5 Things We Love

5 Things We Love is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.

Flashcards teach key Hawaiian terms

If the Merrie Monarch Festival inspired you to learn more about Hawaiian culture, start with ‘Olelo ‘Ohana Hawaiian-language flashcards by the Ku-A-Kanaka language initiative. The everyday phrases include "E noho i lalo!" (sit down), "E kulikuli" (be quiet) and "Mai ho‘opala i ka ‘aina!" (don’t litter). Check your pronunciation of 80 phrases at kuakanaka.com by entering the numbers on the back of the cards, available for $12.95 at Native Books/Na Mea Hawai‘i at Ward Warehouse.
—Nina Wu

Hair bands double as stylish jewelry

Every now and then I decide to go long. The irony is that once my hair reaches my shoulders, all I want to do is put it up off my neck. So you’ll rarely see me without an elastic hair band around my wrist for a quick and messy up-do. The good folks at Goody know I’m not alone, so they created the DoubleWear collection of hair bands disguised as trendy jewelry with the help of metal stacking bars, beads and other embellishments ($4.99). A line of headbands incorporates chains, pearls and ribbons to pose as pretty layered necklaces ($9.99). Find Goody products at most variety stores.
—Christie Wilson

New scent blooms at Bath & Body

First Blooms, with an aroma of water lotus and pink peony, is the newest fragrance in Bath & Body Works’ "Fresh Picked" collection. The lotions, made with shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin E, moisturize and hydrate your skin. Other scents, inspired by the smells of a farmers market, include strawberry, tangerine, pear and apple. The collection offers lotions, body wash, hand sanitizers and soaps, and hand cream. A 16-ounce bottle of lotion or body wash is $8 at the Ala Moana and Pearlridge stores.
—Nancy Arcayna

Humble kitchen towel does it all

Sometimes the most unassuming item can affect your quality of life in a big way. Take Mrs. Miwako’s Kitchen Towel. This humble white cloth, made of layers of durable rayon threads, helps me keep an efficient pace as I cook and clean. Got a spill? No problem — a swipe or two with Mrs. Miwako’s towel and it’s all good. Wipe up the dinner table. Wipe down the stove. Clean the refrigerator. The cloth’s fine weave allows it to pick up the finest crumbs, remove grease spots and turn a surface squeaky-clean — all with an economy of effort. There’s rarely a need for cleaner. A rinse of the towel and it turns white again. After a heavy-duty job, scrub it quickly with a drop or two of dishwashing detergent, or toss in the washer. Find Mrs. Miwako’s Kitchen Towel at Longs Drugs for $5.29. It’s worth every penny.
—Joleen Oshiro

Chocolate box samples the world

With a gorgeous presentation of rainbow shells in a stark black box, I bit into this Norman Love chocolate with high expectations. I’m pleased to report, the candy lived up to the anticipation. Each color in the Norman Love Confections BLACK collection represents a different cacao-growing region around the world. Single-origin cacao is all the buzz in the high-end chocolate world, and this sampler allows you to perform your own taste test. The blue Peruvian dark truffle was my favorite, though I may need to try them all again, just to make sure. Collections come in five ($15), 10 ($25) or 15 pieces ($35). To order, visit www.normanloveconfections.com.
—Donica Kaneshiro