Disclosure: I received a sample box in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am in the midst of planning a trip to Japan with my family this summer, and I can’t wait! Although we will miss the cherry blossom season, the March Tokyo Treat Sakura Snacktastic box is full of Japanese treats that put us in a Japanese springtime mood.

As you can see, each Tokyo Treat box comes packed a fabulous assortment of unique Japanese snacks. I particularly liked the variety, which included candies, potato chips, cookies, a mini can of soda and package of ramen!

The full color booklet is such a fun read. It contains a detailed description of each snack, including common allergens. This is especially helpful since most of the packaging is in Japanese. The booklet also contains interesting facts and cultural references that both kids and adults would appreciate. Below are some of the snacks that stood out in the March 2024 Tokyo Treat box.

KitKat Matcha Latte

This bag of Matcha Latte KitKats definitely caught my attention. I love that the packaging features cheerful cherry blossoms and cute matcha latte art.

I was impressed/surprised that the package included ten KitKat bars! These would be perfect little surprise to share with friends.

My family and I have been into matcha lattes/green tea anything recently, so these KitKats were an instant hit. The matcha flavor + creaminess + crispy wafer are the perfect combination.

Pai no Mi Mini Pies Pear Tart

I am not sure what association squirrels have with pears, but they are a cute addition to the packaging of these mini pies. The crust is airy and delicate, and the filling is lightly sweet.

Again, I like how there is enough product to share with others. These morsels would be delicious accompanied by a hot cup of tea.

Mitsuya Cider

I have never heard of Mitsuya Soda, but according to the can it has been around since 1884? It has a sweet carbonated flavor, but I cannot describe it any more than that. The mini can is just too cute. I am sure my son is looking forward to all of the vending machine drinks when we go to Japan!

Pure Potato Honey Butter & Rock Salt

For those with a more salty tooth, these potato chips will satisfy your cravings. These chips have a natural potato taste that is missing in many of the chips we have here. The honey butter flavor is not overpowering. I can imagine bringing these chips on a picnic.

Sakura Mini Cookies

How To Subscribe To Tokyo Treat

Tokyo Treat offers monthly, three month, six month, and twelve month plans. According to the Tokyo Treat website, each box contains 15-20 full-size snacks, and their boxes are the biggest Japanese snack boxes on the planet (2.86 pounds). Treat yourself or someone you know to a subscription today. Tokyo Treat is a fun way to bring a taste of Japan into your own home!

6.16.20 (Tuesday): After living with this band-aid paint color in our master bedroom for eleven years, I finally started re-painting! The kids have been helping, too.

6.17.20 (Wednesday):

Nothing memorable happened today, but I am grateful for the June gloom.

6.18.20 (Thursday): Our public library re-opened for curbside pick-up!! I think this was the most excited I have been about a re-opening so far.

6.19.20 (Friday):

During my walk I came across this group of dogs sitting ever so patiently with their dog walker. They were so cute I had to sneak a picture.

6.20.20 (Saturday): We dropped off a gift for my dad for Father’s Day. Not being able to see my parents regularly is one of the most unfortunate parts of quarantine.

6.21.20 (Sunday): Happy Father’s Day! We made breakfast for D, who usually makes breakfast for us on Sundays. He opened his gifts and then we tuned into church service.

Later in the morning we drove to Vista for a quick two-night stay in a tiny house in Vista (separate post coming). We stopped in Oceanside for lunch and went to the beach.

6.22.20 (Monday): We visited a local garden and went to a beach in Carlsbad.

6.23.20 (Tuesday): We drove home in the morning. D was able to get a lot of work done even though he was technically still on vacation.

n had his first soccer practice back on the field!

6.24.20 (Wednesday): D went to workout at 24 Hour Fitness today at 5 a.m. for the first time since quarantine. This is a big deal because going there used to be an essential part of D’s daily routine. He had to reserve a workout time through an app the day before and workouts are limited to 60 minutes. He said about 60% of people were wearing masks.

We survived 100 days! There is still a lot of uncertainty, as the numbers in California still seem to be rising and they are still working on a vaccine. However, life does seem to be slowly returning back to “normal”. I think this is an appropriate time to end my “Life in the Time of Corona” series. I will try to be better about doing periodical personal updates in between my product reviews and giveaways.

It will be interesting to see how some things may never change back to how they were. Will we ever shake hands again? Will D continue working from home a lot more and will he have to wear a mask if he is at the office all day? Will people always stand 6 feet apart when they are in a line? How will the school experience be for k and n when they return in August? I guess only time will tell.

6.9.20 (Tuesday): It was way too hot today, at 97 degrees. It is crazy how much my productivity level goes down when it is hot outside.

6.10.20 (Wednesday): I received my dreaded driver’s license renewal notice from the DMV. Since I wanted to also get the RealID, I had to go into the office. I uploaded all my documents and printed out my pass from the “express” line. Unfortunately, I was not able to make an appointment to go in.

6.11.20 (Thursday): The DMV opened up at 8 a.m., so I arrived just after 7:30. There were already about 70 people in line! Because I had the Express Pass, I was able to finish in about 25 minutes, which was not too bad.

I had to take n to the orthodontist again because he had a loose wire.

6.12.20 (Friday):

I went to Costco in the morning. n was hankering for a chicken bake, so I tried to make some at home:

Our HOA pool opened! There are strict protocols in place. D and n were excited to be able to go again, and it was pretty empty.

6.13.20 (Saturday):

I saw these bunnies during my walk today. They are really camouflaged, right?

6.14.20 (Sunday):

We watched our church service online and participated in virtual communion.

For dinner, we went to our first dine-in restaurant since quarantine began! D had some North Italia gift cards burning a hole in his pocket. We were hoping that they would survive the shutdown so we could still use them. I hope to do a separate review soon.

6.15.20 (Monday):

Another 1,000 piece puzzle complete! I guess people know that we like map puzzles. 🙂 I hope that we will be able to visit Washington D.C. as a family someday!

6.1.20 (Monday):

We celebrated the last day of school with a tres leches cake. (I forgot to post these pictures last week, so here they are).

6.2.20 (Tuesday): We all hopped in the car and drove to n’s elementary school so he could return his ipad and pick up his diploma and other school papers drive-thru style.

That night we watched a graduation ceremony video that n’s principal put together, which was nice. With the youngest child, the “lasts” always seem more bittersweet. Can’t believe we no longer have kids in elementary school. It was also kind of sad because all three of the fifth grade teachers are retiring this year (they had decided to retire before COVID-19 hit, and now they are probably thinking that was good timing on their part).

6.3.20 (Wednesday): I took n for his 11-year old check-up with his pediatrician. It was really stuffy wearing a mask in the examination room while we were waiting to see the doctor. He had to have three shots, which he was dreading.

6.4.20 (Thursday): k is still doing her basketball workouts on Thursday afternoons. I’ve been enjoying my walks 2x a day.

6.5.20 (Friday): So nice to have a cool, overcast day!

6.6.20 (Saturday): More restaurants are opening for in-person dining, but we have not tried it yet. D picked up The Habit for dinner.

6.7.20 (Sunday): I saw that some people are starting to attend church again. It will be interesting to see how our church ends up handling the situation, but we are still watching from home for now.

6.8.20 (Monday):

I drove k to school to pick up her yearbook. Again, it was organized as a drive-thru. Too bad she cannot have her friends sign it. However, some of her friends organized a video call so they could go through it together and talk about it.

5.25.20 (Monday) Memorial Day:

D grilled hamburgers in the backyard. We all agreed that we should try to use our BBQ more often.

5.26.20 (Tuesday):

n had his first orthodontist appointment since the pandemic. They were quite strict with their protocols. When you arrive, stay in your car and text the office that you have arrived. They will text you when they want you to come to the front door of the office. There is an online questionnaire you need to take 24 hours before arrival. They take your temperature before you enter. Only patient may enter office. Patient must wash hands upon entry, and wear a mask. Office texts patient’s parent when they are done. Patient waits outside for parent. Follow-up appointments made via phone after the appointment. Phew!

We dropped off my nephew’s present for his 10th birthday.

5.27.20 (Wednesday):

n’s principal showed up at our doorstep in the evening to present n with a special national award. What a nice way to end his elementary school “career”.

5.28.20 (Thursday): Last day of school! What kind of mom schedules dentist appointments for the last day of school? That would be me. n ended up having to do a Google Meet while at the dentist’s office, but it all worked out. The hygienist only did cleaning, and not polishing to limit unnecessary exposure.

k received an academic excellence award in Spanish. Somehow, it is not the same receiving an award via video presentation, but nice to be recognized nonetheless.

5.29.20 (Friday): Our first day of freedom, at least for three of us. D has not heard anything definitive, but he thinks he will not be returning to the office until August. That means we will all be at home for the summer!

n finished working on his astronomy merit badge. He has also started talking/texting one of his classmates more often. They have decided to read books together and discuss them during the summer, which I think is a great idea!

Meanwhile, one of k’s high-achiever friends is setting up online activities/challenges for them to complete together during the summer. We also have plenty of workbooks for both k and n. The Lim family summer school will be in full effect!

5.30.20 (Saturday): We had a mini excursion today. First we went to Pickle Banh Mi in Fountain Valley. Our favorites were the chicken and pork. The beef banh mi and boba were “eh”. We need a drive-thru banh mi place closer to us!

I had scheduled D for a Chipotle taste test in Huntington Beach. Instead of taste-testing inside, they had a to-go station set up outside of the restaurant. He completed the test in the car with his phone.

Since we were already in HB, we decided to check out the beach scene. If you have seen HB on the news recently, it is known for their stance to open California now. Well, from what we saw, I would say that is true. Hardly anyone was wearing a mask, and there was very little social distancing going on. Good thing we did not go the next day, so we did not find ourselves caught in the protester stand-offs.

At home we watched the Pacific Symphony Orchestra John Williams Concert here.

For family movie night we watched Sister Act. Reminded me of my days in the Tenderloin.

5.31.20 (Sunday):

We found out that our church will not be holding in-person service at least to the end of June. It was nice to be able to watch one of our pastors return to preaching after being absent due to medical reasons. Our country definitely needs prayer right now as there is so much pain and anger that has erupted due to recent events (and that has been simmering for years).

I have not been able to go to our donation place (not sure if it is even open), so I set up a “free” table in our front yard for our neighbors. We were able to give away quite a few items. The quest to declutter continues!

5.18.20 (Monday): The weather is cool and drizzly!

5.19.20 (Tuesday):

n started another virtual merit badge class: astronomy. This time a couple of his friends are taking it with him, so I think it is more fun for him.

5.20.20 (Wednesday):

5.21.20 (Thursday):

5.22.20 (Friday):

5.23.20 (Saturday):

Apparently Orange County received approval to move to Stage 2 (which I think is really part two of stage 2?) Everyone must wear masks in public and restaurants can open for dining if they follow certain protocols.

Our church supported one of our members who owns a small business (Kingpin Pizza) by having a restaurant night. We ordered pizza and chicken wings-yum!

5.24.20 (Sunday):

We watched our church service in the morning. I guess Trump says he wants places of worship opened up immediately, but we are taking a more cautious approach.

5.10.20 (Sunday): Mother’s Day!

D bought an assortment of pastries from 85 degrees for breakfast. We watched our church service online. Dropped off a gift for my mom. Had a family Zoom meeting in the afternoon. Watched the second Disney at Home special at night.

5.11.20 (Monday): I went to Costco and stocked up (again). I now buy 6 half-gallon milk cartons at a time.

5.12.20 (Tuesday): We did a book swap with my nephew because n was complaining that he did not have anything to read. I have been really missing the library!

5.13.20 (Wednesday): k has been practicing her hand-lettering. It is interesting when your child becomes better at something than you. (Well both of my kids are better at sports than me, and that started at quite a young age-ha!)

5.14.20 (Thursday): Not much to report, so I will just post a couple of pictures of our first mini harvest.

5.15.20 (Friday):

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds did a flyover in honor of the front-line workers in Southern California. We went outside to look for them, along with some of our neighbors, but were not able to see them.

5.16.20 (Saturday): My dad turned 75 today! We dropped off his present at the house. My mom made his favorite, meatloaf!

I worked on a campaign with a quick turn-around. It involved camping in our backyard, which was a nice change of pace. I was afraid the raccoons would come out, but I did not hear them.

5.17.20 (Sunday):

Online church service in the morning.

k and I are almost done with our first Korean drama, Boys Over Flowers. It has been a good bonding time for us. n and D have been re-watching Star Wars.

5.3.20 (Sunday):

We were able to watch our church Sunday service on our television; thanks, n!

5.4.20 (Monday):

Today was somewhat eventful. Gov. Newsom announced that California is headed to “Stage 2” on Friday. This means that certain stores (clothing, bookstores, florists, etc.) can open for curbside pick-up. However shopping malls remain closed. I really do not see how this is any different than what is the current situation, since I thought most stores were operating in this way anyway. I know D is anxious for Stage 3 (gyms, barbers), so we will see how long that takes.

We are officially a one car family. Since D leases our cars from Mazda, he decided to turn in one of our cars instead of having two cars sit idly in our garage. We will see how long we can last, but I am thinking it will only be for about a month.

This is what car-washing looks like for our family.

n had his first Zoom with his Boy Scout troop and I had a simultaneous meeting with the parents. This is n doing the flag salute. I hope that he will be able to progress even if

5.5.20 (Tuesday):

n received some good news on his big math placement test, so he was relieved. He also received notice of earning his first virtual merit badge: Mammals.

I realize I need to take more pictures of k and what she has been up to!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo by eating carnitas burritos.

5.6.20 (Wednesday):

The weather warmed up again, near 90’s, which is no bueno for my productivity levels. Have been pretty much obsessed with the “Happier With Gretchen Rubin” podcast while I walk outside. If anyone has any other podcast recommendations, please let me know in the comments!

5.7.20 (Thursday):

5.8.20 (Friday):

Our first day of “Stage 2” really did not seem any different. Since it seems like we will need to wear masks everywhere now, I feel like I need to buy some that are comfortable to wear for a long period of time. The ones I have made are fine for a shopping trip, but not for much longer.

5.9.20 (Saturday):

Our outing for the day was dropping off n’s soccer registration papers at someone’s house in Lake Forest. Had to make a stop at The Hat since we were so close-ha! I have to admit, I am really enjoying these more relaxed weekends.

We watched The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. Cute movie! (I am pretty sure I had seen this one before, but really did not remember any of it, so sad).

4.26.20 (Sunday):

n did the paper experiment from the children’s message. I like how he is always eager to try things out right away.

4.27.20 (Monday):

k found out that she made Chamber Orchestra (highest level for her middle school). She had to submit an audition video and was kind of nervous, so that was a relief.

n started a virtual Public Health Merit Badge class that lasted the whole week.

4.28.20 (Tuesday):

4.29.20 (Wednesday):

4.30.20 (Thursday):

n’s soccer team took their Zoom call outside so they were able to practice a little and learn how they are supposed to create a team video.

5.1.20 (Friday):

It is kind of hard to believe that today is the first day of May. Time is passing slow and fast at the same time.

D had to jumpstart the car that I usually drive (yes, again!)

k had her first virtual GS meeting on Zoom.

We met with our small group via Zoom and k met with her youth group via Discord.

5.2.20 (Saturday):

I think this was one of the most fun days for me so far during our quarantine!

n participated in the Boy Scouts of America National Camp-In by meeting virtually with his troop (for the first time) and watching a lot of the programming on FB Live. I found a lot of the topics and speakers interesting, which included movie-making, cooking and interviews with an astronaut and Steve Wozniak. We made the sandwiches that were taught by a MasterChef Junior contestant who is also a Scout.

Instead of camping in our backyard, we did a literal “camp-in” and slept downstairs. It is always fun making a giant bed with sleeping bags, pillows and blankets, although n complained it was too hot.

4.20.20 (Monday):

We picked up a bat box kit from curbisde pickup at Home Depot for n’s mammal merit badge. He built it and hung it in our tree, although I do not really want any bats to come-ha!

k’s science teacher gave her an award for her hard work in Distance Learning.

Since it is a “virtual” award, the school had us send in a picture with her holding a blank piece of paper and then they made a Google Slide with “I’m a Distance Learning Superstar!” superimposed on the picture–ha!

4.21.20 (Tuesday):

n made a megaphone for his music class.

Someone sent us a game called Cat Crimes. It is a fun one-person game if you like logic games.

4.22.20 (Wednesday):

Today n took his math placement test for next year. Both my kids were happy about state testing being suspended, but n still has to take a two-part test to determine which math class he is in for 6th grade. The first part was 80 minutes long.

4.23.20 (Thursday):

n took the second part of his math placement test.

We were watching American Idol and I saw that the granddaughter of my jazz band teacher auditioned. She made it through to Hollywood, but I am not sure how far she went (it was an old episode).

4.24.20 (Friday):

n had his second online speech therapy session. (He is still working on his “r” sound). I think he is actually receiving more help this way than before because it is an individual session.

Big shopping day: I went to Zion AND Target! I had to wait outside in a line at Zion before entering. At Target, there was no line to enter, and masks are required for customers.

The weather turned hot, as in mid-90s! We had my favorite dinner on a hot day: somen salad.

At night we had our online church small group meetings. Our internet is not the fastest though, so we experienced some technical difficulties.

4.25.20 (Saturday):

n’ s soccer coach asked his team to make up a soccer challenge video, so this was n’s video:

Our weekend treat was having D pick up Raising Cane’s for lunch. It was our first time trying it out. We thought that the quality of the chicken was good, but we thought it need a little “spice”.

We watched the Robert Downey Jr. Dr. Doolittle movie, and were not too impressed.