laying around. Five minutes later…I came back up with a pot, a portable gas stove, two bags of ramen, two eggs, and chopsticks. I looked at my bf and I said, “Want some?”. Anyone that knows Andrew, knows that he rarely turns down ramen, it’s comfort food to him. So, I started cooking in the room.

When I was done, I realized we didn’t have any bowls. Andrew said, “Who cares, eat out of the pot”. Man, I must said that was the best instant ramen I had ever had. It stayed steamy hot inside of the pot till the end, just the way I like my noodles.

The next day I made some pickled radish called “Ggakdugi” in Korean. Andrew loves that stuff with his rice. Hopefully it turns out good!

I’m pickling stuff? Haha. Yeah, I think someone has too much time on their hands. Cross fingers for a job with lots of hours soon!!!

Thank You for Reading,

Michelle

share on

After a week of the “big move” we are finally starting to settle in a little bit. Many friends have assured that I would fall in love with L.A. I believe them, but right now I’m missing my once little sheltered home in Roseville, CA.

To make myself feel better, I have been on YELP. Yes, I love YELP, it tells me where everything is and exactly how to get there. One of the things I am missing a lot is Chinese and Vietnamese food. So I have been looking for grocery stores that carry some of the familiar ingredients I need to make food I miss. I had also been looking at blogs for recipes! I found The Ravenous Couple with lots of Vietnamese recipes waiting for me to try out. So thanks to them, I’m going to have a little piece of home with me.

Well, as for the BF, this was his home so I think he will adjust fine. And the pets, Joshua loves his backyard and Candi (that spoiled brat) is a little home sick also, but doing better. Kitty cat Snuggles has never been more clingy, but I don’t mind a little mama’s boy in my life =)

Anyways, if anybody wants to suggest anything in the L.A. area PLEASE DO!

Thank You for Reading,

Michelle

share on

The big move is coming up! My bf and I will be moving to L.A. at the end of September. We have been in the Sacramento area for the last five years (after college). A month ago he quit his well paying full time job as a web developer so that he can pursue his dreams. After a long discussion of where we needed to go, to grow his startup, we decided L.A.

It was a difficult decision, but we needed to make a move because obviously nothing happened in Sacramento for us. I have been very emotional. Moving is not as easy as packing and leaving. It’s saying good bye to family, friends, jobs, places you like to go, familiarity, and everything else in between. There are three things I keep telling myself.

It is never goodbyes with the ones you love. If you love them you will find a way to meet up with them somehow, no matter how far apart. For a quick fix you can always skype, text, facebook, twitter, and so on.

In order to move forward in life you have to do things that make you feel uncomfortable. It’s the risks that take you to new places, some are definitely scary, but we’re not made to live in a box. We have a purpose in life.

Nothing is permanent, especially if you don’t want it to be. If it does become permanent, maybe it’s because you fell in love with where you are, and it’s definitely okay!

There are probably other things I keep telling myself, but for now these are the top three. Have anybody else made a big move in their life? What are some things that helped put your emotions at ease?

Thank you for reading,
Michelle

share on

Studies show that a committed man cannot survive on his own for one night. He will somehow hurt himself with a sprained ankle. He then won’t tell you until you come home from your one day visit with the parents. Then you will freak out.

Okay, okay studies don’t show that, but that’s what happened over the weekend. I was away with the family for just one night for the first time in the five years I have been with my boyfriend. I get a text in the evening (the next day) for a foot brace. I called to make sure everything was okay, and “it was”. I came home and IT WASN’T! OH MY!

I did what any loving girlfriend would do. I yelled at him for not telling me how serious it was, and then I rushed to the store for some ice, tylenol, and tiger balm. I did everything I could at the moment to take the swell down. It looks better today, but the moral of the story? Don’t leave your man for more than one day.

Hahaha, only kidding of course… =)

In all seriousness, for most sprained ankles I have used the R.I.C.E. method, but I am no doctor so I suggest you go see one depending on how you feel.

Are there other ways of taking care of a sprained ankle? Please feel free to share in the comment section below if you do! Thank you for reading.

Michelle

share on