VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 16: September 8, 2025

The Good Liver in Los Angeles

This is a minimalistic yet aesthetic shop. The price point was extremely high as well for a lot of items. For example, there was a $400 or $500 hand made/welded brass toilet paper holder. The store is nicely organized and the selection of goods is quiet nice. The items in the store are mainly high quality or made by a craftsman so the price point makes sense most of the time.

I believe the items mainly come from either Japan or Korea but the goods can be from other countries as well.

The Good Liver is perfect for adding an investment piece or ten depending on your budget and needs.

Price: 💵💵💵.5 - I didn’t see anything that was crazily priced so I thought things in the store were priced reasonably

Ambiance + Friendly/Knowledgable Staff: N/A - Didn’t talk to staff as I was waiting for my friend (hi AT!) to make her purchase which included me this bomb kombucha (Fermensch Kombucha in yuzu flavor)

Fresh & Organic Produce: N/A - No produce available at this shop

Unique Selection of Items: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - No stand out items but there are some unique items. The space is small but with a great selection of goods to choose from in the categories they chose to have.

Prepared foods/Hot Bar: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 - You can order take out from Sqirl here as well. They have other ready to eat items too. Plus, you can buy the jam and make your own ricotta toast!  

(Fun Category) Athleisure and Range Rovers: 🚙🚙🚙 - The crowd here can be mixed due to the area but overall it’s a pretty chill vibe

At the last place I enjoyed working out, two of the instructors I enjoyed no longer teach there so it left me in a situation where I wanted to explore a couple of new studios.

FOLM Studio in Los Angeles

FOLM is a studio that is for women by women. Per their website it’s cycle syncing fitness for women and aimed at supporting your body and meeting you where you’re at rather than putting your body through hormonal stress.

At Folm, you can take pilates (mat & reformer), barrelates (pilates + barre fusion class), ballet, and weight training classes. You can also book sauna sessions. I’ve tried the sauna twice and it’s been great because you’re able to watch Netflix, and other things while you’re in there. It makes time go by fast.

I’ve tried three instructors at the studio Amber (reformer pilates), Anna (reformer & mat pilates) and Cindy (reformer pilates & weight training). I love all their teaching styles as they are different but work well together. I found myself being pushed in a way that is not too aggressive and over the top while also leaving space for modifications if needed.

BeKind Studios In West Hollywood

This pilates studio has multiple locations but I went to their West Hollywood one. I’ve only been able to take one reformer class with Tashi. At BeKind you can take a mat or reformer pilates (both can be done heated or non - heated) class. At their West Hollywood location they also have rooftop mat pilates which is pretty cool and I imagine due to the location you may be able to see the hills while working out.

I enjoyed my workout with Tashi as we used the entire reformer and tried out some movements that I haven’t done before. Overall this class was a challenge for me in a great way. I felt pushed but not too much and appreciated that there were some modifications offered for the things that I didn’t feel fully comfortable with.

Per their website, BeKind is a curated wellness sanctuary for boutique-style Pilates classes in Los Angeles or on demand. Rooted in intentional movement and self-kindness, our studios offer an inviting space to connect deeper with your body, reset your mind, and move with purpose. With the one class I took with Tashi (Kind to the Core), I found this to be true.

At BeKind they also have a free matcha machine which is cool to see. Both studios are nicely decorated with great equipment and amenities.

TDLR - I would recommend both studios depending on where you are and what you are looking for in your workout class

To say, I’ve been cooking a lot more this year would be an understatement. So I’m sharing more recipes with you all for meals I’ve enjoyed at home.

Pesto Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Veggies 

Recipe:

1. Cook chickpea pasta

2. Roast zucchini + mushrooms with olive oil and garlic

3. Toss pasta with pesto and roasted veggies

4. Top with grated Parmesan if desired

Savory Oats with Soft-Boiled Egg, Greens & Za’atar

• ½ cup oats cooked in broth (I used chicken bone broth from Costco to cook my oats)

• Topped with sautéed greens, soft-boiled egg(s), olive oil, za’atar

Mango & Sticky Rice Onigiri by Ivy’s Kitchn - My love for mango and sticky rice is endless and could probably eat all of it in one go so when I saw this onigiri recipe I thought it was perfect to help me with portion control 🙃 haha

While my parents were in LA, I was their unofficial Uber Black driver and my Dad commented on how good and eclectic my music choices are 😌.

Side note: if you’re in the car with me you’ll either be listening to new music daily or my 2025 playlist and I was playing my 2025 playlist during this time.

Albums

‘Man’s Best Friend’ by Sabrina Carpenter (Pop) - There was a bit of controversy with her album cover so when the album delivered I was appreciative of this. Hate to see a ‘provocative’ album cover with no good music to back it up. With this album, I’ve become a fan of Sabrina’s. The overall vibe of the album is pop with a dusting of R&B. While listening to certain songs it made me think of girl groups Dream and Danity Kane although it’s just her singing. I’ve listened to this album two almost three times since it was released because it’s fun and a good time.

‘Essex’ by Blood Orange (Alternative) - You know when a character is laying down in a field (or in bed, etc.) and they have headphone on? This is the album they are listening to while trying to decompress from the craziness. I loved this album and am already a fan of Blood Orange so I was excited for this album release. This album has hints of classical music with jazz and R&B tones. It’s perfect to start your morning, end your day with or if you just want a relaxing moment.

Other Songs I’m Enjoying: Tame Impala (Alternative) - Loser, Lizzo (Hip-Hop/Rap) - Bop, Fred again.. + various artists (Electronic) - Victory Lap Five, and LANY (Pop) - Last Forever