Are you new in town and all alone? We know just how that is, so we’re going to temporarily school you on how to enjoy, what we call, “Solidays” (solo-holidays).

For starters, you don’t HAVE to be alone! There are volunteer opportunities in abundance during this time of year and many shelters need assistance with preparing, serving, setting up and cleaning up their holiday feasts. It’s a great way to give back to your community, meet new people, and take part in the holiday cheer!

“Solidays” can be the perfect opportunity to escape on a dream vacation! Why not take advantage of holiday deals and take a cruise to an exotic island, fly across the ocean and visit Europe, or partake in a safari across Africa! Just think, you’ll come home with a photo album full of great experiences, you’re sure to meet some interesting people along the way, and you may even find yourself not wanting to return home.

And if all else fails, cook yourself a yummy meal, complete with all of your favorite foods (or check out the top restaurants to have dinner served to you), grab a great movie and enjoy having some down time. As hectic as life is, we could all use some time to kick back and relax. Happy Holidays!

Take a look at our top 5 WORST ways to spend the holiday seasons! 

1.  On The Toilet.

Nothing better than bonding with the cold ceramic tiles in your bathroom and saying thanks by sharing your regurgitated feast over the holidays with your own personal thrown!  Look at the bright side, you won’t have to worry about those extra holiday pounds!

2.  In An Airport.

Layovers, delayed flights, canceled flights and dealing with those few idiots that seem to come up with endless excuses for why you’re not in the air, can ruin just about anyone’s holiday spirits.  But fear not, every airport comes complete with its very own fully stocked bar.

3.  At Work.
This is the prime vacation spot for the holidays, who doesn’t want to be ordered around, deal with crazed holiday shoppers, and put a smile on their face… seriously, it could be worse, at least you’re collecting a paycheck usually complete with double pay, overtime, or holiday pay.

4.  In Jail or In the Back of a Cop Car.
Because being arrested is the prime option of gifts for this holiday season.  It comes complete with a light show, blingy cuffs for your wrist, and you even get to do finger paintings in front of police officers.  If this is you, you’ve got it pretty good, at least your guaranteed a meal made by all of your roommates and your cellmate may even tell you a bedtime story.

5.  With Your Worst Enemy.
Everyone wants to spend the holidays with someone they can’t stand!  Just think of it this way… you can spike their drink, add diuretics to their food, give them prank gifts, and be happy about it all at the same time!

With the holidays quickly approaching, some of us are starting to dread making that huge holiday meal that everyone expects! Most of us envision a table full of turkey, ham, stuffing, vegetables, pies, pumpkins and more! This, in addition to, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Football! Whether you want to take your family to a great restaurant to enjoy the Holiday meals or you wanna pick up something quick and easy so you can kick back and relax while you watch the games, we’ve got plenty of places that are serving up Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts! Here are some of our favorites!

Open Thanksgiving:

Restaurant Spain
A Taste of India
Mammita Peruvian Restaurant
Chili’s
Denny’s
Coco’s
California Pizza Kitchen
Matteo’s Italian Restaurant

Open Christmas:

Picanha Grill & Bar
Chili’s
A Taste of India
Mammita Peruvian Restaurant
Denny’s
Carousel Restaurant

 
The craze of buying puppies and toting them around has passed, however, many of us in Los Angeles still have our pets that we take out on the town every now and then.  Probably one of the most frustrating tasks is to find restaurants that will allow you to bring your puppy into the restaurant— so finding restaurants with patios that don’t require you to trek through the place is the first task at hand.  Then finding ones that will allow your puppy to sit with you while you enjoy your meal can be quite difficult.  I’ve found some of the tastiest restaurants in and around LA that don’t have a problem with you having your “baby” accompany you while dining.

Lets start with my personal favorite in Pasadena, Mi Piace Italian Restaurant.  This place offers amazing food, great customer service, and the best part they are puppy friendly!  I even took my lil’ guy there, the manager brought out a bowl of water with ice and little treats from the kitchen for him!  I was very impressed with not only how friendly they were, but also how wonderful my food was! 

Next I’d have to head to the beach, Huntington Beach that is, to Park Bench Café.  Here you can feast on great breakfasts and guess what… so can your pooch!  They offer a doggie menu as well as human ones.  There is plenty of outdoor room for your dog to run and play while you wait as well. 

Next on my list is Alcove Café and Bakery located in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.  They offer some of the best pancakes, my personal favorite are the strawberry, banana ones and their chai tea is phenomenal.  They also have a huge case filled with an assortment of cakes, pies, and other sweet treats.  They have a very nice outdoor area that your puppy can play in while you enjoy your food and drinks.

Another great find is the Black Cow Café, where their breakfast and brunch have people talking!  They offer great food, a laid back environment and a patio that you can sit at with your pets while you enjoy all of the great choices of coffee and breakfast plates.

Lastly, I would have to go with The Sidewalk Café in Venice.  Situated right on the ocean you get a great view and they have a HUGE outdoor seating area.  The burgers are great here, nice and fat and they make them however you want them.  Enjoy a day of playing on the beach, looking through all the eclectic shops and stands and let your puppy strut his/her stuff on the boardwalk. 

Trick or Treat! Halloween is just around the corner and finding the perfect costume and party can be difficult in the city of angels. CityWaboo has found all the best costume shops, make-up artists, and Halloween shindigs to fill up your entire month of October!

First and foremost, you’ve gotta have a great costume!! There are so many choices from being a cop to a mermaid to a monster or french maid, the options are limitless and Spirit costumes has just about anything you can imagine! Halloween Castle, Junk for Joy Halloween, Trashy Lingerie all carry a variety of costumes to fit any style, body shape, or theme!

MAC Cosmetic stores have already begun booking customers for glam make up and fantasy make up! So if you need you’re eyes to blend perfectly into your mask or bring in a picture of your fantasy look and one of the MAC make up artists will be happy to put together the perfect look for you!

Just as important— The PARTY! Halloween is the perfect time to let loose and just have fun, and fortunate for us, Los Angeles is the best city in the world for Halloween fun! “The largest Halloween street party in the world”, West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, is world renowned for it’s wild, daring, gaudy, and scariest costumes ever! Enjoy the bands that will be set up all along Santa Monica Blvd. (Mom and Dad, leave the kids at home for this one).

If a street carnival doesn’t sound appealing to you, how about one of the hottest clubs in Los Angeles, the Highlands! Join DJ Vice for the Halloween party of the year with multiple rooms, music, and dancers! Prefer the underground music scene, we’ve got the best place for that too, hit up the Shrine Expo Hall for HARD Haunted Mansion, which will have over 10 different performers!

Not a partier, but you want a good scare? Queen Mary Shipwreck has just what you’re looking for as they’ve incorporated mazes, and tons of blood, corpses and zombies aboard the Queen! Theres also the Mega-size Boiler Room club with live DJ’s and lots of room for doing the Monster Mash!

Looking for a party a little more kid friendly? Try taking the kids and your pets to the Annual Doggy Costume Contest, but make sure to dress up, that means the dogs too! There are prizes for different categories of costumes!

No pets? Have no fear, the Hollywood Youth Carnival is here for you and your family. Make sure you dress up for this one too while you enjoy carnival rides, game booths, entertainment, moon bounces, and candy! Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch also offers loads of fun for the whole family with moon bounces, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting and even pumpkin carving!

Maybe you have VERY little ones, we’ve got the perfect Halloween spot for you too! Take your family to Booo-tiful Downtown Burbank between 4 pm and 7 pm and enjoy candy from the merchants in the area, it’s perfect for avoiding the Bigger monsters in the area, and enjoying an early fun night with your family. Make sure to look for CityWaboo in downtown Burbank!!

Thousands returned home to Galveston, Texas today after the city was blasted by Hurricane Ike almost two weeks ago. Warnings have been given to locals to be aware of snakes, mosquitoes, a lack of electricity and running water, destroyed homes, debris covering the area and much more devastation.

There are many ways in which you can help out the island of Galveston and other parts of Texas. The American Red Cross is an organization that is providing disaster relief in various forms. Blood drives are being held throughout multiple cities daily and it’s encouraged that everyone donate blood. The Red Cross lists the top 10 reasons to give blood:

1. You will get free juice and cookies.
2. You will weigh less - one pint less when you leave then when you came in.
3. It’s easy and convenient - it only takes about an hour and you can make the donation at a donor center, or at one of the many Red Cross mobile blood drives.
4. It’s something you can spare - most people have blood to spare… yet, there is still not enough to go around.
5. Nobody can ask you to do any heavy lifting as long as you have the bandage on. You can wear it for as long as you like. It’s your badge of honor.
6. You will walk a little taller afterwards - you will feel good about yourself.
7. You will be helping to ensure that blood is there when you or someone close to you may need it. Most people don’t think they’ll ever need blood, but many do.
8. It’s something you can do on equal footing with the rich and famous - blood is something money can’t buy. Only something one person can give to another.
9. You will be someone’s hero - you may give a newborn, a child, a mother or a father, a brother or a sister another chance at life. In fact, you may help save up to three lives with just one donation.
10. It’s the right thing to do.
    

The American Red Cross is also always excepting monetary donations and they have various funds to which you can donate to including the Disaster Relief Fund, Where the Need is Greatest Fund, Your Local Red Cross Chapter, and many many more.

Organizations like Relief International, the Gulf Coast Mercy Corps, and city emergency departments are all working hard to provide relief to the Galveston community. Galveston is seeking 2.2 billion dollars in disaster relief according to the Associated Press, in addition to the funds the city has already received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Its estimated to restore the port alone, to it’s original state, it would take at minimum half-billion dollars. Take part in a disaster relief organization, donate blood, or donate money to one of the disaster relief organizations to help Galveston and other cities damaged from the hurricane recover.

Back to school doesn’t have to leave you singing the blues! CityWaboo’s bringing you our top three secrets to a flawless launch back into the school season.

1. Shopping is always a headache, especially with all the dress codes, but what’s even worse, is cleaning out your kids closets before you do the new shopping! Why not make it fun this year? Create a fashion show in your home, help your children put together outfits, or invite thier friends over for some fashion fun, and watch them strut there stuff (while you see if it fits or not) through the house. Then collect all of the “not gonna cut it” items, and take them to your local Salvation Army or Out of the Closet. This way you’ll have room for all of the new things that you buy.

2. School supplies are a must and every child wants the “coolest” new things. Give your kid some spiffy writing materials from The Paper Source. They have everything from creatively designed book covers to stationary and various office supplies. They even have kits like a locker decorating kit, and holiday kits. This is the perfect shop for getting all of the most unique and trendy back to school items for your kids, and you too!

3, Creating a place in your home solely for schools supplies is a must. Designating this area will help prevent you from rushing around the house 5 minutes before you’re supposed to drop the kids off at school. The Container Store will give you TONS of storage options for creating your school area. They provide everything from storage units to cute, colorful storage containers and additional storage items. Get creative! Color coding can help if you have multiple children.

Taking care of the old to bring in the new, adding some “umph” into your children’s school supplies, and organizing your home creatively and colorfully, can make all the difference to starting your school year off right! Good Luck!

CityWaboo wants to know what you think about the newsletters that we send you every month. We aim at bringing you top events throughout the month and informative information on places to try in and surrounding Los Angeles. We need your help though. Everyone wants something different, and you our users are no different. We want to know what you’d like to see. What things do you find yourself asking about Los Angeles? Are you having a hard time finding things to do? Or maybe you’re interested in a part of LA or surrounding neighborhood. Whatever your interest, let us know. We want to make these newsletters beneficial and fun for you, so drop us a comment giving us feedback on what you like, don’t like or would like us to add.

Downtown Los Angeles is home to Koreatown. Set around Wilshire Boulevard, Koreatown offers great food, entertainment, and relaxation throughout the day and night. CityWaboo took a day to explore K-town and bring you all the hot spots to hit up while in the area.

Number 1 on CityWaboo’s K-town To Do list is a visit to the Aroma Wilshire Center. It offers ever commodity you could want in one spot encompassing shopping, dining, and fitness! Aside from great glass framed shops and eats, the rooftop offers a garden terrace and the sports facility offers an indoor Jr. Olympic size swimming pool and a 4-level state-of-the-art indoor driving range among other attributes. There are also banquet rooms that are available for corporate meetings or special events.

Next on our list is Dana Foot Massage, which offers incredible one hour foot massages, the perfect relaxation solution after your shopping and sports expedition at Aroma! Walking into the the Dana’, Asian decor fills the room, and leather chairs are crammed inside. As a towel is placed over your face, your feet are dipped into a steamy hot foot soak before the massage begins. This is definitely one of the better places in K-town to experience such bliss.

After you’re day of shopping and relaxation head over to Chunju Han-II Kwan to experience a truly Korean atmosphere and amazing food. Before your entree, they unexpectedly bring you 8 side dishes or banchan, and it’s not too long before your entree arrives steaming hot and full of flavor. This restaurant has become a favorite for both Koreans and Americans and we’re sure you’ll love the food as well!

Finally, end your day with a great cup of coffee or tea from Loft. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and they have a loft area over the coffee/tea makers area. It’s very cozy inside with tall mirrors, high vaulted ceilings with wooden beams and dim lighting. Loft is worth it for the atmosphere alone, the drinks are good, especially the dabang coffee, which is Korean-style coffee and they offer free wi-fi with the purchase of one drink.

Hit the streets and take on CityWaboo’s top 4 To Do’s in Koreatown and let us know what you think! Make sure to take some pictures and upload them as well! 

As promised, CityWaboo has been sending out event newsletters to all of our members every Wednesday. Last Wednesday’s email had a bit of a twist however, stating that the first ten to reply would receive a pair of VIP tickets to the Laugh Factory’s 8 PM All Star Comedy show! Emails came pouring in and we were able to award all ten pairs to our loyal CityWaboo users.

Host Joshua Escandon took the stage first warming up the crowd and bringing the comedians to the stage one by one. The night was a ton of laughs! Comedians such as Chris Spencer from The Chris Rock Show and The Jamie Foxx Show, Gerry Bednob from 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Eddie Ifft, and Mike Marino took the stage leaving the crowd in an uproar!

All of those that couldn’t make it, be on the lookout for additional ways to win VIP tickets in the Wednesday Event Newsletter!