1. My son loves all the plastic play sets on the market — spending long hours setting up and playing out elaborate scenarios with superheroes and villans. The imaginative play is great, but those sets take up way too much space.
The ReadySetz fold-out Urban Playset features doors, ramps, even a helipad, but the part I like best is that the whole thing collapses to a compact 19-by-9-by-2-inch stack for easy storage. Constructed from reinforced cardboard, the pieces are printed on both sides with a gritty Gotham-style landscape. It folds, Velcros and fits together with tabs in slots in seconds.
The play set is $65 at readysetz.com; a Space Base theme and other sizes are available.
— Donica Kaneshiro, Star-Advertiser
2. Kids today spend their formative years surrounded by superhero films, games, toys, costumes and action figures. Adults may not be as in tune with these enveloping universes. So when DK publishing’s “DC: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know” came across my desk, I saw it as a good gift for a kid, but also enjoyed boning up on this web of characters that includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Joker and Harley Quinn.
As always, DK’s book is impeccably organized and extremely visual, with fascinating, illustrated factoids on topics such as “The Dark Knight’s arsenal.”
The clincher: Illustrations have the kinetic impact of a comic book. (“Ka-BOOM!”) Get it for $19.99 at bookstores and online book sellers; dk.com.
— Elizabeth Kieszkowski, Star-Advertiser
3. I am one of those women of a certain age who keeps hope alive with endless cleansers, exfoliators, toners, serums, moisturizers and more that promise to suspend aging. But if I get carried away, I could end up with too many layers of product under my foundation, a treacherous situation in Hawaii’s humidity. Where’s the good if your makeup melts? This is why I’m in love with It Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Foundation ($39.50), billed as a “full-coverage moisturizer.”
Though the formula is moisturizing and includes an SPF 50-plus sunscreen, it’s still light in texture even as it addresses dark spots, blemishes and redness quite nicely. It offers buildable coverage yet never creases or cracks. I use a liberal amount over my less-than-pristine skin, then follow it with a healthy dose of It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores finishing powder ($29) for all-day wear.
Find 1-ounce tubes of Bye Bye Foundation at Ulta Beauty, itcosmetics.com and home shopping channel QVC.
— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser
4. I love salmon — smoked, grilled, poke-style, dip — I’ll devour it all. At dinner with a friend one night I happened upon Tango Contemporary Cafe’s Salmon Board. For $13, the dish came with three bundles of smoked salmon, three bundles of gravlax (made in-house), a dish of salmon rillette topped with smoked trout roe, another dish of roasted garlic and herb labneh (strained Greek yogurt) made by chef Goran Streng.
The toasted rye bread served alongside didn’t have a strong rye taste, so the salmon remained the star of the show. The mousse-like rillette was my favorite. It was so light and smoky and went well with the saltiness of the roe. As a bonus, I found out I can order the salmon board to go for the same price. The presentation may not be as exquisite, but it will still be divine.
Tango is at 1288 Ala Moana Blvd., on the ground floor of Hokua, where diners can park for 2-1/2 hours with validation. Dinner is served from 5-9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
For reservations, call 593-7288.
— Michelle Ramos, Star-Advertiser
Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. The information presented represents the authors’ opinions and experiences; your results may vary. Tell us what you are loving this week by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
