POPSUGAR Clean Eating App. GIVEAWAY.

[i was given a free download to try out the app, all opinions and inches lost are 100% mine.]

if you're like me and enjoyed summer a little too much...ate well, drank well (who can blame us?)...you're probably feeling like it's time to get back on track with exercise and healthy eating. with POPSUGAR's Clean Eating App, it's easy! you get a two-week clean-eating plan - five recipes a day, complete with photos, ingredients, and directions.

i thought, ok, it's going to be complicated recipes of things i don't eat or don't have in my kitchen already. i was surprised to find some simple recipes including some of the foods i already eat. for example, these mini tuna cucumber sandwiches were right up my alley. i eat tuna anyways, all i had to do was swap out the bread for cucumber. it was such a refreshing lunch, and so simple.

do you have to do some prep work? yes. do you have to cut out everything? no. there's ice cream recipes, pudding, chocolate, and yummy smoothies! will you have to go out and find ingredients? maybe. you don't have to stick to the plan or recipes exactly. if it's less intimidating, ease into it by trying one of the recipes per day, then increase each week. revisit recipes you love. i came across a couple of recipes i knew i wouldn't make, so i just swapped them out for ones that i liked and were easy for me to make. i use the app as a guide to help me through the week. it not only provides recipes, but inspiration to want to eat healthier.

create a shopping list, see step-by-step directions, and view nutrient totals.

these were a hit in my house!

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GIVEAWAY

are you ready to clean up your act...er, eating?

i'm giving away a free iOS download for the POPSUGAR Clean Eating App to one reader who wants a jump start on eating clean and healthy. to enter, simply leave a comment with your email so that i can notify you if you win. winner selected at random end of my day tomorrow, 9/26.

let's do this!

Canvas Factory GIVEAWAY. 02.

[i was provided with one canvas print for review purposes; squeals of excitement and opinions are 100% mine.]

we capture so many great memories with our phones and digital cameras from our summer vacations and graduations, down to selfies and our food. Canvas Factory allows you to transform those photos into beautiful pieces of artwork. they can print on stretched canvas, aluminum, acrylic glass. they can print collages, full wall displays, or even split canvases. best of all, their website lets you easily upload photos from your computer or even directly from facebook, instagram, or flicker. the hardest part was choosing a photo!

this photo of diamond head was taken from a catamaran ride on a recent staycation in waikiki. i chose a 16" x 20" canvas print in landscape. i uploaded the file from my computer, positioned it on the canvas, and that was it. my print arrived in the mail shortly after that.

this is my second print from Canvas Factory, and i was glad to see a small improvement on their prints. they now put a backing on the canvas which gives it a little more weight and heft.

wrapped canvas.

here it is behind my desk.

GIVEAWAY!

Want to have a unique piece of artwork that no one else will have? Canvas Factory is generously giving away a free canvas print to one lucky reader.

Can't wait? Canvas Factory is having a huge sale; start creating your canvas art now! Otherwise, enter below.

giveaway open to US/CAN only, ends 10/6

enter using the rafflecopter widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck!

stay in touch with Canvas Factory: facebook | twitter | pinterest

POPSUGAR Must Have Box. August.

happy birthday, POPSUGAR Must Have! august marks POPSUGAR Must Have's fifth year of curating fun and exciting lifestyle boxes delivered right to your door. creator, lisa sugar, gathered all of her favorite products and brands to create this special birthday box.

in case you're not familiar with POPSUGAR's Must Have Box, it is a monthly subscription box filled with full-sized beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. for $39.95, you get 6-7 premium items plus a special item thrown in once in a while.

to celebrate their birthday, POPSUGAR Must have is hosting weekly giveaways throughout the month of august to current subscribers and those who sign up during the month of august. the grand prize for the final week of august includes one year of must have! subscribe now so you don't miss out!

here's what was in august's box:

1. pastel cheers lacquered tray

2. first aid beauty 5-in-1 bouncy mask 

3. dogeared friendship bracelet with open heart

4. meri meri gold glitter candles

5. fringe studio free spirit journal

6. goodie girl cookies chocolate chunk

special extra:

7. shoptiques.com $25 gift card

who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?

cheers!

first aid beauty is one of my favorite brands...great for sensitive skin.

you can check out my unboxing on periscope @ oomph if you have the app.

otherwise you can watch it here.

do you subscribe to any subscription boxes?

if so, which ones?

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join POPSUGAR Must Have now and get the Must Have box for $39.95.

through the month of august take $10 off your first month with code: PARTY

see my june Must Have Box here.

see my october unboxing here.

see my july unboxing here.

see my june Must Have box here.

see my august Must Have box here.

see my november Must Have box here.

see my december Must Have box here.

POPSUGAR Must Have Box. June.

june's POPSUGAR Must Have Box has to be one of my favorites to date. with all the aloha in this box, i felt like this box was curated just for me! i can't wait to sport my new aloha hat and pouch at the beach.

in case you're not familiar with POPSUGAR's Must Have Box, it is a monthly subscription box filled with full-sized beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. for $39.95, you get 6-7 premium items plus a special item thrown in once in a while.

here's what was in june's box:

1. aloha collection mid size ocean coco palms pouch

2. captain blankenship mermaid sea salt hair spray 

3. the seven husbands of evelyn hugo novel by taylor jenkins reid

4. ncla so rich mermaid tears

5. billabong aloha forever trucker hat

6. meri meri blue and white party straws

7. belgian boys mini cookie stash

special extra:

8. starbucks frapuccino chilled coffee drink

you can check out my unboxing on periscope @ oomph if you have the app.

otherwise you can watch it here.

with every box there is a theme. this summer-time box was all about relaxing at the beach with a good read...drink in hand.

those who know me know this aloha hat is all me!

do you subscribe to any subscription boxes?

if so, which ones?

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join POPSUGAR Must Have now and get the Must Have box for $39.95.

take $5 off your first month with code: SHOP5

see my october unboxing here.

see my july unboxing here.

see my june Must Have box here.

see my august Must Have box here.

see my november Must Have box here.

see my december Must Have box here.

[oomph] eats. harbor restaurant at pier 38.

while i love trying new places, i also have my favorites. a restaurant/bar makes my favorites list for either its amazing view, service, or food/drinks. secondary to that is its location, parking, and cleanliness. harbor restaurant at pier 38 hits the mark in almost all of the above. it's close to work, has a beautiful view of the harbor, the food is great, we always have great service, its location outside of downtown/waikiki means it's less crowded, and there's lots of parking.

dinner seating starts at 5pm, but you can arrive earlier to have drinks at the bar. they have a beautiful view of the sunset, although they tend to close the blinds during that time. however, they do reopen them in time to see a nice afterglow.  

post sunset view over the harbor...the afterglow.

appetizers: prime rib bites and potato crisps & dip.

brand new and clean interior. love the high ceilings and open feel.

favorite drink: the sunset

(house infused cherry vodka, malibu pineapple rum, chambord, sweet & sour)

salmon salad

you can even bring your own bottle of wine, no corkage fee.

dessert: tiramisu

harbor restaurant at pier 38

1129 n. nimitz highway

honolulu, hi 96817

an [oomph] review. eshakti. 02

[i received one dress for purposes of review; opinions good or bad are 100% mine.]

in case you aren't familiar with eshakti, it is an online clothing retailer that provides fit and style customization. this is a great option for those who are shorter or taller than average, have a longer or shorter torso, or anything else that makes you special! for me, it's my height. everything is too long for my 5'-2" frame. you can also purchase standard sizes without any customization.

every item starts with a base, like this palm print maxi dress below. i loved the tropical print but felt it would be overwhelming for my height as a maxi dress. so...some customization was in order. i took the length to just above my knees and shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length. i also entered all of my measurements to get a more customized fit.

the result is below.

the dress turned out exactly as i ordered. the new length and shorter sleeves make the dress more wearable. it is also lined, so it has a nice weight to it, and the pockets are an added bonus!

looking at the original dress and my dress...what do you think? would you take advantage of a customization service like this? let me know in the comments!

in case you missed it:

eshakti review. 01

eshakti beach coverup

memorial day weekend in photos.

hope everyone enjoyed the long memorial day weekend if you had it. with schools out, we've been busy with graduation season, so this long weekend was much needed to recoup and relax.

to start off the weekend, i met up with long time blog friend, laura! we've been online friends and pen pals since 2010, and when she said she was coming to hawaii, i knew we'd have to meet. we met for dinner at piggy smalls and chatted about anything and everything while enjoying yummy food and drinks.

lap cheong crusted opah.

'milk & honey'

laura (formerly of the blog of worldy delights) and ben started a great new blog about mid-west living. keep up with them here:

stl living

view from the hawaii convention center

went to watch my niece's dance competition at the hawaii convention center. on the first night, she took GOLD for her solo dance. after, we had soodubu (soft tofu soup) at one of my favorite places, cho dang.

sunday was a chill day at home. it was hot, and foxy couldn't wait to swim. here she is waiting ever so patiently.

of course, on memorial day we took flowers to the graveyard. this particular cemetery is located near the beautiful ko'olau mountains where it is always lush and green. it poured while we were there, but we took that as a blessing.

the veteran memorial cemetery lined with american flags.

post-cemetery, we fueled up (japanese food from maruki tei) before partaking in some memorial day shopping.

we ended the weekend at the beach house...check out the mangoes!!

the absolute best part about a three-day weekend?

the four-day work week that follows!