Hop or swim to “sea” Keiki Sitters at the Waikiki Aquarium’s SeaHunt!

Hop – or swim – with the keiki down to the Waikiki Aquarium for SeaHunt, a splashing Easter celebration!

Join Keiki Sitters this Saturday morning, March 31, for SeaHunt, a fun-filled Easter celebration event for keiki at the Waikiki Aquarium. There’ll be free crafts and activities, a fish pond game, food and soft drinks, and, of course, the Easter Bunny! While SeaHunt is designed for keiki ages 2 to 7 years old, there will be plenty of other fun activities for keiki of all ages. Bring the whole family!

Keiki Sitters will have a fun activities booth – be sure to hop over to “sea” what fun, fishy activity we have planned! Look for us at the Moms in Hawaii tent. There’ll be a prize drawing sponsored by Meadow Gold (you could win a three-month supply of milk!) and an appearance by Lani Moo!

Waikiki Aquarium’s SeaHunt doors will open at 8:30 a.m. to Friends of Waikiki Aquarium members; doors will open at 9 a.m. to the public. Keiki are welcome to visit with the Easter Bunny until 11:30 a.m. and participate in free crafts and activities and play a game at the fish pond until noon. SeaHunt will take place between 9:15 and 11:30 a.m., and Hawaiian Monk Seal and shark presentations will be held throughout the day.

While many activities at SeaHunt are free, there is a cost associated with some of the events. If you’d like more information about SeaHunt, contact the Waikiki Events & Membership Office at 808-440-9015 or email membership@waquarium.org.

After spending the morning at the aquarium, you may want to go out Saturday night! If you need a sitter, give Keiki Sitters a call at 808-861-7294.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a pot of gold

Let’s face it: March is a long month. There are no days off for holidays, and with all the rain we’ve been having, keiki have been stuck inside after school and on weekends. Luckily, after all of this rain, there will be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on Saturday as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

There are plenty of ways to share in the luck of the Irish and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the kids. Be sure you’re all wearing green on Saturday while you try one or two of these desserts and games!

Desserts

St. Patrick’s Day is a great day to try out some Irish cooking. After a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, have some St. Patrick’s Day dessert with the keiki. These Little Lucky Whoopie Pies, a recipe of Betty Crocker’s, may not be an Irish tradition, but they sure look like fun to make! 

Leprechauns love a taste of the rainbow, so if you don’t like chocolate, try making these Taste a Rainbow creations from FamilyFun Magazine:

Games

DLTK offers many St. Patrick’s Day game ideas for kids. We like this maze, which challenges kids to help “Sean” navigate through the maze to find the pot of gold! Print one copy of the maze for each little leprechaun who wants to play.

Disney FamilyFun shares a great idea for a St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt that you can organize in or outside of your home. Let’s hope for good weather on Saturday so you can play the game outside! The scavenger hunt is simple; you just need a few basic items from home:

• Paper
• Marker
• Black pot
• Chocolate gold coins or other prize item
• Scissors
• Green paper

To get started, fill the pot with the chocolate gold coins or another prize item somewhere in your home or outside in a safe place, such as next to a tree trunk or under a bush in your yard. Using the green paper, cut out several four leaf clovers. Write clues that’ll lead your little leprechaun to the hidden pot of “gold,” and give the first clue to your keiki to get the game started. Good luck!

Do you know of a great St. Patrick’s Day game or recipe we didn’t include? Please share it in the comments section.

Need a sitter for the evening while you paint the town green? Give us a call at 808-861-7294 to schedule a sitter or check out the Keiki Sitters website!

Mahalo and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The Hawaiian Humane Society

Kathy and Kiwi

Always passionate about animals, the owner of Keiki Sitters, Kathy Kuster, recently added a new addition to her life: she adopted an eight-year-old toy Fox Terrier named Kiwi from the Hawaiian Humane Society.

"I recently took the dogs sailing, and Kiwi, who loves the ocean, ran right off the deck and jumped in the water," says Kathy. "Captain Dave had to jump overboard to help us lift her back into the boat!" Kathy's other dog, Ipo, a two-year-old Chihuahua, is terrified of the water and stayed safely on board.

Kathy is an ardent supporter of the Humane Society and recommends to families that they look there first, when choosing a new family pet.

In 1883 the Hawaiian Humane Society opened its doors to abused and abandoned animals. With a long history as advocates for our furry friends, the Humane Society champions humane animal laws and cares for upwards of 30,000 animals a year.

Serving as a community hub, the organization is dedicated to finding loving homes for animals and educating the public on how to properly care for their pets. The Humane Society offers a robust volunteer program (children as young as eight years old may volunteer with a responsible adult), stays active in the state legislature, hosts adoption programs and events, and has an island-friendly pet surrender policy.

Many are pleasantly surprised to learn that Keiki Sitters extends its services to care for dogs, cats, and the occasional goldfish. Pet owners may request a sitter to stop by or stay in the home with their animals. Additional services run the gamut from walking, grooming, socializing, feeding, and transporting. Want to schedule a pet or home sitter on Oahu? Call: 808-861-7294.

(Get to Know Us: Hawaiian Humane Society)

7 Valentine's Day Treats Not To Miss

Valentine's Day is upon us! Get inspired with our roundup of adorable treats for your keiki! 

Win over keiki hearts with pink-centered Woopie Pies or Raspberry Tarts:

 

The Mad Baker brings us her rendition of the macaroon that looks as sweet as it tastes:

Toaster pastry-inspired Heart Tarts are sure to be crowd pleasers:

Are you ready for this? Red Velvet Cheesecake Milkshake and Valentine's Day Confetti. Enough said. 

 

For emphasis, collect your cookies in a tin (from Tiny Pink Elephants):

May your Valentine's Day be full of the sweets, people, and keiki that you love!

Best Birthday Swag for Moms: 2012

There's nothing like free birthday swag to help a mama relax. No matter when your birthday is in 2012, bookmark this page and check back to make sure you're taking full advantage of your celebration month. Then, hire a sitter (ahem, may we recommend Keiki Sitters?), grab a girlfriend, and make an afternoon of it!

Though we do prefer the free stuff, Anthropologie sends out a 15% off coupon that can be used in their online store. Want more? Sign up for DSW's Member Rewards program and you'll get a $5 online credit for shoes on your special day. 

Become a member of Aveda.com and receive an exclusive offer or gift on your birthday each year. In previous years, this has been a full-sized product.

What's a birthday without ice cream? Baskin Robbins offers a free birthday scoop when you sign up for their mailing list; they'll send you the e-coupon five days before your birthday. 

Benihana spots you with a $30 gift certificate on your birthday. Sign up for The Chef's Table at least a week before your birthday to ensure you get the e-certificate on time.

Blank Angus, a cowboy's favorite steakhouse, ups the birthday ante by offering a free steak on your birthday with the purchase of an equally priced entree. It makes the drive to Pearl City worth it. 

At Buca di Beppo you'll receive a coupon for a free appetizer or specailty bread when you sign up for their e-club, and then on your birthday you'll get another coupon for a free dessert. 

Denny's gives you a free Grand Slam on the day of your birthday. You just need to show your drivers license; no need to sign up for anything. 

Join the IHOP Pancake Revolution (their online mailing list) and you'll recieve a free meal on your birthday (rumored to be the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity breakfast: two eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes). 

Red Robin rewards birthday boys and girls with a free burger by signing up for their mailing list. 

Sign up for Sephora's Beauty Insider and then stop by the store during your birthday month for a free gift: last year's gift was a bottle of Philosophy body wash. Bliss. 

Get your favorite Starbucks drink free on your birthday. Just register your Starbucks card and they'll mail you a birthday postcard a week or so before your big day. (Make sure you register a couple weeks in advance.)

The Children's Place offers a coupon on both yours and your child's birthday. 

Know of more? Please post in the comments below!

Announcing Our Winners

Aloha Mamas! We were thrilled to partner with Baby Banz for our holiday giveaway for not one, but TWO, $30 gift certificates to their online store. 


And the winners are...Camille Clements & Jean Qiua (both won by LIKING our Facebook page)! 


Congrats!

Don't Forget to Enter!

Just a little short and sweet reminder that the giveaway is still on. We're gaining momentum and are excited for our Baby Banz drawing on January 2nd. See our last blog entry for more details.

 Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday break and here's to a fun and safe New Year's!