Personal Services in Los Angeles

Knobby bonsai trees and cacti sprout wildly in the front yard, corralled by a hand painted stone wall bearing tarot motifs and the studio's name, House of Intuition Healing Studio. Small painted symbols even grace a few of the steps leading up to the house, establishing a cosmic energy that extends into the house's private treatment rooms and spiritual boutique.

Inside, experienced healers provide counsel and insight as they administer tarot readings, I Ching, reiki, and clairvoyant readings. During aura readings, healers leverage their sense of intuition to pinpoint energies surrounding the body and light bulbs hovering above the head. They further delve into manifestations of self during past-life consultations, which explore patterns of experience.

In the boutique, crystals of all sizes and colors glint and shimmer under display lights. Some items, such as purifying bath salts, dressed magic candles, and anointing potions, are created by the studio's staff.

Jill Taylor draws on nearly two decades of psychic experience to delve into current and past lives, particularly in regard to love and relationships. Neon signs beckon guests into a serene interior, where Taylor taps into her education in an array of psychic modalities, including palm, tarot-card, and crystal readings, helping patrons connect with their life energy by building self-awareness and plugging their heads into their bellybuttons.

Toygaroo, which got its start on ABC's Shark Tank, loans out its large selection of more than 500 playthings from brands such as Fisher-Price, Baby Einstein, and VTech to youngsters of all ages. With a Joey package (a $34.99 value / month), children select four toys each month, which Toygaroo then delivers to their doors via FedEx or freelance stork. Tots aged 1–3 can press musical-note-shaped buttons on the body of a Mickey Mouse guitar to kick out riffs and rock-'n'-roll sound effects, while toddlers six months and older can construct tottering colorful bowl-towers from Fisher-Price Stack & Roll Cups. Toygaroo charges no late fees, so customers can hold onto toys for as long as they want, but when they’re ready to part with an item, they’ll rewrap it in its original packaging, slap on an included return-shipping label, and call an off-duty Santa Claus to come pick it up.

Wheel Fun Rentals’ gleaming fleet of pedal-powered wheelmobiles rejuvenate the line between points A and B. Shiny cruisers ($10/hr. at Lake Balboa; $12/hr. at Shoreline) await solo cyclists, and tandems ($15/hr. or $35/full day) act as catalysts for the perfect outdoor date for a sun-seeking couple or a farmer and his prized pumpkin. A four-wheeled single surrey ($20/hr.)—the mutant offspring of a golf cart and paddleboat—comfortably accommodates three adults and two children, and up to six adults and a pair of children can pile into a double surrey ($30/hr.) and attempt to break the sound barrier.