September 9, 2018
My family and I had exactly seven days between the day we got our keys and the day we moved into our new house. We had to decide quickly what improvements we needed to prioritize, so we carefully assessed each…
September 2, 2018
When our real estate agent first showed us our home, I immediately began seeing visions of raising our family there. I pictured all of us playing in the yard, entertaining, and running around in our daily lives. I also began…
August 26, 2018
My favorite place in the house has and always will be the kitchen. Unfortunately, typical kitchen storage and I do not get along. I stand at a whopping 4 feet and 11 inches (5 feet on a good day). I…
August 19, 2018
I am a self-proclaimed germophobe, and so I like to keep my toothbrush stored behind closed doors. However, when my family and I first moved into our new home, I quickly had to adapt to the absence of a medicine…
August 12, 2018
Before my family and I moved into our new home in May, our tool-box was scarce. It had the basics, like a hammer, screwdrivers and a wrench, but when we wanted to get some real work done, we always had…
August 5, 2018
When my family and I got the keys for our home, we immediately got to work. We painted walls, replaced fixtures, cleaned like crazy and replaced furniture items that no longer worked. Some of the last things that we still…
July 29, 2018
When my family moved into our home just a couple of months ago, we decided to do the packing ourselves and leave the heavy lifting up to professional movers. Having moved six times on Oahu in the last 11 years,…
July 22, 2018
One of the best features of my family’s new home is the view. From the kitchen, family room and lanai, we have a picture-perfect vantage point of Diamond Head. On Friday nights, we can see the fireworks in Waikiki. During…
July 15, 2018
As I write this, I cannot help but look at the publish date and smile. It is the day that baby No. 2 is due to arrive. Planning ahead for this baby, my husband and I anticipate many of the…
July 8, 2018
Now that we are in the middle of summer, my Cleveland friends frequently comment on how nice it is to be able to bring their kids outside. Taking advantage of every nice day by spending time outdoors is something inherent…
July 1, 2018
As we get closer to the Fourth of July, a time to celebrate our nation, you may notice friends and neighbors getting into the spirit by flying United States flags at home. I must say, while I have never flown…
June 24, 2018
By now you should know that hurricane season is upon us. The season goes from June 1 to Nov. 30. During this time, you should prepare by organizing your emergency kits with food, water and other safety items – but…
June 17, 2018
When we first purchased our home, we were faced with many decisions: What colors should we paint the walls, what fi xtures should we replace, which of our furnishings and accessories can stay and which should go? It wasn’t long…
June 10, 2018
When it comes to parenting, my mom has always erred on the protective side. Just recently, she sent me some news articles about rat lung-worm disease in Hawaii, urging me to take precautions and to protect our family. Rat lungworm…
June 3, 2018
Several years ago, while my husband and I were renting a condo in Kaimuki, we could have sworn to you that our place was haunted. Our dog, Lilo, was uneasy the majority of the time, and she seemed to bark…
May 27, 2018
When my husband, Scott, and I first looked at our new house, one of the biggest selling features was the outside. It has more space — both covered and exposed — than our previous home, and the views are hard…
May 20, 2018
When my husband, Scott, was growing up, he spent much of his weekends and after-school days working on the landscaping with his dad and brothers. Mowing the lawn, digging in the dirt, and trimming trees and foliage became a passion…
May 13, 2018
The day my husband, Scott, and I got the keys to our new house, we got to work. Among our top priorities were painting the rooms, switching out fixtures, adding ceiling fans and, of course, cleaning and unpacking. I’m happy…
May 6, 2018
We finally did it. After what seemed like an unending process of searching and going through all of the inspections and paperwork that comes with it, my husband Scott and I finally bought a house. Now, our goal is to…
April 29, 2018
Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” My friend Chelsea epitomizes this quote. She has managed to keep a happy, healthy home and family of four by constantly keeping…