Animal tags mark your territory

Why does everybody buy their water bottles by the case? Because they are cheap and functional, of course. But when your kid goes to school or practice and leaves his water bottle next to dozens of nearly identical ones, mix-ups are inevitable. Zippies are the visual answer for kids too hurried to check for their name on their water bottle. They need only look for the frog or the tiger or one of 10 different characters. And in case there is a rush of kids who like shark tags, there is a place on the back of the Zippie to write your child’s name and phone number. An adjustable rubber loop secures each character to a water bottle, backpack, lunch box or jacket. Zippies are sold at www.zippiesfun.com for $4.98 each, five for $19.95 or 10 or $29.95. Shipping is free, even to Hawaii.

— Donica Kaneshiro

A sweetheart of a fragrance

I found Saffron James Parfums’ newest fragrance Ipo, with pakalana (chinese violet) as its core scent, at Owens & Co. in downtown Honolulu. It makes a great gift, as it’s already in the cutest box — just add a bow. Other scents in the line include pikake, ginger and puakenikeni. It sells for $39 for 0.3 fluid ounces or $85 for 1 fluid ounce. Owens & Co. is at 1152 Nuuanu Ave.; call 531-4300.

— Tami Stack, Kaimuki

This dog dreams big

I bought “Pono, the Dog that Dreams” by Jocelyn Fujii for my 3-year-old daughter and she enjoyed it so much. It’s a locally produced book with wonderful illustrations. It’s educational and fun to read for all ages, focusing on a dog that goes on adventures, trying to make the world a better place. “Pono, the Dog that Dreams” is available at Barnes & Noble for $14.95.

— Andrea Murakami, Honolulu

It’s “poh-kay” not “poh-key”

Since I wrote about loving Foodland’s pidgin-print reusable bags more than a year ago, the grocery chain followed with a series of smile-inducing, collectible designs. The latest turns a spotlight on the store’s poke — recently voted “Hawaii’s Best Poke” by Star-Advertiser readers. The schematic illustrations on the bags deconstruct this Hawaiian comfort food and even tell you how to pronounce it. Maika‘i prices are $1.99 for a reusable bag, $6 for two insulated bags and $10 for T-shirts at Foodland and Sack N Save stores statewide or online at Foodland.com.

As much as I love the fun Foodland gear, I love the actual poke bowls even more. The simple, satisfying meal-on-the-go includes a generous mound of hot rice topped with your choice of poke for only $4.99; or two choices for $6.99. Either way it’s easily enough for two.

— Christie Wilson

Tanks a bunch

I’m always looking for cute tank tops and recently found one by Cut Loose that I absolutely love at Mary Z’s in Kailua (572 Kailua Road, 263-1221). I now own more than a dozen of the tanks, which are 90 percent cotton and 10 percent Lycra and hold up well after many washings. The shirts come in lots of colors and sell for $26. Another discovery at Mary Z’s are fabulous long skirts ($49) by Pareo Island. The flowing skirts of hand-painted rayon have a stretchy waistband and can also be worn as a short dress. Put the tank and skirt together and you have the perfect outfit for a tropical evening out.

— Ann Adams, Kailua