A-L-O-H-A

Everyone needs a little bit of the aloha spirit in their life.  While the word "aloha" is known mostly as a greeting ("hello" and "goodbye"), it also means affection and compassion.  When locals say to "spread aloha", they mean to spread love.  And the aloha spirit is the spirit of love, compassion, peace, and mercy - four things that we often forget in our day-to-day lives.

But in order to spread love and joy to others, you have to feel it in yourself.  Most days we go about our daily routines (work, school, kids, chores, etc.) trying to make everyone else happy and not taking time to make ourselves happy first.  That time you have for yourself is important.  You can't "live aloha" if you don't feel it.

I know it can seem like it's such a big burden to set aside time to make yourself happy when you're always busy and on-the-go, but just doing a tiny thing for yourself everyday will do wonders for your life.  Treat yourself to a cupcake, paint your nails, meditate, dance around your house in the morning, sing a ballad at the top of your lungs in traffic...all these little things can make your day seem a whole lot brighter because you're making yourself (and nobody else) happy.  And if all else fails, put on something bright and fun so you can't help but smile while you're wearing it.

Top:  Papaya [$21]  //  Shorts:  Handmade by me  //  Necklace:  Charlotte Russe [$5]  //  Sandals:  Payless Shoes [$15]  //  Bathing Suit Top:  Target [$17.99]

I handmade these shorts after being inspired by the wonderfully talented Sharon Lei of Elisharon.  Her style is AMAZING and her sketches are crazy awesome!  And if you need a second opinion, H&M chose her to be the Hawaii ambassador for their 50 States of Fashion campaign!  Anyone still questioning her awesomeness?  No?  I thought so.

Now go and get your happy on, feel the aloha, and then hop on over to Elisharon and spread some aloha by congratulating her on such an amazing accomplishment!

We are all mermaids...[Giveaway]

I'm sure that we have all dreamed of being a mermaid at least once in our lives.  Disney's The Little Mermaid showed us that life was so much better under the sea.

I mean, look at her.  Her hair and skin are flawless which just goes to show that sea salt really is a miracle worker.  And who wouldn't want to party all night with these talented fish!?

But before Ariel came along in 1989, I was already making my own aquatic debut and had been given the nickname "Sirena" because I learned to swim before I could walk and loved the water more than anything else.

Sirena, the legendary mermaid of Guam, was once a girl living near the Minondo River in Agana during the old Spanish times.  As the legend goes, Sirena was told by her mother to collect coconut shells near the river.  Because Sirena could not resist the temptation of the water and the urge to swim, she spent the whole day swimming instead.

When her mother found her ignoring her duties, she was furious.  She cursed Sirena by saying, "If you love swimming so much, you should just be a fish!"  Sirena's godmother overheard the curse and was able to soften it by wishing that the upper half of her body be saved.

Still swimming, Sirena began to feel herself changing and when she looked down at herself, the lower half of her body had been turned into a fish.  Her mother regretted the curse she put on her daughter but it was too late.  Sirena swam out to sea, never to return to her family again.

After hearing where my childhood nickname came from, I had hoped more than anything that the same thing would happen to me each time I put my foot in the water.  I had even gone so far as to ask my mother to curse me and have someone else soften the curse so I wasn't a full-blown fish.  Needless to say, that statement definitely scored me some strange looks from other parents.

I still - to this day - secretly hope to become a mermaid.  I can't be so open about it now because it's not so cute when a 26 (almost 27) year old lady stands in the water and screams "I can feel my legs changing!"  That will not only score me strange looks, but a psychiatric exam as well.

So for now, until I start blogging from my secret little underwater cove, I will just live like every other normal, sane, above-water dwelling mermaid does and surround myself with the treasures of the sea as much as possible.

And if you're an above-water dwelling mermaid too, or you just appreciate the beauty and strength of the ocean, please give me the honor of introducing you to Cheyenne Bianchini - a beautiful above-water dwelling mermaid who shares her love of the ocean and nature with others by creating unique handmade accessories.

Creations by Cheyenne Bianchini features items that are handmade on the Big Island of Hawaii. Materials are acquired from daily adventures and are inspired by the beauty of life in Hawaii nei. Each and every item is created with love and authentic quality.

I came across Cheyenne's Instagram (@CreationsbyCheyenneBianchini) a while ago and was in awe of her gorgeous accessories.  After seeing those starfish headbands pictured above, I knew I just HAD to get my hands on some of her items!

Cheyenne is such a sweetheart and it was such a pleasure getting to know her.  She really treats customers like friends and shares her aloha spirit with everyone.  When I told her about my blog, she was kind enough to donate a pair of shell stud earrings for me to share with one of you!  And on top of that, I'm gonna throw in $10 worth of credit (+ shipping) to Creations by Cheyenne Bianchini so you can get yourself a starfish headband too or pick out something different - because you really can't go wrong with her stuff!

You know what to do!  Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fitness Friday: Body Image

So I've been contemplating this post for a while now and after a recent beach session I figured I may as well get on with it.

Most of you should already know that I'm a mother to three crazy/awesome/wonderful kids.  Some of you may also know that I dabbled in modeling and gogo dancing in my prime.  But here's something that none of  you know:

I've struggled with my body image issues through it all.

Let's take a look back, shall we?  And please excuse the excess of skin, facial expressions, and vulgar hand gestures.

2003:

Skinnocent = skinny + innocent

2004:

A little thicker

2005:

Still uncomfortable in my skin

2006:

April - A little thinner

June - Gained a lot of weight

2007:

Pregnant

2008:

2009:

2010:

2011:

2012:

2013:

Sorry if I just made you throw up.  Lol.  Anyway, as you can see, my weight has fluctuated quite a bit throughout the years.  It's been like that since the 8th grade but it still bothers me when I notice myself gaining weight.

Since having kids, I've gotten a little more of a belly than I used to have.  I'm sure there are a LOT of other moms who will tell you - that pouch is damn near impossible to get rid of!  At first I was disgusted with my body.  Every time I saw myself in the mirror I would get depressed.  I would cover up as much as possible and would be ashamed to wear a bathing suit in public.

It wasn't until I went back home to Hawaii and saw everyone and their mothers baring it all that I regained my confidence.  I got back my "idgaf" attitude and started wearing monokinis, then got back into two piece bikinis.
 
No, I don't have a flat stomach and tiny waist, and yes, I do have some stretch marks - so what?   I've never been a healthy eater (I love my bacon) and I'm not really an athletic person (is blogging a sport yet?) but I'm working on it!

Moral of the story:  love yourself, no matter what.  Body image isn't everything.

<a href="http://www.frikkenduckie.com"><img src="http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/frikkenduckie/FitnessFridayButton.jpg" /></a>

♥ Duckie.

Tasty Tuesday: Spam Musubi

Tada!  It's Tuesday again!  Is it just me or did last week just fly by?

Anyway, so for today's recipe I've decided to share another recipe from my hana-bada days (see here) with you.  This recipe is also for Ronida who has recently found a love for seaweed.

So here's what you need to make a spam musubi (btw, its pronounced moo-suu-bee)

- Rice (a little sticky)
- Spam (sliced and pan fried)
- Seaweed (in strips)
- Nori Furikake (optional)
- Egg (optional)
- Panko bread crumbs (optional)

*To make a simple spam musubi all you really need are the first three ingredients.

Okay, now here's how you make it:

1.  Lay your seaweed strip flat and add a scoop of rice on the strip.  Try to form a rectangle out of the rice.  *Musubi molds make this process much easier and are pretty cheap to purchase.  You could also use a cookie cutter or other shape to mold your rice  (Optional:  Sprinkle some nori furikake over the rice for a little flavor)

2.  Layer a slice of spam on top of your rice and wrap the remainder of the seaweed strip around the spam and rice.

3.  Moisten the end of the seaweed strip with a little water to adhere it and enjoy!  (Optional:  Coat finished musubis with egg and breadcrumbs and pan fry in oil for a fried musubi)


Musubis are great for those days when you're in a rush and need something easy and light to eat.  They're also perfect for kids and you can feed 10 kids with one can of spam!  Musubis are great to pack for lunches and picnics and I know I always packed a musubi when I would go on school field trips.

You can trick out this recipe as much as you want (yeah, I said trick out - so what) depending on your preference.  You can add fried eggs, bacon, ume, veggies, etc.  A musubi is very versatile so you can make it your own.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed today's post.  Something simple and easy - you know, for those times when you really don't feel like cooking much.  Or cleaning.  Or even putting on a pair of pants.

Tasty Tuesday + May Day + Homesick

Happy May Day everyone!  May 1st is known as May Day in Hawaii.  It is on this day that we honor the island culture and the beauty of spring by wearing leis and celebrating through dance and song.



A lei (pronounced lay) is a flower garland.  Leis are handmade with aloha (love), and given to loved ones on special occasions such as birthdays, graduation, congratulating, welcoming an arrival, or as a token of affection for someone departing the islands.

Back in my hana bada days (ha-nah bah-dah, meaning boogers - hana bada days refers to younger years when you couldn't wipe your nose properly.  i.e., snot-nosed kid), I remember how big of a deal May Day was.  All the elementary schools on island would put on a May Fest performance and we would also have a May Day court.  The May Day court consisted of a King and Queen, as well as Princes and Princesses to represent each Hawaiian island.  They would all perform a traditional hula to start the ceremony and then sit on a stage and overlook the rest of the performances.

Unfortunately I was never on the May Day court, but I still enjoyed the festivities every time.  It was always such a huge deal.  Parents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunties, and other family members would take off from work all day to watch their kids performances.  There would be balloons, flowers, leis (of course), and lots of picture taking!  I had always dreamed of watching my own children partake in the May Day festivities, but sadly that day has yet to come since we don't live on island anymore (super sad face).

Anyway, in honor of May Day, here's a recipe for one of my FAVORITE desserts, Macadamia Nut Cream Pie.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• Dash salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 5 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 egg whites
• 1 9-inch baking pie shell
• 1 cup heavy cream, sweetened and whipped, or use a container of real whipped cream in a can

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan combine 1 cup of the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the nuts, the salt and the vanilla; scald.

2.  Mix the remaining 1/3 cup milk with egg and cornstarch.

3.  Thoroughly stir some of the hot mixture into the egg mixture; return all to saucepan. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and then cool for 1 hour.

4.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form then fold carefully into cooled mixture.

5.  Pour into pie shell and chill. Before serving top with sweetened whipped cream or can of whipped cream and remaining 1/4 cup nuts.

Tell me that doesn't look delicious and I'll tell you you're lying.  I could eat this for days.  Fo' Dayyyzzz.  It's a pretty light dessert so no need to worry about getting Kanaks (as in Kanack Attack, see post here) afterwards.

So anyway, obviously I'm totally missing home right now.  I miss my family, my friends, and the atmosphere.  If it were up to me, we'd all go back in a heartbeat - but that's not happening any time soon.  Sure my family is there, but we'd be going back with basically nothing.  No house of our own, no car, no jobs, etc.  As much as I'd love for my kids to grow up there along with all my friends and their kids, it would be extremely hard for us to give them a good quality life by having to start from scratch.  Maybe someday when the economy gets a little better and our bank accounts get a little bigger we'll be able to go back.  But for now we'll just have to wait.




Btw, every time I watch this video or sing this song I start to cry.  So yes, my eyes are tearing right now.

So what about you?  Do you still live where you grew up?  Do you miss home, or are you glad you left?

Oh, and before I forget, please vote for my newest blogging buddy Devon!  She is aspiring to become a professional surfer by joining the Roxy team so please vote for her HERE to make her dream come true!  You can vote once a day, every day until May 8th, so please spread the word!!