Mini-Ep 452: The Dream of the Nineties

Summary

Forever35 Podcast: Mini-Episode 452 – The Dream of the Nineties

Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu
Release Date: July 16, 2025
Description: In this mini-episode, co-hosts Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu engage with their listeners by sharing comments, answering questions, and discussing various topics related to self-care and personal growth, all infused with their characteristic humor and self-awareness.

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1. Product Discoveries: Aloe Spray Innovation

Elise's New Find:
Elise shares her excitement about a novel product she discovered at Walgreens—aloe spray. Unlike traditional goopy pump bottles, this aloe is delivered in a spray format, making it easier and more enjoyable to apply after sun exposure.

• Elise Hu [01:06]:
  "I do want to sing the praises of a new discovery that I made at Walgreens, which is aloe spray... you spray that aloe all over you after you're sunburned or sun kissed... it's so soothing."

Hosts' Reaction:
Doree and Elise both express amazement at this innovation, highlighting the ever-present creativity in everyday products.

• Doree Shafrir [02:17]:
  "Wow. What a time. What a time to be alive."

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2. Birthday Traditions and Stories

Rob and Issa’s Birthday Celebrations:
The hosts delve into the unique birthday traditions within their circle. Rob maintains a 40-year-old tradition of starting his birthday with ice cream, inspired by his first experience with gelato in Italy at age ten.

• Elise Hu [02:29]:
  "We all joined him. And it's a little much nice ice cream for breakfast... we were just eating ice cream for breakfast in solidarity."

• Doree Shafrir [03:49]:
  "For 40 years. Look, we love."

Maintaining Traditions:
They discuss the balance between enjoying such traditions and the practical considerations, like dietary impacts, showcasing their relatable approach to personal rituals.

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3. Listener Recommendations and Interactions

a. Comically Large Lactase Pills for Ice Cream Lovers

Listener's Comment:
A listener sends a picture of a jumbo-sized box of Kirkland brand fast-acting lactase pills, humorously dubbed a "micro joy."

• Doree Shafrir [10:15]:
  "You guys are great."

Hosts' Advice:
Elise and Doree recommend using Lactaid pills to enjoy ice cream without discomfort, sharing personal anecdotes about lactose intolerance and the importance of such products.

• Elise Hu [10:55]:
  "Elise, go treat yourself to a box and eat cheese to your heart's content."

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b. Shark Tank-Inspired Charger Theft Solution

Voicemail from a Listener:
A listener suggests using a novel charger design featured on Shark Tank, which secures the charger to the outlet, preventing theft.

• Listener [11:55]:
  "You should put those in the outlet... kids, they're going to take that stuff."

Hosts' Follow-Up:
Elise and Doree discuss the practicality of the Perma Plug, a product designed to deter charger theft, emphasizing its effectiveness based on personal experiences.

• Elise Hu [12:53]:
  "Permaplug. That's what I need."

---

c. Milestone Birthday Ideas

Listener's Inquiry:
An OG Forever35 listener seeks creative ideas to celebrate their upcoming 35th birthday.

Hosts' Suggestions:
Elise and Doree offer a plethora of ideas, from themed parties reflecting the year of birth (1990) to organizing trips and interactive gatherings centered around favorite activities or foods.

• Elise Hu [17:49]:
  "Birthdays are so equalizing, like everybody has one... I love birthdays."

• Doree Shafrir [21:14]:
  "One woman got a tattoo that was very meaningful to her... family trips..."

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d. Last-Minute LA Trip Recommendations

Listener's Request:
A listener and her husband are planning a spontaneous trip to Los Angeles for a concert and seek accommodation and activity recommendations.

Comprehensive Response:
Elise and Doree provide detailed suggestions, including hotels like the Figueroa Hotel, vibrant neighborhoods such as K Town, and must-visit spots like Grand Central Market and the Griffith Observatory. They also recommend specific restaurants and cultural experiences to enhance the listener's stay.

• Elise Hu [23:27]:
  "Hotel Figueroa... K Town is my very, very favorite neighborhood in all of Los Angeles."

• Doree Shafrir [27:34]:
  "Downtown has the Last Bookstore... Grand Central Market is super fun."

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e. Gentle Facial Hair Removal Solutions

Listener’s Concern:
A listener with sensitive skin seeks recommendations for gentle facial hair removal methods, as traditional methods like waxing cause irritation.

Hosts' Recommendations:
Elise and Doree suggest laser hair removal as a long-term solution and recommend checking platforms like Groupon for affordable treatment deals. They also discuss alternative methods such as using regular razors with shaving gel to minimize irritation.

• Doree Shafrir [35:16]:
  "You are a prime candidate for laser hair removal... it's worth it if you can afford it."

• Elise Hu [33:35]:
  "I just wanted to shout out the Trader Joe's burrata cheese... it's so good."

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4. Community and Engagement

Encouraging Listener Participation:
Doree and Elise actively invite listeners to share their experiences and questions, fostering a sense of community and mutual support among their audience.

• Doree Shafrir [14:00]:
  "Call or text us with your pictures of comically large boxes of lactate from Costco, shark tank chargers, anything..."

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5. Conclusion

In this engaging mini-episode, Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu effectively blend personal anecdotes with practical advice, addressing their listeners' concerns with warmth and humor. From innovative self-care products to meaningful birthday celebrations and effective solutions for everyday problems, the hosts provide valuable insights while maintaining an authentic and relatable dialogue. Their interactive approach not only answers questions but also strengthens the connection with their Forever35 community.

Notable Quotes:

• Elise Hu [01:06]:
  "Now they're delivering aloe to our bodies via spray bottle and aerosol spray bottle."

• Doree Shafrir [17:49]:
  "I love birthdays. I love what I did for my 30th was a trip, like a friend trip."

• Elise Hu [33:53]:
  "Trader Joe's burrata cheese... it was so good with just French bread."

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Connect with Forever35:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Website: forever35podcast.com
• Instagram: @forever35podcast
• Shop: shopmyus.com/Forever35

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Transcript

[Elise Hu]

My name is James Acorn. It's not a demon.

[James Acorn]

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[Dory Shafrir]

Hello and welcome to Forever 35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I'm Dory Shafrier.

[Elise Hu]

And I'm Elise Hu. And we're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

[Dory Shafrir]

And this is a mini episode where we hear from you, we share your comments and your thoughts, and we answer questions your to the best of our ability. But please remember, we are not experts. We're podcast hosts. We always encourage you to seek support first and foremost from a medical and or mental health professional as needed.

[Elise Hu]

I don't have a serum to talk about today, but I do want to sing the praises of a new discovery that I made at Walgreens, which is aloe spray. So now you can. Now they're delivering aloe by spray, like in a sunscreen spray bottle instead of as goopy as a goopy pump bottle. And so you just spray that aloe all over you after you're sunburned or sun kissed as I have been, and it's so soothing. And then you get it all over your body or I'm sure I wasted a lot of it too, just like we have said about spray sunscreen. But yeah, I just saw it at Walgreens, like over the weekend and I thought, why didn't, why didn't this exist before?

[Dory Shafrir]

What will they think of next?

[Elise Hu]

Is it new? I don't know. I mean, listeners, you'll have to tell me, but they are now letting us deliver aloe to our bodies via spray bottle and aerosol spray bottle. Not just like, you know, spritz, spritz.

[Dory Shafrir]

Wow. What a time. What a time to be alive. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

Innovation. Innovation everywhere.

[Dory Shafrir]

Truly. Oh, gosh. What's going on with you besides spray aloe?

[Elise Hu]

I mean, that's like the most exciting thing that has happened to me all week. But we've been doing a lot of birthdays over here. Today is Rob's birthday. Yesterday was Issa's birthday. Issa made a card for Rob that had little crabs on it because they're cancer buddies or birthday buddies. And then Rob has his birthday tradition of having ice cream first thing in the morning. And we all did. We all joined him. And it's a little much nice ice cream for breakfast. I was delighted to have it when I did, but then afterwards I was kind of grossed out because I was like, I didn't really need this to be my first meal of the day. Like a pre coffee giant bowl of. We did a mix of Haagen Dazs and Ben and Jerry's, but, you know, we were just eating ice cream for breakfast in solidarity. I asked him why that's been a tradition, and it turns out it was because when he turned 10, which is the same age that Issa turned, he was on vacation. He was on summer vacation in a piazza in Italy with his family. And there was a gelato vendor that was, you know, already selling stuff. And so they had gelato for breakfast when he was 10. And then his parents continued the ice cream or gelato tradition each year for 40 years.

[Dory Shafrir]

For 40 years. Look, we love.

[Elise Hu]

Here we are now.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, we love consistency.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, it's a lot of dairy. A lot of, like, heavy sugar and dairy for me, but I took one for the team this morning. Otherwise. Yeah, otherwise, no. No major headlines. No. No travel for another, you know, 20 days or something.

[Dory Shafrir]

So that's a long time for you.

[Elise Hu]

It is. I'm really actually looking forward to it. I was telling Rob when we were in Phoenix on Monday, and it was like 112 degrees. I was like, it's going to be staying put for a while, and I'm really looking forward to it. He was like, oh, you actually want to stay put, but when you're in such hot temperatures, you know, like, it kind of beats you down. So I'm looking forward to a little consistency. As you know, Dorie, I'm having a backyard party that is college kegger themed. And by college kegger themed, I mean it will be a kegger. So I have to secure a keg, and then I'm going to be making jello shots and I got an extra table for beer pong. You know, the food doesn't have to be fancy because we can. It's college party themed, so, you know, I can, like, put out some bags of Cheetos and some popcorn and call it a day. Maybe some pretzels if I want to be charitable.

[Dory Shafrir]

No, you like.

[Elise Hu]

You.

[Dory Shafrir]

You know how to do a party.

[Elise Hu]

I. You know what? Domino's Pizza. That could. I mean, that's a good kind of throwback, but still, it's more substantive food. I'll think this through. I'll Think this through a little bit. But we don't, we don't have to get fancy.

[Dory Shafrir]

Should you have? Well, it's throwback. Throwback to the 90s, right? I was gonna say like for loco, but that was more of like a odds late. Yeah, it was like.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, I feel like it was late aughts Obama era.

[Dory Shafrir]

Right.

[Elise Hu]

Since it's 90s throwback, like late 90s throwback. I feel like the drink of that time period was Zima. Do you remember Zima?

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, I sure do. Zima.

[Elise Hu]

Oh yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

Zima was a little, a little earlier, I can attest because.

[Elise Hu]

Do they make Zima anymore?

[Dory Shafrir]

I don't know. But I was in high school in the, in the mid-90s and Zima was quite popular among all the underage drinkers. Among all the underage drinkers because it was like drinking like a soda. It was like drinking an alcoholic. Clearly Canadian.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, that would be a good throwback.

[Dory Shafrir]

Some clearly Canadian for your non alcoholic friends.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, I could try and find that.

[Dory Shafrir]

I'm trying to think what we drank in college. We drank 40s, which are gross malt liquor. Yeah, that could be a, that could be a throwback. It wasn't like a pretty time.

[Elise Hu]

No, no. We made a lot of like hooch, you know, or various juices that we called or punches that we called them. You know, there were like different themed names for them. I remember making a lot of those in bathtubs and in trash cans. Oh yeah. So pre gaming before parties we would do. We would like get a hotel room or something and then make some sort of alcoholic punch that was laden with Everclear in a bathtub. But just to bring it back to the theme of this show, now we take much better care of ourselves. But I am going to be making jello shots. Very excited, very excited about that. I might even get the kids involved. I don't have to tell them the ingredients.

[Dory Shafrir]

No, of course not. I picked Henriette from camp yesterday and he was like this friend of his at school, I'll call her Sarah. He was like, Sarah and I made plans for Saturday and I was like.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, on their own?

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes. I was like, okay. He's like, yes, we're going to have a play date from nine to one at our house. And I was like, okay. And he had like a whole plan, which is just so funny because like I think I've mentioned before he, he doesn't. He's not like proactive about play dates. Like he'll go on them. But if I'm ever like do you want to have a play date with someone? He's like, he doesn't really care. So it's like always. But every so often he did this once before with a different friend. He was like Steve, I'm going to call this child Steve.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. Not Kenneth, but ok. Okay.

[Dory Shafrir]

He's like Steve and I are want to go to the like dinosaur themed indoor bounce house place on Saturday from 10 to 2. Like he always like sets these very specific times. It's very sweet. So I did reach out to Sarah's mom and she confirmed that that was also part of the plan because I didn't mention the time in my text to her and she was like, Sarah says the play date is from nine to one. Yes, that is correct. But I actually think Sarah is not available this weekend. But I think we're going to do it next weekend. But you know we don't have a lot of play dates at our house because the house is typically a mess and Beau is here. But this I think will be motivation to clean the house and to clean the outside area.

[Elise Hu]

Well, you have a pool, you're having the perfect one.

[Dory Shafrir]

Henry was like we'll swim in the pool in the morning before the sun gets too hot and then we'll go inside and we'll play in my house. And I did just, I like that he like wanted to have someone to his house. You know what I mean? Like he hasn't really articulated that before. So I was like okay, I want to make this happen for you. So and Matt and I had been talking about how the heck we are going to clean the outside of the house. Like we'd already been talking about it and so now it's like okay, now we have like a specific date and goal in mind.

[Elise Hu]

I'm very deadline driven. I feel like that's part of the reason I have so many parties and random gatherings because it gives me a deadline to be like oh, now I'm going to clear that stuff from my parents house out of the garage. You know, because the band needs to totally. Garage.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes, yes, exactly.

[Elise Hu]

Good job.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, so I just want to note Elise that we got a text with a picture of a I would call a jumbo sized box of Costco of Kirkland brand fast acting lactase pills, 180 tablets. And this person wrote my micro joy is this comically large box of quote lactaid because it's like generic from Costco that I can so that I can eat my nightly bowl of ice cream in comfort. Elise, go treat yourself to A box and eat cheese to your heart's content.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, so sweet. My dad would be so proud. He would always say to me, like, elise, your pediatrician told you you had lactose intolerance since you were like 7 years old. Why do you just continue to suffer and not like, take the enzyme? He's a pharmacist. He was also the one who was like in my hospital room when I was giving birth and I refused to take an epidural. And he was like, just take the epidural. It's around for a reason.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh my God. Yes. It's so true.

[Elise Hu]

Very good reminder about this lactaid that's actually just called generic fast acting lactase available at Kirkland brand. Thank you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Exactly.

[Elise Hu]

I would feel better after my breakfast ice cream just now.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes, exactly. Okay. And then we also got a voicemail that is also directed to you. You've had several things come up lately that our listeners have been very helpful with.

[Elise Hu]

So thank you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Hello, ladies. This message is for Elise regarding your charger theft situation. I was watching Shark Tank within the last year and there was what I thought was the silliest product, which is like a charger that you have to. You kind of unscrew the outlet and the charger kind of attaches and screws into the outlet so like, you physically can't remove the charger from the outlet. That's so silly. And I never really thought about it again until the listener just called in with a recommendation and it jogged my memory.

[Elise Hu]

You.

[Listener]

So you should put those in the outlet. Because while I think having a charger designated as the kitchen charger, for example, is an amazing idea, man, you know, kids, they're going to take that stuff. They are not rational. I'm sure if you Google Shark Tank Outlet charger, it will pop up. And I think that could fix all your problems. You guys are great.

[Dory Shafrir]

Bye.

[Listener]

Bye.

[Elise Hu]

This is an amazing suggestion because after I designated the charger and base as the kitchen charger just a couple days ago, after the suggestion from our listener this morning, my girls went out of town and I went downstairs to the kitchen and what did I find? The kitchen charger is gone. No. Even after I had this like family summit and I said, this is going to be the kitchen charger, I was ignored. So just as. Just as this listener with the Shark Tank charger suggestion said, these kids, man, they can be. They can be little rascals and just ignore my decrees. So I'll check it out. Did you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Do you.

[Elise Hu]

Do you know what it's called what this product is called.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes, this person left a follow up. It's called Perma Plug.

[Elise Hu]

Permaplug. That's what I need. I need a Perma plug. You need a Perma plug. I just helped these Shark Tank people sell their product because yeah, this is the exact problem that they described and that they solved.

[Dory Shafrir]

Totally. Okay, Elise, we're going to take a break. Before we take a break, just a reminder to call or text us with your pictures of comically large boxes of lactate from Costco, shark tank chargers, anything 781-591-0390 and email us at forever35podcastmail.com we also have our website forever35podcast.com we have links there to everything we mentioned on the show. Follow us on Instagram @forever35podcast. Our newsletter is @forever35podcast.com newsletter and you can shop our favorite products at shopmy us. Slash Forever35 and we will be right back. This episode is sponsored by EF Ultimate Breakfast. If you love traveling but hate all the planning that goes into it, like juggling hotels, transportation, not to mention the actual fun planning part of your trip, then check out EF Ultimate Break. EF Ultimate Break makes traveling easy for 18 to 35 year olds because everything is handled. Do you hear me, Elise? Everything. Love that we're. Yeah, we're talking accommodations, transportation, daily breakfast. You even get an expert tour director who knows all the local secrets. And whether you're going solo or with friends, you'll explore new lands with like minded travelers. From island hopping in Greece to bullet trains in Japan. You get to pick from over 120 immersive adventures that suit your style. Zero stressful planning. Just a few clicks and you're ready for the trip of a lifetime. And the best part? You don't have to shell out massive moolah for your trip like you normally would. You can choose flexible interest free payments instead. Ready to get started? Visit eFuber Forever35 and fill out your info to unlock a hundred dollar discount code off your first trip. That's E F U B CO Forever 35. With summer now in full swing, I feel that familiar urge to refresh my closet. But I'm trying not to waste money on pieces I'll only wear once or just for one season. Thanks to Quints, that's not really an issue anymore. Their clothes are timeless, feel luxurious, look elevated, and the quality is way beyond what you'd expect for the price. It's the kind of wardrobe upgrade that just clicks. I recently got their 100% organic cotton poplin Pintuck maxi skirt in navy blue. And when I tell you it felt a lot like a skirt I had tried on that cost about five times the price. I'm not joking. I am really pleased with this purchase. I've already worn it a couple times and I plan on wearing it all summer. But everything with Quints is at least half the cost of similar brands. Think 100% European linen tops starting at $30, washable silk dresses and skirts and soft cotton sweaters. These are versatile warm weather pieces you'll reach for again and again by working directly with top artisans and cutting up the middlemen. Quints give you luxury without the markup, and Quints only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices. And premium fabrics and finishes. Give your summer closet an upgrade with quints. Go to quints.comfore35 for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E.comfore35 to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comfore35 all right, we are back and we have an interesting text. As an OG Forever 35 listener, I've always looked forward to my 35th birthday, but now it's only a few months away and I don't know how to mark the occasion. Do you all have any ideas for milestone birthdays?

[Elise Hu]

Hmm. I don't treat milestone birthdays as any different than any birthdays because I love birthdays. I'm actually on the board of something called the Birthday Party Project. That's how much I love birthdays. And because I think that birthdays are so equalizing, like everybody has one. You know, it's not like other events that we celebrate that tend to be socially normalized that like you might not get a wedding or a baby shower or something like that. But everybody has birthdays. And so I love birthdays. I love what I did for my 30th was a trip, like a friend trip. And we did that together. So that can again, not necessarily special for necessarily just for a milestone birthday, but it's a great way to bring some people that you love together and spend a bunch of concentrated time in a new place as a community. So that was awesome.

[Dory Shafrir]

And then.

[Elise Hu]

I love a theme party. So I would suggest that for any birthday as well. I feel like none of these suggestions are specifically milestone birthday suggestions, but since it is your 35th birthday, you could look to the year that you were born and do some sort of Theme party or a costume party or get together that is from the year. What year would be. It'd be 1990. So you could do like, a 1990 themed thing.

[Dory Shafrir]

You recently went to a very fun, and I would argue, elaborate milestone birthday.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, the 40th that I went to for my friend Meredith, which we talked about on this show. She did it almost like her own wedding. You know, she had a party planner and rented out a venue and there was a dj. So it just depends on your own party style and your budget, of course. But if you're wanting to just get people together and celebrate, like, specifically the fact that you're 35, then looking back on the year 1990 could be a good way to do it. We just did Dory's birthday in May, and there was a whole round of trivia questions about, like, 1990 news events, you know, whether something happened before 1990 or after 1990. And so, like, 1990 fashion is probably interesting. Could be a lot of fun. So, yeah, I guess that was like, the beginning of grunge. Y' all could just do flannel. You know, there's lots of stuff. So. So I don't really. I. I don't have any suggestions that's specific to the 35th milestone, except looking back 35 years. But, yeah, trips are always great. Theme parties are great. Getting your friends to dress up is great. Getting your friends to do something that you really love to do is awesome, too. Like, let's say all your friends are really spread apart, but your favorite food is, like, some random chicken sandwich at Popeyes. I'm just. Just.

[Dory Shafrir]

Just rough in here.

[Elise Hu]

Spitballing here. Yeah, just spitballing here. You could make all your friends go to Popeyes and get a chicken sandwich, the. Their original chicken sandwich or whatever it is, and, like, take a picture with it. And then you'd have, like, all your friends kind of paying tribute to you on your day. So that's another, like, fun little thing that you could do.

[Dory Shafrir]

I don't know.

[Elise Hu]

Dorie, do you have any milestone birthday ideas that really stand out?

[Dory Shafrir]

Well, I actually wrote an article about milestone birthdays last year for a newsletter called Gloria, which is for, like, you know, middle aged quote unquote women. It's a. It's a very cool newsletter. They. They have a lot of great content, and I spoke to a bunch of women about how they had celebrated their milestone birthdays. So we will link to that article. But, like, one woman got a tattoo that was very meaningful to her. There were a few people who had like done big trips. One woman has a family tradition where they do a surprise trip for their milestone birthdays. So the birthday person doesn't know where they're going and they do it with her sister. Brother in law. Brother and sister in law. So it's like a big family trip. You like she was, she said now you wake up and you throw some clothes on and it's like we're going to the airport, someone else has packed for you. Which is like, I love that. That's like really, really fun. So. Yeah, so there might be some, some ideas in there. I don't hate the idea of like celebrating a milestone birthday. It's like, you know, why not? It's a, it's a fun, it's a fun thing to like do to celebrate yourself.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Happy birthday by the way.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. And happy birthday. All right, one more question here. Dory, Elise, any forever 35ers in LA? I need your Rex. My husband and I are taking a last minute trip there next month for a concert. He's never been and it's been almost 25 years since I've been. All I know is, is that the concert is at Exchange la and we'd probably want to stay fairly close to there if possible. I think we'd both prefer an Airbnb situation but are not opposed to a hotel. However, since this was a spur of the moment decision and we have other travel planned over the next couple of months, we need to be mindful of our spending. We will have two to three free days and I have no idea where to start with planning.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, so fun. I'm so excited you're coming to la. I have been meaning to put together a list of like my favorite LA restaurants. So maybe this is the just the excuse that I need. But since you're going to be at this concert in Exchange la, which I believe is in downtown, I just did a quick search. There's a hotel downtown that has this great walkway and I think murals for photos and like it's great for just drinks, you know, like pre show drinks called the Figueroa Hotel or the Hotel Fig. Figura. Yeah, maybe it's Hotel Figueroa.

[Dory Shafrir]

I think it's Hotel Figueroa.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. So you'll be near there. So that's, that's somewhere I would suggest for pre show drinks. And then downtown is very close to K Town, my very, very favorite neighborhood in all of Los Angeles that is always alive and vibrant, especially at night. So after the show definitely go to K Town and get yourself dessert. Or go to one of the many bars that are open late in K town. My favorite is this one called Dan Song Sa, which is like a trip back in time. I think they still allow, they still let people smoke inside there. It's open until like 3 or 4 in the morning. It's kind of like a, it's Korean but it's sort of like an old school. And this is where Japanese and Korean history kind of collide. Like an old school Izakaya where you can get kind of like small bites and great beer and soju. And it's just like, it's very la. It's very vibrant in that it's mixing of cultures. There's a long line outside but if you show up there late after the show, I imagine it won't be that hard to get into. But I really like Dan Seung Sa. And then if you have a few days, obviously I'm going to suggest if you're in la, to get out to the coast and get out to the beach, rent an E bike and do like the, the, the bike ride from, I don't know, say the Venice Pier up through Santa Monica up into the Palisades, even up to Will Rogers Park. And then like come back down and you'll get to meet and see all the weird and lively characters of, of Venice. You'll probably like spot some celebrities. Ben Affleck is always at Huckleberry which is in Santa Monica. It's this great bakery. And yeah, I can get more specific but when I have friends in town I make sure that we are, we spend some time like actually seeing the water and the coast and there's a great sunset view from the Hotel Irwin in Venice. So if you do have a day where you're on the west side of la, you can go and sit on, do the rooftop bar at the Hotel Irwin and watch the sun come down and eat some nachos and that's very enjoyable. And it's kind of sceney. Sometimes you see like just some like kind of people that you would expect to be in Southern California, you know, and like people who are like super, super dressed up is what I mean and. Or skimpily dressed or scantily clad.

[Dory Shafrir]

Scantily clad, yeah. Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

And so that happens. The Hotel Irwin. I love the red booth Italian restaurants in la. So if you want pasta I should just do like a list. But I really like John and Vinnie's which is local and there's a few of them. They have great pizzas and they have like great red Sauce, red sauce, pasta. And then, you know, there's great Asian food, obviously, in K Town. There's great Japanese food in Satellite, which is over by me. Thai town. Really iconic Thai places. So, yeah, spend some time in the sun and near the surf. Spend some time, you know, having that, like, real iconic mixing and melding of cultures in K Town. Art and history tour. Are there places that you like, like, museums or any other things you wanted to suggest?

[Dory Shafrir]

Downtown has the Last Bookstore, which is, like, an amazing, really cool bookstore that has new and used books, and it's just, like, in a really cool building, and that could be a fun place to just hang out and browse and look at some books. Also, Grand Central Market is downtown, and that's super fun. There's, like, tons of different food stalls. A lot of them are pretty inexpensive. Little Tokyo is also super fun, and there's, like, a lot of, like, cool little shops there as well. In terms of museums, there's the Broad, which I think is free, and moca, the Museum of Contemporary Art is also down there. So those are. Those are a couple of suggestions. You know, if you're, like, staying downtown. Grand, I think it's called grand park is also, like, a nice park that's right by Walt Disney Concert Hall. So those could. Those could all be, you know, cool, cool, fun things for you to do. I. I would say, like, you don't need to do, like, the Walk of Fame or really do, like, Hollywood per se. Like that.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, I skipped that.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, it's kind of grimy. And I say this. Yeah, yeah, I say this as someone who, like, lives not that far from there. So, yeah, I think you can skip that. Oh, another thing that is really fun and again, free, is the Griffith Observatory. You do have to pay for parking if you park close, but the Griffith Observatory is really cool. Not too far from downtown. Griffith Park. In general, if you're, like, into hiking or anything like that, it's. It's really nice. So you could, like, hike and go to the Griffith Observatory and check that out. Um, I think that will probably occupy you for two to three days.

[Elise Hu]

Two to three days?

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah. I think we've given you a bunch of good. Yes, exactly. Um, all right, Elise, we are going to take another short break. Um, and when we come back, we have another request for recommendations, so.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. Okay.

[Dory Shafrir]

Be prepared. And then you have a recommendation.

[Elise Hu]

I sure do. Looking forward to it. We'll be right back.

[Dory Shafrir]

All right. We'll be right back. Hey, listeners, meet Russell.

[Elise Hu]

Hey.

[Dory Shafrir]

Russell just launched a fitness app and.

[Elise Hu]

He needed to get the word out to busy professionals looking to stay fit. So I turned to Acast. I used their smart recommendations feature to easily find shell shows that talk about health and fitness. Booking sponsorships through their platform was a breeze. And just like that, my app was in their ears during their morning run. Sounds like a smart move, Russell.

[Dory Shafrir]

How's business looking now?

[Elise Hu]

Sweat is pouring and so are the installs.

[Dory Shafrir]

Spread the word about your business with podcast ads on Acast.

[Elise Hu]

Start today at go.acast.com Advertisement.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, we are back and we got this text. Hi, Dori and Elise. Any recommendations for gentle facial hair removal? I've been using a small battery operated Panasonic trimmer for years and it's great, except you'd have to use it multiple times a week because it only removes hair on the surface, not the root. Like waxing. I'm pale with dark hair, so even though it's fine, the hair is noticeable in bright light. After only a few days, I have sensitive skin, so I can't wax. Wondering if there's a bleach option I should consider. Thanks. If you are pale with dark hair, you are a prime candidate for laser hair removal that is like the, the. The easiest combination to do laser hair removal on. So if you can swing it, I would do that because it'll be, like, pretty much permanent. It's a little expensive, but I think it's. It's worth it if you can afford it. I did it on my bikini line years ago. I got like a Groupon to do it at Bliss in New York. Remember Bliss? So there might be something like that where you could get a discount. I would just, you know, obviously, like, vet the place you're going. My other suggestion is to use one of those, like, tinkle razors. I have those. I use them. It has the same issue as your Panasonic trimmer. Like, it only will remove hair on the surface. So, you know, that's just something to note. And then, you know, I remember before I started using Tingle razors, I. I remember this so clearly because I also sensitive skin. And so I used to get my lip wax and I would just break out. It would be terrible.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

But Jane Marie used to have a beauty column on Jezebel and someone wrote in with this very question and she said, just shave it with, like, a regular razor. Like, like your, like the razor you use to shave your legs. Yes. Just, like, put some. You supposed to do that shaving gel. I did it for a long time. It was fine. Oh, and it. Okay. It didn't, like, irritate my skin in the same way. I have never used bleach, like, so I can't really. I can't speak to that. Elise, do you have any other hair.

[Elise Hu]

Removal suggestions just to build on that with the laser hair removal? Groupon still exists. It's obviously a shadow of its former self, but it still exists. And there are so many laser hair removal deals on it. I found this a few years ago, actually, and I just checked to make sure it's still around, but I actually wanted to do some touch up laser hair removal on my armpits, which I had done in Korea, and there were so many deals for like 70 bucks, I could get three treatments or something like that.

[Dory Shafrir]

So that's awesome.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. So check out Groupon for that. And yeah, no, that. That. That's our top recommendation.

[Dory Shafrir]

Nice. Okay. All right. Well, Elise, you had one more recommendation, an unrelated recommendation.

[Elise Hu]

This is not related to hair removal, and I don't want us to get confused because it has nothing to do with hair removal. I just wanted to shout out the Trader Joe's burrata cheese. It's sold in packs of two or packs of two or three in the cheese section. I got a bunch of them to make an American flag fruit and cheese board for July 4, and it was so good. I drizzled some olive oil on it, and then after I smashed it, you know, I like, forked it and then I drizzled some olive oil and just put some salt and sprinkled some salt and pepper on it. It was so good with just French bread. Just a baguette. And it was a big hit at a party. Big thanks to an Instagram influencer that I follow. Ain't too proud to Meg. Ain't too proud to Meg, who makes all the boards. She makes all sorts of boards. I mainly just watch it because I find it soothing to watch her put together boards. But I actually tried one of her boards, this burrata board, and then fell in love with the Trader Joe's burrata. So. And it's a very good deal. So shout out for that product.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. All right, everyone, thanks so much for listening and we will talk to you soon.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, Call us in Texas. Bye.

[Dory Shafrir]

Bye.

[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrir]

That is a gamble money Expand your podcast okay, what is and DES.

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