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10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

By honeygirlsworld January 19, 2017

Even if I do share a lot of things online about myself – I’m sure there are a variety of things that you had no idea about. Let’s face it, while I love to share with all of you, my entire life is not completely an open book. Every so many years I do a post similar to this one and I’ve always enjoyed it. This time around I figured, why not have a little fun and share with you 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me. Some of these things may have been mentioned before while others, probably not… but today – I’m sharing with you a few fun tidbits about who I am. Hope you enjoy it.

1. I am not a fan of mayonnaise. I say “not a fan” but before I had my children – I hated it somewhat. You could probably put it in a sandwich and so long as it was light, I would eat it… but there was a time when I couldn’t look at it, smell it or even touch it. I can stand it now and put it in sandwiches or even make potato salad with it, but before I had children – the look of it made my stomach upset and often times the smell made me want to hurl. I could smell it a mile away and it made me absolutely nauseated. This is not a recent dislike… my entire life I remember not liking it and my mom said I didn’t like mayonnaise since I was about 3 years old.

2. I can’t wink or whistle to save my life. Well – I might be able to fake a whistle somewhat – but anyone who can, would probably laugh at me. Winking? Nope – it looks more like closing my eyes completely. My Chinese blood kicks in and I fail miserably at it. Thank goodness my husband is a great winker… because I suck at it. lol

3. Growing up I had a stuttering problem. Hah, I bet you wouldn’t have known from watching my YouTube videos or maybe you had no clue – but it’s true. With the help of my teachers and my parents I was able to learn to get past my insecurities and anxiety that caused it. Sometimes when I’m really nervous (usually when I’m afraid) or my anxiety kicks in, you can hear it in my voice. Thankfully, I’ve been able to get passed it some what and it’s a rare occasion when it slips, but it does happen from time to time.

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4. I’ve had the awesome opportunity to meet the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. I felt it was something I wanted to share today since we are literally 24 hours from the Inauguration of our 45th President. Mr. & Mrs. Obama are not only loving individuals, but they are great with children. I had a conversation with their secret service the same day and they told me that the Obamas love kids and children are always welcomed. Since the twins were toddlers when we visited the White House, I was worried that they would not be welcomed. But my eldest & the twins were greeted with open arms and my sons loved the company of the Obamas. We will surely treasure that moment for the rest of our lives.

5. I was almost kidnapped at the age of 4. I was playing in our yard which was fenced and locked in when a taxi driver pulled up next to the fence and persuaded me to follow him for some candy. Now mind you, this was back in 1984 when it was fairly safe to play in your own yard. My dad and mom had walked into the house to grab something and as my dad was coming out of the house, the man was putting me into the back seat of his taxi. My dad approached him, got me out of the car and well… let’s just say the guy was injured somewhat after that. Unfortunately no charges were brought against him because he didn’t actually “drive away” and told the police that he was just trying to protect me… yeah, right! Needless to say, it made my parents outlook on life as well as mine a bit different that day and that’s why I’m quite protective of my children.

6. My senior year in high school I was selected to represent Hawaii in the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Sadly, after going through all of the paperwork and getting things together, I had to decline my overall participation due to financial circumstances. I was a bit bummed, but realized that no matter how much fundraising I did, I wouldn’t make the deadline to attend. Because no one else was selected to take my place, the Hawaiian islands were not represented that year in the pageant. I wish that they had offered more opportunities for scholarship or sponsorship back then, but I’m just thankful that I had the experience.

7. I am a believer in Happily Ever After and Forever and I’m a hopeless romantic. In a time when divorce seems to be normal chit chat in a conversation, here I am trying to show everyone that true love and ever after are more than just fairy tale talk. This coming September, my husband and I will be together as a couple for 20 years and this April we’ll be married for 16 years. I started dating him when I was a Senior in high school. We’ve been through thick and thin and just about everything under the sun, including near death on many occasions, but I wouldn’t want to experience anything without him. Many people think I’m weird, but I find that true love is not weird and it does exist! No need for diamonds, pearls or material things… I am happy and thankful with a rose or flower picked from a garden or thoughtful cards and gestures. I just love being in love <3

8. I absolutely love photography. Prior to working on my blog more on a full-time schedule, I did wedding, nature and portrait photography for about 8 years. I enjoyed the job, but like being a makeup artist, being on your feet all day is probably one of the most difficult stresses you can put on the back. I do miss it, but since I no longer have my equipment, I don’t take on new clients. All of my blog posts and videos are shot with my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and I certainly couldn’t show up to a wedding just carrying my phone – lol.

9. I have five different nationalities, but besides guessing that I’m Hawaiian, no one really guesses it right. I am Hawaiian, Portuguese, Filipino, Chinese and German. While traveling across the United States I’ve been asked if I am a mix of African American and Puerto Rican or African American and Korean. I’m neither, but think it’s really cool that because of my features I’m often mistaken for something else. I grew up in a melting pot of nationalities so I think a mix of races is always a cool thing.

10. Speaking of nationalities, many people think that because I’m Hawaiian, then Hawaiian food like kalua pig, poi and fish are my favorite foods. Well – don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fish and seafood, but believe it or not… my favorite food is Italian. I LOVE pasta and absolutely can’t get enough of it. It’s probably one of my downfalls to losing my weight because I’m all about that pasta life. Pizza is probably one of my all-time favorite foods and I don’t think my love for Italian food will ever change. It’s been my favorite since I was a little girl and I believe it always will be.

So there you have it, 10 things you probably didn’t know about me, or maybe you did… but I elaborated on them a little more. I tend to be an open book most of the time, but I always love sharing new and exciting things or old things about myself. I love posts like these because I find that I not only learn more about a person, but you get a feel for who it is you are reading about. I hope you enjoyed this little share and I look forward to sharing more of me with all of you.

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Disclaimer: Affiliate Links may be posted through out. This is not sponsored and I am simply sharing my life with all of you. Please note that affiliate links are how my site is run as I make a small percentage off your purchase if you decide to click on the links. You are under no obligation to click on any of the links through out this post.

Daily Life

Welcome to My World – What to expect from Honeygirl’s World in 2017 and Beyond

By honeygirlsworld January 17, 2017

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.

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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.

Daily Life

2017 Goals

By honeygirlsworld January 9, 2017

NOTHING TO DISCLOSE

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 new year in bed. I finally feel like I can get it together and get on the grind to start 2017. Hey, I’m only 7 or 8 days late – right? lol. Since I’m finally moving around and starting the year, I figured I would share my 2017 goals. These goals consist of those that are personal, blogging or anything in between. What I love about sharing them here on the blog, is that it kind of holds me accountable and that way I have no excuse but to keep on top of them. Let’s get started shall we?

1.) Lose Weight. This may seem like a given for anyone, especially those like me in my particular circumstance. But, the fact is – I’m slowly getting my health back in order and plan to not only continue eating healthier, but also really work on improving my self image and health overall – both physically and mentally.

Sub-goals: Make sure that I a) include more vegetables in my daily meal intake. b) try to eliminate the carbs and starches that plague me badly – i.e. reduce my rice, noodles and bread intake. c) reduce meal portion sizes while making sure I am eating through the day (my biggest issue is that I don’t have time to eat, so I must make time to eat). And, d) continue to increase my exercise daily.

2.) Be smart with purchases. Only buy new products when I’m running low or when I’ve actually run out of them. As a makeup addict, I often times find myself ooing and ahhing over the newest thing. In 2016, I did really well with purchases and didn’t purchase everything and anything that was newly released. This year, in 2017, I want to incorporate the same but really stick to it. After destashing and donating a lot of cosmetic items for 2016, I realized that I need to truly use what I already have. Money hard earned should be money well spent and buying makeup items only to have them sit since I only have one face, well – I have better things to do with my finances. I want to continue minimal self spending and splurging and continue to buy less – no matter what it may be… makeup, skin care, planners, pens, whatever.

3.) Get organized. This may seem like an easy task for someone like me who likes structure, but the fact of the matter is… I could do so much better. My desk – while I can find whatever it is I’m looking for, is a mess. While my time scheduling is organized and structured, my paperwork is a mess and I would love to bring more organization to my household overall. This may seem like an easy task for one person, but I balance the organization for a whole household of 5 members and I would love to be able to really kick it in gear and get it together.

Sub-goals: a) I would like to organize the paperwork on my desk and in my files. Trying to reduce paper clutter and keep it at a minimum, keeping only the papers that are needed. I would like to come up with a proper filing system so that I have an easier time with paperwork. b) I really need to organize our household better. Each month we take donations and try to keep clutter at a minimum, but I think there is so much more I could do. And, c) I need to organize my time better. This is important since I work from home. I need to be able to organize my work and home schedule to try and make sure I have enough time in the day to accomplish all the things I need to do.

4.) Wear my hair down more. This may seem like something that is already being done in my life… but the fact of the matter is, I still consistently wear my hair up in a bun or pulled back. I need to embrace my natural curls and my hair and really need to find the time and effort to get it under control so that I can wash and wear it easily – without constantly pulling it up. Since I wear my hair up so often, I am quite accustomed to not having anything in my face and that in it’s own is a difficult thing to get used to. My goal is to commit to wearing my hair down at least 2x a week so I can get used to it without sacrificing the “on-the-go” lifestyle I live.

5.) Wear more dresses or dress up more. Come on now, I have really never been a dress wearing girl. I’m a tomboy and will wear a pair of jeans or shorts with a t-shirt as much as possible if allowed. I would like to dress up a little more or wear more dresses so that I’m not so casual. There’s nothing wrong with dressing casually – it’s just that I do it so much, I forget what it is like to dress up sometimes. By putting on a dress or just adding a little more flair to my outfits, I think it would make a world of a difference.

6.) Eliminate the negativity and keep positive, striving for joy. This particular goal may seem like an easy one, but trust me when I say it has been anything but easy the last few years. I would like to do everything in my power to eliminate the negativity and strive for joy. By keeping the negative nancys out of my personal bubble and keeping positive aspirations, goals and overall happiness in my life – I think I can accomplish this goal. Spreading joy and happiness where I go while not feeding into others negative thoughts will make a huge difference in my life.

7.) Back to Lifestyle posts. Honeygirl’s World is technically a lifestyle blog and boy do I miss it. I feel like I’ve focused so much on product reviews or beauty and skin care over the last year, that I have lost sight of where my passion lies. I love sharing new products or reviews with all of you – but I also want to really incorporate more of my life on the blog. That is how I started blogging to begin with – to document my life’s story. So, my goal this year is to incorporate at least one lifestyle post a week. Whether it be to share my weight loss and health journey each week, post Sunday letters or just sum up life with my family each week – it’s my goal to go back to it and keep at it. Honeygirl’s World is my life, my world and I need to get back to my roots and remember where I started and how I got here.

Of course, a new year comes with new goals and I’m sure I’ll have a plethora more to add to this list as the year progresses. While many of these goals may seem a bit simplistic – it may not be that case for many because it’s all a matter of changing the way one thinks and how they proceed to do things. Since Honeygirl’s World is a lifestyle site, I plan to come back in the coming months and share how I’m accomplishing these goals and if I have had an positive change.

I wish all of you reading this a wonderful New Year. Whether you are making goals for yourself to accomplish or just plan on living life to its fullest, or both – may your year be filled with joy and happiness.

Disclaimer: This post may feature affiliate links or referral links. For more details and outline of my product review disclosures and policies, affiliate links, etc. please visit myDisclosures page.

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2017 KitLife Planner – Overview and Thoughts {My Go-To, Everyday Planner}

By honeygirlsworld December 30, 2016

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We are literally a couple of days away from the new year and ringing in 2017, so I thought this would be the perfect time to go ahead and share my thoughts on the 2017 KITLife Planner with all of you. I’m a huge lover of KITLife Planners, this particular planner being my fourth that I own. Each year I have found a new way to use the planner and I’m so overjoyed with the changes that KITLife has made to the planner that I’m excited to share it with all of you. The KITLife planner is a daily planner layout that allows you to literally grab life by the hands and make it wonderful. The KITLife planner is more than just a planner, but a community – encouraging women to be productive, grateful, healthy, giving and live a life full of intention. This Planner has made such a difference in how I do things daily and yearly and I’m going to share it with all of you.

The KITLife Planner retails for $58.00. I know, I know… many have told me in years past that that is such a hefty cost for something that you may throw out at the end of each year. But here’s what I have to say about it… “Life is an Investment and to make it fruitful, we need to invest in the proper tools to help it grow.” (Yes, I wrote that… lol) A Planner is just that, a tool to help keep you organized. The KITLife Planner is a daily planner that consists of a monthly and daily layout. I find that a daily layout is my favorite for the lister in me, I love writing out my daily to-do’s and track my progress as I complete each task.

There are three different types of planner covers available for 2017 – The Classic Edition (which is what I am sharing with you), the Crown Edition ($72.00 – the Gorgeous White with Gold Foil cover) and The Festival Edition ($65.00 a fun cover with pink, blue and purple triangles). Each Planner also offers you the opportunity to add in additional pages to customize your planner (at an additional cost). The pages include: Note Add-In, Graph Add-In, Budget Add-In, Direct Sales Add-In, Direct Sales Team Add-In and Teach Add-In. These add-ins must be ordered at the time you order your planner. Each plan is estimated to ship in 5-7 business days after placing your order.

So, let’s get into all the fun details. The 2017 KITLife Planner has a new hardcover which feels much like suede. The Team at KITLife call it the Velvet Technique in printing the cover. It has a really cool and smooth texture that make this planner feel so luxe. I absolutely love it and I LOVE that the planner cover is now a hardcover instead of their laminated cover like they have had in previous years. This new hardcover makes the planner much more durable and protects the pages within. The KITLife Planner also comes with a movable dashboard as it did last year. I really enjoyed this option last year, but sadly, my dashboard didn’t last me past the 2 month mark. I’m pretty brutal. But, KITLife made some revisions and now has a very sturdy design that’s perfect for the 2017 planner. I love that it is still easy to move and flexible without being too flimsy. It’s a great addition and I love it.

The planner is smaller in size in comparison to past years. Honestly, I LOVE this because it was a bit cumbersome to take my KIT with me on the go. While I still do not take it with me usually, I love that I have that option should I decide to do so. While it is a bit smaller in size – you still get the same amount of writing space as you did in previous years. The monthly calendar spread also offers the same amount of space for writing which is great.

The Daily pages offer a variety of different options for daily planning. A Checklist that also has a place for daily tracker stickers (available through KITLife), The Big 3 for Top To-Do’s each day, Time Slots from 6am to 8pm for appointments and time management listing, Wellness Tracker (to help keep track of water intake, weight and exercise and Gratitude to list what you are thankful for each day or special events that occurred. Each weekly page also includes a Quote by various people (one of my favorite parts of this planner) and you still get a Doodle Break that is listed on the months that have a spare page before the monthly layout. These doodle breaks are what I use to jot down any notes for the month that I need to reference like conversations on the phone, etc.