HONOLULU Magazine's Rosé Soirée Giveaway

Rosé all day! Celebrate Summer with HONOLULU Magazine & ‘Alohilani Resort at the Rosé Soirée. Sip on a selection of refreshing rosé wines and bites from some of Hawai‘i's top restaurants including 12th Ave. Grill & Stage Restaurant. Stop and smell the Rosé at the brand new Swell pool deck at the ‘Alohilani Resort. All inclusive: Rosé wine and dishes from the ‘Alohilani, 12th Ave. Grill & more.

General Admission tickets: $65
All inclusive Clémentine Provence rosé and dishes from Stage Restaurant, 12th Ave Grill and the ‘Alohilani Resort.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Visit Hawaii Mom Blog on Instagram to enter to win a pair of tickets to the event!

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Visit Virginia: Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street

While in Virginia, our family stayed at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street.

I'm a huge fan of Residence Inn and the large suites, complimentary breakfast, and Residence Inn Mix, and the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street delivered on all of those facets.

Our family stayed in a 2-Bedroom Suite, which was perfect for our family.

The suite included a living room with a pull-out sofa bed, a full kitchen, three flat screen TVs, 2 bathrooms, and 2 rooms each with a queen bed.

The 240-suite hotel renovated their rooms in 2016, and the lobby and public space has been completely refreshed.

This space is where guests can enjoy their complimentary breakfast, as well as drinks and bites from the Residence Inn Mix.

Every morning we'd get our fill of eggs, meats, pastries, cereals, and fruit, and on select evenings we were able to try out different wines, beers, and tasty eats!

One of my favorite things about the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street is the location.  It's just a short walk away to historic King Street, which is at the heart of Old Town Alexandria and is lined with an abundance of shops and restaurants.

The hotel is also very close to the King Street Station, making it simple to catch the Metro to Washington, DC.

I would definitely choose to stay at Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street again - the spacious suites are great for large families; the complimentary breakfast and Residence Inn Mix, along with the full kitchen, enables families to save money on dining out; the location is ideal!

Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town / Duke Street
1456 Duke St

Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 548-5474

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UNIQLO AIRism Review and Giveaway

Thanks to UNIQLO Hawaii, my kids have been lounging around in their new favorite item - AIRism!

AIRism is an extremely comfortable inner layer apparel line that is not surprisingly very popular in Hawaii, due to our hot and humid climate.

Featuring the latest Japanese fiber technology, AIRism products breathe and wick away trapped moisture, and quickly dry.  Its anti-bacterial and anti-odor properties make it ideal for wear in Hawaii's weather.   And what my kids love most - AIRism is so soft!

My kids wanted to wear the AIRism tanks all day during a recent day out.  

AIRism is available for men and women as well.  For more information, click here.

UNIQLO Hawaii is slated to open in the fall at Ala Moana Center.  In the meantime, you can check-out their pop-up location near center stage.

Visit Hawaii Mom Blog on Instagram for your chance to enter to win AIRism kid tanks!

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Visit Japan: Osaka Castle

We had room for one castle visit during our quick trip to Osaka.  A friend had recommended Himeji Castle as the castle to see, but we ran out of time and Osaka Castle was more easily accessible to us.  If you are taking the subway, be prepared for a long walk to the entrance of the castle.  It was a hot day so we opted to pay a fee to take a tram ride directly to the entrance. 

Osaka Castle has a long history with its construction beginning in 1583.  The present day main tower is the third generation after being destroyed twice.  Inside the castle is the Osaka Castle Museum with many valuable and historical artifacts on display.  On the top floor is the observation deck which offers a beautiful panoramic view.  After we explored the castle, we took a walk in the park and found a shopping center with delicious ice cream. 

So much green surrounding Osaka Castle.

Gorgeous views from the observation deck.

Osaka Castle ice cream from a shop nearby.

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Visit DC: Korean War Vets Memorial

The Korean War Vets Memorial is dedicated to the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the Korean War.

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The memorial consists of 19 statues, a 164-foot Mural Wall, a Pool of Remembrance, and a United Nations Wall.

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Up close the etchings on the Mural Wall depict that of the soldiers.  From afar, it gives the appearance of Korean mountain ranges.

The Pool of Remembrance borders the Freedom Is Not Free Wall and Alcove which lists the soldiery costs of the war.

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Avengers: Infinity War Now Available on Blu-ray

Disclosure: Complimentary product was received for review purposes.

I'm a huge Marvel fan, and one of the best movies I've seen all year was Avengers: Infinity War, which is now out on Blu-ray!

According to a press release, “Avengers: Infinity War shattered all opening records, surpassed the $2 billion mark at the global box office in just 48 days, and remains the fourth highest-grossing film of all time." 

We have an entire library of Marvel Studios Blu-rays, so I was extremely excitement to add Avengers: Infinity War to our collection.

The whole family was glued to the screen as we watched the Blu-ray.  We watched intently as all of our favorite characters appeared on screen (I love Iron Man!) in trying to prevent Thanos from obtaining all of the gems for the Infinity Gauntlet.

The kids were thrilled to have received an oven mitt, along with a recipe and tools to make Infinity Stone Sugar Cookies.  We will definitely be making some to eat while we watch Avengers: Infinity War on Blu-ray again. 

One of my favorite features of the Blu-ray is the gag reel!  Check out the short clip below for a peek.  My kids loved watching the deleted scenes.  You'll find even more great content, such as featurettes, commentaries, and more on the Blu-ray!


Synopsis: In “Avengers: Infinity War,” members from every MCU franchise must sacrifice like never before in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes/War Machine, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Paul Bettany as Vision, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Peter Dinklage as Eitri, Benedict Wong as Wong, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, with Benicio Del Toro as The Collector, with Josh Brolin as Thanos, and Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord.

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Fresh Ahi Off the Boat Revisited

Fresh Ahi Off the Boat is one of my favorite places for a modern poke bowl.  By 'modern', I mean poke bowls that come with toppings and sides, as opposed to traditional poke bowls, which come with just rice and poke.

During my last visit here with my friend, we both opted to make our own bowl for $13.75.

My friend made his with salad instead of rice. It was huge!

I opted for a bowl with sushi rice, salmon poke, unagi, crab mayo, tempura flakes and nori. I devoured it in minutes.

For $13.75, it's a great deal, as it even includes a bowl of warm miso soup.

Also on the menu are assorted rice bowls, bentos, maki sushi, and salads.  And for large parties, they have a number of catering platters to choose from!

FRESH AHI OFF THE BOAT

815 KEEAUMOKU STREET

(808) 947-4444

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