Memories... We all…read morehave them and we all cherish them in many different ways. How can we celebrate...express...share or just release them. I think we are so blessed to have such even every Memorial Day to a point that I see visitors who come here just for this and that says a lot. With work I personally never have the moment to participate as you need to line up early to pick up a lantern I was fortunate enough that a friend did that for me and here I am nervous and emotional not knowing where to begin. I think that's the therapy as well to express yourself in grief, anger, or sadness as I watched my lantern float away to a point that I don't know which on it is amongst the many others just looking at the serene vibe standing in the water is a sense of calm. Thank you to Shinnyo En for this massive arrangement as it takes much more than a village to take care of this massive arrangement and know that it helps many, myself included that we are never alone in this. Thank you!

The lantern floating ceremony is one of the most spectacular event you can attend in Honolulu,…read moreHawaii. It take place at the Ala Moana Beach Park. This event is to memory the loss of someone in your life, They give out free lanterns. It is first come first serve, so you have to get there early in the morning to reserve it. Last year, I got there at 5 AM to stand in line, the ceremony start at around 6:30PM. After the official program, all the attendances can start release the lanterns after the sunset. It is a pretty emotional event, but also spectacular to watch with thousands of lanterns floating on the water. It is such an amazing scene if you never attend this ceremony before, I highly recommend you to go to experience it.

WOW- LOVE MY LAMP! INCREDIBLE WORK, FAST AND GREAT SERVICE!…read more After searching every provider on OAHU, I found Toni's. It was obvious she was a long-standing business owner who cared deeply for her customer's satisfaction with her work. I had an antique lamp base and a new shade which, I was not sure anyone could make fit together in a visually appealing manner. SHE DID IT! I was overjoyed with the final product. Even better... She knew I had driven from Kapolei and, although I was prepared to leave it for a week, she fixed it on the spot to prevent another long drive for a pickup. TONI- You are the best! This customer will never go elsewhere! MAHALO AND BEST WISHES, Candi

I've had four faded lampshades (two living room, two bedroom) re-covered at Toni's and all are…read morebeautiful! Carol is wonderful to work with and provides years of experience and design expertise. The work was done quickly and flawlessly. My lamps look brand new! This shop is a little treasure in Kaimuki and unlike any other. I highly recommend brightening your home with lampshades from Toni's.

I have been coming to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet for a while now, and it honestly never gets old…read more It really is the ultimate spot for both cravings and savings. If you want local snacks, cheap souvenirs, or just a good walk, this is the place to be. Every time I visit, I end up finding something great, but this specific trip was a massive win. I had been on a hunt for coconut apple (the spongy, sweet embryo inside a mature coconut)...I had been to another marketplace, but this was the spot where I found it. I walked stall by stall, asking the vendors. Some gave me a knowing look, and some didn't, but when I found it, I was happy and able to relive my childhood memories of eating this. Between hunting down rare local treats and scoring great deals on shirts, gear, and random finds, you easily get your dollar's worth here. Just make sure to bring cash, wear comfortable shoes, and get there early before the sun really starts beating down.

Bittersweet to see the old Aloha Stadium being demolished. So many memories were made here over the…read moremany years, from football games and concerts to the swap meet and community events. As much as I'll miss the original stadium, I'm excited to see what's next. Mahalo for the memories. Here's to the past, while welcoming a new chapter for Hawaii.

It's spring time! And oh boy does my little backyard need a refresh. I've been to their plant store…read morein town before, but this is more like a garden center rather than a houseplant store. I loved looking around at all the plants. As in most places in Hawai'i, if you're prone to getting bug bites (aka me), you might wanna spray on some protection or cover up. I love that they have a mix of plants, produce, and really cute products. Everything you'd need from moss poles, spray bottles, ceramic pots of all sizes. I even got a really cute plant sticker for my water bottle.

This botanical oasis is lovingly tended with awesome pots and fancy plants like albo monstera, a…read moreplethora of succulents for the beginner and advanced green thumbs and much much more. The staff is helpful and kind and do a great job at explaining how best to care for your plant children. There's also a nice selection of veggies both to start a garden or to eat for dinner tonight. Aside from that it is a very relaxing atmosphere to walk through and explore. For those that are more mosquito prone, wear some bug spray or a citronella sticker to keep the little bites at bay.

Just wanted to thank Monty for promptly reaching out to me and making sure I was satisfied after my…read moreless than stellar experiences. Decided to showcase my gorgeous arrangements from past orders in hopes to inspires future orders for new and previous customers. Thank you, Monty!

I've ordered from this company multiple times because I live off-island and rely on them to deliver…read moreflowers to my mom for special occasions and holidays. Up until now, they've always done a great job, but this recent experience for Mother's Day was extremely disappointing. First, the delivery driver brought the wrong bouquet. I paid $209.41 (including delivery), but my mom received a bouquet that was clearly not what I ordered later confirmed to be a lower priced arrangement. I had to call customer service, who then contacted the driver immediately. While I appreciate that they responded quickly, it still took about 47 minutes for the driver to return, take back the incorrect bouquet, and retrieve the correct one from the truck. When the correct arrangement finally arrived, the presentation was still off. The vase was too short for the flowers, making the bouquet look unbalanced and like it was falling out. For over $200, I expected much better attention to detail and quality. On top of that, the company advertised "free delivery," but that only applied to very limited areas on the island. I still had to pay a delivery fee despite the initial mistake being entirely on their end, which felt misleading. Overall, this was a frustrating and disappointing experience, especially for a special occasion like Mother's Day. I've had good experiences before, but this one really missed the mark.

Still a friendly place, super helpful, get to know you staff...After many YEARS in remodel and many…read morefaux pas, Shane in the paint Dept has been great, the other staff always laughing and friendly too. If they are out of an item they really try to accommodate you; if something is too heavy--they HELP. Not so in town!!! Kaneohe is da bes's! aloha

The neighborhood hardware store…read more In it's prior life, this little commercial complex consisted of a hardware store and a small supermarket. This site eventually became the City Mill location we know today. For residents in the immediate neighborhoods, this City Mill has a magnet draw for your hardware needs. They have decent sales and the staff is friendly and usually pretty knowledgable. They have a good selection of items for your hardware needs whether it be paint, tools, bathroom or kitchen fixtures, etc. They have a decent amount of parking, but it can get challenging at times. If in the Kaimuki area, definitely a place to check out for tour hardware needs.

This shopping area was founded in 1956 by Donn Beach, the creator of the famed Don the…read moreBeachcomber's cocktail. The original IMP consisted of thatched-roof huts offering souvenirs, local crafts, and food. A major renovation in 2016 transformed the IMP into a contemporary shopping and dining destination while still respecitng its Hawaiian heritage. The banyan tree in the shopping center is really impressive. A banyan can reach a height up to 100 feet and spreads laterally indefinitely. Aerial roots that develop from its branches descend and take root in the soil to become new trunks. It's really a highlight of this mall to walk around this enormous tree. There are a huge number of well known stores here with something for everyone. We enjoyed the shopping but did not stay to eat here although there are a lot of options.

I grew up on Oahu and it was a big surprise for me to see they've gotten rid of the small vendors…read moreand turned this area into a shopping mall. It's a big surprise for me. High end stores, high end restaurants and other great things like art exhibits. Now that I live in California, I do visit Oahu every two years. At the time when we came here in 2019, we went to a photography exhibit by National Geographic. Now this is something I enjoy. I think tourists could enjoy it too and bring in the modernized look for Waikiki. I have been on the fence about the traditional vendors over these overpriced high end stores. I look at it in a business perspective. Hawaii drives its economy through tourism. We are in the United States of America and you got major cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles and such. It's competing for more tourists to come to Hawaii. I hate to say this but Hawaii versus Miami? You got people with money that spend at high end stores. People now look at Waikiki like you're shopping on Rodeo Drive. Well if this is what attracts tourists - so be it to help the economy. It is a shame that it has to be this way to survive in this economy. The workers in Waikiki have pride in their job and make an honest living in an expensive state. I do miss the old International Marketplace. It was nice seeing vendors sell things.

One of the best and cleanest Asian super markets on island. Great selection, peaceful environment,…read moresuper clean, great customer service, great parking, and huge selection. They have a big selection of grocery items from Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai and more. The main ones they import from are the ones I mentioned. There's also a huge selection of fresh and pre dried vegan and vegetarian meat (fully vegan) and tofu from Taiwan, Vietnam and Aloha Tofu (Hawaii local fresh tofu). There's only 2 places on the island that I know of that you can get these vegan Asian meats, which is so delicious, healthy with nature soy,m fibers, and has far less sodium and preservatives than the American beyond meat veg options. (Though I enjoy those to make western dishes from time to time) The customer service here is very nice. They don't have staff walking around the store, but at checkout they are so nice and friendly, and always help you bag your items. Highly recommend! Amazing!

The don't answer the phone. In fact they don't advertise a phone number…read more I'm sorry very disappointed

Did ya know that the Honolulu City Light started back in da mid-80's?…read more The tradition started back in 1985, it was an idea from the honorable Frank F. Fast (da BESTEST Honolulu mayor)! A little history about this wonderful event - https://www.honolulucitylights.org/our-story#:~:text=1985,Honolulu%20City%20Lights%E2%80%9D%20Is%20Born From a simple 50 foot Christmas tree that was installed on the courtyard of Honolulu Hale back in 1985.........through the years this holiday event has greatly expanded with a lot more holiday displays to see. One of the most iconic displays on the Honolulu Hale courtyard is the "Shaka" Santa, & Tutu Mele. The event is free, and there are numerous holiday displays on the courtyard, as well as inside of Honolulu Hale. Shout out to the hard working city workers who take the time to put up the holiday displays, as it takes a lot of time to do this. The holiday displays are usually put up around Thanksgiving time, with a big Christmas tree lighting ceremony event on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. The holiday display stays here for about a month, then it is usually taken down after the new year. Loved by locals, as well as visitors, if you're ever visiting da 808 in December, don't miss out! Make da trip down to Honolulu Hale to see this wonderful holiday display. Merry Christmas!

This is our new family tradition. The whole family enjoyed checking out the themed Christmas trees…read moreand we made a contest to bet which the other like the most. The Shaka Santa and lit tree in the front is a show stopper. Although there are a lot of visitors and can be a little chaotic for those who avoid people, the holiday spirit will get you excited and it is FREE. Even free parking!

The Hawaii Kai location is much more peaceful than Iwilei. It's easier to find parking and the vibe…read moreoverall is chill. I can always find a parking spot near the entrance. The staff are friendly and the store is organized. The lines here tend to be shorter than Iwilei. The hard part about Costco is the inventory varies by warehouse. I've seen some things at Iwilei that are sold out at Hawaii Kai (and vice versa). It feels like you have to go every month to scope out the new merch. I've found luggage and a 2-pack of Kohler trash cans before. The quality of the merch is excellent and if you need to go back, the warehouse can do a price match if the item goes on sale within 30 days of purchase.

One of the first stops to any trip to Hawaii is to load up on supplies at Costco to bring back to…read moreour hotel. We arrived Thursday afternoon, and to my surprise, it wasn't busy at all. Huge parking lot, easy to navigate and only less 15 minutes away from our hotel in Ko Olina. The fun part about going to Costco's in other states is to see how localized some of the selection is. While they had your standard costco stuff, the one thing we always come for are the shrimp chips and the Cookies in Paradise Furikake mix. No shrimp chips unfortunately, but they had hella bags of the furikake mix, which we bought multiple of for the trip and take home to family. It's easily one of my favorite snacks of all-time and we've struck out the past couple trips to Hawaii so it was nice to see it's fully stocked here. Bummer that they don't have anything special at the food court, but other than that the Costco was neatly organized and had exactly what we needed when it came to buying waters and alcohol.