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Archives for September 2015

Fun Food at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii


 

hawaii food pic 4

We had such a blast “working” in Hawaii! We spent four days at the Disney Aulani Resort & Spa on the island of Oahu. It exceeded all of my expectations. Brooke told me it would be amazing, and it really was! One of the highlights was the food. It was different from what you can find at the Disney parks, but also had a fun Disney touch. Here are a few of our favorites:

hawaii food 1 graphic

This photo is from our “fun food” segment during the shoot. I was forced to try each item and they were all delicious! From left to right:

Spam Musubi: this is a hawaiian delicacy. All of the locals we talked to loved this and regularly ate it. I had never tried spam, and thought this particular dish tasted sort of like sausage, in a good way.

Kalua Pork Bratwurst dog: this was Brooke’s fave. She loves kalua pork and they put it in quite a few of their dishes at Aulani. A much more fun take on the regular old hot dog.

Malasadas: donuts without holes. These are little balls of heaven. I could have eaten all of them. They taste like a glazed donut covered in sugar.

Fried squid: I loved the saltiness of crunchiness of this one. Paired with one of the three dipping sauces, you can’t go wrong.

Sweet Maui Onion rings: I’m not an onion rings lover, but these taste very different from the ones I’m used to. They have thick slices of sweet Maui onions with a thin breaded and fried shell. I’m not sure what they put in the dipping sauce for these, but it is what makes the whole thing work.

Tropical juice in a pineapple: just as good as it sounds! It just tastes like Hawaii and you can’t go wrong drinking out of a pineapple when you’re on the island.

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This is not your average snow cone. They fill the bottom with your favorite flavor of ice cream, then add the flavored ice — I got lychee flavor and it reminded me of a sour starburst, then they top it with sweetened condensed milk!

IMG_6728 This is the Crunch Berry Crusted French Toast from Ama Ama — to die for! It has so many unexpected textures and flavors, I loved it.

IMG_6731 Don’t worry, we found the cookies! They had these delicious cookies waiting for us when we arrived, do they know cookies are the way to our hearts, or what? They were extra chocolatey, thick and chewy. We ate at least one a day, don’t worry! DSC_0359

Things to Know about Food at Aulani

– There’s Dole Whip! It’s only available in one spot in the pool area, but you fill up the cup yourself, which was SO dangerous for me trying to pile it four feet high!

– Ama Ama is one of the fancier restaurants and it is delicious. You can tell everything is made fresh, it is my first choice of place to order fish at Aulani. I ordered the catch of the day (and took a dark flash photo that is too ugly to show you) and was really impressed by the quality.

– Minnie Mouse rice krispy treats: Brooke survived on them last time she was at Aulani and they are SO good! Available in some of their quick restaurants.

– They have mugs available to buy for $18 or $19 where you can fill them up an unlimited amount of times during your stay. If you’re into soda or lemonade, this is a great option because there are filling stations all over the resort.

– Their restaurants have live music in the evenings, so even when you are done eating, you have great entertainment.

If you ever get the chance to go to Aulani, GO! It is a total dream!

September 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

Why You Should Follow Your Dreams

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We seem to have tricked some people into thinking that we were just magically placed on their television screen and that it has been a dreamy walk on the yellow brick road. While we know we have the best jobs in the world, we want to share a little bit of the back story on how we got there.

First, we grew up in a family that allowed us to make our own decisions. From the time we were 16, we told our parents we wanted to host our own lifestyle show. I’m sure in the back of their minds they thought we were crazy, but instead of warning us of the possibility of failing miserably or telling us we might embarrass ourselves in the process, they told us it was a great idea. (they laughed right along with Brooke after the fainting incident)

Second, we had each other. From our dating days when I made Britt call boys acting like she was me to find out why they stopped calling (face palm!!)  We have repeatedly put each other in uncomfortable situations and learned a lot in the process. It is a lot easier to take a giant leap of faith when you have a twin sister pulling you or at times yanking you along. We have both been that person for one another. During our first year reporting on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards I completely froze during an interview with a celeb (I’m not telling you which one), Britt didn’t miss a beat and finished asking a much more coherent question. Definitely one of the perks to working with your twin sister!

Third, we sought out incredibly supportive mentors and friends. Our high school counselor and neighbor Carol took special interest in our careers and helped us get the experience we craved. Carol had never had students come to her with our career aspirations before so she created a brand new internship for us at a news station. As naive 17 year olds we were handed a camera and microphone on our first day and told to come up with some stories. Although looking back now we can laugh at how terrible they were (i.e. shaky camera, shaky voice, etc) it provided great hands on experience we could not find anywhere else at the time. We started to live by the motto, “The worst they can say is NO”. By doing this, we took responsibility for creating our own success and got the guts to just ASK.

However, in the midst of all this positive support, there were still plenty of people who told us not to try. There are people out there who feel like it is their responsibility to give you a “dose of honesty” or to “lower your expectations”. DON’T LISTEN. There have been so many amazing experiences we never imagined were possible. We have always followed the thought process of “someone has to do it” when it comes to any career goal. Why shouldn’t that someone be you?  Go for it because you believe in yourself and because you know you are capable.

So, how do you go for it? Here are three ideas.

1. Find a small group of people you can fully trust, tell them your ideas and aspirations and keep them updated on your successes and failures.

2. Work hard. Like really, really, really hard. This involves doing the beginner jobs you don’t want to do, most likely to include terrible shifts, long hours, and tasks you are not fond of. Once you commit to trying your best, good things will come. One of my favorite mentors constantly stressed that consistency is the most important quality a person can possess. Consistency in the quality of your work, in the energy you bring to your job and in your work ethic.

3. Learn from the haters. If there is anything good that comes from people being mean, it is that you have to find strength inside yourself. Over the span of our careers we have learned to be assertive, confident, and honest (and to go cry in the bathroom and buy yourself a chocolate chip cookie on the hard days).

Now, the real words of wisdom. I asked some of my greatest friends and inspirations to share their advice on following your career dreams.

Tori Dumke: mid-twenties, just finished business school and landed her dream job at Adobe in San Francisco.

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I have adopted Thoreau’s aspiration: live deliberately. You make your life. It is up to you how you want to spend your time, effort, and talents. Be proactive in your approach–no one cares more about your career than you do.

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” -Leonardo Da Vinci

Enjoying the process, not just the achievement
You make your life – live deliberately
Don’t hold yourself back

Mary Bevan: a lawyer and brand new mom

marybevan

Growing up, I told myself I could do whatever I put my mind to. Some goals just require more hard work and dedication than others. I pushed myself to accomplish things outside of my comfort zone causing me to be prepared to overcome the many challenges I faced in law school and in becoming a lawyer.

Kristin Rocke: an interior designer and mother of two

kristinrocke

I judge my success by the quality of my work and both the personal and client’s satisfaction. I subscribe to the mantra that every time I touch something I take it as far to completion or resolution at that moment in time as possible. I love my work and I love the people I get to work with. I am fortunate to work in a time when I have access to so many artisans, amazing product and inspiration at every turn.

Aubrey Nelson: a mother and hair painting genius

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My career in hair started when I accidentally fell in love with the chemistry of color and the opportunity to connect with women in my chair. It was a combination of my life long dream to live in New York City and competitive drive that led me there to work and train with the best artists in the industry. I learned early, that no amount of success comes without hard work and years later with the news of a surprise baby on his way into my life came my very purest inspiration. I started my own business with nothing but love for the tiny baby in my belly and that same love is what continues to motivate me today. I am a better mother because I work in an industry I am passionate about and I am better at my job because I am inspired by my son. I believe in dreaming big and working hard, with a good heart inside you and a lot of love behind you, you will find success.

For more inspiring words check out our interviews with Martha Stewart and Blake Lively!

And if you still need more, check out these quotes from 17 inspiring entrepreneurs.

September 15, 2015 4 Comments

The 8 treats you should buy at Trader Joe’s

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As most of my friends and family know, I {Brooke} am a Trader Joe’s junkie. I allow myself 2 new items to try each week during my regular shopping trip. By doing this I have discovered some pretty amazing products! I decided I should share, in hopes that some of you have some secrets you want to share as well.

1. Milk Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups: Hands down, best item in the store.

2. Overnight Chocolate Croissants: My dear friend told me about these. All you have to do is let them rise overnight and pop them in the oven in the morning. Voila! Fresh pastries for breakfast.

3. Miniature rose bush: these are a treat in the “treat yo self” sense. Mini flowers that come in a tiny pot. Doesn’t get much cuter. (The hydrangeas are also gorgeous!)

4. Chocolate Milk: I’ve searched long and hard and this is the most chocolatey, satisfying drink you will ever find.

5. Strawberries: Always fresh and pretty. I get all my produce at Trader Joe’s.

6. Greek yogurt guacamole dip: A lighter option for guacamole that still tastes delicious.

7. Chocolate covered pretzels: No explanation necessary.

8. Cat cookies: No these are not for your pets, they are just delicious, chocolate, graham crackers that are a tad addictive.

I still have a few things I want to try like their cold pressed watermelon juice, uncured bacon ganache bar, and salted caramel bread pudding.

What are YOUR favorites?

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September 4, 2015 4 Comments

Hi! We are identical twins, Brooke & Brittany. We test the latest trends in fashion, beauty, travel and fitness so that you don't have to.

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