Build a better rat trap? Tomcat take no prisoners

At the risk of alienating potential dinner guests, the wet winter has brought an invasion of large, healthy rats to our Palolo home.  They scoff at the old wooden traps, licking off the peanut butter bait and waddling away even fatter. Finally, they have met their match: Tomcat’s plastic Rat Snap Trap is a veritable rat guillotine. It’s easier to load than the old-style traps, so you don’t become an unintentional victim. Pick one up fo r$7.59 at Longs. — Stephanie kendrick

Vinyl wall stickers vivify

I’m commitment-phobic when it comes to home decor. Changing moods, changing trends, the kids’ changing interests and our unchanging bank account all weigh in on the transitional state of our house. Vinyl wall stickers are the easiest way to move past the eclectic mishmash and rush a room from what we once loved to what we now embrace.

Though stickers on your wall may sound tacky, the easily removable vinyl pieces are great for kids. One son’s Nemo-themed toddler room was easily transformed into his “big boy” pirate room. Another afternoon, the guest room became the nursery with the alphabet running above the closet and a night-sky mural dominating the wall next to the crib. Websites like shutterfly.com even allow you to personalize a room with giant stickers of your child playing sports (with a price tag of $59.99, $79.99 or $99.99 for 3-, 4- and 5-foot stickers, respectively). Generically themed stickers run $5 to $40, depending on size, and are available at stores like Home Depot and Toys R Us or online at Amazon.com. — Donica Kaneshiro

Bandz of tropical fun

Silly Bandz are so last year. But when my otherwise too-cool-for-school teenage son pointed out this local version to me on a buying trip to the T&C surf shop at Pearlridge, I couldn’t resist. The colorful assortment of six silicon bands includes a flower, boogie board, surfboard, shaka, “t+c” and “HI.” At $4 a pack, I picked up one for the boy and one to put in an Easter basket for his sister in college on the mainland.  — Christie Wilson

Dish liquid good for Earth, hands

Though there are now plenty of choices in earth-friendly dishwashing liquids, the one I’ve come to like is Ultra Dishmate by Ecos. It’s concentrated, so just a small amount gets the job done, and it isn’t harsh on your hands. It’s also clear instead of some funky pink or green color — made from coconut oil-derived surfactants and free of dioxane or cocamide DEA. My favorite scent is pear. Buy it for $4.29 to $4.99 at Down to Earth or Whole Foods Market; www.ecos.com. — Nina Wu

‘Rogue Wave’ loaded with action, suspense

“When” not “if” is the chilling message in this contemporary thriller about what happens to Hawaii after an asteroid hits the Pacific somewhere near Palmyra atoll and triggers the mother of all tsunamis. Kai Tanaka of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hono­lulu is the first to suspect that something unusual has happened. From there on, author Boyd Morrison’s story follows a standard trajectory as Tanaka and other characters wrestle with the challenges involved in confirming their suspicions, warning the public and saving their own lives. A couple of the miraculous escapes are improbably fortuitous, and it seems incredible that Tanaka wouldn’t add a gun to his scavenged gear after encountering looters and people intent on commandeering his means of escaping the waves, but “Rogue Wave” (previously published as “The Palmyra Impact”) is a fast-moving page turner firmly based on scientific research.

Living somewhere on Oahu that is more than 300 feet above sea level suddenly doesn’t seem so bad! (Pocket Books, $5.95 paperback).  — John Berger