Tea Traveler.

I have a new "darling" who started today at the preschool...and I am so glad that I didn't really have much trouble helping him settle in. I am so proud of my kids, they really helped him feel welcomed and they did pretty well in modeling "correct behavior." I told them that he didn't yet know the rules of my classroom and of the school and so he was going to be watching them to know what to do...and  know that I have a classroom full of potential leaders, because they did a very good job in making sure that he knew what was going on. I am very proud of "my" kids. :)

It didn't rain today, but it was gray overcast the whole day. The sun was hiding behind all the grayness and in all honesty, it felt like the approaching of the holidays! Although, it LOOKED gloomy, it felt like home. And I was happy that it was like that because I have been feeling homesick lately. It's been awhile since I've been home, and so I think that I should make a trip out there soon before I go crazy.

I have a confession to make. I did something that I thought that I wouldn't do. I added "friends" on Facebook. I had deactivated my "old" account a few years ago and told myself that I was not going to be sucked into that place again, but every few days I would get a message, a friend request, a pop up on my wall of my past...and I got me really missing home and all my family and friends back there. The only reason why I had made this new account about a year ago now was because my sister was giving me so much grief about how I didn't have an account anymore. And then she said that she would send me pictures of DollGirl anymore and the only way that I can see the pictures is if I joined Facebook! What?! Who does that?! So for a long time I did have an account, but I literally only had 5 "friends" who were my family. My sister, brother-in-law, my daddy, Mandy, and DollGirl. But today I just went through all my friend request and added all those who were family and those who I am mostly still on contact with.

I have to remind myself to not get "addicted" to that place...but for the most part, I'm pretty good about it now. I don't really do anything on there, except to check out the pictures my sister posts up...but I can see the pro's about the place. It really does keep you connected with your family and friends when you are away from them. I have moved around so much that I have friends and family in all kine places...so I have decided to stop "hiding" from everyone and if they have asked me to be their friend and we actually know each other, then I will accept.

I miss home. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my "comfort zone." But I got this. :)

Well, when I got home today, look what Mandy had put on my study desk!

Mandy was fortunate enough to have fall break and so she didn't have school on Monday and today and so she was able to get my package for me...and right away I knew what it was! And I was extremely excited to open it!

And I was right! I finally received my Tea Traveler! I am always drinking tea and so this is a good way to bring my tea with me. I like loose leaf tea too, so this will be good. And then to, when I finally start the Fit Tea I can use this. Ash wanted me to do it with her so I told her I will wait for her and she has been meaning to go and get a strainer for the tea, since it is loose leaf...but I just told her an hour or so ago that will just meet her after work and hook her up with one of mine since I have plenty. I'm telling you, I have a lot of different teas and accessories for tea, so I don't mind sharing with her.  

But I think that I am going to buy her one of these as well. If I order one tonight for her, it will be here next week and so I think I'm going to. I will get her that strainer though so we can start already. 

But I am excited for my new Tea Traveler! I love, love drinking tea (Irish Breakfast and Peach Ginger are my all-time favorite!)...and this is so that I can bring my tea with me! I am going to try to figure out how to make the microwave work in my classroom so that I can bring some tea to work and have my tea at work as well. :)

Early Celebration.

I had SO much fun! So, my sister and I had not dressed up together in such a long...and just getting ready for this tea time with Amanda and friends was so much fun! Amanda and everyone else met up at the tea place...so my sister and I got ready at her house. Our tea appointment was at 3:pm...and my sister and I started getting ready at 12:30!

I was cracking up because Neal was like "What time are you two leaving...?!" And we told him that our appointment was at 3pm...and he was all like..."Then why are you getting ready SO early?!" *laughs* I remember those days where we would take forever to get dolled up to go out...and I miss it. It's a lot of fun trying to figure out what we were going to wear...our accessories, our make-up, our nails, our everything!

I will say though, Neal was a trooper through  it all since he was sick...and he helped keep DollGirl occupied while we got ready...but I didn't mind her getting ready with me. She is so much fun to have around...she is in awe with everything we do! I love her so much!

My sister braided my hair, and while she was braiding my hair, DollGirl came and gave me my iPad (which she knows she is not allowed to play with unless I am there with her...) and sat on my lap...so we took pictures together...I love how she can make faces with me! I love her SO much!

I did attempt to curl my hair...but yeah right...there is TOO much humidity here to keep the curls! *laughs* But at least I tried...and it look cute while it lasted...all the 10 minutes! *laughs* I had a friend who did her hair really cute, and so I asked her if I could copy her hair style and she said yes, so I had my sister help with the hair style that I wanted...basically braid half my hair to the other side and let my hair cascade down on one side. I think that it turned out really cute. :)

So, here is my sister and I all ready to go. I adore my sister's dress! It's so her! And her pearls are a good match! I didn't want to wear too much jewelry and I'm kind of bummed that you can see my earrings...but they matched my dress...and I wore gold bangles on my other wrists. 

My sister and I ended up going there a little bit earlier than everyone so that we can get everything ready. My sister ended up getting her a lot of tea stuff...and Amanda's favorite tea, Lady Londonderry. I got Amanda...well, I didn't get her anything! *laughs* I made her a birthday card with a coupon telling her that she can choose her very own tea cup and saucer from Tea at 1024 where we had her tea party! She had a lot of fun choosing her teacup...there were a lot of cute ones! :)

I love this tea place because you could choose your own teacup to use...and I usually get the same one...it reminds me of a princess. *laughs*

The service was amazing...and she didn't mind taking the millions of pictures that we asked of her to take of us! :) Conversation flowed very easily...and I think that we all had a wonderful, fun time. :)

I'm glad that Amanda had fun...and I'm glad that her friends came...we all had an amazing time...and I would definitely hang out with this wonderful ladies again! :) 

"Happy [Early] Birthday, Mandy! I love you!"

More tea.

It is so good to be reunited with my sister and her family. I love them so much and I can not even express how much I am glad that we are all here together. Even though I do get homesick for California, Hawaii is my home now...and with my sister (and her family) and my brother (and his amazing girlfriend!) here...it makes it easier to adjust to make this place my home. It's been nearly 3 1/2 years since I moved here...and I know that I wouldn't have lasted without my ohana. I love them.

I missed them when they were gone...but now that they are back, I feel more at ease. Look what they brought me back!

I miss Trader Joes! I super miss that store! That is one store that I took for granted when I lived there. I wish that they would bring a Trader Joe here. I have already tried the Pomegranate White Tea, and we may have a problem. I can fast see that that tea will be a top favorite of mine! It is soo yummy! My sister loves it as well! So now I know that whenever anyone asks what I would like from California...Pomegranate White Tea will definitely be on the list! Actually everything that you see in this picture will be on this list...with Jelly Beans of course! I love Jelly Beans! :) Cookie Butter is SOO yummy! And the cookies that make the Cookie Butter, Speculoos...are just as yummy! And I will NEVER say no to chocolate or coffee...so together...oh mandope! So onolicious! :)

So, my sister and I went out to find something for Amanda, since it will be her birthday on Monday...and I ended up going "tea-happy!" I love tea. Have I ever mentioned that before?! Well, yes, I love tea. :) I already knew what I want to get for Amanda...I was helping my sister find something for her...but I think that Amanda will like what we all got her. And plus...I know that she is a tea drinker...so she knows that I will buy all the tea...*laughs* and I will share with her. :)

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. My sister has planned to go out to our favorite tea place for Amanda's early birthday celebration...I can't wait. I'm going to dress up...we all are...we invited some of Amanda's friends to...so this is going to be fun.

DollGirl loves sitting up on the kitchen bar with me...and I love how Ginger joins us now too. :)

I am so glad that my sister and everyone is home. It kind of sucks though because Neal and DollGirl are sick...I think Neal has it worse though...so hopefully he gets better soon. I tried to give him tea, but really doesn't like tea...and DollGirl ACTS fine...but trust me, since I got here yesterday...I have been changing some VERY special diapers of hers! *laughs*

But it's so good to see them again. I love my family!

"Sometimes the strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors, and fight battles that nobody knows about."-anonymous

Comfort=Relaxation.

So after a long, complicated, mentally/physically exhausting day I decided a pot of tea would be a good way to relax. So after a quick cat nap when I got home I decided to have one of the flowering teas that my brother got me for Christmas. I still am so in awe of this beautiful tea!

 

I tried the Noble Madam tea...it's pretty yummy! I decided to put it in my infuser this time instead of just letting it sit in my pot. I do like little pieces floating in my tea...and the things that I did different this time was pour the water in the pot first before putting the tea flower thingy in.

It looks NOTHING like it turns out. I mean...look at that thing...I think if I wasn't curious as to what it would look like, I wouldn't have guess that it would be something that I DRINK! *laughs* But it's just that little bulb. (*laughs* Can you tell that I still am in awe of this "new" tea that my brother got me! *laughs*

So I just dropped that baby into the hot water in the infuser thingy...and it just floated there. I started to poke it with my spoon...it took a lot longer to open then the first one that I did! But I think that the coloring is SOOO awesome! The color was contained inside the infuser.

At first it was upside down so I had to turn it right side up...I know I shouldn't have done it in the infuser because it's not as pretty...but I really don't like the little floaties in my tea! But color is starting to slowly disperse outside the infuser! So cool!

Here is a top view of the pretty tea. I thought it was still pretty! :) I like this tea...it's not too strong...Green Tea with Jasmine.

Yep, tea really did hit the spot after that long day! You like how my tea cup has "COFFEE" written on it?! *laughs* I am a coffee person as well! My rule for coffee?! My first coffee of the day NEEDS to be a STRONG STRONG black coffee...then through out the day I will have my "other" kine coffee. *laughs* But tea in itself is also very yummy and so yes, I am a coffee AND tea person. So nevermind the "coffee" tea cup *laughs* It actually belongs to a set that my sister gave me. So there.
:)

I warmed up the left overs that I had with Jess yesterday...my yummy chicken katsu...to eat for dinner. I LOVE chicken katsu! This one is from L&L...comfort food for a time of relaxation.

Well, as I was enjoying my cup of tea...my brother and housemate/friend came home. I love them. Of course, my brother is family...but Amanda is family too. It's always good to sit with them and talk...and that's what we did. So, comfort drink, comfort food, comfort company equals a nice relaxing evening.

Thank God it's Friday. And I would like to add...Thank God for family, friends...tea and chicken katsu. :)

Last Post of 2013!

So, things have been mad busy lately, so I have a huge feeling that this is will be my last post of the year! I need to get on it! *laughs* This year, I wasn't able to post as much, hopefully with the new year coming in, I'll be able to post more! *crosses fingers*

Well, Christmas was a lot of fun! I went to my sister's house...and I didn't even have to go into work on Christmas Eve! Yay...but BOO, I have to work New Years Eve...oh well. Amanda left December 20 to go home she came back today though. I feel bad for her because they had to cancel her flight going home and so her and two other friends had to scramble to try to find new flights. Good thing though that the flight help person was able to help them! Coming back was okay though, and I"m glad that I'm not alone in the house anymore!!

Anyways, I am in a rush, so here are some pictures that I took of from Christmas and some!

Yes, I did change my nail polish! Even though there isn't a huge design here...the nail polish is pretty cool, don't you think?! :) Plus, since I did choose a Blue theme for the house, I matched it with my nails. :) My friend got me at least 5 different colors of this nail polish! I ADORE IT! DollGirl liked it too! She couldn't stop looking at it! :)

Here is my sister with DollGirl! Oh mandope! That little one had a lot of fun opening her stalking! It was adorable...I super enjoyed watching her open her stalking with her mom. I loved how this year she was more aware than she was last year when she was just a few months old. Plus since we went to the Mainland for Christmas, this was her first Christmas here in Hawai'i...and I loved her excitedness for everything!! :)

Oh, my goodness! I think this little DollGirl was our entertainment opening presents this year! *laughs* She had a lot of fun! And was SUPER excited over everything! I got her that basketball hoop...and look at her loving her "ball" one of the words she LOVES to say...and she loves to play and throw already! Her Dad, Uncle and I are already playing basketball with her...it's soo fun!

My brother-in-law got my fish a Christmas present! I have THE BEST brother-in-law...and I thank my sister plenty for giving me an awesome brother! :) But he got them that "Surf's Up" aquarium decoration. I love it. My fish seem to like it too. :) Amanda and Jeremy got that "The Mermaid is In" sign for me for my birthday this past year...I adore it. :)

So, I am loving tea. Don't get me wrong though, I still love my coffee...but I love tea...and I love trying different kinds...and so my brother got me this amazing glass teapot with Flowering Tea...! Oh my goodness...I LOVE it! My brother SO knows me!! I love him...and Amanda got me the cutest Elephant tea spoons. My brother had gotten me the elephant mug for my birthday one year...but I love my family...they soooo knows me when it comes to getting me things that are SOOO me! :)

So, I did try the Flowering Tea...and it was really beautiful to watch...:) Not too strong, just right...and yes, I do like my tea with milk and honey...so yummy!

 Here is DollGirl playing with one of the toys that Amanda got for her. SOOO cute! She is going to be just like her mother! Cooking and baking!

Well, here is to the new year...I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful new years day...and an amazing year to come!