Mothers finding themselves in a constant battle to balance family, work, caring for their children and finding time for themselves are the target demographic for a new business in Manoa designed help with party planning and shopping.

As a full-time working wife and mother with an infant daughter, a son and two stepsons, Cara Yamaguchi Kakuda thought, "There must be a lot of mothers that are real busy also." So she took it upon herself to create CaraMia, which specializes in the custom parties, in-office shopping and fundraisers for schools and organizations for those with limited free time.

Kakuda, who always helped her friends with parties in the past, thought about providing similar services as a business. After acquiring a Sanrio franchise 2 1/2 years ago, she decided to combine a store with services to assist "busy moms," which has now expanded to "busy parents" to include fathers, many of whom are single parents.

"We really want to take care of your beloved or your little person that you're buying for," said Kakuda, noting that CaraMia means "beloved" in Italian. "There are a lot of busy people who just don't have time, but they want to do something really nice and different for their daughters."

Kakuda, 43, grew up in Manoa and said she chose to open her store in Manoa Marketplace because the community would appreciate the concept of her business. CaraMia opened in May and occupies two spaces, a 500-square-foot boutique on the first floor and a private party room and office on the second. The company has nine employees, including Kakuda and her two longtime friends, who serve as managers.

The boutique's chic style and pastel pink floral designs on the windows attract Sanrio enthusiasts young and old. CaraMia's party room on the second level is designed to accommodate from 12 to 16 people for any occasion from birthdays to bridal showers.

"I wanted to make sure that the store provided an atmosphere for them that would make them feel happy. It brings some people back to when they were young," Kakuda said.

Customers of all ages can design their own party, whether it be a bridal shower or a birthday.

For those who don't have time to go shopping, CaraMia's employees also visit offices with baskets of items available for purchase, so people can shop during their lunch break. Customers can list items that may be of interest to the person they're shopping for to find the perfect gift.

Schools and other organizations also can sell Sanrio products to raise money.

CaraMia also has plans to launch a gift registry for little girls to list items they want from the boutique.

During a difficult economic time for many, CaraMia's sales representatives will consult and work with their customers' budgets for party planning. Kakuda said she really wants to make sure that customers are taken care of based on their need and accommodates those who are tight on money by offering sale items at 50 percent off.

"We really want to make sure that everybody gets taken care of," Kakuda said.

"In an economy, where you have a choice on where to buy something, I think people appreciate that you take that extra time."