Monthly Archives: February 2012
BEACH TIP #1
As February is soon coming to an end, March promises lots of sunshine and days lounging at the beach. I go to the beach as much as I possibly can. During spring and summer that can sometimes mean 2-4 times a week if my work schedule is good to me. Over the years, I’ve tried many different things to make going to the beach as pleasant as possible. Having the proper items at the beach can make a beautiful day at the beach a very comfortable one too. Beach tip number one that I’m sharing today is having a great beach towel. I’ve used countless towels over the years. Bath, high end name brand, hotel quality and blanket towels. The best by far are surf shop towels. A lot of brands start off soft and velvety and colorful but over time they lose that feel and the color fades. Surf shop towels stay soft and the bold colors last after countless uses and washes. They also don’t get thinner over time like other towels do. Always wash your towel before use other wise terry cloth balls will end up all over your skin and hair when you towel off after a swim. Never reuse a beach towel once it’s been used at the beach. Wash and dry all fabric items from the beach before reuse. This will eliminate skin rashes and other irritations from growing bacteria. Surf companies that carry good quality towels are Roxy, Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom.
SEVERE WEATHER FOR THE ISLAND OF KAUAI
For a good part of yesterday, all of last night and up till late this afternoon, Kauai got dumped on by lots of rain. I was up most of the night with thunder and crashes of lightning. Some of the loudest I’ve ever heard. I’ve included a video from KHON2 News. It’s a 2 minute clip of some of the damaged caused by the storm. Look for Opaekaa Falls. Normally a gorgeous waterfall, is now chocolate brown from all the rain and run off. I’ve also included a picture taken by a friend on the west side of Kauai of a beautiful sunset to end this blessed Sunday.
FACIAL CLEANSING BUFF
For almost 4 years, I lived in California. While I lived there, my skin adjusted well to my environment and I was able to have a very simple facial cleansing routine. I got into the habit of washing my face with just my fingers because that’s what worked. When I moved back home to Hawaii, my simple beauty routine no longer kept my face clear so I got a more suitable facial cleansing system and I started washing my face with facial cloths. I’ve tried many since I’ve been back home and the most effective one I found is the QVS FACIAL CLEANSING BUFF FOR GENTLE EXFOLIATION. Because of Hawaii’s high humidity, wash cloths and brushes can sometimes take a day or night to dry out after use. The QVS buff dries within a few hours after use. The texture is perfect. I can gently exfoliate my face everyday without drying it out or damaging my sensitive skin. The size and shape is a palm sized oval, making it ideal for washing in a circular motion on my face and neck. The best part is the price. One pack carries 2 buffs that retails for around $3. I purchase mine from my local CVS store. Seasonally, CVS will mark QVS products down to 30% off so during this time I stock up and get several packs at a time to save even more money.
MAC LIPGLASS, LUSTREGLASS AND CREMESHEEN GLASS
My daughter likes the MAC LIPGLASS and LUSTREGLASS lip glosses. She uses them all the time. I find them to be very sticky. I do however love the CREMESHEEN GLASS lip gloss. It’s one of my favorites. I have problem lips and I find it to be very moisturizing and slightly creamy without any stickiness. It also goes on very light and has no heavy feel when adding two coats for a deeper color. I’m almost through using my current color in Looks Like Sin which goes perfect against my olive toned skin. I will be purchasing a new color in this style very soon. I couldn’t get a good shot for the Lustreglass and Cremesheen glass lip glosses because the sun was a little higher by the time I took those shots. Please pardon the pictures from being out of focus.
Lipglass
Lustreglass
Cremesheen Glass
MUD PIE IN MY HOME
The MUD PIE TABLE TOP seaside inspired collection has been my favorite pieces for my home for a couple of years. The first piece I got was the Starfish Section Server and ever since receiving it as a gift, I’ve been collecting pieces here and there when I can to add touches of the ocean and beach to my kitchen and bathrooms. Some of the pieces that I have are sold seasonally or no longer available. Prices range from $8-$45.
Seaside Picture Frame
Starfish Section Server
Glass dip bowl
Seashore Coffee Mug
VITABATH
I’ve been using VITABATH LIME CITRON BASIL bath and shower gele’e for several weeks. When I first started using this product, I didn’t like it because the citrus smell is so strong and I felt like the soap was too harsh on my skin causing me to feel dry afterward. But after several weeks of use, Vitabath has grown on me because I do feel revived afterward from the strong smell. My hubby has taken a liking to it more than me. He usually uses bath bars and doesn’t touch any of my body washes but he’s been using this product everyday. He loves the strong lime smell and the rich superfruit and vitamin blend and botanicals such as acai, goji, coffee, noni, pomegranate, green tea, mangosteen, aloe vera, vitamins A, B3, B5, C and E. He’s not one to spend much time in the shower so he does like a strong soap to get the job done quick and this product does that. For more information, use the Vitabath link above.
MENTIONS
Island Style Weekly is mentioned for two write ups done in SEPTEMBER 2011 and NOVEMBER 2011 in Malie Organics website under their PRESS category. I am so grateful to be recognized by a company that I love.
MALIE ORGANICS PRESS PAGE
NOVEMBER 2011 FEATURE
SEPTEMBER 2011 FEATURE
JOSSELLIN’S TAPAS BAR AND GRILL
Today I’ll be sharing about Josselin’s Tapas Bar and Grill because it’s fairly new and different from the other restaurants on Kauai, Hawaii. It opened it’s doors for business for the first time approximately a year ago, maybe more. I’ve been to this restaurant 3 times. Each time, I’ve gone with a big group of people. Most of the dishes are served in small portions so it’s fun and most practical to order many dishes. Me and my friends order dishes at different times during the few hours that we are there and share each dish. The table comes with a large lazy susan in the middle so it makes it perfect for when the food is served for each person to easily access each dish. I’m not much of an alcoholic drinker but my friends are. The restaurant has 5 signature sangria drinks that are served from a rolling cart right at your table. It’s a hit with my friends. They waste no time getting their drinks as soon as we are seated. Out of the 5 flavors, I like the lychee sangria best. The food is very delicious. My favorite dish is the roasted asparagus with a poached egg and bacon. I didn’t get a photo of it because I was so excited to eat it that I forgot. My second favorite dish is the butter fish which is available when they have it on hand. The online menu that I’ve linked to below does not have the butterfish listed on it but you can special request it. I love pretty things and the restaurant is very pretty to look at. The theme is classy and modern with a light touch of the islands which is shown in the beautiful artwork. The prices are a bit steep. Most of the appetizers range from $12-$15 and the main dishes range from $20-$36. For me, the atmosphere, food, service and experience makes it worth the price. For a list of what’s on their menu, use this LINK.
I can't remember the name of this dish. Inside the fried pockets were shrimp and shredded lamb.
Poached Pork Dumpling
Korean Style Seared Short Rib. It does look rare but it's cooked to perfection. Very good.
Raw and barely touched tapas
Raw and barely touched tapas
The Butterfish. One of my favorites on the menu.
This is available on the dessert menu. It's a pistachio gelato served with a side of chocolate sauce.
My favorite decorations were these lights above the main dining area.
GREAT DEAL AT ROSS DRESS FOR LESS
The last time I went into a ROSS DRESS FOR LESS store was years ago and I didn’t find a thing I liked. It’s one of those stores that’s a hit and miss for me. Sometimes I find things I like and sometimes I don’t. I guess my shopping experience depends on what I need at the time because I’m not much of an impulse shopper. For several months, I shopped on KAUAI looking for a new pair of athletic shoes. I found some Nike’s and Puma’s that I liked but I hated the price tag. The styles I wanted ranged from $70-$90. I know that’s the normal price range for good quality shoes but those two brands do go on sale. Kauai doesn’t have anything like a Ross Dress For Less. In fact, there is very limited shopping here. Most of my closet purchases are made online and off island. So I held off until my trip to one of Kauai’s neighboring islands. This time, I got lucky. Not only did I find Puma shoes I liked but I paid a lovely $35 for them. Yes, it is a style from a past season but that doesn’t matter to me. I owned a pair of Puma’s years ago and the shoe lasted me a year. I’ve been wearing it for several weeks and I find it works best for indoor workout classes. I’m still on the hunt for a good outdoor/light weight athletic shoe.
