Category Archives: Shopping

Something that makes me sad


Photo included is my dad’s last trip to Disneyland with my family. Ronan was two and I was pregnant with Maddox at the time. Pictured here with my sister and our friend Austin.
 


“Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? so keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” Marilyn Monroe
Shoe shopping with my partner. What do you think of these?
My current pair has holes in the soles, no good in puddles.
 http://instagr.am/p/KCvjidIk58/

‘Something that makes me sad’ is not having my dad around anymore.
Not just for me but for my boys as they grow up. :(
#photoadayapril #photoadaychallange
http://instagr.am/p/KCcQHmok2B/

Shopping & Snow

Ryan and I spent another Tuesday date together.  This time we went up to Crawley for a little shopping.  I love shopping but I do find it hard to spend money on myself, compared to buying things for the boys.  I am however a love for deals.  So while Ryan and I enjoyed some time together, I kept my eyes open.  I got a new iPhone cover for just £1 with Mr. Men on it (to make the boys smile) and two pairs of shoes for a grand total of £11!  But better than any deals was the weather.  Yes it was cold but instead of rain we had snow.  It started snowing while we were out and at one point the snowflakes were quite big.  I loved having the snow fall! It made the day out so beautiful and special.

Out with Ryan in Crawley 

Christmas Shopping in Town

It is Monday but no school for the boys since they are now on their Winter break.  Ryan had work early this morning and I really wanted to do something special with Ronan and Maddox.   Instead of having porridge at home, I took the boys into town for some special time together.  We started off with breakfast at one of the bakeries where the boys got to choose what they wanted to eat.  They enjoyed a delicisous banana milk to drink.  I had a jacket potato with beans and it really hit the spot with the cold weather outside.  Afterwards we went into several of the shops, trying to find the right Christmas presents for their dad.  Not to spoil the surprise, I will not post what we ended up buying online.  But the boys did have a lot of fun picking out something specifically from them.  At the end of our morning out,  we found some cute santa hats at Claire’s for the boys to wear.  Getting into the holiday spirit we took some fun photographs around all the Christmas decorations at the shopping centre.

Breakfast with my boys in town. 

Silly faces and Christmas spirit. 

Christmas Shopping Date in London

Kua ‘Aina Grill in London

I used to work on Tuesdays but things got a little too hectic at home and so I took to not taking those extra hours in the salon.  Ryan does not have class or work this semester on Tuesday so we found ourselves finally in years with one day to spend with just ourselves.  Well at least while the boys are in school.  With Christmas fast approaching, we decided to take to London for a little Christmas shopping.  As we got off the train we headed through the park where I really enjoyed watching the ducks.  I really enjoy all the parks in England. They are usually quite beautiful and quaint. After a yummy breakfast of warm food we headed to the toy store again for christmas shopping.  It was a really fun outing and makes me really look forward to more Tuesdays like this.  We even found a restaurant chain that we had in Hawaii!  Nothing like a bit of Aloha to make you feel warmer in the cold English weather.  Alas all the fun to be had today was finalized with a little bit of drama trying to get back home.  Unfortunately in the winter months it seems a lot of people decide to take their lives and jump in front of trains.  This happened and it delayed us getting back to the boys by a few hours. With not having any contacts we can rely on in situations like this it made it quite stressful.  My thoughts do go out to the family of the individual who ended their life.  Quite sad.

Ryan in Hyde Park 

Me bundled up in London 
Watching the Ducks 

Brunch of hot soup, warm bread, and a cup of hot chocolate.  

Maddox makes decorations!

When I dropped Maddox off at school I got to see all the ornaments they have been making for school.  He was very proud to show me the ones he made specifically.  He looks forward to bringing them home at break so we can put them on our own tree.  Afterwards I stopped through town to check out the charity shops.  I found a huge tub of assorted legos for less money than a new lego set costs in the store.  I could not pass this up and so I bought it for the boys for Christmas.  I will just need to figure out how to wrap it up.

Maddox showing off some of his homemade decorations at school. 
Maddox and his classmates decorated these to hang up on their class tree. 
I really like the rudolph ornaments they made too! 
My charity shop find: a huge tub of legos!  This will be perfect for under the tree at Christmas. 

Candy Canes in London before headed back home on the train. 
Yesterday my partner and I took my boys to London for the day and I posted photos from when we played in the leaves.  Here are the rest of the photos from our adventure out in London to experience the Christmas atmosphere.  We started at the German Christmas market where we enjoyed hot cocoa that tasted like melted chocolate bars, ate yummy goulash soup from a bread bowl, and got to sample one of my favourites, German Rittersport chocolate. The boys were read for a lot of photo ops and so this blog post is quite picture heavy.  I ended with our time at Hamey’s, the toy store in London and some of the beautiful Christmas lights seen around town.  I hope you enjoy, as we had a lot of fun together in London. 

Merry Elfmas from Ronan & Maddox

Ronan and Maddox in the Winter Wonderland, the German Christmas market
The Moose that sings and talks!
My three men!
Love all the Christmas ornaments and crafts. Especially the Owls and Moose.
 Gluhwein anyone?
The Hot Cocoa tasted like melted chocolate bars. 
Maddox loved all the animal puppets. Here he is begging for one, “Puhlease!”
Walking down the street of the German Christmas market in London
Potato Pancakes? Yes please!
Ronan and Maddox with the Ringing Father Christmas
Ronan and Maddox with the skiing Father Christmas
Ronan and Maddox with the Nutcracker
Maddox with his German chocolate
Ronan and Maddox with the Snowman
Ronan and Maddox with the snowman familia
Maddox with Father Christmas
Ronan with Father Christmas

Mummy giving a Shaka with Father Christmas! Aloha! Mele Kalikimaka
Hard Rock Cafe has their tree up
The Ritz
The main shopping street where Hamey’s is located.
Boys playing with fake snow at the Hamey’s toy store
Ronan and Maddox really enjoyed all the Harry Potter items at Hamey’s Toy Store
These airbrush pens at Hamey’s Toy Store really won the boys over. They both love crafts and art. 

Ronan and Maddox each got a complimentary blow up ball.  They thought it was magic! 
My favourite store!
My favourite window of Tiffany’s
London at Night

An afternoon in Brighton

Taking the scenic route through the park into town. 
I work 4 days a week, which includes a full day Saturday.  My partner not only is working on his Masters programme, but works a part time job on the side which includes working on Sunday.  Between both of our schedules, we have it orchestrated to a tee to whom is dropping or picking up the kids from school on which ever day, morning, or afternoon and who can be with the kids on the weekends.  Heaven forbid one of them get sick, than our just perfect scheduling matrix will crumble and we have to figure out who can bend their day and pick up the pieces.  Ryan has gotten to take the boys to parties that I could not attend on Saturday because I had work.  I get to take the boys to church and often will take the long way home so we can stop at the park or get something to eat along the way.  I have so far gotten out just once in the evenings, and that was to watch a band play by myself.  When Ryan has gotten to go out with his Uni friends in the evenings and I stay at home with the kids, it seems no different from when he would go out with his military mates and I watched the boys.  But my partner and I hardly have any time where we can just have a date night and spend time with out the kids, let alone all of us together. So today when we had an odd that we were both free this afternoon, we took it and it was lovely. 
I had the Almond Brioche at the French Patisserie and a hot chocolat.

Ryan with his Illy Cappuccino and cannolo. 

I love the bricks and the leaves…life is beautiful. 
  We started with a morning walk from the school into town.  This include taking a short cut through the park, a new way that Ryan had not been before.  This led us to where we stopped inside a french patisserie for breakfast pastries and hot drinks to keep us warm in the cold morning weather.  We chatted about politics and school and all those topics that you cannot get in depth about when you have a six year old whining because his brother will not play by his rules.  Afterwards we took the train down to Brighton and went browsing in the Lanes.  
Ryan and I both loved vintage stores as kids and still do as adults. 
  
German styled market of wares outside the Churchill Square  shopping centre.
                      
Thrifty find…or die trying. 
Ryan has been on the hunt for some new sweaters to fill up his closet to keep up with the growing cold temperatures this Autumn.  Though we did not find any perfect matches, Ryan did try on this brown leather jacket that was perfect.  As soon as he tried it on, we both knew it was a keeper. Fingers crossed it will still be there in a few days when Ryan goes back to purchase it.  *knock on wood*  Afterwards we took the bus to the beauty supply store and I felt like a kid in a candy store.  It did not have as many hair and beauty supplies that I would have hoped, so hopefully they carry more items on the website.  I picked up some hair colour to keep up my ginger colour and then we took the bus back to the rail station.  Before getting on our train we bought some roasted chestnuts and hot pasties to eat for lunch.  Both were delicious and really hit the spot.  I had only a few minutes to beeline it to the kids’ school upon getting to our station, so I pretty much walked as fast as I could to get there.  Of course I was still early, but at least being early is on time and so I felt much better as I waited with the other parents.  
Roasted chestnuts for sale outside the railway station. 

                       
The last two chestnuts…so yummy!
Ryan with his last roasted chestnut.

I really enjoyed spending one on one time with Ryan, as I do spending time with my boys too.  I really hope Ryan and I can find more time to hang out together, as well as I hope to do one on ones with each of my boys to make sure each of them knows just how special and loved they are every day.