Mar Yvette and Casper Smart

Twerking with Casper Smart

OK, so there wasn't any twerking going on (at least not on camera), but I did have a great time when Casper Smart and J.Lo's Dancers performed on my Weekend Roundup to promote their brand-new reality show "A Step Away." Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect, but when Casper electric wormed his way onto the CONCRETE floor, I was totally wowed.
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8 Ways to Beat Your Meat Habit

October is National Vegetarian Month, but adding meat-free options to your diet is a good idea any time of year. So why not do your body, the planet and all those adorable animals a favor by indulging in some meat-free nourishment? Even if you're the bloodiest of carnivores, you can beat your meat habit with these tasty vittles at some of my favorite LA area restaurants.
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Frolicking in Beer Foam & Biking with Lorenzo Lamas

Oh, yeahhhhh. The OG renegade from the 90s is back! Lorenzo Lamas stopped by today to invite me and you to join him on The Greatest Escape, a motorcycle fundraising ride from Marina Del Rey to Malibu. And... I also previewed the OC Fest of Ales that gave me my very first beer foam experience!
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Grace & I fruit press - Photo by Mar Yvette

The Ultimate DIY Foodie Fest + Other Yummy Things

The ultimate DIY foodie festival is happening on Saturday, October 5 at SOCO in Costa Mesa and it's gonna be a totally tasty time. The Patchwork Show: Edible Edition is where you'll find 90+ vendors doing demos on everything from liquid nitro coffee drinks and cheese pulling to DIY salsa and the most beautiful fruit presses I never knew existed...
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Hot New Pick: Scratch Bar LA

Smack dab in the middle of Restaurant Row next to Matsuhisa is where you'll find Scratch Bar in Beverly Hills ... which is really Scratch Not-A-Bar because they don't have a full liquor license. But who cares? The food here is the star of the show.
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Marpop & the Nissan Autonomous

Look Ma, No Hands! Riding the New Driverless Car

Ready for a driverless car? How about your own personal automated valet that will park itself and pick you up on command?? Well, it's all happening! The vehicle of the future has arrived and I got a first look (and test ride) at the Nissan 360 Autonomous Drive event in Irvine.
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Drink to Your Health: 18 Good-For-You Cocktails

Salud! It’s not just something you say while clink-clinking your way to buzzdom anymore. Now you really can drink to your health thanks to the growing trend of healthy cocktails that contain everything from immune-boosting herbs to liver-cleansing veggies. Ironic? Lest we forget, alcohol itself was originally a form of medicine. So go ahead and raise a glass… or two. Just don’t tell your doctor I told you so.
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Marpop & Blue Man Group

Introducing … the Blue Mar Group

It was a day of FIRSTS for me ... and for the Hollywood Bowl and Blue Man Group! For one thing, it was the first time a man popped a giant blue ball in my face on LIVE TV! (You'll have to watch the video clip to see what I mean.) We were literally stopping traffic ... and I ended up being swept off my feet by the orchestra conductor and jamming with the band.
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Maria, Mar & Levar - Photo by Josh Kaplan

Fooling Around with LeVar Burton & Playmate of the Year!

"Butterfly in the sky, I can fly twice as high..." Remember those lyrics from Reading Rainbow??? So do I!!! And I sang them today with Kunta Kinte aka Geordi from Star Trek aka LeVar Burton himself -- it was the LeVar & Mar show! Oh, and I hung out with Raquel Pomplun, Playboy Magazine's 2013 Playmate of the Year and the first Mexican-American to win that title. #sisepuede??
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My Two-Day Detox Experiment

I recently did something I never thought I'd do: A juice cleanse. It was my first-ever detox and my initial thoughts were filled with hesitation, curiosity and excitement. I mean, how could I not eat for two whole days??? Naturally, only so much can happen in two days, but the point is to give your body a break from digesting and get glowing from the inside out. Did it change my life? Would I do it again? Read on to find out what happened ...
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Labor Day Chili Cook-Off, Pink Eggs & Big Band Fun

It was a smokin' hot Labor Day Weekend thanks to the Delicious Chili & Brewfest at the Queen Mary, Provisions Market and their tasty all-natural cookout options and Western Standard Time, a Big Band tribute to the Skatalites, the seminal Jamaican ska band that influenced everyone from The Clash to No Doubt!
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Shake, Rattle & Roll at the Elvis Festival

Oh yes, we went there. I spent the morning with loads of crazy Elvii (that's plural for Elvis) on Good Day LA leading up to an in-studio interview with the King's daughter herself. As my web director said, "Can’t believe this aired, then interview with Lisa Marie Presley aired. So funny!" Thank you. Thank you very much.
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Pit Bulls & Chihuahua Fun with Cesar Millan

Today I spent the morning with Cesar Millan at the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Adoption Center, a beautiful public county shelter in the Inland Empire that is doing their part to save animals and get them into loving, permanent homes. Not surprisingly, pit bulls and chihuahuas are the dogs in most abundance, so Cesar walked us through properly assessing dog behavior and how to be a responsible pet owner.
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When Mary Murphy Is Attacked By a Giant Wiener!

It was a day of GIANT wieners and other family fun on my Marpop Extravaganza!!! Let's see... I had the fabulous Mary Murphy from "So You Think You Can Dance" stop by to tell us why she thinks YOU can eat (and eat and eat) and still lose weight. Plus, I had the retro-cool Nick Waterhouse perform and oh yeah, crazy hot dogs from a truck that serves "food a Viking would eat." Watch out, Mary!
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Get Some Serious BBQ & Bluegrass This Summer

Yeehaw! If you think you can’t get real-deal, rib-stickin’, finger-lickin’ country 'cue in the middle of the city, think again. Celeb chef & meat maestro Adam Perry Lang has created Serious BBQ, a summertime pop-up barbecue experience in the backlot of the Jimmy Kimmel Show now through September 5.
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Air Guitars, WeHo Pickup Trolley, Taco Fest & Alexandra Starlight

Get ready for some mind-blowing, soul-shredding awesomeness at the US Air Guitar championships this weekend. It's the best face-melting riff action you'll ever see on invisible guitars. Plus, check out annual LA Taco Festival in Boyle Heights as well as the FREE rides on the brand-new WeHo trolley called the Pickup Line (of course). Oh, and don't forget the incredible Alexandra & the Starlight Band -- these guys are rock stars!
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FOX GIVES: Project Backpack

FOX GIVES: Project Backpack

It was the first day of school and I joined Fox Gives at West Vernon Elementary in South LA to celebrate with Project Backpack, providing backpacks and school supplies to more than 750 children. I loved meeting the adorable kids and hearing about their summer vacation and favorite subjects. I also had the chance to meet one special little girl...
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Fighting Hunger & Having Fun at LA Food Bank

As someone who makes a living by eating, writing and talking about food, it's almost unimaginable that so many people go hungry every day. Not only around the world, but right here in my own backyard. In fact, one in six people in Los Angeles County is at risk for hunger. It's a humbling and sobering reminder to never take food for granted. With that in mind, I joined Valerie Bertinelli + LA's top chefs and foodies for a day of volunteering at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Downtown LA.
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Fab Fit Fun VIP Box

Summer, summer, summertime ... time to sit back and unwind. Wait, what? The summer is almost over and I feel like I haven't had much time to do either! Even so, I was happy to receive the FabFitFun VIP Box that brought a little bit of sunshine to my doorstep when it arrived.
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Out & About: Rose Avenue

They say to stop and smell the roses. Well, I say stop and shop along Rose Avenue. This once sketchy stretch in Venice between 5th and 7th Avenues has really come along with the recent influx of restaurants and shops. In fact, it's already kind of blown up with a full-on residential and retail complex. Yep, the area has cleaned up nicely with nary a lingering waft of Venice grit. Welcome to the neighborhood...
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