High Five for Friday - Link up, Vol. 7

This has been one CRAZY, BUSY week! I was traveling for work from Monday - Wednesday, got back to Charlotte Wednesday night, turned around, and drove 9 1/2 hours today heading home to IL for Memorial Day weekend. Just a mini-vacation and am excited to see lots of people...but boy, am I exhausted. I am definitely saying TGIF!


Since it is Friday, you know what that means...I'm linking up with Lauren over @From My Grey Desk for:

So let's get on to my favorite things from this week...

ONE. I successfully completed the Warrior Dash - a 3.1 mile course that includes about 11 obstacles, and yes, that includes mud pits, wall climbs and jumping over fire! :0

 Want to know more? Don't worry, I plan on doing a whole post about it once the professional pics are posted - believe me, they're going to be pretty funny! It was tough...but SO much fun!

TWO. New kitchen gadgets

Mushroom (or egg, strawberry, etc.) slicer & Burger Pocket Press (am planning on stuffing some burgers with lots of yummy cheese/veggie combos)

THREE. Smoothies!!

I am obsessed with smoothies lately...especially strawberry/banana ones that include protein powder. It's a great lunch/snack option that is pretty healthy! Luckily Charlotte has a lot of great smoothie options to choose from :)

FOUR. I made ducky magnets from the make-your-own magnets that Jenn sent me

Aren't they cute??

FIVE. My work trip took me to Lexington, KY this week...enter the Bourbon beer

 I mean, I had to try it...it was pretty good, definitely different and not something I could drink all of the time. But tasty, nonetheless!

Alright, well thanks for hosting Lauren! If you have five favorite things from this week, head on over to Lauren's blog and link up every Friday! :)

Hanging Out in Northern Cali

Visiting the hubby in Northern California has been so wonderful...this area is gorgeous and it's been sunny & beautiful! SUPER hot though!!!

Here's a few things we've been up to since I got here...

Enjoying some awesome sushi!!

Driving through the mountains of Auburn, CA

Hiking up some crazy hills

Sunning and soaking in the river

and dropping by a local brewery

Hope everyone had a FUN & SAFE 4th of July!! I have a few more days with the hubby and then it's back to Charlotte & the pups (wish the hubby was coming with me though)! I will post more about my trip soon...

Things I am thankful for:

• Being back together with the hubby

• Spending time with family

• Anything to do with fall (the weather, pumpkins, changing leaves, etc.)

• Our doggies (even though they can drive me crazy) :)

• Enjoying a good book on the couch

• Oktoberfest flavored beer

• Being back in the Midwest (I really did miss it)

• My favorite TV shows being back in action

I'll Miss You Monterey...

Since I just left Monterey, I figured I'd do a post about all of the great things to do, place to see, and good eats in that area...just in case any of my readers ever take a little visit here. It is definitely a great place to vacation...plus it can always be a stopping point as you're driving along the California coast. Napa is just a few hours North and L.A./San Diego is 5-7 hours south. And from what I've heard from friends, the drive along the coast (CA-1 South) is gorgeous...so many beaches and cliffs to stop and take pictures at, just enjoying the view of the ocean.

Anyway, living there for about a year and a half now, I feel like I've gotten to experience a lot of different foods, places and activities...so here are my reviews:

Breakfast:

• Lou Lou's (on the Wharf)
• BEST place to go for breakfast (they serve lunch too)...this became my usual Sunday hangout. The waitress literally knows my order by heart, basically because I always ordered the same thing! :) It's a really small place (a little yellow building on the Municipal Wharf #2) and is almost always busy. They also cook the food to order, so you definitely have to be willing to sit down and wait a bit. But, oh boy, is it worth it! They have HUGE, and I mean HUGE pancakes...the size of a normal-sized plate, and I'm NOT exaggerating! And they serve most of their breakfast meals with these potatoes...so scrumptious, they're basically just potatoes but spiced up and topped with tomatoes, grilled onions, basil and some fresh cheese...YUMMY! I always get their "create your own omelet"...mushroom and cheddar all the way!
• I have tried their lunch too...also delicious. I ordered the tuna sandwich with 1/2 fries, 1/2 salad. The hubby ordered the calamari. Both were great!!
• Rosine's (Downtown Monterey)
• We had some friends visiting in town for Thanksgiving and we brought them here for breakfast...also a great place. Very welcoming, but also very busy normally. Other than breakfast, they serve lunch and dinner...and they are FAMOUS in Monterey for their deserts. They make these HUGE cakes and serve them by the slice. I can almost never finish an entire slice...splitting a slice is more like it! :)

Vietnamese:

• Noodle Bar (Seaside)
• A friend that I used to work with introduced me to this place and boy, was it a pleasant surprise. It's a TINY place, even tinier than Lou Lou's (mentioned above)...and if you're driving along, you can actually miss it. The only place to sit is at a counter and it only holds about 10-12 bar stools (downside), but the food is totally worth it! Imagine a bowl layered with noodles, fresh lettuce, chopped peanuts, mint, veggie (and before I became a vegetarian, I used to get the BBQ pork)...omg, it is amazing!

Italian:

• Favalaro's Big Night Bistro (PG)
• The hubby found this place...and for us it was great, because it was very close to our favorite movie theater in PG. To be honest, it's kind of hard to find a good Italian restaurant in Monterey...not sure why...but this one takes the cake! Excellent gnocci, ravioli, salad...their sauces are amazeballs!! Oh, and they usually have this special appetizer (which the husband always devoured)...it as fried avocados...like whole ones, deep fried in panko crumbs!! Mmmmmm! It is family owned, and the wait staff are so nice, love this place!

Hawaiian:

• Hula's Island Grill
• Man, I love this place...it's the place to go for the best sweet-potato fries, and they just put a fun Hawaiian spin on all of their foods. The decor is very "tiki-hut"! Fish tacos are a specialty and wasabi mashed potatoes, YES PLEASE!!

Mexican:

• Jose's (Two locations, in Seaside and on Cannery Row)
• My favorite mexican restaurant in Monterey
• Lopez Mexican Restaurant (Downtown Monterey)
• Pepper's MexiCali Cafe (PG)
• This was the first place that Cody and I ever at at in Monterey. He was already living on base here, I drove his car from IL to CA (yes, I did...it was a LONG trip) and came to visit two February's ago. While visiting, we were checking out apartments and obtaining our marriage license...and we completely forgot that it was Valentines Day! ;) One of the housing agents was so sweet...he called this restaurant nearby (Pepper's) and made us a reservation. We got there and immediately fell in LOVE with it!! Best salsa, BEST corn chowder (omg, if you go here, you have to prmise me you will get some), and amazing food (my fav's: swordfish tacos, salmon tacos, and roasted red peper mahi mahi tacos)! I will miss this place SO much!!

Fish 'n Chips:

• London Bridge Pub (on the Wharf)
• Seriously...best fish and chips, hands down! Great view of the marina too
• Phil's Fish Market (Moss Landing) 
• Bobby Flay did a throw down here with Phil, making his cioppino...great food, freshest seafood, and there's a beach right behind it with a gorgeous view!

Nightlife:

• London Bridge Pub 
• The Bulldog (Downtown Monterey)
• Crown 'n Anchor (Downtown Monterey)
• The Brit (Downtown Monterey)

Burgers/Sandwiches:

• Islands (Del Monte mall Shopping Center in Monterey)
• Nepenthe (Big Sur) 
• After hiking, this was such a great place to stop and eat...yummy sandwiches! And their outside patio is built on a cliff, overlooking the ocean (breathtaking!) 

Thai:

• Pacific Thai (PG)
• Thai Bisro II (PG)

 Clint Eastwood's Restaurant (Carmel)

• Mission Ranch
• I can't express enough how amazing this restaurant is...and one time I was there, I saw Clint!!! I was sitting outside on the patio and he was walking through the inside part of the restaurant. From what the workers said, he comes up to the restaurant a few times a week to check in. It is a bit pricey, but completely worth it. The patio overlooks a huge field where sheep graze and then you can see the Carmel beach/cliffs in the horizon...need I say more?!

Beaches:

• Monterey Beaches
• Marina Beach
• Carmel Beach
• Lover's Point Park & Beach

Best Things to Do in Monterey:

• Whale Watching (multiple venues on the Wharf) *Here's where we went
• My friend and I got to see Killer Whales...so cool! They pretty much can guarantee whale sighting
• Kayaking (multiple venues on the Wharf and along Cannery Row) *Here's where we went
• A must-do in Monterey...just be careful not to tip your kayak ;)
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• One of the best aquariums in the country!
• My favorite exhibit is the Seahorses, fairly new to the aquarium
• Hiking in Big Sur
• 17-mile Drive (you also get to see Pebble Beach golf course along this drive)
• Monterey Beer Fest (month of June at Monterey Fairgrounds)
• Went here two years in a row...and had such a blast!! Great selection of beers, food and music

 Well, there's all of my reviews...I'm sure there's so much I'm missing. But bottom line, Monterey is an amazing place to vacation and visit...so if you get a chance, GO! :)

Changes...

Well, I figured since my blog's title and purpose is all about changes, I figured it would make sense to do a post about some of the changes coming up in my life :)

So, I've mentioned before that my husband is military and that we would be moving from California to Nebraska in the upcoming months. I feel lucky to have gotten the chance to live in such a beautiful place, such as Monterey! But, there are things that I am looking forward to in Omaha.

I just came back from a whirlwind 2-day trip to Omaha to look for housing. It was so exhausting...I was really only there to look at places for 1 full day...and I had made 8 appointments throughout the Omaha area!! That's right, 8...let's just say I was running around "like a chicken with my head cut off". If it wasn't for my GPS, I don't know how I would have made it to all of them...because I did NOT know the area and although it seems pretty easy (once you're familiar with it)...there were definitely times that I still got lost.

I was able to check out the base for a whole 10 minutes but it seems like a nice one. And my appointments ranged from places near base all the way to actually being downtown in the city (which is a way cute area from what I saw...lots of little cute shops, restaurants, bars, etc.). Although we would *love* living downtown (and found the most awesome condo overlooking the city)...I believe we have narrowed it down to an apt. closer to base. I'm happy with the decision (although seriously, it was hard to turn down the condo) because we will be saving money...which is totally what we should be doing over the next few years.

 Cute little outdoor restaurant patio in downtown (yeah that's my hand reflecting on the window while driving)

Changes I am totally not looking forward to:

-Not being near the beach
-Not being near FRESH seafood
-Not being near my knitting group and other friends I have made here! :(
-Being encompassed by bugs again (yeah, there are seriously hardly any bugs here...maybe flies, that's it)
-Living back in the humidity...although we shouldn't have to deal with it too much before winter hits
-The "harsh" winters that Omaha apparently had this past winter...um, I haven't seen snow since Jan. '09

Changes I am totally looking forward to:

-Being near a city and getting that "city" feel in the downtown area
-Having seasons again (I know I just complained about the winter, but having seasonal weather will be nice)
-Being closer to family (just a days drive)
-Having A LOT more restaurants to choose from (yeah, I definitely saw Cracker Barrel while I was there) :)
-There are tons of breweries, which the hubby will love
-More space and storage in our new place...AND we can paint!! I'm already looking for decorating ideas

I mean, it's gonna be a big change...but I think I am definitely ready for it!! I know one thing I'm ready for and that is to be with the hubby again...this time apart sucks! But I'm so proud of him, he's doing great! :)

More to come on the big move, it's really just right around the corner!

Friends Seen in April

I know this is a pretty belated post...but nonetheless, I wanted to post about 2 good friends that I got to see in the month of April. The first was my good friend Jenna and her husband Cam...both friends from high school. She and her husband live down near L.A. and asked me to come visit for my bday/Easter weekend! I was thrilled to visit them and have something fun to do for my big bday! We had so much fun...

FRIDAY

HUGE margaritas and yummy appetizers at Baja Cantina

SATURDAY

Bike ride along Venice Beach

Birthday beers along the Promenade while watching March Madness game

More HUGE margaritas for Jenna & Cam while at the Promenade

Celebrating bday at a bar, after dinner at Wabi Sabi (such good sushi)!

And then Sunday for Easter, we went to a nice dinner at a waterfront restaurant...I had such a nice time and we had great food & drinks around the L.A. area!!
I can't wait to go back and visit them again :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, a few weeks later, my good friend from high school, Katie, came to Monterey to visit me! I was super-excited because other than my sister and Jenna & Cam (who had come to Monterey for Thanksgiving dinner), Katie is the only other visitor I have had!

We had a few days packed full of trips and lots to do

FRIDAY

Lunch on the municipal wharf and a walk down the commercial wharf to get Katie a sample of clam chowder...Mmmmm!

Dinner at Peppers in P.G. and some beers at a local British pub

SATURDAY

SAN FRAN!!

The Stinking Rose for lunch

Yummy treats from Kara's Cupcakes in Ghirardelli Square

And a trolley ride through the city

SUNDAY

Whale watching in Monterey Bay...we saw 2 groups of killer whales!

And the Monterey Bay aquarium...hot pink FLAMINGOS!! :)

Overall, I had so much fun on BOTH trips...and it was so good to catch up with great friends. The only thing that would have made the month even better is if I had gotten to see our other good friend, Manzo! The 3 of us were inseparable back in the day, cruising around So. Illinois! I wish us girls all lived closer to one another, but at least we still have fun times like these! :)