The Pumpkin Patch at Aloun Farms
October 26, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under daily life, family activities, hawaii, hawaii, Life in Hawaii
Every year our family searches for the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween. We used to just head on over to the grocery store but there’s just something about picking your own pumpkin fresh off the vine that makes the experience so much more fun.
If you live in Hawaii, your only option for pumpkin picking is Aloun Farms in Kapolei. Here you can search the 7 acre farm for just the right one – big, small, orange, white, smooth, or bumpy. There’s also a petting zoo, hay rides, pony rides, games, food, and a farmers market.
We usually take the girls a couple weekends before Halloween but since I was in the hospital delivering their baby sister, my sister offered to take them instead. Of course, Kacie’s priority was finding the smoothest, roundest, and most perfect pumpkin. Kiana wanted one with a little more personality and chose one with a few bumps and craters on it. They both tried to find the tiniest pumpkin for their brand new sister.
So this week’s mission will be to carve these pumpkins out. It’s not exactly my favorite thing to do but the girls love showing off their creations for our annual Halloween dinner party. And since they spent so much time trying to find just the right pumpkin, I guess it’s the least I could do.
So what about your family? Where do you get your pumpkins from?
This post is also being considered for posting at UpTake.com.
An Island Road Trip
September 29, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under daily life, family activities, Favorite Posts, hawaii, hawaii, Life in Hawaii, my family
This past weekend we decided to pack up the girls and take a road trip around the island. At first I was a little hesitant. My girls do not always fare well when they’re strapped into their car seats in close proximity of each other for long periods of time. Know what I mean? But we decided to give it a try anyway and it turned out to be such a great experience for everyone!
Here are the highlights:
Hanauma Bay
Makapu’u
Sandy Beach
Windward Ho’olau’lea
Valley of the Temples
Ko’olau Mountains
Giovanni’s Famous Shrimp Truck in Kahuku
An afternoon snack : Shrimp Scampi
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Sunset at Haleiwa Beach Park
It took us 10 hours to complete our adventure! And even though my back and butt were killing me by the time we got home, it was definitely one of the best family days we’ve had in a very long time. When Girlie Girl was finally tucked into bed, she said, “This was my best day ever.”
This post is also being considered for posting at UpTake.com.
The Christmas Gift of Aloha
November 30, 2008 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, hawaii, hawaii, Life in Hawaii, my family, product reviews
One of our favorite holiday activites is The Christmas Gift of Aloha performance at Ala Moana Center. We look forward to it every year and even listen to the CD in anticipation of opening night.
It runs every evening, except Mondays, at 6pm on Centerstage. You have to get there early to get a good seat and I would recommend you plan to be there at least 30 minutes prior to the start, earlier if you can. What really works for us is bringing a beach towel to save our seats. That way only one person has to stay there while the rest can go shopping.
The Christmas Gift of Aloha is a story about an elf named Merry who finds his way to Santa’s Workshop in the islands. This workshop is overseen by Mele (as in mele kalikimaka). Through various songs and dialog, you’ll follow along in their adventures as Merry learns about Christmas in Hawaii and being thankful for what you have.
The show’s finale is a fun, festive, and colorful holiday celebration capped off with falling snow (okay, soap bubbles) and you’ll find yourself singing “The Bes’ Hawaiian Kine Toys“ all the way home.
And if you’re planning to hang out at the mall for a while, you can purchase tickets for your kids to ride the Candy Cane Train for $7 each. It will take them through the shopping center where they sing songs and wave to passerbys. 
These train rides run all day, however, there is one special ride each night (except Mondays) where your kids can be a part of the Christmas Santa Parade featuring all the performers from the show. These tickets usually sell out months in advance.
And don’t forget to visit Santa while you’re there! Your whole family can walk through a hallway filled with colorful Christmas displays which includes menehunes and toy workshops. At the end, take a photo with Santa and also receive free candy canes and a reindeer hat.
Ala Moana Center at Christmas is one of our favorite stops for holiday fun!
What’s your favorite local holiday event?
The Ihilani Resort and Spa
June 23, 2008 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, hawaii, hawaii, hotels, Life in Hawaii
Yesterday I talked about the negatives of this past weekend. Here are some photos of the positives. The wedding we attended was held at the beautiful Ihilani Resort and Spa.
