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1. Beef chips, baby! Snack Addicted makes some of the best I’ve tasted.
What’s a beef chip? If you haven’t tried it, think of a crispy potato chip but with beef. And like potato chips, Snack Addicted’s beef chips come in different flavors: Green Goblin, kalbi and buffalo ranch, to name a few; some are exclusive to food expos and events.
One of my favorites is Green Dragon, a mildly spicy, full-flavored version of the original. As the name indicates, it’s addicting. And the chips are made without MSG, preservatives or added sugar.
Buy a 2-ounce bag for $10 on random weekends at Snack Addicted, 590 Dillingham Blvd., No. 590A, or follow them on Instagram to see where and what they’re selling next. You can also visit snackaddictedhi.com.
— Joe Guinto, Star-Advertiser
2. Jewelry made of seashells, mother-of-pearl and colorful sea glass remains a hot seller at boutiques, craft fairs and online shops, but not all are made the same — or made in Hawaii.
I was fortunate to receive a gift of beautifully handcrafted earrings with shells and bright-orange coral from my best friend, who discovered Unique Designs by CLB on etsy.com.
The gold-wire, teardrop earrings — just $10 — arrived in a mint-green box with raffia bow with a handwritten thank-you note from local crafter Cassie Bader.
Immediately after receiving them, I bought two more in other designs for my 10-year-old daughter. One has flowers etched into mother-of-pearl and the other is puka and abalone shell danglers for between $10 and $20.
— Kristen Consillio, Star-Advertiser
3. The deaths last year of Chuck Berry and Fats Domino left Little Richard as one of the last living architects of classic rock ‘n’ roll.
This recently released reissue of his first album, “Here’s Little Richard” (Craft; $16.99), originally released in 1957 after he’d had five Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, is an excellent retrospective. Almost every song on it is considered a definitive performance: “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up,” to name three.
A second disc contains 21 alternate takes and the ragged audition recording that got Richard his record contract.
Two sets of liner notes — the originals from 1957 and a newly written essay on the entertainer’s life and times — complete the project.
— John Berger, Star-Advertiser
4. If you’re tired of carrying an umbrella around on rainy days, only to get drenched when trying to close it, the Better Brella is for you.
Instead of closing the old-fashioned way, the Better Brella inverts the open/close mechanism so that water is trapped in the umbrella above your head instead of cascading down over you. The mechanics of the Better Brella also make it easier when getting in and out of your car, since it can be squeezed through a cracked door and then opened to prevent any rain from getting inside.
Find the Better Brella for $19.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond or online at buybetterbrella.com; savvy shoppers can also use smartphone apps like Wish or AliExpress for Chinese-made copies that feature fun designs like newsprint, cloudscapes, outer space and a kaleidoscope.
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
5. Warm up a loved one’s winter with an Utsuwa tea bowl perfect for cupping hands around, made in Japan by a master craftsman. They come in different colors but I love this Matcha Bowl ($30) in a coppery brown thickly glazed in white with black flecks that reminds me of tea with lots of milk.
To fill it, I recommend Ginger Chai, a mix of dried ginger, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon and laurel; and The Au Chocolat, black tea mixed with cocoa, sold gift-ready in packages of 10 tea bags for $7.50.
Buy tea and bowl at Lupicia at Ala Moana Center, 941-5500.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
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