Oprah's Maui Home

Oprah has a beautiful home in the peaceful, quiet "Upcountry" area of East Maui, in Ulupalakua off of Thompson Road. Oprah purchased the Robinson Horse Ranch in October of 2003 for $2.1M. It is located near the Ali Kula Lavender Farm in Kula.

She had it beautifully restored farm house that she has added her amazing touches, both inside and out. What a gorgeous view of South Maui she has from her lanai!

Click here for more information on Oprah's Maui Home.

The Meaning of "Aloha"

In the Hawaiian language Aloha means affection, peace, compassion and mercy. Since the middle of the 19th century, Aloha has come to be used as an English greeting meaning hello and goodbye.

It is also the state nickname of Hawaii, the "Aloha State".

The meaning behind aloha is...

A - Akahai = Kindness, expressed with tenderness
L - Lokahi = Unity, expressed with harmony
O - 'Olu'olu = Agreeable, expressed with pleasantness
H - Ha'aha'a = Humility, expressed with modesty
A - Ahonui = Patience expressed with perseverence

So, when you visit Hawaii, do not hesitate to greet people with this beautiful word!

ALOHA!

Love Lavendar? Then Visit The Ali Kula Lavendar Farm

If you love lavender, they you must visit the Ali Kula Lavender Farm on your trip to Maui! It is a very special and wonderfully relaxing spot on 10 acres in Upcountry Maui that you won't want to miss.

Nested along the skirt of the Haleakala crater, in the quaint town of Kula in East Maui, this little piece of heaven awaits you with gorgeous grounds and wonderful tours. Amongst the many varieties of lavender, you can take a relaxing tea break and sample the delicious lavender tea and lavender scones.

After your tea and tour, don't forget to visit the gift shop to browse and take home your choice of the lovely lavender products made on the farm. You can participate in a variety of crafts using lavender and other native Hawaiian flowers and they will even send your finished product back home for you!

Click here for more information and to book your reservations at the Ali Kula Lavender Farm.

Maui's largest annual community event, the 89th Maui Fair takes place Thursday, September 29 through Sunday, October 2, 2011 in Kahului. The Fair's theme this year is "A Timeless Tradition". This year the fair board of directors dropped the "County" from it's name so I guess Lanai and Molokai can now have their own fairs.

Attend on opening day for some special events... a parade (with real floats) that starts at 4:30pm. Don't miss the appearance by "Miss Maui", Maya Ida from Central Maui at 6:30pm.

Attending is not only a blast for kids (keiki) and adults alike, but it is basically a rite of passage for Maui's youth. Those attending can eat tasty foods (not necessarily health but definitely yummy), ride great rides, and view a variety of plants and farm animals.

Don't miss "Orchidland", housed in the War Memorial Stadium. It is the largest display of flowers on Maui. The orchids are beautiful and spectacular. One year I found some amazing "Chocolate Orchids' - the blossoming flowers actually smell like chocolate! No kidding! Great way to satisfy a chocolate fix (well, maybe). Just be careful not to over water your orchids. I learned that the hard way :)

I love the band "Nuff Sed" who will appear on Saturday night. A lot of other music will entertain you, especially the many ukulele players.

Oh, and don't forget to check out the fluorescent pigeons on display in the livestock area. Your keiki will love them!

Click here for Maui Fair details.

Enjoy the Maui Fair - see you there!

Maui has a shopping mall in Kahului called "Queen Kaahumanu Center" and it is great for everyday stuff anchored by Macy's and Sears. But when Mauians want that real shopping experience, they take a short inter-island flight to Oahu.

The "Ala Moana Center" located in Honolulu, a short ride from the Honolulu International Airport, is the destination of choice. Besides hundreds of unique shops, Nordstrom's is always popular and the new Bath & Body Works is a very welcome addition.

For additional information and to check out current events happening at the center, click here to check out the latest Ala Moana Magazine online.

Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne Dies at Age 96

The godfather of physical fitness, Jack LaLanne, died at his coastal California home in Morro Bay from respiratory failure due to pneumonia. He was 96.

LaLanne, who was only 5'6" tall, didn't start watching how he lived until he was 15. He was born Francois Henri LaLanne in San Francisco, California. He felt the effects of sugar and bleached flour in his diet. After hearing a health lecture, he devoted his life to following a diet of raw, unprocessed foods. His staples: two meals a day and no snacks.

And did he ever exercise, relentlessly. At age 60 he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf while pulling a 1,000-pound boat, handcuffed. At 70, shackled again, he pulled 70 people in 70 boats 1½ miles through Long Beach Harbor.

As he liked to say, "I can't die. It would ruin my image."

LaLanne opened the nation's first modern health club in Oakland, California in 1936, and it featured exercise equipment, a juice bar and health food store. Eventually this developed into a 100-strong Jack LaLanne gym chain across the country.

His syndicated The Jack LaLanne Show, which opened with his performing jumping jacks under the credits in his signature belted jumpsuits. His show debuted in 1959 and ran for 34 years, solidifying his reputation. After more than 3,000 shows, LaLanne, who owned all rights, repackaged the program and leased it to ESPN Classic.

I loved this guy and watched him from the time I was able to figure out what "fitness" was! Jack will surely be missed!

Excellence or Perfection?

Excellence or Perfection?

It Really Does Snow In Paradise!

Wow, it really does snow on Maui!

As reported in the Maui News on 1/19/11:

Road to Haleakala Summit Reopened

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK -- The road to the summit of Haleakala reopened at 11 a.m. Wednesday after being closed earlier because of snow, slush and ice on the roadway, a park official said.

A "dusting" of snow appeared on the slopes of Haleakala Wednesday morning and started at the 9,000-foot level, said Navnit Singh, public affairs officer at the park.

"It's not that deep. It's more like a dusting," he said earlier, when the road was closed.

Park visitors had been stopped at the park headquarters, at the 7,000-foot level of the dormant volcano.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a winter weather warning for the summit and upper slopes of Haleakala until 6 p.m.

Get Cupcake Fever!

I love watching the Nate Berkus Show!

Today he interviewed a young lady that has personally designed a fundraiser called "Cupcakes for Cancer." Her vision began with a desire to help a fellow 8th grader battle leukemia.

She rallied her friends and they began to bake and sell cupcakes after school and at local events. Selling each for $1, they raised $5000 in 6 weeks! Wow, that is fantastic :) She has subsequently raised over $65,000 for pediatric cancer research.

16 year old Blakely is a chemo survivor herself and has inspired communities all over the county to participate in "Cupcakes for Cancer." She is quite a remarkable young lady!

To find out more or to have a fundraiser in your community, check out Blakely's website.

Nate Berkus Interview Actress Amy Sedaris

I just love Nate Berkus' new show! Oprah certainly knows how to pick out the future stars!

Today, Nate interviewed actress Amy Sedaris about her new book, "Simple Times - Crafts For Poor People." It was very enlightening and Amy is quite funny.

Her book "Simple Times" sounds like a really great read for anyone interested in arts and crafts, especially you frugal ones!

Some of the topics in her book are:

The Whos and Whats of Crafting
The Craft of Crafting Craftily
Craft Yourself Homely
Nature's Way
The Joy of Poverty
Handicraftable
Safety Meeting
At Rest
Confectioneries
Out Of This World
Crafting For Jesus
Pep Talk
Hay Burners
Unreturnable Gift Giving
and many more...

It sounds like an awesome read and you can get it from Amazon by clicking below!

Enjoy!

No More Plastic On Maui - Starts 1-11-11

What do you think of those plastic bags we get at the grocery store? Do you reuse yours or just toss them out? If you are like me you save them until they are overrunning the pantry and then you toss a whole bunch out at once.

Certainly not very "green"! Did you know that it takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down?

In Hawaii, the Counties of Maui and Kauai are doing away with all these plastic polyethylene bags! As of 1-11-11, they will no longer be an option at the store.

The alternative is to buy reusable shopping bag. You can get them from your favorites stores with the store's logo on the front.

I'm sure as this trend continues, there will be more and more choices for reusable shopping bags. Maybe in all our favorite colors. Maybe in many different sizes. Maybe even "designer" bags.

What do you think about Maui's ban on plastic shopping bags? Should your County or State ban them too?

Read more at Suite101: Say No To Plastic Bags: The Shocking Facts About Polyethylene Bags http://www.suite101.com/content/say-no-to-plastic-bags-a20241#ixzz1AhrEMI16

What Is a Probiotic?

My wonderful naturopathic doctor here on Maui, Dr. Joel Freidman, recommended Probiotic Pearls when I was having digestive problems that would not go away.

Simply put, probiotics are good bacteria that confer a health benefit and are essential for many vital body functions, including healthy digestion. The word "probiotic" means "for life."

Probiotics are increasingly being used and evaluated in the management of digestive balance. However, probiotics are strain specific, and thus different probiotics may have unique benefits.

Your body needs beneficial bacteria for a number of things, including healthy digestion. But these bacteria are fragile. Common issues such as diet, changes in schedule, travel, and stress can disrupt your natural balance of good bacteria.

Probiotic Pearls help your body achieve a balance of healthy bacteria to boost its natural defense capabilities and long-term colon health.

Probiotic Pearls with patented True Delivery Technology protect the Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum from stomach acids, and guarantee delivery into the intestine, where they are released intact to increase healthy intestinal flora.

I just order them from Amazon and stomach problems - solved!