tabletop luau

a quick roundup of fun design finds which will add a little tropical spark to your thanksgiving table.

1/6 - floral and tiki summer melamine plates from target keep disposable serveware out of the trash and can be used season after season.

2 - napastyle's pig bowl is made of reclaimed wood for a one of a kind luau centerpiece.

3 -  italian ceramic hibiscus bowls add a pop of color for condiments and crudités.

4 - vessel's rechargeable luau lamp lets you take the party wherever you please.

5 - no worries about guests losing track of their drink with these reusable tropicalia clinqs.

trick, treat or toast?

toast, known for their sparky party favors, just released these cute boo!zu boys for halloween. the limited edition goodies are toast's take on japanese teru teru bozu charms which are believed to ward away a rainy day. boo!zu boys are sure to charm your favorite trick-or-treater especially once they discover childhood favorites like rice krispie treats and pez hidden within their spooky exteriors.

there's even more fun stocked in toast's online shop. new arrivals include party starters like these playful alphabet candles and ceramic ice cream cup set.

learn more about all things toast right here.

haagen-dazs goes hawaiian

spotted this weekend: a pint of haagen-dazs reserve ice cream in the freezer case at my neighborhood grocer. and since i swoon each and every time i hear the tale of 'ohi'a and lehua, i just couldn't resist scooping up my very own pint of hawaiian lehua honey ice cream.

my fella snuck in a few spoonfuls and we both agree it is yummy. i do hope the honey is really sourced from the big island as the packaging claims.

to get your own lehua honey ice cream fix, click over to h-d to find out if the reserve series is stocked at your local market. if not, online ordering is available via ice cream source.

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}

field of greens

nalo farms

it's been quite some time since the last saturday travel post, but today's pick is one sure to pique the interest of kama'aina and visiting foodies. nalo greens have become a staple on local menus whether it's served up on a plate lunch or presented with your gourmet dinner.

now you can actually walk the famous fields of waimanaolo's nalo farms for a behind the scenes tour of how your greens get from farm to table. the 45 minute tour sounds like a delicious diversion for foodie fans who want to peek inside the operations of one of the earliest purveyors of hawaii's resurgent slow food movement.

farm fresh greens & herbs are also in abundance at nalo's booth at the weekly farmers markets in kailua and at kcc.

tour details:

• ten person minimum per group
• reservations required (ring 808.259.7698 for more info)

{via hawaii magazine}