July 29 Town Center of Mililani Keiki Club Brings the Zoo To You!

When: Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 2:30 p.m. 
Safari Craft Kits Available in Advance at Center’s Management Office

Where: Town Center of Mililani
Facebook @TownCtrMililani
Instagram @TownCenterofMililani

What:
Town Center of Mililani brings the zoo to you on the next exciting virtual edition of Keiki Club. Parents won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to have their children learn from the experts about zoo history, animal species, and conservation efforts. Watch on Facebook @TownCtrMililani and IGTV on Instagram @TownCenterofMililani.

On this educational episode of Keiki Club, Honolulu Zoo Society educator Charles Lee will take a walk down the zoo’s memory lane and discuss how they work to protect animals and preserve them for future generations. Keiki will learn about different animals, including the nene, pueo, porcupine, giant salamander and more. Get ready for a fun and informative class, at this Keiki Club Watch Party.

This livestream experience can be enhanced with a complimentary Safari Craft Kit, which parents are encouraged to pick up in advance, while supplies last, at Town Center of Mililani’s Management office. Kits are available starting on Wednesday, July 15. The office is open weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Management Office is also where neighbors can drop off hand tracings for the new “We Are Mililani” community display. In the spirit of togetherness, community members are invited to add their messages to the center’s show of hands mural, spelling “We Are Mililani” on a large window display. At home, visitors can trace their hand on a piece of paper (any color will do!) and add an encouraging message, a favorite quote, their initials and any other colorful additions. During business hours, cut out handprints can be dropped off at the center’s Management Office or emailed to info@towncenterofmililani.com. It’s a great family activity that reinforces the strength of our Mililani community. Also ask for a free copy of the “Starstruck Activity Book,” which includes coloring, counting, Mililani trivia, word scramble, word search and lots of fun activities for the kids.

Town Center of Mililani’s Keiki Club is a popular program that normally draws dozens of parents and children to the center on the last Wednesday of every month. The program is open to keiki up to fifth grade and its activities are free. For now, the center is pleased to continue to “meet” with parents and kids online.

Please remember that face masks are required when shopping at Town Center of Mililani. While at the center, guests must also avoid large groups and practice social distancing. Those who are at higher risk for illness, such as the elderly, those ill, recently ill or who have been around sick people should stay home, as needed, to help keep everyone on Oahu safe. The center follows federal and local health guidelines. The safety of its guests and the Mililani community is the center’s top goal, with increased sanitation methods and cleaning protocols using CDC approved cleaning agents.

Visit the center’s website at towncenterofmililani.com for up to date information on tenant openings, including current hours and services. Individual store policies and hours may vary, so customers are highly encouraged to check the website in advance.

Located in the heart of Central Oahu and Mililani Town, the center has a long history of connecting its community together. Follow and tag photos of #TownCenterOfMililani on Facebook @TownCtrMililani and Instagram @TownCenterofMililani. See towncenterofmililani.com.

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Pups of War Fun For All Ages!

Disclosure:  Discount was received for review purposes.  All opinions are entirely my own.

My son having the time of his 9 year old life!

My son received his first nerf gun when he was 2 while we were staycationing in Kona and had foolishly made a stop at Target.  Since then, his grandparents have gifted him a new model for every birthday, Christmas, and just because it’s Wednesday.  As you can imagine, his nerf gun collection could arm the entire neighborhood.  Our house is littered with those foam darts and balls which I have resolved to ignore, but I admit I will lose it every once in a while when a stray bullet lands in our most unreachable light fixture.  Not. Fun.

So thank goodness for Pups of War, Hawaii's first and premier dedicated Nerf, Rival, and Gotcha Arena!  Thanks to the geniuses behind Pups of War, my son has a safe 4,000 square feet to battle it out with other kids and shoot to his heart’s content.  The padded arena is filled with structures and play areas that players can explore or hide in while they either refill their nerf guns with unlimited ammo or talk strategy.  Safety is a priority as all players are required to wear grip socks and safety glasses.  

Players at the Pearlridge location can come in for walk-on play as well as part of a party package.  All party packages are priced to include play for 15 players and two hours in designated party rooms which includes a refrigerator, tables, table covers, chairs, and paper goods.  Reservations for parties on weekends tend to fill fast so a week night might be a better option for your party.  

I opted for a simple birthday celebration for my son so we invited 4 of his friends for two hours of walk-on play.  What has always impressed me when checking in at Pups of War is the staff.  Each time they have been professional, extremely helpful, and patient.  The boys were super excited, but the staff member was able to get them banded and suited up with safety goggles and grip socks in no time.  One of the kids had brought his own nerf gun, but once he saw the collection Pups of War had, he quickly brought it back to me.  The kids loved being able to use the battery operated blasters in level 3 and having the option to access the level 2 Rival ball-type blasters and the level 1 basic dart-type blasters.  

Once in the arena players can roam freely, but the staff will also hold organized games like Capture the Flag.  I could safely watch from behind a net dividing the arena and the waiting area with ample comfy seating and televisions.  Before the two hours were over, 3 of the 5 kids were exhausted and in the waiting area with me drinking water.  Of course, I had to pull away my son from the arena when time was up.  He had so much fun, that he told me two hours was not enough.  This from the kid that knocked out in the car on the way home.  Pups of War has two other convenient locations in Windward Mall and Kapolei to tire your kid out too.

Choosing their weapons.

So many places to hide! 

The tombstones in the Gravyard make the perfect shield!

One of the party rooms.

Inside the “Dog Pound”

Behind the running kids is the net that keeps people in the waiting area safe from flying nerf bullets. 

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Gacha World Magic at Shirokiya

In addition to the gachapon machines, Shirokiya has added a new experience called Gacha World Magic! For $5 you will get a token to use at one of the large (pictured above) Gacha machines. Will you get a voucher for 5, 10, 50, or 100?!  After you collect your voucher, you redeem it for Gacha chips that can be used as credit for verified merchandise at the Gacha Shops. 

I know my kids so I set a budget for each of them when we got there. They would get 2 tokens each and I would get one so I could join in on the fun.  We ended up winning an extra 10 chips.  Lauren liked a couple of the prizes, but was practical enough to use the chips for lunch before getting a prize. That’s my girl! But Cade didn’t want to walk away without a prize and used his superpower sad face to get what he wanted. He thought he was getting a Japanese transformer, but it turned out to be just a model car...for 12 chips. He didn’t seem to grasp that the car was not worth $12 and now he may not be eating lunch, but sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Lucky for him, we chose to eat hotdogs at Wacky Dog where kids meals were under $7 leaving us with $9 in chips. Lauren decided to forgo on the prize and get uber tarts from Kazan Cafe instead. I’m so proud of her! 

Bottom line for me is that even though the kids loved it, we will go only as a special treat.  I wasn’t very impressed with the prizes, but happy that you can redeem the chips for food as you don’t lose your money. 

On a $10 budget

Use these chips at Gacha Shops

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My Slime Playroom

My youngest loves slime.  And I mean LOVE.  He buys all kinds of different slimes - different colors, metallic, glow-in-the-dark, and so forth.

So when I heard about My Slime Playroom in Ka Makana Ali`i, I just knew I had to take him.

The staff there is very helpful when it comes to slime novices (like myself), and there are very clear instructions on each table so it is nearly impossible to fail on making slime.

There are four different types of slime you can choose from, and after mixing the solution and adding optional color, you can head on to the bling bar to select from a variety of mix-ins. 

Once all the bling is mixed in, you can add a fragrance.

You have 90 minutes of "play time," but from start to finish, it took my son only 30 minutes.  Even though we could have stayed longer, it was a full house, and we were hungry for some lunch.

He had an absolute blast, and although it was quite pricey compared to being able to just buy a container of slime at the store it was a really fun experience, and I wouldn't hesitate to take him again!



My Slime Playroom
91-5431 Kapolei Pkwy,
Kapolei, HI 96707

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Pups of War Pearlridge

When my daughter and I first spotted Pups of War in Pearlridge, I told her not to tell her brother.  But it didn't matter, his grandparents had also spotted the nerf haven and left me a brochure on my kitchen counter.  Hint taken. 

I read the brochure and the reviews so I knew I had to file a liability waiver.  I did this online to save time.  We also brought one of his nerf guns and saved $10 off his $35 admission for one hour in Level 3 Adventure: Power.  There is different pricing for the two other levels of Elite and Rival.  We also needed to purchase their Pups of War socks.  

After we paid, he was given a pair of safety glass and an ammo bag.  He was a little apprehensive since he was there by himself, but he quickly made friends and joined their team.  Lauren and I left to walk around the mall and came back before the hour was up to check on him.  I was very happy to find him playing with other kids and having the best time.  He said that his own gun jammed a lot so next time he wanted to use the Pups of War guns.  The level 3 admission gives you access to all the level 2 and level 1 blasters so you can change out your weapon when you wish and if it is available.

To say he loved it would be an understatement.  He's already got his grandparents planning to take him again and wants to have his birthday party there.  I do think it's a little pricey so if they had some kind of rewards program based on frequency, we would be able to go more often - but I definitely seeing us coming back.    

They are open daily at 10am!

 

Waiting area for parents.

They also sell nerf toys! Play arena is behind the net. 

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Koko Crater Botanical Garden

Koko Crater Botanical Garden is one of four Honolulu Botanical Gardens.  It is located inside Koko Crater and the admission is free.  You can visit daily (with the exception of Christmas and New Year's Day) from sunrise to sunset.

The kid friendly hiking trail is a self-guided tour along a 2-mile loop trail with lots to see along the way.  The trail is not paved and you may encounter some loose rocks and slippery surfaces so walking shoes are recommended.  Leave your furry friends at home when visiting since dogs are not allowed on the grounds of the garden. 

The main reason I wanted to visit the garden was to see the Cactus garden.  Since the climate is hot and dry, it's ideal for dry-land plants.  We were not disappointed!  We spent the most time checking out all the different cactus plants.  After that, we took a leisurely stroll admiring the other interesting plants and trees.  My son had fun navigating our way along the loop and constantly referred back to the map which had descriptions on the various trees and plants.  We both learned a lot and had some nice quality time together.  There is little to no shade so make sure to wear sunscreen and bring water.   

The trail is easy to follow. 

Cade was a little worried he would get pricked by one of these Golden Barrel cactus. 

So many different varieties of cactus in the Cactus Garden!

These were pretty, but be careful - there were lots of bees.

I found these unusual looking plants amazing!

Transvaal Gardenia

Plumeria Grove

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Mobile Gamer Guys for Your Party

Mobile Gamer Guys takes care of everything.  I just had to send the kids on the bus.

My son was recently bit by the Fortnite bug and has a love for videogames that I will never understand.  It was perfect timing that I came upon Mobile Gamer Guys while I was planning his 8th birthday party. 

Mobile Gamer Guys is a mobile video game arcade and will bring the party to you.  Their van is air conditioned and equipped with 8 gamer stations that is connected via a LAN which allows all 8 players to play in the same game at the same time.  FUN!  They also set up a tent and Nintendo wii outside the van that can be played by 4 additional players. 

I can't say enough great things about Mobile Gamer Guys.  They arrived on time and were completely professional.  They made my son the VIP, giving him control over the games to play which just made the birthday boy's day.  They were great with the kids as well as the parents.  If you know a gamer, this is the company for you!

www.mobilegamerguys.com

My son was super excited to get started playing some video games. 

Awesome that the kids can all play together.

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Happy Hour Specials at Dave & Buster's

Last night Gem and I attended Dave & Buster's Novice Night to check out new games and happy hour specials.  We brought along our sons as they LOVE playing all the games at Dave & Buster's! 

I love that Dave & Buster's has a kids' menu that offers favorites like chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese as well as super fun desserts like the Build-your-own churro sundae! 
The happy hour menu has such great deals as well.  During Happy Hour - Monday to Friday from 3:45pm to 7pm - you can get several Bar Bites for only $6 each!  The same delicious bites are also available during the Late Night Happy Hour - Sunday to Thursday from 9pm to closing. 

Gem and I tried the Asian Chicken Wonton Nachos, Sweet & Spicy Kobe Meatball Sliders, and the Loaded Potstickers.  They were all really good, but I especially enjoyed the sweet kick from the sliders.

After we loaded up on happy hour specials, we headed to the game room as the kids were eager to play.  We had a super fun and special time (on a school night!) with the kids thanks to Dave & Busters! 

Dave & Buster's makes kids' meals easy by offering tried and true favorites!

The boys both enjoyed the Grape Candy Chill - a wild grape snow cone with sprite and gummi worms!  Served with a color changing straw! 

At Dave & Buster's, snow cones are not just for the kids!  Here is an Adult Snow Cone.

Kids' Golden Fingers.

Sweet and Spicy Kobe Meatball Sliders

Asian Chicken Wonton Nachos and Loaded Potstickers

Guacamole & Chips

Mexican Street Corn Quesadillas

Bavarian Pretzels

The Halo: Fireteam Raven can seat up to four players together.

Super spooky House of the Dead game!  We were too scared to play. 

This Kung Fu Panda game is more our speed. 

Mario Kart is always fun!

I love that this game takes the player's picture!  Makes it so fun to play!

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Visit New Jersey: Goofy Golf

There is so much to do along the Ocean City Boardwalk in New Jersey.  There are many, many arcades and mini golf courses, and my kids kept begging to play mini golf, so we stopped at Goofy Golf.

At just $5 per person (cash only), the kids had a lot of fun playing on this colorful course, filled with all sorts of obstacles to make it fun, yet challenging.

It was a great way to spend some time while taking a pause from eating our way up and down the boardwalk!

Goofy Golf
920 Boardwalk
Ocean City, New Jersey 08226
(609) 398-9662

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