Paddle over to the Carnival of Aloha!

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Want to take a virtual journey via Hawaii’s best bloggers?  Paddle on over to Homespun Honolulu’s Carnival of Aloha and read up on some great blogs about the beautiful islands of Aloha!

Click here to go to the Carnival of Aloha.

Hawaiian holidays await you…

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If you’re looking for a different way to spend your holidays this year, why not consider Hawaii?  There’s nothing like saying “Mele Kalikimaka” (Merry Christmas) from your hotel or condo to the relatives back home shivering in blustery, snowy weather!  Right now United Vacation has some great deals to make your Hawaiian holiday even better.  We’ve flown United many times and that’s why I’m excited to hopefully inspire some mainlanders to go to the islands for a holiday to remember!  Each Hawaiian island has something different and unique to offer…which will you choose?

Hawaii Vacation Packages

Save some money on your trip to the islands!

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If you’re planning a trip to the islands or know someone who is, then now’s the time to get an Entertainment Book!  Just click the little banner below and you can enter the zip code for the island you’re going to and it’ll bring up the book for Hawaii.  It gives savings on dining, activities, shows and all kinds of stuff.  This is the perfect honeymoon gift for the island bound newlyweds!  Of course it’s a good way for locals to save money too!  I just bought 2 for some friends for gifts.  A little added perk?  If you buy them online as gifts, you can log on yourself and actually get savings for your area!  You earn a $25 gift certificate for dinner right away and then search places in your area for some great savings. 

Save on all the things you love to do!

Beautiful Hawaii art at The Little Grass Shack

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sheep.jpgWhen I’m traversing the islands, I am always blown away at the beauty Hawaii has to offer.  What amazes me is that people who have never been there think it’s all palm trees and ocean waves.  To be honest, some of my favorite parts of Hawaii are places that look nothing like “typical” Hawaii.  I love the rural charm of Upcountry on any island.  Wide open pastures, horses, cows or sheep grazing, fences made of tree stumps, sweeping views of the coastline and a natural peace that comes with being there.  I have captured some of these great scenes in my photography which you can view at The Little Grass Shack.  I like to put a slight filter on my pieces so that it appears as photography from far away but as you get close to it, it then looks like its been sketched with colored pencil.  Kind of like two works in one.

lehua1.jpgOf course I have some art that you would expect like palm trees, various flowers, sunsets and the like and they all have special meaning to me.  Each picture takes me to a meaningful place where I was inspired to stop and take it all in.  I hope they do the same for you.  My home is saturated with images of Hawaii, some mine, some other artists because nothing makes me feel like I’m there more than gazing into an art piece and escaping for a few minutes after a stressful day.   These lehua blossoms are so unique and it’s those things that people don’t see everyday that I want to share with others.  There’s nothing like seeing people’s faces light up and say “ooh, what are those?” and you get to explain the story behind them. 

I welcome you to stop by my Hawaii Art Prints section to see all of the art prints available.  You can choose from framed prints to other sized unframed prints that you can personalize with your own frame to blend with your decor.  Mahalo!

It’s Rambutan season!

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rambutans1.jpgI was introduced to rambutans by a shopkeeper’s husband who was stocking them at their little store outside of Hilo.  I had always wondered about them but never knew how to eat them.  Spiky and odd looking, they were something I figured I’d never buy.  As my husband, friend and I were talking to his wife at the counter, he stood silently with an open switchblade carefully putting a slit from one side to the other of the spikey skin and pushed the whitish translucent fruit up so it peeked out of the top.  My husband said “oh we always wondered how you were supposed to eat those, we kind of figured you peeled that off but weren’t sure.”  He walked over to us and gave me the one he’d just peeled and peeled two more for my husband and my friend. 

rambutansinside1.jpg“Push ‘em up and don’t eat da seed yeah” he said quietly.  We all bit into the firm flesh and gave a collective “Mmm!!” 

It’s like eating a peeled grape but more thirst quenching.  (Don’t eat the seed inside.)  We thanked him for sharing them with us and asked what we owed.  He shook his head no and went back to his work.  Though a man of little words, what he shared with us was a fruit that we are thrilled to get whenever they’re in season.  They make great additions to fruit bowls and especially at Christmas time you can pair them with Granny Smith apples, limes or even white seedless grapes…anything with a green hue for a festive conversation starter. 

Rambutan season runs from September to December and again in late Spring to early Summer.  If you’re not exactly rolling in rambutans in your neck of the woods, I’ve bought from this online dealer, The Hula Brothers.  They’re well packed and last for a good 2 weeks or so.  The price and quantity is a little steep but if you and someone you know want to go half on it and split them or if you want to keep some at home and take some to work for people to try could be a good way to get 7 lbs. of fruit gone in a hurry. 

Step outside your comfort zone and try all of the wonderful fruits out there that you typically walk by.  You never know that funny looking spiky thing or fruit with a funky rind you walk by in the store may just be one of the tastiest jewels you’ve been denying yourself!

Visit the Carnival of Aloha!

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Make sure you stop by Homespun Honolulu’s blog for their Carnival of Aloha!  Hawaii bloggers unite to take you on a journey via their various blog entries.  True Aloha is a contributor along with many other great Hawaii blogs so stop on by!

New design from The Little Grass Shack

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Whether you want to round out your summer wardrobe or are wanting a new hoodie or sweatshirt to prepare for those crisp fall nights, any season is perfect to sport some aloha.  Check out the Sneaky Tiki Bar and Grill apparel now available at sister site The Little Grass Shack.

Save on Hawaii relaxation DVDs!

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Pretty sweet deal!  Stop by my friend Mr. Beach Bum’s blog to find out how you can save some money on Hawaii relaxation DVDs!

Relax!  Now with up to $4.00 off!*

Good news for travelers to Molokai

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Itching to get to Molokai for the day?  See this good news courtesy of Maui Weekly.

go! Express now offers service to and from Ho‘olehua, Moloka‘i. The airline, a subsidiary of Mesa’s go! that has a code-sharing agreement with Mokulele Airlines, will have up to three flights daily between Moloka‘i and Honolulu, one flight between Moloka‘i and Kahului, and one between Moloka‘i and Kona. Other routes include Kona to Kahului, Kahului to Kapalua-West Maui, and Kapalua-West Maui to Honolulu. Moloka‘i is the seventh island to be added to the airline’s routes.

For more information, visit http://www.iflygo.com/

Looking for the best deal on gasoline in Hawaii?

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Whether you live in the islands or are planning a trip to Hawaii, make sure you check out HawaiiGasPrices.com

People log in and report the prices at different gas stations on the islands so you can see if it’ll be better to fill up closer to work or home.  Just click under the “search for gas prices” and click what area of which island you want and select all stations to bring up which station has the best deal.  If you’re visiting the islands, this can be a perfect way to help plan your gas budget, trust me, you’ll need it!

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