If you've spent some time in Hawaii, you have probably experienced (or at least wondered about) the Loco Moco plate found on local menus.Loco Moco is a traditional Hawaiian meal consisting of a pile of sticky white rice, topped with a thick hamburger patty, a fried egg, and gravy all over the top. Here's a look at one from this Huffington Post Taste article.I know, I know...It's tasty. It's filling. And...it's loaded with some of the things we're not supposed to eat very
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How to Lighten things up and Laugh more as a Family
When is the last time your whole family all had a good laugh? Like a full-on, happy, hearty, group-laugh?Well, in my household of rambunctious boys, there is a lot of laughter. Sometimes I think they're hilariously funny, other times I just have no idea.My husband is a bit more on the reserved side, with a witty, but quiet sense of humor. He and I have some good laughs, but the kids don't always catch their dad's sense of humor. Therefore my boys have an on-going life mission to get
Summer Safety Tips with Dr. Dave and Monica (a VLOG!)
So...it seems summer is upon us! I don't know how that is even possible since it was Christmas like yesterday, and I haven't even started spring cleaning yet (ah well, there's always next year)...but schools are getting out, vacations are revving up, and all of the happy feelings are evvvverywhere.With all of that in mind, I thought this might be a good time to bring Dave on to do a little video chat with me...Summer safety being the topic.Because it's all fun and games til little
Our Staycation at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beachwalk (and Luke’s State Championship)
Some of my favorite memories of childhood were family vacations. Everything from our first trips to Hawaii, to the most simple camping trips stand out in my mind as the most fun and memorable family times. I want that for my kids, too. But Hawaii is a long ways from the rest of the world, so most of the time a "staycation" is the best we can do...We used to love to take the whole family downtown for Waikiki staycations. We would pack into a hotel room and everyone would share beds and
The Four Stages of a Healthy Relationship with Your Kids.
Every parent hopes to have a healthy relationship with their kids, yet I hear from a lot of parents who are struggling to connect with their children. Sometimes it hits at the teenage years, sometimes much younger. Parents reach out to me with concern over why their kid spends all of his or her time in their bedroom, or why they show so little respect or appreciation for their parents. Sometimes they can’t put their finger on it, but they feel like their relationship with their child is
Tropical Mango Salsa.
Isn't this such a great time of year? The sun has been popping out all over the place, (I mean, besides just in Hawaii) and everyone seems to be a little extra happy. Plus, Mother's Day is just around the corner, and despite the fact that my five-year old accused me of making up the holiday ("Mother's Day isn't a real holiday MOM!") indeed it is a real holiday and it's an important one, and I'm not gonna let any smarty-pants five year old take that away from me. (amen?) Well, spring and
Yoga, Meditation, and my (Christian) faith
If you've been around my blog for a while, you probably know that I am a Christian. You've also likely heard me talk about doing yoga.Christianity and yoga...Some of you hear those two things and you're like, Yea, big deal. What's the point?Others hear that and red flags start waving. How do you combine the two? Christians shouldn't do yoga! Isn't yoga an eastern religious thing? Well, over time a lot of people have asked me about this, and I've kind of put off responding. If
A 20th Anniversary Getaway, at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
Our 20th Anniversary at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani was truly dreamy. I thought for fun I'd just give you a little journal-style look at what we did. (Maybe it will inspire you to plan your own romantic getaway!)The truth is: Getting away -- just the two of us -- with no agenda, no kids, and no stress...Well, we needed it even more than we had realized.Most of you probably agree: It isn't easy to get away during this season of life. Somehow I used to imagine that when we hit