Jul 10, 2009

Hawaii Anti-Affiliate Legislation

Anti-Affiliate Legislation Update

Hawaii Affiliates Fought Back - and WON the Governor!

Hawaiian Legislators Supporting Governor Veto

Hawaiians: Thank you notes for Governor Lingle

For more information, please visit Performance Marketing Alliance

Posted using ShareThis

Jul 8, 2009

Picture of Paradise: Bon Dance


Waipahu Bon Dance
Photo Source: Hawaii

Summer Bon Dance Schedule

Jul 1, 2009

Picture of Paradise: Independence Day Fireworks


Jun 30, 2009

Arbonne NutriMin C Facial Serum

Maybe you've heard the ladies talking about Arbonne's NutriMin C Facial Serum and if you haven't, we'll let you in on the news...

Arbonne's NutriMin C Facial Serum is touted as an anti-aging serum that gently diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles while retaining your skin's moisture and boosting healthy cell renewal. From Arbonne's RE9 product line, NutriMin C Facial Serum addresses the affects of sun exposure and ageing on your skin that includes 9 key anti-aging elements. Read what others are saying about this product.

For more information on NutriMin C Facial Serum and other Arbonne products, please visit Pure Aloha Botanicals.

Pure Aloha Botanicals is a member of the Hawaii WAHMs Ohana.

Jun 26, 2009

Aloha Friday Recipe!

Our wonderful "Aloha Friday Recipe" writer, Kimberly of Homemade Gourmet, is taking a well deserved break and will be back shortly to share more of her magnificent and tasty recipes with us. In the meantime, I'd like to direct your attention to Kimberly's web site at Homemade Gourmet where a 15% seasoning and marinade sale is going on right now and take a peek into July's Summer Special!
Homemade Gourmet's
feature recipe is Black Bean Salsa Shrimp Salad that is described as a "festival of flavors with fresh from the garden taste! Great with crackers, in a whole wheat tortilla wrap, or on a bed of lettuce for a quick, easy, and delicious meal." Sounds like a perfect 4th of July recipe and it looks delicious! Click here to view the recipe.

Read more about Homemade Gourmet in the news, sign up for their free monthly e-mail newsletter, find easy recipes online, and come back to our blog for more Aloha Friday Recipes by Kimberly.

*Kimberly of Homemade Gourmet is a member of the Hawaii WAHMs Ohana*

Jun 23, 2009

Just A Moment Designs

Are you looking for a island business that understands the unique Hawai'i traditions of baby's first birthday, graduation, family celebrations and more? Just A Moment Designs provides that important touch of local distinction and gives you quality, personalized photo announcements for those wonderful moments in your life.

Started by a mom with a passion for photography, scrapbooking and digital design, Cheryl of Just A Moment Designs understand how fleeting time is and specializes in capturing your precious moment in a photo announcement that you will be proud to share with your family and friends.

Just a Moment Designs strives to provide you with fast, excellent service and affordable pricing. Please visit Just a Moment Designs for more information.

Just A Moment Designs is a member of the Hawaii WAHMs Ohana.

Jun 22, 2009

On Our Bookshelf

Keiki Gifts is reading Nineteen Minutes: A Novel by Jodi Picoult.

Best known for tackling controversial issues through richly told fictional accounts, Jodi Picoult's 14th novel, Nineteen Minutes, deals with the truth and consequences of a smalltown high-school shooting. Set in Sterling, New Hampshire, Picoult offers reads a glimpse of what would cause a 17-year-old to wake up one day, load his backpack with four guns, and kill nine students and one teacher in the span of nineteen minutes. As with any Picoult novel, the answers are never black and white, and it is her exceptional ability to blur the lines between right and wrong that make this author such a captivating storyteller.

--Gisele Toueg, Amazon.com Review

May 30, 2009

Aloha Friday Recipe!!

Smoked Salmon Timbales ( No Cooking Required)
Gorgeous salmon parcels filled with a soft cheese and crab ( or prawn filling). They look so elegant and the good thing is that they can be made 24 hours ahead making it a perfect solution for plan ahead dinner party. I got this recipe from Recipezaar.

10 min 10 min prep
SERVES 8 , 8 timbales
8 slices smoked salmon
225 g thick cream cheese
100 ml sour cream (or 2 tbsp lemon juice tbsp mayonaise)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
100 g crabmeat (or 100g choped prawns)
2 teaspoons chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon brandy (optional)
Grease 8 ( 100ml) ramekins with a little oil then line with apiece of plastic wrap, making sure to leave enough overhang.
Place a slice of salmon in each ramekin.
Beat the cream cheese with the sour cream, stir in crab, dill, mustard and season to taste.
Spoon into moulds, fold over overhanging salmon, then fold over the plastic wrap to cover. Chill at least 3 hours. Can be made 24 hours ahead!

May 13, 2009

Picture of Paradise - Lantern Floating

Every year on Memorial Day, people gather at Ala Moana Beach Park to remember loved ones with a lantern floating ceremony. This year's ceremony will be held on Monday, May 25 , 6:30 p.m. at Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park.




For more information, go to Lantern Floating Hawaii on the web.

May 12, 2009

Handmade Graduation Gifts

A lot of people are gearing up for graduations right now. I went browsing through Etsy for some unique, handmade graduation gifts and here is what I found.

Posy- A Something Special Apple Cheek Ami Bear Set
by willynillywaterlily
























The Scholar's Moss Terranium
by Greenbriar































White Hat with Peach Hair
by BowPorter
























5 Travel Size Scrubs - Dorm Room Essentials
by Spa Goddess



















Flip Flop Message Me Tile
by Pottery and Pillows


















Apr 30, 2009

Blogging Tips

At one time or another, bloggers will be stumped for content and will have nothing interesting, thought provoking or even...blah...to write about. We're lucky to have contributing writers here on our Hawaii WAHMs blog to add fresh content to our blog; however, despite our team effort, we too run into blogger's block.

Internet Marketing Sweetie, Alice Seba, provides us with this sensational list of blogging ideas to keep our minds churning and hopefully our readers coming back. We're happy to share the list with you.

1. Special events - Relate your blog topic to a special event, national day of, or holiday.

2. News - Subscribe to Google news alert on your keywords and write about the latest news in your niche.

3. Book review.

4. Respond to a post on another blog in a niche similar or related to yours.

5. Blog milestone - Write about your blogging milestones, such as publishing your 100th post, getting your 1000th comment….

6. Niche heroes -Blog about a person who made a positive contribution in your niche.

7. Blog memes - Join in blog memes such as “Wordless Wednesday”. There’s at least one for every day of the week!

8. Product review - An excellent way to work in some affiliate links.

9. FAQs in your niche - Write a short Q & A based on FAQs about your niche.

10. Blog comment response - Write a long and expanded response to a comment on your blog.

11. Predict trends - What do you see happening in your niche in a year? 5 years?

12. Historical view - What was your niche in the past? Or what past event influenced your niche?

13. Top tips on a topic of interest to your readers

14. Best of… - A good year ender, make a list of your best posts for the year.

15. Contests - Organize a contest for your blog readers, or make a list of contests your readers can join.

16. What I learned from… a current event, a person you met, or an experience you had.

17. Definitions - Define terms that are commonly used in your niche but a beginner may not understand

18. New products - Not a review but simply an announcement of a new product relevant to your niche. This is another good opportunity to drop in some affiliate links.

19. Biggest problem - Ask your readers what their biggest problem is about your blog topic or niche. They post their answers in the comments section.

20. Biggest problem follow-up - Summarize the comments from #19 in another post.

21. Biggest problem follow-up series - Write a separate blog post tackling each question from #19.

22. Interview somebody knowledgeable in your niche, or has succeeded in it, or is otherwise interesting to your readers.

23. Big list - Compile a big list of various resources, just like this one. The bigger the better!

24. Reader Survey - Put up a brief survey online and blog about the results.

25. Be provocative. Challenge a common belief or widely accepted idea in your niche.

26. New idea - What new idea about your blog topic or niche have you come across lately?

27. YouTube - Embed a funny, moving or insightful video on YouTube. You can even have a “video day” once a week.

28. YouTube version 2 - Make YOUR own YouTube video. Publish it on YouTube then embed on your blog. This way, you can attract traffic from YouTube to your blog.

29. Freebie - Scour the ‘net for freebies that your readers will love. Or create a freebie of your own, such as a checklist or special report.

30. Personal story - Use a personal story to illustrate an important concept or principle in your niche.

31. Free to publish articles - Check out relevant articles in article directories such as Ezine Articles… but don’t publish them entirely on your blog. Instead, use an article or a group of articles as your take-off point for a blog post, or several.

32. Link love - This is a post with links to other blogs. Some bloggers set aside one day a week to publish a list of the best blog posts on their topic.

33. Photo - A picture is worth thousand words, right? Search Flickr for creative commons pictures that your readers will like.

34. Hot topics - Look at Digg for hot topics in your niche

35. Pros and cons - Examine what’s good and bad about something related to your blog topic

36. Respond to relevant questions you find in Ask.com

37. Guest post - Invite another blogger to write a guest post for your blog

38. Reader’s post - Invite blog subscribers to submit an article or post to be published on the blog

39. Inspirational post - Write a motivational post for your readers.

40. Update an old post with fresh ideas, new learnings and current research findings.

41. Beginner’s guide - What do beginners in your niche struggle with? Write a post to guide them through it.

42. Best list - Patterned after “best dressed lists” make a list of the best ___ in your niche.

43. Worst list - Make your version of the “worst dressed list” for your niche.

44. New uses for - Think of new ways your readers can use gadgets and other stuff.

45. Write about a live event that you attended and what you learned from it.

46. Bribe post - Bribe your readers with a freebie in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter or RSS feed.

47. Around the world - Compare how people in different countries do something related to your niche.

48. Seasonal - Relate the month or season to your blog topic.

49. Blog carnival - Join or host a blog carnival, where several publish posts about the same topic on the same day.

50. Host a virtual “conference” on your blog - Invite “speakers” to publish their post on a specified date and time. Q&A happens in the comments section.

Because you may spend a lot of time on your blog, it would be nice to earn some money from your work. Here is a product link that might help you. Click here! for more information.

Apr 29, 2009

Picture of Paradise - May Day

Kona Coffee Lei

Kona Coffee Lei
photo source: ardie96750


May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii and here are ways to celebrate:
  • 2009 Lei Day Festival with the Royal Hawaiian Band Concert, Lei Queen and Court, Lei Exhibit and more at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand, May 1, 2009. A schedule of the festivities here.
Also take a look at "Hawaii's Official Tourism Site" for more May Day activities throughout the islands as well as a schedule of year round lei making classes.

Apr 22, 2009

Three Blind Mice Origami Craft


Head over to Tammy Yee's site to make a cute Three Blind Mice origami project. You'll be able to print the blind mice image onto your paper and fold according to the instructions provided . Once you're done, you can glue popsicle sticks onto the back of the mice and have them run away from the "farmer's wife".

Picture of Paradise


photo source: selma

How to make Spam Musubi: Recipe from Serious Eats
7th Annual Waikiki Spam Jam: Read about it here.

Apr 21, 2009

Household Tips: Earth Day 2009

April 22 is Earth Day 2009. It is a day to encourage environmentally healthy behaviors, and bring attention and awareness to our environment. In 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, introduced the Earth Day movement and since then it is recognized and celebrated simultaneously by people all over the world. Read more about Earth Day at the Earth Day Network.

To help you in your effort to "go green" or to live actively to benefit our environment, here are a few important links. If you want to join a community and make a commitment to protect our "aina" land, please visit Kanu Hawaii for more information.

Recycle: Redemption Centers:
Big Island: http://www.recyclehawaii.org/
Kauai: kauai.gov/recycling
Maui: http://www.co.maui.hi.us/
Oahu: http://www.opala.org/

Redemption Centers: http://www.hi5deposit.com/

Stop Junk Mail: http://www.dmachoice.org/

Other Helpful Links:
Appliances: http://www.recycle-steel.org/
Business clothing: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/
Carpets: http://www.carpetrecovery.org/
Cell phones and rechargeable batteries: http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/
Computers: http://www.sharetechnology.org/
Electronics: http://www.mygreenelectronics.org/
Eyeglasses: http://www.neweyesfortheneedy.org/
Floppy Disks and Videotapes: http://www.greendisk.com/
Formal Dresses: http://www.operationfairydust.org/
Packing Peanuts: http://www.loosefillpackaging.com/
Paint: http://earth911.org/
Tires: www.epa.gov/garbage/tires/live.htm

Apr 17, 2009

Aloha Friday Recipe!!

I decided for a change of pace today, instead of a main course, I would list a bread instead.

Bacon Cheddar Bread
Ingredients
1 Homemade Gourmet® World Vision for Life Basic Bread Mix
1 Homemade Gourmet® BLT Seasoning Mix
1-3/4 cup milk (or substitute 12-ounce can of beer)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter/margarine, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, blend first four ingredients. (Batter will be lumpy.) Spoon batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Pour melted butter over batter. Place loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch any spillover.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Times
Cook Time 45 minutes
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

By Kimberly Wilson - jwilson001@hawaii.rr.com
www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson

Apr 15, 2009

Picture of Paradise


KoOlina Lagoon by
Windwardskies Photography
http://www.windwardskies.com

Apr 13, 2009

Household Tips

Here is a motivational list from the blog Marc and Angel Hack Life reminding all of us how to enjoy the beauty of life and value everyday we're here.

How to Live Life:

  • Educate yourself until the day you die.
  • Take good care of your body.
  • Spend as much time as possible with the people you love.
  • Be a part of something you believe in.
  • Excel at what you do.
  • Live below your means.
  • Be self-sufficient.
  • Build a comfortable, loving household.
  • Always be honest with yourself and others.
  • Respect elders. Respect minors. Respect everyone.
  • Mix it up. Try different things.
  • Take full ownership of your actions.
  • Over-deliver on all your promises.
  • Listen more. Talk less.
  • Focus more on less.
  • Exploit the resources you do have access to.
  • Savor the natural joys of simple pleasures.
  • Reflect on your goals and direction.
  • Leave time for spontaneous excursions.
  • Be here now.
Read the full How to Live Life article and you may find that with a little self re-direction you may be able to focus on the things that make you happy. I hope you're inspired.

Apr 11, 2009

Happy Easter

If you're still thinking how you're gonna decorate your Easter eggs this year, here are some ideas:
Decoupaged Eggs
Dyeing Eggs
Jeweled Easter Eggs
Lovely and Loopy Eggs
Swirled Easter Egg

Happy Easter!

Apr 10, 2009

Crafts Carnival #5

Come take a look at the most recent craft carnival hosted at Keiki Gifts, Crafts and Activities. Here is a peek of incredibly creative crafts that have been posted.

  • More Kitty Cat…and a Little On Layouts
  • Make Drink Coaster from Scrap Fabrics
  • Turn a Man’s Shirt into a Cushion Cover
  • Crochet a Recycled Easter Egg Basket
  • 10 Ways I Greened my Home for St. Patrick’s Day
  • Make Removable Cushion Covers
  • Seeds Place Cards Craft for Spring Garden Tablescape
  • Making monoprint background papers
  • Needle felting. So good, so easy...
  • Garden Party Paper Lantern
Stop by soon!

Keiki Gifts, Crafts and Activities
http://keikigifts.etsy.com

Apr 7, 2009

Household Tips

We spend a lot of money taking care of our families and it is always nice to find a bargain or two along the way. Living green, conserving resources and shopping smart are wise skills to have especially when money is tight and family needs are great. Sharing ways to saving money on the things you need are the following websites.

Do you have a favorite money saving website to share? If so, please let us know!

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Apr 1, 2009

Picture of Paradise


Sunset by
Windwardskies Photography

http://www.windwardskies.com

Mar 31, 2009

Household Tips

We all know that fingernail polish is great for protecting and beautifying our fingernails and helpful for controlling a run in our nylon stockings but were you aware of all the other uses of fingernail polish such as...

-removing a wart
-preventing rust rings
-labeling a number of household items
-sealing an envelope
-stopping a window shield crack from spreading?

Clear fingernail polish can be inexpensive and easily found in your nearby store. Some clear drying polish comes with pretty sparkles or glow in the dark versions. For more ideas on the many incredible uses of fingernail polish, visit ReadersDigest.com.

Do you have an unique but effective tip using fingernail polish? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Mar 20, 2009

Aloha Friday Recipe!!

Aloha,

I know with spring break just starting everyone is looking for a fast and easy recipe! This is a no cook salad recipe! You can use this any day that you don't want to heat up the kitchen anymore than it already is at dinnertime. This meal would also be great for lunch.



Avocado Crab Salad


Ingredients
1 12-ounce package imitation crabmeat
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup Homemade Gourmet® Maria’s Salsa, prepared
3 avocados, peeled, seeded and halved


Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine crabmeat, celery, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and hot sauce; stir until well blended.

2. Place halved avocados on 6 individual serving plates and spoon crabmeat mixture over avocado; serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 6 ounces
Amount/Serving
Calories 270

Total Fat 19g
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 130mg
Total Carbohydrate 17g
Dietary Fiber 7g
Sugars 1g
Protein 10g

Cooking Tip -- Substitute plain yogurt for mayonnaise in dishes like tuna, chicken or egg salad.

Brought to you with much aloha by Kimberly Wilson
www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson

Mar 19, 2009

Spreading Love with Handmade Toys

When I heard about The Toy Society through my friend's blog, it made me feel so warm and fuzzy...I had to share! This is what The Toy Society is all about:

The Toy Society spreads the love throughout the streets of the world. Nothing to it really just a bunch of handmade toys looking for a nice home.

What started as a small street art project in Australia is slowly spreading around the world.

Should you come across a member of The Toy Society on your travels collect them up and take them home with you!


Imagine someone working so hard to make handmade toys then giving them out for free to anyone who may stumble across them. The toys could go to a little child or to a collector or anyone else who needs love from a stranger and the company of a sweet toy -- how inspirational and fun!

Take a look a The Toy Society's blog and see what items have been dropped off. Here is a photo of a Hawai'i drop off. See what is inside this bag at Softie Happiness.



Keiki Gift Ideas
http://keikigifts.etsy.com

Mar 18, 2009

Picture of Paradise

Today's "Picture of Paradise" is courtesy of Windwardskies Photography. Plumerias grow so abundantly here in Hawai'i that they seem to naturally represent our beautiful islands. However, these flowers are not native to Hawai'i and come from Mexico and Central America. We are lucky to live a in climate that supports the growth of these sweet and fragrant flowers.


Windwardskies Photography
http://www.windwardskies.com

Mar 17, 2009

Coupons and Savings

Don't you love the smell of fresh, clean clothes that feels smooth and soft against your skin? Pamper yourself with new Snuggle Creme. Available in two indulgent scents - Sweet Almond and Jojoba Essence - rich, creamy textures and delicate fragrance designed to leave your clothes feeling smooth. We're happy to pass on this coupon savings to you!

Mar 15, 2009

March Madness Sale (until March 20th)

Homemade Gourmet Home Office is having a March Madness Sale that will be good until March 20th! I thought I would go ahead and share it.

This week (March 16-March 22, 2009): Get Maria's Salsa Pantry Staple for half price this week! That's the equivalent of 12 individual mixes for only $8 retail! The Maria's Salsa Pantry Staple Combo with container and recipe card set is $16.00.*

Of course, Maria's Salsa is an affordable alternative to jarred salsa for your corn chips at your basketball playoff parties this month, but you can use this versatile mix for everything from meatloaf and pot roast to cranberry salsa, too (check out the Key to the Kitchen recipe database). Or how about this creamy chicken entrée in honor of one of the 2009 NCAA Tournament venues:

Phoenix Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Homemade Gourmet® Maria's Salsa Mix, prepared
1 can black beans, drained
1 can Mexi-corn, drained
1 10.5-ounce can tomatoes with green chilies
8 ounces cream cheese, cut in cubes

  1. Combine all ingredients, except cream cheese (can be frozen in a gallon-sized ziptop freezer bag at this point).
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
  3. Stir in cubed cream cheese and cook for additional 15 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
  4. May also be prepared in a slow cooker (4-6 hours), adding the cream cheese when only 1 hour cooking remains.

*This sale does not include direct ship orders, so you would need to order through me.

By Kimberly Wilson - jwilson001@hawaii.rr.com
www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson

Mar 13, 2009

Aloha Friday Recipe!!

Here is another 4 meals in 4 minutes™ meal! I have three children (age 5 and under) and being able to get my meal prepared and cooking quickly is the best thing in the world to me. I really value being able to provide my family with a home-cooked meal and everyone sitting around the table to enjoy it. Homemade Gourmet has allowed me to do this with the 4 meals in 4 minutes™ meals. I also get my children to help. My 5 y.o. son can measure the ingredients. Then both my 5 y.o. son and my 4 y.o. daughter can mix the ingredients together for me using the method below! Plus there is NO MESS to clean up that usually happens when little ones get in the kitchen.


Mahalo & enjoy!!


Hawaiian Pork Chops


Ingredients
3 pounds pork chops*
4 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet® BLT seasoning (or one package)
1 15-ounce can pineapple tidbits
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions
This is another great 4 meals in 4 minutes™ meal!

Place all ingredients into the freezer bag. Seal and SMOOSH!

Before freezing, label as Hawaiian Pork Chops and list cooking options:

BAKE: Thaw and bake (covered) at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

GRILL: Thaw, discard marinade, and grill over medium high heat until chicken juices run clear.

SLOW COOK: Defrost enough to empty contents into slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

*You may substitute the chicken with 6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for a variation on this recipe . . . make both and fill your freezer twice as fast! This has about 150 calories per serving if using skinless chicken breast!


Brought to you with much aloha by Kimberly Wilson

www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson

Mar 11, 2009

A Hawaii Carnival #3

Welcome to the March 11, 2009 edition of a hawaii carnival.


Hawaii is a great place to visit year round. For tips on your next Hawaii vacation, Mircea presents Help Planning Your Trip to Hawaii posted at Travel Guides.

Matt presents Alaia Surfboards posted at Leucadia (and beyond) Surf Blog. This is an article about historical Hawaiian surfboards known as alaias. Great information for surfers and non-surfers alike.

Lindsay presents Hawaii Shore Excursion Ideas for Cruisers posted at Cruises 101. Read about the different type of tours and great spots to visit while you're on vacation.

A beautiful and poetic article by Jason Zuckerman. Read Aloha, Welcome to Big Kahuna's Kite Shop posted at Jay Zuck's Sketch of the Day. He says, "When I went to Hawaii to scatter my Nana's ashes in the warm waters of the land she loved, my trusty sketchbook was never far away. I created this fun layout inspired by my trip called, "Aloha, Welcome to Big Kahuna's Kite Shop."

This concludes our Hawaii Carnival. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
our carnival using this carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page. Thanks for visiting and participating our Hawaii WAHMs' Hawaii Carnival!

Mar 10, 2009

Keiki Glass Pebble Pins

My Girl Scouts made these pretty glass pins as a craft project for a scouting event. The project is easy but drying time accounts for a lot of the "time" in this project. You can make it too with these supplies.

* Clear glass garden pebbles that you can pick up at a crafting or gardening shop. It usually comes in bags of plenty so you can make a lot but note that these are not necessarily for crafting so you'll see some flaws in the stones and the shapes are not uniform. The pebbles come in different sizes. These are about 1.25" in diameter. I got my pebbles from Walmart.

*Decorative paper

*Brooch pins

*Clear finger nail polish to use a sealer.

*Tacky glue or clear drying glue.

*Optional Crazy Glue or a strong and permanent glue like E6000. When working with young children Tacky glue will be fine.

1. First cut the paper to a size that covers the flat bottom of your glass pebble. Because we were making a lot of these, I used a paper punch to cut my shape. The punch I had was a floral one but it worked out okay. You can see the floral pattern on the Hello Kitty and purple stone.

2. Seal your paper, front and back, with clear finger nail polish. You can do this ahead of time if you want it to be dry and have the kids skip this step. I used 2 coats on each side.

3. When the polish is completely dry, dab a little Tacky glue on the flat bottom of pebble. Place the decorative side of the paper on the bottom of glass and move the paper around to spread the glue. Try to get out any big air bubbles by pressing down on the paper. Let dry.

4. Place another coat (or 2) of nail polish over the bottom when the glue is dry. Try to make sure you get all the edges to prevent water from seeping in between the paper and pebble.

5. When the polish is dry, glue on a brooch pin with tacky glue or Crazy glue. Clean up any glue you might have gotten on the pebble with a wet cloth and a little scraping of finger nails.

6. Wear your unique creation!

I soaked my pin in water for over 2 hours and the water did not seep into the paper.

My kids and I made these pins without the finger nail polish sealer but when it got wet it started to fall apart. I also used Mod Podge and though it worked well on sealing the paper, it didn't work well on step 4 (the final seal) because I could scrape the Mod Podge off the glass when it was dry. I'd suggest to use inexpensive finger nail polish as a sealer for a longer lasting glass pebble pin.

You can make a very nice professional glass tile pendant with this Craft Bits tutorial.

A project by Keiki Gift Ideas
http://keikigifts.etsy.com

Mar 6, 2009

Aloha Friday!!

Aloha Friday!
I love great food and amazing food, even though I don’t feel I am a great cook. I also love spending time with my family and not slaving away in the kitchen over the heat to cook great food! So this week the recipe I will share with you will be a 4 meals in 4 minutes recipe! Plus, I will give you 3 options in how to cook the meal!!

Garlic Lemon Chicken

6 Boneless skinless chicken breast (3 pounds)**
2 Tablespoon Homemade Gourmet Garlic Lemon Marniade
1 14- ounce can chicken broth (or 2 cups liquid HG Margarita Mix)
1 Gallon sized zip top freezer bag

Place all ingredients into the freezer bag. Seal and SMOOSH!!

You can freezer at this point if you would like. If you are freezing please label as Garlic Lemon Chicken and list cooking options. Be sure to defrost completely before cooking.

Cooking Options:
Option 1) Bake – 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Option 2) Grill
Option 3) Slow Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

**You may substitute the chicken with 3 pounds of pork chops for a variation on this recipe.

Suggested sides:
Cole Slaw, Baked Potato, Cobbler for dessert.

EXTRA!
Make extra and make this “extra” meal fast and easy! Slice chicken or pork chops and place on mixed salad greens and top with ½ cup of your choice of dressing, for a light and tasty meal.

Brought to you by Kimberly Wilson
www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson

Mar 4, 2009

Crafts Carnival #4

Welcome to the March 4, 2009 edition of crafts carnival. Here are a bunch of terrific articles. Please be sure to visit the links for more great crafting ideas.

Vera Lang presents Making Fabulous Paper Flowers with Tissue Paper posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, "This is a tissue paper flowers craft project that is so simple, it can easily be done by children 6 years and up. You and they will love it, as each flower takes only minutes to produce and looks stunning! Easy Pro Results! Excellent illustrated tutorial."


Matthew Paulson presents What to Do With Your Worn Out Jeans posted at American Consumer News. Lots of great ideas from making it into a pillow (as shown in photo) to passing it on to organizations that may need materials for crafting.



Shen-Li Lee presents How to Make Your Own Soft Toy | Babylicious posted at Babylicious. A great video tutorial accompanies this post so you too can make one of these soft toys for your tot.



Stephanie presents Quick and Easy Handmade Burp Cloths posted at Make It From Scratch. It's great to use what you make and these burp cloths will surely be used with a baby around.



A Keeper's Jackpot presents Making a Blanket Without a Sewing Machine posted at A Keeper's Jackpot. I've always wanted to make one of these blankets and now is the time especially with this chilly Hawaii weather!



Take a look at these Printable Mothers Day Cards posted at Home Life Weekly. "Make your own printable Mothers Day cards. Its really quick and easy all you need to do is download the free Mothers Day Card design of you choice then print and fold."


Linda Mundy presents Quilt Squares From Photographs posted at LJM's Studio: The Blog, saying, "Printing direct to fabric to create a quilt". These are so beautiful...imagine the possibilities!




Condo Blues presents How to Make a T Shirt Quilt posted at Condo Blues, saying, "When life gives you too many t-shirts - make a quilt!". A great way to make use of all of your favorite shirts that are too precious to toss out.



Marika presents Making sterling silver headpins without a torch posted at Marika's handcrafted jewellery. Wonderful tutorial with great images so you can follow along.



That concludes this edition of Keiki Gifts Craft Carnival. Thank you very much for being a part of carnival #4. Please submit your blog article to the next edition of crafts carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

A Craft Carnival by Keiki Gifts
http://keikigifts.etsy.com

Mar 3, 2009

Another WAHMs March Special!

Homemade Gourmet March Specials!!

  • If you book a Gathering in the month of March, you will receive an extra free meal kit!
  • If you refer someone who books a Gathering, you will receive a free dip mix!
  • If you sign up for HG Preferred, through my website, you will receive 20% off your order!
  • Place an order through me (not the website) totaling $100 and you will receive a free item!
Kimberly Wilson
email: jwilson001@hawaii.rr.com
www.homemadegourmet.com/KimberlyWilson
Helping create great tasting, home-made food FAST!!

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

WAHMs March Special

Hawaii WAHMs member, Pinky Photography is an on location photographer servicing Oahu and Kauai (part time). Pinky uses Hawaii's natural beauty as the back drop for her photo shoots and captures life and love in each of her images. Pinky Photography is offering the following Special for March.

Photosession - $175 (regular $300)
Includes 1 hour photosession
Location of choice
Unlimited photos
10 photos of your choice on CD
25% off prints for orders over $100

Also Looking for High School Senior Representatives
Free mini session
Email pinky@pinkyphotography.com for flyer

Please be sure to visit Pinky Photography's website and blog for more information and view samples of her amazing work.

Website www.pinkyphotography.com
Blog www.pinkyphotography.com/blog

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Mar 2, 2009

Work at Home: 5 Things You Need To Know

This information comes from Cyndi's Work at Home blog and it shares some important things you need to think about when deciding to work from home.

1. Working from home is not for everyone. Don’t fall into believing the myth that “anyone” can work at home...

2. You need to be in it for the long haul. Work at home success will not happen overnight...

3. Friends and family may not be supportive. When you decide that you want to start a career working at home, those closest to you may not be ready to jump on the bandwagon with you...

4. Running a business is hard work. While many people dream of being able to work from home — mainly for the freedom from a “real” job that it offers — they fail to realize that to gain that sort of freedom, they will need to work hard...

5. Expect to spend money. No matter what business you choose, there will be some sort of costs involved — more than your initial investment, no matter how big or small that amount may be...
Read Cyndi's entire post here and read Hawaii Money Saving Mama's experience with working at home. Thank you ladies for sharing your personal experiences and expertise with us!

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Mar 1, 2009

March is National Craft Month

Here are just a few of my favorite crafty sites. I like to go to these and other sites for creative inspiration.

Etsy.com
Craft Place
Cut Out + Keep
Super Cute Kawaii

What are your favorite craft sites?

Feb 27, 2009

Homemade Gourmet

I am very excited to announce that I am a new independent consultant for Homemade Gourmet ! I am currently the only consultant in Hawaii!! This is very exciting to be able to bring such a wonderful company to the islands!! There are 1,600 Homemade Gourmet Consultants nationwide who help people make great-tasting meals fast. I am committed to the company motto of striving to bring families back to the dinner table by providing quality, affordable, easy-to-prepare meals for both those on the go and those who have time to plan out a weekly menu. I also teach families how to make these affordable and delicious meals at in-home Gatherings of friends and family. Homemade Gourmet has a new product line called Homemade in a Hurry that helps busy parents get dinner on the table fast so they can enjoy meals as a family.

To let you know a little about the company: Homemade Gourmet ® was founded in 1997 by Tami VanHoy, a Texas mother of four. “I believe with all my heart that God created this company to give us all an opportunity to share our gifts with others, make a difference in the lives we touch and to inspire dreams in those who would join us,” said Founder Tami VanHoy. The Texas-based Homemade Gourmet offers a line of more than 100 food mixes and beverages distributed through a network Consultants nationwide. Dedicated to its mission to inspire families and friends to gather around the dinner table more often, Homemade Gourmet unveiled a number of new easy-to-prepare entrees, side dishes and desserts with the spring catalog and tastings across the country, including one here in Honolulu that I was able to do.

Contact me, Kimberly Wilson, at jwilson001@hawaii.rr.com today to learn more about how to make 4 meals in 4 minutes™ for your family dinners, how to host a Homemade Gourmet Gathering or to learn more about a career with Homemade Gourmet. Or you can find more information at www.homemadegourmet.com/kimberlywilson.

Local contact:
Kimberly Wilson
Honolulu, Hawaii
jwilson001@hawaii.rr.com

Aloha Friday Recipe

Here's an easy chicken dinner recipe to make for your family tonight.

Kalua Style Chicken

5 lbs. boneless chicken breast or thighs
1 1/2 Tbsp. Hawaiian salt
1 to 2 Tbsp. liquid smoke
1 bag pre washed spinach

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Rub each piece of chicken with salt and liquid smoke. Line 9x13 pan with aluminum foil. Add marinated chicken to pan and spread spinach over chicken. Cover chicken and spinach with foil. Bake 2 hours or until chicken is fully cooked.

Note: Boneless & skinless chicken may be used. Shred chicken before serving.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Feb 25, 2009

Fun Things to do for Girls' Day

Hina Matsuri or Doll's Festival is celebrated on March 3rd. This is day the day to pray for a young girl's health and happiness. Traditionally, many families set up an elegant display of dolls around mid February but put it away soon after Girls' Day otherwise, according to superstition, the girl will have a hard time marrying.

Many of us in Hawai'i recognize Hinamatsuri and for my family our celebration usually consists of a small token or treat to our daughters (and other little girls we know). If you're in charge of the classroom gift on Girls' Day, here is a link to an easy to make gift. The crafter, Zakka Life, originally intended this as a Valentine's Day gift but it will go great for Hinamatsuri too.

Cut a piece of origami paper to 6" by 3". Fold in half. When folded, cut out two rectangles on each side to form the shape of the body (refer to picture). Punch a hole on the center of the fold. Put the lollipop inside the hole. With Double stick tape, tape inside closed at the bottom of the kimono. Tie ribbon around the waist. Done! *Optional, write a message in the inside of the kimono or write the song below.

The wonderful Hawai'i Children's Discovery Center is also having a doll folding craft (hina-ningyo) craft and a game of kai awase or shell matching game on Saturday, February 28.

Here is a Hina Matsuri song called "Ureshi Hina Matsuri" (Happy Hina Matsuri).

Akari o tsukemashou bonbori ni
明かりをつけましょう ぼんぼりに
Ohana o agemashou momo no hana
お花をあげましょう 桃の花
Go-nin bayashi no fue taiko
五人ばやしの 笛太鼓
Kyo wa tanoshii Hinamatsuri
今日は楽しいひな祭り

Let's light the lanterns
Let's set peach flowers
Five court musicians are playing flutes and drums
Today is a joyful Dolls' Festival

song: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa022501b.htm

More information for Kids:
Kid's Web Japan, Hina Matsuri

Feb 18, 2009

DIY Ribbon Flowers


Ribbon has many uses. Ribbon can be used in the traditional way - wrapping gifts - or you can craft with ribbons for other decorative purposes. Offray has a "how-to" section on creating your own ribbon projects. I like adding ribbon flowers to rubber bands to make pretty keiki hair pieces. To make a ribbon flower similar to the one shown, visit this link for instructions.

A project by Keiki Gift Ideas
http://keikigifts.etsy.com
____________________________

On Sale at Keiki Gifts, Etsy
Red Floral Pony Tail Holder (set of 2)
$3.50 plus shipping

Feb 17, 2009

Direct Sales Income Opportunity

Direct Sales businesses includes the sale of consumer products or services without a brick and mortar retail location. Usually the sale is done through in-home shows, personal demonstrations, websites, catalogs and other forms of advertising.

Those with direct sales businesses are usually associated with titles such as representative, consultant or distributors. Success may depend on one's dedication and passion for the job but public recognition, popularity and approval of the product also influences the sale of these products. Compensation is often in the form of commission payments.

Research and choose your direct sales company wisely. Some company's require purchase of a start up kit to become an associate, some offer free training and others require a minimum sale amount each period to remain active. If you are interested in direct selling, here is a list of businesses to look into. This list was inspired by womenforhire.com but we've added a few of our favorites*.

Angela Moore
www.angelamoore.com
Colorful fashions and accessories for women.

Arbonne
www.arbonne.com*
Health and beauty products.

Avon
www.avon.com
Cosmetics, clothing, toys, perfume, jewelry, books, and videos.

Bead Retreat
www.beadretreat.com
Bead design and beaded jewelry

Carlisle Collection
www.carlislecollection.com
Clothing designs for women.

Baby Crazy
www.babycrazy.com
Baby products from diaper bags to safari play sets.

BeautiControl
www.beauticontrol.com
Brings the spa experience home by selling beauty products and makeup.

Cookie Lee
www.cookielee.com
Fashion jewelry.

Creative Memories
www.mycmsite.com/cherylsakihara*
Scrapbooking albums, supplies and services to help you get years of photographs organized and preserved.

Essential Bodywear, LLC.
www.essentialbodywear.com
Comfortable, well-fitting undergarments.

Gold Canyon
www.goldcanyoncandle.com
Scented candles and fragrances and accessories for the home.

Heritage Makers
www.heritagemakers.com/161330*
Personal publishing.

Home and Garden Party
www.homeandgardenparty.com/home
Party plan business featuring home decor items.

Homemade Gourmet
www.homemadegorument.com/kimberlywilson*
Quality, affordable, easy to prepare meals.

Jordan Essentials
www.jordanessentials.com
Bath and beauty products for adults, teens, and children.

Mary Kay
www.marykay.com/
One of the largest direct sellers of skin care and color cosmetics.

Our Own Image
www.ourownimage.com
Personal accessories and home decor.

Party Lite
www.partylite.com
Decorative candles and fragrances for the home.

Princess House
www.princesshouse.com
Fine kitchen-ware from pots and pans to patterned platters.

Private Quarters
www.myprivatequarters.com
A wide range of high-end bath and bedding.

Self Indulgence
www.selfindulgence.biz
Unique line of beauty products that inspire the body, mind, and spirit.

SeneGence
www.senegence.com
Makeup and beauty products.

Sensaria
www.sensaria.com
Promotes nurturing rituals with naturally-based products formulated to enhance health, wholeness and individual beauty.

Shaklee
www.shaklee.com
Nutritional supplements, personal care products and home cleaning products.

Shure Pets
www.shurepets.com
Products for pets and pet lovers with a starter kit for $99.

Signature Homestyles
www.signaturehomestyles.com
Ideas for everyday living, with premier home products ranging from picture frames to popcorn bowls.

Silpada
www.silpada.com
Fine sterling silver jewelry.

Southern Living
www.southernlivingathome.com
Products for decorating, entertaining, and organizing

Stampin' Up!
www.stampinup.com
Stamps as well as accessories for home décor, handmade greeting cards, and scrapbook pages.

Tastefully Simple
www.tastefullysimple.com
Gourmet food products, the most popular of which is its bountiful beer bread for $4.99.

The Happy Gardener
www.thehappygardener.info
Gardening tools and supplies.

The Longaberger Co
www.longaberger.com/
Handcrafted baskets and offers other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron, fabric accessories and specialty foods.

The Traveling Vineyard
www.myttv.com
Specialty wine cellar and accessories chop.

The Pampered Chef
www.pamperedchef.com
Everything from knives and grilling utensils to baking materials.

Touchstone Crystal
www.touchstonecrystal.com
Crystal Jewelry

Tupperware
www.order.tupperware.com
Food storage and preservation.

Worth Collection
www.worthny.com
Women's fashions.


*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*


Feb 11, 2009

A Hawaii Carnival #2

Welcome to the February 11, 2009 edition of a Hawaii Carnival.

This writer tells of an outdoor experience on Kauai and the insight gained from observing a dog as it faces what would be an "obstacle" for most of us. A refreshing outlook of life. Praveen presents Dog in Hawaii posted at Tao of Simplicity.

A humorous narration of an encounter with the boisterous and obnoxious roosters of Kauai. VW presents Dead Rooster Walking posted at Wide Awake in Wonderland. Read all the entertaining Hawai'i tales on this amusing blog.

An article for the golfer and non-golfer alike. Turtle Bay is a beautiful place to visit - just look at the postcard photos on this site! Ty Skinner presents Turtle Bay Golf… The Spirit of Aloha posted at Jeff Skinner, saying, "There are many quality golf courses on all the Hawaiian Islands. On the North Shore of Oahu sits a wonderful resort, The Turtle Bay Resort."

That concludes this edition. Thank you all who submitted articles! Please submit your Hawai'i articles to the next edition of a hawaii carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Aloha until next time...

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Feb 10, 2009

Make Money with a Lemonade Stand

Have you ever wanted your own Lemonade stand? You can sorta have one in this virtual e-commerce world where you feature some of your favorite products from over 200 retailers at your very own lemonade stand. Your stand can be featured on your social networking site (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) or your personal blog. Each time a visitor makes a purchase from your lemonade stand, you earn money.

The steps are simple enough...
1. First you create and design your lemonade stand. It's free.
2. Choose and recommend your favorite products.
3. Get paid for sales.

For more information, go to Lemonade.

Please note, this is not an endorsement by the Hawaii WAHMs group. We recommend that you research the specifics of this program before signing up. You decide if it is right for you.

*Hawaii WAHMs created for work at home moms living and working in the Aloha State, who are either business owners or direct sales representatives.*

Feb 9, 2009

Crafts Carnival #3

Oh my! February 4th has come and gone. I scheduled that date for my Crafts Carnival #3. For all those who have submitted links and ideas, I apologize for the delay!

Here is a late welcome to the February 4, 2009 edition of Keiki Gifts Crafts Carnival.

  • Awwww...these are cute! This is something I would buy or hope someone would make for me. PDF instructions are provided to make vintage plant holders out of wood. InfoChick presents Plant Holders to Make With Your Jigsaw posted at The Vintage Info Network, saying, "A bunch of cheerful plant holders to make & paint - a Peasant Girl, a Chef, a Donkey, a Sail Boat, a Mexican and a bird for flower pot holding. And there are a few to hold individual flowers - a butterfly, a lady with flowers in her hat and hoop-skirted maiden."
  • We always seem to be buying napkins for our messy household but that doesn't need to be the case if we can convert to cloth napkins. For "sew" and "no sew" instructions Condo Blues writes How to Use and Make Cloth Napkins and it is posted at Condo Blues.
  • I found this post very helpful! Vera Lang presents 6 Ways to Use Stamps in Scrapbooking at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, "A discussion of different stamping techniques and types of ink to use that of course is of use for card makers as well as scrappers! btw Lots of Valentine craft ideas on this blog this February..."
  • Bath Salts would make great Valentine's Day gifts. Easy to make, pretty and many different varieties too! Bath Salts How To posted at Home Life Weekly, saying, "Making bath salts is quick, easy and simple and won’t take a lot of time out of your day"
  • Here is a tutorial on how to make practical as well a thoughtful handmade gifts for all those who need calendars (that would be just about everyone). Vera Lang presents Craft a Simple, Marvellous Desk Calendar posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, "This calendar idea uses 100% recyclables. There is a page for each month, and of course, February will be a LOVE-FILLED themed page. I hope you like my sample project and I look forward to receiving pictures of calendars you've made."
  • I am so touched whenever I receive a handmade quilt because I know a lot of hard work and love went into making it. Belle shares her quilt making ideas and project with us at Making Quilts from Old Clothing posted at Homesteaderbelle's Blog, saying, "This is a post about the quilts I make from old clothing. "
  • Nice job using the photoshop program. santoshi presents Black 31 posted at Black is beautiful, saying, "Creating art works using photoshop is my favourite hobby. Hope u like my works."
Thank you everyone for your crafty submissions. That concludes this edition of Keiki Gifts Craft Carnival #3. Submit your blog article to the next edition of crafts carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Keiki Gifts Craft Carnival
http://keikigifts.etsy.com

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