How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. When I first made this website it was because I was tired of directing everyone to multiple URL's to get to my different sites. I had to carry different business cards, make different labels for everything, and rattle off uber long website addresses to strangers. So, I made olipasinc.com. At first, I didn't think it would get any attention so I didn't invest in it. I had a weebly site for a few months. Finally, after much contemplation, I decided to bite the bullet and pay for a domain. Voila! The "real" olipasinc.com was born.

I try to keep my site very simple so its not just easy on the eyes but user friendly. What would I want to know if I were on someones site and what don't I care to see? So, my site is very "boring" and lacks pops of color other than what you see in the pictures and videos. Well, I honestly didn't want to rape your vision by blasting a flurry of rainbow skittles in your face with every click. 

I've slowly built each page to represent what I do and how to use certain sites. I reflected back to my experiences on each of those sites.  The doterra site is pretty cut and dry. The Thirty one site was confusing for me at first. And I still need to make a "how to" page on navigating the Nomades online shopping area.  I want to be sure the people who start with my site are guided all the way through. Why? Because frustration is a huge turning point which will make anyone click that dreaded red X at the top corner of the screen. Ack! Don't go!

So, back to the updates. I decided to bite the bullet again and invest in getting a coupon database. It does cost me $8 to have a MONTH so please use it to find available coupons. Some of the links to online coupons will take you to main pages of that site, and not directly to the coupon. That database will also pull up all coupons available, including those that don't pertain to Hawaii. Look for the ones that take you to coupons.com. Those are the ones I always look for. And the Lee Kum kee sauce. Our house can't be without free oyster sauce. LOL

On top of that database, I now have a coupons page where I get a few cents for every printed coupon from my site. And yes, I only print coupons from my own site now. What I love is that I can enter zip codes and change the region. So, I can find printable coupons that you would probably never find in Hawaii.

After investing my time and some money into those tools I bit another bullet (how many guns do I have? haha) and invested in upgrading my site to now include a search box and other cool features and tools for my site. In case anyone was wondering, I use Weebly to build and  maintain my site. How did I learn about weebly? Well, the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization was offering FREE web design classes for the community and I decided to give it a shot. It was one night a week for a few weeks (I can't remember how many there were) and they taught us the different methods to build your website. Not just how to build it but the things to avoid when making one. For instance, rainbow skittles in your face with each click. Over blinginess that blinds you and make your site hard to read. Or, just having too much crap that a reader feels like their in a stampede of people on Black Friday at Walmart. Ack!

I was apprehensive at first because I used to be an ICS major years ago and back then trying to build a site or even a working menu was horrendous! I literally fell on the floor crying when my menu's in DOS didn't work right and it was all because of a misplaced semi colon. UGH! Why would I want to take a web design class and put myself there again? LOL. I had no idea what to expect. I'm a glutton for punishment I suppose.

I want to say THANK YOU to the Ewa Beach CBDO for that opportunity. Funny how the fear of the unknown can totally eat you up inside. Technology now has made life SO much easier. There are sites like google and weebly that take all the headache out of writing all the darned codes. Click, drag, drop, and type. That's it! Of course, knowing how to use html and css and all that crap makes it easier and you can make your sites hotter. But, I was just floored at how easy it was to build a website compared to how it was cough cough umpteen years ago. 

I hope you all enjoy my ever growing site and click click click...go CLICK EM! 

Happy Aloha Friday! Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious weekend!!

I get asked about the flowers I use. I always wear one when I'm in the mainland. Sometimes when I'm at home too. It just depends on my mood and where I'm going that day.

I only buy my flower picks from Crafts Way.  For my friends who are visiting the islands that want to pick up some pretty flower picks or other hair accessories, go there. They have two locations on Oahu that I know of. One in Aiea and the other is right across the street from our office in Ward Warehouse. 

If you're lucky, you can find a coupon in the Midweek for savings on your purchase. 

Their products are well made, durable, and lightweight. I don't use clay flowers, deco clay, or hard foam flowers. Though they are really pretty and lightweight, the petals break very easily. The foam that Crafts Way uses is extremely durable and does not lose its shape.

When I travel I store my flower pics in a 32 oz round ziploc twist n loc container to keep the flowers from getting smashed in my luggage. Upon arrival, I pull them up from the container to allow them to spread out, air out, and refresh themselves to get back to the shape they're supposed to be. I keep a small sachet of air freshener beads from Longs/CVS at the bottom of the container. The container looks pretty on the bathroom counter, the freshener smells up the bathroom and when I wear my flowers, they smell real too! Smart ya?!

This backpack is a nice compact size that’s very lightweight by itself. I chose the black because it’s sleek and unisex. Therefore, my husband or my son would have no problem carrying this if I can’t. 

You can only get this backpack by hosting a Thirty One Gifts party. Whether it’s a physical in home party or an online party, as long as your sales hit a minimum of $200, you can purchase this bag for $45 plus shipping and taxes. It even includes embroidery at no extra cost!

P.S. This is a "2 for 1" set. This backpack includes a nice sized crossbody bag.

Here’s my honest review and feedback on this bag. Again, yes I am a consultant. No, they did not pay me to review this nor did I get this bag for free. I hosted a party and bought it. 

I do these reviews to share my feedback so you can  make your own decision based on my experience with the item. Detailed pictures with captions are provided at the end of this blog for your viewing pleasure.

Pro's:

It is compact, lightweight, and easy to put on and take off with its double straps (Thank god they didn’t redo that one strap bag. See this post to learn more about that product)

Lots of pockets. One of thirty ones many signatures. Pockets and organization

There is a nice small pocket on the back for holding sunglasses, business cards, and other small items.

Two large bottle holding pockets on the exterior sides of the bags. See red Gustbuster umbrella on one side. It was deee enough to hold my umbrella in place without tipping out.

Two large compartments. The smaller of the two is large enough to hold letter sized folders and note pads.

The largest compartment is big enough to hold my laptop or macbook. Inside this large compartment, there is a cross body bag stored within the mesh pocket at the bottom and there are 2 large pockets that span the entire height of the bag.

The pocket away from your “back” is a completely thermal pocket. The other zipper pocket that would be against your back is not thermal and good for putting loose papers or smaller books.

There is also a lobster claw on the inside of this main compartment for keeping your keys within reach. I LOVE this feature. Who hates digging in a full bag for keys? I do!

The adjustment buckles are made of metal. It’s easy to adjust and durable.

One of my favorite things about this bag is it sits upright on its own. There’s no need to prop it up against something if you need to put it down. The gusset is nice and wide and gives this bag a nice base.

The embroidery on this bag is amazing. Thanks to the nylon material, the stitching comes out clean, neat, and tight. No loose threads. The letters on my bag are 1” wide x 1.5” tall.

Cons: 
Well not really con’s. But my tips and suggestions on how this bag could be improved....

At the very top of the bag is a single nylon strap for easy pick up when the bag is on the floor. The strap itself is thin but well stitched onto the bag. Depending how how heavy you load your bag up, I anticipate this being one of the first things to begin fraying or ripping away from the bag. Therefore, I don't recommend hanging this bag up by this nylon strap when not in use. Keep it on its base.

You can fit sandwiches and other “flat food” items in the thermal pocket. If you choose to put food in that pocket, I strongly suggest placing them in shallow Tupperware (or similar) containers to prevent smashed meals. Beware of soupy foods also. Unless you trust your seals, don’t do it. You have to place your containers on its side. Note that this thermal pocket sits within the main compartment of the bag. You will be stuffing majority of your items in this compartment which takes up space. So consider that when filling your thermal pocket up with food.

I suggest they add feet to this bag. Because it sits nicely on the floor, feet would help keep this bag clean when putting it down.

The straps are a bit narrow which makes it easy to put on and take off. The straps are curved which make it ergonomic to your body and allows the bag to sit nicely while wearing. If they would make the  straps just a tad bit wider and add a cell phone pocket, it would be icing on the cake.

The zipper to the main compartment is a single zipper. So, if you have a large item like my umbrella on the side pocket as you see pictured, it will get in the way of opening and closing the bag. So, be aware of what you’re placing in those external bottle holding pockets. Put the smaller item on the side where the zipper sits when shut so you’re not having to dig around to find the zipper pull to open it.

Note that this bag is NOT waterproof. It is made of a nylon material so it is water "resistant" but if you are carrying this in heavy rain, the water will eventually soak through.  There are a few layers that the water will need to get through so you've got some time to spare.

Yes, I took water and splashed it on the bag to see how it repelled. I also got caught in some light rain walking to the office this morning. The water ran right off off its surface leaving very light dampness behind. If I'm ever caught in a torrential downpour, I'll be sure to post my findings. LOL!

Conclusion:
The pro’s greatly outweigh the “cons” to this bag and as I continue to use it, I will be posting updates to this blog as time progresses.  

This not only makes for a great bag for new parents, it's also good for outdoor people who like do to light hiking. This obviously is not a hard core hikers pack. Great for the beach or a picnic. And, you get two bags in one with the included crossbody bag. Score.

So far, I’m really enjoying this bag and its ability to keep things in place while still being easy to carry and kind to your body. No sore shoulders and back.

If you’d like to qualify to get this hostess exclusive bag, let me know. This bag is currently available for party hostesses during Summer of 2014 and I’d hate to see you miss the opportunity!

The Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization needs your input. Please take a few minutes to fill out this online survey.

If you could, spread the word and let your neighbors know that their input is also needed and greatly appreciated!

Mahalo!

NSRA SURVEY

For a quick vacation during the extended weekend, our family went to Kauai. It was a nice short trip. I could’ve easily stayed home and did nothing but it’s not relaxing when you’re at home with chores staring you in the face. Laundry, vacuuming, mopping, lawn mowing, things to repair, etc.

So, off we go to Kauai. We never stay in a hotel anymore, always a condo. So, we packed a cooler with spam, Vienna sausage, eggs, guava jelly, bread, hot dogs, etc so we don’t have to worry about food when we got there. Upon landing Friday afternoon, we headed straight for Walmart. We had no idea there was one here. We found it on the gps because I knew it would be a long drive up to Princeville and everything up there is more expensive. We picked up our rice, a case of water, and other things we needed for the trip. Thank GOD I packed shopping bags because I had a feeling we’d need it. They do not provide shopping bags here so be prepared.

The last time we were in Kauai was 2007. It’s been 7 years and a lot had changed. There seems to be more roads and a lot more traffic. Nothing like on Oahu by any means which was nice. A warning to those from busy places like LA, the fastest posted speed limit I noticed on the entire island is 50 mph. People do not speed here and the average speed we seemed to have driven was between 30 and 40 mph.  There is a contraflow lane south bound which helps with the traffic a bit, but don’t expect to go blowing past everyone at 60 mph. Kauai has no freeways.

After Walmart, we head on up to Princeville. It poured rain nearly the entire weekend, but no big deal. It’s just rain. After we got to our timeshare, we unpacked and relaxed. Watched some movies and Shelby went for a swim in the pool, yes, in the rain. I opted to spend the evening in the whirlpool tub and unwind then gave Emily a bath in the “big tub”. It was nice to have that tub to bathe her in the entire weekend. She loved it and we didn’t have to worry about her missing a swim or catching a cold.

Everything opens late and closes early in Kauai. That’s why we packed breakfast foods that can convert to dinner food if we needed it to. For dinner, we had grilled hotdogs. Our kitchen has two flat burners and a grill! Awesome!  Saturday morning we felt like we “slept in” but really, we got up at 5-5:30 am. The roosters crowing wasn’t a big deal. It was nice, actually. But when you have a 2 year old who pops up awake at 5:30 am like a human alarm clock, it’s hard to really sleep in.

We got up, made breakfast and a big pot of coffee. For breakfast we made spam,eggs, and rice.  The stove has a nice fan that sucks the smoke out and blows it outside. I’m sure all the tourists loved the smell of spam frying at 6 am. HA!  We stayed at the Wyndham Ka’eo Kai property and the area itself is very nice. The buildings appear to be three stories, no elevators. We packed a 48 pound cooler and there’s no way we wanted to walk up stairs and with a two year old to boot. So, we thankfully got a first floor unit. I already knew we’d have to deal with stampeding feet above us (which is why when I travel alone I never request for a 1st floor unless there are good reasons to). However, the people above us were just completely ridiculous! All hours of the night, the pounding feet on the floor. The running. We called them elephants. However, elephants have the quietest footsteps ever. Lol

So, after breakfast, we relaxed around the condo and got ready to leave at 9 am to head to Kilohana Plantation to take the kids on a train ride.  It’s not hard to find. In fact, nothing is hard to find on Kauai. We arrived just in time for the first ride at 10 am. They do offer a Kama’aina rate of $12 per person. The tour costed us $36. Emily was free. Now, I didn’t check yelp about this place. I found it on trip advisor. Regardless of what reviews were on there, and I can’t remember the last time I rode on a train. The ride itself was fun. A local might not find it as fun, but we did and we learned some new things too. You look at plants and animals. There’s a stop on the train where you can feed the animals. Goats, wild pigs, and chickens. Now, my husband hunts wild pigs and to see these HUGE bigs behind a skinny fence was a little scary at first. A non-domesticated boar would easily run into that fence and break it. These pigs were domesticated and tame. They came running to the train and begged for bread. Some had some nice sized tusks that Romel couldn’t get over. Emily of course, yells piggy piggy!! For once, she sees one alive and running around. LOL. Normally, when she sees them, they’re tied up and being carved in my backyard.  The entire train ride was 45 minutes. Did I feel jipped? At first, yes. After I thought about the experience and the new things we learned, no. Non-kama’aina rate for this ride is $18 per person. There were some people doing some Taste of Kauai tours or something so we left them on the property mid train ride.

After the train ride, our next stop was Fern Grotto. It was pouring rain and the train ride was a lot shorter than I estimated. We missed the last Fern Grotto boat at 11 and the next one wasn’t until 2. So, we killed some time. By the way, for lunch we had hot dogs and chips. We forgot mustard and ketchup so we hit up a 7-11 and swiped some packets after we bought a big gulp. LOL.  To kill time, we hit up Kukui Grove. From what I learned, it’s the only mall on the island. Lucky us, it was the grand opening of the Sports Authority store there. Popcorn and shave ice, loud music and autographs. The place was packed. Was the whole island there? We then decide to take a stroll around this mall and it was very slim pickings. I had to keep telling my family, “this is KAUAI!” Not Honolulu, not LA, not Vegas. Expect small things. It was extremely muggy walking around this open air mall so we decided to look for a movie theater to cool off. Well, it’s across the street behind the 76 station, we were told. We head into the car for a quick drive to find it. We get across the street and drove right past it. Folks, it’s the size of a 7-11. If you blink, you will miss it.

The girl who directed us wasn’t kidding. It is directly behind the 76 station in a pinkish colored building with the word CINEMA slapped across the top. We pull up into the empty parking lot (it’s about 11:30 am) and the first movie didn’t start until 1 or something. We laughed and drove away. Instead of hanging around for another 3 hours waiting for Fern Grotto at 2, we went back to Princeville. We didn’t even bother to hit up the Kilauea Lighthouse on the way back because it was storming rain.  Instead, we hit up Princeville Foodland and got some poke and snacks and stopped real quick at the scenic point that overlooks the lo’i (taro patch) below. Shelby loved the view. After the quick Kodak moment, we headed back to the room to eat some poke, and relax AGAIN. This time, we hit up the pool, in the rain. We also enjoyed the Jacuzzi and then Romel and Emily came to join us for a little bit. It was such a nice and peaceful day.

That night we had dinner and watched some movies. I really wanted to play some board games but it was just so nice to lounge around watching funny movies and think about nothing else. So, that , we did.

Sunday morning we got up at 5:30 again and made breakfast and got ready for church. It’s a one hour drive to Kalaheo for church so we packed our gear and food for the day and head out. We get to church on time and after church we went straight to Waimea Canyon. Well, we saw Hanapepe and took a short detour. There we drove through the little town and there was the sign to the hanging bridge! STOP!! Yes, we pulled over and while Romel changed out of his church clothes in the jeep, Shelby and I went down to check out this old hanging bridge. It was scary to walk on but quite fun!

We got back and now Shelby could stay with Emily while I walked this bridge with Romel all the way to the end. Fun! Mind you, he had to point out all the rusting parts and busted areas of the bridge while we were on it which added to my anxiety. Men!

After Hanapepe, we go to the Canyon. Beautiful. Just beautiful. Thanks to the heavy rains, there were also waterfalls to be seen!  On to Koke’e Park. Really, nothing to see here unless you’re a camper, mountain biker, or hiker. I like to stop here to see the round flowers. They remind me of my grandma. There was some sort of Banana Polka fair or something going on. We walked around, had a quick lunch at the Lodge and headed down to Barking Sands. By the way, if you plan on eating at the lodge, be prepared for the cost. My chili and rice meal with corn bread was $16 and it was by no means a large lunch.  Our meals in total came out to $45 not including tip. It was satisfying enough to keep us full, but don’t expect gourmet. They serve your food on paper plates with disposable utensils.

We then hit up PMRF, barking sands. We just wanted to see it, that was all. One good thing about the stop was we could fill the jeep up with gas. It was about $0.30 per gallon cheaper than outside. And there was an NEX there as well.

After checking out that small post, we headed back towards Hanapepe to stop at Lapperts to get some the famous ice cream. $5 for a one scoop waffle cone and I wasn’t impressed. I had the mac nut ice cream and it was gritty. Not creamy and rich like I was expecting. The best part of the entire thing was the waffle cone.  $15 for three cones. Ouch. Now off to Poipu. Intention was to maybe stop and swim but it was raining. Instead, we just drove through and I couldn’t believe how different it looked. It’s developed a lot since our last trip and it reminded me of Ko Olina. I just wanted to get out of there and drive through the tunnel of trees. Now where to? Back to Princeville. The drive back from Poipu was maybe an hour and a half. 

Instead of going straight back to the room, this time we decided to keep driving to the end of this road, in Hanalei. We saw the wet and dry caves, and saw some nifty water “falls” or natural showers coming down the side of the cliffs above us. We crossed a ton of one lane bridges. Fun, but after a while, got boring. I really wanted to swim at a beach. But with all the rain, I didn’t want to risk
Emily getting sick. How can we swim, and not let her? Back to the room we go after our really long day trip.

When we got back, we did laundry and prepacked our bags for our trip home the next day. We relaxed, watched more movies and I spent more unwinding time in the whirlpool tub. This time, I tried to make a bubble bath and instead pulled a Lucy and nearly caused a foam party.

Monday morning we sleep in, for real this time. LOL We didn’t get out of bed till close to 7 and had breakfast. We hung out and rested even more up until checkout time at 10. Our flight wasn’t until 4:20 so we had lots of time to just cruise around and hang out.  This time, because it was a clear day, we stop at the Lighthouse to have a look see. We then drove back to Lihue. Stopped at the Wailua Falls to take some pictures, drove around the Nawilili Harbor area and stopped to watch the tourists attempt to catch waves in the bay on those walmart foam boards.  Honestly, I was bored to death and was so ready to come back home. I enjoyed the lack of data on my phone. I enjoyed having my phone silent for four days and not being bothered with notifications from every single social media site, text messages, alerts, alarms, reminders, etc. But I was just so bored. It felt like we drove every main road on the island. We drove through Kapaa at least 8 times going 5 mph. I was so over it.  Monday being a holiday, it seemed everything was closed. We had so much time to kill and had no idea what to do with it thanks to the unstable weather. Monday was the sunniest of all days while there, but the patches of rain that did come, were pretty heavy.  After nawiliwili, we go back to lihue (5 minute drive) to top off the jeep and head to the car rental return. We get to the airport “on time” based on regular check in and security check time recommendations.

Upon check in, we were then told our flight was a full one AND it’s running 45 minutes late. WHAT?! With a two year old in the most simple of all airports ever. This trip home is gonna SUCK. Thank god on our way to the airport we stopped at Walmart to kill time and pick up some last minute snacks and coloring books for Emily.  Rather than get past security and be stuck in the terminal for 3 hours, we decide to just sit out there near check in for a while where there was a nice breeze and we didn’t feel “trapped”. Had we known the flight was delayed, we could’ve watched a movie or something to kill more time.  We did actually drive past the theater and the parking lot was full. For all I know the theater seats 30 people? I have no clue. We didn’t want to risk being late for our plane, so we opted not to. Dammit.

Finally we go through security and find that there is a starbucks and a news stand right inside. That’s it. 
Mainlanders, there are no airport malls and the only massage experience you’ll get while you wait are those crappy massage chairs that cost $5 for 15 minutes. Heck, it’s cheap. But it was a crappy massage.  We end up getting some starbucks fraps and hanging out in that main lobby for majority of our time. We head into the gate and see the screen. Our flight was delayed AGAIN. Now, instead of leaving at 4:20, we’re leaving at 6:15!!! Ugh!!!!!! In case you’re wondering, we flew Island Air. Service and people are great. That delay though…Oh, and there is no such as thing as free wifi here in Hawaii. Not even in Honolulu. This airport doesn't even have wifi that you can pay for either. 

Now, we’re in the gate with a lot of other people who were still waiting for their flights that was supposed to have left at 2 pm. This includes kids. People were “chronicking” out for an outlet to charge their devices. I brought my anker (see below). So all I needed was one outlet and I could charge all our devices. Emily wouldn’t keep still in the gate while we were waiting. I told her to run around in circles. The more she ran, the easier it would be for her to fall asleep on the plane ride at 6 pm. So, I wouldn’t have to deal with a screaming two year old like we did on our way to Kauai.  Finally, it our time to board, yay. We left Kauai at 6:30 pm. Of course, upon take off she screamed her head off which I’m sure pissed people off sitting around us and they can suck it. I held her in my arms to calm her down and she finally fell asleep. She was out cold the entire flight and slept all the way through until this morning.

When we got home, everything in our fridge was spoiled. At first we blamed our son who was home the entire weekend. Maybe he didn’t shut the door good and just let it sit and fester. I mean, everything was moldy. My oranges, the rice in the rice pot that was in there, the produce, everything was bad including two gallons of milk. That doesn’t just happen overnight. Now I was questioning what he was doing the entire weekend to not notice the food rotting? Ugh!!!  Time for a new fridge.  Vacation is officially over.

Let's help get Melveen aka @beautiqueenmel (instagram) to the nationals so our very own Miss Hawaii can win!!

Frozen vegetable lumpia $1 each
Longanisa tray (approx 15 pcs) $15 per tray

We do take paypal and can forward that info to you upon request.  Lumpias are are great finger foods for parties and the longanisa is perfect for any meal of the day!

Pick up for this round of orders will be Saturday, May 31st from 9 am to 1 pm in West Loch across the new Queens Medical Center West.

Address will be provided upon request as well.

Go Team Mel!

Don’t get rid of those slippy heels just yet!! I usually order my shoes online at Kohls when there’s a sale, free shipping, and great coupon codes that you can stack for added savings. Shopping online doesn’t allow me to try on stuff so I’m really taking a risk when I order clothing.

9 times out of 10, the clothes and shoes fit well. Then I have the pump that is super cute but my heel slips. Well, I found two things that help me with that and now I can finally wear my cute shoes without worry!

First, there’s the Pedag heel grips. They are made in Germany and are not heel LINERS. These grips have a leatherlike feel to it with a boning in the center that give your heel that extra grip it needs to cling on to the back of your shoe. These have extremely strong adhesive. So position as necessary and then remove the backing to tack in place. These are stackable. So if you need extra umph, just stick on another set and you’re good to go!  For my feet, it seems to work best when it's lined up flush to the top of the shoe. 

The other product I found to work like a charm are heel straps. I have a pair of pumps that have a shallow back on the heel.  So no matter how  many grips I put in there, my heel just won’t grip it right because the back of the shoe just isn’t tall enough to allow. These heel straps come in different colors and styles. They blend right into your shoe. Unless you point it out to someone, they won’t know that its an add on accessory to your footwear. Now, depending on how bad the slippage is, you may want to try using grips with it. You don’t have to, but it might help. The reason I suggest it is because even with the straps, your heel will slip. The difference is now you have a strap to keep your shoe on your foot and you’re not gripping for dear life with your toes and causing a potential cramp.  It slips but it’s manageable.

You can find both products on Amazon. As a prime member, I got free shipping and although they don’t “offer” 2nd day air to Hawaii or Alaska, I got my products in the same week I ordered them.

I finally took the time to find out how I can be of service to those I teach and share information with.  You can NOW print coupons from my website!

I added a new page, PRINT COUPONS HERE. Why?  So you can now enter zip codes and do searches for hard to find coupons that are rarely every distributed in Hawaii.  If you want to know how I buy Hinode Rice for $0.37 a pound, this is the place to be.  How many of you calculate how much you REALLY pay for rice? A 15 lb bag can go on sale for lets say $8.00. That's $0.53 a pound.  I buy my rice in small 2 lb bags. Not only is it cheaper, but its long grain. I know most locals like the short grain stickier and starchier rice. But once we started doing the long grain, you can really tell the difference.

Now, I buy the long grain 2 lb bag of white OR brown rice when it goes on sale. Yes, for me in the commissary, I can get better prices compared to civy stores. But rice is one of the few staples I buy in there. I've found most of the fresh produce is cheaper on sale outside. Back to RICE. The 2lb bag goes on sale for $1.49. I use the $0.75 or even $1.00 off 1 hinode coupon and get the rice for $0.74 or even $0.49 each! Do the math. Lesson? Bigger isn't always better. *cough* Costco.

The Hinode printable is now limited to ONE print per device. It used to be 2 but I've found in the last few months, I can't print more than 1 from any device in my possession. I'm always asked where I get that rice coupon from. I'm going to tell you. Bookmark this blog because you're going to want to come back here again and again for this info.

Use the coupons page on my site and search the following zip codes REGULARLY. Sometimes, it will let you print one coupon from each zip code. Rare, but it can happen.

84121
84123
77477

Those are the common zip codes I've found to work everytime I need rice. Right now, it is up and available. I usually run a check for that coupon every few weeks. Yes, I have been hoarding the information until now.  LOL!

For those that wonder how I store so many little bags of rice, I use a rice dispenser like the one pictured below. It keeps critters out and measures the rice out one cup at a time. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Enjoy, my rice eating friends!!  You're welcome. Share, like, pin, tweet, facebook, whatever you do to help give my site a little umph will you? mahalos!!

I finally decided to gift myself  a new juicer. Though our 20 year old Carico juicer still worked fine, it gave me some issues when trying to juice dry leafy things like Kale. I mean, the juice would bounce all over the counter and vomit green juice all over me and the kitchen. It juiced softer items like apples, oranges, and other fruits well. But you shove a kale leaf or a spinach leaf and I would have to drink the juice off the walls.

I invested in the Breville Fountain juicer. The one that is similar, if not exact, to the one used in Joe Cross’ documentary. If you haven’t seen it yet, GO. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an awesome view of his journey to getting healthy. It inspired me to juice. Not as drastic as he did, but it’s a great way to supercharge your system.

So, this new juicer is awesome! It has a large opening so you can fit whole fruit, though I don’t recommend it. Core your apples and pears and peel your citrus. The peels are really bitter and taint the flavor of your juice. I can juice 4 celery stalks at once. I core my apple and put them back together and then put it into the juicer. It’s so awesome. It’s like after driving a pinto for 20 years, you get a beamer and you ask yourself why you waited so long to upgrade. LOL

I found a ton of great juicing recipes here. And these are my concoctions based on those recipes. I decided to change it up and do a different juice every 2 days. Because my schedule is so hectic, I’ve been making enough juice to last me two days at a time. I know its optimum to drink the juice as soon as the juicer spits it out, but I do have a job that takes me away from my kitchen, so this will have to suffice.

Today, I made a heart healthy juice with beets, carrots, oranges, apples, celery, lemon, and a tiny bit of fresh ginger. It has a very refreshing flavor and I really like this blend. Finally a juice with no green. Sometimes the mean green, although yummy, can get boring.

My co-worker brought in some fresh, wild grown chayote. I’ve found that chayote juice is good for inflammation, high blood pressure and can help those who suffer with kidney stones. I’ll be juicing some of this up tonight and yes, I’ll update you on how that turns out. 

 Heart Beet
Ingredients

·         Apple - 1 medium (3" dia) 182g

·         Beet Root - 1 beet (3" dia) 175g

·         Carrots - 12 medium 732g

·         Lemon - 1/2 fruit (2-3/8" dia) 42g

·         Oranges (peeled) - 2 fruit (2-5/8" dia) 262g


I added a tiny thumb of ginger to spice it up and to help cleanse my system.

Juice, shake or stir, Enjoy!


Mean Green - Joe Cross' recipe from the movie
Ingredients

·         Apples - 2 medium (3" dia) 364g

·         Celery - 4 stalk, large (11"-12" long) 256g

·         Cucumber - 1 cucumber (8-1/4") 301g

·         Ginger Root - 1 thumb (1" dia) 24g

·         Kale - 6 leaf (8-12") 210g

·         Lemon - 1/2 fruit (2-3/8" dia) 42g


Juice, shake or stir, Enjoy!


These recipes are found at the link I posted above. Thanks to the folks atjuicerecipes.com for having them online for the new juicers like me! Find even more juicing tips and information here https://www.jenreviews.com/juicing/ (Mahalo Jacky!)

http://www.timessupermarkets.com/moms  - see below in bold when using this link

Entry link - this link SHOULD take you direct to my picture.

Go to the link above and please vote for the picture of me and my daughter, Shelby, on the carousel. 

I could use a new camera since mine has broken. The contest ends in 7 days and I need a boost!

Do share and pass the link on for others to vote.

I posted both the main site link and the entry link in case one doesn't work.

If you use the direct times link (first one listed above), sort the entries by MOST VOTES. Mine should be in the top 10. You will need to enter your email address and click on the vote button. 

Thank you!!

Maria

Time to reboot and change my eating habits. I know there are many weight loss companies out there that make losing weight easier by simplifying intake. Shake it in a bottle and drink it. I’ve done them and yes they work, while you’re using them. However, once you go back to regular eating, it’s VERY easy to slip and fall right back to where you started. I’m not saying those products don’t work. They do. I see people lose weight on it all the time (including me). But what that method doesn’t teach you is how to adjust your eating habits to eat clean. To make a lifestyle change and go back to nature and eat fresh fruits and veggies while controlling portion size.

Who came up with the idea of three meals a day anyway? I do juicing once in a while to give my body a break from solid foods. Juicing is a SUPER awesome way to drop weight fast. It takes a lot of mind strength and perseverance. It also requires patience. It’s a pain to have to clean the juicer on the regular when you choose to do a juice reboot for a week. Me, I enjoy juicing and will probably do some juicing this week. I just need to prepare myself for a lot of kitchen duty.

Last week Friday I decided to change my shopping habits. Now, this is going to contradict my coupon class teachings. However, what you need to remember is, most coupons are provided by manufacturing companies. These are the companies who “make” your food in a laboratory. They take what nature provides, dissect it, and rebuild it into something that resembles food but has lost nearly all of its nutritional content. If you want coupons for better food, go to Mambo Sprouts, for coupons on healthier food options. I’m sure there are other clean eating sites that provide coupons for better food out there.

I spent $230 last week on groceries. The wagon was half full of fresh produce, veggies, chicken, pork, and very little processed food. I even bought quinoa. Over the weekend I spent a few hours in the kitchen prepping the veggies. Chopping, slicing, storing, packing, rationing, etc. I’ve prepped all the greens for the week. So now, all we have to do is take a lunch container and build our salads every night for lunch the following day. I’ve already prepped two of mine. I’ve boiled the sweet potatoes and eggs for little additions to the salad or as snacks to eat throughout the day. I even made a “crunchy” container that has crunchy green veggies in there for when I crave for something to munch on.

Those few hours I spent is what a lot of people don’t have. No one has time to chop vegetables or prep a real meal. This is contributing to the obesity problem. My question is do we REALLY not have the time? Or are we just not making the time anymore? Growing up my grandma made time to make dinner. 3:30 pm every afternoon everything shut off and we were in the kitchen. That was her schedule. I have a hard time keeping to my schedule because of the multiple jobs I do every day.

I’ve decided to take brisk walks when I can in the evenings when I get home from work. If time permits, I’ll hit the gym. Something I’ve been trying to do for months and I just can’t get the energy and motivation to do with my extremely busy schedule. For me, sleep is more important than “getting skinny”.

My goal is to get my whole family on board with this so we can all get trim together. It’s easier to be successful at this task if we’re all on the same page. When I go grocery shopping, I avoid the middle aisles now. It’s painful for me because I know I could get some very cheap (if not free) products in those aisles.  I have to remind myself to stay on the perimeter of the store. That’s where all the “real” food is located. Don’t get me wrong. I love me some potato chips, dip, and ice cream. I just need to remind myself to use moderation.

I hope to be able to make this lifestyle change and see the weight in my family drop. Not instantly, but with time. That way, we can work together to keep the weight off. I know I can lose the weight without having to invest in a product other than real food. Romel and I have done it many times in the past. In fact, when he was joining the Army active duty, he lost 30 lbs in less than three months simply by eating healthier and going running every day.

We can do this!! We need cheerleaders! Who wants to shake their pom poms for Team Olipas?

Graduation season is quickly approaching. 

With the party invitations trickling in, I will not be teaching any classes in the month of June.

I will commence teaching in July.

Thank you

For the community! Great culinary program during the summer for students. Share, pass along, and get the word out. Mahalo!

Death is not a topic anyone wants to discuss. But, it's something to seriously think about. I'm a planner. I don't like to leave things unfinished. With that being said, I wanted to share with you that I have pre-planned my own funeral. Morbid, I know. After having to watch my family go through funeral planning many times in the past, I realized that I do not want to put my family and my kids through that same stress when my time is up.

When you think of death, what comes to mind? I'm asking about the perspective of financial burden. None right? Cause you're dead. You no longer have any burdens. But, you're leaving it to your kin. Dealing with the grief, especially if the death is sudden and unexpected, is extremely difficult. Now, imagine having to deal through the grief and plan the services on top of that?

My location of choice is the Valley of the Temple Memorial Park. I'd much rather be in Mililani where I'm closer to my family; however, who knows where my family will be when that time comes? I like Valley of the Temple. Just something about that side of the island makes me zen. Probably all the wet green grass. 

At their site, they offer a pre-planning tool which was extremely helpful with the process. They hold that information in their records. Answering the questions had me teary eyed just imagining what it would look, sound, and feel like at my funeral. They ask you the simplest questions that you probably wouldn't even consider when its time to plan a funeral. 

-What kind of music do you want played at your service?
-What kind of food would you like served?
-Do you have a theme you want for your service?
-Any special requests?

Those were just some of the questions on the survey. The one that really got me choked up was leaving a message, passage, or words of hope to be read at the service. I'm not going to lie. I literally cried as I wrote it out. It was very difficult as I imagined one of my kids reading this as I lay there in my casket in front of my surviving friends and family. Damn this PMS. I'm crying again just thinking about it.  I wanted to be sure that my message was "me" and not just some passages from the bible. I wrote down words that would make everyone in the room not only smile and feel me with them. But leave knowing I am OK and they can leave my services feeling uplifted.

Financially, most people think life insurance will cover the funeral costs. Well, technically yes. AFTER, you get the money.  Can you say red tape? You have to come up with the funds at the time of death to get the ball rolling on the services. Did you know, an average cost of a funeral is between 20 and 30 thousand dollars? That's for the plot, casket, and services. $20K being the most basic (pine box).  I'll let you chew on those numbers.

Personally, after going through this a few times in my life, I do not want to put my husband and/or my kids through the stress of planning my funeral or worrying about where they're going to find $30,000 from.  (Yes, I'm going to upgrade, lol) I have done all the work and am now ready to take the "plunge" so to speak.  When my time comes, I can go in peace knowing I have tied my loose ends and my family will be ok.

I only have one more wish after all is said and done. Someone please digitize my grave site after my headstone has been placed. Please list me on the find a grave website and link me to my dad and my grandma.  Eventually, the ground will sink, my headstone will crumble, and what's left of my memory will disappear from sight. 

I want to be memorialized forever. So my kids kids kids kids kids kids kids will always know who I am and I can be visited anytime from anyplace, virtually.

My daughter and I are both registered and will be there Saturday morning to give back to the community AND hopefully get a nice tan while we're at it. 

Come on down and share the fun with us! 

P.S. The prize for the photo contest is a Go Pro!