Hawaiian Airlines' Fashion Friday Event

This past Friday, Hawaiian Airlines held their very first Fashion Friday, an exclusive event for their World Elite MasterCard cardholders.

An estimated 300 guests sipped on cocktails and savored small bites while shopping from local businesses who set up booths at Hawaiian Airlines' Corporate Headquarters.

It was a great way to connect the community with the people behind their favorite shops.

The event provided such a convenient, one-stop-shopping venue, allowing guests to purchase products without having to travel all over the island to different stores, and to actually be able to see items in person from shops that only offer their products online or at special events.

Some of the items available at Fashion Friday included:

Jewelry from B.D'Angelo

Rings from Kira Hawaii

Colorful activewear from Mahiku Activewear

Hawaiian wear from Manuheali`i

Wooden signs from Noho Designs

Beautiful accessories from Katrina Cordova

The cutest pineapple onesie from Sticks and Stones

Postcards and stickers from Lucky We Live Hawaii

Adorable totes from Happy Town Hawaii

Swimwear from Honey Girl Water Wear

Pretty patterned attire from Language of the Birds

Cute & practical luggage tags from Matsumoto Studio

Super cute pouches from Fighting Eel

Yummy chocolates from Choco Le`a Hawaii

Retro finds in the Hawaiian Airlines Logo Store

I met some of my girlfriends there, and it was a really fun night of mingling and shopping. I saw so many friends at the event that I have not seen in years, and I loved seeing so many local businesses showcasing their wares, including products that were yet to launch in-store.

I was already familiar with several of the vendors at Hawaiian Airlines' Fashion Friday - for a while now I've been a fan of Fighting Eel's stylish clothing and Happy Town Hawaii's adorable totes, but there were some businesses I was introduced to for the first time.  Thanks to Fashion Friday, I now know where to get beautiful cuffs (B.D'Angelo), chic home decor (NOHO Designs), and succulents to add some greenery to my home office (Paiko)

Hawaiian Airlines' Fashion Friday event was a really nice way to spend an evening, and it was great to see Hawaiian Airlines - one of the state's largest companies, show their support to the local businesses and thank their World Elite MasterCard cardholders through such an event.

I hope Hawaiian Airlines offers more events like this in the future!

To find out more about the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard, click here.

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Harlem Globetrotters 2015 World Tour - Continues at Blaisdell Center Tonight and Tomorrow!

I have never seen the iconic Harlem Globetrotters live until today, and our family was thoroughly entertained as they played the Washington Generals at the Blaisdell Center. 

Even before the game started, the audience was laughing out loud at the hilarious Globie, the mascot, and even the Globetrotters' warm-ups were so fun to watch (visit https://instagram.com/p/3U3aeVhsK7/ to watch a quick video).

And the fun only continued once the actual game began. 

Throughout the game the lively music, the audience participation, and the typical Globetrotters high jinks kept the audience engaged and entertained.

My kids were laughing so much the entire game, especially when the Globetrotters did some crazy things.

The Globetrotters do have great skills on the court, and the story behind the game made for a nail-biting finish! 

There are two more shows - tonight at 8pm, and tomorrow, May 31st at 2pm.

Don't miss this very entertaining show that is total fun for the entire family! 

Click here for tickets!

Thank you to the sponsor for hosting our admission.

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Lunch at Taps and Apps

Last week I met a friend at Taps and Apps to try out their lunch menu (the lunch menu is only available Monday through Friday).  I enjoyed most of the appetizers on their Apps menu, so I was eager to try lunch!

T&A Garlic Cheese Bread

Fries

Marinated Portobello Sandiwch

Soft Shell Crab Sandwich

I ordered the Portobello Sandwich, wish was very delicious.  The portobello mushroom was full of flavor, and it was topped with pesto, greens, mozzarella, and lots of caramelized onions.  I opted for a side of fries to go along with the sandwich, and it made for a hearty meal.

My friend ordered the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich with a side of House Salad.  She enjoyed the sandwich, but we were both unimpressed with the size of the salad.

The garlic cheese bread from the apps menu was pretty good, but I'd stick with other apps next time.

Service was great, and I hope they add a chicken sandwich to the menu, but even if they don't I'd gladly order the portobello sandwich again.


Taps and Apps Brewpub
95-1141 Ukuwai St
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 626-8277

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Island Princess Hawaii's Mini Mele Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

The most requested item from my mainland friends is Island Princess Hawaii's world-famous Mele Macs and it's no surprise as those delicious gems are made with whole 100% Hawaiian macadamia nuts, covered in toffee and milk chocolate and coated with powdered sugar.  You know what I mean when you can't stop at one.  I recently learned of another delicious Island Princess product, Mini Meles.  They are just as delicious and made with macadamia nut halves.
 
Island Princess was kind of enough to include a recipe with a bag of their Mini Meles.  You can find the recipe on their website along with information about their other great products.  You can purchase Mini Meles at various retail locations throughout Hawaii or even better visit their Factory Store where you will find a complete selection of Island Princess products.  What's great about the factory store is that you could find markdowns on closeout items or unique bagged treats for snacking and baking.
 
The Mini Mele Peanut Butter Cookies I made with their recipe was a hit!  The cookie had a great texture and was very peanut buttery!  The mini mele was the perfect topper and saved for the last bite.  It was a very simple recipe to follow and you'll love the results!


Island Princess Factory Store
531 Ohohia Street
Store hours are 7 days a week from 7 AM to 5 PM

Complimentary product was received for review purposes.  All opinions are entirely my own.

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Savory and Sweet Delice Crepes

Delice Crepes is a food truck in Haleiwa that offers a variety of savory and sweet crepes.

According to the sign on their food truck, their savory crepes (or galettes) are "made in the traditional French way" with a batter consisting of just buckwheat and water.

Their sweet crepes are made with white flour.

Butter Cup

Roma

Sunrise

My kids and I shared the different crepes.

The kids loved the Sunrise (Ham & Cheese), and I loved the Roma (Pesto, Cheese, Turkey, Tomato) crepes.  I am such a fan of pesto, which really made the crepe shine. 

The crepes were cooked perfectly, and the fillings were just enough to create a satisfying meal.

The boys devoured the Butter Cup crepe, which had Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Banana.

In addition to what's listed on the menu, you can also create a custom crepe for just $5 plus $1 per filling.

Because Chef Jonathan Pajot was the only person working and cooking, it did take a while for our crepes to be ready.

The crepes are a bit pricier than other crepe places I've tried, but they were really delicious.

Delice Crepes
66-470 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 238-7206

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Sweet Eats at IL Gelato Cafe in Haleiwa

After a long, hot day at the beach, one of the best ways to cool off is with something sweet and delicious, so our family headed to the recently-opened IL Gelato Cafe in Haleiwa. 

The cafe sells crepes, acai bowls, and a variety of drinks, but we were there for the gelato!

L to R: Biscottino, Hawaiian Sea Salted Caramel, Raspberry Sorbetto, Dark Gianduia, Chocolate Almond Swirl

There were so many flavors to choose from, but my eye was on the Hawaiian Sea Salted Caramel.

It was absolutely delicious. Sweet, creamy, with a hint of saltiness. So yummy!

I also had a taste of the Biscottino. It was delicious as well, but I enjoyed the salted caramel a lot more.

The gelato is a bit pricey ($3.75 for one scoop), but that just makes you savor and appreciate each bite of gelato even more.

IL Gelato Cafe
North Shore Market Place,
66-250 Kamehameha Hwy, #C104
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 637-7100

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Inside Out - Recipes and Activity Sheets

Inside Out opens next month!  Below you can download some free activity sheets and recipes!

About Inside Out

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film “Inside Out” ventures inside the mind to find out. 

Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.  

When Riley's family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.

Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.", "Up"), produced by Jonas Rivera, p.g.a. ("Up") and featuring an original score by Michael Giacchino ("The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," "Up"), Disney•Pixar's "Inside Out" opens in theaters on June 19, 2015. 

Make a Hexaflexagon
Crazy Maze
Connect the Dots
Recipes

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To Die For Blueberry Muffins Recipe

We always have fresh blueberries in the fridge. We eat it with cottage cheese, yogurt, by itself, and most recently I used for my Summer Berry Cheesecake Pie. It never dawned on me to make homemade blueberry muffins with it until now.

I found a very simple blueberry muffin recipe on allrecipes.com. I chose this particular recipe because it included a crumb topping that adds a lot of flavor and texture to the muffins. To make the muffins, simple combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, mix them together, fold in the blueberries, and then pour the batter into your muffin pan with liners. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top and bake for 20 minutes.  The original recipe yields 6 muffins. If you need more, simply change the serving size on the website. That's one of the things that I love about the allrecipes.com website.

Click HERE to go to the recipe page. 

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My First Visit to Ruth's Chris Steak House

A few weekends ago I went to Ruth's Chris Steak House for the first time!  Since we were staycationing in Waikiki, we dined at the location on Waikiki Beach Walk.

Complimentary Bread

Seafood Gumbo

Steak House Salad

Keiki Roasted Chicken Breast with Julienne Fries

Keiki Fish with Julienne Fries

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Petite Fillet

Mashed Potatoes

Sauteed Mushrooms

Keiki Fish with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Keiki Sundae

Strawberries Flambe

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Embassy's Slice of Heaven

My husband and I both took advantage of the Sizzlin' Prime Time Menu (5pm-6pm nightly).  For $47.95 (other entrees higher), our meals included a starter, entree, side, and dessert.

Since I don't normally eat steak, I ordered the Stuffed Chicken  Normally I stay away from stuffed chicken dishes.  They usually turn out dry and tasteless, but I'm so glad I took a chance on this dish.

It was the best stuffed chicken I've had anywhere.  The chicken was so juicy and flavorful, and the garlic herb cheese stuffing was divine!  The chicken was cooked perfectly!

My husband really enjoyed his steak, and he proclaimed it the best steak he ever had.  He thought the steak was cooked perfectly as well!

Kids meals are pretty pricey - $19.95, but drinks, a side, and dessert are included.  The kids' fish seemed a bit on the dry side, and when we asked for tartar sauce, they whipped some up for us since that's not something they normally have on hand.  Talk about service!

Although certain desserts were included with the Prime Time Menu, I decided to upgrade ($4.95) to the Embassy's Slice of Heaven - a mud pie that was so huge and so decadent.  My family really indulged in that dessert!

And to end the night we were treated to a complimentary Strawberries Flambe in celebration of my birthday and Mother's Day.

Every staff member who assisted was was so friendly and made us feel right at home.  As the evening went on and it got more and more crowded, service did seem to slow down a bit, but despite that the service overall was pretty impressive.

It was a great first visit to a Ruth's Chris Steak House, and it definitely won't be my last!

Ruth's Chris Steak House
Waikiki Beach Walk
226 Lewers St
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 440-7910

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Visit Las Vegas: Top 10 Favorite Moments

Our trip to Las Vegas spanned just a weekend, and I hope it won't be too long before we're back there again.  Until then, I have a lot of fond moments to reflect on.  Here are my top 10 favorite moments from Las Vegas:

1. Watching the Fountains of Bellagio - it's my favorite thing to do in Las Vegas!

2. Watching a zombie try and scare my son - my oldest son didn't flinch, but my middle son did get scared!

3. Indulging in the OREO Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and Serendipity 3

4. Stepping into Reese's Peanut Butter Cup heaven at Hershey's Chocolate World - this was the one must-visit place for me!

5. Strolling the Las Vegas Strip at night.

6. Walking the entire Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge with my son.

7. Watching the 4D at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas (one of the best 4D animated shows I've seen yet!)

8. Riding the Las Vegas Monorail and seeing all the sights of the strip.

9. Getting a different view of the Hoover Dam

10. Watching how excited my kids were to experience dinner cooked right in front of them at Benihana.

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