Grand Performances' Free Summer Concerts: Yuna & Aloe Blacc

One of the best things about L.A., besides the awesome year-round weather, is the free concerts. Every summer Grand Performances puts together a fantastic schedule of live performances and this year was no exception.  With the variety of genres scheduled for the summer, there was something for everyone.

California Plaza

VidCon is a Must For Online Video Enthusiasts

If you are an online video enthusiast, then VidCon is the conference you do not want to miss. This years' 3 day festivities was held July 23-25 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Passes are only sold for all 3 days (no single day tickets) at 3 different levels; Community, Creator and Industry.  Community is good for those who are just interested in online videos and the culture. Creator passes are good for those who are content creators, have an interest in getting into online videos, learning and networking with other creators. Industry passes are for those who are involved in online video beyond content creation, which could be production, investments, talent management and such.

VidCon 2015 Anaheim Convention Center

Mexico: Don't be Afraid of it!

This past May was an busy month with every weekend activity being down in San Diego and/or (gulp) south of the border. While it has been years.....many years since I've ventured past San Diego, my close friends' request to vacation down in Cabo San Lucas to celebrate her college graduation was a no brainer. Booked our accommodations through Living Social at an all-inclusive resort situated right at the marina called the Marina Fiesta Resort for  $475 per couple. We bought our roundtrip airfare for $197 per person through Volaris, a discounted airline out of Tijuana straight into Cabo. If you're wondering, yes, we walked across the border and took a taxi to the airport. With a group of six, two fluent in Spanish, we had no hesitation in doing it this way. What can I say? I'm a bargain hunter.

View from our room, our first morning in Cabo

Yelp Reviews Worth Reading?

You either love it or you hate it, while the average diner love the usefulness that Yelp brings in helping decide where to dine by the "amateur" reviews, professionals in the food/restaurant industry hate it. I hate to say this, but aren't all reviews pretty much subjective anyway? I'm a consistent contributor of Yelp and have found it very useful when searching for places to go, so I may have a bias opinion about it. But every time I read an article about a celebrity, a restaurant owner or other professionals in the industry slamming Yelp, the reviews and its users, it makes me laugh because as an average diner with no professional training in...food tasting, I suppose, I try to shy away from the experts' reviews. Why? Well, because I know they don't have the same palate as me. While their distinct palate may seek amazing and exotic flavors, mine is pretty bland and boring. I absolutely love Taiwanese food because I grew up eating it, so what I crave and feel is authentic Taiwanese food may not be to a world famous Chef growing up eating burgers, pizzas and pasta.

At The Pool Launch Party

I was introduced to At The Pool during Social Media Week in L.A. back in September, even though there are already numerous social networking sites out there, the name drew me in, plus I've always enjoyed being an early adopter of anything that could potentially become significant.  So I jumped in....feet in first! After setting up my profile, selected my interests and preferences, I was ready to meet "extraordinary people".

At The Pool Launch Party (Photo by Gurl in LA)

Third Annual Taste of L.A.

If you can't travel to North Africa this winter to taste some of Morocco's best, then head over to Taste of L.A on December 1st & 2nd, 2012 where two nights of Moroccan indulgence will leave you with wanting more. Luckily, locations for both days events are right here in L.A., so you won't need to travel far.  Day 1 of the feast begins at Koutoubia in West L.A. with a 5 course meal including the best appetizers, dinner, dessert and Cielo Farm's Woodstock Collection wine pairing. All of this for just $120 per person unless you were lucky enough to get the pre-sale price of $37 back in November!