Tumbled treasures

Waves, tides and geography wash more than just sand ashore in Kaaawa. To comb the narrow shoreline there is to hunt for treasure — specks of clear, brown, green and occasionally blue pieces of glass.

What were once beer bottles dropped into sea currents come ashore in different shapes, colors and sizes. What was sharp is now smooth. What was ugly made beautiful by nature.

Rarely, but it does happen, real treasure can be found: an unbroken glass fishing ball or rare shell that can be worth a lot of money. But it’s not about money. The fun is in the hunt. — Craig Gima

McFleeting love

I don’t know who did it first: Disney or McDonald’s. But it works.

These megacorps hold consumers hostage via the marketing technique of moratorium. Disney does it by keeping its classic videos off the shelves for years at a time … McDonald’s via limited availability of the McRib.

Now, I don’t care about Snow White being out of stock, but I really wish Ronald would sell his faux barbecue sandy more than just a couple of weeks every few years.

It’s got the nutritional value of a bag of old Halloween candy, but who cares? The juicy pork-whatever patty. The vinegary sauce. The pickles and onions.

But, most of all, the allure of limited availability has me McLovin’ it. — Dave Reardon

Mining for makeup

Here’s an "ooh la la" for Bare Escentuals, makeup derived from minerals and billed as good for your skin. The core of the line is award-winning bareMinerals ($25), the first foundation I’ve used that truly offers solid coverage without a mask-like effect. Just a few sprinkles swirled into the brush offers light coverage. Repeat for more. Visit the Ala Moana Center store so experts can figure out the right shade for you. After that, watch QVC, where they sell kits that feature exclusive shades of vibrant, mineral-rich eye shadows, pencils, lip glosses and the like at great prices. — Joleen Oshiro

A glutton for punishment

Covering sports tends to foster an appreciation for people performing often extraordinary acts. Watching "Man v. Food" host Adam Richman down a series of belly-busting or face-searing dishes on the Travel Channel series probably taps into a similar vein.

But the fact the challenges are available to anyone willing to dive into a basket of nuclear chicken wings offers an engaging sense of accessibility. While an episode can create a hankering for a thick steak, curiously, I find myself craving a salad after sitting through one of Richman’s gorge-fests. Season three wrapped up last month, but "Man v. Food" reruns air weekdays at 12 p.m., 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. — Jason Kaneshiro

Peppermint pick-me-up

As a full-time worker with two young children, every minute of my day is filled. Add in Christmas, and it exhausts me just to think about all the shopping, card-writing, wrapping and seasonal activities. My secret weapon for the last few years has been mint M&Ms. The sugar rush mixed with the brain-boosting power of peppermint wakes me enough to wrap a few more gifts or hit the mall for late-night shopping. The red and green M&Ms are available only at Christmastime, which helps me rationalize gorging on a couple of bags each season. — Donica Kaneshiro