1. When our son, his wife and their golden retriever Thor, moved back to New York, we adopted their car, its interior coated with Thor’s golden fleece. My husband was too allergic to ride in it.

Yajima Service Station Car Wash saved the day: The car emerged pristine, clean and waxed, and my husband stuck his head inside the hatchback, breathed deeply and proclaimed it a Thor-free zone.

The basic rate is $27 ($4 extra for trunk vacuuming). Bonus: The spacious, air-conditioned waiting area has chairs, tables, a clean restroom and Japanese snacks for sale. Yajima-ya! 1375 S. King St., 942-0404.

— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser

2. Beachhouse Publishing’s newest board books, with vivid illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong, are a delightful way to introduce your toddler to the birds and fish of Hawaii.

“Birds in Hawai‘i” includes a majestic Laysan albatross in flight, a red-tailed tropicbird (koae ula) and a white-rumped shama that “sings like a flute.” “Fish in Hawai‘i” spotlights Moorish idols, milletseed butterflyfish and an inflated spotted pufferfish, among others. Hawaiian names are included.

Ideal for kids 4 and under, the books are $7.95 each; beachhousepublishing.com.

— Nina Wu, Star-Advertiser

3. I still love my Buf-Puf facial sponge but try not to use it more than once a day. So I alternate with RoC’s Daily Resurfacing Disks, self-foaming pads that are textured on one side for gentler exfoliation. The other side is smooth for removing makeup around the eyes.

The thin, single-use disks contain a mild skin conditioner, and combining the two makes it quick and easy for those times when you feel too tired to wash up, and ideal for travel.

If you’re not used to exfoliating, you may feel tingling and tightness, but I’ve found the results include fewer fine lines and smooth skin ready to drink in moisturizer.

Find RoC products at drugstores ($9.99 MSRP for 28 disks).

— Christie Wilson, Star-Advertiser

4. Several years ago, just as I was sitting down to watch Jay Leno, my TV went out. My sneaky rabbit had chewed through the electrical cord. Since then I’ve had to think of creative ways to protect outlets and exposed wires. I’ve used boxes, furniture, gates and PVC tubes — my place is a mess with bunny barricades.

With Jot suction or stick-on plastic pinchers, I can run all my cords up toward the ceiling without having to use miles of PVC tubing. They have myriad uses and the array of colors gives a fun vibe to the room.

Two-packs run $5.95 at dreamfarm.com; spend $50 to get free shipping.

— Michelle Ramos, Star-Advertiser

5. Sure, homemade is great, but when it comes to a bloody mary cocktail, you may not have all the ingredients at home to make one from scratch. That doesn’t mean you have to head to the nearest bar for your fix, thanks to a number of craft mixes available in Oahu supermarkets.

My new go-to bloody mary mix is made by Preservation & Co. of Sacramento, Calif., with straightforward ingredients like tomato juice, pickling brine, lemon juice, capers, Dijon mustard, horseradish, Sriracha and balsamic vinegar. Most importantly, there’s no high fructose corn syrup in this stuff.

The zesty version contains just the right amount of heat for me, with the spicy version ratcheting things up for those who like more bite to their drink. Find Preservation & Co. Bloody Mary Mix at Foodland stores, $8.99 for 16 ounces and $12.49 for a 32-ounce jar. More info at preservationandco.com.

— Jason Genegabus, 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.