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Photo by Disney Aulani, by @lottiedoesdisney

It’s already been one month since we’ve returned from another amazing week in Hawaii, staying exclusively at the Disney Aulani for our family vacation, and the kids are already asking to go back.  As we save up and plan for our next trip, I love that we have all these fun memories from this vacation that the kids can remember and talk about from photos taken and stories told.

From our first visit to Aulani last spring of 2017, we fell in love with the resort and immediately knew we would return the following year to celebrate our 10thwedding anniversary.  The week was nothing short of amazing. From the service to the food, drinks, hospitality, and activities, we could have easily spent an entire week here and still not get to do/experience everything.  The weather was a perfect 85 degrees all week – a nice break from the 105+ degree summer weather in Texas!  My only complaint is that there’s never enough time in the day to enjoy all that this resort has to offer.

At the time of this trip, Jonah at 8-years-old and Baron at 2-years-old, both kids could experience a variety of attractions at the resort.  I feel that their age is ideal for the attractions that the resort offers such as separate age-appropriate pools and water features in the water park and activities at Auntie’s Beach House, while the resort also offers family attractions such as the luau, character dining, character events, and other family activities that the entire family could participate in and enjoy together.

Some of our favorite memories during our week in paradise:

Check-In

From the moment you arrive to the front doors of the Aulani, you immediately experience a unique check-in process unlike any other Disney resort offers.  After a long flight from Dallas-Fort Worth, we especially appreciated Aulani’s warm welcome with their traditional lei-greeting, fresh cold citrus infused water, and being ushered by the friendly staff.  The 10-year anniversary pins the staff gave us were a nice surprise and delight!

Cute souvenirs at check-in and love these 10 year anniversary pins the staff made us!

 

The Olelo Room & Lounge

After checking in to our room, unpacking and freshening up, our first night was spent unwinding at the Olelo Room enjoying pupus, drinks and live music on the patio.

Outfit details: Floral Top: Who What Wear for Target | Pants: Mossimo | Sandals:  similar here

John’s Shirt: sold out,  similar here

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Shirts Toddler here

 

 

The food at The Olelo Room features island favorite pupus (appetizers) such as poke, sliders, wings, etc. There’s also a simple kids menu to accommodate smaller appetites.

Chicken & Waffles for the kids, poke and Korean fried chicken wings for John and me!

 

Nothing more refreshing than Sangria on the patio and the soothing sounds of live Hawaiian music playing

Beach Day

One of the days was devoted to an entire beach day.  According to Jonah and Baron, the beach was their favorite thing to do while at Aulani. John and I enjoyed watching the boys play from our Beachside Casabella lounger and enjoyed drink service.  Our Hawaii family also joined us at the beach for a beach picnic and brought all the local grinds – fresh poke, manapua, noodles, short ribs, garlic chicken, mango from auntie’s tree, and malasadas from Leonards!  Jonah and Baron really enjoyed playing and bonding with their cousins too.

Outfit details: Swimsuit:  Becca Swim  | Hat:  Brixton

 

The Beachside Casabellas were a great amenity to have for the day. It was our base camp for our beach day where I could lounge while keeping an on the boys playing on the beach right from my casabella.

 

Boys at the newly remodeled Menehue Bridge

Makahiki Character Breakfast

The character breakfast at Aulani is one of our favorite dining events at the resort. It features a delicious breakfast, photos with Mickey, and interactive entrainment for kids.

Outfit details: Dress: Who What Wear Ruffle Hem Maxi | Mules:  Universal Thread

John’s Shirt: his own

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Shirts | Junk Food Boys’

 

 

The breakfast fare at Makahiki features an extensive selection of traditional breakfast favorites such as bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, pancakes, eggs Benedict, a custom omelet station, pastries, fresh fruit, and of course, Disney’s signature Mickey Waffles, along with Asian and Hawaiian dishes such as congee, fried rice, Loco Moco and Portuguese Sausage. You’ll definitely need to come here hungry as there is more food than you can handle!

When in Hawaii: Loco Moco and Portuguese Sausage!

 

 

A Crowd Favorite: Mickey Waffles

 

We love how the characters make their way around to each and every table to visit with families, interact with the kids and pose for photo opps. It’s a great incentive to get your kids to finish their meal before Goofy arrives!

 

A special thanks to the staff at the Makahiki Restaurant for the special anniversary surprise. What a delight for the staff to remember our special day and another reason we let the kids indulge in as many sweet treats on this trip.

Sweet treat from the staff at Makahiki! Mahalo!

Ka Wa’A Luau

Outfit details: Dress:  Mimi Chica

John’s Shirt: Junk Food Mens  similar here

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Shirts: On Jonah  Junk Food Boys and on Baron  Junk Food Toddler

A new experience for the boys on this trip was attending their first luau, Aulani’s Ka Wa’A Luau. It’s a fantastic family friendly event and should be experienced at least once whether or not you are a guest staying at the Aulani. The kids loved the pre-show activities with Kakao tattoos, poi pounding, ukulele lessons, lei bracelet making, and paper stamping.  We enjoyed the VIP experience.  VIP ticket holders get a better luau experience overall: separate entrance, no lines, better seating closer to the stage, early entrance to enjoy the pre-show cultural and interactive activities, and an open bar for the adults – need I say more?

Lei bracelet making

 

Baron’s temporary tattoo

The setting of the Ka Wa’A Luau takes place on the beautifully landscaped Halawai Lawn at Aulani. The setting is just gorgeous and the vibe is luxuriously relaxing.  Guests staying in rooms that face the lawn actually get a view of the show.

We had the best seats directly in front if the main stage.

 

Yummy Lechon!

 

The Kids’ Dessert Station

 

Toward the end of the show, the performers invite all the kids to come toward the front of the stage for a special kids dance performance.

The actual show was a deep storyline that was equally entertaining as it was educational.  They told a great story that celebrated Hawaiian culture with lots of hula, fire, songs, and music. The story they told was so beautiful and the narration was very touching.

 

Vow Renewal Breakfast @ Ama Ama

As shared in my previous vow renewal post, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the Ama Ama Restaurant after our vow renewal ceremony. Ama Ama is another dining option at Aulani, and is the more formal of the three sit-down restaurants at the resort. The Ama Ama has stunning views with tables facing the ocean.  We had a beautiful table set up on the patio overlooking the ocean and next to the fountain. Our view from our table was truly like a postcard.  The cuisine at Ama Ama is also topnotch. Each main entree dish is carefully crafted and prepared with the highest quality and attention.

 

Special thanks to the Ama Ama staff for hosting our party and surprising us with some special tropical treats for our celebration. They make a mean tropical acai bowl that is always a favorite. The kids loved sharing the Mickey celebration dessert. 

 

We also had cake! This was mostly enjoyed by Baron because he absolutely loves chocolate. 

Looking back at our week at Aulani, we had such a memorable time, and it reminded me that no matter how busy we get with work, school and life, we all need to take the time to travel, rest our bodies and minds, and to celebrate every day.  I will treasure this trip forever!

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While on our family vacation and anniversary trip to Hawaii, John and I renewed our vows after 10 years of marriage. It was a beautiful early morning sunrise overlooking Ko Olina Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean for our ceremony with our two children as our witnesses. Even after 10 years married, I still felt nervous and even teared up as we recited our vows. I think I’m just more emotional as I’ve gotten older. Well that, and I’m just a hopeless romantic!

We had a simple family ceremony and including our kids was just as important these past ten years as it was for my hubby and I for our family growth. It was a celebration of everything we have been though as a family during this first decade together, and a kicking off of the next chapter. After the ceremony, we walked over for family photos on the beach and a special breakfast at Ama Ama Restaurant. It was truly a fun and magical morning.

Outfit Details:

My Dress: Wayf 

Flowers: Dale Flowers

On Jonah and Baron:  Top and Pants: H&M

On John: Shirt Ben Sherman and Slacks Louis Raphael

Flowers

Can we talk about these gorgeous flowers?! I knew I wanted fresh flowers for our vow renewal and I chose the very same flowers we had at our wedding and on my bouquet 10 years ago, luscious pink peonies. Dale did an amazing job adding simple and modern touches of eucalyptus stems and a monstera leaf as the backdrop to give the classic flowers a tropical touch. The flowers lasted all week and I got to enjoy them in a vase for the rest of our trip!

Simple coordinating eucalyptus leaf boutonnières on the boys

 

Thank you Floyd for capturing our special day with these special photos. We are truly grateful.

 

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Spring in Texas arrives earlier and on time compared to the springs in the NW that I have been accustomed to.  That means there are more opportunities to wear those cute sandals and spring dresses. I’ve rounded up my favorite spring pieces this season that can take me through to summer:

  1. Stripes
  2. Florals
  3. Crop tops
  4. Flowy pants
  5. Mustard or Marigold Pants
  6. Straw hat

 

We’ve attended some fun and stylishly decorated events in and around Fort Worth and Dallas this spring. So far here are my favorites…

Spring Market at the Heart Of The Ranch at Clearfork

Outfit details:

Pants: Who What Wear  | Top: Mossimo Eyelet Tank  | Hat:  Brixton

 

Day Trip to Ennis to view the wildflowers…

Outfit details:

Top: Who What Wear Floral Tiered Tank  | Pants: Free People ( Similar Here )

Easter at the Dallas Arboretum…

Outfit details:

Top: Similar Here  | Pants:  Similar Here  | Shoes:  Affordable Option Here

On Jonah and Baron:

Top and Pants:  H&M

Easter at Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine..

Outfit details:

Top: Nordstrom | Pants:  Mossimo  |Shoes: Sam Edelman  

On Jonah and Baron:  Top and Pants: [af_link id="814"]Cat and Jack

 

One Year Celebration at Walsh…

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My little family and I have lived in Texas for almost 6 months now! We still can’t believe it, but we’ve been making the most of our new lives here and embracing all the amazing opportunities and fun adventures that have come our way.

On my bucket of things to do, see, and try in Texas has been a trip to Magnolia Market and Silos in Waco. As most of my family and friends know, I’m a huge fan of the hit show Fixer Upper and all things Magnolia and Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their brand and vision is such an inspiration to me through their creativity, humility, kindness, and hospitality, not to mention Joanna makes everything beautiful!

Luckily for us, Waco is only an hour and a half away from Granbury. Why haven’t we gone sooner?! Now that the weather is no longer in extreme freezing temps or extreme scorching 100+ degree temps, and the madness of the holidays are over, we took advantage of a quiet leisurely weekend in February to visit Magnolia. Note: Magnolia is usually closed on Sundays. They hosted a private event this weekend to celebrate the spring issues of Darling Magazine and Magnolia Journal, and we had the opportunity to capture some photos of the exterior grounds, the vegetable gardens, and plaza features which are amazing and really the highlight of the entire venue.

Upon arriving, Joanna Gaines’ design presence is immediately felt. There are details that you can pin point and recall from specific episodes on Fixer Upper when they first started the Silos project in 2015/16 and the bakery addition in 2016 such as the wooden flower boxes outside the bakery windows.  The exterior building is a beautifully painted brick white with her signature black shutters, black window trim and black door. In an older Fixer Upper episode before they demo’d space which would become the bakery, Joanna said her vision for the bakery would have an old world charm feel to it, and she achieved just that.  The Silos is located in an industrial part of Waco taking up no more than a few blocks. I can see how crazy and packed this place can get on a typical Saturday, which I recommend to try to avoid if your schedule and situation allows. Coming here on a Sunday really allowed us to enjoy every design element and landscape feature of the space.

Black metal planters never looks so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magnolia Seed and Supply feature is beautiful as it is functional. It features raised garden beds that have been meticulously maintained.  One of my projects for the backyard this spring is to install similar raised garden beds to grow vegetables and herbs, and a little place for the kids to help grow and tend to their own veggies and fruits of their choice. I love the protective awnings that double as filters for the produce and protection from critters!

The main open pavilion space is dotted with adorable picnic tables and benches with stylish black and white stripe awnings. These awnings for shade are so needed during Texas’ harsh sun and heat in the summer and fall months. They look great year round and also come in handy if it rains. I love how the Magnolia team installed faux grass or turf on one side to accommodate lawn games or folks that just want to relax on a blanket and have a picnic and people watch.  I also love the contrast of keeping the other half of the grounds raw with gravel.

My favorite feature has to be all the magnolia trees that have been planted along the sidewalks of Magnolia Market and Silos. There are also a cluster of magnolia trees strategically planted against a trellis wall that serves as a backdrop, perfect for those instagram shots! The grounds are going to look even more gorgeous in the spring when all those magnolia trees bloom! We can’t wait to go back.

The boys also had fun wandering the grounds.

 

Obligatory bakery photo

 

A funny story I shared on my Instagram post:  a couple eagerly approached us and said they saw us from the road, pulled over to try to get an autograph thinking I was Joanna Gaines. I literally lol’d, thanked them and apologized to have disappointment as I wasn’t THE Joanna Gaines.  I don’t think we look anything alike but I’ll take a Joanna Gaines reference any day! Haha. Our styles may be similar, we have long dark hair, and our ethnic backgrounds are of Asian decent, but that’s about it.

 

It was a great visit and provided a backdrop for inspiration.  We can’t wait to return when the flowers are in bloom and when their new restaurant Magnolia Table opens!

While in Waco, we also took some fun photos in front of the floral wall mural by Tyler Kay, then ended with a picnic at Cameron park and let the boys play and run off their energy at the playground.

 

Tips for visiting Magnolia Market and Waco:

  • Come early! Arriving before opening is ideal, or even on a Sunday when it’s closed to the public if you want to take some great landscape photos without people in the way.
  • Start at the bakery and visit the rest of the market and silos after.
  • On busier days, you can park your car and take the free trolley that drops you off at the front entrance.
  • Save money by packing a picnic lunch or some snacks to enjoy in the pavilion.
  • Enjoy the little details that makes the space so beautiful and charming.
  • Visit during the different seasons as the landscape and gardens will look different throughout the year.
  • Take lots of photos and have fun!

What are some of your favorite things to do or places to check out while in Waco?

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At the book fair!

Outfit details: Blazer:  A New Day, Target  | Shirt:   Who What Wear | Pants: Mossimo, Target | Boots:  DV

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Blazers: Shirts and Pants H&M Kids

 

This Valentine’s Day is one I won’t easily forget. Like any other day, I look forward to waking up to our normal daily routine of kissing the boys good morning, seeing John off to work, and getting the kids and myself ready for school, work, and the day. Jonah’s school had “Lunch with Loved Ones” where parents, guardians and family members could join their student at lunch and accompany them to the book fair.  I excitedly dressed the boys in their matching Valentine’s outfits and looked forward to spending time and sharing a meal with both boys together. Baron was especially excited to get to go to “brother’s school”.  What made this Valentine’s Day different was coming home to the news of the tragic shooting in a South Florida high school where 17 people (students and staff) were killed, just after Baron and I returned home from Jonah’s school.  It made me think that this violence could have happened anywhere and to anyone at any time. Just as the previous school shootings that have taken place , it could have happened at Jonah’s school while we were there and I would not have known how to react or protect my own children and life in a moment’s notice.  Without politicizing the tragic event, I do believe that solutions are needed once and for all. What those solutions are I do not know. But I do know one thing, that no matter what political beliefs or political party one belongs to, we need to come together as a nation and as a community and come up with concrete solutions that can be implemented locally and on a global scale to keep our children and our nation’s future safe.

Our Valentine’s evening still ended on a positive note at home.  John cooked us a gourmet meal (lamb and gnocchi – my fav!), we tucked the kids in bed, and finished a good bottle of wine with chocolate, reminisced about our first Valentine’s date and discussed and debated the day’s earlier events. We both agree that we all need to love our children, set good examples and recognize when someone or something is not right, and act accordingly.

John’s specialty: roasted lamb and pesto gnocchi