You know around here we just LOVE a good steak. Well, I just read an easy method by The Steamy Kitchen blog that shows us how to make any cheap ol steak better by just adding salt (kosher or sea)! Basically the gist is to cover your steak completely with salt for 15 minutes to an hour….rinse and pat dry, then grill. Her post includes an Alton Brown-esque explanation on how it all works and how the steak WON’T taste all of salt. She even ends with a recipe for grilled steak with garlic herb butter that sounds divine. Looks like I’ll be kicking boyrobot out of the kitchen for our next steak!

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Wow, I’m in looove with my bed! Maybe my sleeping conditions have been so bad in the past that now this feels like heaven! Here is my recipe for the perfect bed and to make it even better I bought all of these items heavily discounted so it just goes to show…you don’t have to spend a lot to have an almost hotel-like bed in your own home!

mattress – we asked minh’s aunt to pick out a mattress for us (she owns a furniture store) since we didn’t know anything about mattresses. she got us a Perfect Posture mattress and it feels pretty much perfect! great support and when I wake up no part of me is sore which would sometimes happen in the other beds I’ve slept in.

3in mattress topper – I blogged about buying this before at the suggestions of many friends. it really does make a difference and makes the bed soo comfy!

350 tc sheets/pillow cases – my sister told me that they did a study and you can’t really tell the difference of the threadcount of sheets over 300. i got these on clearance at target for about $15!!! they are super smooth and feel so nice against your skin. LOVE IT. thread count makes a difference!

gel filled pillows – Another item I blogged about before and I finally decided to get them since I figured if I didn’t like it I can always use them in the guest room. BUT….I absolutely love these pillows. To me they are the perfect consistency. Not too high and not too flat. I’m very satisfied with them and boyrobot seems to be as well. And they are pretty cheap at $24.99 for a set of two! It was also tax-free and free shipping since I have amazon prime :D

500tc just like down comforter – another hot deal I got for around $60. it keeps us warm and feels just like down! which I love.

Aside from all of these items being so comfortable, I noticed that buying things that were allergy free has made such a difference! I don’t wake up all stuffy in the morning anymore and I notice I can breather much easier!!! It’s been really awesome. The only bad part to all of this is how HARD it is getting up in the morning.

All I have left to do is to find the perfect duvet cover. After I get that, I’ll show you guys pics!!

Yes…our house is starting to turn into a HOME….so excited. I was going to start posting some pictures of the house but I can’t seem to find my camera. Maybe after we finish moving everything it will pop up. It’s kind of nice finally moving these things that I have had packed up for like a year. I think I have only been utilizing about 25% of my wardrobe….and wearing the same 2 pairs of shoes…for the past year! It will be like I have a whole new closet to play with. :)

This weekend was SO hectic (which is also why this post is so late today). We were moving stuff in and buying more stuff for the house. I am getting excited about our fridge:

It was rated #1 by JD Power and it has all of these cool compartments/features! It will be arriving on Friday which means I will be stocking the fridge over the weekend and possibly cooking my first meal in who knows how long! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!! What do you think I should make?

1. ramen – lol, i know. ramen doesn’t count as cooking but this is one of minh’s favorite meals that I “make”. it is the kind of ramen where you drain the soup and I like to make mine a little crispy! It’s easy, quick, and tasty. Ok, so not very healthy…but every once in awhile is ok right?! We also got these awesome ramen bowls from our new favorite store Costplus and are actually our only dinnerware right now.

2. Something new and exciting – I have recipes saved up for a year now. it would be fun to pick one that i’ve been wanting to try forever

3. boyrobot’s out of this world steak – boyrobot only knows how to make a handful of things and one of them is a mean steak. maybe for our first meal I should make HIM cook for me? ha ha.

speaking of boyrobot, i was all worried that when we bought a house I would be left with doing all of the household chores but he has been very meticulous about the upkeep of the house. he’s changed out a bunch of the lightbulbs to CFLs, vacuumed EVERYTHING, taken the trash out, etc. I think I will still get stuck doing the laundry and washing the dishes but now that I know he helps around the house just as much, I don’t mind doing those things. Boyrobot’s been such the handyman that I even bought him his first toolbox for Vdays haha. I filled it with his favorite candy though instead of tools. :)

So far, I am loving my house. Especially the bedroom…stay tuned for my next post on how I made our bed the most comfortable bed ever!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! It’s our first Vdays together as hubz and wifey but we are keeping up with our annual tradition of eating chinese lobster from Newport Seafood (best lobster ever!) that we began when we first started dating. But this time we’ll be doing it take out style and eating it in our home. So excited…I think the ambiance at home is a lot nicer than the restaurant ha ha. Anyways, we like to keep it simple. Exchange some cards, I love yous, and good food. Does it get any better than that? I THINK NOT. But for all of you that go all out on this day, kudos to you….but if things don’t go as planned check out this video. I think it’s so sweet and a good reminder for all the ladies out there to not put so much emphasis on this one single day. That’s not what it’s all about!

Perfect oven baked bacon – this seems much less messy than frying them in the pan!….mmmmm bacon!!!!
Using menu psychology to entice diners – interesting to see how the names of dishes or how the price is displayed can play such a big part in what we order
Chatroulette – this seems to be the new craze right now…it randomly connects you to people webcamming and you can meet/chat with strangers. I hear it’s NSFW but i tried it for about 5 mins and didnt see anything crazy.
The great iphone deathwatch – Reading this makes me want an iPad hehe
Schrute Farms on tripadvisor – someone needs to make this place real
15 creative and quirky ways to propose to your gf – I love reading/hearing proposal stories!

Hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day and Happy Chinese New Year!

Help the cause. How does Nickelback have 1M+ fans???

A few cute freebies to hand our or make for Valentine’s Day

Cute packaging for rock candy!

30 printable valentines – I love the ones from style crush!

Quick and easy Trader Joe’s Valentine’s Day meals – what girl doesn’t love it when a guy cooks for her!

Valentine’s Day tissue cozies

Just found out about this couple, Nikkie and John, who love to throw pranks on each other and post youtube videos of them on the internet. I guess this is a very appropriate marriage proposal for them! I love how she keeps asking if it’s a prank hehe.

The things you worry about when you become a home owner! I really enjoyed reading these 13 tips. My favorites:

Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.

You can read the rest here at 13 Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You