5 Things We Love

1. Greeting cards offer aloha twist

An origami aloha shirt card made locally by Shirt Sleeve Greetings is perfect for birthdays, graduations and other occasions.

The origami cards — designed by Lindy Styer — come in different prints, with a matching button and a piece of paper inserted for a handwritten note (that means you can re-use this card).

The cards are priced at $3.50, and Shirt Sleeve also makes origami gift tags for $1.50 each. Find both at Island Keepsakes in Chinatown, Under the Koa Tree in Waikiki, Kalapawai Market in Kailua and other shops, and online at etsy.com.

For more information: www.shirtsleevegreetings.com.

— Nina Wu

2. Return to the Summer of 1987 …

… and re-experience a gem of a movie called "Adventureland" that was originally released last year. It was Greg Mottola’s follow-up to his smash hit "Superbad," and while "Adventureland" shares some of the same kind of humor as that film, it also has an unexpected amount of heart and gravity that may have thrown audiences off. It’s the kind of movie likely to attain cult status for years to come.

Mottola’s semi-autobiographical story of a group of young people doing dead-end summer temp work at an amusement park may be chock-full of potential teen-movie cliches, but the writing is sharp and adept, and it’s filled with spot-on performances, particularly by leads Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. (If you want to see another side of Stewart away from "Twilight," it’s one of her better roles to date.)

Combine this with a killer ’80s soundtrack, and "Adventureland" is definitely worth a visit. — Gary Chun

3. Morning-after gel refreshes skin

Summer’s here and the temptation to party into the wee hours often overrides any sense of responsibility. A lot of us still have to wake up and go to work. Coffee can perk you up, but it won’t do much for the dark circles under your eyes and alcohol-dehydrated skin.

To the rescue comes Nickel’s Morning After Rescue Gel, a light gel that first wakes you up with an eye-opening, bracing dose of menthol, with witch hazel, caffeine, green tea, and wheat and soy proteins to ease the appearance of under-eye circles and refresh your skin.

It’s made for men, but I like it, too, and I’d like to think it’s gender neutral.

Made in France, it’s available online at nickelskincareformen.com for $45. — Nadine Kam

4. British toy stories bring fun to BBC

The British seem to have a knack for turning the mildly eccentric into mainstream fun. James May, one of the BBC’s "Top Gear" automotive experts, apparently also is a toy enthusiast and still has many of the classics from his youth. In "James May’s Toy Stories," now airing on BBC America, May re-examines six of Britain’s classic toys and way more — he puts them to tests that are way, way, way over the top. It’s all done with mildly snarky humor and cheery competitiveness. Dull, it isn’t.

New shows premiere on Mondays but repeat fairly often.

He’s already built a real house out of Legos and created a 3-mile-long slot-car race. Coming up: Engineering undergrads will construct an actual bridge out of 100,000 Meccano (Erector!) sets (Monday); a 10-mile model railroad track will be laid for racing (July 26); and the Airfix model company will produce a full-size kit of a Spitfire fighter — to be assembled by children (Aug. 2).

One thing you won’t see: video games. — Burl Burlingame

5. A courtesy for moms-to-be

What’s tougher than finding a little time to go shopping right after having a baby? Ward Centre makes the process a little easier with free valet service for expectant moms and mothers with infants up to a year old.

Although I’ve never used it, it’s a merciful concept for a time when most women are feeling less mobile and more cash-strapped than normal.

Valet service is available at Ward Warehouse and Ward Entertainment Center, as well, but the $5 fee is not waived. — Donica Kaneshiro