Looking for a fun-filled activity for the whole family this fall on Oahu? Look no further than Waimanalo Country Farms! This local farm has been in operation for generations and offers a variety of activities for visitors of all ages. From a pumpkin patch and sunflower field to tractor rides and animal encounters, there's something for everyone at Waimanalo Country Farms. And what's more, admission is only $10 per person. So round up the kids and head on over to Waimanalo Country Farms for some fun!
No fall visit to Waimanalo Country Farms is complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch! Here, you'll find pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, perfect for carving into jack-o-lanterns or using as decorations around the house. The kids will love picking out their own pumpkins to take home, and you'll love getting some great photo ops in front of the beautiful pumpkin display.
In addition to pumpkins, Waimanalo Country Farms also has a stunning sunflower field that's sure to get you into the autumn spirit. Stroll through the rows of towering sunflowers and take in their beauty. This is also a great place to snap some pictures! Be sure to stop by the farm's on-site store before you leave so you can buy a bouquet of fresh-cut sunflowers to take home with you.
After you've had your fill of pumpkins and sunflowers, hop on board one of the farm's tractor-pulled wagon rides for a tour of the premises. Along the way, you'll get to see some of the animals that call Waimanalo Country Farms home, including chickens, goats, and pigs. The kids will love getting up close and personal with these friendly creatures!
No day out in the country is complete without some delicious refreshments, and Waimanalo Country Farms has got you covered with their on-site lemonade stand. quench your thirst with a cup (or two!) of refreshing cold lemonade. If you're feeling peckish, grab a slice of cornbread or sweet corn from the stand as well. Trust us, it's worth standing in line for!
Waimanalo Country Farms is the perfect place to take the family for a fall day trip. With its pumpkin patch, sunflower field, tractor rides, and animal encounters, there's something for everyone at this local farm. So round up the kids and head on over to Waimanalo Country Farms for a day of autumnal fun! Admission is only $10 per person, making it an affordable day out for the whole family.
When I was in elementary school, I was fortunate to go to the Philippines with my grandparents three times. I will never ever forget the experiences and memories I have from those trips. I remember visiting my Papa's village and handing out candy to my relatives. They were overwhelmed with gratitude and so excited to meet us because we were from Hawaii.
Before each of those trips we would go to the travel agency and meet with the travel agent lady who took care of the flight arrangements for us. We gave her all our details and picked our seats and picked up our plane tickets. I remember the second time I went she upgraded us to first class and it was really special for me.
Today with access to the world wide web, we can search the internet for anything. We can google and research and find and book flights and hotels on our own. There are a number of search engines now such as Expedia and Travelocity that advertise deals on travel. I didn’t know until recently that Expedia owns a bunch of the other companies so their prices are very similar.
When it comes to travel the value you get for using a travel agent is incredible. With a travel agent you get your own assistant to research and create your ideal itinerary. You get a custom tailored trip to you and what you want. Travel agents have access to databases and websites that the general public do not have access to.
The best part is it doesn’t cost you any extra at all. Travel agents receive compensation from the vendors when they book. Researching all the details for vacations can be exhausting and time consuming. Using a travel agent saves you a bunch of unnecessary stress and lets you relax and enjoy your vacation and focus on what's more important: making memories with loved ones.
I highly encourage you to use a travel agent to make your life a little less stressful. If you have a trip in mind and would love to get you booked and ready to go. My travel website is https://www.evotravelagent.com/ahealthymermaid and if there’s another agent you resonate with, no worries at all.
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It is officially spring time and for many of us that means spring cleaning. Looking at all my stuff around my apartment I’m realizing the sound of being happier with less stuff, more space and more money sounds amazing right about now. Truth be told, I’ve been trying to get my apartment under control for quite some time now. And now I have some major motivation to get it done.
My strategy and game plan for this shift on my apartment starts by organizing everything into 4 categories: keep, donate, throw out and sell.
The criteria for the keep pile is does this make me happy? Do I love this? And even taking a cue from Marie Kondo, asking the question, Does this bring me joy?? If so then it’s staying. If not, it goes in one of the 3 other piles.
The donation pile is growing and is one of the bigger piles this year. In the past I donated to my local Salvation Army. If I haven’t worn it in a year or more and in decent condition I’ll put it in the donation pile. This might be the first time I’ve gone through Damian’s clothes in a big donation haul like this. We had onesies and even blankets from when he was a baby. This year Crystal and PurpleCrystal 333 are putting together a pallet to send to friends in a village in Gambia. I can just picture the kids excited to get new clothes or toys from us in California. So grateful we can help out this way.
The throw away pile is all the miscellaneous things that Just. Need. to. Go. My 9 year old’s chore is to throw the trash out and lately he’s been saying, “Really mom?! You filled the trash up again?!” Yes, it's time to get this shiitake out of here. Anything that is not in working condition, clothes with holes or stains it's time to say adios. This year spring cleaning has a whole new meaning to me and it feels amazing to let go of some of this stuff. A lot of things I’m letting go is over 5 years old and the release I’m feeling is indescribable.
The last but not least is the sell pile. In the past I used Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Offer Up (Formerly Let Go). This time a friend told me about an app called Mercari. I took a chance and posted some shoes for sale and they sold in less than 2 days. It was super easy to sign up for an account and post items for sale. Once the item was bought they send you a mailing label and you ship it out easy peasy. Once the item is received and the buyer leaves a review you get paid. I’m really happy with how easy it was and now I have more listings up and ready to go. And by the way, If you want to try Mercari out for yourself, here’s a link to claim $10 off your first order and $20 after you sell $100 or more on the app.
Getting rid of unnecessary stuff is soooo healthy. Time to clean up and clear out everything that no longer serves us or makes us happy anymore. When our physical environment feels good, it is so good for the soul too.
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It’s nice to see more people out and life slowly returning to somewhat normal now that its Spring and it's warming up. It’s such a contrast to the cold and eerily calm and quiet lock down days. One night after Damian's soccer practice on the way home I noticed Tiger’s Diner in Glen Park was closed and is now a different cafe place. On my social media news feed I saw more and more articles and posts about restaurants closing down. One of the most recent ones I saw was the oldest restaurant in Japantown was shutting its doors for good after over 100 years of being in business.
One Saturday I was craving a Hawaiian breakfast with Portuguese sausage, sunny side up eggs and rice and was relieved to see Hawaiian Drive Inn on Mission street was still and very much busy. There was no indoor dining and only to-go orders. It was nice to see they pivoted and stayed in business. On the way back to the car I noticed something else happening.. Change and growth was taking place. There was now a new cute flower shop that wasn’t there before and a new tea and coffee spot to try out. In fact every time I There was a feeling of newness, growth and change.
While losing something familiar can be difficult it offers an opportunity to grow, learn something new, and gain life experience. Growth doesn’t come from comfort zones. When we take a risk we can reap the rewards. Sometimes its a success and sometimes its a try again situation but in my opinion its never a loss when trying something new. I learn something even if I don’t like the result. I can notice what I notice, see what works and what doesn’t and try again.
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Growing up I loved the holidays. I always appreciated a reason to be festive and dress up or wear a color or express a theme. It was an excuse to have fun and I really liked that as a kid. As I got older I loved celebrating all the things, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
St. patricks day was one of those holidays where I wore green but that’s about it. I was never big on the pot of gold or leprechauns. One year Damian made a contraption to catch the leprechaun the night before and I had fun pretending to do (minimal) damage after he was asleep. Damian has green eyes so he won’t get pinched if he forgets. I remember one year when I was in elementary school, I got pinched so hard for forgetting to wear green that I never ever forgot again.
I was hard core on the holidays until I got into a relationship with an alcoholic. Every holiday and especially St. Patricks Day was an excuse to drink and things would get intense. The green beer from the festival in downtown San Francisco was fun until it wasn’t and I’d have to deal with the aftermath. It was extremely stressful and I was depressed and caught in the middle of wanting to keep my family together and wanting to leave. Thankfully I did get the courage and strength to leave but not after I fought hard to keep my family together.
I know now that leaving was the best thing for me and my son. The ptsd and anxiety from that relationship is still very real and still affects me and my relationships even now. It was terrifying leaving knowing that I wouldn't have his help financially or emotionally but I also knew that this wasn’t healthy for me or our son. We were terrorizing each other if I’m completely honest. I was a control freak begging him to stop drinking but he chose not too. If I had stayed I don’t know if I’d be here to tell this story and I know that part of my purpose is to encourage women to take care of themselves and do what’s best for them and their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Now I am happy and grateful for the space and the progress. I started enjoying the holidays more with way less stress and anxiety and much more fun and laughter. It’s much more enjoyable with Damian and I making our own holiday traditions and finding different ways to make it fun together.
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