Mochi and Malasadas – Exotic Sweets on the Big Island

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Everyone knows my favorite part of any meal is dessert. When we visited Hawaii’s Big Island earlier this summer, I made it my scientific duty to test every sweet delicacy across the archipelago to bring you this definitive list of the best treats. Thanks to the island’s large East Asian and South Asian populations, it…

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Pineapple – Denim Handbag

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This denim bag is wonderful because it combines two of my favorite things – pineapples (of course) and pop art. I’ve never found a bag like it since!

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Pizza and Poke – Savory Eats on the Big Island

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Hawaii’s Big Island has so many unique flavors to offer thanks to its large East Asian and South Asian populations. As much as Brandon and I enjoy authentic Hawaiian food, like Kalua pork and macaroni salad (but not poi, sorry), we had no intention of eating it for three meals a day when we visited…

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Meeting the Queen at Big Island Bees

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Of the five farm tours we enjoyed on Hawaii’s Big Island this summer, our visit to the apiary at Big Island Bees was my favorite! An apiary is a collection of beehives, like the boxes you see here. Our tour guide Tricia was very knowledgeable and taught us several surprising facts about these endangered little…

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Pineapple – Glass Water Bottle

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California proud, baby! I’m a sucker for all things California. I think it’s such a lovely shape and place to live, so of course I bought this delicate glass water bottle from Starbucks and these matching coasters.

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5 Farm Tours Across Hawaii’s Big Island + Bonus Activities!

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The goal: to enter back into society with a bang; a clear line of demarcation where sweatpants ended and sun dresses began. After getting our second vaccine shots, it felt important to do something crazy to mark the end of the COVID-19 era instead of quietly easing back into society as if 2020 never happened.…

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Pineapple – Bottle Stopper

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My sweet friend Sarah over at Lolla sandwich shop gave me this adorable golden pineapple bottle stopper as a thank-you gift for taking these photos of her restaurant. The amazing pineapple wine glasses came from HomeGoods many moons ago.

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Kayaking Through Jellyfish at the Elkhorn Slough

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The Monday of Labor Day weekend seemed like a great time to rent kayaks with my favorite people and glide through the salty waters of the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, California. This protected nature preserve opens up to the Pacific Ocean, meaning all sorts of fascinating wildlife can easily swim their way into the…

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Pineapple – Decorative Gold Easel

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I found this adorable children’s book about the different regions of California at a shop in Santa Barbara, and display it on a gold pineapple easel. Our sunny state is so large, this book explores our chilly ocean and snowy mountains, dry deserts and lush farmlands, and of course, the famous cities we all know…

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Exploring the Danish Village of Solvang

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Whenever we road trip to Santa Barbara for a long weekend, it’s customary for us to stop at Solvang along the way – “A little slice of Denmark in Southern California”. This historic Danish village tucked into the Santa Ynez Valley hills 45 minutes north of our destination provides more than just a much-needed pit…

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