Alan Bilzerian
You're buzzed in the front door like it's a speakeasy, quickly greeted hello, and then given merciful room to roam. From Petrol-leather zip boots by Carol Christian Poell to handcrafted Italian cap-toe sneakers, Alan Bilzerian has your inner foot fetishist in mind when he curates his selection of stylish hoof art. 34 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, alanbilzerian.com.
Dew Luxe
Photograph by Jared Kuzia An Hermès scarf for $350? A Burberry trench for $500? This isn't the end-of-season sale at Barneys, just the everyday deals found at Michaela Bavis's twee luxury consignment shop in South Boston. The sleek repository of new and lightly used high-end designer pieces includes suits, cocktail dresses, handbags, and heels from the likes of Chanel, Valentino, and Louboutin. Don't skip over the accessories display case, either; those oversize Bulgari sunglasses might finally be within your grasp. 36 A St., South Boston, MA 02127, dewluxe.com.
Little Flippers Swim School
Devoted to children's lessons, this pool is kept at 89 degrees. Equally warm instructors tempt kids underwater with an arsenal of colorful foam toys and treasure tokens they can trade in for prizes. With spotless facilities, a comfortable waiting area with toys for siblings, and towels and swim diapers available for purchase if you've forgotten yours, this place runs swimmingly. 7 Strathmore Rd., Natick, MA 01760, littleflippersswim.com.
Elisabeth Accardi, Upon a Star Events
With the friendliest vibe in the business, Accardi pinpoints your vision (and budget), creating kid-friendly bashes with unforgettable touches—ice-blue marshmallow fondue, retro toy stations, DIY designer-bag crafts. Employing former babysitters as her high-energy helpers, the Andover mom and former stage actress specializes in birthdays and bar/bat mitzvahs, but can make magic wherever you need to keep a group of kids entertained. uponastar.net.
Dungeon Rock, Lynn Woods Reservation
If your kids are balking at the prospect of a walk, tempt them with a trek to this spooky site. A gentle one-mile round-trip walk takes you to a 174-foot cave, once a hiding spot for a 17th-century pirate. Go between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, when the park ranger props open the heavy iron door, then descend a wooden staircase and explore the tunnel within. ci.lynn.ma.us/citydepartments_lynnwoods.shtml..
Muckykids Art Studio
Each week, director Liz Vance comes up with several new projects—from doll quilts to magnetic sculptures to homemade slime—and arranges supplies on tables in her studio. A helper or two is always around, but the tidy, colorful stations are so inviting, you'll likely find yourself up to your elbows in oobleck, too. 1776 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140, muckykids.com.
The Kirkland Tap and Trotter
This mellow gastropub goes beyond carnival fare with nourishing plates like house-made spaghetti with meat sauce, or fish and chips, all accompanied by fresh, organic veggies. The space is so big that yowling tots won't raise brows, and servers happily accommodate the smaller set (in other words, modifications aren't frowned upon). 425 Washington St., Somerville, MA 02143, kirklandtapandtrotter.com.
Exhale Battery Wharf
Whether prepping for a big race or recovering post-CrossFit, the sports massage at Exhale Battery Wharf is a workout-regimen must. After a pre-massage consultation identifying trouble spots, let your 30-, 60-, or 90-minute treatment melt away tension, then enjoy luxurious amenities like the hammam—a steamless Turkish sauna that melts away stress. First pain, then gain. 2 Battery Wharf, Boston, MA 02109, exhalespa.com.
Bliss
After hunching over a keyboard all week, nothing does a body better than a full-body massage. Enter the newly renovated Bliss facility at the W Hotel, which offers a "Blissage" treatment perfect for wound-up muscles. Using hydrating creams and warming oils from the Bliss line, therapists tailor each massage to your concerns, taking care of knots you didn't even know existed. 100 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116, blissworld.com.
Alan Rouleau Couture
Photograph by Pat Piasecki If you're going to drop a few grand on a suit, you might as well have it built from the ground up. Alan Rouleau—called one of America's finest suit makers—can design, cut, and sew a custom ensemble made from your choice of fine Italian and British fabrics. Select the lining, buttons, and lapel, then consider a pair of custom python boots, sold exclusively through Rouleau. 85 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, alanrouleau.com.
Drybar
Why fight your tresses when a professional can do it while you sip a latte? At Drybar, highly skilled hair wranglers create polished manes regardless of how their clients looked when they walked in. We love that it's easy to book online in 15-minute increments, that they start so early (beginning at 7 a.m. every day but Sunday), and that the products smell delightful. Warning: could be habit-forming. 234 Clarendon St., Boston, MA 02116, thedrybar.com.
Rebecca Pacheco
Photograph by Jonathan Pozniak Rebecca Pacheco, a South End resident whose first book, Do Your Om Thing, was recently published by HarperCollins, teaches her brand of traditional yoga mixed with modern philosophy at Equinox and in private practice. (She also posts videos on runnersworld.com and on her popular blog, Om Gal.) Her classes are fun and perfect for all experience levels, with absolutely zero judgment. rebeccapacheco.com.
Natural Cleaning Service
We dislike the cloying odor of synthetic perfumes. But finding a cleaning service willing to vigorously attack the cat hair, bathtub scum, and shelf dust without resorting to chemical warfare is always challenging. Flavia Abranches has been in the cleaning business for 17 years, offering a detail-oriented approach to every space (including the inside of your refrigerator) using old-fashioned soap and elbow grease.
The Liberty Hotel
Built into the former Charles Street jail, the Liberty was designed to cleverly highlight the original building's mid-19th-century monumentality. Despite its jailhouse origins, the hotel's rooms are captivating (in a good way), with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of amenities. There's also complimentary yoga on Saturdays and bicycles for touring around Beacon Hill. Skipping either would be criminal. 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, libertyhotel.com.
Eyestarr
Not to be confused with those glue-on falsies of yore, lash extensions are painstakingly applied, one by one, to your own lashes. Sound extravagant? Perhaps, but skilled lash masters like Andrea Starr, of Eyestarr, have begun taking extensions from special-occasion accessory to daily must-have. Starr's work is both meticulous and natural-looking. From her bright, sunny shop on Newbury Street, a boldface clientele emerges batting a thousand. 291 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, eyestarr.com.