SMOOTHIE EASES ST. PATTY’S PARTYING
For a great way to recover from any St. Patrick’s Day indulgences, reach for a Very Verde smoothie from Blue Tree Cafe. This refreshing concoction features a blend of kale, avocado, spinach, banana, coconut water, hemp and chia seeds, and apple — but don’t worry, you won’t taste the spinach or get the seeds between your teeth. Prices are $6.95 for a thick, 16-ounce smoothie, $7.95 for 20 ounces. Blue Tree Cafe is at 1009 Kapiolani Blvd.; 591-2033. Find them at www.fb.com/BlueTreeHawaii. — Nina Wu
RAISE A GLASS WITH THE BEST OF TOASTS
If the excitement of getting dressed up in green and enjoying a bit of Irish beer and/or whiskey isn’t enough to get you pumped for St. Patrick’s Day, give O’Toole’s Irish Pub at 902 Nuuanu Ave. a try on Wednesday. Six months of competition wrap up starting at 7:30 p.m. when the finalists of the 11th annual Guinness Toast Contest step up with a pint to present their best wishes for their favorite beer (Guinness, duh!) and their fellow men and women who choose to imbibe along with them. Up for grabs is a trip for two to Las Vegas and tons of Guinness prizes for all the finalists and those who sign up that night. Call 536-4138 or visit www.irishpubhawaii.com for more details. — Jason Genegabus
DRESS UP DESK WITH A BIT O’ GREEN
Humans are an adaptable lot, so destroyers of the planet have adopted the attitude that no matter what blight they set upon us, mankind will forge ahead. We may not need natural surroundings to survive, but research has proved over and over that we need the beauty of nature to thrive. Some findings:
>> Elderly adults often live longer if their home is near a park or other green space, no matter their social or economic status.
>> College students do better on exams when their dorm windows overlook natural settings.
>> In public housing complexes, crime rates are highest for residences with little or no proximity to nature.
That said, every desk jockey could use a little bit of green, and Paiko, at 675 Auahi St., offers minipots and planters of hard-to-kill succulents, cacti and tillandsia, or air plants, that require little watering or fussing. The little arrangements have a calming effect in stressful environments and, if nothing else, remind us of those moments of beauty and leisure that we’re working for. Call 988-2165 or visit www.paikohawaii.com to view a list of workshops that allow you to create your own miniature Eden. Agave pot, above, is $32. — Nadine Kam
TREAT FEET TO CUSTOM SLIPPERS
Green is not a color everyone can wear, but if you want to avoid the bruises that come with being pinched and/or punched on St. Patrick’s Day, just kick your attacker in the shins with some custom slippers from Flip Flop Workshop. The DIY shop in the Pualeilani Atrium Shops at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki offers everything you need to piece together everyday slippers or a pair to match a special outfit. Go green in a big way with a sole of Brazilian rubber and/or straps, or add just a wee bit through such details as crystals, silk flowers or grommets. The base cost of the slippers is $18 for children and $20 for adults. Add-on elements start at $1.25. Call 896-0831. — Nadine Kam
GET IN THE SPIRIT WITH PUBS’ T-SHIRTS
You do not want to get caught downtown March 17 without wearing the green. Now that’s just asking for trouble. Avoid getting pinched — or worse — by picking up T-shirts from three popular pubs. Murphy’s Bar and Grill, 2 Merchant St., is selling several St. Patrick’s Day 2014 designs for men and women for $22.50 that would also make great souvenirs or gifts for those of the Irish persuasion. And rest assured you’ll end up where you belong at the end of the night by donning a $20 T-shirt from J.J.?Dolan’s that reads: "If found, please return to J.J.?Dolan’s, 1147 Bethel St." The pizza place is joining with Murphy’s and Ferguson’s Pub, 729 Bishop St., in selling navy-blue 2014 St. Patrick’s Day firefighter T-shirts for $25, with proceeds going to the Leary Firefighters Foundation. Those are in limited supply, so shake a shillelagh. — Christie Wilson
