Well it was kind of a chill. My kids had a dental appointment (no cavities! Yay, I’m so surprised lol, especially with how my daughter loves treats) and I had my breast ultrasound and was hoping for a biopsy BUT, the doctor wasn’t 100% sure she caught the nodule on the screen and would rather me do the MRI biopsy. So I’m doing that tomorrow. 😕 I’m just hoping it’s a quick procedure and not too uncomfortable. And hope my results come back with good news.
I’ve been slowly working my way through Painted Devils by. Margaret Owen. I love Vanja and Emeric! Anyway I’ve been noticing I take awhile to finish hardcover books because I can only find time to read at night. Using my ipad to read is much easier to do that, but I have to finish 2 more library books before their due in 2 weeks! I’m almost finished with my August arcs, at least I only have 2!
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
Happy July everyone! The weather has gotten hotter, the days are longer and my kids have one month before school starts again so I’m starting to do back to school shopping. How is your week so far?
It was a very low-key week and a nice time to catch up on reading, cleaning the house and my kids got some outdoor time using their scooters outside for our mid-morning walks with our dog (who’s so happy the kids are home with him). I can’t believe June is over!
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
It’s officially summer, even though it felt like summer since May here in Hawaii. But now that it’s official on the calendar, here are some books that capture the essence of summer!
When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new rom-com.
For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who’s dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.
Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn’t interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.
An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?
A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.
The ultimate summer nostalgia read, about an engaged woman who comes face to face with her first love who she hasn’t seen in fourteen years, but who she spent every summer with from age five to seventeen when he broke her heart, calling into question everything she thought she knew about their love story, and herself.
Beach Rules: Do take long walks on the sand. Do put an umbrella in every cocktail. Do NOT run into your first love.
Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fiancé, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right?
Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed—Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
June is over in 2 days! Where has the year gone? Seriously! 😳 I’ve been on a good reading spree ever since I got back from my trip. Ten days of taking a break from reading really helped me get my motivation to read back and I think I need to take like maybe one week breaks from reading every so often.
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
All That’s Left to Say by. Emery Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stealing Infinity (#1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Midnight at the Houdini ⭐️⭐️💫
Bittersweet in the Hollow by. Kate Pearsall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So I think we are finally over our jet lag – but I still feel like it’s hard to wake up early in the morning. Now it’s all about trying to keep my kids entertained (which I got over by Thursday). So workbooks and a schedule it is! There is room for fun since it’s summer of course, but I’m trying to not spend so much (I miss prices in Japan 😩). It is so expensive here. And so expensive to entertain kids…why do they eat so much?! 😅 We did some free things like went to the pool, and will probably do more pool days this week!
I actually can’t believe this is the last week of June because it means my kids only have 5 weeks of summer break left. I have to do back to school shopping! 😩 I have doctor appointments to do. I had a breast MRI when I came back from my trip and have you ever had a MRI? Why is the machine so loud?! I requested to listen to Taylor Swift on the headphones but those headphones are crap because I heard all the loud noises when the MRI did it’s scan. It sounded like I was at a rave…and next to the speakers. I love when they were like ok this scan will last about less than 3 minutes. Do you know how long 3 minutes is when you can’t move and loud sounds are surrounding you?! It was torture…but necessary and they found another nodule near the one they found in January SO…I have another mammogram and ultrasound and an ultrasound biopsy (if the ultrasound detects it) next week. If the ultrasound cannot detect I have to do an MRI guided biopsy – oh JOY! 😒 I have to remind myself I don’t have cancer (yet and I hope never do) and this is all to make sure they catch it quick if I do. Hoping the biopsy goes well.
Anyway…summer is going by fast. I really wish we were going back to Japan in October, I can see why people love going back.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Have you gotten some new books lately? Here’s what I got!
NETGALLEY::
The fates of two bitter enemies with opposing magical abilities are swept together in The Hurricane Wars, the spellbinding debut in a fantasy romance trilogy set in a Southeast Asia-inspired world ravaged by storms, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and R. F. Kuang.
The heart is a battlefield.
All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.
Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.
Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion–one that could save their world…or destroy it.
An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…
Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers hera lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.
Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite–the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.
While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything–the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.
A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson.
On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster’s office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the fire alarm right as the prom was about to be crowned. But Hannah had her reasons . . .
One year ago, her cousin Sophie, who was also her best friend and the person she loved most in the world, died of an overdose. Drowning in grief, Hannah became obsessed with one Who gave Sophie those pills? Who is refusing to give her family the closure they deserve?
Then she concocted a enroll at her cousin’s fancy private school with a new look and a mouthful of lies, and finally uncover the truth.
But Hannah didn’t expect all the lines to blur. She didn’t expect Sophie’s friends to be so complicated. She didn’t expect to fall for her longtime enemy. Now, she must choose to either let herself really mourn Sophie and move on, or see her search through to its explosive end–even if it means destroying herself.
Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries in this fun and clever dark academia series…
High school is supposed to be about studying, socializing, and marching-band practice. Not fighting vampires. Then one night flipped my world inside out―now, my life sucks. But it isn’t all bad. I’m at a slayer academy, learning things like the real origin of vamps and how to make serious weapons out of thin air.
Every last one of them will pay for what they did. I’m doing great.
Until I come face-to-face with the actual vampire prince…and I’m not sure of anything anymore. Vampires are supposed to be soul-sucking demons. But Khamari is…something else. He’s intelligent and reasonable―and he seems to know things about me that could change everything.
He’s also hiding something big, even from his own kind. And when a threat from an ancient evil is so extreme that a vampire will team up with a slayer to take it down, it isn’t just my need for revenge that’s at stake anymore.
It’s the whole damn world.
KINDLE UNLIMITED:
A magical prince wants to date me, but there’s one big problem.
This prince has claws.
Everyone at Shadow Hills Academy desires the dark and powerful Jarron Blackthorn. But I’m the only one who has seen the terrifying beast beneath his magical façade.
When my sister is murdered, and the case mysteriously dropped, I know where to begin my own investigation—Shadow Hills Academy, an elite school for supernaturals. Technically, I have zero magic, but just enough skills with potions to be accepted. Now I have the means to get close to the most likely culprits—powerful people like the demon prince Jarron.
I was friends with Jarron years ago, before I saw his true form, but I’m still shocked when he reacts to news of my sister’s death with a fierce determination for vengeance. He has an insane plan to help me get access to Elite Hall, where the most powerful students reside—by pretending to date me.
Dating a demon was NOT how I expected this year to start, but his plan will work. Hang on the arm of Jarron Blackthorn, the heir of the Under World, and everyone in school will be so desperate for my friendship they’ll spill their darkest secrets.
I just have to make sure Jarron never learns he is my number one suspect.
Keep your enemies close, right?
KINDLE Bought E-Books:
Kresley Cole’s New York Times bestselling Arcana Chronicles series comes to a spectacular and fiery conclusion in this final installment.
When even the gods hold their breath . . .
To defeat the Emperor and Fortune, Evie, the great Empress of Arcana, must repair her bond with Death, despite the earth-shattering developments between them.
And danger lurks in every shadow . . .
Their allies—a sea witch, a band of roving warriors, and more than a couple of rogues—overcome terrifying obstacles to help them. But when Jack makes a shocking discovery, the fallout threatens to tear their alliance apart.
One girl could deliver salvation—or doom.
If the Empress and her friends can remain united, will their powers be enough to defeat a catastrophic curse on the world, or will hellfire reign forever? The end looms for us all until the best hand wins. . . .
ONLINE LIBRARY:
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Loveboat, Taipei in this hilarious YA rom-com about a Chinese-Filipina girl in Manila whose father sets her up on a marathon of arranged dates in hopes of convincing her to stay close to home for college.
Chloe is officially off the waitlist at USC, and thus one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming an animator in the United States. But before she leaves home, her auntie insists on planning a traditional debut for Chloe’s eighteenth birthday (think sweet sixteen meets debutante ball). To make matters worse, her father, intent on finding Chloe the perfect escort for the party, keeps setting her up on one awkward kaishao—or arranged date—after another. But . . . why does her dad suddenly care so much about her love life? And what happens when she actually starts to fall for one of the guys, only to have to leave at the end of the summer?
Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match-someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is “sounbelievably boring.” Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.
Will–the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard–is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.
Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…
PHYSICALBOOKS:
Nothing can stop the demon tide….
Newly exposed as the Black Witch of Prophecy, Elloren Gardner Grey is on the run, not knowing if she’ll find friends or foes. With her fastmate, Lukas Grey, either dead or in the hands of High Mage Marcus Vogel, Elloren knows the only chance of turning the tide of the coming war is to seek allies who will listen long enough not to kill her on sight.
In the Eastern Realm, Water Fae Tierney Calix and Elloren’s brother Trystan have joined the Wyvernguard to prepare for Vogel’s attack. But Trystan is fighting on two fronts, as the most despised and least trusted member of the guard. And Tierney’s bond with Erthia’s most powerful river has exposed a danger even more terrifying than the looming war.
The Black Witch is back, and the Prophecy is at hand. It’s time to fight. But Vogel has one more earth-shattering revelation for them all.
After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new summer job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this romp of a rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.
Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year.
Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.
On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
I’m back from my trip, and I think I’m over my jet lag now but there were a few weird nights where I was up and reading because my internal clock was off! But I’ve worked through a few books which is nice.
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
A Court This Cruel & Lovely by. Stacia Start ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
ATaste of Torment by. Stacey Trombley ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Drop of Anguish by. Stacey Trombley ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
A Dose of Agony by. Stacey Trombley ⭐️⭐️💫
The Scarlet Alchemist by. Kylie Lee Baker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I’m back from my two week adventure in Okinawa, Japan and what a trip it was! First off we flew on the day when a Typhoon Mawar was making it’s way to Okinawa so yes, our connecting flight from Tokyo to Okinawa was cancelled. Thank goodness we found out the night before our flight and booked a hotel at Haneda airport. And it was a nice hotel too! So at least we had a chance to rest and acclimate ourselves to Japanese and using Yen for our currency. My body seriously needed to stretch out on a bed that night anyway after the 8 hour flight from Honolulu to Tokyo and my kids got the twin beds and yes…I got the tatami futon bed on the floor which I actually appreciated. I needed back support. 😅 My kids loved the fancy toilets, but the shower on the floor next to the tub was something to get used to (there is a drain in the floor).
All the toilets are fancy all over Okinawa (and I’m assuming mainland Japan). It’s got the bidet options, the sounds…the public restrooms at the airport have bars to help people who need it, toddler urinals for moms using the bathroom have have kids with them! Even a spot to put a baby, that holds them in place so you can use the toilet! It’s so considerate and thoughtful. And the sinks were lower so that kids could reach!
And we loved flying with Japan Airlines! It was our first time and they fed us a lot – we even got Haagen Dazs ice cream – children were served first (even though my kids did not want the food served) they ate some of it and I helped them eat some of it. They kept us hydrated all flight and gave my kids souvenirs they got to choose from each flight. So we flew on 4 planes, let’s just say they came home with a bunch of souvenirs 😅. They even gave my kids cute chopsticks! My kids definitely need to practice using chopsticks. The flight from Tokyo to Okinawa, the typhoon remnants were lashing Tokyo and we flew in that storm – we were delayed about 20-30 minutes on the runway and warned it may be turbulent. NO KIDDING. I was terrified with how much swaying we did on the runway just from the wind alone so yes there were moments we were gripping our armrests and my kids were scared but I’m so proud of them. My daughter got motion sickness and the attendants noticed right away and brought her water, which was so observant of them.
My hubby’s apartment was 3 bedrooms, thank goodness because 7 of us went on this trip, so my nephews slept on the couches – which they didn’t mind at all. Okinawa reminds me of Hawaii but also has that Southeast Asia humidity lol…so it reminded me at times of the Philippines with the big bugs. A huntsman spider greeted us on my hubby’s car when he picked us up from the airport and he hitched a ride, hiding among our luggage. 😩 So already I was freaked out about the bugs. They like to come out at night for sure…because every morning we found something waiting for us in the driveway – barely dead moths, beetles, never dead spiders lol…there were huge grasshoppers and the sound of cicadas (which we don’t have in Hawaii), pretty loud in the evening and mornings. My dad loved the bugs. And he also found that the fruit bats flew every evening to the trees behind the apartment – I love the bats more than I love the insects!
View from my hubby’s apartment
We did a lot of things when we were there. And it’s been awhile since my grown, teenage nephews visited a zoo and aquarium lol…so I’m glad they enjoyed themselves. We went to the Okinawa Zoo, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa World, Shuri Castle and Katsuren Castle, and everyone’s favorite because it was indoors – Rycom Mall. It was HOT. I mean to me, Hawaii is hot, but there is always a gentle breeze…the humidity in Okinawa was killer. I was so grateful for all the vending machines around and yes…Japan loves their vending machines and we loved it! We spent a lot of our yet buying water, and even ice cream! We had to stay hydrated with all that heat. And who knew I’d eat so much ice cream in Okinawa! My daughter had ice cream every day I think. She survived on pizza, cheese, bagels, toast, french fries, fruits and ice cream. Yes, she’s my picky eater!
Our FAVORITE ice cream in Okinawa! ❤️
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
We did a lot of walking and a lot of climbing hills or stairs, which was unexpected but it kept us burning those calories from all the food we were trying and eating. Because Hawaii has always had a big tourism industry and Japanese tourist, I felt like all the foods were familiar to me and things I ate in Hawaii anyway. But what I love was how organic and fresh their fruits tasted. Even their ice cream feels lighter. My mom and dad raved about their vegetables and fruits. Their egg yolks are so yellow/orange, and a carton cost about $2.50. 😭 So many things were super affordable, it made me want to cry when we came back and I had to buy groceries. I paid $7.99 for eggs. 🙄
Pokemon Store at Rycom Mall
My daughter with all the things her dad bought for her and her brother at the Pokemon store.
The other stuff they bought…
My mom, dad and nephews pretty much traveled with empty luggages which was smart since they could wash clothes at the apartment. You wouldn’t believe the amount of goodies my mom bought LOL. We always ended up helping her carry stuff back to the car – it’s amazing it all fit in their luggage! 😅 The popular treats in Okinawa are Chinsuko cookies which taste like shortbread. And Okinawan sweet potato treats (beni-imo). Some of their local dishes featured veggies Filipinos use in cooking also like bitter-melon and calamansi (which I think in Okinawa was called Shikuwasa) which is like a tiny lemon/lime fruit.
Okinawa Chinsuko cookies
Even though we were dying from the heat I’m glad we got to enjoy the outdoor stuff before the rain came at the end of our trip. And my parents did pretty good (they are both 70 climbing up rocky castle ruins in high humidity! The playground my hubby took the kids too was so amazing and fun, even for my older nephews! My oldest nephew turned 18 in Okinawa so the playground trip and dinner afterwards was a perfect way to saying bye to childhood and entering adulthood. I was happy to see him sliding and climbing.
Katsuren Castle
Pirate Playground at Araha Park
The people in Okinawa are so nice. They even drive nicely and politely! My American self who is used to anxiety, violence, people arguing or road rage found it such a relief to have a feeling of being SAFE somewhere, and in a foreign country no less where we don’t even speak the language. We got around with pointing to menu items, and communicated with the little Japanese I spoke (I forgot what I learned in high school!), and what little English they knew (but they knew more at tourist spots). I’m going to miss bowing my head and saying Arigato Gozaimasu (thank you very much), Sumimasen (excuse me), Hai (yes), Oishi (delicious lol), Kawaii (cute). My nephew knew more, and helped out where he could.
Kokusai-Dori Street, we didn’t even leave this covered shopping alley because it was SO hot outside
Yes we ate at EVERY Blue Seal ice cream place we saw lol even at the airport!
Okinawa World Cave with Stalactites
Somebody wanted out! My kids got to touch this snake.
Fruit bats (Ryukyu Flying Fox) having dinner in the trees
Okinawa Rainbow outside our window
It was an amazing trip filled with bugs that scared me and humidity that was trying to kill me BUT it was the first family trip I had with my nephews and parents along with my kids. We were missing my sister and her husband but honestly my husband’s van could only fit 8 and with our luggage it was a seriously a tight fit.😅 The people of Okinawa are so nice and welcoming and polite. I spent a lot of yen at vending machines and those Gacha capsule vending machines 😆. My kids had a blast! I felt like I missed taking so many good photos because I was trying to keep an eye out for the whole group at times, making sure no one got lost, or I was holding too many bags😅, or I was just hot and exhausted. It was a memorable trip for sure and probably our one time going to Okinawa. My kids want to now explore mainland Japan so I think that will happen in March. I’m already planning it!
It was a fun trip, and quite an adventure! I’m glad to be home though, we missed our dog a lot and my bed (had to sleep on a floor futon for 2 weeks!) but thankfully he did well with the dog sitter even if he was wary of her for the first days. By the time she dropped off the key to me upon my return he was barking and jumping on her excitedly and trying to get her to play with him, which was kind of sad. I’m glad they bonded.
Blog Posts:
Books I Read:
Currently Reading:
I’m struggling to get into Immortal Longings! Which is a bummer. I hope it gets better the more I push through.
Shows/Movies I Watched:
Top Gun 2 – finally watched it on my trip and it was pretty good!
Never Have I Ever (Season 3)
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
I’m leaving a plane today for Okinawa, Japan. We fly to Haneda Airport in Japan then have to catch a connecting flight to Okinawa so wish me luck! I hate the airport and airplane part of the trip – it’s exhausting. I’m hoping everything goes smoothly.
What are you currently reading?
I got Carrie Soto is Back as an audiobook!
What have you just finished reading?
Well Matched by. Jen DeLuca ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Stolen Throne by. Abigail Owen ⭐️⭐️💫
What are you going to read next?
I’ll get to these when I come back from my vacation. Or maybe finish them there? We shall see…
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 