Hey Fam! It seems like a little while since I’ve made a car confession and my goal is to do more of these. Today I’m sharing a few updates and a glimpse of what is in my life. Come hang out with me and let’s chit-chat, shall we?
Disclaimer: Nothing to disclose. Affiliate links may be posted throughout.
Happy Monday Fam and Welcome to the start of a new month. I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween weekend. My family and I had a pretty…
Happy Thirsty Thursday Fam! I am excited to finally bring a new video that talks about some things I’ve been up to. I released my first planners &…
It’s Monday and time to start week 6 of our Distance Learning for the boys. Week 5 has ended, thank goodness – because it was a doozy. It seems like the days are flying by, which is unusual – considering that it also seems so long in comparison. Maybe it’s just me – maybe it’s the world. Some parts of the state are starting to reopen again but distance learning is still a new norm and will take till the end of the school year. Now that it’s May – that means there is about 3 weeks left (for the most part), till the boys are able to truly enjoy some time off.
I think the boys are starting to get cabin fever. A few days ago they followed my Father In Law to take in the recyclables. There truly is no people interaction there, but they kept their masks on while unloading. It was the first time they actually left the house (other than walking in our neighborhood) and you could tell the twins enjoyed it. My eldest followed me to the store (of course, social distancing and protected) and it seemed to help him a bit.
The boys have been in the house for over 5 weeks and I could tell that they were going stir crazy. While we’ve given them all the tools to keep them busy while staying home, I know that they miss being outdoors and my little fish certainly miss the water. If the ocean or ponds are calling my name, I can only imagine how much it is affecting them.
While the boys are struggling with what seems to be their new norm and it shows… they are making the best of the situation. Who said distance learning was easy, right? But, I know that while the boys are having a difficult time, they are truly thankful to all of the people on the frontline – tackling Covid-19. They know that by staying home, we are keeping us safe, as well as the frontliners that are working so hard and diligently for all of us. It’s difficult to teach a little person the importance of social distancing, especially when we try to teach them to limit television and screen time. But, we’ve been able to do our best and I’m thankful for this opportunity that I have more time with these little bugs.
If there is one thing I’m starting to notice as we wrapped up Week 5 – it’s that the kiddos are getting frustrated with doing school work from home. I am realizing that they are having to give up their love of home life because it’s now their place of school as well. Homework is no longer an assignment or two like a normal school day, it now feels like an all-day affair. What was once a place they could use to escape from school is no longer. Their sanctuary from reading, writing, and math – is now the all in one.
I don’t think that it would be so bad if they were able to leave the house, go to the park, take part in sports or even go to the beach. But, since we are on lockdown – they spend all day and all night at home. If I’m struggling with it myself – I can only imagine how difficult it is for them. I try to set a schedule for them each day – so that we are done with school work and they have time to relax and play. But, if I’m honest – it’s that it is not really working and they are not only frustrated but definitely not happy with me.
We take solice each week in some new found things or something to help pass the time. Here are a few favorites that did just that:
Well, that’s it for last week’s recap. We’re doing what we can to keep busy, keep inspired, and keep going. It’s been a struggle – but we make it work to the best of our ability. This past week has reminded me that sometimes we just need to regroup. Reminder: know that we are not in this alone. The boys are doing the best they can and I will continue to encourage them as much as possible. We can only look forward to our next adventure.
If you’re reading this – we hope that your Week 6 is off to a great start. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay home!
I can’t believe we are midway through week 4 since distance learning has become the new norm. The boys are feeling the pressure as the sanctuary they call…
We are almost done with Week 3 of this Stay-at-home order in Hawaii, due to the Covid-19 Global pandemic outbreak. Schools have been closed and homeschooling has become…
I have always started a new year with positive thoughts and goals and this year is definitely no different. I shared with all of you my 2017 Goals last week and wanted to take the time to really elaborate a bit on a personal level while sharing with you my thoughts and direction for Honeygirl’s World. You know, when I started this blog 10 years ago, I started it as my creative outlet, sharing a piece of me while documenting my life as a busy mom maneuvering my way through the Corporate America world and now, 10 years later, I have made so many changes to my personal and professional life, that the outlook of this site has changed gears over the years as well.
Here’s the deal – Honeygirl’s World is going back to what I love… documenting my life’s journey. I love reviewing products whether purchased with my own hard-earned money from my own pocket or sent from PR companies for consideration, but I miss what this site used to be. Does that mean that I’ll be providing a lot less reviews in the future? Well, I’m not sure… but my goal is to develop the range of posts you see here and incorporate more of what this site originally was aimed towards – My Life! Whether you are a company reading this post to decide if I am the right fit for your product or brand or someone who stumbled upon my site looking for a mother’s or wife’s perspective… let me break it down for you and share with you what you can expect here.
Let’s talk product reviews… I love love doing them. Over the last 10 years I have been given the opportunity to try a plethora of products I probably wouldn’t have tried to begin with. My family – husband, sons and fur baby – have also been given great opportunity to try products for themselves. I don’t think I’ll be eliminating those types of posts here, but I do have a strong opinion on those types of write-ups and want to be honest here so you know what to expect. Whether the post is sponsored or the products are sent for consideration know that my view point will never change here. I am 100% unbiased and truthful in my thoughts for any product you read about here… if I don’t like it, you’ll know about that, if I do – well, you’ll know about that too. No sponsored post will be biased in anyway – that has been my thought process for this site since the beginning and it will continue to be. If I do not like a product and cannot say so in my post – I will not take on the task of writing about it. Yes, my blog pays my bills or forks out spending money for me… but that will NEVER change my opinion and I will never obscure my integrity, my word and reputation for a product that I feel is not up to my personal standard. This can be a downfall in who I may work with, but that will never change who I am. I grew up being taught that your word is golden in life and I teach my children the same thing so I would never go against that for a quick monetary pay. Know that when you read a review here, it is truly my own word and that will not change. Not all products will receive a 100% pass from me and some may work for me while not for others.
I just turned 37 a few days ago and I’m reminded with each waking moment that blogging and YouTube are so much more different than when I started posting videos and write-ups 10 years ago. When I started YouTube, many of us filmed in a closet or at our desks, using a webcam or rickety point and shoot camera and just going with the flow. You know, while I do have my favorites that I still watch – I find myself back to basics, watching and enjoying YouTubers that offer simplistic videos. Call me cheesy, but I find myself watching YouTubers that provide videos like I do… chit chat and talk story type diaries that are laid back and personable. YouTube has turned into a cookie cutter type of platform and I’ve lost interest in so many I’ve watched over the years. Same with blogging… at 37 years old I find that I do not fit in the stereotypical blogger, that 18 – 25 year old range. Hey, nothing wrong with that, right; but because of this, I find that the beauty industry I have loved for so long is no longer where I want to be and I want out. Don’t get me wrong… I LOVE beauty, makeup, nails, skin care… but I’m not going to sacrifice my own identity to please those around me. I realized in 2016 that I miss the type of videos and posts I used to do when I was in my late 20s and I want to go back to that place again.
Ugh… I’m so tired of the stigma of “Oh – she does YouTube videos and does it for free shit” or “Oh, she’s a blogger so she can get free stuff.” Um, no and no! I never started my blog or YouTube channel that way – but it’s been so nice that these companies have been so gracious to share their products with me and my family. It’s wonderful to be able to be paid for something I enjoy doing too. But rest assured, all of that – the free stuff and money, it has NEVER changed me… so you can continue to expect the same type of content whether organic or evergreen or whatever term you would like to use, all while I share a little piece of me. Honeygirl’s World is my indeed – my World, wrapped up into all the pieces that I am proud of.
What can you expect here? Well – more lifestyle posts, of course. Back in the day I used to write a series on my site called: Dear Diary or Sunday Letters, all of which were popular and fun and documented my life in a different aspect than what you see online. Documentation of my weight loss and “back to healthy” journey which will allow me to hold myself accountable for success. I want to share my Thirsty Thursday episodes and elaborate more on the subjects here on the blog then I do on YouTube and plan to have more Q&A and FAQ posts for those who are always asking me questions. Since I have an “Ask Honey” segment on my channel, I would like to definitely incorporate that here as well and my overall goal is to post more on my outfits (I’m not your typical fashion lover) and of course share my recipes, food choices and ideas here. There is so much more I have to list… but this post would be much longer than it should be.
Changing up my role in the blogging and YouTube community is never a bad thing. I think that while I’m making changes in my presence in the online world, I’m actually enhancing who I really am and what I’m about. Hey, let’s be real here for a second… does that mean I will no longer talk about Beauty here or on my channel??? Um, have you been listening? Of course I am, but it will not define what Honeygirl’s World is all about. If you are looking for product reviews, yes – you shall still see them here and find them here, but you will certainly see much more of who I truly am moving forward. Those that have followed my blogging and YouTube journey since the beginning – you will see a lot more of the “old Honey” that you were probably accustomed to. I’ll still continue to put the same amount of time and effort into any of my posts and I’ll still offer you the variety of content you have been seeing over the years – but now, it will include so much more. I plan to up my game with more lifestyle posts and share a little peek into my world. So – if you’re willing to stick around for this ride, then hang on tight and have some fun with me.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2017 and years beyond. It’s going to be a great year and I’m looking forward to sharing it with all of you!
Check out my 2017 Goals if you haven’t already read it.
Yay, I’m finally ALIVE! No, seriously – I’ve been in bed and seriously nursing the flu and then a cold for the last week, ringing in the…
The boys and I have been enjoying our summer months together since my husband is usually working on the weekdays. Come on now, we live on Maui, which…
I have always loved dressing up and look forward to events so I was very excited to be invited to attend the Royal Order of King Kamehameha 150th Year Jubilee Ball. This beautiful event is held every so many years but this year, being the 150th Anniversary made for a huge event. The event took place at the beautiful Grand Wailea Resort in the Haleakala Ballroom and Garden on Saturday, April 9, 2016. My husband and I were quite excited and while it was last minute that we were invited to go, we were able to pull together our attire in time for the event.
The color for the event this year was red, so I chose to go with a red dress. I always love the way I look in red so it was an easy choice. Finding a dress for my plus sized self was not an easy task however, but I’m glad I found a beautiful dress last minute and it fit perfectly. The affair was a formal event which meant suit and tie for gentlemen and gown for ladies were required. Everyone was dressed up fancy and beautiful.
There was dinner and entertainment. For dinner we were served a sit down 5 course dinner which consisted of a fusion of Hawaiian and local cuisine. My husband and I really enjoyed the food and entertainment was wonderful as well.
Above is a video with my snapchat timeline from that evening. I was so busy having a grand time and enjoying the night that I didn’t have a chance to vlog or to take a lot of photos, but I tried to snap as much as possible. I did take photos of each course we enjoyed for dinner. Our 5 courses included the following:
Course 1 – Amuse Bouche, Ahi Poisson Cru with fresh Cilantro, Coconut Milk and Moloka’i Pa’akai.
Course 2 – Pohole Salad with housemade pipikaula, maui onion, dried shrimp, pea shoots and haiku tomato with Rolls and Lilikoi (passion fruit) butter
Course 3 – Roast Pork wrapped and baked in Ti- Leaf, served over ‘Uala (sweet potato), Lu’au, Inamona and Chicharron. Served with white rice family style
Course 4 – Lilikoi Haupia Brown Butter Cake with Haupia, Kula Strawberries and Chantilly
Course 5 – Friandise, Chocolate Truffles and Tea or Coffee
Of course, since we were in an ambient setting and the lighting was not the greatest, photos were not as clear as I would have liked… but I wanted to share this wonderful evening with all of you. I had a great time and it was such a special event. There are few events like this here on Maui so it was so nice to be able to attend.
I literally felt like I was going to prom. Everyone was dressed up and looked wonderful. It’s interesting because it literally was the adult version of a prom, but with a full service bar and adult conversations. I love that as we get older, the uncomfortable feeling we get around our peers tends to dwindle – which is quite different from how it was as we were teens. The event was beautiful, food a wonderful delight and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a wonderful way to finish our week of celebrations for my husband and I for our wedding anniversary. 15 years married and a wonderful ball – I say it was a grand time.
Disclaimer: It goes to say that none of this was sponsored and everything was paid out of pocket.
Is it just me or is this week dragging on even with the Labor Day Holiday this past Monday? Honestly, I feel it is just taking forever but…
If you follow me on Snapchat – then you know that avenue has pretty much taken the place of my daily vlogs that I used to do on…
Hello my loves and WELCOME TO 2015. I would be lying… if I said that I was ready to start 2015 with a bang. Let’s face it, it just about smacked me across my face silly like a baseball out of left field… hmmm… did I even explain that correctly? lol Needless to say, I really have no choice but to welcome it with open arms now that it’s here and embrace all of its many wonders while preparing myself for a year I wasn’t ready for and saying goodbye to one I wasn’t yet wanting to let go of. As I stop and think about it all… I’m not really sad to see 2014 go… I mean, while it had some awesome benefits – seriously, the latter of the year wasn’t on my favorite’s list – so c’est la vie. I am proud to say that while the year offered challenges that I overcame, it also opened my eyes to things I didn’t expect to experience but because of such, I am now going into 2015 with an open mind, a different outlook on life – a positive one, and an appreciation for what I have. I am able to close the books on 2014 (well, with exception to taxes of course) and confident that I can leave all that funky excess baggage, drama and what ever else I wasn’t happy with in the past and move forward.
I’ve made a few goals for 2015 and while I’m not going to share them all with you, I thought I would use a few of them as a way to bring positiveness into your day and hopefully give you a bit of organization and tools for the new year. One of the things I have been wanting to focus on in 2014, but didn’t get around to is to incorporate daily planning and organization in my life. Don’t laugh… while it may seem like I am all put together behind the scenes, I tend to let things like my daily planning fall through the cracks. Let’s face it – being a mother of 3 very active boys (2 of which are twins) and a wife to a busy busy hubby keeps me on my toes. With proper organization, my hope is that I will not let things fall through the cracks… like blog posts – for example. I get so backed up with things I feel like I NEED to do that I tend to let the things I WANT to do fall through. After looking through my blog this year, while I am so proud of the accomplishments I have made, it seems as though the “personal” touches that made my blog “me”… was lacking. With proper “blog management” and “goals” along with Daily Planning and even some journaling – I think that I can not only accomplish a lot more effectively – but also be efficient with my blog, daily duties and even unleash some of my creative side in my journal again and therefore giving me some outlet and release that I think I may be lacking in. Since I know this is not an easy task, I am in the process of putting together a daily or weekly (not sure which yet) task list that will allow me to get it all in order. I will share that printable with all of you once I have had the chance to finalize it. But for now, writing things down – holding myself accountable and giving myself deadlines will help in getting this important goal in check.
Whew… long winded, I know. But this is just a sneak peak of all things to come here. I really took a backseat in how I have been wanting things to be and now I have really decided that while I can’t have control over everything in my life… some things I just have to let go of… this, I know I can control and it’s my goal to do so.
Wishing you all a wonderful and fabulous 2015. I’m 5 days into the year and already feel refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take it all on. It’s going to be a fabulous year – you just wait and see! So, your first post, a letter from the editor… is all about awesomeness in 2015.
Smooches & lots of wishes for blessings, love, happiness and prosperity!
It’s no secret that the Holiday season is surely my favorite time of year. As a child, even if we grew up with little money, my parents always…