Aloha Sunday Update

Happy Aloha Sunday!

Sunset on Wednesday was awe-inspiring

Today I'm attending TEDxMaui.    I've never been to a TED event before, so I'm pretty stoked to hear all the different presenters.   The theme for this one is A Brilliant Life.   Beginning Monday, I'll be better equipped to drop my brilliance everywhere.    Looking for some TEDx inspiration?  Watch "What is your 'What if?'"

Have you seen this Disney princess rap battle?   Pretty freakin' hilarious.  

And then there is the Budweiser "Friends are Waiting" commercial.    Don't make your friends, four-legged or two-legged (or any other legged) wonder if you're coming home.  As they say in Pitch Perfect "make smart choices."

This article about the fall flavor fallout between pumpkin and apple is great.  It seems like every product has a pumpkin spice option this fall.   Too much.    Just one of the many truth bombs: "Apples have upheld only the highest standards throughout their history, lending themselves to respectable endeavors like the patriotic apple pie or seasonally appropriate apple cider."

My friends, the Stantons, are missionaries in Liberia.   They came back home for the month of July to go to a conference and spend time with their families.    And they haven't been able to go back due to the Ebola outbreak.   Read their journal entries, From the Home Front and My Quarantine, to learn more.

I love all the fun music that Jimmy Fallon has on his show....like "All About That Bass" on classroom instruments.  

And finally, last weekend, I finished my #100happydays challenge.   

Are there are thing fun things I should be reading or watching?   Share in the comments or on Facebook.

Have a great week!

Success: The #100happydays Challenge

Can you be happy for 100 days in a row?

When I read about #100happydays earlier this year, I wasn't sure.   A few years ago, I tried to complete Project 365, taking a photo a day for the whole year.  Honestly, I was exhausted after day 270 and didn't finish.    

Did I have it in me to make a conscious effort every day for 100 days in a row to find something that made me happy?    It turns out, I did.  

Some days are BIG happy:  parties, a visit from my sister, my vacation.   Other days, you find happy in the smaller things, like Nutella or a flower. 

{well...Nutella is pretty amazing....could be a big happy}

My sister Heather, my friend Laurie, and I all decided to celebrate happiness together.  I posted all my  pictures on Instagram and they did theirs on Facebook.   It doesn't matter how  you do it - you can even keep track on your own and just enjoy the accomplishment.  

Friday the 13th seemed like the  perfect day to start a quest for happy.    We started in June and ended in September.   So what did my 100 happy days look like?       Here's a little sample.  

The ladies of 100 Happy Days!

Six and a half quick facts about hiking the Lahaina Pali trail

Last weekend some friends and I hiked the Lahaina Pali trail here in Maui.   If you've seen the big wind turbines on the west side of Maui when you're driving to Lahaina from Kahului or Kihei, you've seen the trail.....from a far distance.     Want to get a leg workout while getting up close and personal with some big ass windmills?   This hike is for you.   

Six and a Half Quick Facts About Hiking the Lahaina Pali Trail

1.  There are two trail heads.  You  can do this as a shuttle hike, by parking a car in each lot, or you can carpool and just go up and back from one of them.   We parked at the lot on the Lahaina side before the tunnel and hiked up to the top (sign post 10) and then back down.   

2.    It's all uphill.    Seriously.   Even going down feels like going up (aka work) since you still have to pay attention to where you're going so that you don't slip and fall.   Elevation gain is 1600 feet.

3.   Bring lots of water.   However much you think you should bring, bring more.  

4.  Start early.   I like to sleep.   I really do.   But starting at 7am versus 9am equals two more hours in cooler temperatures.   

5.  You'll see shade where there isn't.  Much.    That scraggly tree with a few leaves?  Suddenly it's your best friend.   Bring your sunscreen and wear your hat.   

Finally at the top!

6.  The windmills are HUGE.   The view of Maui and the ocean is beautiful from  the top.

6.5.  You'll justify the lunch you have a Leoda's pie shop afterwards.   No guilt.   Not one crumb.

Ready to hike?   The Lahaina Pali Trail is part of the Na Ala Hele trail system.