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.

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).

diy wine

. . . well, kind of. thanks to punahou grad shannon ball, tending to the vines & expensive fermentation equipment are no longer a requirement for aspiring vintners. test your winemaking skills at his shop, wine the experience, where you can blend your own wine from over 50 varietals and a few months later your wine will be ready to be bottled.

slap on some custom labels and you have a one-of-a kind gift for birthdays, weddings & the holidays. if you don't drink it all first.

the wickedly delicious mele mac

it is impossible to eat just one mele mac. if you have never encountered this delightful concoction . . . imagine chocolate covered macadamia nuts kicked up a notch with a coating of toffee & dusted with powdered sugar. 'nuff said.

they are so addictive that there should really be a mele macs 12 step program. especially now that island princess has opened up shop on the internet meaning you no longer have to wait until the holiday care package arrives in the mail or your next trip to the islands to get your fix.

and since the island princess factory outlet is located near the honolulu airport, you can stop by to stock up on discounted goodies for your mainland friends (sure, sure . . . whatever gets you through the night) while grazing on free samples. yum!

escape to the royal hawaiian hotel

if you have always wanted to make like a tourist and stay at the royal hawaiian hotel (aka the pink palace), you have 2 days left to take advantage of their sizzling summer sale.

penny pinchers may want to skip over the fine print since, even at $195 a night, your credit card will still take a big hit. deal with it by heading to the abhasa spa and splurging on a pohaku massage with your savings.

the devil's in the details . . .

• click here to book (offer code: tvlz)
• book it: by friday, jul 21st
• stay: aug 16th to oct 15th
• blackout: sep 16th to 30th