Cold Stone Creamery ice cream spotted at 7-11 in Japan. And we’re back

 I live way out in the country side/inaka, so finding this was kind of a surprise, nice surprise but a surprise nonetheless. ; ) However, yesterday when I ran into the 7-11 to pick up a carton of yuzu water. I was surprised to see Cold Stone being sold at my local 7-11 in my tiny town here in Japan. So, just wanted to share this info anyway. Not sure if any of you have spotted it yet. If so then this info will be old news for you then. However this info could hopefully help someone. My particular 7-11 had this chocolate one and a strawberry one. Not sure if they will eventually come out with the specialty flavors or not. Would love to find the flavor/combo, "This Is How I Roll" the cinnamon roll flavor one.  But anyway, hope this info can be of help to someone. : )

Size wise, it's about the same type of sizing as those teeny tiny Haagen Dazs ones, if you know what I mean, if you live in Japan, you'll for surely kwim. Cost 270 yen or around there. So a tad expensive/high. I'd probably never buy one again, unless they came out with the signature flavors like the cinnamon roll one. But anyway, just thought I'd pass this info on at least. : )

Other then that, we are home. We arrived back home Tuesday evening. We arrived around 7:20pm-ish. And by the time we got out of the plane, walked through all those immigrations etc type things. And plus we went through the quarantine area for the Christmas ham we brought back and the rice, so that took extra time. And then we went home so by the time we got home it was nearing 9pm-ish. The boys took fast 5 minute showers and went straight to sleep since they had school the next day, Wednesday/yesterday. I unpacked yesterday and did 3 loads of laundry. Load 1, swim suits. Load 2, Guam clothes minus the swimsuit load done first and Load 3.... load of socks of everyone's and underwear of everyone's and any misc t-shirts or polo type tops. I also ran to the bakery for fresh bread and to 7-11 for yuzu water (where I found the Cold Stone.)

All this week the boys have a shortened school schedule so they get off at 2:20pm all this week. Next week is their last week of school and then they begin Winter break. I also have that Christmas cake baking with Noah next week at school for cooking class for the ichinensei. I have about 2-3 posts pre Guam to get up. Hopefully I can get up the observation post next. Then the marathon one will hopefully follow. The actual Guam trip post maybe Monday? Gee, not sure. But, I better get started on the pre Guam posts now. But...yep we are home. We did get here December 11th, Tuesday evening/night.

Costco in Chiba New Town opening next year!

Information share, if you already know or don’t live so close, this won’t matter so much to you. But the new Costco location is opening by the end of next year. Should open by the end of 2013, in the Chiba New Town area/Inzai area.

This to me, would be the closest and most convenient Costco for me! So, I am REALLY looking forward to it. I think I could definitely swing a trip there once a month for sure! No long high way tolls for me either. And could actually zip there and back before the boys would get out of school.

Anyway just thought I’d share this, could be helpful for someone else. I know for most folks it’s easier getting to Makuhari. But for me living on the outskirts between/bordering Chiba and Ibaraki, this would be much closer. So, I’m looking forward to next year. Hope this info helps someone. : )

Old Navy coming to Japan! Also, Cherokee brand stuff (from Target) at Nishimatsuya

A month ago, I was sitting on the couch over the weekend relaxing watching something with the boys on TV. Noboru was on the computer reading all the latest Japanese news and such. Anyway he said, Old Navy's coming to Japan. It will be the first Old Navy overseas!

We chatted about it for a few minutes. And I said to myself. I should mention this on the ol' blog. You know some folks already might know. But I'm sure this info could be helpful to some who may not know. Then with so much going on....shaon kai, child with influenza B. trip planning etc etc. I forgot, I'm human it happens.

Then the lovely Kelsey. Mentioned it to me on my blog in the comments and I thought, oh thank goodness she said it, now I can for surely remember and mention this again. And again this week has been crazy and would you believe I forget again. Sheesh, Gina! : )

Anyway, I'm upstairs just now doing laundry and turning one of Noah's shirts from inside out to right side right. And blammo! It hit me. Old Navy opening in Japan. So this time, I'm posting this right this second. So when meetings etc etc, take over my mind. I won't have forgotten.

Here's the skinny on the Old Navy. It is opening up in Odaiba, this April. A bit farther then Tokyo Disneyland, but you know what I mean, that general area though. The mall is called, hold on let me link it here. It's called DiverCity

I am not sure if the prices will be super affordable how they are for us in the US. Most Americans know this is Gap's sister company, same as Banana Republic. Anyway there's the info. Hope this helps someone. I order mine from the website, so I probably won't be driving all that way. However, I am hoping that Old Navy is a success here in the land of the rising sun, because if it is, they might open all over Japan, just like the Gap. So here's hoping for lots of success.

Also, oh one more thing I almost forgot. So, I bought Branden, a simple house shirt from Nishimatsuya a month ago. Could be 5 weeks ago. You know just for hanging in the house on weekends type. It was super cheap. And anyway, Branden was looking at it and he mentioned looking at the paper tag, on the sleeve still. He said, that brands just like my underwear. What?, I said. He said....that brand is identical to the brand of underwear you bought me and Noah at Target. @_@ It couldn't be, I thought to myself, so I looked. Sure enough it said, Cherokee. There must be some mistake I thought...surely they must be just 2 companies with similar names? So, I really looked at it, and it had the registered trademark with circle around the R. And so I got the address of the Nishimatsuya shirt and found this, go figure.
Branden was totally right. Yes, they were the same brand as his and Noah's undies. Very observant kiddo. In the US, Target. In Japan, you can see if you look real close on the right, the bunny, that's Nishimatsuya. Go figure. Anyway, again, this info may be helpful or not. But either way I'm going to share it. And I'm not saying they have tons of Cherokee brand there, but it is there. If you need it. : )
This was the top in question. Pardon Noah's extra booster seat.
And this was the tag on the tee up above. Anyway, that's my information share for the day. ; )