Taylor Strekel

The weather this week has us feeling like spring is already here. Though we have a few days till it's official, it's definitely making us think about getting back into a gym. Some people, though, need a little extra motivation to get into shape. Sometimes it's in the form of a specific event like a wedding or vacation, and other times we just need a little fun to get us going. Thankfully, spring is jam-packed with fun runs that will motivate you to hit the ground running (literally) in your quest for a summer bod. So stop making excuses and sign up for one, or all, of these fun runs today. Los Angeles Women’s 5K (Griffith Park): This race is for dog lovers because the best part of it is you can bring your dog along on the run with you! Solo runners will start at the front of the corral, in front of the dogs and their owners. Adoption booths will also be set up at the event, so if you attend without a furry child this year, perhaps next year you'll return with a new best friend running at your side. A portion of proceeds go to NKLA and Downtown Dog Rescue. Sunday, March 26. Silverlake Conservatory of Music 5K Funk Run (Griffith Park): The primarily flat, hard-packed dirt terrain of this Griffith Park course is the perfect opportunity to run a personal best! In addition, entry fees support youth music education. Sunday, April 23. Color Fun Fest 5K (Los Angeles):Wear your brightest whites and get showered with 10,000 pounds of color to emerge at the finish line with a race under

Going vegan is in style. Not only is eating a plant-based diet good for your body, it’s good for the environment. Whether you’re a full-time vegan or just enjoy eating at some of L.A.’s top vegan restaurants, you’ll love the convenience and taste of these vegan delivery options. All plans are commitment free, so try each one before subscribing to your favorite.  GreenChef GreenChef works the same way as many other food delivery systems—fresh ingredients are delivered to your door in a refrigerated box once a week. What sets GreenChef apart is that in addition to providing fresh ingredients, everything is USDA organic and free of synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms, artificial ingredients, growth hormones and antibiotics. The vegan menus are simple to make and not too wild for tame palates. Past vegan favorites include vegan crab cakes, moroccan cauliflower and pesto pasta primavera. Prices start at $10.49 per meal. Thistle All of the meals through the primarily plant-based meal delivery service Thistle are gluten-free and dairy-free, but there is a choice between vegan or meat meals. You can choose between 3, 4 or 5 days worth of meals. A sample vegan menu item is the hoisin stir-fry bowl with tofu. If you are a snacker, their optional snack add-ons are as decadent as they are healthy. A sample dessert item is a chocolate mousse made with avocado, banana and coconut milk and topped with chopped nuts and dried berries. Expect a completely new menu each week fe

Who knew it could be so effortless to cook a delicious meal? These cooking classes available at locations around L.A. will set you up for success if one of your New Year’s goals is to eat out less. Can't go without your favorite Thai, Chinese or Mexican spot? There’s a class for every cuisine, so you won't miss it. Take a class that specializes in your favorite type of food or branch out and try something new—plus it's a great place to socialize! So spend some extra cash now on professional cooking classes that double as a fun date idea, and save later (without sacrificing flavor). Sharpen your knives, grab a glass of wine and get to cooking! 1. Sur La Table This speciality culinary store offers all the tools necessary to create an incredible meal. In addition to selling high-quality kitchen goods, they have a renowned cooking class program. New classes for 2017 include Knife Skills 101, Fabulous French Croissants and Oprah’s Healthy and Delicious Recipes. If you’re more comfortable in your own kitchen, take one of their online classes. Farmers' market, Westwood or Woodland Hills locations 2. Hipcooks If the thought of cooking a meal that’s not frozen is a bit intimidating, Hipcooks classes will put you at ease. Just read their “class descriptions” to find a class for any appetite or situation. Surprise dinner guest? Have you regretfully committed to cook for a crowd? Hipcooks has you covered. Their Healthy, Fresh and Zingy class features everyday dishes you’d never guess wer

If baking is not your thing or you've just run out of time, save yourself some stress and purchase cookies instead for your holiday party. These local bakeries won’t let you down. Their cookies are so delicious and festive that guests either won’t care or won’t notice that you didn’t pull them out of the oven yourself. The holiday season is hectic enough. Stocking the dessert table doesn’t need to be. Harvest Moon (Valley Village): The large snickerdoodle cookies from Harvest Moon are easily the best around. The spice-to-sweet ratio is on point and there is a detectable hint of sea salt. They are made fresh in small batches, so be sure to call ahead if you want to purchase some. You can take home a dozen for under $20. For peanut lovers, try the crunchy salted peanut butter cookie. 12456 Magnolia Blvd, Valley Village La Monarca Bakery (Various locations): This Mexican bakery offers a large assortment of flavorful cookies. You can order them online or stop at one of their many locations across Los Angeles. The Coffee & Cookie combo sold online makes a great gift or addition to the dessert table. For an unexpected treat, try a concha. Your palate will enjoy this soft sweet roll topped with a crunchy cookie crust that resembles a seashell, hence the name. New concha flavors include cinnamon, walnut butter, agave and raisin. Indulge mindfully knowing that all of their baked goods are made with all-natural fresh ingredients, free of preservatives. Assorted cookie platters start at

Freezing temperatures are not necessary to get into the holiday spirit. In fact, we’d say that L.A.’s lack of wintery weather makes us even more enthusiastic about the season. We don’t need snow or ice to experience a "real" winter. Our holiday spirit is abundant and, trust us, we don’t feel as though we're missing out by celebrating the season in 80-degree weather. Why? Here are 21 reasons.    1. Holiday shopping at outdoor malls and holiday markets isn’t dreadful, it's actually quite beautiful. 2. We don’t need to layer up when ice skating, so there’s less resistance, which enables us to skate faster. Plus, we have pretty cool outdoor rinks. 3. We save money because we don't need expensive, bulky winter coats or accessories.  4. We don’t need snow tires for our cars. 5. We can enjoy Starbucks' first-ever iced holiday drink without freezing our asses off. 6. We can always choose between hot or cold beverages. 7. We welcome snowflakes falling on our faces because while they may be fake, they definitely aren’t cold. 8. If we want to ski or snowboard, we only have to drive an hour for some awesome slopes. 9. We can take our time choosing a Christmas tree and decorating the house with lights because we aren’t in a rush to escape the cold. 10. We won’t break our backs from slipping on ice. 11. We don’t have to shovel snow. 12. Our water bottles never freeze in our bags. 13. We can read outside with a cup of coffee and our bodies stay at the perfect temperature. 14. Local business

There is tons of fine dining across the country, but when it comes to fine dining at celebrity-owned restaurants, LA takes the cake. Whether you're looking for places to visit in hopes of catching a glimpse of an A-lister or you're simply curious about these high-profile business ventures, here is just a taste of the celebrity-owned eateries in LA. Au Fudge Let the kids play in the Creative Space while you enjoy a boozy cocktail at Jessica Biel’s family-friendly restaurant, Au Fudge. It is open for brunch, lunch and dinner but the desserts are unbeatable. There’s even a build-your-own sundae bar with a cookie bowl option. The event calendar includes a range of family-fun activities such as toddler French music class and a slumber movie night. 9010 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood Tagine Ryan Gosling, along with chef Ben Benameur and Chris Angulo, opened the Moroccan restaurant Tagine in 2004. According to the restaurant's website, the story goes that when Ryan first tried chef Ben’s food, he told him it was “the food I want to eat for the rest of my life!” There was no restaurant in existence that served his kind of food, so the friends decided to open their own. 132 N Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills Villa Blanca British actress, author and reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump is also an accomplished restaurateur. Villa Blanca offers elegant Italian fare. The Rustic Bolognese is made with a ground beef and lamb ragu, onion, carrots and fresh shaved Parmesan. Her other establishments are

Juice bars are now so trendy that once-novel ingredients such as kale, dates and turmeric have become commonplace. The average health fanatic doesn’t think twice about adding beets or a sprinkle of chia seeds to their drink. But what about activated charcoal? It sounds more useful in a barbecue than to replenish your body, yet it and other seemingly strange ingredients on this list are appearing on LA juice bar menus to distinguish themselves from the competition. Would you try these odd add-ins? Which ones are here to stay? Moon Juice Moon Juice considers itself more than a juice bar: “It’s a healing force, an etheric potion, a cosmic beacon for those seeking out beauty, wellness and longevity.” Highlighting the “otherworldly” experience is the option to add Moon Dust to any drink. According to their menu, Moon Dusts are “transformative formulas that work synergistically at the deepest level to elevate your cosmic body, beauty and consciousness from the inside out." Your choices of Moon Dust include Brain Dust, Beauty Dust and Sex Dust. Juice Crafters Fulfill your summer lemonade craving with the Charcoal Lemonade from Juice Crafters, which contains activated charcoal, agave, lemon and H20. It is used as a detoxifier to support a healthy brain and body. Charcoal is made from coal, wood or other substances. It becomes “activated charcoal” when it is introduced to high temperatures and an activating substance that expands its surface area. Clover Juice Clover’s Pink Chia drink

The first image that often comes to mind when talking about LA is jam-packed freeways and smog. This picture doesn’t do the city justice. Head to one of these places to rewrite your first impression—you’ll be surprised how quickly your opinion changes. Instead of associating the city with traffic, you might first think of its impressive Downtown skyline that is, dare we say it, beginning to rival Manhattan’s. 1. Downtown LA's skyline from the Standard You haven’t experienced LA before until you’ve been to a rooftop bar, and the Rooftop at the Standard, especially, lives up to the hype. It’s best visited at night, when the dark contrasts the sprawling buildings and lights. Chill by the pool with a drink in hand or take a nighttime dip. You may even catch an old-fashioned movie on a screen that drops from an adjacent building. 2. The span of the Valley from Balboa Park Being in Balboa Park feels as though you are in another city, one with a lake, luscious grass and wildlife. There’s not a palm tree in sight. The only thing that gives it away that you are still in LA is when you take in the distant view as you walk your dog around the lakeside path. Gaze out at the expanse of the Valley and the surrounding homes stacked in the hills for a unique LA experience.  3. The Santa Monica Pier from the top of the Ferris wheel Many LA natives deliberately avoid this tourist area. If it's been years since you’ve stepped onto the pier, we urge you to give it another try. No matter how many

Today, June 1, marks Global Running Day, which is essentially Christmas for runners. There’s no better way to celebrate than getting in some quality miles with friends. Lace up your shoes and join in one of these events, which offer multiple distances to suit both the marathoner and newbie runner. Need some extra motivation? Here is our list of the best running songs to get you through. All4Run Global Running Day Event If you take away the running part, this event could be mistaken for a full-blown party. The three-mile out and back run begins and ends at Fleet Feet running shop, and some awesome prizes and giveaways should act as motivation. The Slanging Corea food truck will be waiting at the finish to fulfill any post-run cravings, and Brewyard Brewery Co. will provide happy hour refreshments. (Fleet Feet Sports, 1516 W Magnolia Blvd, 6pm. Free.) Global Running Day at Angel City Brewery Join the Sketchers Performance Los Angeles Marathon Team for a 5K run at Angel City Brewery. The elite runners will inspire you to run your best race, and you can cool down with some karaoke and throw in some dance moves if your legs can handle it. (Angel City Brewery & Public House, 216 S Alameda St, 6:30pm. Free.) Nike Run Club at the Grove Nike Run Club at the Grove hosts weekly group runs each Wednesday and Saturday. If you haven’t had a chance to make it out, what better day than Global Running Day to attend? Cover anywhere from three to five miles with this lively group. But be warned

1. Expect the worst. Any time you book a flight, realize there is always a possibility it'll get delayed or canceled. Many things can cause this, from weather to technical issues to scheduling conflicts. Let it be a happy relief when you do get on the plane instead of a shock when you wait an extra hour or two. 2. Plan to be at the airport earlier than you think you should. If everything goes according to plan, an hour is usually adequate time for domestic flights. But a lot of the time, everything does not go according to plan. There’s traffic, the security line is long, the gate gets changed to halfway across the airport, etc. Build an extra 30 minutes into your itinerary—you’ll be glad you did. 3. Pack backup snacks. You might plan to grab a meal during your layover, only to find your flight waiting on the runway for an obnoxious amount of time. When you finally get to the gate, you might not have time to even purchase a granola bar at the newsstand as you run to your next gate. Pack backup bars and whole fruits just in case this happens. Fill up your water bottle as soon as you make it through security. No one wants to pick up a hangry person from the airport. Maneuvering through the arrivals lanes is unpleasant enough. 4. Think on your feet. Your direct flight to Orlando got canceled? Can you connect through CLT (Charlotte)? Can you get to Jacksonville and rent a car and drive to Orlando instead? There are a lot of options to get you from A to B that may not be ideal, bu

If you want to really relax this weekend, stay right where you’re at. There’s no need to travel into the city if you live in the Valley, there's plenty to do right here. So instead of spending more Uber or gas money, convince your friends to join you in one (or all) of these activities—and if you have time, grab dinner at one of the Valley's best restaurants, like Barrel & Ashes or Girasol. You’ll have so much fun that the next time you agree to hang out, they will suggest coming to you. Saturday morning hike O'Melveny Park: Forget Runyon and the Hollywood sign—O’Mulveny is perhaps the most underrated hike in the city. There are multiple trail options that range from easy to challenging. The climb up the mountain can take well over an hour, or there is an easier loop suitable for walking. Take the more secluded Grotto Trail in the springtime and you’ll see sunny, yellow flowers everywhere you look. There is a spacious park area with bathrooms, picnic tables and free parking. 17300 Sesnon Blvd, Granada Hills Fryman Canyon: Fryman Canyon is massive; it stretches across 122 acres of the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. The Betty B Dearing Cross Mountain Trail is the most notable part of the park, offering some magnificent views and a reasonably simple hike that should shock Friday night's drinks right out of you. 8401 Mulholland Dr, Studio City  Drinks  San Fernando Brewing Company: Commemorate your morning hike with a brew named in its honor: The O'Melveny Red Ale. The spacious,

“It’s a different world over there,” is a common phrase I heard when I told people I was moving to California after living in Pennsylvania most of my life. Some of these people had never even visited California, so what did they know? I assumed there would be many differences in my new city. I’ve watched enough reality TV and follow enough celebrities on Instagram to get a good sense (right?). I didn’t expect some of the most mundane things that were a part of my daily existence on the East Coast to be so foreign to people over here. After almost a year of living in LA, there are still concepts that I can’t seem to accept as normal. 1. Where’s the fridge? You mean I have to pay rent, the security deposit and buy a fridge? Shouldn't that come with the apartment? Or at least a mini fridge that can hold a few two liters of Diet Coke? I still don’t know if this is normal, or just an LA thing. 2. You haven’t been in a basement? I’m still in shock that there are people in the world who have never been in a basement. If you are one of these people, where did you and your friends hang out in high school? You’ve never experienced rollerblading in an unfinished basement with a concrete floor? Where did you put your pool table or big screen TV? Where did you keep your dogs when guests were over? Don’t tell me you don’t have an attic either. 3. Where’s my car? The only thing worse than forgetting where you parked at 2am is remembering where you parked only to find that it's been towed. G