Island Mochi

Nursing student Brendan Wong has turned his love of mochi, a popular snack in Hawaii, into a side business that he operates in Phoenix, AZ when he is in school, or on Oahu, when he is on break from school.  He named his business Island Mochi and is available by pre-order only.

He's currently offering four different flavors of mochi:  chocolate peanut butter, pineapple coconut, chi chi dango, and butter. He also sells chi chi dango and butter mochi mixes which are also made to order to ensure freshness. 

The mochi comes pre-cut and nicely packed in a clear container. 

I was really impressed by the pineapple coconut upon first bite. He uses real pineapple!

The chocolate peanut butter was rich. There was definitely no shortage of peanut butter, and I like that uses crunchy peanut butter.

Place your order for pick up or delivery on the website at https://islandmochi.square.site. Follow Island Mochi on Instagram at @islandmochiii. 
 

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Visit Phoenix: Top 10 Things to Do with Kids

Phoenix offered a lot of great activities, but my kids' favorite thing to do was ride the rides at Castles~n~Coasters.

Read below to find out their top 10 favorite things to do while in Phoenix:

1. Spend the day at Castles~n~Coasters - riding on rides, racing cars, and splashing down.

2. Ride a camel at the Phoenix Zoo ZooLights Event - this is a seasonal event, so if you happen to visit while the ZooLights are being held, don't miss out on the camel rides!

3. Play at one of two playgrounds at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park - kids can slide, zip, climb, and more!

4. Ride the miniature train at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

5. Hike up to the Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park.

6. Take a road trip to the Grand Canyon National Park.

7. Make fresh orange juice - Citrus trees are everywhere in Phoenix, and while at The Wigwam, my kids took some oranges that were available in the lobby to make some fresh orange juice.

8. Ride the carousel at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

9. Eat yummy ice cream from Churn - bonus toy dinosaur included!

10. Look for the tallest cactus in Papago Park.

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Visit Phoenix: Top 10 Things That Make The Wigam a Family-Friendly Resort

I loved staying at The Wigwam, and I would definitely stay there again the next time I'm in the Phoenix area.  It's such a beautiful resort, and I love that they are very family-friendly.

Here are the top 10 things that make The Wigwam such a family-friendly resort.

1. Use of a teepee to sleep or play in.  My kids slept in there every single night!

2. Pool with dual waterslides and splash pad.

3. A Family Arcade on site lets kids play video games, foosball, and more!

4. Kid menus, such as the one available at Litchfield's, ensured my kids always had faves available to choose from.

5. On-site games, such as Bocce Ball and Sand Volleyball, were just a couple of ways kids could keep busy.

6. Special events, like those that take place during the holiday season at The Wigwam, were a special treat.  Click here for some upcoming new events at The Wigwam! 

7. Large suites to accommodate families - our suite provided lots of space for our family of 5!

8. Large, landscaped lawns made for great spaces to play tag and other creative games.

9. Two TVs - It was really nice to have two televisions in our suite.  The kids could watch cartoons or family movies in one room, and my husband and I could watch news in the other.

10. Junior Golf Lessons - The Wigwam is home to three championship golf courses, and junior golf lessons are available for the kiddos!

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Visit Phoenix: Top 10 Moments

Our family had a week in Phoenix, and it was not enough time to do everything I wanted to do.  However, we did get to do a lot, and here are my top 10 favorite moments from our trip to Phoenix.

1. Visiting Grand Canyon National Park - on Christmas.  In the snow.  Magical!

2. Making fresh orange juice with my kids using oranges grown on The Wigwam property.

3. Enjoying some yummy sweets from Urban Cookie Bakeshop with friends that I haven't seen in years!

4. Ice skating (or attempting to ice skate) at The Wigwam Resort - I never heard my kids giggle so much!

5. Trying alligator for the first time at Flavors of Louisiana 

6. Hiking up to the Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park

7. Cozying up to the fire with my littlest at The Wigwam

8. Walking through the Phoenix Zoo - ZooLights - such a festive scene!

9. Becoming Super Heroes for the day at The Marvel Experienc

10. Riding on Splash Down at Castles~n~Coasters 

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Visit Phoenix: Top 10 Eats

Below are my top 10 favorite eats from our family's trip to Phoenix. 

The Portobello Sandwich almost beat out the ice cream.

Almost...

1. Salted Butter Caramel from Sweet Republic - Salted Butter Caramel.  Need I say more?

2. Grilled Portobello Sandwich from Grassroot's Kitchen & Tap - It's not often I eat a vegetarian sandwich, but I'm so glad I tried this sandwich.  It was excellent.  I could just eat the bread by itself!

3. Jambalaya from Flavors of Louisiana - My first time eating jambalaya.  It was seasoned well and simply delicious!

4. Snooze Spuds Deluxe from Snooze - I love savory breakfasts, especially those that include bacon, and this was my favorite breakfast spot in Phoenix!

5. Peanut Butter Banana Cake from The Henry - A frozen, chocolaty, banana-y delight!

6. Roasted Arizona Chicken from Litchfield's - The chicken was seasoned and cooked perfectly!

7. B.L.A.T. Sandwich from The Haymaker Restaurant Co. - How can you go wrong with Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Tomato?

8. Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream from Churn - I was pleasantly surprised with how yummy this was!

9. Lo-Lo's from Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles - Great fried chicken and a huge waffle.  Yum!

10. Charbroiled Chicken Quesadilla from Wigwam Bar - Full of chicken, cheese, chilies, and onions, the quesadilla was tasty and filling.

Check out our Phoenix Destination Guide to see all the places we dined at.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Eats

Since we were stuck at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for 15 hours because our flight was delayed, we ended up eating at a lot of different restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Here is everything we ate during our time at the airport:

Breakfast:

Banana Bread from Kokopeli Deli

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Croissant Sandwich from Kokopeli Deli

Breakfast Burrito from Kokopeli Deli

Blueberry Muffin from Kokopeli Deli

Lunch:

Kids Chicken Strips from Smashburger

Fries from Smashburger

Classic Smash from Smashburger

Lo-Lo's from Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles

Penne Pasta with Butter from Wildflower Bread Company

Chocolate Chip Cookie from Wildflower Bread Company

Dinner:

Turkey Club Sandwich with Fries from Bowtie Bar & Grill

Fiesta Nachos from Bowtie Bar & Grill

Pepperoni Pizza from Sbarros

Carrote Cake from Sbarros

Chocolate Cake from Sbarros

Since we still had leftover food vouchers from the airline due to the delay, we decided to just buy a bunch of snacks to take home.

Assorted Snacks from Starbucks

Assorted Cookies from Paradise Bakery Cafe

My favorite of all the meals was the chicken & waffles from Lo-Lo's. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and it was such a huge serving.

I was very pleased with the dining options at Sky Harbor.  We weren't stuck eating at the same restaurant during our 15-hour delay, and instead our family was able to try a wide variety of foods from different restaurants. 



Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
3400 East Sky Harbor Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 273-3300

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