May Day Weekend 2011: April 30 and May 1

There are a number of events happening this weekend that were planned with children in mind.  Whether you want to attend a family dance party or learn about monk seals, there is an event for you!  Lots of other fun things happening too including the Spam Jam in Waikiki and of course the big May Day/Lei Day celebration happening at Kapiolani Park.  Check out the Weekend Events Page for all the details.

There will also be numerous May Day programs happening at schools throughout the island this weekend and throughout the month.  We went to a high school May day program last year which we really enjoyed. If your children are not in school, ask around and I'm sure you'll find a program happening near you.  If not, send me an email and I'll send you info on the ones I know about.

Have a great weekend with your family!

And Now She's 3!

We had a birthday girl in our house last week!  A couple months ago she decided she wanted a banjo cake for her birthday and never changed her mind so I did my best to comply.  It turned out pretty well but unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share here so you get to see cupcakes instead.

Now that our children are 3 and 6 instead of 2 and 6 I needed to update my blog's About page.  In the process of doing that today I got carried away and pretty much rewrote the whole thing so take a peek at it if you're interested in seeing the new version.

Oh, and if you're wondering how our girl came up with the idea of a banjo cake, I had suggested an ukulele cake which I think gave her the idea of a musical instrument and then she thought of the banjo which my husband plays.  Definitely a unique cake choice for a three year old, don't you think?!

Lagoon Three at Ko'Olina

A few weeks ago we drove to Ko Olina on a Sunday afternoon to spend some time at Lagoon Three.  The water was nice and warm and we enjoyed some time swimming.  The lagoon is shallow around the edges and the water is calm and protected - perfect for little swimmers.  It would be a great place to swim laps too but I wasn't feeling that ambitious so I just hung out near the shore with my kids.

After the kids were done swimming and playing in the sand we explored the area a bit.  Through the hedge on the right end of the lagoon we found this fun place to tidepool.  I'm guessing this isn't always a great spot to be, but it seemed the tide was out and there were no big waves so we enjoyed walking around.  The setting sun made it especially beautiful.  I love the lighting at that time of day!

We ended our evening with a potluck supper on the lawn behind the lagoon.  One of the nice things about Ko Olina - nice grassy areas within sight of the beach.

Do it yourself on Oahu
Directions:  To get to Ko Olina, go west on the H-1 freeway.  You will pass Pearl Harbor, the junction with the H-2, the water park and Kapolei.  Take the Ko Olina exit and go left at the top of the off ramp.  This is a gated community but the beaches are open to the public.  At the guard house let them know you are heading to the lagoons.  The turns for the lagoons will be on your right and marked with signs.
Parking:  The parking lot for the third lagoon is fairly small and fills us quickly, especially on weekends. If you find the lot full and don't want to wait for a spot, head down the road to the marina.  I have heard they have paid parking there that is reasonable.  I should check into this myself on my next visit.  The marina is closest to lagoon 4 but it would only be a short walk on the paved sidewalk behind the lagoons to get back to lagoon 3.
Ammenities:  There are restrooms and outdoor showers right next to the beach.  Unfortunately these were closed/out of order when we were there so we walked to lagoon 2 for showers and to the nearby resort located on lagoon 3 for restrooms.
Other:  These lagoons are man-made and some people dislike them because of that but I think they're a fun spot and great for young children.
More info:  Read about Lagoon One at Ko'Olina here and Lagoon Four at Ko'Olina here.

Scenic Sunday: Sunset at Ko'Olina

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

The end of another beautiful day in Hawaii.  

Photo taken at Lagoon Three at Ko Olina

Visit Photo Friday at Delicious Baby to see pictures from around the world.

Easter Weekend Events: April 22-24, 2011

The Weekend Events Page Has Been Updated!

Easter Weekend is almost here!  The fun has already started with some venues holding Easter themed events last weekend.  If you missed those don't worry, there are more this weekend.  

I decided not to include Easter brunches and dinners in my list because there are so many happening on island.  I also only mentioned a couple of Easter services for the same reason.

Even without meals and religious services included, the list of family friendly events happening this weekend is very long, so click over to the Weekend Events page and check it out for all the details.

In addition to Easter events and activities, there are a number of child friendly Earth Day events happening on Oahu this weekend as well as a couple non-themed events for the whole family.

As always, if you have something to add please do so by leaving a comment on this post.

Have a great weekend and a very happy Easter!

Casablanca: Moroccan Cuisine in Kailua

Casablanca restaurant has been in Kailua for years and years.  I know this because we've been meaning to go there for years and years and finally made it there on a date night recently.  The place has limited hours and days (see 'do it yourself' below) but we managed to coordinate babysitters for our kids with the restaurant's schedule so we could give it a try.

The atmosphere is not one you commonly find in Hawaii.  There are couches along the walls, tapestries on the walls and fabric draped from the ceiling.  Definitely a middle eastern feel.  They have small low tables and you sit either on the couches or on cushions on the floor around the tables.

The menu is a set menu and is about $35 per person.  The meal includes lentil soup, bread, a variety of side salads, a pastry/pie dish, a main course that each person gets to select, dessert and tea.  There has been plenty written about the food on TripAdvisor, Yelp and other places online and I don't consider myself a food critic so I'll skip the details but say that there was a lot of food and we really liked it.  

You eat most of the food with your fingers and they come around at the beginning and again at the end with a basin so you can wash your hands.  They also sprinkled us with orange blossom water as a happiness blessing at the end which added to the unique experience.

This is not a place to grab a quick bite, but a place to sit back, relax and enjoy an evening.  Probably not the best place to take young children but perfect for a date night or a mom's night out.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  19 Hoolai Street, Kailua, Hawaii 96734

Hours:  6pm to 8:30pm Tuesday through Saturday

Other:  The restaurant is BYOB.  Vegetarian selections are available.

For reservations and more info:  808-262-8196

Scenic Sunday: End of the Rainbow

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

End of the rainbow and the end of our trip to Maui.

Kahului Airport, Maui

Visit Delicious Baby's Photo Friday to see more beautiful photos from around the world.

Weekend Events: April 16 and 17, 2011

I just updated the Weekend Events page for this coming weekend.  Check it out and have a wonderful weekend!

Kepaniwai Park and Heritage Gardens

On any vacation there is the question of what to do between checking out of your hotel on the final day and checking in at the airport.  On our spring break trip we decided to head to the Iao Valley.  We walked the trails at the park there and enjoyed the view of the Iao Needle and the rest of the valley.  On our way there we had noticed Kepaniwai Park and decided to check that out next.

The atmosphere in the park was so relaxing!  I'm guessing more people use it on the weekends but it was a weekday and there were only a few other people there.  We found a table near the edge of the park and had a picnic lunch.

The Heritage Gardens is so named because there are structures throughout the park that represent some of the many cultures present in Hawaii like this Korean pavilion.

It would have been neat to walk around and look at all the buildings and maybe we'll do that on another visit. This time we stuck with the "less is more" theme of the vacation and just relaxed at our picnic table while the kids played on the rocks nearby until it was time to head to the airport and catch our short flight home.

And that brings to an end the blog stories of our Maui vacation.  It was a good one.  So good in fact that when the kids want something I don't want to buy I say, "Instead of buying that, I'd rather save my money for another fun trip like Maui" and so far they haven't started arguing with that response because they loved the trip too.

Do it yourself on Maui

Location:  870 Iao Valley Road, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, 96793
Ammenities:  Covered picnic pavilions with BBQ pits, a few uncovered picnic tables and restrooms
On the web:  Kepaniwai Park  Pictures of more of the structures in Heritage Gardens can be found here.

Sunrise Market and Protea Garden on Maui

On our recent trip to Maui we decided to make the drive to the top of Haleakala crater since we hadn't been up there in years and the kids had never been.  I know it's a popular place to watch the sunrise, but we weren't feeling that ambitious and headed out after a leisurely breakfast instead.  On the way to the top, my in-laws suggested we stop at Sunrise Country Market to see the Protea Flower Garden. It was a great suggestion!

The cute market has souvenir items for sale as well as coffee and some food.  We didn't eat there so I can't comment on the food, but we did enjoy walking through their protea farm and looking at all the beautiful flowers.  It was a great stop to stretch our legs and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of Maui's Upcountry.

I realized when we stopped here that I had never seen protea growing before.  They really are unique and beautiful flowers!

Do it yourself on Maui

Address:  16157 Crater Road, Kula Hwy.
Location:  Sunrise Country Market and Protea Flower Garden are located on Crater Road/Haleakala Hwy/Hwy 378 near the junction of this road and Kekaulike Ave/Haleakala Hwy/Hwy 377  (according to Google maps).  It's in the last pocket of civilization before you head up to the top of Haleakala Crater.
Ammenities:  As mentioned they have food for sale here.  There are a couple picnic tables located behind the store and restrooms on the side.

Scenic Sunday: Protea Flower on Maui

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

A beautiful protea flower growing in Sunrise Country Market's flower garden.

Upcountry Maui, Hawaii

Visit Delicious Baby's Photo Friday to see travel pictures from around the world.

Weekend Events: April 9 & 10, 2011

Sorry this list is a little late.  I caught one of the viruses that's been going around and was too sick to blog last night.  Seems like there's a lot going around right now and if you're sick I hope you get well soon and if you're well I hope you can stay that way.

There is a lot going on for families on Oahu this weekend and a number of the events are free!  You can learn about Puerto Rican culture at Hawaii's Plantation Village, learn about astronomy at the Institute for Astronomy and learn about sustainability and our water sources at the Waikiki aquarium.  There are also chances to hear various storytellers and musicians at libraries across the island in honor of National Library Week.  I think there were a couple other events as well, so click on over to the Weekend Events Page to see all your choices and get all the details.

As always, if you know of an event that I have not included, please share it in the comments to this post.  Mahalo and have a nice weekend!

Spring Break on Maui

We got to spend part of spring break on Maui and it was wonderful.  We realized that although we travel quite a bit, it had been a long time since we took a real vacation - a time to just relax and unwind.

The goal of the trip was to do very little, with the beach and the hotel pool at the top of the list for places to spend our time.  The kids loved it and so did we.

While at the beach in Ka'anapali we went snorkeling and got to see lots of fish, coral, eels, an octopus and some turtles.  It had been way too long since I'd done any snorkeling and I had fun!  We put a life jacket on our boy and he gave snorkeling a try too.  He ditched the snorkel pretty quickly but got to see a lot and came back saying, "There are humuhumunukunukuapua'a out there.  I got to see some!"  The things they learn in Kindergarten in Hawaii.  Love it!

We had dessert every day with a couple trips to Ono Gelato in Lahaina and a couple trips to Yogurtland at Whaler's Village.  We also tried out the famous Guri Guri at Tasaka's Guri Guri shop in Kahului.  It's a frozen dessert that isn't ice cream or frozen yogurt or sorbet, but it's good.  They have two flavors - pineapple and strawberry (which we all thought tasted more like bubble gum than strawberry).  A fun treat that is unique to Maui.

We did fit in a couple other things besides swimming and eating including whale watching with the Pacific Whale Foundation.  Usually that is the highlight of my trips to Maui but this year it was rougher than usual and both kids got seasick.  Although there were a lot of whales the ones we were near weren't as active as they've been in the past.  So whale watching was memorable, but more because of the vomit I got to clean up than the whales I got to see.  Even amidst seasickness the staff at Pacific Whale Foundation was lovely, handing out free ginger ale and ginger candy to anyone who was feeling a little quesy.  One bad boat tour out of, oh about fives times isn't bad and we'll give it another try next time we're on Maui I'm sure.

I have a couple more highlights to share from our Maui trip but will save them for their own posts.


Do it yourself on Maui

• To find out all about Ono Gelato, visit my Gelato Post from last year.
• To find out all about Pacific Whale Foundation, read my Whale Watching Post from last year.
• To try Guri Guri at Tasaka's, head to the Maui Mall in Lahaina.  The Guri Guri shop is in the back and we ate ours next to the dancing water fountain in front of the theaters.  Address:  70 E Kaahumanu Ave #C13, Kahului, Maui, 96732

Book Recommendation: Swimming with Humuhumu

Took my girl to the dentist for her first visit today (she did great - proud Mom moment) and while we were in the waiting room before her appointment she picked up the book "Swimming with Humuhumu" by Ron Hirschi and asked me to read it to her.  I hadn't seen this book before but it is cute and well done.  A fun way to learn about the life in the ocean surrounding Hawaii.  It has text on each page that tells about a different type of animal life (turtles, whales, fish, birds) and then some lift the flap sections with more information for older readers.  There are also flaps to lift on each page that are written as cards visiting children send home to their grandmother telling them more about their trip to Hawaii.  I think we need to add this book to our home library!