1. My 2-year-old may not be ready to listen to Hova’s “Dead Presidents” or Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya?” just yet, but thanks to The Little Homie website, she’s already taking her first steps to street cred with “A B to Jay-Z” and “1 2 3 With the Notorious B.I.G.”
Cleverly written by Jessica Chiha and brilliantly illustrated by Alex Lehours, these two books are just as much for parents from the ’90s hip-hop generation as they are for kids learning their letters and numbers.
Artists like Nelly, Kanye West, Diddy, Missy Elliott and Eminem help kids count to 20, while LL Cool J, Usher, Lil Wayne and Outkast take them from A to, yes, Jay-Z. While he might have 99 problems, “his ABCs ain’t one.”
Both titles are available for $29.95 each at thelittlehomie.com.
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
2. Fisher Hawaii, a longtime go-to for office supplies, is also earning itself a reputation as a go-to place for snacks. You may have heard about the Hawaiian Fried Peanuts sold there from the Star-Advertiser’s Crave food and dining section, but I love the thick, delicious Kona Potato Chips available on Oahu only at Fisher.
The chips are made in Captain Cook by the Furukawa family, which took over the business when the Deguchis retired after 50 years of making Kitch’n Cook’d chips. The Furukawas moved the factory to a building next to the Manago Hotel, “where everybody goes to eat pork chop,” according to General Manager Damon Furukawa. He said they “spin-dry” the cooked chips to reduce the oil and keep ‘em crunchy, and, indeed, these are much lighter in that regard than other kettle chips.
As for why Kona Potato Chips aren’t more widely available on Oahu, Furukawa said the family didn’t like seeing their product undergoing huge markups by “middle men” and decided to sell the snacks only at Fisher because “my cousin used to work there.”
The chips are $3.79 for a 4.25-ounce bag ($4.79 for the furikake version). It’s recommended to call ahead. If they’re sold out, ask about special ordering or buy online at konachips.net, and stop by the factory the next time you’re on the Big Island.
— Christie Wilson, Star-Advertiser
3. Adding one more thing to an already stuffed handbag to ease the load seems counter-intuitive — unless it’s a Meshed-UP organizer.
Made of lightweight nylon, at about 10-by-6-1/2-by-4-inches deep, the purse-within-a-purse has lots of pockets to keep all necessities in place. No more feeling around the clutter at the bottom of your bag trying to find things.
Although old habits do die hard, and it’s taken practice to remember which slots hold what and resist tossing stuff in at random just the same. But at a whim I can move the organizer from day bag to backpack to evening tote knowing all essentials are in tow.
The organizer, which comes in orange-, blue-, magenta- and green-gray combinations or all gray, is $7.98 at Simply Organized at Kahala Mall.
— Ruby Mata-Viti, Star-Advertiser
4. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith appeared in Honolulu recently, reading from her poetry book “Life on Mars.” Is that an allusion to David Bowie? Only partly.
I couldn’t be at her reading, so opted to buy the audio book of Smith’s poetry. It’s wonderful, warmly read and ultimately inspiring for the author’s talent and humanity.
Smith’s father was an engineer who worked on the Hubble Telescope, and she’s inspired by “imagining the universe,” she says. Science, nature and the vastness of space provide a backdrop for her poetry, which yet revolves around human relationships, fears and passions: “When the storm/Kicks up and nothing is ours, we go chasing/After all we’re certain to lose, so alive — ”
Find Smith’s audio book at bookstores or order online. I found my copy at target.com for $19.79, including shipping.
— Elizabeth Kieszkowski, Star-Advertiser
“4 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.
