Urban Outfitters Hawaii - Grand Opening Today!

About Urban Outfitters Hawaii
Overlooking beautiful Waikiki Beach, the Hawaii location will feature UO's curated mix of men’s, women’s, accessories, and home offerings alongside an exclusive collection from Australia’s Zanerobe and adventure gear from UO’s activewear brand, Without Walls. Other featured selections include Oahu-made products from local brands such as Samudra, Quality Peoples, and Brooklyn Hawaii. Come be part of UO's unique combination of product, creativity, and culture at the new Hyatt Regency Waikiki Atrium. Follow the team on Instagram @UOHAWAII for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at life in Honolulu.

Last night I had a chance to attend a special media preview at Urban Outfitters Hawaii at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.

Guests were served delicious food and cocktails from Pig and the Lady while enjoying entertainment and shopping in the two-story store. 

 At Urban Outfitters you can find clothes, footwear, accessories, gifts, souvenirs, and more!

There are so many great finds at Urban Outfitters - cute dresses, colorful flip flops, vintage-inspired tees, and even ukuleles!

Urban Outfitters opens today, so be sure to stop by to get some fresh and cool gifts for the holidays (and do some shopping for yourself as well!) - and check them out on December 11, when they'll host a special UO Beauty Event!

For more information visit Urban Outfitters at www.urbanoutfitters.com

Urban Outfitters Hawaii
2424 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

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Visit San Diego: Top 10 Eats from Our San Diego Trip

Although we were in San Diego for a week, we didn't eat out at very many restaurants because of the complimentary breakfasts and dinners at the Residence Inn San Diego Rancho Bernardo/Scripps Poway, and if we did eat out, we were usually at an attraction.  However, we did eat a lot of great food, and here are my top 10 eats in San Diego (photos from Island Views, Island News before transitioning to Hawaii Mom Blog): 

1. Chocolate Mexicano Ice Cream from the Daily Scoop (bottom right) - With a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, the ice cream was delicious!

2. Nachos from Rubio's - I love Rubio's, and their Nachos are so delicious!

3. Monster Cookie from Corner Bakery Cafe - HUGE, with lots of M&M's and Chocolate Chips.  What more could you want in a cookie?

4. Breakfast at the Residence Inn San Diego Rancho Bernardo/Scripps Poway - What better way to start the day than with a complimentary hot breakfast buffet!

5. Oriental Chicken Stir-fry (bottom right) from Fun Town Market at LEGOLAND California - I was pleasantly surprised at how generous the portion was, and it was very tasty as well!

6. Evening Social Dinners at the Residence Inn San Diego Rancho Bernardo/Scripps Poway - Complimentary complete dinners (including free alcohol!) were offered Monday through Thursday.  Whether it was soup night, chili night, or enchilada night, the meals were very satisfying!

7. Vegetable Fried Noodles (bottom right) from SanSai Japanese Grill - A generous, tasty portion of noodles at a reasonable price!

8. Orange Chicken Bowl (top right) from Hua Mei Cafe at the San Diego Zoo - A bit pricey, but so delicious!

9. Fleet Club Sandwich (bottom) from Galileo's Cafe at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center - Convenient, satisfying and reasonably-priced. 

10. BBQ Chicken Pizza from Mama Stella's Pizza Kitchen at Sea World (pictured, left) - Such a simple pizza, but quite delicious!

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Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Super Race Set 8-in-1 Review

Disclosure: Complimentary product courtesy Mega Bloks was provided for review purposes.

Mega Bloks Hot Wheels™ Super Race Set 8-in-1:

Rev those engines and wait for the green flag to drop with the Super Race Set by Mega Bloks Hot Wheels™! Build up to eight mini-cars with the assorted pieces then put the sweet speedsters to the test in an epic raceway showdown! Mix and match the pieces to create your own customized cars to blaze around the track or combine to build endless possibilities of customized super racers!

Ideal for kids aged 5 and up.

Features:

·         Instructions to build eight race cars

·         Infinite rebuild possibilities by mixing and matching the pieces any way you want

·         Combines with all Mega Bloks Hot Wheels™ for endless stunts and races!

Although the Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Super Race Set 8-in-1 has a lot of small pieces, my kids did a great job in helping my husband build each car.

Once the cars were put together my kids couldn't wait to start racing the brightly-colored cars, each with their own cool features, around.

I like that several cars could be created, since each of my kids had their faves.

They could also mix and match pieces to make their own custom cars, and the pieces could also be put together to create one ultimate vehicle!

I love that my kids can really explore their creativity and tap into their imaginations with the Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Super Race Set!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Visit New York: City Bakery

On a recent trip to New York, my friend suggested getting some hot chocolate at City Bakery.  It was a most excellent idea since we had been walking outside in twenty degree weather.  City Bakery offers a great line of yummy breakfast pastries as well as a salad bar buffet, soups, sandwiches and specialty pizzas.  They are famous for their hot chocolate and their "Pretzel Croissant," a pastry that's both sweet and salty.

We warmed up with hot chocolate topped with a homemade marshmallow.  Simply put, the hot chocolate was amazing and like nothing I had before.  It was rich, creamy, and very chocolaty.  It’s a very decadent drink and when combined with the marshmallow, extremely sweet.  But that’s what I like so I enjoyed it immensely.  I also loved the atmosphere of the cozy café.  Enjoying hot chocolate and time with a great friend looking out at the streets of New York = totally priceless and one of my best memories of this trip.    

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Visit Lanai: Cafe 565

While in Lanai, we asked one of the Four Seasons concierges where would be a good place to have lunch in the city, and one of the recommendations was Cafe 565 for their Korean Katsu, so that's where we went!

Chicken Katsu and Korean Katsu 

Originally my husband and I were going to share a katsu plate, and we were going to order pizza for the kids, but after seeing how large one plate lunch was, we decided to just order the combo plate, which was enough to feed our family of 5.  

The Korean Katsu was good - the Korean sauce was very flavorful, but I actually liked the regular Chicken Katsu better - it was some of the best Chicken Katsu I've had anywhere!  The Macaroni Salad was some of the best I've ever had also!

Although we had to wait a while to put in our order, the server, Maria, exuded the aloha spirit.

Two of my sons were cranky and hungry and started to cry while waiting for our food. She then proceeded to give each of them a bag of chips and a can of juice - for free.

What a sweet gesture!

It was evident why locals go to and highly recommend Cafe 565 - delicious food, and service with aloha!

Cafe 565
408 8th St
Lanai City, HI 96763
(808) 565-6622

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Ryan's Grill - One of Our Family's Favorite Restaurants in Ward Village

Whenever we go to a morning movie at Ward Village, we try to have lunch nearby, and Ryan's Grill is one of our family's favorite places to dine at in Ward Village.

Complimentary Bread

Keiki Cheeseburger Sliders

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Keiki Cheese Pizza

Turkey Panini Sandwich

Keiki Sundae

Orange Cheesecake with Cinnamon Apples

I had the Turkey Panini, and it was very good.  It was gigantic - several slices of turkey sandwiched between freshly baked focaccia bread, and a cranberry mustard aioli with lots of red onions - YUM!

The Chef's Specialty Dessert of the day was an orange cheesecake.  Although I think it would've been better with the cinnamon apples left off, it was still very delicious.

My kids and husband enjoyed their meals, and service was a little slow on this visit, but our server was friendly.

I'm sure it won't be too long before we're back again!

Ryan's Grill at Ward Centre 

1200 Ala Moana Boulevard  

Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 591-9132

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Visit New York: Dominique Ansel Bakery

Ever since the cronut craze, I have been obsessed with its creator, Dominique Ansel.  Ansel, who was awarded the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef this year is the chef and owner of the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City.  When a work trip took me to the East coast, it was one of the top places I had to visit.

Alas, it was a lot colder than expected with weather in the twenties and wind chill making it freezing.  I realize I am pretty driven when it comes to food, but I am not downright crazy.  Their website suggests you arrive at the bakery one hour prior to opening for the best chances of purchasing a cronut, which I would gladly do in warmer weather.    

Instead I planned my visit around their 3pm chocolate chip cookie shot, which also had a line albeit much shorter.  The chocolate chip cookie is shaped as a shot glass, lined with chocolate, and filled with organic vanilla milk from upstate New York.  Not only is it super cute to down with a friend, the treat is really delicious and the sweet milk is very yummy and reminiscent of childhood times.    

They bake right in their shop.

The DKA is Ansel's signature item and his version of the traditional Kouign Amman, a sort of caramelized croissant.

Some of the amazing pastries the bakery offers.  

Sad.  No more cronuts today.

But the cookie shot was of great consolation.

Dominique Ansel Bakery

189 Spring Street

New York, NY 10012

(212) 219-2773

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Candy Cookie Pie

A friend of mine had sent over a link to an article with recipes using Halloween candy, and I immediately tried the Triple Peanut Butter Cookie Pie from Averie Cooks.

The recipe is pretty versatile - you can use just about any candies you want.  I wish I had more of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the recipe since it's my favorite candy, but I ate most of them when I was digging through my kids' candy stash the day after Halloween.

The cookie pie itself was quite yummy though, and the candies made it that much more delicious.

Candy Cookie Pie (recipe credit Averie Cooks)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter (1 stick), melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 c brown sugar, packed
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/3 c creamy peanut butter
• 1 c flour
• Assorted candies (I used 3 mini packs of Peanut M&M's and 5 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. 
• Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
• Combine the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla in medium bowl.  Mix until smooth.  
• Add the flour, and stir until just combined.
• Pour batter out into prepared pie dish.
• Insert candies into dough.
• Bake for about 25 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. 

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Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider Beach House

I recently visited the Moana Lani Spa and loved it so much that I took advantage of their kama'aina Heavenly Club.  For a $20 enrollment fee that is good for two years, I will enjoy 30% off spa treatments.  It's such a great deal that my friend also joined and we both followed our massages with Afternoon Tea at the Veranda at the Beach House.  It was a perfect way to spend our Sunday.

  

The Moana Surfrider's Afternoon Tea is served daily from 12pm to 3pm and you have three services to choose from:

1.  The First Lady tea service is priced at $48 and includes the complete veranda afternoon tea service followed by a plate of fresh berries with crème fraîche & brown sugar served along side a glass of sparkling dry rosé.  I opted for this one and loved that I also received a sandalwood fan which I knew my daughter would love.

2.  The Moana Classic tea service is $40 and includes the complete classic afternoon tea service with four assorted finger sandwiches and in addition to our array of pastries, a ginger biscotti followed by a mini pot de crème.  My friend opted for this and lucky for me shared her mini pot de crème with me.

3.  The Veranda tea service is $34 and includes classic afternoon tea service complete with your choice of tea, three assorted finger sandwiches, raisin scone and a sampling of delicious pastries and petites fours.

They don't forget the children here!  They also offer a keiki tea menu for $22 which offers kid friendly options like peanut butter and jelly and milk or juice.  

Tea Service includes an offering of top quality teas from around the world.

The First Lady tea includes four assorted finger sandwiches, an array of pastries, and a glass of sparkling dry rose.  

 Fancy plate of fresh berries with crème fraîche & brown sugar and First Lady fan.

Afternoon tea was like icing on the cake after our massages.  It was a wonderful treat and made for a great Sunday with a friend.  For a ladylike tea service with a beautiful ocean view, consider the Veranda at the Beach House.  

Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Spa

2365 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815

808-921-4600  

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Visit British Columbia: The Sights of Gastown

There are numerous shops, restaurants, galleries, and more, making Gastown a must-visit when in Vancouver.

Two of Gastown's most famous landmarks include the steam clock and Gassy Jack statue.

One of only a few steam clocks in the world, it blows steam and whistles every 15 minutes. 

Steam Clock

Blowing steam

The statue of Gassy Jack was erected to honor John Deighton, who the founding father of Gastown.

Gassy Jack

Walking throughout Gastown is a treat - with so many restaurants and shops, there is something to see along every step of the way.

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Snow Factory - Mililani

After a playdate at a nearby playground, we decided to take the kiddos to Snow Factory for a cool treat.

Strawberry with Mochi, Condensed Milk, and Strawberry Pop

Cookie Butter with Mochi and Condensed Milk

Cookie Butter is a new flavor at Snow Factory, so we decided to give it a try. it was really good, but I liked the Strawberry snow a lot better.

The Strawberry snow was refreshing, and the pop and mochi added a nice texture to each bite of snow.

Next time I think I'll try the Honeydew, because while at Snow Factory I overheard a lot of people ordering that flavor.

Snow Factory was a great place to grab a cool treat after a hot day at the playground!

Snow Factory 
95-221 Kipapa Dr, Ste C20
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 625-2737

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Restaurant Week Hawaii

MW Restaurant

Restaurant Week Hawaii is almost over, but it's not too late to participate in Hawaii's best week for dining out. Check the website for participating restaurants and their menus, then call the restaurant to make a reservation (or just pop in if the restaurant does not take reservations).  Proceeds go to support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head (a Kapiolani Community College program).

Pictured:  MW Restaurant's Restaurant Week lunch menu ($25).  

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Visit Lanai: Top 10 Things that Make Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay Family-Friendly

Whenever I used to hear about Lanai, it was always in reference to weddings or honeymoons, so when we visited for the first time and stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, I was extremely impressed with how family-friendly the resort was.

Fish Food

Here are my choices for the Top 10 Things that Make Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay Family-Friendly:

1. Kids for All Seasons - Parents can drop off their kids, ages 5 to 12, at Kids for All Seasons, where kids can play with toys and games, read books, and participate in various activities on the resort grounds.  Since one of my kids is younger than 5, my husband or I would always remain with the kids, but we were told some parents leave the kids for hours.  My kids only stayed in the program for a couple of hours, but they had a blast!
2. Kids under 5 eat free when accompanied by a paying adult - Traveling expenses add up, so what a GREAT way to save money!
3. Welcome cookies and milk - My kids got to indulge in delicious cookies (yes, the cookies were delicious - I know because I snuck a bite or two) and milk while sitting on the lanai watching turkeys roam around.  
4. Complimentary high chairs, portable cribs, and in-room baby-proofing - Any parent of an infant or toddler knows how welcome these amenities are.
5. Child-sized bathrobes and hotel slippers - The entire family can lounge around in robes and slippers!
6. Child bath amenities and bath sponges spelling out each kids' name - My kids loved taking bubble baths and playing with the sponges.
7. Complimentary toys for use at the beach or pool - It was so nice that toys were available for use.  It made pool and beach time a lot more fun for my kids.
8. Free fish food (and refills) to feed koi at the ponds - My kids had a lot of fun feeding the fish at the ponds on the grounds of Manele Bay. 
9. Welcome kids toy - What a nice surprise to find a stuffed toy for each of my kids.
10. Keiki utensils - It's just a simple touch - replacing silverware with colorful, plastic utensils, but it really made it easier (and more fun) for my kids to eat their meals whenever we dined at the resort.

These are just some of the MANY ways Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay is family-friendly.

You can click here for even more ways Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay will make your stay with your family an amazing one.

Kids for All Seasons

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El Mariachi - Kapolei

Mexican food is my favorite type of cuisine, and we recently ordered take out from El Mariachi in Kapolei.

Campeon Burrito

Chicken Chimichanga

I had the Chicken Chimichanga, which is what I usually get at Mexican restaurants.  It was so delicious, as was the Spanish Rice and Refried Beans.

My husband had the Campeon Burrito, one of his faves.  It's HUGE!  A flour tortilla is stuffed with steak, chicken, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and Spanish Rice.  

El Mariachi is a great spot for Mexican food in the Kapolei area!

El Mariachi - Kapolei
590 Farrington Hwy

Kapolei Marketplace
Kapolei, HI
(808) 674-8226

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