mauna loa kisses

my bff sent up a bag of mauna loa macadamia nut hershey kisses for xmas which i have been patiently hoarding until valentine's day. the kisses are wrapped in mauna loa's signature blue foil with "aloha" printed on the paper plume. too cute and oh so yummy.

milk chocolate kisses are exclusive to the islands however there is one entrepreneurial soul selling them on ebay (with a markup, of course). if you are not in hawaii, your best bet is to add them to your wish list for the next care package or start hunting for the special dark chocolate kisses (a double whammy of omega 3's) which are only sold on the mainland.

mauna loa also has a limited edition gift tin on their website which seems to be the only way to buy them online.

he'e nalu sterling style

one of the questions i get asked a lot is just how do i find all this stuff? well, more often than not much of the good stuff is discovered after spending endless hours online and bookmarking things for that ever elusive red letter day.

so i am always thrilled when someone pops me an email to say hello which reminds me to dig up that bookmark and get a post ready to go. such is the case with the he'e nalu jewelry line created by riches hawaii owner lo kaimuloa which has been hiding in my bookmarks for far too long.

the sterling silver collection has a minimal design and the message is simple: to embody the principles of the hawaiian culture. each he'e nalu piece is engraved with a hawaiian word like makoa (courage), hanohano (honor), kuleana (purpose), etc. which serves as a touchstone for the code we all should live by but is oftentimes forgotten in modern life. and no worries if your hawaiian is sketchy since the english translation is also inscribed on the back.

if you are searching for something sweet for valentine's day, you may want to take a peek at he'e nalu's heart shaped aloha pendant. the online inventory is low but you can always drop by riches hawaii's kiosk at kahala mall to check out the complete collection.

say aloha to ola

 

i have been racking my brain to remember who made the lovely spa line i spotted at pacific home last year. the other day while flipping through smart magazine, i finally rediscovered ola and once again swooned over the modern tropical look of their holistic hawaiian spa line (the pretty lauhala packaging makes for instant gifting whenever you want to spoil someone).

many of ola's ingredients come straight from the hilo farmers market and i love how they feature the folks who grow the honey, taro, coffee, lilikoi, etc used to create their extensive product line. the website is gorgeous and, if you are are a stickler for examining labels before you buy, you will be happy to know that ingredient lists are also posted online.

there is plenty to tempt you like ola's kalo enriched face mask (taro, honey, coconut milk & kukui nut oil), hawaiian 'iliahi lotion mist (sandalwood, noni & papaya leaf extract), ocean essence bath soak (sea salt, deep sea clay & hawaiian seaweed) . . . well, you get the idea. you will want to stock up on everything and enjoy a spa day at home whenever you please. 

shop online or hit a spa near you to pick up one of ola's luxurious treats. 

polynesian ink

getting a tattoo to honor his hawaiian heritage has been on my fella's wish list for years so i know he would love these tatau tees from manoatoa. the company's mantra is to express their passion for polynesian art & culture through their clothing line so if you share that fancy odds are you will be a fan after one look at their collection.

in addition to their tatau collection it looks like manoatoa will eventually delve into the designs of tapa cloth & woodcarving which is good news for those who admire these traditional art forms of oceania and are looking for a more modern way to show their polynesian pride.

by the way, if you are interested in hawaiian tattoos, tricia allen, who is probably one of the only anthropologist/tattoo artist's on earth, published her book tattoo traditions of hawaii last spring (friends may remember that many moons ago we went up to no/cal so the fella could get footage of tricia at work for the tattoo documentary he made in film school).

definitely click over to her website if you are serious about getting inked hawaiian style (fyi - tricia hits the mainland a few times a year and her schedule gets booked quickly).

liko lehua gourmet butter

guava jelly has been my toasty spread of choice since little kid time but the gourmet fruit butters from liko lehua sound like a yummy replacement. the all natural butters are whipped up on the big island in tropical flavors like coconut, guava, lilikoi, mango, pineapple and tahitian lime with no additives and are preservative-free.

click over to the recipes page for inspiration beyond the typical bread & butter combo and delight your tastebuds with lilikoi crepes or a mango cheesecake. you may want to pick up a sampler and do a taste test to find your favorite or stock up and save with liko lehua's promotion to receive a complimentary flavor when you order 5 flavors.