Hawaii Vacation Gifts by Double Brush-Hawaiian Gifts & Blog

Ethanol Biofuel Raises Food Prices AND Soy Candle Prices Nationwide

A lesser known casualty of the ethanol debate about how the production of biofuels is causing the United States food prices to soar, is the fact that soy wax made from soybeans has also increased dramatically in price. This is effecting candlemakers across America and many candle companies are passing on their increased material price to the consumer--our company Double Brush is the exception. We are absorbing the price increase so our customers can still afford our Hawaiian handmade soy candles.

Three years ago our natural wax candle & gift company bought a palette of soy wax for $2068.00 and paid 501.00 in freight charges from the mainland to the Big Island, Hawaii. Today we had another shipment of soy wax delivered to us, and this time the palette of soy wax cost us $4,400.00 plus 632.00 in freight, more than double in cost, or more than a 100% increase in price!!

Our supplier told us that the prices across the board for all waxes, natural wax and paraffin wax (derived from Petroleum) increase in price every other day.

The reasons for the rising cost of soy wax are many and complex. I have spent hours researching online about this problem and I'm still trying to make sense of it all. I thought if I could present some of the information I have found, you could add your comments so we can figure this all out together.

Yesterday ABC news published an article "Food Scientist Say Stop Biofuels to Fight World Hunger--Scientists say stop biofuels to cut food prices and fight hunger, while President Bush calls for more ethanol production."

Some top international food scientists Tuesday recommended halting the use of food-based biofuels, such as ethanol, saying it would cut corn prices by 20 percent during a world food crisis.

But even as the scientists were calling for a moratorium, President Bush urged the opposite. He declared the United States should increase ethanol use because of national energy security and high gas prices.

The conflicting messages Tuesday highlighted the ongoing debate over food and fuel needs...

A World Bank study has estimated that corn prices "rose by over 60 percent from 2005-07, largely because of the U.S. ethanol program" combined with market forces...

Scientists say the diversion of corn and soybeans for fuel helps force prices higher, and removes farm land from food production. Ethanol supporters say the corn used for fuels is the type only fed to livestock. However, other experts say it leads to higher livestock feed prices, thus higher food prices.

The following is from another recent article published by MSNBC "Why your food is costing more money--Wheat, corn, and soybean prices are surging; is ethanol to blame?"

Food prices increased at a compound annual rate of 4.7 percent for the three months ending in February, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That increase was far less than the 7.6 percent jump in energy prices for the same period, but it occurred in a financial environment in which investors have been fleeing declining dollar-denominated assets such as U.S. stocks and bonds. Instead, they've been investing in commodities, such as wheat, corn, and soybeans — and it's driving up their prices.

World financial markets may seem remote from you; far away from from that turkey sandwich in your hands.

But chew this over before you swallow: seventy percent of the cost of raising that turkey in your sandwich was the food it ate. And turkeys eat corn and soybean meal...

As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke explained to the Senate Banking Committee last month, “a significant portion of the corn crop is being diverted to ethanol, which raises corn prices.”

And he added, there are “knock-on effects. For example, some soybean acreage has been moved to corn production, which probably has some effect on soybean prices. So there is some price effect on foodstuffs coming through the conversion to energy use.”...

Sen. Ben Nelson, D- Neb., said, “I think this (food price inflation) is a short-term phenomenon,” because farmers will bring more land into production, causing supply to increase and prices to fall.

He also cited the costs of oil and transportation as contributors to higher food prices. “It’s just not right and it’s unfair to say it’s all about corn-based ethanol,” Nelson said.

Personally I support finding ways of becoming free from the use of oil and gas or "dirty energy", but ethanol is not the answer. There are many other alternatives being studied and developed that are sources of "clean energy" and would not impact the world's food supply. I have read and watched tv reports about making fuel from algae, seaweed, agricultural waste products, even garbage!!

As a small candle making business, we support the planet by producing environmentally friendly candles made from soy wax, a renewable resource.

We thank all of our customers who believe in what we do and buy our natural wax candles.

Avoid Sweepstakes Contest Scams Online and Offline

For today's Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday blog post, I had a difficult time finding a new 2008 Hawaii sweepstakes for my readers to enter, but I thought posting about how to avoid fraudulent sweepstakes and contest scams would be just as important, if not even more so.

I try very hard to only post what looks like legitimate Hawaii sweepstakes and Hawaii contests to win a free trip to Hawaii--usually from well know companies or brands from the United States. Check out our previous Hawaii Sweepstakes listings. Better yet, don't forget to subscribe to our Hawaii blog by RSS feed or email to stay current with new Hawaii contests. We only post the best Hawaii sweepstakes for our readers to enter!

Keep the following tips in mind when you enter any sweepstakes offer online or offline-- for example unsolicited offers received through the mail.

Never pay to enter a sweepstakes. It’s illegal for a company to require you to buy something or pay a fee in order to win or claim a prize. Buying something doesn’t improve your chances of winning. It’s illegal for a company to even suggest that your chances will be better if you make a purchase. Don’t believe that you have to give the company money for taxes on your prize. It’s up to you to declare your prize winnings when you file your income taxes. Be cautious about emails for contests and sweepstakes. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.

Guard your credit card and bank account numbers. No legitimate sweepstakes company will ask for this information. Never give your social security number to a sweepstakes operator unless you have carefully checked it out with the Better Business Bureau or your state or local consumer protection agency.

Be on guard for imposters. Some con artists use company names that are identical or very similar to well-known, legitimate sweepstakes operators. Tell them that you’ll get back to them and contact the real companies to ask if there is any connection.

Be wary of offers to send you an “advance” on your “winnings.” Some con artists use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your “winnings,” instructing you to deposit it and then wire payment to them for taxes, bonding, or some other phony purpose. The bank tells you the check has cleared because the normal time has passed to be notified that checks have bounced. After you wire the money, the check that you deposited finally bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake. Now the crooks have your payment, and you’re left owing your bank the amount that you withdrew.

Get all the details. Legitimate sweepstakes companies will tell you exactly how the contest works, including the odds of winning, the value of the prizes, the date that the contest ends, and how you can find out who won.

Be especially cautious about foreign sweepstakes companies. Many fraudulent sweepstakes companies that target U.S. consumers are located in Canada or other countries, which makes it much more difficult for law enforcement agencies to pursue them.

National Consumers League's internet Fraud Watch

Celebrate May Day Wherever You are with Fresh Hawaiian Leis

Leis have always been a part of the ancient Hawaiian culture and modern culture of living in Hawaii. Hawaiian lei is a part of every celebration from births, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and deaths--there is not one occasion in Hawaii where the gift of a lei would not be appropriate.

So although leis were so much a part of every day life then and now, it wasn't until 1928 that a couple of writers came up with the idea to celebrate the lei in Hawaii with its own special day.

In early 1928 writer and poet Don Blanding wrote an article in a local paper suggesting that a holiday be created centered around the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing lei. It was fellow writer Grace Tower Warren who came up with the idea of a holiday on May 1 in conjunction with May Day. She is also responsible for the phrase, "May Day is Lei Day." If you are planning a trip to Hawaii at the end of the month into early May, you'll get to experience this Hawaiian holiday first-hand for yourself.

The first Lei Day was held on May 1, 1928, and everyone in Honolulu was encouraged to wear lei. Festivities were held downtown with hula, music, lei making demonstrations and exhibits and lei making contests.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported, "lei blossomed on straw and felt hats, lei decorated automobiles, men and women and children wore them draped about their shoulders. To the city Kamehameha's statue extended a garland of maile and plumeria, which fluttered in the wind from its extended hand. Lei recaptured the old spirit of the islands (a love of color and flowers, fragrance, laughter and aloha)."

In 1929, Lei Day was made an official holiday in the territory, a tradition which was interrupted only during the years of World War II, and which continues today.

Go Hawaii, About.com

So who was Don Blanding and how did Grace Tower Warren decide on May 1 as the day the lei should be celebrated?

According to Robert Schmitt and Ronn Ronck in their book, Firsts and Almost Firsts in Hawaii (University of Hawaii Press, 1995), this date marks Hawaii's first Lei Day. Don Blanding, then an artist and writer in the advertising division of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, created it to promote business for the paper's advertisers. Blanding went on to become Hawaii's poet laureate. It's said that Grace Tower Warren, the newspaper's society editor, supported the idea because May 1 was her birthday! Since then, May 1 has been celebrated throughout the islands as a holiday associated with the floral garland.

Hawaii Magazine

Even though May Day had its start with commercial interests in mind and continues to be a great marketing tool and money maker for the state of Hawaii, I like most people absolutely love May Day.

When I lived on Oahu, I looked forward to wearing a special lei around Honolulu on May Day and going to Kapiolani Park to admire the winning leis from the Parks & Recreation lei making contest held annually. When you wear a lei on May Day you feel as beautiful as the lei you are wearing and feel a connection with everyone else wearing a lei because everyone is coming together to visually support something wonderful.

If you want to give or wear a fresh Hawaiian lei on May Day while you are on the mainland, we can help. Our fresh orchid flower leis and maile leaf leis can be delivered to you in 1-2 days. Our single orchid lei is only $39.00 and that includes Federal Express delivery!

This year, celebrate May Day in style wherever you are!

Soy Candles Featured on Oprah's Earth Day TV Show

The Oprah Show today celebrated Earth Day with guests Julie Roberts, Al Gore, and Sandra Bullock. However, it was Sandra Bullock's new line of soy candles that she was promoting that caught my eye.

A lifelong commitment to healthy living inspired Sandra to eliminate as many chemicals from her home as possible, including those found in her favorite candles. "I [had] a house full of candles, and one day I noticed brown soot," she says. "I started researching, and you find out about lead wicks and chemicals in your candles."

Instead of continuing to inhale harmful fumes, Sandra took action and started her own line of soy wax candles called Bessence. "They're soy-based. They're hand-poured. Everything, even the boxes, are recycled," she says. "Even the black spray that goes on the outside of [the box] is organic."

The Oprah Show

Three years ago our company Double Brush changed from using paraffin wax (which is made from petroleum crude oil or fossil fuel) to an all natural soy wax made from American raised soybeans! Our company was already heading into a more all natural products direction with our natural soap, natural solid perfumes, and other natural bath and body products, so we really wanted to make the switch. Read our post about harmful chemicals to avoid in your bath and body care products.

Our 100% natural wax candles are made from soybean wax, and a little palm wax which is made from the oil of coconuts! It's non toxic FDA approved food grade wax, kosher, vegan (no animal products of any kind), 100 percent bio-degradable, and is good for the environment because it is a renewable resource, unlike paraffin wax. Our soy candles are hand poured by us in small batches to insure the quality of our work.

The majority of candles are made from paraffin wax, a by-product of the petroleum industry’s crude oil refining process - other products include diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene & asphalt. All of these products may be manufactured from foreign oil and contributes to the dependency on crude oil. Also if your candle does not say 100 percent natural wax, or if it says "soy based", it is most likely a blend of a natural wax and paraffin wax.

Besides the quality of our natural wax, our candles are scented throughout the soy wax with the highest quality of soy oil based fragrance oils with little to no additives. Most fragrance oils have solvents, mineral oil or dipropylene glycol in them. So just because someone advertises a soy candle, it doesn't mean it is petrochemical free like ours are. We also use non-metal core natural hemp fiber wicks. (Foreign imported candles may still use dangerous lead core wicks.)

There are many brands of soy candles on the market that vary greatly in quality and price. We believe as do many of our customers, that our earth friendly high quality soy candles are the best value for your money.

How Double Brush Saved Hundreds of Trees

This is our Hawaii blog post in celebration of Earth Day.

Our company Double Brush is located at our artistic art studio home in the middle of a natural Ohia rainforest on the Big Island of Hawaii. When we had the opportunity to build our home in 1994, we carefully planned how to situate our driveway and house, in order to save the most amount of trees. For months my husband and I cut down Ohia trees with a hand saw and chain saw and carried them off to the side to decompose and return back to the earth. This way the bull dozer service we hired only had to doze our driveway and house pad as we only wanted to clear what was absolutely necessary.

After our house was built, we landscaped around our house utilizing the natural landscape and topography. We cleared by hand the invasive bushes and weeds so the native Hapu'u ferns and Ohia trees could have more room to stretch out and grow. The trees on our property are home to hundreds of birds including the native Hawaiian Hawk (I'o) and native Hawaiian owl (Pueo).

We live in the district of Puna in East Hawaii Island, and many of the land parcels out here are 1-3 acres. Many, many people (especially developers and speculators), in the last few years will buy a piece of property and completely bull doze the land flat as a pancake, so it is void of any of the natural endemic trees, plants and terrain. This is called "clear cutting" which some believe is a cost effective way to prepare for construction. Clear cutting is dangerous as it can also have another negative impact of altering water drainage patterns.

I wouldn't have a problem with this if trees were not so damn important. I feel if you don't like the forest, don't move to the forest just to cut it down. There are many unforested areas that people can move to. If everyone who had the choice to destroy all of the trees on their property did, our area would turn into a dry, hot, arid desert and then people would get worried but by then it would be too late, it takes a long time to grow a mature forest.

It is our native forest that attracts clouds and moisture to the area, and brings the rains that nourishes the native plant and animal wild life, waters our farmer's crops that produce our food, helps maintain our climate, and replenishes our water shed. Living in nature and with nature also communes with your soul by giving you a deeper connection to and respect for the earth.

The ancient Hawaiian people of Puna understood the relationship of the Ohia tree forest and rain when they named an area "Wao Kele o Puna" or the rain belt of Puna.

Win a Free Vacation Back to Hawaii with your Photographs

It is the day my readers who dream of winning a vacation to Hawaii look forward to--namely Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday!

Usually I find Hawaii contests where you only need to submit some basic personal information for a chance of being the random winner chosen, but today's contest will involve some work.

First start by reviewing all of your photographs taken in Hawaii and choose the very best ones that were taken on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, or Kauai. The photos can be of anything or anyone, but has to have been taken on one of those islands. If you have never been to Hawaii but know someone who has and they give you permission to submit their photographs...that could work. The rules did not say the person entering the contest had to be the photographer, only that the photographs have not been published before.

Next, enter HAWAII Magazine's 10th Annual Photo Contest by August 8, 2008

Grand Prize is airfare for two to Honolulu from your nearest Hawaiian Airlines gateway city.

Plus a six-day, five-night stay at the newly remodeled Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel in Waikiki.

Winner will be published in the January/February 2009 issue of HAWAII Magazine.

See all of our other current Hawaiian contest sweepstakes and giveaways here.

Don't miss out on your next chance to win a trip to Hawaii. Besides bookmarking our site, you can easily subscribe to our Hawaii blog by email or RSS feed.

Our Hawaiian Perfumes are Featured Nationally in Nails Magazine

When I was first approached by Nails Magazine to be considered for a feature article on roll on and solid perfumes, I have to confess that I had never even heard of that magazine before, and didn't know that it is really was all about nails--finger nails and toe nails to be precise, and everything that is needed to groom and adorn them.

Nails Magazine has actually been around for a long time; 25 years which is considered eons in the magazine business. It is a magazine that caters to the nail salon and nail boutique owners who racked up more than 6 billion dollars last year alone!

Our natural Hawaiian solid perfumes are featured along with 5 other companies in this month's April 2008 issue. The editor was kind enough to mail me a hard copy but page 72 which we are listed on is not part of their online Nails Magazine site.

As for myself, I keep my nails clean and trimmed but have not worn nail polish since high school--I won't tell you how many decades ago that was! The reason is that as an artist, my hands are always covered in paint or stuff, and are always active. The nail polish would get chipped and ragged looking in no time so I just stopped painting them all together. However, I think painted toe nails are cute and may go back to doing that--especially since I live in Hawaii and wear nice slippers most of the time:)

Please take part in my unofficial poll. Do you wear nail polish and do you do it yourself or go to a salon?

Get the Dirt on Ordering and Sending Flowers Online

Mother's Day is a only few weeks away (May 11, 2008), and I thought this would be the perfect time to post this important piece of consumer information.

Buying flowers online is convenient and easy, but buyer beware. Consumers are falling victim to misleading florist advertising and marketing practices every day. From substitutions of lesser quality and amount of flowers, to downright fraud, how do you know who you are dealing with and what can you do to protect yourself?

To find out about all the nitty gritty dirt on buying flowers online from ordering to delivery, visit Florist Detective. This is the only site you will ever need to read first before you plan on ordering flowers online. I spent a long time at their site with my mouth hanging open or shaking my head. These are the subjects that are covered at Florist Detective.

Free Delivery Ruse
Fake Locations
Give Us A Break
Find Real Florists
Where to Complain
Report Flower Deception to the FTC
Not Your Local Florist
Florist Price Comparisons
Be Wary of the Yellow Pages
Florists and the Media
How Flower Wire Services Work
Quality Assurance?
ProFlowers.com vs Florists
FTD vs Florists
FTD and Kay's Florist
1800Flowers.com vs Florists
Skimmer Report
Anatomy of a Flower Fraud
Letters From Consumers
All American Scam
Order Gathering
Valentine's Day
Local Search for Florists

If you ever want or need to buy tropical Hawaiian flowers such as Anthuriums, Orchids, Bird of Paradise, Protea, and Heliconia, please give us a try. We also offer beautiful orchid flower leis that are great for any occasion.

All of our flowers are locally grown on the Big Island of Hawaii where we are located, and come direct from several small flower farms. The fresh flowers are then washed, graded, and expertly packed into special shipping boxes for overnight or 2 day delivery to the mainland, by our friend's local flower shop in Hilo called Nahilihili, located one block from the Hilo airport. This location is also wonderful because your flowers get on a Federal Express plane right away.

We thank you in advance for your support of small businesses and flower growers on the Big Island of Hawaii.

How to Avoid Possible Hotel Key Card Rip Offs

My Uncle forwarded the following information to me in an email today. I thought it was important information for all of my blog readers who travel and stay in hotels to know about. Please forward this blog post to all of your traveling family and friends.

HOTEL KEY CARDS

Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?

Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.

But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!

If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Information courtesy of: Pasadena Police Department

PLEASE FORWARD to friends and family.

Papayas from Hawaii are a Popular Mother's Day Gift

I never knew this before, but Hawaiian papayas are a popular Mother's Day gift to send to the mainland. (I don't think a mom who already lives in Hawaii would get too excited about receiving a box of papayas on Mother's Day though, ha, ha.)

Anyway, last year I had a few Hawaiian papaya orders right before Mother's Day and thought nothing of it. It wasn't till I could not get a confirmation from my shipper after numerous messages and faxes that I knew something was up. When they finally called me back, they said they did receive my orders and they were shipped later at a faster service rate because they had run out of papayas and were waiting for more to arrive from the Big Island.

They told me that Mother's Day is one of the busiest times for them to ship papayas.

Afterwards I thought about it and it did begin to make sense. I mean a Mom has probably received numerous bouquets of roses and candy and meals for every Mother's Day since she has been a mother, but sending a gift of health from exotic Hawaii that is full of vitamins and good for your digestion, now that makes a memorable and thoughtful gift.

A warning though, if you have siblings, they may get annoyed that they didn't think of sending mom papayas first--after having to listen to mom go on and on for weeks about how much she is enjoying her papayas every day & it was the best Mother's Day present she received.

Whether your mom is young or old, if you want to send her a box of fresh papayas from Hawaii delivered to the mainland, we can help.

For more information about the benefits of papayas, papaya recipes and more, read our Hawaiian Papaya blog category.