KAWAII MONSTER CAFE, HARAJUKU

OMG, who cares about The Robot Restaurant when you have 

KAWAII MONSTER CAFE! 

 Let me just explain to you why this is a MUST SEE spot in Harajuku. When you go to the top floor of the YM building in Harajuku (across from La Foret) you will find this colorful entrance. The red carpet is supposed to be the tongue of the Monster and you will be entering his stomach. 

 Someone will greet you at the door, and will take you to your seats..

We were taken directly to the VIP room but before I get there, let me introduce the other craziness in this place..It's like a twisted version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and so much fun!

 This was the restroom. 

 Little balls everywhere. So much details. Soooo coooool.

Ah so cute!

Now, I don't know if I'm allowed to reveal where in the cafe the VIP room is, but it's actually through a secret door..and the entire room is PINK..with this cat on the wall, and karaoke. OMG.

 Ellen & Francis 

That box like thing next to Ellen is how you order. Every detail of this place is just so insane and I didn't want to leave this room!!! 

Our chicken + waffles (so good) with colorful Dip + colorful chopstix!

 Our yummy Limade sorbet. I wanted to try everything, but being on a diet (lol) I didn't want to get too crazy! 

Anyone who visits Tokyo needs visit here. I mean, Ariana Grande came here when she was in Japan! The food is not bad, and the experience is just trippy. I want to come back here with Zooey..I think the kids would have SO much fun here! So perfect for birthday parties + any kind of party!! They are actually having a Halloween Party! So sad I can't make it! But if you're in Tokyo here's the info: Kawaii Monster Halloween Party 

more info:

Kawaii Monster Cafe

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TOKYO FOR JAPAN FASHION WEEK S/S 2016

Hello. I just came back from Tokyo and settling back in from this trip has been rough, so apologies for the late update!! I know that I used to be able to update my blog daily..but gosh there aren't enough hours in the day!  Anyhow, It's been a year since I went back to Tokyo and this time I was invited by Maybelline NY, Japan again.  I didn't make it to JFW last season and was so grateful to be invited again. I brought along with me 2 LA bloggers to be the official Instagrammers for Maybelline.  I'm sure you've heard of them. They are the cutest! Ellen & Francis AKA #lolanlora

 The morning after their arrival I took them to eat at BILLS in Harajuku. 

 After that we went to the LINE STORE

 After a little exploring of Harajuku and getting street snapped, work started. We headed backstage of the TODD SNYDER show to see the make up. 

  二人が可愛いでしょ！

 Todd Snyder is a men's brand but they had 4 female models so the make up was pretty natural.

Below are some of the pieces. 

You can see the entire collection here: TODD SNYDER S/S 2016

How cute were the men's clothes on the female models? 

#maybellineFWT

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5 TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH A MINI STYLE TODDLER

Since having a family, my dream has always been to do a lot of family trips. I remember going on numerous trips with my parents and their friends but I haven't been able to do anything like that with my own family.  My husband still hasn't seen most of California since we moved back from Tokyo, so you can imagine my excitement when he told me that his company from Japan wanted to do a photo shoot in San Francisco with Zooey! I immediately planned this into a family trip tho it was really a work trip.  As much as I wanted to blog our experience right when we got back, being a working freelance mom, it took me about a week to unpack and the blog was put on the back burner again! OOPS! Before I go into how we Road Tripped with our mini fashionista 3 year old, I want to jot down some memorable moments to re-live our experience!  One of the best memories of our trip was the comfortable drive in this KIA SORENTO that we had the opportunity to use courtesy of Drive Shop.  I refuse to drive a Mini Van, and was excited to test out this SUV and it by far exceeded my expectations! To see more of their cars see #drivekia

My husband has never driven further than to Long Beach but he got used to this car right away! He is over 6 ft tall so he was really happy with how roomy the seats were! One of my favorite features was the blind spot indicators, where the car would beep when your blinker is on to change lanes. The rear end camera also helped with parking (especially for someone tiny like me!) The traffic in San Francisco was also pretty crazy so the blind spot indicators were super helpful!! There were also other fun features in the car but I can't even say enough about these, and the seat warmers..aaaah. Now let me get into some tips on how I prepared for this Family Trip with our toddler, but be warned, this was not your typical family trip...

TIP #1

ORGANIZED PACKING

Has anyone who traveled with a toddler been able to pack light? I actually tend to pack everything I think I might need, picking up extra basics on the way out of the house. lol If you can't pack light, at least pack in an organized manner. One of the focuses of our trip was to take photo content for Zooey's blog & Instagram, so we actually had to pack a lot..In addition to my suitcase, I packed shoes in one clear box, sweaters + jackets in a tote bag that could stay in the car and not have to be taken into the hotel, and a box or tote of clothes that I could easily bring in and out of the hotel to style the next day's looks.  You don't want to be dragging a suitcase in and out of your hotel every night, so prepare accordingly the items you can leave in your trunk and things that you MUST bring into your hotel room at the end of everyday. Most of the clothes in this trunk are to shoot for zooeyinthecity.com. Clothes we already shot, stayed in a different clear box in the trunk. Me, organized? I did it! Photos will be up soooon I promise! (Note: This tips is for Road Trips and not for flying by air. Those baggage allowances..)

TIP #2

HEALTHY SNACKS

On the way to the freeway we stopped by the Japanese Supermarket and got Zooey some snacks. I also prepared some popcorn in our Angels souvenir bucket but Zooey actually ended up sleeping the entire drive because the car ride was SO smooth! If you didn't use your snacks for the drive, they are good for keeping your kids motivated during photoshoots.  

Cardigan: Gap Kids // Sweater: Tiny Whales // Jeans: Gap Kids // Sneakers: Converse  // Beanie: Tiny Whales

TIP#3

PREPARE FOR UNKNOWN WEATHER

Always bring a basic sweater that can be layered with a Jacket or Coat when traveling with a toddler! You can never depend on the weather forecast so layering will most often be your last resort!! When we arrived in San Francisco it was REALLY chilly! I mistakenly looked at the weather forecast which lied to us so I just ended up layering everything we brought in the car. Luckily all her basics went well with each other. 

TIP #4
STROLLER + STROLLER COVER

Don't leave home without your stroller!!  You never know when your toddler is going to get sleepy or tired from walking so the stroller is the only thing that will help you enjoy exploring the city without having to make a pit stop back at the hotel for nap time. Even if your toddler has outgrown his/her stroller, you will really need one for any road trip or vacation! Note: I'm talking about for Toddlers, and not kids who are like 10 years old who don't need naps. *wink*

I also highly recommend this Fashionable stroller cover by LITTLE DREAM BIRD too! It will prevent sunlight from hitting their eyes, protects from the wind and allow them to sleep comfortably with no distractions. Zooey could nap a good 2 hours with this cover over stroller! The quality is nice and thick, yet breathable, and who can resist the sparkly heart on the side? 

TIP #5
HAVE FUN & TAKE TOURISTY PHOTOS WITH YOUR FAMILY!

I tend to always be the one behind the camera, or sometimes my husband takes photos of me and Zooey so we RARELY have family photos together. I sometimes regret not being one of those wives that absolutely MUST have professional photos taken for special occasions, such as maternity, wedding, etc. I'll be into it one day. Luckily someone awesome took this photo for us.

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JUST KEEP ON TRUCKIN' - MOTHERHOOD'S BEEN REAL

I can't believe that it's already September. Summer flew by SO fast. I can't even remember what I did yesterday because of this mom brain (yes it's real!) but I do remember going to Disneyland a lot with Zooey.  

 Investing in a premium annual pass is the best decision that I have ever made!!! When we don't have any plans, I just take Z to Disneyland.. Isn't she a lucky girl.

Now, back to reality. Motherhood. Motherhood is HARD. Fun, but HARD.

Do you ever watch your child sleep and wonder to yourself, wow, I made that little person and he/she is growing into a little mini me. But, am I doing enough? Shoot, I didn't have time to read to her last night, am I a terrible mother? She didn't eat any veggies for dinner and only ate the rice and meat..is she getting all the required vitamins and nutrients!? 

I constantly feel guilty about things that I can't control. I applaud the moms who are on a routine and schedule.   It's impossible for me to get Zooey to bed at a reasonable hour (is it 8pm these days?) but she does sleep until 8:30-9:00AM and takes 2-3 hour Naps in the middle of the day when she's not at school. Note: I've chosen not to have a 9-5 job because I find happiness in doing freelance PR / Social Media for clients that I love, which means my working hours are kind of all over the place and I'm kind of on the computer and my phone a lot..But this problem is under control and when Zooey calls for me, I go to her as quickly as I can. But..at the end of the night before I go to bed...I still contemplate about the day..

Am I doing Motherhood wrong? 

What did I not do today that I should have done?
I'll try better tomorrow I say...

 What I've learned about Zooey is this...

Her vocabulary is growing. She can speak Japanese, Vietnamese and English. She will automatically speak to you in the language that she knows you speak. If she accidentally says something in Japanese and you give her that 'huh?' She will say it in English. 

She can use chopsticks while eating rice.

She loves to draw and is drawing shapes and is still trying to perfect her Minnie Mouse.

She's well behaved (unless we sit somewhere for way too long)

She LOVES to sing. She can listen to a song once and can sing along to it when she hears it again. 

She likes to sing pop songs which might have some inappropriate lyrics. 

She sometimes closes her eyes when she sings and is really into it. 

She has passed me in Instagram followers.

She understands when she has a photo shoot and totally performs.

She just learned how to ride a scooter. She has already mastered her bicycle with training wheels.

She's very thoughtful and will help you when she can. 

 This face!! When I look at her and when she tells me she loves me my heart just melts!

So, I am not raising her exactly by the book, but she seems to be doing just fine. I sometimes have to take a step back and tell myself to stop being so hard on myself. If you're thinking how I'm thinking, then you're doing just fine too!! You're trying the best that you can to keep your child above water and that's all that matters! Stop comparing yourself to other moms. You're amazing. Now go tell your child you love them and give them a kiss.

 On another note, I started a hashtag series with my friend Julia of AVGVSTA for Zooey and her daughter LALA..If you haven't already seen it click here ---> #zooeyandlala

Anyhow, I just wanted to touch base because I haven't posted since Playground. I've become a horrible blogger too (but Zooey hasn't! Check her blog here: Zooey In The City)

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