A Quick Hello!

It’s terrible, I know. I haven’t done a decent blog post in about a month now, and this isn’t going to be a good one either. I’m not sure what came over me, but after traveling so extensively with Bridgette for the past year and a half, I decided it’s time to pick my work up again. So, as if the 6 complex weddings that I already took on for this year wasn’t challenging enough (ha!), I took on another 4 weddings for next year. And for those of you who wonder, weddings next year means work that begins now, which continues for the course of the next many, many months until the wedding day!

I really shouldn’t complain. It’s a blessing to get the business. I just reallllllly need to do a better job at balancing my life. I thought I mastered that last year when I took some time off, but that damn good work ethic that my parents passed onto me is just ingrained in me! I love my work and I can’t ever seem to turn it “off” in my head. But I also love my life outside of work, so there’s got to be a better method to this balancing act. I’ll keep working on it. Meanwhile, if you’ve got some good advice, do share it with me!

Summer’s almost here and Bridgette is beyond excited at some of the activities we’ve got lined up this summer, beginning with her favorite Raging Waters! Lucky for her, she’s also made a new friend right next door. Our neighbors have a 5 year old daughter, just weeks younger than Bridgette, and the two have spent lots of time together coloring our driveways with chalk, playing princesses, and having girly sleepovers!

“Crazy hair day” + “Inside Out Day” at school!

Happy Friday!

Wishing all of you a lovely, lovely weekend ahead…

Thank you Auntie Amanda, for the cute Hello Kitty top (with the crown, no less!), and thank you Auntie Meme, for the beautiful white tutu (a girl can never own too many tutus!) 

Hawaii Trip | Lanai Part II.

Okay, this is my final Hawaii post, and I’m embarrassed to admit it’s taken me a whole month to finish posting on our Hawaii trip! Well, that just goes to show how much we crammed into our week-long stay on the two islands. Just looking at all the photos bring back so much fond memories already.

After our afternoon of lounging at the beach, me with my beloved kindle on iPad and Alan with his deep sleep and snores, we then transitioned over to the poolside. Honestly, neither of us could get enough of that comfy daybed and as a result, we’ve been browsing around the internet looking for one to put on our front porch since we’ve been home!

After lunch, Alan scooted off to his much anticipated spa treatment while I picked Bridgette up from the Kids’ Club to enjoy more swimming in the pool. When I picked her up, she was in the middle of a craft project, decorating a picture frame with seashells. She couldn’t stop talking about all the fun things she did in Kids’ Club, and I nearly had to drag her out of there!

Ice cream breaks were graciously offered by the Four Seasons staff, and both Bridgette and I willingly accepted! After Alan reemerged from his relaxing massage, he joined us in the pool, and the three of us soaked up every bit of that sunshine until the beauty of the twilight reminded us that we were famished.

Without warning, Bridgette suddenly decided to take a dive in the pool for the first time. That girl knows no limit!

Bridgette went off to the Kids’ Club again that evening for a special event, and we got to enjoy some fine dining and uninterrupted adult conversation!

That night, Bridgette begged us to take her night swimming again. I swear, that girl’s got more energy than five of me combined!

The next morning, I met up with my lovely host, Cassie, for a thorough site inspection of the entire Four Seasons properties. They have a ton of different event spaces within the two resorts, and all of them are pretty darn amazing. My favorite, though, has got to be the 12th hole on their spectacular golf course, which is the exact spot where Bill Gates chose to exchange his vows. You’re literally standing on a cliff, surrounded by the ocean. Talk about an unobstructed view!

Our 2 hour tour ended with a delicious lunch at the Four Seasons The Lodge at Koele, which is where we would spend our last night in Lanai.

The absolute BEST chili I’ve ever had in my life!

Our lovely hostess, Cassie, and I in front of the Four Seasons Manele Bay

After lunch, I reunited with Alan and Bridgette, who had checked out of Manele Bay that morning to enjoy the facilities of The Lodge at Koele. By the way, the Four Seasons make it an extremely seamless transition when you move between the two properties. You don’t have to worry about checking in/out, your luggages are automatically transferred, and there is a shuttle bus that circulates between the two properties every half an hour.

Where did I end up finding my hubby and baby? By the pool of course! They spent the entire morning there, despite the drop in temperature at The Lodge, being that it was higher up in the mountains. Bridgette was swimming by herself, chatting it up with her new friends–an elderly couple vacationing in Lanai, who found my daughter to be quite an entertainment with her singing and endless questions. Alan was lounging on one of the pool chairs, with his iPad as company.

It took some coaxing to get Bridggy out of the water, but we finally made it into our room, which turned out to be another upgraded corner deluxe room, courtesy of Cassie! It had a spacious balcony overlooking the bowling lawn, with just a massive amount of greenness surrounding us. After being by the coast for 2 days, it felt really good to be by the mountainside for a change of ambient. It was so quiet and serene there, and you’re just absorbed into the beauty of nature.

The room itself resembled a cottage by the countryside, with floral valences, tiled bathroom, and a two-poster bed.

Special amenities and touches were found all around the room, just like at Manele Bay, and Bridgette happily adopted another family member which turned out to be a horse this time. Very fitting for the mountainside!

Bridgette’s getting really comfortable behind the camera, lucky us!

That afternoon, we explored the property at Koele. It’s much quieter than Manele Bay, with little treasures tucked here and there, such as the beautiful orchid green house we came across.

And the picturesque gazebo, at the edge of what they call the “Reflecting Pond”…

Photo taken from Four Seasons website

Words really can’t describe the beauty of the property, and neither can photos do it enough justice. I actually love The Lodge more than Manele Bay, and I’ve come to realize why. As much as I adore staring out into the ocean, I love the way the mountains make me feel. Being a fast paced person who is “on the go” pretty much all the time, I have found that the mountains make me feel a lot calmer, stiller. It just has the capability to relax me entirely, from the inside out! I love that feeling!

Another lovely photo taken by Bridgette! We were embracing, and she had the iPhone on her, so she asked us to turn to look at her and click (!), she caught the moment on camera!

The Library inside The Lodge at Koele

Checking out the many koi fishes swimming in the pond, in the Japanese garden

Love these reading/napping nooks at The Lodge, and by the fireplace too!

After exploring the property to its entirety, we sat down to enjoy afternoon tea (Bridgette’s favorite) in their lounge area.

Then, Alan went off for his 4 x 4 and first sporting clay adventure while Bridgette and I shuttled off to the nearby stable for some horseback riding. Upon arrival to the stable, we were greeted by a nice gentleman there and Bridgette went right up to him and asked, “Are you a cowboy?”

Kids! They sure know how to make you laugh, and embarrassed. Then, when asked which horse she’d like to ride, Bridgette answered, “I want to ride a unicorn.”

The nice cowboy didn’t miss a beat. He took her hand and introduced her to a gentle brown horse, pointing to the patch of hair on his head and explaining that his horn fell off in an accident. Convinced that the horse was indeed an injured unicorn, Bridgette happily giddied up on him.

Time to giddyup!

Bridgette rode around the stable, as I followed behind, and she excitedly waved to all the other horses we passed.

We also made some stops along the way, to see some of their farm animals. There were baby goats (SO adorable, just a few days old!), chickens, and a 300 lb pig named Willy!

Bridgette loved feeding Willy, and Willy kept snorting in appreciation. We spent a good chunk of time there, before Mr. Cowboy asked Bridgette if she wanted to bathe her unicorn. Ofcourse, she responded with an enthusiastic YES!

Before we left, Mr. Cowboy also taught Bridgette how to rope like a real cowgirl! She did pretty well, and was given the recognition of an official cowgirl. Yee-haw!

We went back to the resort to meet up with Alan again, and enjoyed some croquet and lawn bowling before a wonderful dinner that ended with my favorite house made s’mores!

My favorite beet salad

The next morning, we awoke to some strange sounds outside, and found a troop of turkey trotting across the bowling lawn right outside our room!

We enjoyed the property a little more before packing up our bags to leave….it was definitely a hard good bye!

This wraps up our Hawaii trip posts! Here are some more photos of our time at The Lodge…

Bridgette imagined herself as the bride underneath the gazebo. Ofcourse, she assigned daddy the role of the groom…

Bridgette teaching me her hula moves again

Sweetness!

Mahalo!

Hawaii Trip | Lanai Part I.

After 2 adventurous and fun-filled days in Waikiki, we packed our bags again and flew 1 hour to the island of Lanai, also known as the Pineapple Island.

I first heard about the island when Cassie Coching, Catering Manager at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, sent me an email to let me know that she has relocated to the Four Seasons Lanai. Curious, I did a few searches online to read up on the island, and was quite intrigued by it. There isn’t much there, with a small settlement of about 3000 people, and the main “attraction” is the Four Seasons resort itself. The photos looked beyond amazing though, so when Cassie invited me to bring my family there for a site inspection, I jumped at the opportunity, especially since we had plans to be in Hawaii anyways. It would be the “rest and relaxation” part of our trip, a perfect way to end our week long stay on the islands!

Upon arrival to the tiny airport of Lanai, the staff at the Four Seasons were quick to swoop us (and our luggages) up. We rode about 15 minutes on their shuttle, along a never-ending tree lined road which eventually led to the gorgeous view of Manele Bay….

The Four Seasons resort in Lanai is separated into two different properties–Manele Bay and The Lodge at Koele. Each has its own distinctive characteristics. We started our stay with 2 nights at Manele Bay, where our gracious hostess Cassie put us up in a beautiful ocean view room.

Bridgette was greeted with her own robe, slippers, and new humpback whale friend whom she named "Whaley"

Another lovely personal touch--little sponge letters spelling out Bridgette's name by the tub

We wasted no time in exploring the grounds. The decor is very much Asian-inspired, because the owner, David Murdock, is a huge fan of Chinese artwork. Ponds, mini waterfalls and fountains paved the way, and on any given morning, one can spot groups of spinner dolphins in the ocean.

There is a game room, a kid’s club, and a teen’s room inside the resort, amongst the pool, restaurants, and koi ponds. In other words, there is little opportunity for one to be “bored” on property.

After our exploration, we realized we were pretty famished, so we sat down for Happy Hour at their poolside Italian restaurant, which also happens to offer a magnificent ocean view! We had the BEST hummus ever, and even that seems to be an understatement. Because Alan is a hummus lover, we’ve made our way around Mediterranean restaurants for hummus, but none would even come close to this hummus at the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. Yes, it was really that good!

Besides the hummus, we also indulged in tuna tartare, seared scallops, fried calamari, and other delicious items on the menu.

After eating all that delicious food, Bridggy asked to take a night dip in the swimming pool. Lucky for her, the pool there remains open 24 hours a day, so despite the chilliness of the evening breeze, Bridgette enjoyed a full hour of night swim by herself. Alan and I stretched ourselves out on a nearby daybed to watch her.

Needless to say, Bridgette burned off quite a bit of energy at the pool. Just when she was complaining of hunger, we went back to our room to find another thoughtful amenity left behind for us during turndown service…perfect timing!

Look at how dark Bridgette got after a few days in Hawaii!

There is a reason why the beds at the Four Seasons resorts made it on Oprah’s “favorite things” list. We all slept like babies that night, and woke up feeling energized and refreshed!

On our second day at Manele Bay, Bridgette checked into Kids for All Seasons after breakfast, and spent the entire day there crafting with other children while Alan and I hit the beach.

Our view for the day....not bad, right?

Being a luxury resort, the Four Seasons naturally think of everything! Every so often, one of their friendly staff members would circle around offering smoothies, ice water, face mist, and my personal favorite–cleansing of your sunglasses and iPad!

Part II. coming soon….

Hawaii Trip | Waikiki

After Kit and Tony’s wedding was over, we drove out to Waikiki with Amanda and Steven, and stayed at the Hyatt Regency for two nights, along with my cousin Jacqueline and her boyfriend Peter. The first evening, we went to Paradise Cove’s Luau. It was Alan, Bridgette, and my first luau experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. A large 60 passenger bus transported us from Waikiki to Ko Olina, and upon arrival to Paradise Cove, we were immediately greeted with Mai Tais (sans the alcohol for little Bridgette!) and shell leis. We spent the first hour making our rounds at the different activity areas there. In between tattoo sessions, banana leaf crown making sessions, and other things, we managed to utilize most of our drink tickets at the bar before dinner began.

Tattoo twins

During dinner, Bridgette joined about a dozen other children for a hula dance performance on stage. She got to use some of the moves she learned from Karina’s hula-themed birthday party last year. All in all, it was a nice experience, and we’re glad to have shared it with cousins and friends! On our second day in Waikiki, we went skydiving during the day, and had one of the BEST sushi experience in the evening, at Sushi Sasabune. Their omakase was amazing…it seriously is on our Top 3 sushi joints around the world now!

More photos of our 2 days in Wakiki and North Shore….

Loved the freshly made udon and tempura here!

Another cute pic snapped by Bridgette!

A fun little water time, without the wetness, at the International Market

 

Hawaii Trip | Kit + Tony’s Wedding at Ihilani JW Marriott

Congratulations to my cousins Kit and Tony, who just wedded in front of 80 friends and families at the Ihilani JW Marriott in Ko Olina, Oahu.

I was honored that they asked me to help plan the wedding, Alan was happy to have a great excuse to take a vacation, and Bridgette was just over the moon excited to attend as a guest. She’s been so in love with all things bridal and attending a wedding with a real bride topped her list of “best thing ever”, right there with Disneyland!

Although we didn’t actually stay at the Ihilani, we spent quite a bit of time there each day since I had a lot of pre-wedding meetings, and since some of our friends and families were staying there. It was such a quiet, serene resort compared to the Aulani. Kit and Tony were incredibly kind and thoughtful to gift Alan and I a Couples’ Massage from the Ihilani spa, which we redeemed in gratefulness on our second day there while Bridgette was at Aunty’s Beach House.

The spa was actually in renovation at the time, so the resort had converted their Presidential Suite into the temporary spa. The suite had a huge balcony with the most magnificent view of the ocean, stretching out in eternity before our eyes.

Alan thoroughly "needed" this relaxation after chasing Bridgette around the pools at the Aulani for two days

Absolutely loved the idyllic view behind us

80 of Kit and Tony’s friends and families gathered around the Ihilani’s gorgeous lagoon lawn to witness the sweet, lighthearted ceremony. After that, everyone got some optimal photo time on the lawn before retreating indoors to the ballroom for dinner and dancing.

Photo by Michael Soo

Photo by Chung Li

Bridgette with her cousin Jovian, and their MJ Yee Yee and Peter Pan

The dance floor was never empty that night. The kids could not get enough of it! They rocked the dance floor all night to the beat of the music, and just watching them proved to be great entertainment for all of us during dinner.

Bridgette and her cousin Kylie strutting their moves out on the dance floor

When it came time for Kit to toss her bouquet, Bridgette got into position right away, ready to play catch! Unfortunately, she didn’t catch it this time, but it was funny to see her eagerness.

Thanks Kit and Tony, for inviting us to share in on your lovely celebration. Congratulations once again!

Hawaii Trip | The Aulani Experience, Part II.

During the 3 nights that we spent at the Aulani, Bridgette pretty much got to experience all facets of their wonderful property. I even signed her up for a “Keiki Hula Expeience”! (Don’t judge!) She has always wanted to try the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique inside Disneyland, but we have resisted for various reasons. This time, we had a good excuse to give in. We figured it’d be fun for her to experience it in Hawaii, on the wedding day! Though she wasn’t the Flower Girl for this wedding, she was still super excited about attending as a guest. Admittedly, I was just a bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to go through this “girly girl” experience with her, for I was busy running around for the wedding all day. I did manage to sneak in for a quick visit mid-way, and she seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the head to toe pampering. Kudos to Alan for staying in that salon with her for 2.5 hours!

And pampering it was! She started with a mani/pedi, with fruity snacks to keep her smiling, followed by an updo, and finished off with light makeup and sparkles on her face. Though I love her natural look a lot more, Bridgette had the time of her life in that child-friendly salon!

Browsing for the perfect "do"

She looked and felt like a princess at the wedding, prancing and twirling nonstop in the floral spring dress that I bought her from Gap Kids. She kept staring at Kit, the bride, in adoration during the ceremony, and Alan had to hold her back a few times when she wanted to be a part of the bridal procession!

More on the wedding in another post. We checked out of the Aulani the next day, but not before we got to meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy at the Character Breakfast!

The breakfast buffet was surprisingly good, but it didn’t matter to Bridgette, because she was too busy participating in all the songs and games to eat. Her favorite moment was getting to parade around the restaurant behind Mickey and Minnie! All in all, we had a great experience at the Aulani, and would definitely consider going back again. It’s a fantastic resort for families with young children. If you don’t have children though, you may get annoyed and overwhelmed with all the noise and little feet running around you. Laying by the poolside with constant yelling and splashing may not be the most romantic scene either. Here are more photos of our Aulani experience….

AMA AMA has a delicious breakfast menu, and is situated right by the lagoon

One can never have too many cocktails on the islands...

Mickey Mouse waffles and Loco moco for breakfast

We love this photo that Bridgette snapped of us, from my iPhone!

Two things that we didn’t get to try at Aulani were the Rainbow Reef and the feeding of the stingrays. For some reason, Bridgette didn’t want to try either, and we decided not to push her if she wasn’t ready. The Rainbow Reef looked pretty awesome though. It is Aulani’s own 3,000 sq. ft artificial lagoon which houses over a thousand fishes, including the Butterfly fish and the Yellow Tangs. It’s the perfect place to introduce young children to snorkeling, as there are lifeguards around at all times, and the deepest end is only 8′. Hopefully when we go back next time, Bridgette will be ready to try it out!

Maholo Aulani, for all the fun in the sun!