1. I stumbled upon Tiny Hearts food magnets during last winter’s craft fairs and was excited to find that Eden in Love at South Shore Market in Ward Village also carries them ($12 per set of six).
There are 13 different sets to choose from, so whether you love local favorites like Spam musubi and loco moco, or if you’re into Hawaiian food like poi and laulau, there’s sure to be something to satisfy. They also make adorable gifts for mainland ohana who still yearn for the flavors of Hawaii.
Follow Tiny Hearts on Instagram (@tinyhearts808) to see what they’ll be cooking up next.
— Stephanie Yoda, Mililani
2. After years of relying on energy drinks for that jolt of caffeine to get me going in the morning, I find myself gravitating back to coffee — especially when it’s a local product.
While most of the beans used in Foodland’s Hana Hou Coffee are from Central and South America (the arabica blend includes coffee sourced from a hui of Kona farms), they’re all roasted locally by Hawaii Coffee Co. before being packaged as one of six varieties developed in conjunction with Foodland corporate chef Keoni Chang: vanilla macadamia nut, chocolate macadamia nut, sea salt caramel, hazelnut, a traditional Kona blend and decaf. My favorite is the sea salt caramel, which isn’t overly sweet and still has plenty of coffee flavor that stands out even after adding milk.
Hana Hou sells for $6.99 for a 7-ounce bag ($4.59 with Maika‘i card).
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
3. As a child, I loved playing with paper dolls, but cutting out their outfits and folding down the tiny paper tabs to make their dresses hang perfectly was so tedious. Dover Little Activity Books produces a line of paper-doll sticker books that cut the tedium and get straight to the dress-up fun.
Each contains about a half-dozen outfits plus accessories to stick to the laminated doll. They are not all pretty princess dolls, either. The books, sold at Dragon Gate Bookstore in the Chinese Cultural Plaza, 100 N. Beretania St., come in titles like “Aiko From Japan” and “Mei-Mei From China” ($1.99 each) that sport culturally accurate outfits.
“Manga Girls” ($1.50) ups the cool factor with action poses, edgy outfits and funky dyed hair.
Call 533-7147.
— Donica Kaneshiro, Star-Advertiser
4. I really love the new children’s counting book “1 2 3: Dogs in Hawaii,” by pet photographer Keri Nakahashi. She features 59 dogs in counting down 10 different breeds, photographed at beaches and other recognizable landmarks on Oahu.
Buy it for $30 at kerinakahashi.com.
— Josephine Poirier, Mililani
5. Sometimes, to get children to try something, it’s all in the packaging. Russbe has created reusable snack and sandwich bags especially for kids — although I would carry these around, too.
The colorful bags are adorned with cute creatures that will bring a smile to any child’s face, and the stand-up design helps keep food from spilling out. The bags, $7.99 for a set of four, are free of BPA, PVC, latex and phthalates and can be hand-washed or put in the dishwasher and air-dried.
Find them at russbe.com.
— Michelle Ramos, Star-Advertiser
“5 Things We Love” is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. Tell us what you are loving by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.