Some childhood pleasures die hard, even if you’re the one who has to slave away making mac ‘n cheese, fruit loop late night snacks, and PB& J  with the crusts cut off.  

Time to step away from artificial “food” and dine more sophisticatedly – and by that we mean Hokulani Bake Shop’s newly unveiled gourmet cupcake flavor: vanilla lilikoi cake topped with dreamy lemon cream cheese frosting. Like all of Hokulani’s 11 sweet varieties, it’s made with no artificial flavoring, hydrogenated oils, margarine, shortening, corn syrup or trans-fats –... Read more »

Don’t mind us. We just can’t seem to stop talking today. That’s what happens when you’ve had a lot of caffeine. Not that coffee’s bad. Nosireee. It’s so good, that’s the problem. We haven’t been this productive in ages, and we can’t stop drinking it. We need the stuff, bad.

Thankfully, custom roaster Hilo Coffee Mill has come to the rescue with a trio of coffee clubs, sending four pounds of fresh roasted beans every other month, January through November.

Opt for the deluxe 100 percent Hawaiian Club, rotating through... Read more »

Your sweet tooth has become a bit of a snob lately. Boxed cake has been traded for gourmet cupcakes. Where Hershey’s once passed as comfort food, now only Valrhona confections will do. And packet sweeteners? No more imitations. You need the real thing.

Artemis Smiles’ hand-harvested, hand-extracted honey is one sweet that’s never processed, heated or filtered, preserving flavor as well as healing propolis and antioxidants. Owner Alison Yahna’s well-nourished bees... Read more »

Lei Chic’s guide to the weekend’s best events.

Last chance to see On The Beach at The Contemporary Museum
The sun sets Sunday for the collection of wall-sized beach scene photos by Robert Misrach. All the photos depict the same beach on Oahu’s south shore – look closely and you might recognize it. More info at www.tcmhi.org or 808.526.1322. Admission $5.

Lunch from Morton’s for $10
Cheap steak for your inner cheapskate. Get a plate lunch of grilled filet mignon served with... Read more »

Shop this weekend for the kind of treats even better than the Easter Bunny brings: sweet deals.

Fighting Eel Fridays
Like a once-a-week sample sale, the Fighting Eel showroom in Chinatown opens every Friday with big discounts on the line’s signature comfy-yet-sexy dresses. Everything here is from past seasons, and some dresses are as low as $10 or $20. Starting next week, the showroom will be open on Thursdays too. Friday from 10 -5, Fighting Eel showroom, 47 N. Hotel Street , 808.524.1472. More info at Read more »

 Lei Chic’s guide to the weekend’s best events.

Rise and Stretch
You give: An hour or so when you’d normally be sleeping in.
Where: Lanikai Beach, Mokumanu Street access, Saturday at 6:30 a.m.
You get: A sunrise vinyasa flow yoga session with Leah Distad, owner of Kailua’s Koa Yoga, plus a homemade breakfast – Distad offers coffee, tea and fruit plus something she’s baked herself, such as bagels or zucchini or banana breads, as well as fresh fruit, granola and yogurt.
More... Read more »