keeping it green

there's a little movement happening all over the internet today called blog action day. its organizers had an idea to start a worldwide conversation of one issue and asked bloggers to discuss the environment in their own way. and, well, since i do believe that every day should be earth day, here are two simple things you can do right now to make your part of the world a bit greener.

. . . idea no. 1 - recycle . . .

if you're not one of the lucky island households who won the curbside recycling jackpot, surely you are still rocking the good eco-citizen lifestyle and dropping off your recyclables at one of the many community recycling bins posted at island schools as a fundraiser.

here's another easily recycled item that is often overlooked: printer cartridges. they can be dropped off at office depot or best buy, but an even better alternative is to suggest that your neighborhood school or your favorite non-profit host a recycling collection bin as a green fundraising idea.

then take it one step further and find out if your workplace would be willing to host a recycling bin to collect used cartridges to donate to a participating local school or charity. it's a win-win for everyone since some much needed cash is raised to help fund programs in your community, and your actions just saved a bunch of plastic from wasting away deep beneath the earth for the next thousand or so years.

click over to cartridge world and kid ink to learn more.

. . . idea no. 2 - go organic . . .

did you know that hawaii imports 85% of its food and it is estimated that there is as little as a 7 day food supply stocked in the islands? despite those gloomy statistics, a bright spot is that honolulu recently ranked 33 out of 279 u.s. cities for buying organic, and there is a little more hope for a sustainable future in the islands via the recently published hawaii 2050 plan.

over the past few years, my 'ohana of two has been making the transition to organic so i know it can be pricey, however organic food is worth the extra cost for so many reasons. it is much more delicious and my experience has been that organic produce and dairy products stay fresh longer than conventionally grown stuff. plus, it's nice to know that buying organic is keeping the 'aina green and free of nasty pesticides. peace of mind. priceless!

if you are interested in going organic and are on a budget, you can cut costs by shopping at the farmers market (added bonus - keeping it local!), work that warehouse club membership and buy organic in bulk, or, do as your ancestors did back in the day and grow your very own sustainable vegetable garden in your backyard.

and, if your family chows through a lot of produce, consider signing up for a farm share. the idea behind community supported agriculture is to help family farms compete against factory farms by selling their bounty directly to the people. in exchange for a weekly or monthly fee, you receive a basket of fresh fruits and veggies plus the warm fuzzy feeling of helping a small farm stay in business.

click over to local harvest to find a csa near you.

your turn! click on the comments link below and share your favorite green idea with the h|h community.

visitor aloha society of hawaii

chances are the visitor aloha society of hawaii does its good work below the radar of most folks unless you happen to be one of its ambassadors of aloha or a grateful recipient. the program was started to extend the aloha spirit to travelers in need should misfortune strike while on vacation. help ranges from donating goods when belongings are stolen to making arrangements when an unexpected illness or death occurs far from home.

training sessions for new volunteers happen a few times a year and the next one is set to take place on oahu later this month. you will need to send in a completed application form to reserve a spot, and vash especially needs volunteers who are fluent in chinese, french, german, korean, japanese or spanish.

• when: sat, oct 27th & sat, nov 17th
• fyi: must be 18+

a peek at a few traveler testimonials reveals just some of the people who have been helped by vash's kokua over the years. learn more about the program here.

jools fall 2007

flower cutout bracelet + sterling silver leaf pendant

just a quick note to let you know that jools, the la-based jewelry line designed by sybil shimazu, is in the midst of a sale! save 15% off the very pretty fall 07 collection which is filled with restrained romantic flourishes to add a little ooh la la to your wardrobe.

• secret code: fall15
• expires: sun, oct 21st

golden gecko

wall decals of every stripe and color have been a popular pick on design blogs for the past two years or so. while i count myself in the camp who shrieks and points at the wall until someone other than myself courageously guides the offender back to the natural world, those of you who see nothing but cuteness in the little creatures just may be delighted with these gecko wall graphics from elly nelly.

the vinyl stickers are removable which is a very good thing if you tend to move or redecorate whenever the mood strikes. and no need to stick with gecko green since you can take your pick from the rainbow of colors stocked in elly nelly's etsy shop.

{via apartment therapy}

maui wow-wee

with halloween fast approaching, these days all sweet thoughts seem to lead to chocolate. i recently went digging through my bookmarks and rediscovered a maui made chocolate confection called wow-wee. tropical add in's like kona/maui coffee, coconut and macadamia nuts complete the mix, and if you are feeling particularly adventurous there's even a kava blend.

while the flavors are probably a tad too grownup for trick-or-treaters (the dark chocolate/hawaiian coconut bar is said to be a favorite of aerosmith's steven tyler), a wow-wee gift pack would be a sweet surprise to share with officemates who constantly raid the candy stockpile that makes its annual appearance around this time of year.

fyi - online orders have a 12 bar minimum requirement and packages are only shipped out once a week so plan accordingly.

{update | oct 12th: wow-wee island stockists include abc stores, longs & hilo hattie on maui and at select longs on kauai}