Check It. National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.

National Ice Cream month may be over, but today you can celebrate an entirely (ok, maybe not entirely) different holiday, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.

Tofutti Cuties chocolate ice cream sandwiches are a really satisfying and guilt-free treat. They are great for vegans, or people with allergies, as they are dairy-free. Even as a non-vegan myself, I really enjoy the flavor, just like I enjoy some soy chocolate milk once in awhile. Each sandwich has 6 grams of fat - a far cry from some ice cream bars out there.

If you'd rather go the more traditional route, there's always Klondike. Or Diddy Riese if you're at all near Westwood Village.

Enjoy!

Tofutti Cuties are available at supermarkets, such as Gelson's, HOWS, select Ralphs, and at natural foods stores.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Tofutti

Do It. Also I Like to Rock at the Hammer.

Now that Carmaggeddon has come and gone, it's time to try and venture out to the westside again, if you so dare. Also I Like to Rock, the summer music concert series at the Hammer Museum, is worth the trouble.

The series is already halfway through, but you've still got great performances ahead of you: Grouplove this Thursday, and the Henry Clay People the next. Put on by one of my favorite local bloggers, Kevin Bronson at BuzzBandsLA, and KCRW, you know you're getting a look into what's next and what's good in the indie music scene. And an extra plus: the concert and the museum are both free! A great way to enjoy a summer night.

Also I Like to Rock takes place Thursdays in July beginning at 7pm at the Hammer Museum, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood.

-- Chau Tu
Photo credit: Laurie Scavo

Do It. Local Natives at UCLA.

I admit it -- it's a bit difficult for me, a Trojan, to try and convince anyone to venture to UCLA for any reason. But this will be worth it.

The ever-amazing Local Natives will be playing a free show on the campus (guitarist Taylor Rice is an alum) this Thursday at noon. Having seen the hometown heroes play a few shows -- and this is not something I usually do for a band that only has one album out -- I can attest to their amazing live performances. As my boyfriend once best described, 'no one loves playing their own songs more than Local Natives.' And it's true, and often even breathtaking.

Check out what the hype is all about, and you won't regret it.

Local Natives will perform at noon at the Bruin Plaza at UCLA, located at 308 Westwood Plaza in Westwood.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Autobiography of Mark Twain Celebration at the Hammer.

Last fall, 100 years after Mark Twain's death, the first of three volumes of his complete and unexpurgated autobiography was released, and immediately became a smash hit.

So many great books came out last year, and I haven't had a chance to read all the ones I'm interested in (I'm way behind the crowd, and still on Freedom). My boyfriend is currently powering through Keith Richards' autobiography, and I'm hoping he'll read Twain's after that so I can grab it when he's done.

Next Tuesday, UCLA's Hammer museum is having a celebration of the book with Twain scholars and even a band--The Americans--performing renditions of classic American rockabilly and folk blues. Awesome.

February 8 at 7:00 p.m. Free. Info: hammer.ucla.edu, (310) 443-7000

The Hammer is located at 10899 Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: hammer.ucla.edu

Do It. Open projector night at the Hammer.

Not every film that gets released is Oscar-worthy, and many others aren't even worth the $15 ticket price. So how best to get your money's worth?

See some films for free. Sure, some of the BYOfilms that end up on the screen at this Hammer Museum event tonight probably won't be anything extraordinary (and I'm being nice here), but you might also end up seeing some gems too. Open projector night is a free-for-all, and anything could happen. Maybe you'll see the first short of some future amazing filmmaker. Or you may not. But it's all in good fun, and it's some free entertainment for the night. Plus free popcorn and an open bar, and MC entertainment from comedian twins Jason and Randy Sklar.

And maybe even you perhaps have a short film to show? Don't rely on your best friend for their honest opinion. It's first come, first served to get on the screening list -- just make sure it's under 10 minutes and on a usual film media format. More info is here.

Martin Scorsese had to start somewhere.

Open Projector Night is happening tonight at 7:30pm at the Hammer Museum, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. The event is free.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Go to the Hammer Museum for free.

Considering that the Hammer Museum in Westwood is still putting together hip and cool exhibits, and hosting fun nights like sleepovers and free concerts, it can be difficult to believe that it's already turning 20 years old this year. But it's keeping up with the fun by offering free admission for 20 days, starting this Friday, Nov. 26 until Dec. 18.

While you're there, be sure to check out its contemporary collection exhibition, and its new exhibit from L.A. artist Mark Flores, who uses photographs as inspirations for his paintings. You can also stop by on Dec. 14th for a free event on 75 years of DC comics, or on Dec. 15 for a free screening of The Deep, "in which metal objects of the past come to life in the depths of the sea."

This free admission will be a great way to kick-off your long weekend after the stress of Thanksgiving, especially if you want to avoid the crazy Black Friday crowds.

Happy birthday, Hammer Museum! Keep up the great work.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Glendon Bar and Kitchen [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Thanks to the unsympathetic 10 and 405 freeways, you're never as stuck and hopeless as you are if you're in West L.A. during rush hour. But what a perfect excuse for a happy hour! Even in the equally sympathetic area of Westwood, reduced-priced drinks and food is a welcome distraction until traffic dies down.

The Glendon Bar and Kitchen understands. It offers not one, but two happy hours, where most things off their menu are HALF OFF. Pretty decent, I would say. That means you can get the delicious garlic fries (see above), which are crispy and not too garlic-y, for $4, or any of their good-sized pizzas (perfect for sharing between two people) for $6-7.50. Drinks-wise, you can grab wines for $6 or drafts for $4, or go for their martinis, which are $5 all day. If you're doing the math, you can easily have a few drinks and dinner for under $20!

Cheap grub comes at a small price though. The atmosphere when I sat at the bar for happy hour was quite a ruckus, thanks to a huge birthday party happening behind me. All the demands by the party made the bartenders obviously frazzled and distracted, so that meant we had to try and grab their attention on many occasions (we even got up to go get our own plate of fries sitting on the side of the bar because the bartenders were too busy to see it sitting there). We were forgiving because the service was nice when we got it, and we weren't in any rush to get drinks or food, but I can see this becoming a problem. Also, despite Glendon's close proximity to UCLA, the happy hour crowd was older and more business-type, but that may just be due to it being summer.

Come casual and prepared to sit back and you'll have a great time with great deals. I mean, it's better than sitting in traffic, right?

The Glendon Bar and Kitchen is located at 1071 Glendon Ave. in Westwood. Happy hours are every night at 4-7pm and 10pm-midnight.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: the BEAT

Do It. Also I Like to Rock at the Hammer.

This whole museum + cool concert thing sure is catching on, isn't it? Tonight we're headed on over to the Hammer Museum, which is kicking off its own free outdoor summer concert series, called Also I Like to Rock.

This month-long program is curated by KCRW and Buzz Bands LA, who definitely know a thing or two about up-and-coming local bands. For tonight's edition, they're featuring the dance-worthy Saint Motel and the edgy-rock Kitten, which just so happens to be led by a 15-year-old (but a pretty darn talented one at that!). Next week, look for mini-supergroup Admiral Radley, and beyond that, the rising Fitz and the Tantrums. There'll also be appearances by your favorite KCRW DJs (Garth Trinidad's soothing voice in person?!), and of course, the galleries for your perusal (open until 9pm).

The fun is set to officially begin at 8pm, but seeing as how these cool free L.A. events have become quite the uber-popular, stretching-into-almost-annoying settings as of late, you better plan early. Not just an hour before showtime early, but really early. Trust me. Or you can invest in a "Rock the Summer" pass courtesy of KCRW, which will get you express (but not guaranteed) entry into all the AILTR shows plus some of those awesome KCRW benefits (and it's tax-deductible!).

The Hammer Museum is located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. Parking is $3 after 6pm (but really..you might need to show up earlier).

-- Chau Tu

Check It. The Rhino Records pop-up store.

If you didn't get your vinyl and limited-edition fix on Record Store Day, you've got another chance as the original Rhino Records resurrects itself as a pop-up store for two weeks in Westwood.

The music store originally closed in 2006, but former owner Richard Foos is moving to New York soon and doesn't want to lug his massive musical collection with him. So, lucky for you, he's opening up shop until May 31st to sell off his thousands of LPs, 45s, CDs, and DVDs, with all the proceeds benefiting Chrysalis Enterprises, an organization that helps jobless and homeless people find employment.

The pop-up store will also be holding in-store shows and events with bands like Mike Watt + The Missingmen and a screening of "No Autographs, No Encores," a documentary on Nirvana's first live performance outside of Seattle, which just happened to take place at the Rhino store. May 31 will host acts that are closely associated with the store's history and the Rhino label that it later spawned.

The merchandise is all first-come, first-served, obviously, and there are sure to be some great rarities and gems to be found, so go celebrate some music history and hopefully take some home too.

The Rhino Records pop-up store is located at 1740 Westwood Blvd. in Westwood.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Rhino Records