Date Idea- iPic Theaters

iPic Theaters

How many of us absolutely love lounging around and watching a movie while binge eating every food item that we shouldn’t eat? I know I do. Especially Sunday nights. Actually any night of the day would suffice. The worst part about movie theaters is that not only is the food crap but you’re not able to lay down (that sounds hella pretentious). The worst part about watching a movie on your couch is that you don’t have a giant screen in front of you- this obviously doesn’t pertain to everyone (pretentious again). What if you could recline your chair, have a blanket and a pillow, and press a button which calls upon your own personal waiter? Sounds like a dream, right? Wrong.

With 10 locations across the nation, iPic Theaters brings an experience which combines a dinner experience while watching a movie.. with luxury. If you’re someone who enjoys the convenience of things and you’re willing to spend a little extra on a date, I’d highly suggest attending a movie at one of their locations. This date idea is more for an older audience (and by older, I mean out of college) due to the amount you’d probably spend here.. if you do it correctly. You’re essentially paying for both the experience and the service here and you can easily get lost in the enjoyment of both. Just bring cash and leave your wallet in the car is what I mean.

The Los Angeles location is in Pasadena and they’re opening their Westwood location shortly as well. As soon as you walk into the venue you immediately realize that this isn’t your Pacific Theaters or AMC. I’m not saying this because it’s covered in gold or anything, but it’s actually extremely simple which is unusual for what the actual experience is. They have a bar and a lounge where you’re able to purchase food and drinks (alcoholic and non- alcoholic) before the movie starts (if you get there reasonably early) and you can either close out your tab with the bartender/waiter or just transfer it to your seat in the theater. When you walk into the actual theater, orange seats are arranged in pairs which makes this a perfect date idea. By the way, I’d highly suggest if you come with a group, you make sure you’re not the 3rd wheel. As you sit down you’re met with a menu and your personal waiter who assists you through the movie. You’re able to recline your chair almost 180 degrees and you’re even able to request your own blanket and pillow (swoon). The food items are more aperitifs if anything, so you’re able to order a little bit of everything. For non- members the movie ticket is $29 and for members the movie ticket is $24. You can easily become a member by joining their website!

The Dress Up Trunk

Don’t you ever wish that you could bring along your closet with you wherever you go? Or perhaps do your shopping in the convenience of your front yard? If you’re looking to start a business or even invent a product, you’re probably looking to create something that provides convenience for the general public, right? Think about it for a second. Some of the best services were created with the premise that it would serve as something convenient for either a target audience or for the general public. Pizza delivery, Grocery delivery, Shoedazzle/JustFab, Fourth and Grand, and now (drum roll please)…The Dress Up Trunk.

My lovely colleague, Rani, turned a rather novel idea into a hobby and it seemingly became a business which has blossomed over the past couple years. The food truck craze has expanded immensely within the last decade and now we’re seeing this trend in every metropolitan city in the nation, and even globally! When you’re able to blend an automobile and food, you’re guaranteed to attract audiences. Depending on what is on your menu is what will differentiate you from your competition. Rani’s passion for handmade vintage clothing is what has been able to set her aside from those in the similar industry. When you’re able to combine your passion with convenience and novelty, you’re essentially establishing the foundation for your business. During my routine coffee binges in the morning at my current company, I’ve spoken to Rani numerous times about fixing her truck and having to get new materials for as long as I can remember. She has always been committed to what she enjoys doing and it’s reflected in her work.

I recall attending one of her first events in a parking lot in Venice where she showcased her truck for the first time (or one of her first times- excuse my memory). I was extremely intrigued by this idea because of how popular food trucks have become to be and it’s transcended into fashion. After stepping in through the back of the truck, I recall there being a trunk with quilted pillows (as shown above) on the right side, and a custom closet on the left side with various clothing items hanging. Being borderline obsessed with vintage clothing (and really vintage anything), I was immediately pleased with what I saw. What made it even better was that she told me these items were all hand- made which had me sold. If I was in a relationship, I probably would have bought the whole left side of the closet because I was infatuated with everything she had to offer. She displays everything from dresses to skirts to tops to accessories and everything underneath the kitchen sink (is that the correct phrase?).

She’s set up her truck at the Pasadena flea market multiple times and I suggest that if you ever see this truck on the street, you hop right in! Actually, you might want to wait before the truck comes to a complete stop and then hop in. I just don’t want to be held liable for your gullibility. I’m a huge fan for what she’s been able to accomplish not only because of the service she offers but the passion she has for craft. It takes a special person to invest so much time, money, and effort to create such an idea and I encourage you to like her facebook page and see where the truck ends up next! Who knows, it might be in your backyard and you may not know it. Well, not literally. You get my drift.

Spread the love. Support Rani’s movement. Let’s Vibe.

Vibe with Rani
https://www.facebook.com/thedressuptrunk/
rani@thedressuptrunk.com

Oh, and don’t forget about this month’s giveaway here!

Most beautiful places in the world

**Grand Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia pictured above

Seeing that as I love to travel (or should I say the thought of traveling), I’m always scouring the internet for unique places that most people might not have heard of. I’ll go to sites like  Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Examiner, etc. where they sometimes feature articles of some enchanting places. After compiling my top 10 places, which was more difficult than selecting my favorite cafes, I’ve listed them for you below. If you’ve been to any of these places, I’d love to hear your feedback as to how your experience was. This reminds me that I need a travel buddy to hopefully visit half of these places. They’re just magical. Almost Disney magical.

1. “Tunnel of Love” Kleven Ukraine

   

2. Antelope Canyon, Arizona

   

3. Blue Lagoon Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

   

4. Havasu Falls Grand Canyon National Park

   

5. Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki

   

6. Wisteria Tunnel Kawachi Fuji Gardens, Japan

   

7. Sea Cliffs Varadero, Cuba

   

8. Maldives

   

9. Ice Canyons, Greenland

   10. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
   
   

Date idea- Couples Cooking Class

Do you love food? Clearly this is a rhetorical question because who doesn’t love food? Most of the date ideas I have or will be providing will be encompassed around some sort of food item (yes, because I’m fat and food makes me happy). Whether you’ve been in a relationship for moons (for future reference this just means a very long time) or this is your first date, I would certainly recommend doing some sort of variation of this. If you didn’t know, there’s a plethora of cooking classes such: pastry making, pasta making, cooking for beginners, organic, sushi making, etc right here in LA! The options you have to choose from is incredible, so you’re able to tailor your date accordingly.

Here in Los Angeles, we’re fortunate enough to have numerous options for dates but we often commit to just dinner and a movie. The reason I would suggest a culinary class for a date is that it takes you out of your “comfortable” element and it gets you out of routine that you might usually have with your significant other. I guarantee you that if you’re planning this and it actually follows through, the other person will be eating something off of you at the end of the night. Bet. Eh. Well, if it’s a first date then I’m not sure but for sure if you’ve been dating awhile! You’re able to learn how open- minded the other person is and most important, you’re able to assess if they have the potential of being a good chef in the future. Unless you enjoy take out or frozen food, I suggest you and your significant other learn how to cook AND cook well.

I actually have not had the opportunity to try any cooking classes but I’d be more than willing to go with anyone that would like to accompany me. My treat! Everyone has a bucket list and this is definitely on there. Being in a family of chefs (both professional and recreational), I’ve always had an itch to learn how to cook. I mean I can make a mean grilled cheese and a scrumptious PB&J… just kidding. I can make simple things like pasta, enchiladas, lasagna, etc. but I’d like to make more sophisticated dishes.You never know when you might meet someone and that may completely win them over. Oh, and so that you can whip something up when you have guest over and you’ll look hella awesome in front of them. I did some research and I found several classes that have had the best reviews:

1. EATZ (La Brea/Melrose, Los Angeles)- This might actually be a solid place to go with a group of friends or even have a “grown up” birthday since the max amount of people per class is 16. From what I’ve heard they fill up pretty fast, so I suggest that you book early. It’s not like college where you crash the class in hopes that the professor chooses you for that empty seat. Actually, they might do that. Disregard that. They have classes for both beginners and those who are advances as well as how to make pizza from scratch, cocktail bash, food from bacon, seafood and many more!
   
2. Sur La Table (Fairfax/3rd St, Beverly Hills)- Sur La Table actually hosts all things for kitchen and bathroom related but they also host cooking classes! The location of this place is amazing since it’s nestled in between The Grove and The Farmer’s Market so you’re able to do additional activities before or after your cooking class (movies, shopping, etc). I’ve had previous co- workers try these classes and they always rave about how much they enjoyed it. From what I hear, these classes are well organized, friendly, and fun which is essentially all you need when taking culinary classes. They have classes for Macrons, healthy living, secret sauces, french pastries and have other great selections to choose from.
3. Hipcooks (Robertson/Venice, Los Angeles)- There’s a Hipcooks West and a Hipcooks East, so regardless what side of LA you live on you should have access to either of these places. The reviews mention that this place is ideal for those who are culinary novices and enjoy the hands- on experience. People constantly rave how enthusiastic the instructors are, which for me, can make or break the experience. Similar to the previous culinary classes I mentioned they host classes such as “The Cheeze Wiz”, “A romantic dinner for two”, “Pasta in Casa” and other various classes with unique names.

Why do women like a**holes?

All I ever hear from my lady friends is, “he’s such an a**hole”, “I don’t know why I let him treat me this way”, “I know I can do better”, “he never does anything romantic for me”, “he rather spend time with his friends than with me”, and the list continues. Once I hear these statements, I then have about 172 thoughts that run through my head. Such as:

• If you know he’s an a**hole, why do you stay with him?
• Why do you let him treat you that way?
• You’re naive and I’m hungry.
• If you know you can do better why do you still stick around?
• What do you consider romantic?
• Have you told him how you feel?
• Is that bacon I smell?

Obviously those questions are not in chronological order because the last question would most certainly come first. It actually makes sense why women love a**holes but the fact of the matter is, I don’t want want to hear these questions from you if I give you advice and you completely ignore it. I understand that at the end of the day it’s your decision but if you come to me repeatedly with the same problem, I’m more than likely going to ignore you and just nod and smile because whatever I tell you you’re obviously going to ignore it. I’m an awesome friend. Don’t you hate that- When someone comes to you for the SAME advice and you constantly give them the SAME advice and they don’t EVER take the SAME advice? Sorry, I went off on a tangent there. Now let me finally tell you my hypothesis (with science involved!) as to why women love a**holes.

Well what sort of traits do these stereotypical bad boys have? I think we can all agree that they’re typically good looking, confident, strong energy, and social. These are just a few of the traits that most of these men probably have, correct? I just want to know why the nice guys can’t have these stereotypical traits. I’ve found out that these men typically will never commit to you, henceforward you’re more than likely going to chase after them. And what does that mean? It’s a challenge! Women love men who are comfortable with themselves and confident and it didn’t take me countless hours of research to find this out.

“You always want what you can’t have.”

This isn’t just isolated to women but can be applied to anything in life. Remember as a child when you wanted that hot wheel or barbie at Target and your parents told you that you couldn’t have it? You cried, whined, screamed, pouted, but the reality of it is that you wanted it more after they told you “no.” Since a**holes are typically emotionally unavailable they’ll show this by probably not texting you, not calling you, not being affectionate, placing their needs before yours or a variation of those things. What happens when they finally do that? It’s a reward! Here’s the scientific explanation behind this reinforcement that I read on some site awhile back:

“The most powerful and addictive type of behavioral reinforcement is called Intermittent Variable Ratio Reinforcement.”

What the heck does that mean? In laymen’s terms, this just mean that a reinforcement is given to you at random rather than after a specific action. Sometimes these men are actually nice, BUT the difficult part is that you never know when it will come. Womp. Now let’s apply this behavior towards their a-hole traits. If you look at their “nice” behavior as the prize or the reward, it makes complete sense as to why women stick around for all the crap their given. You deal with all their crap because you know that eventually you’ll be randomly rewarded for sticking around. If a nice guys is constantly nice to you, you won’t be necessarily rewarded since that behavior is consistent. Mind. Blown. Does this make sense or do I need to sit down with you and explain it over coffee? or ice cream? or macaroons?

Do you want to know how to fix this? Well read no further, because I have no clue. However, I do have a suggestion. Why don’t you date a nice guy? Is it because you like to chase these men who can care less who you are? Do you enjoy playing those games? Do you not want to date a nice guy because their chivalrous? Do you enjoy crying? Don’t you ALWAYS want to be “rewarded?” You’re probably asking yourself, “but Christian, where are all these nice guys?” Oh, we’re here. In the friend zone. Exactly where you left us.

Traveling tips and deals!

**Santorini, Greece pictured above. I’ll be going there this year. Yes. Yes I will.

I’ve had the biggest itch to do some serious traveling this year and I’m planning to conquer both Thailand and Greece. So what do you do when you have an itch? You scratch it. And what do you use to scratch it? Anything that can alleviate the itch the quickest and is most effective. In this instance I have an array of tools to scratch my itch. I’ve learned that in order to get the best bang for your buck, you need to create alerts for certain destinations and you’re even able to set a threshold as to how much you’d like to spend with some of these sites. There’s obvious trends that you need to pay attention to such as seasonality (summer is typically the most expensive for any destination). As tedious as it may seem, it’s always best to compare numerous travel sites so that you’re getting the best deal possible. Here are some tips when considering which places you’re looking to go to:

• If you’re planning to travel during “high- traffic” times such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day Weekend, etc. it’s best to book your flight/hotel at least 12- 16 weeks prior to your trip.
• If you have the luxury of traveling during flexible dates, it’s best to travel AND book during the week (Tues or Wed specifically) as these are the days when flights are typically the cheapest.
• Social networks! I can’t begin to tell you how many deals I constantly see on facebook and twitter (probably because they’ve already “cookied” me and they’re simply retargeting me).
• Delete your cookies every time you’re searching for a new flight or vacation. Every time you search for a specific flight or vacation, that site drops a “cookie” and establishes you as a user on their site. What happens is that each time you continue to search for the same flight/vacation, travel sites will hike up the prices because they’ve established you as a user and will continue to raise the price. By deleting your cookies, they see you as a “new” user and will send you the cheapest prices since they believe that you haven’t visited their site with the same search before.

Now that you know this, here are the sites that I’d recommend to go to. I won’t lie, I stole some of them from my friend Krista who covered a similar topic in late January.

• VacationExpress.com – This is for all your Carribean and Central American needs (Probably the best site if you’re looking to go to these destinations)
• Europeandestination.com – You’re able to plan a multi- city trip here and the prices are amazing!
• Travelzoo.com – everything from flights, hotels, and vacations all around the world can be found here. This is typically my “go- to” site.
• Kayak.com – extremely easy to navigate and you’re able to set alerts for a certain price threshold
• Expedia.com – self-explanatory.
• Airfarewatchdog.com – you’re able to set alerts here as well for certain cities during a certain month or a specific date.
• Southwest Click ‘N Save– It’s all over the social networks and they always have hella cheap deals.
• Groupon and Living social getaways- great vacation steals!
• Vacationist.com– a little bit more expensive but it’s also more luxurious (definitely stole from Krista)

Happy travels!