Instant Mommie

Pedal to the Metal

2013-05-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

I thought this post would be super easy today. Alas, I've struggled to come up with a story I wanted to tell until 11:30 at night!

Once upon a time there was a tight knit group of friends who were juniors in high school. They did everything together, even hanging out with their parents. It was basketball season. The boys started practice at 7am in the morning, would get to school at 8am, skip the first hour to shower/get ready and jump in at 9am. One morning, us girls were running late to school - to the tune of like 8:02. So we said, the hell with getting tardy slips for two minutes, lets get breakfast! And off to Jack in the Box we went.

After our little detour, we found the boys in the parking lot arriving to school from practice. As we pulled up in the parking lot aisle - they were... BEING BOYS... trying to get us irritated. Since no one was around we just parked our car in the aisle, and were chomping on our breakfast when one of the boys dared us to hit him with the car (playfully). We ignored him, until he egged us on. I gave my breakfast sandwich to my friend, put the car in drive and put the PEDAL to the METAL...

And as quickly as I "put the pedal to the metal" - I slammed on the brakes... O.R.A.N.G.E. J.U.I.C.E (left on the dashboard) all over my W.H.I.T.E. pants (and my friends brand new black honda civic). A few phone calls and some white lies to our parents and them to the school - we went home, washed the pants, watched some TV, and showed up to school right after lunch.

And this my friends, was about as "badass" as I got in school, lol.

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was to tell a childhood story.

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Round Up - my first!!!

2013-05-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

For months and months and months I've been meaning to do a round up. I love reading everyone's round ups of different things they have found over the course of the week, and always remember to do it when it's too late. (wah wah wah, cry me a river already).

With that being said.... I've decided on my day to be Friday (and when I re-brand my site, I'll probably incorporate Pinterest highlights into this post and retire Pinterest Thursdays, (oh no!).

In Case You Missed It:

This has been another eventful week on Instant Mommie mostly due to the Blog Every Day in May

Challenge. First off I toyed with some tag lines for Uncle Bob's salts in the sell yourself in 10 words post; then I relived my past in what I missed; and then obliged to write a heartfelt apology to my dad; after that a little sunshine imposed on the blog with 10 things that make me happy and an introduction to my Beautiful Hawaii posts with a feature for Hank's Haute Dogs!; next I showed off some pics I edited with the new A Beautiful Mess app; towards the end of the week I talked about a typical day for me, always having room for growth, graduation gift ideas and my favorite photo.

Blogging:

*New friends: Ashlea with an A and A Girl, A Story, A Blog

*Tools and Tips for Creative Blogging

Business:

*The Blog Post I've Been Waiting to Write

*Top 5 Tips for Getting Press

*Five Tips to Spring Cleaning your Email Inbox

Food:

*Ezra Pound Cake - Meatless Monday California Sandwich

* Simply Scratch - Cheesy Chicken and Cilantro Pesto Baked Flautas

Inspiration:

via The Love Shop on etsy

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Punalu'u Beach

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This photo is an "untouched" picture I took with my old iPhone. It isn't bedazzled with Photoshop or all the fun photo apps that I love such as: PicTapGo, ABeautifulMess, PhotoForge, Over etc. I don't love this picture because I got the right aperature, and the ISO level is on point and whatever else photography jargon comes with amazing blog photos. I love this picture because it is sentimental. This is Punalu'u Beach on the North East side of the island, one of my favorites for its authenticity, serenity and peacefulness. This beach is also very dear to my heart because it is the site that I scattered my dad's ashes at.

Aloha oe Dad! I love you!

EDIT: Apparently I read the post wrong, it was supposed to be a photo of myself, but hey - a little selflessness never hurt anyone!! Oh well, try again! Happy Aloha Friday.

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was your favorite photo, and why.
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Pinterest Thursday - graduation edition

2013-05-16T16:46:00.002-07:00

Recently, my friend, Cherity, asked me to help her come up with some ideas for her son's preschool graduation. Of course, I turn to Pinterest - who has time to think up ideas on their own now-a-days!

Here are some festive graduation ideas, brought to you by the lovely pinterest!

via

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Always Growing

2013-05-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been dreading this post all week long. I didn’t know what to write about. It is comforting to see that there are people in the same boat. And then there are others like Shay, who pretty much spilled her guts today – which she must have, if she willfully (is that even a word?) spilled them.

There are definitely things in life that can be improved on; but nothing to the degree of being stumped on how to push through; or feeling defeated. I will never top learning. I will never stop improving. I haven’t arrived, and never will.

Two big things in life that I am working on are:

Financial Stability
Health

I cannot wait for the day that I can announce I’m debt free! What a weight off my shoulders that will be. I have to wait about 3 years for that (hello car payment and student loans), which is ok. Also – I cannot wait for the day that I am back down to what I weighed at twenty-one. This is my biggest struggle, and I’m gonna have a party when I beat it!

And as life predictably plays out, once those two things are all worked out, I’ll have more things to work on in life and the cycle continues.

All-in-all, I am happy with life. I have a wonderful family that I love and adore. A boyfriend and his son that swept me off my feet. A secure job. Great friends to share with.

Now you…! What are you working on in your life? What are you excited to beat down??

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it.

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A Typical Day

2013-05-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

FAIL... major fail for this post! I really wanted to do a picture-esque "day in the life of" but I messed up on that one...

So you just get a boring, run of the mill paragraph of words!! Fun times. NOT!!

A typical weekday in my life involves normal morning routines such as washing your face, brushing your teeth and hair and getting ready for the day. I also take my dog out for his morning walk and poop n pee. My drive to work takes anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes - yes that is how crazy traffic is! Then I work (if you want to know the details, see this post).

After work most times I usually come home, get dinner ready - spend time with Chris and CJ (on the weeks we have the little guy) and then hit the hay. Sometimes I stop off at my grandpa's house to see my fun little nephews. But typically that's my boring day! I hope to give this post a re-do, and actually do a picture post; just need to set my phone to remind me to take a pic every half hour or hour... we'll see how that goes!

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was a day in the life of.
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#ABMapp dump

2013-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying the app from A Beautiful Mess, and wanted to share some of the photos I've played with! I love the doodles and borders, they are a ton of fun!

I wish there were more fonts, but I'm sure they'll release more in future updates. Some things I wish they would tweak would be to either undo (instead of starting all over); or to include layers; Also I love to be able to pick my own colors, so if they could add that in on top of the preselected ones (because that mint is perfect) - I would love it even more!!

bonus points if you know the answer, leave it in the comments!

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Hank's Haute Dogs

2013-05-14T18:09:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone, and welcome to a new “type” of post for Instant Mommie. Since I was born and raised in Hawaii and continue to live here, I find it rather odd – and quite sad that I don’t show off my home state nearly as much as I should – so without further ado, my first post about Beautiful Hawaii.

Today we are grabbing a ‘dog and hangin out at Hank’s Haute Dogs.

Located in the heart of Honolulu, in the Kaka’ako District, Hank’s has been very popular, even attracting national tv shows such as: Diner’s Drive Inns and Dives and Man vs. Food.

I had been meaning to check this place out for over a year – and never got around to it. Then one day, while I was in downtown during the lunch hour I thought, “let’s check out Hank’s!” And so we did.

Hank’s Haute Dogs is a quaint little lunch stop that has about 8 picnic tables out doors and counters to sit at inside. Somehow, they get good air flow there, because even on a hot day, we had some nice Hawaiian breezes come through the windows.

It was hard deciding what to order, but Chris had the Fat Boy (an all beef dog, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, then served with mayo, tomato and lettuce) and I ended up ordering the Hawaiian (a portuguese sausage dog with mango mustard and pineapple relish). We waited less than ten minutes for our gourmet burgers. While waiting I browsed the interior décor and found it to be homey and interesting. Hank’s has a wall of old school menus dating to the 1930s, talk about 25 cents for hamburger and “pop”.

the fat boy

We both enjoyed our dogs. They were juicy, full of flavor and the condiments Hank selected for both really compliment the dogs. They also provide dipping sauces, which I think are for the dogs, but we used them for our BOMB.COM french fries (they got good fries yall!). Chris got the Chipotle Mayo and I got the Garlic Aioli. They also have some other fun ones like Wasabi Tobiko Crème, Furikake Ranch and Curry Ketchup. This time around I didn’t try any of their specialty drinks but Hibiscus Lemonade and Lilikoi-Lime Soda definitely sounds refreshing right about now!

the hawaiian

All-in-all we enjoyed our quick pit stop lunch at Hank’s and will definitely be back when we are in the area. I definitely want to try some of the other dogs such as the Bratwurst, Chicago, Polish, Wild Boar (served with a cran-apple relish black pepper thyme mustard and lettuce), The Greek, Buffalo Brat (a buffalo and beef sausage made with brown ale and chipotle, pineapple relish, cabbage and Guinness mustard) and the Kobe (with hoisin-ginger mustard, seasame napa cabbage, pickled daikon-carrot and furikake).

Check out Hank's website HERE. And click HERE for the menu!

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This post is a part of Beautiful Hawaii - a curation of posts featuring the beautiful state of Hawaii and all it offers.
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happy things!

2013-05-14T13:44:00.003-07:00

love love love these boys (nephews and CJ!)

- hearing my iPhone “cha-ching” me to alert me of a new etsy sale… I hate to do this, but when I read Lenora’s ten things over at Yellow Heart Art, I just had to include this into my ten things as well.

- photo apps… specifically PicTapGo and Over

- hawaiian food… I mean seriously, the best cuisine ever! Melt in your mouth squid luau, lomi salmon all mixed in the poi – I better stop now before I turn off the English and turn on the Pidgeon (local slang).

- dominoes… in particular, beating my boyfriend , especially since he was my teacher.

- zumba… makes me feel like I’m a professional dancer (&& I need to get back into that stat!)

- rain… only when I’m not working and am at home in bed or on the couch watching a movie with Chris.

- grilling at the beach… life can’t get much better than that right, a few burgers and ‘dogs, cold tricks, sunshine and ocean – life is definitely good at that moment.

- winning contests… who wouldn’t want to score some extra ‘dough – or a free trip to Vegas?

- puppy love… I love coming home to kisses from my doxbull, Kaimana.

- completing a level on candy crush… now days I can be stuck on a level for weeks at a time (currently on level 102).

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was to list ten things that make you happy.

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Dear Dad

2013-05-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Dad,

I just wanted to apologize that I had to be your caretaker when you were sick. I wish we could have afforded the money to have someone take care of you. At twenty-one years old, it’s a tall order to be a sole caretaker, and I tried my best to hold everything together, as much as I could for you. When you’re twenty-one, the thought never crosses your mind about having to take care of your parents at that age.

I’m sorry for the times I got frustrated with you. I’m sorry for the times we were irritable with each other. I’m sorry for the times I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the store for you. I’m sorry for not keeping the house tidy for you – I should have taken that upon myself. I’m sorry for not showing more care – I know you knew I did, but I could have done more. I’m sorry for being rude at times, when I should have shown kindness.

Thank you for still loving me through it all. I know that you understood the place I was in – and that sometimes it was the only way I could deal with certain situations.

Thank you for choosing to go with hospice in your last month of life. For giving me the opportunity to be your daughter again, because somewhere in that last year, we lost that relationship and all I wanted was to be able to have it back again. I will always always love you for that. I know you wanted to go home, thank you for being selfless; letting others help to care for you and ultimately letting me be your daughter again.

I love you,
Aukele

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This is a post that is a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, from the lovely Jenni. Today's prompt was to issue a public apology.

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A Couple of Things I Miss

2013-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I think this month will be a record month of posts... :) Lol.. anyhow, we're back, with... you guessed it! Another edition of the Blog Every Day in May challenge, hosted by the lovely Jenni.

Today's prompt? What do you miss?

I think this is 6th grade, obviously we were doing some type of hula performance... You notice how us girls are trying to act serious, while the boys are full on smiling, lol!

I miss being a kid: This kid "era" pretty much sums up from birth until I was about 19 - after finishing my college stint in Oregon. Life was good. I didn't worry about too much. The only bills I had was maybe a phone bill and one credit card that I barely used in college. It was so nice to have a care free life. Only worrying about getting good grades in school, passing a test. I would go back to those days in a heart beat.

Sophomore year in biology class! We were a small school and were totally psyched that we'd actually get to cut open frogs and other animals, lol.

At one of the block parties for St. Paddy's Day!

I miss my dad: This is probably pretty obvious. For anyone that has lost a parent - I'm pretty sure we can all agree that not a day goes by that you don't think of them. Whether it be something happened you wish you could tell them; to an onset of emotions and crying your eyes out all over again; to a dream; to looking at a picture and reminiscing of a fun memory. I know that he is up, above - but for me, he is missing a lot; watching me blossom in my career, opening up his salt shop, CJ, a future walking down the aisle and grandkids. He would have made an awesome granddad. I miss him.

I think this is circa 2006.. one of our favorite past times, cosmic bowling.

I miss the performing arts: I was highly involved in performing arts as a kid, through high school and some college - and I miss it. I miss singing on stage, playing piano, a few skits here and there and dancing. A couple of days ago we were watching Sister Act 2; and our church's kids dance group, Kids Posse used to dance the "heck" out of Joyful, Joyful - we played that bad boy out real quick but continuously performed that song... and Stomp! Haha... Oh - and we would do the human music video for Champion by Carman.. Anyone remember that? "In the vast expanse, Of a timeless space, Where silence ruled, The outerspace, Ominously towering it stood, The symbol of a Spirit War, Between the one named Lucifer, And the Morning Star, The ultimate of good..." I played one of two angels that narrarated the whole thing while other enacted the war, etc. Haha - again, being a kid the good ol days!

Lastly..

I'm pretty much non-existent in this pic.. far right. This night was at a bowling alley, I was home for one night on my way to another island for two nights for a family wedding and then back up to Oregon for school. And what an eclectic bunch of girls we were with different styles!

I miss always hanging out with friends: Now everyone is married and have kids. We all have careers. We all miss each other and wish we had more time, but hey - we aren't kids anymore, we've grown up. I miss hanging at Zippy's all the time - the waitresses probably don't, us kids just hanging on their tables while they lose out on tip money. I miss meeting up after work for a quick drink before heading home. I miss the days we used to karaoke every Monday night, that was a ton of fun. I miss the days we used to spend all Saturday together prepping for youth service, and then all night at youth service and then hanging out afterwards! I miss the days when it was cool for the kids to hang out together with the parents and we'd sing songs on the guitar, go out to the beach, hang out in Kahaluu on the mountain tops... I miss those day!

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Get your Salts.. calling all Cooks!

2013-05-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

I had a good time with coming up with ideas for today's challenge over at Jenni's Blog Every Day in May challenge. Today's prompt: sell yourself in 10 words or less.

I came up with some tag lines for my salt shop, which you should check out right now and stock up for BBQ season!!

1. Make YOUR Uncle Bob happy, and purchase his salts today!

2. Everyone has an Uncle Bob, do you have his salt?

3. Flavor your summer grilling with your favorite Uncle Bob's Salts.

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Most Embarrassing Moment...

2013-05-10T12:46:00.002-07:00

&& we're back with another post for Jenni's challenge! Today's topic:

MOST embarrassing moment EVER

via

Growing up in Hawaii, not only do you learn Hawaiian culture, but you learn many other different polynesian cultures. I was taught how to dance with poi balls which is of the Maori culture, mostly based in New Zealand. In the gif above, this guy is doing a reversed one handed butterfly. Basically moving it in the front and back of his body....

on to embarrassing moment

At my church we incorporate polynesian cultural dances into our services on different special occassions. One weekend, I was asked to dance with poi balls in a mini Polynesian review with one song. We had four or five different types of dances during one song that was sung after the announcements. Now mind you, this was thrown together last minute and we didn't even get to rehearse entry and exit. All I knew was when to go on and when to go off. I did my little dance... showed off a couple of tricks; and as I was exited the stage, I was doing a overhead butterfly (so the movement in the gif above was being done, just over my head, like a helicopter). As I walked off stage

I HIT MY PASTOR'S HEAD WITH THE POI BALL...

seriously, how embarrassing. I didn't know that I had hit her in the back of her head until I was back up in the dressing room and everyone else told me. I profusely apologized to her - and she laughed about it with me. The next service, I opted to walk off with the poi balls down at my side, opposed to the ~~grand~~ embarrassing exit in the prior service!

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Pinterest Thursday [an eclectic curation]

2013-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hey now - check me out.. stickin with this Pinterest Thursday get'up. Today's series is kind of eclectic and all over the place, but what mom isn't, right? As they all say, for every decadent and sinful dessert is a promising fitness post that you'll "start tomorrow or Monday"

via

At least I didn't include one of those decadent desserts, right? That just would have been too cliche!

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A Moment in My Day (not)

2013-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Aloha all -

So I'm super happy tomorrow is Friday - but today I'm crazy busy at an all day conference, so I figured instead of sharing a moment in my day (since that would be crazy boring for all of you) with all the amazing bloggers doing Jenni's blog every day in may challenge; I would share a moment in my life that was completely and totally cool beans, rad!

My best friend from college, Ally, visited me for two weeks a few years ago and we had a total blast playing tourist. One of my Dad's friends worked at Dolphin Quest at the Kahala Mandarin Hotel, and we got to play with this little guy for about an hour. He definitely showed off all his tricks. Coincidentally, in this picture the trainer is pointing out his "hoo haa" being a little too excited.. :)

enjoy!

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Did you get your vitamin D today?

2013-05-08T20:41:00.005-07:00

Today’s challenge asks us to “give advice.” A few days ago I put together some ideas down for the topics – just so that I didn’t draw complete blanks; and I had a great post that was really coming together – and then it went missing… dun dun dun!

This afternoon, I accompanied the boyfriend to a hearing for workman’s comp, and as we were walking outside to the car - I just saw this pretty tree, beautiful skies and just enjoyed the beauty of that moment. With the shady tree, paired with the hot sun and a beautiful “artful” display of clouds I thought… it is good to.. GET SOME SUNSHINE!

I encourage you to get out there! Go get some vitamin D. It does a body good!

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Scaredy Cat

2013-05-07T15:08:00.003-07:00

Today's challenge is all about what scares you... so here is my list, some funny, some not!

falling on my face in public – seriously this would be so embarrassing don’t you think!?

tripping over myself in front of a celebrity – I mean this would just make me want to curl up in a little ball, wish I had some magic dust to instantly make me disappear and end up in my own bed under all the covers.

murderer in my house – this is for real scary. I’m always double checking my doors are locked.

living with a hoarder – now I’m not the tidiest person, and my boyfriend likes to joke that I’m a hoarder, but if I for real had an obstacle course in my house because of a hoarder I wouldn’t be able to handle!

having honey boo boo’s lost sister – bless her heart, she’s cute on TV; but I’m so glad to know God only gives you what he knows you can handle (through Him).

a failed marriage – when I seal the deal, I want to know without a shadow of a doubt that this is the man God made for me and that we are in it, to win it!

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The Right to Choice!

2013-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

I don't usually talk about my 9-5 on the blog - but this challenge has just brought out all kinds of things from me. So onward!

I work in the healthcare foodservice industry - more specifically in long term care. Lately, we have been experiencing a culture change here with CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaide Services) - not only affecting dining, but the entire experience in long term care settings.

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The whole message behind the culture change is resident-centered; resident-driven dining. Are we ignoring a resident's right to eat what they want, because it is important for a 95 year old to be on a strict low sodium, low fat diet? I think a 95 year old should be able to eat whatever he or she pleases.. and guess what!? So does CMS. If I make it to 95 - I definitely will not be told what I can and cannot eat.

Part of the culture change includes offering choices and accommodating resident's likes and dislikes as much as we can. It is my duty to help educate residents, families and at some times doctors on the benefits of a liberalized diet for our kupuna (seniors). I rather my resident enjoy small portions of his favorite foods, than lose weight because he doesn't want the food that is served to him. Not only is this right to choice in regard to restrictions on types of food, but the texture as well. Lets face it, pureed foods and ground foods are not the most appetizing. We all know that everyone (to some degree) eats with their eyes.

via

In conclusion.. us 'youngins are living to eat; whereas our kupuna are eating to live. MAJOR DIFFERENCE! I think that's all we need to know, to know that liberalization is the best choice for them to have healthy nourishment. After all, they aren't dining at Heart Attack Grill or anything like that.

Besides coordinating the dining experience in health care at my job, I also conduct a customer service training for all employees in the company. Throughout the year we all attend an annual training (a whole work day) where we talk about sexual harrassment, OSHA, workplace violence, blood borne pathogens, etc. This year, I (and the dining manager) had the pleasure of creating (and presenting) the training material for CUSTOMER SERVICE... wooh! finally putting that Marketing degree to good use :P (just joking). That is pretty cool, and when I found out I was "nominated" for the job, I was quite honored that they would entrust such a big task to me and the dining manager.

Lastly, I am a member of a professional network here, in Hawaii, in which we provide hands on experience to college students. Currently I offer interviews and tours and also provide opportunities for students to role-play job interviews and I give critiques.

So that is me and my 9-5 in a nutshell!

My Blog Crushes

2013-05-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

When I read today's Blog Everyday in May Challenge - I thought oh boy.... Maybe I have some blog acquaintances, but I haven't really been able to develop some solid friendships. So this blog will be mash up of acquaintances and crushes!!

Nat

First off, I just need to mention my friend Nat. Technically we aren't blog friends because I really met her on her youtube beauty channel, but coincidentally, she does blog over at, A Girl Named Nat. We talk more on twitter though than visiting each other's blogs.. how rude of us! Lol. What I really love about her is how open she is. Despite what she has gone through - she doesn't let it change her personality, and that is some true character there folks!! Though we don't get to keep in contact with each other daily, we are both able to confide in each other regarding personal struggles as well as some of the closest things we are nurturing right now (shops, books, business, etc.). Say hi to her!

Now for some acquaintances... I'm getting to know these ladies and they are gems :)
Claire from A Little Claireification
Duckie from Frikken Duckie

These two ladies have been so welcoming and encouraging - I love them both for that!

And just two of my blog crushes :)
Julie Ann from Julie Ann Art
Danni from Oh, Hello Friend

I love the Danni and Julie's style. They are successful business women that are witty and inspiring. I hope one day to be like them! Lol.

Remember to ALWAYS show Kindness!

2013-05-04T14:11:00.003-07:00

Back with the Blog Every Day in May Challenge. This challenge has been restorative for me as far as writing goes. It has brought me out of a funk - being able to think of different things to write about; and to actually write about things or subjects I never thought I'd bring up here. Today is a good day, its quote day. This is probably a challenge for everyone in the simple fact, that us, as bloggers - probably have a TON of favorite quotes, and how to choose just one??

I decided to google one of my favorite "quoters" (is there such a thing?), Audrey Hepburn. She is quite witty, humble and beautiful. I found this lovely quote below from this quote picture site (don't you just love quote pictures)!

I think this is so true, and can be spoken about on a ton of different tangents. I really love this quote because it reminds me that at the core of it all, we all need someone in our lives to help us out of our ruts, out of a downward spiral in life, out of depression, out of a broken heart - and the list goes on. The message for me is to always, always show kindness - even when it may not be warranted from you. There is no reason to kick someone when they are already down. It also reminded me of Amber at Three Bittles; and her challenge to keep in the state of showing kindness (at least once a week). Its a good habit to keep at the forefront of our lives!

Anyway - HAPPY SATURDAY.. go spread some love!!

Can I Leave Now?

2013-05-03T16:44:00.002-07:00

At first when I read today’s prompt for the Blog Every Day in May challenge, I thought I’d come up with a list like I did yesterday... so I listed five. Then I decided, nah – I’ll just stick to one. Before I get into that though, let’s just take a little look at four other things that make me feel uncomfortable:

1. Snakes
2. Moldy Bathrooms
3. Cockroaches
4. Being at a National Convention that is mostly comprised of men in their mid-50’s in business suits

SKINNY GIRLS CALLING THEMSELVES FAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE

I am at an unhealthy weight. I have always been at an unhealthy weight since I was a kid. And we can leave that right where it is.. Don’t worry I’ll deal with it on my own. :)

What really makes me feel uncomfortable is when a girl that is at a healthy weight and even under weight, draws attention to herself by saying she is fat – automatically I shudder and it makes me wonder, geez God only knows what you think of me.

I get the whole personal body perception or history of anorexia or bulimia or other eating disorders people may have to have such low self-esteem to have to verbalize to the world that they think they are “fat”, but it doesn’t excuse them from taking a look around the room, realizing there are people in there that are actually over weight and being courteous enough to think how verbalizing her “insecurities” might make them feel.

LOVE YOURSELF AND BE HAPPY WITH YOURSELF, and please think of other before calling yourself fat when you're a size 4, sometimes you may make others feel uncomfortable.

**** this is the first time I've written a post such as this, I apologize if it possibly offends any one, but this is real and something that I've dealt with numerous times, so please realize it isn't fun for me either****

Top TEN eateries on Oahu

2013-05-02T17:25:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Day 2 of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge. Today's prompt - Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at.

Being a local Hawaii girl – I’m pretty sure I know my stuff when it comes to eateries in Hawaii. Though I haven’t been to them all, I have a pretty good grip on “da local grindz”. With that said, here are my top ten places to eat in Hawaii (on the island of Oahu). Please note, that not all of these restaurants feature local cuisine – after all, one can get tired of eating Chicken Katsu, Rice and Mac Salad.

10) Zippys
http://www.zippys.com/

The Oahu diner of choice. Though recently they have cut back hours on some restaurants, they have late hours, a diverse menu and the best Chili. My favorites here are: Chili (for obvious reasons), Korean Chicken and the Chili Chicken Mixed Plate (Zip and Surf Packs are not bad either, especially when taking them to the beach)

9) Soul de Cuba
http://souldecuba.com/

This little gem (scratch that, they just expanded) was introduced to me about 6 years ago. The food is out of this world. Amazing Cuban food! My favorites are the Pollo Moderno (two thin chicken breasts fried in a light batter with a guava mango and black bean salsa served with white rice, black beans, and plantains); Fricase de Pollo (marinated chicken sautéed with onions and Spanish olives along with a combination of tropical and Mediterranean spices, served with white rice, black beans and platains); Black Bean Chili and Rabo Encendido (lean oxtails seasoned and cooked in red wine sauce served with rice, black beans and plantains).

8) Liliha Bakery
http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/

Any local needs no explanation for this landmark! They are well known for their Cocoa Puffs which have even been featured on Hawaii 5-0; many people don’t know that their hotcakes are the best on the island and they have amazing diner food. The bakery is close to my work so whenever I stop in, my go-to favorite is their French doughnut… a must try!

7) Ryan’s Grill
http://www.ryansgrill.com/

Located in the Ward Center shopping complex this local eatery has a great selection of food with American and local influences. They also have some killer burgers. I love their appetizers and selection of “adult” drinks, if you will!

6) Thelma’s
http://thelmasrestaurant.com/www.thelmasrestaurant.com/Home.html

I go here for one thing, and one thing only… Thelma’s Special. A mixture of fried pork with a tomato, onion, shoyu (soy sauce), fish sauce combination served over rice. It is out of this world. This is definitely Hawaii comfort food – something you get a craving for that you just have to pick up after work!

5) El Mariachi
http://elmariachirestauranthawaii.com/

In my opinion, El Mariachi has the best Mexican food on the island. First off, they nail it with their salsa and guacamole – always a sign of a good (or bad) Mexican restaurant, right?! Everything I‘ve tried has been great. When I come for lunch, I usually eat a torta (sandwich). Their nachos are great too (I choose the steak option). They have great fajitas and big burritos. Their fried ice cream isn’t bad either! It is a family favorite.

4) Aiea Bowl
http://aieabowl.com/restaurant.htm

This place has definitely put their own spin on local food, turning it up a notch. In a nutshell, they serve gourmet plate lunches! The kalbi is great, the tasty chicken is… TASTY!, awesome garlic shrimp and their pupus are on point as well! They have quite the selection of desserts and they are pretty decadent and pretty deliciousJ. They also offer brown rice which is a plus!

3) Chart House Waikiki
http://www.charthousehonolulu.com/

Chart House is an upscale, local style restaurant that infuses aloha with fine dining. The restaurant menu features filet mignon, fresh catch and other typical fine dining type entrees – but the lounge menu is my favorite with firecracker “unrolled” sushi, escargot, stuffed mushrooms etc. They have good drinks as well like the famous, “Guy Tai”. This restaurant used to be a family favorite, growing up, and we spent many birthdays and anniversaries here. The restaurant overlooks Honolulu Harbor and you can see fireworks shows put on by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

2) New Wave
http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-wave-kitchen-honolulu

This little hole in the wall takes me back to my high school days. It is an Okazuya type of restaurant that served the best garlic chicken ever! My favorite plate is one order garlic chicken, one order fresh ahi poke and one order of rice. The perfect “kanak attack” lunch! PS: I believe this place closes at 2pm, so get there early!

1) Highway Inn
http://www.myhighwayinn.com/

Whenever I’m in the mood for Hawaiian food, this is my go to place! They have all my favorites. Laulau, Kalua Pig, Poke, Pipikaula, Squid Luau, Poi, Haupia, Beef Stew.. What more can a girl ask for? They also have tripe stew and other delicious local menu items.

Pinterest Thursday

2013-05-02T13:32:00.001-07:00

Today I am re-introducing my Pinterest Thursday series. It is always alot of fun to show off other people's brilliant and genius ideas.

Since Teacher's Appreciation Week is right around the corner, today I'm sharing my favorite ideas that I've come across on Pinterest.

click here

I hope you all enjoy these pins and find some creative ways to celebrate your children's teachers this coming week - even if they aren't the best or you have troubles with them; it is always better to be the better person, and what better way to break that wall down than with kindness from the heart!

ME ... in 250 words!

2013-05-01T22:05:00.002-07:00

So I happened upon the Blog Every Day in May challenge from Julie Ann Art's blog, and I'm super excited to "play!" Usually when I play in these month long challenges I either fail or have what I like to call "haul" days... where I play catch up when life gets busy! So here's to hoping I can use this work to work on my timing skills and prioritizing things that are important to me!!!

Let's get this challenge started why don't we! First Challenge: 250 WORDS! Start counting words... NOW!

Me in a lil bonnet with my gorgeous momma for my 1st birthday luau

I'm Aukele and I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Hawaii. I was born in 1986, and I'll be 27 this coming July. My parents were never married, and I am an only child. Growing up, I always wished an older brother would come walking into my life (a boy my Dad never knew he had before he met my mom!). That ship has sailed.

maybe about 3 years old with my mom, dad, uncle mark and aunty lilia

I went to private school my entire life, including college where I attended University of Portland, in Oregon for two years and finished out my schooling at Hawaii Pacific University. Currently I hold a BSBA in Marketing and am completing a Dietary Manager's Course through the University of North Dakota's online program.

Higher Faster Stronger team (bottom row, 2nd from right)

During my grade school years I enjoyed playing piano, singing, acting, playing volleyball and had a couple of stints in weight lifting, paddling, shotput and discus. I also started working when I was 16 at my dad's office being the best GOPHER ever. That lasted for 6 years until I started working in long term care. (176)

May Day at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (standing row, sharing middle, in the green)

Family is very high on my priority list and I love to spend time with them. One of our very things to do is to be COMPETITIVE (well most of us anyway). We do this a number of ways, but some of our favorite ways is by playing card games (ie: Cribbage and Trumps). We also play Taboo, Cranium, Loaded Questions, Apples to Apples and some other fun games. And that's all she wrote.

Portland Pictures

Possible Re-Branding??

2013-05-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of days I have been reading quite a few blogs from very successful etsy sellers. And one thing that stuck out to me was something Julie Ann from Julie Ann Art said... (to the effect) that new and emerging sellers, bloggers, entreprenuers etc. are ever evolving always changing, and we must accept that and not try to keep ourselves from that.

Before starting my blog and shops I had a username that stuck with me from high school that I've used everywhere.. AIM, Yahoo IM, MSN... then to Myspace, Facebook, Twitter....

DOGGY pic for your viewing pleasure... isn't he the cutest!?

Reading about branding myself.. I think its time to retire the 'ol ID and re-brand my entire internet identity as a whole.
I'm rolling around some names that can be relatable to me as a person as well as my ideas for a shop, and where I want to take my blog. So bare with.. as I endeavor on this transition. Any tips for making this smooth would be greatly appreciated!!