Hawaii Vacation Gifts by Double Brush-Hawaiian Gifts & Blog

Win a Trip to Hawaii & Elsewhere with Starwood's Global Adventure Sweepstakes

Our readers look forward every week to our Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday post. Don't miss out on any of our legitimate Hawaii sweepstakes and Hawaii contests by signing up to receive our Hawaii blog via your favorite feed reader or by email.

Starwood Vacation Services, Inc. is sponsoring a really long lasting vacation sweepstakes called the Starwood's Global Adventure Sweepstakes, with quarterly drawings. This vacation sweepstakes had its first drawing in January 2008, and will have its final drawing for the grand prize on November 30, 2009.

One lucky winner will be awarded the Grand Prize of one million Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints and an Avis® certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for fifty (50) days. These Starpoints are redeemable for free stays and more at more than 850 Starwood hotels and resorts worldwide.

Register now for a chance to win five consecutive nights accommodations at a luxurious Starwood hotel or resort , two round-trip airline ticket vouchers and an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days. Winners to be randomly selected each quarter during the life of the sweepstakes.

Only one entry allowed per person for the entire Sweepstakes. Entries not selected for a drawing are automatically entered in the next drawing for the duration of the Sweepstakes. See the official vacation sweepstakes rules here.

The following are the quarterly vacation sweepstakes prizes.

d. October 15, 2008 for entries received by September 30, 2008, Prizewinner will receive 5 consecutive night accommodations at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Arizona, an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days, 25,000 WorldPerks® Miles, and a voucher for two (2) round trip coach tickets to Phoenix aboard Northwest Airlines® departing from any Northwest Airlines US gateway city (valued at $5,300 USD).

e. January 15, 2009 for entries received by December 30, 2008. Prizewinner will receive 5 consecutive night accommodations at Sheraton Vistana Villages in Florida, an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days, 25,000 SkyMiles, and a voucher for two (2) round trip coach tickets to Orlando aboard Delta Air Lines departing from any Delta Air Lines US gateway city (valued at $4,500 USD).

f. April 15, 2009 for entries received by March 31, 2009. Prizewinner will receive 5 consecutive night accommodations at The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun in Mexico, an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days, 25,000 WorldPerks Miles, and a voucher for two (2) round trip coach tickets to Cancun aboard Northwest Airlines departing from any Northwest Airlines US gateway city (valued at $4,200 USD).

g. July 15, 2009 for entries received by June 30, 2009. Prizewinner will receive 5 consecutive night accommodations at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Hawaii, an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days, 25,000 HawaiianMiles, and a voucher for two (2) round trip coach tickets to Hawaii aboard Hawaiian Airlines departing from any Hawaiian Airlines US gateway city (valued at $5,300 USD).

h. October 15, 2009 for entries received by September 30, 2009. Prizewinner will receive 5 consecutive night accommodations at The Westin Aruba Resort in Aruba, an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for five (5) days, AAdvantage® Miles and two (2) American Airlines Travel Authorization Certificates for round trip coach tickets to Aruba or within the contiguous 48 U.S. states, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada or Mexico aboard American Airlines departing from any American Airlines US gateway city (also within the contiguous 48 states). Travel Certificates my be used to purchase air travel wholly on American Airlines, American Eagle carriers and AmericanConnection® carriers. (valued at $4,700 USD).

One Grand Prize drawing will be held on November 30, 2009. Mailed entries must be postmarked by November 1, 2009 and all entries received by November 15, 2009.

a. One Grand Prizewinner will be awarded 1,000,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® and an Avis certificate valid for rental of a full size vehicle for fifty (50) days (valued at $37,000 USD).

Is Google Dancing On My Hawaiian Gifts Website Grave?

What is going on? A few days ago Hawaiian Gifts and Flowers by Double Brush was ranked #14 for the Google search term "Hawaiian gifts". Today our Hawaiian gift site is ranked #64. We went from page 2 to page 7 and down 50 listings in the SERPs, or search engine results pages. I don't understand it. I searched on Google for "Google dance June 2008" but nothing really came up. The term Google dance refers to a phenomenon in which the search results returned by Google appear to fluctuate and change. I wanted to see if anyone else was experiencing a drop in their Google SERPs.

Most people look at only the first one or two pages of search engine results (regardless of the search engine being used), so being reduced to page 7 could mean the demise of our Hawaiian gifts site because  the majority of users are doing their searches on Google. Hence the title of my post, "Is Google dancing on my Hawaiian gifts website grave?"

Hawaiian Gifts and Flowers by Double Brush has been online since 1999, and we have experienced these fluctuations many times before but not so dramatically. What happens after Google does their power dance, is it usually takes months to slowly climb up the ladder of search result rankings, and that's after constant tinkering and monitoring of our site.

This time around I am finding it extremely depressing because so many Hawaii gift sites that offer the same made in China Hawaiian souvenirs are ranked ahead of our site. Our site features handmade gifts from Hawaii such as Hawaiian scented soy candles, Hawaiian soaps, and Hawaiian perfumes that we actually make ourselves in our art studio/home on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Over the years we have also added the service of sending and shipping fresh Hawaiian flower bouquets, leis, papayas and pineapples to the mainland. We can also send Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, Hawaiian candies, handmade Hawaiian lotions & bath salts, Hawaiian gift baskets and custom Hawaiian gift baskets.

I am hoping that by doing this blog post laced with the search term "Hawaiian gifts", Google will rank this post highly while I try to dig Double Brush out of the grave.

Win a Free $15,000 Hyatt Gift Card to Spend at Any Hyatt Resort

The Hyatt Resort Corporation is sponsoring a "Hyatt Resorts Great Summer Getaway 2008". One lucky winner will be awarded a Grand Prize of a Hyatt Gift card worth $15,000.00 This Hyatt gift card can be used at any Hyatt Resort locations around the world for hotel room stays, spa treatments, restaurants, golfing and more.

No purchase is necessary. Enter online here at Hyatt Resorts Summer Giveaway. This Hyatt sweepstakes contest ends on September 1, 2008.

There are currently 3 Hyatt Resorts in Hawaii located on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. The photograph is from the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

Discover the warmth of Aloha at Hyatt Resorts and Spas of Hawaii. Escape to Hyatt Regency Waikiki where you will experience "classic Hawaiian elegance" and a true feeling of paradise without leaving your room. Experience Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa set upon 40-acres along Ka'anapali Beach for endless activities, sailing, championship golf and Hawaii's only oceanfront full-service spa. Or discover Grand Hyatt Kauai and its extraordinary restaurants, world-class spa and championship golf. Experience the Hawaii you've always dreamed about at Hyatt Resorts and Spas of Hawaii. All three of our resorts offer the best combination of luxury, location and activities.

Hyatt Resorts and Spas--Hawaii

See our complete listing of Hawaii Sweepstakes and Hawaii contests.

Better yet, sign up for our Hawaii blog by email or your favorite RSS feed reader. We post a new "Win a trip to Hawaii" every week on Sunday.

How to Make an Edible Fruit Bouquet with Pineapple Daisies

Have you seen those beautiful fresh and edible fruit bouquets online or at an edible fruit bouquet store in your city? Fresh fruit bouquets (especially the ones with pineapple daisies) are edible arrangements that are fun, beautiful, healthy, and delicious! What is not to love?--perhaps the price. Prices at places that do it for you average 75.00 - 100.00 per edible bouquet, and that does not include the delivery charge!

For quick directions with photos on how to make edible fruit bouquets with pineapple daisies like the one pictured, visit Do It Yourself Gifts.

Tonight I was looking around for videos on how to make candy bouquets on youtube.com but they didn't have any--only commercials for franchise owners of Candy Bouquet. However, this new 6:09 minute video with directions on how to make an edible arrangement or fruit bouquet was added 6 days ago and mixed in with the results. I don't know how to imbed a youtube video directly onto my blog, but here is the page it is on. How to make a Fresh Fruit Bouquet

One of the staffers at CQ Products displays how to create an easy-to-make, inexpensive and unique fruit bouquet from the step-by-step instructions in the new cookbook series: Delicious Designs. The three titles in the Delicious Designs series are Fruit Bouquets, Cookie Bouquets, and Candy Bouquets. Order them at http://www.cqproducts.com

I feel that this video with directions on how to make an edible fruit bouquet with pineapple daisies is worth watching if you want to save money by making your own fruit bouquet arrangement or fruit bouquet basket. If you cannot get fresh Hawaiian pineapple in your local supermarket, we can ship Hawaiian pineapples to the mainland US for you, direct to your doorstep. Fresh pineapples are needed if you plan on making the pineapple daisy design for your edible fruit creation. We also can ship fresh Hawaiian papayas to add even more tropical taste sensation to your delicious fruit bouquet design.

Mandarin Blossom Aloha Sweepstakes--For Canadians Only

We found a great Hawaii contest for today's Hawaii Sweepstakes blog post, but it is only open to residents of Canada. The Mandarin Blossom Aloha Sweepstakes ends on September 30, 2008.

Check out our other current Hawaii sweepstakes listings for United States residents.

Details of the Mandarin Blossom Aloha Sweepstakes contest are below.

1. THE CONTEST: This contest is open to residents of Canada only. The contest is being conducted by Kao Brands Canada Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Sponsor”. No purchase necessary. The Biore® Mandarin Blossom Aloha Sweepstakes (the “Contest”) begins at 12:00 AM (EDT) on April 1, 2008 and closes at 11:59 PM (EDT) on September 30, 2008 (hereafter referred to as the “Contest Period”). The Contest is open to legal residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in the province/territory they live in as of the start of the Contest Period. Employees of the Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parent or related companies, its advertising or promotional agencies, or persons living in the same household as such employees, are not eligible to participate in this Contest.

2. THE PRIZES: There is one (1) Grand Prize available to be won. The Grand Prize consists of one (1) trip for two to Honolulu, Hawaii, including return economy class airfare from the Canadian international airport closest to the winner’s home, accommodation (double occupancy) in a standard room for eight nights, transfers from and to the airport in Honolulu, and $1,500.00 CAD spending money. Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $10,000.00 CAD based on a Toronto departure. Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable. The winner may at his/her discretion, accept a one-time cash surrender value for the Grand Prize trip, as outlined, in the amount of $7,500 (payable to the winner via certified cheque). Upon acceptance of that cheque, the winner relinquishes all claim to the Grand Prize trip package as outlined. The odds of being selected depend on the total number of entries received. The Grand Prize trip does not include: transportation for winner and guest to and from the Canadian international airport closest to the winner’s home, additional ground or other transportation not expressly included above, personal and miscellaneous expenses for winner and guest of any kind, medical health, hospital and trip cancellation insurance, excess baggage fees, import charges, communication charges, meals, beverages (including alcoholic beverages), costs associated with guest amenities and services at winner’s accommodation, sightseeing, and any costs or expenses related to the obtaining of travel documents, passports, visas and vaccinations. It is the sole responsibility of the winner and his/her guest to obtain all necessary travel documentation including passports and visas, as applicable and to comply with any customs and immigration requirements. Any unused portion of the Grand Prize trip will be considered forfeit and no substitution or other compensation will be awarded. Prize trip must be booked a minimum of 45 days prior to travel and is based on availability at time of booking. Winner and guest must travel on the same airplane and itinerary. Travel must be completed by April 15, 2009. This travel period cannot be extended under any circumstances and no change will be permitted to travel dates or passenger names once the prize travel booking has been confirmed. Certain blackout periods may apply.

How to Store Instant Coffee-The Best Way Depends On...

The main reason people use instant coffee is for its convenience and speed of preparation. Add a spoonful of instant coffee into hot water and it dissolves instantly so that in seconds you have a cup of hot coffee ready to drink. Of course you want to keep your instant coffee fresh and close by on hand, but what is the best way to store instant coffee? I will get to the answer soon.

Instant coffee has a long shelf life and could last past the expiration date on the container if it is kept in optimum conditions. The shelf life of instant coffee is longer than that of coffee beans, and  even longer than for ground coffee. Time is the enemy for coffee beans and ground coffee beans because they lose flavor as the coffee essential oils evaporate over time. Instant coffee does not have this problem due to the manufacturing process of dehydrating coffee into granules or powder form.

Instant coffee does however have a different enemy and its name is Humidity. Instant coffee will quickly spoil if not kept dry. When this happens you will see the instant coffee grains stick together and start turning into a gooey mess, and it won't taste the same, meaning it will taste terrible.

Instant coffee usually comes packaged in glass jars, vacuum packed resealable bags, and tins. You may need to transfer your instant coffee to a smaller air-tight jar with a screw top lid as you use more coffee and the volume of instant coffee goes down, while the air in the empty space of the bottle increases. When this happens there is a chance of introducing more humidity into the container's environment.

Always remember to tightly cap or close the container after taking a portion of your instant coffee out.
Another tip is to always use a clean and dry spoon when measuring out your instant coffee.

How to Store Instant Coffee

Instant coffee was made to be stored pretty much anywhere. This usually means in the pantry closet, kitchen counter top, or dining table. This way of storage works for most dry environments. When we lived in California and even Honolulu, Hawaii--we had no problem with our instant coffee going bad.

However, if you live in an area with high humidity, such as the east side of the Big Island, Hawaii where we now live, than I recommend that you store your instant coffee (tightly capped) in the refrigerator. Other people may insist that you do not need to store instant coffee in the refrigerator and that it defeats the purpose, but they probably live in a dry area so that don't know any better.

If you want to give or drink the best tasting instant coffee, give our 100% pure Kona instant coffee a try. Our freeze dried instant Kona coffee is highly aromatic with a smooth flavor. It is much harder to find pure Kona instant coffee--the majority of Kona instant coffee is actually a blended Kona coffee product of 10% Kona coffee beans and 90% cheaper inferior beans. The price may be cheaper but it does not taste the same.

Check out our Kona Coffee blog category where we have Kona coffee recipes using brewed coffee and instant coffee, & other interesting things about Kona coffee.

Fresh Hawaiian Papaya Spa Natural Facial Mask Treatment Recipe

This fresh Hawaiian papaya spa natural facial mask treatment recipe is for reducing enlarged facial pores and dry skin.

Fresh Hawaiian Papaya Fruit can do wonders for your body not only internally, but also externally. This embarrassingly simple fresh Hawaiian papaya spa facial mask, is used to treat enlarged facial pores. With repeated use, this facial mask will tend to make your pores look smaller, probably due to the removal of dead skin debris which can clog pores and stretch the pore walls of your skin.

This fresh Hawaiian papaya mask also has a slight bleaching action to help even out skin tone and will leave your skin with a wonderful healthy glow. Papain and Bromelain are protein-dissolving enzymes found naturally in papaya fruit and pineapple fruit. These enzymes help to dissolve and lift away dry scaly skin which over time, can build up  on your skin and leave a dull appearance.

Hawaiian Papaya Facial Mask Recipe and Directions

Mash approximately 1/4 cup of fresh Hawaiian papaya fruit with a fork in a small bowl.

Wrap a towel around your head then gently pat this juicy papaya pulp onto your face and neck with your fingers--the papaya mask tends to be a bit runny. Lie down and relax for 15-20 minutes with another towel behind your neck for support. Don't leave on the papaya mask on any longer than the recommended time.

You may feel a slight tingle on your face during this time but don't worry, it just means that the natural fruit acids are working.

Next, rinse your face with plenty of warm water followed by cool water. Follow up with your favorite facial moisturizer.

Note: This papaya mask treatment is recommended for all skin types except sensitive, irritated, sunburned, or windburned skin. The papaya mask can be used once per week. Do not store the papaya mask but mix as needed.

This recipe came from "Organic Body Care Recipes" by Stephanie Tourles.

For the following papaya recipes see our Hawaiian Papayas blog category.
Hawaiian Papaya Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
Hawaiian Papaya Fruit Coulis Recipe
Minty Fresh Hawaiian Papaya Relish Recipe
Hawaiian Papaya Seed Dressing and Marinade Recipe
Hawaiian Papaya Seed Meat Tenderizer and Spice
Easy Hawaiian Papaya Salsa Recipe

If you do not have fresh papayas in your area, we will gladly ship fresh Hawaiian papayas to the mainland from Hawaii for you.

Cookie Review of the Best Fresh Baked Chocolate Truffle Cookies

First of all, our chocolate truffle cookies are not to be confused with chocolate covered truffles. Truffles are a gourmet type of edible mushroom that grows mainly in France, Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. They are rare, and fetch prices of $300-500 U.S. dollars per pound.

Our fresh baked chocolate truffle cookies on the other hand are a decadent but way more affordable treat. Our chocolate truffle cookies sort of look like real truffles in that they are walnut sized and potato like--round and irregular shaped with smooth or wrinkled skin--but they are actually balls of smooth brown fudge with bursts of chocolate chips, and dusted with contrasting white powdered sugar.

These chocolate truffle cookies are handmade and baked daily using only the finest ingredients such as fresh whole eggs, Ghiradelli(R) Chocolate semi sweet chocolate chips, and chocolate liquor. Each chocolate cookie arrives  packaged in individual plastic bags to keep it fresh and flavorful from the bakery to you. Upon arrival, you should refrigerate them immediately if not eaten. These cookies also freeze well up to 3 months.

I have personally reviewed and tasted these chocolate truffle cookies and I love them! I would definitely order them again. They taste like creamy brownie batter at room temperature, but taste wonderful and have a firmer chewy texture chilled or even frozen. I have been snacking on little pieces of frozen cookie because I can't wait to have it thaw out and I prefer cold sweets. These chocolate cookies also have just the right amount of sweetness with a big chocolate flavor.

One dozen chocolate truffle cookies come packaged in our exclusive red velvet keepsake jewelry box. These chocolate cookies are also available in our assorted fresh baked cookie baskets. Give them a try, you will not be disappointed.

Drink Beer and Watch the Kona Sunset in Hawaii Sweepstakes

If drinking fine beer while watching the beautiful sunsets in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii sounds like your kind of vacation, have we found the perfect Hawaii Sweepstakes for you to enter. The Kona Brewing Company is sponsoring just such a trip to Hawaii called the Escape to Hawaii Sweepstakes.

The Kona Brewing Company is timing the winner's free trip to Hawaii to coincide with the 14th Annual Kona Brewer's Festival on March 14, 2009. This annual event is designed to promote the microbrewery revolution in Hawaii, and to encourage professional brewers and chefs to work together as an industry, towards a significant and positive economic and environmental effect on the community.

Escape to Hawaii Sweepstakes Grand Prize Includes:

2 Round trip airfare tickets from a West Coast gateway-Washington, Oregon, or Alaska
5 Days and 4 Nights local accommodations in Kona, Hi
Tour of the Kona Brewing Company
14th Annual Kona Brewer's Festival Event

This Escape to Hawaii sweepstakes contest ends on  August 31, 2008.

We actively search to find the best Hawaii Sweepstakes contest to post every Sunday. Don't miss out on the fun and action--sign up for our Hawaii blog by email or RSS feed. Take a look at our other Hawaii Sweepstakes to enter.

She Loved Those Coffee Candles & was passing them around...

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo!!! Or thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We have many kind customers who take the time to let us know how much they enjoy our Hawaiian products and personalized service.  If you ever need any Hawaiian gifts, Hawaiian gift baskets, Hawaiian  flower bouquets, Hawaiian leis, Hawaiian wedding favors, Hawaiian party favors, or all occasion gift baskets, please check out our selection at DoubleBrush.com and HawaiiVacationGifts.com  We look forward to assisting you.

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Good Morning Cheryl,

The Hawaiian coffee candles I gave to my friend were a very welcome gift.  She was instrumental in helping me create beautiful wedding announcements and I wanted to give her something I knew she would enjoy.  She loved those candles and was passing them around for others to enjoy their aroma but was careful not to left anyone walk away with one!

 

I also wanted to thank you for all the extra gifts you included in that package.  Your kindness touched my heart.  It was such a generous thing to do and I appreciate the extra care and attention.  Please excuse the tardiness of this expression of gratitude, it does not reflect on my sincere appreciation of your actions.

 

I spent some time on your blog and thoroughly enjoyed it.  You can increase your count of 40 readers by one!  I loved the Hobbit House!  I sent it to my husband to look at to.  Who knows, maybe one day we can find ourselves there.

 

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day.

 

Sincerely,  Debra Pohler-Wood

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My step mom enjoyed the bouquet very much. Thank you for going out of your way to make it special. She said it truly was a very full and colorful bouquet.

Best to you,

Julie

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Hi Cheryl,

How are you? I have just received the Hawaiian gift bag and I love it! My husband, Bryan got it for me. My favorite was the scented candles. They smell so nice. thank you, Masako

Win a Hawaiian Vacation in a Luxurious Allergy Friendly Suite

Today's Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday post is a little different because it requires you to find a specially marked package of Scotties facial Tissues next time you are at the grocery store. You need the UPC code number found on the tissue package. You don't have to buy it, you can just write the UPC code's 10 digit number down. You will need it to complete your online entry. (No purchase is necessary and purchase will not improve your chances of winning.)

To enter the Pure Escape Home Purification Treatment Sweepstakes to Hawaii, all you need to do is enter your email address and a valid UPC code from Scotties^® participating packaging.

The Pure Escape to Hawaii sweepstakes ends on August 4, 2008.

Hawaii Grand Prize Winning Package Includes:

A roundtrip vacation for you and your family to Hawaii compliments of Scotties^® and PURE^TM Solutions!

Approximate Retail Value: $16,800

The Hawaiian family vacation includes:

• Round-trip coach airfare for winner and three (3) guests
• Seven (7) days / six (6) nights hotel accommodations at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort in a PURE^TM Allergy Friendly Suite
• One (1) 50-minute spa treatment at the resort
• $500 in spending money
• Seven (7) days of breakfast for four (4) at the Resort; a $100 meal voucher

This great Hawaii Sweepstakes was generously brought to my attention from Sheila at Go Visit Hawaii. If you have never visited her Hawaii Vacation Blog before, please do. It has a wealth of first hand knowledge which will save you time and money planning your next vacation to Hawaii.

If you got the Hawaii Sweepstakes bug, check out our current listings of Hawaii contests to enter. Better yet, sign up for our Hawaii blog by RSS feed or email so you don't miss out on future new listings.