wee artiste

day 2 of the made in hawaii festival tour finds something for the little one in your life. add some aloha to art class and send your keiki off to school with an art smock from lanakila, a local non-profit that helps islanders with disabilities.

not only will your little artiste be stylin' while wielding a paint brush but, by shopping consciously, your purchase will support the many programs lanakila provides to the community like adult day services, workforce development & meals on wheels.

it's definitely a good thing.

made in paradisus

with the made in hawaii festival just around the corner, let's go on a tour of some of the exhibitors who will be showing off their goods at the blaisdell this weekend (fyi - save $1 off admission with the coupon on the website or go old school and pick your coupon up at first hawaiian bank).

first up, the mother & daughter team behind paradisus jewelry and their refined tropical asian designs. the delicate sterling silver pikake necklace is so life-like that you will probably anticipate the scent of a pikake lei to bloom whenever you wrap it around yourself. the collection includes monstera leaves, bamboo, heliconia and more . . . why, it's like a virtual garden awaits you every time you get dressed!

take a peek at the paradisus collection online or stop by nohea gallery for an up close and personal look.

salsa magic

dehydrated food typically conjures up thoughts of vacuum sealed packets of sustenance for astronauts & campers. a more gourmet option is pat's pineapple salsa which has been featured on food network's food finds.

each packet is filled with dehydrated pineapples, onions & chili peppers (no additives or sweeteners) straight from hawaii. all you need to do is add a few tomatoes and watch the ingredients magically plump up into fresh hawaiian salsa to enjoy no matter where you call home.

the salsa business is a labor of love for the family of the late pat campogan who are following his dream of sharing his culinary creations with the rest of us. the family also dishes up organic fare at the nasturtium café in kealakekua on the big island so stop by and see what they can whip up with nary a food dehydrator in sight.

shop like a fashionista

a luau may be the traditional way to celebrate the one year birthday, but the girls at fashionista's market have chosen to throw a birthday sample sale instead. grab your favorite shopping pal and head over to the ocean club this weekend to scoop up savings on citizens of humanity, c+c california, free people & more.

doors open at 10am and the first 50 people will also score some swag from sephora & bliss. don't forget to sign up online & rsvp by fri @ 6p to save a few bucks off admission (proceeds will benefit the life foundation of hawaii).

free night in hana

now that your ticket is booked you'll need a place to rest your pretty little head. if you're off to maui and can afford to stay at the hotel hana-maui . . . well, let's be honest, the savings from the discover hana package is probably just pocket change for you.

anyhoo, book 4 nights in select sea country cottages and the 5th night is on the house. they've even tossed in breakfast for two for the length of your stay. go see why the hotel recently earned the no. 12 spot on travel+leisure's top 25 hawaii hotels and check in with us after your stay so we can live vicariously through you.

the fine print:

• stay: sep 1st to dec 21st
• blackout: thanksgiving (nov 23rd to 30th)