5 on Friday - Maui Edition

For today’s 5 on Friday I will be filling everyone in on my top moments of our trip to beautiful Maui.  Prepare yourself for photo overload!

1.  Hubby Time
If you saw my post a couple weeks ago, you may remember that this is the first vacation that the hubs and I have taken together since our honeymoon. After much debate we decided to leave the kids at home and just enjoy our time together. It was the best decision we could have made! It was difficult leaving the children but this vacation was not the most ideal for them (9+ hour plane rides, 5 hour time change, etc.). That being said, we took advantage of the opportunity to spend time together…and time together we had. It was awesome! 

2.  Family Time

The hubs and I were not alone on this trip.  We met David’s family, from Southern California, on the island.  With us being in the Midwest, we typically have the opportunity to fly to the coast once a year and get one or two visits from each of them.  Everyone’s schedules are fairly demanding so most trips are an extended weekend away.  It was so nice to have a full week with each other without having to rush back home.  We enjoyed a lot of pool and beach time together and also took advantage of some other island activities.  We are forever thankful for the time to create these memories with them.

Matching Toe Rings

 

3.  Heart Rock

Well, this was an adventure.  Before we left for our trip, I looked up directions to the Nakalele Blowhole.  Here there is a natural geyser that can shoot ocean water up to 100 feet into the air.  Next to the blowhole is a perfectly cut-out heart shape in the cliffs referred to as the Heart Rock.  For some odd reason, I really wanted to hike to this rock.  One morning, David and I took the Jeep on a little adventure up the west coast of the island past Kapalua.

 

The scenery was breathtaking!  I did experience some anxiety due to the narrow roads that bordered the cliffs of the ocean.  I couldn’t believe how high we were; making the views even that more miraculous!

 

 

They Filmed The Opening To Jurassic Park Near Here

We made it to the mile marker, or so we thought based on what we could remember.  Our phones did not have service on this section of the island.  There were a couple other cars parked so we figured we were safe.  We took off and spent 40 minutes hiking and never found the geyser or the heart rock.  We I was a bit frustrated but we didn’t want to waste our day so we ventured back to the Jeep.  The hubs could see how bummed I was so he decided to drive North just a bit more to see if we were missing something.  Sure enough, about one minute and three winding curves later we saw a larger group of people.  I yelled out to make sure this was the place and it was. 

We Look Like Dorks Here - We Were Hot & Sweaty!

 We hiked down the cliffs 10 minutes or so and there was the blowhole.  Unfortunately with the tide, we didn’t see much…maybe a 2 foot spray, haha!  But most importantly, I found my darn Heart Rock.  

I was expecting a huge opening as that is how it looks in photos.  I was shocked when it was only about 2-3 feet high!  I guess it’s the same feeling people have when they see the Mona Lisa. ;)

I was so glad we decided to do this little adventure.  The scenery, hiking, and laughs was completely worth it and was definitely one of my favorite mornings of the trip.

4.  Old Lahaina Luau

 

Ah, the luau!  I was looking forward to this evening for months!  This was my first trip to Hawaii and I couldn’t imagine anything more Hawaiian than attending a luau.  Although I don’t have any other experiences to compare to, this luau was absolutely amazing!  The service, the entertainment, the food…I don’t have enough words to properly describe this evening. 

 

 

We were greeted with fresh purple and white plumeria leis and Mai Tais.  They escorted us to our front row seating and from there we were able to explore the grounds and watch other activities while we enjoyed an open bar.  We took this time to mingle together and take some family photos overlooking the ocean.

 

The luau began with the removal of the pig that was buried in the dirt.  From there we enjoyed an unlimited buffet of some amazing traditional Hawaiian food and desserts.  I was glad I wore a loose dress that evening. ;)

 

Finally came the hula dancing and the tale of the Hawaiian Islands.  I was in awe watching these dancers.  I am convinced there is no way I could ever hula dance.  Do you need an extra hip bone or what? 

The whole event lasted about three hours.  Watching the entertainment outside next to the water as the sun was setting was sure perfection. 

5.  Sailing & Snorkeling

We Were The Boat On The Left

I grew up spending my summers at the lake and because of that I am obsessed with all things water.  Sailing is one of my favorite things to do (although I don’t partake as frequently as I should).  Both the hubs and I had sailing on our priority list for the trip.  We went back and forth on whether we wanted to do a sunset cruise or a snorkeling trip.  We decided on the latter and spent a morning and afternoon sailing the ocean and making stops in the coves to snorkel.  The weather was overcast early on and we even felt a few sprinkles.  This made our first adventure a bit chilly for me.  It wasn’t long before the sunshine came out and it was a whole new experience in the water.  You could see the coral reefs, the fish, and the sea turtles so much better with that light.  I still can’t believe we went swimming with giant sea turtles!

There you have it folks, my favorite moments about Maui.  There are hundreds more photos and a million more stories, but at least I can provide some highlights for you.  It truly was an amazing trip!

Hy-Vee...Saves The Day

I have officially returned to the world of blogging.  It was a nice break from social media and we really enjoyed our vacation away in paradise.  I will tell more about our trip in a post soon.

 

Until then, I have to share something that happened to me this week because it is so darn wonderful that everyone needs to know.  What I am talking about are personal shoppers…for your groceries!

 

I stumbled across an advertisement on the internet about a local grocery store, Hy-Vee, that provides this service.  They call is Aisles Online.  All you have to do is create an online account, go shopping for the items you need, and you can either pick-up your groceries and household items at the store (drive-up, of course) or they can be delivered to your home!  I was in complete disbelief that an idea so wonderful could actually be true, so the following day I checked into it.

Sure enough, this service was offered at the store closest to our home.  I went ahead and created an online account.  This took me about three minutes.  Then I went through my grocery list that I have prepared the night before and selected the items I wanted.  The website includes a search bar to make it even quicker so you don’t have to scroll through all the produce, bakery items, etc.  When I completed my shopping I submitted payment online and chose the date/time I wanted to pick up my groceries.  Shortly after completing my transaction I was sent a verification e-mail.

 

There were two other great features of the Aisles Online program.  The first is that you can link your fuel saver card to ensure you are still getting your points off on your gas (I saved .17 that day).  The second is the ability to use their digital coupons.  You just scroll through and click on those you want for your current shopping trip!

 

After returning from vacation late in the evening, there was no time to get groceries before our busy week started.  I could have attempted to get groceries over my lunch break, but with the sheer amount of groceries we needed, there would never have been enough storage in the clinic fridge to house everything.  I was going to have to leave work, pick up the kids from school, get through rush hour traffic and attempt the undesirable task of grocery shopping alone with two kids.  Also, we would be going when all three of us are hungry which typically brings out some whiny children and a hangry mommy.  To make it even more unappealing, it had been raining all day and was a complete downpour when I was about to leave work.

All of the stress of what my evening had in store for me went away with a few easy clicks.  After I picked up the kids we drove through the rain to the drive-up lane and my groceries were loaded in the pack of my SUV…off we went home.

Not only was the process quick and easy to do, but Hy-Vee really saved me a ton of stress and hassle.  I didn’t have to spend an hour of my evening doing groceries, I didn’t have to deal with hungry and whiny children, and I didn’t have to load kids and groceries in the rain.  Instead, I had my chore accomplished while still being able to have an extra hour of play time with my kids…stress free.  Oh, and to top it off, the pears the “professionals” selected were the best I have had yet!  Maybe I need to leave the produce picking to the pros!