After much consideration I have concluded that cheap is the way to go in certain areas of life.   Quality is always important.  But quality doesn’t always come with a huge price tag.  And, the level of quality needed in some areas should be scaled toward the planned obsolescence of an item.  Some things, like celebrity relationships, are practically issued with an expiration date.  Why lay down a lot of money for things that have a fragile life span?  This list is a starting point, but you can use the same …

I see children from time to time wearing their Halloween costumes in the summer. I can relate. I have mornings when I know the day ahead of me will be demanding and I wish I could wear something that sent a message and made me feel powerful. And, I know I am not the only person who feels this way. But wearing a cape and tights as an adult just doesn’t send the message I am hoping for.

I want to make a statement in no uncertain terms that I am …

Do you ever wish you could order one of everything – or at least one of most things on the menu?  Sometimes I just want to taste lots of different dishes on the menu rather than order one entrée.  That’s right – I am not interested in committing and being faithful to just one meal.  To my rescue is Bite in Hillcrest.  They are a brilliant combination of great food available in small quantities.  So you can order lots of dishes and just have a bite of each.  Add to …

I recently saw a public service announcement urging me to have an emergency kit at the ready.  As I listened, I immediately thought of a potential disaster: unexpected guests or a desire to spontaneously entertain – and a need for quick beverages and easy party nibbles.  Would I be ready?  I quickly realized that I had been living on the edge – daring fate to come my way.  I was shocked out of my complacency.  I vowed to reform.  I would stock my house with an emergency entertaining kit.  I …

Get cozy on the rooftop

Sometimes, the VIP section is fun…until you are in it.  There are places where the VIP can take on the feel of a zoo exhibit, with the non-VIPers watching you, and all of the fun happening outside the cage.  It is like being the pacing tiger being watched by children with ice cream cones, cotton candy, and soda, while you are have day after day of high-end (yet boring) gazelle casserole.  It can feel like all of the action is on the outside.  And the ice …

I accepted at an early age that there were things in the universe that I just did not understand.  Over time and with exposure to more of life and the world, that list has grown.  The Dow Jones industrial average, how cars work, and why American cheese wrapped in plastic envelopes and tasting like plastic exists.  These things can invoke awe, at times due to their complexity, but in some cases, simply due to their very existence.  A new addition to my list is Richard Walker’s Pancake House.  The hype …

Not all math is fun.  But cocktails + outdoors + beautiful décor + a rooftop pool = slick, sexy, cool any day of the week.  Add a cabana and it is advanced math I think anyone can follow.  The Siren Pool and Uber Lounge at Hotel Se in San Diego provides all that with polished customer service that includes such a smooth, understated handoff of the visitor from staff member to staff member, that it is hard not to walk away feeling like the staff was waiting for your arrival and that …

If you are in need of a simply smashing cocktail in a hyper gorgeous atmosphere, that still remains unstuffy, then Laurel is your place.  The outside of the building doesn’t look remarkable. Understated isn’t the right word as it implies something  intentional. The outside of Laurel is more along the lines of urban camoflage. It looks like a generic office building. And yet. When you go in the door, you can take in the restaurant and bar and see that it is an oasis of design and cool. You enter …