ship to hawaii

frequent online shoppers know that shipping to the islands can be a frustrating experience from jacked up shipping rates to pad a company's bottom line to the exclusion of one million potential customers by some mainland businesses who simply refuse to ship to hawaii. shopping local is, of course, the best way to go but that's not always possible so when you simply must hit the internet click over to ship to hawaii which just may become your favorite online buddy.

an annual membership fee (from $20 for the average jane & joe to $150 for a big business) combined with an additional shipping fee gets you access to the company's california warehouse which will receive your order, bundle it up with the goodies of other savvy kama'aina, and dispatches all the packages via air freight to hawaii twice a week (ocean freight is also available for heavier items).

patience is a must and, while door to door delivery is available to the neighbor islands, oahu residents will have to drop by the courier office near the airport to pick up their package.

an online shipping calculator lets you estimate the potential cost savings so if a business offers reasonable s/h this is not always the ideal way to go, however ship to hawaii does open up the tantalizing prospect of all those free shipping offers that are typically restricted to the 48 states.

learn what inspired this brilliant idea over at midweek and remember to read all the fine print before you sign up.

{via smart magazine}

p.s. outrageous shipping charges are not the exclusive domain of the mainland to hawaii route and has been known to afflict orders going in the opposite direction across the pacific (ex: a recent order cost $2 to ship from hi to ca but the company charged me $8 - yikes!) so here's a little unsolicited advice to hi biz owners - get a scale (it is a business expense, after all), sign up for click-n-ship postage, stock up on flat rate boxes from usps, and make a note that packages under 13 ounces can be sent via first class mail.

studies show that i am not the only one who has abandoned many a shopping cart after being presented with excessive s/h fees at checkout. in fact, you may be surprised to learn that 6 out of 10 shoppers ditch their cart prior to completing their purchase. the number one reason? high shipping rates.

malie organic aroma mists

longtime readers may recall my mission to switch over to organic beauty products as empty bottles of questionable formulations find their way to the recycling bin. commercial perfumes have always triggered a headache for me so i am always on the lookout for fragrances made by nature rather than a chemical factory in new jersey.

that phthalates (common in most personal care products) may be a hormone disrupter only confirms my suspicions that au naturale is the better way to go when it comes to potions that will be absorbed by your body.

yesterday, happy news arrived in my inbox compliments of malie kaua'i's introduction of their organic aroma mist line. malie continues to tread lightly on the 'aina with an ingredient list that is 70% certified organic and each of the five scents (coconut vanilla - koke'e - mango nectar - pikake - plumeria) feature fresh, fruity &/or floral notes compliments of the wildcrafted hydrosols grown in the islands.

even better, the organic aroma mists are a one bottle wonder formulated to work as both a personal and home fragrance to scent you and your world.

the new organic aroma mists can be ordered online or stop by the malie beauty boutique to pick up your favorite scent when in kaua'i.

{update | may 29th: look for the launch of the mango nectar product range in mid-june. mahalo shaun!}

at home with denise tjarks

hele on

designer denise tjarks has a stylish antidote for anyone who has hit her lifetime quota of oohing over kitchenware, candles, and cosmetics at a home party. handbag lovers on kauai can now gather up their favorite ladies for a private trunk show filled with selections fresh from the designer's garden isle atelier.

designs range from vintage to contemporary so all your guests are sure to find something to swoon over, and the trunk show is a sweet solution for island bound brides searching for a different way to show their gratitude to their wedding party.

vintage maia + kate

the reward for the hostess? a gift certificate which can be redeemed during the party or donated to charity.

click rewind to learn more about denise.

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.

koke'e kokua

 

malie kauai is introducing a fresh new fragrance across its line of luxurious spa treats today. the koke'e collection embodies the breathtaking beauty of its namesake, koke'e state park, which is one of a only a handful of remaining intact native forests in all of hawaii (and home to 26 threatened & endangered species).

in the spirit of kokua, a portion of sales from malie's koke'e scented bath lathers, soy candles, reed diffusers & more will be donated to the koke'e resource conservation program.

learn more about malie's commitment to koke'e here.