The weather outside is frightful...as we suffer through yet another snowstorm in New England. So, while we wait patiently for the first day of spring to arrive (April 21st), I have come up with some fun ideas to do every day of the week to keep you busy when it's cold outside. Enjoy!
SUNDAY: This is your well-deserved day of rest. But first, cook up a nice big batch of homemade chicken soup or turkey chili (see my recipe in an earlier posting) so that you’ll have enough for the next few meals. Snuggle up on the couch and catch up on your favorite TV shows on your DVR. My faves include: The Real Housewives of Orange County (and NYC), Nip/Tuck, The Mentalist and Spain...On the Road Again. Because I feel it’s good to channel both your trashy and your cultured side.
MONDAY: Back to work. Roll out of bed, grab leftovers, get in car or on subway. At night, consider going to the gym, but instead, make your workout useful as well as energizing! Put on your ipod and shovel your driveway and walkway out to the sounds of Kanye West, Lady Gaga, The Killers and Katy Perry. While you are at it, throw in a little Madonna, Linkin Park and James Brown into the mix. That should get your blood pumping!
TUESDAY: It’s only Tuesday, but with a long, cold week ahead, why not jump-start the weekend in Harvard Square?! Every Tuesday at 7:00 is FREE live jazz at Redline. The Joe McMahon Trio, a Boston-based jazz trio of rotating members will play their hearts out for you while you eat tasty food and drink some stiff cocktails.
If you are still out and about…then head over for some weekly Karaoke at Charlie’s Kitchen around the corner in Harvard Square. Charlie’s has long been a favorite destination for college students and indie rockers who enjoy this bargain burger institution with a cold beer, basket of waffle fries, and a dash of kitsch. It starts late (around 9:30), but get a good seat at the bar and get ready to rock! http://www.redlinecambridge.com/
WEDNESDAY: There are many reasons to go out midweek, but others would insist that staying in and watching American Idol (Fox) followed by Lost (ABC) is a priority if not an obsession. So, if you are an Idol or Lost fanatic, put on your pj’s, order a pizza, and turn your cell phone on silent because you just can’t be disturbed while trying to follow your favorites either get booted off for their bad singing - or killed on a fictitious island. (If you do get the urge to go out, I suggest hitting the gym for a good sweat, then heading over to CVS to buy some extra tissues and cough drops in case you catch that nasty cold that’s been going around.) http://www.americanidol.com/ http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost
SUNDAY: This is your well-deserved day of rest. But first, cook up a nice big batch of homemade chicken soup or turkey chili (see my recipe in an earlier posting) so that you’ll have enough for the next few meals. Snuggle up on the couch and catch up on your favorite TV shows on your DVR. My faves include: The Real Housewives of Orange County (and NYC), Nip/Tuck, The Mentalist and Spain...On the Road Again. Because I feel it’s good to channel both your trashy and your cultured side.
MONDAY: Back to work. Roll out of bed, grab leftovers, get in car or on subway. At night, consider going to the gym, but instead, make your workout useful as well as energizing! Put on your ipod and shovel your driveway and walkway out to the sounds of Kanye West, Lady Gaga, The Killers and Katy Perry. While you are at it, throw in a little Madonna, Linkin Park and James Brown into the mix. That should get your blood pumping!
TUESDAY: It’s only Tuesday, but with a long, cold week ahead, why not jump-start the weekend in Harvard Square?! Every Tuesday at 7:00 is FREE live jazz at Redline. The Joe McMahon Trio, a Boston-based jazz trio of rotating members will play their hearts out for you while you eat tasty food and drink some stiff cocktails.
If you are still out and about…then head over for some weekly Karaoke at Charlie’s Kitchen around the corner in Harvard Square. Charlie’s has long been a favorite destination for college students and indie rockers who enjoy this bargain burger institution with a cold beer, basket of waffle fries, and a dash of kitsch. It starts late (around 9:30), but get a good seat at the bar and get ready to rock! http://www.redlinecambridge.com/
WEDNESDAY: There are many reasons to go out midweek, but others would insist that staying in and watching American Idol (Fox) followed by Lost (ABC) is a priority if not an obsession. So, if you are an Idol or Lost fanatic, put on your pj’s, order a pizza, and turn your cell phone on silent because you just can’t be disturbed while trying to follow your favorites either get booted off for their bad singing - or killed on a fictitious island. (If you do get the urge to go out, I suggest hitting the gym for a good sweat, then heading over to CVS to buy some extra tissues and cough drops in case you catch that nasty cold that’s been going around.) http://www.americanidol.com/ http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost
"Mujer Fatal," 2006 image courtesty of Shepard Fairey.THURSDAY: Every Thursday from 5:00-9:00 pm is FREE admission at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) Boston! So, grab your friends and head down to this funky museum dedicated to all things pop, edgy and modern. Have a glass of wine in the museum café and shopin the uber cool gift shop. Visit the brand new exhibit featuring the controversial and popular graffiti artist turned pop icon creator Shepard Fairey. You will know him from his iconic blue & red Obama portrait seen on stickers, subways and t-shirts throughout the presidential election. For those old skool skaters, you will know him as the creator of the ridiculous “Obey Andre” stickers that appeared on mailboxes, bumpers and notebooks across the country and the world in the early 90s. http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/fairey
FRIDAY: It’s date night! Grab your sweetie and head to dinner and movie. My new favorite thing to do is to go to the Patriot Place Showcase Cinema De Lux in Foxborough, MA. With so many great films out this year, it’s the perfect time to go see Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire (truly amazing), The Reader (intense) or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (uplifting). What better way to watch a movie then in a real restaurant high above the movie screen with your favorite cocktail and some buffalo wings? Good idea to reserve your tickets online during the weekends as they can sell out. http://www.patriot-place.com/Cinemadelux.aspx
SATURDAY: It’s party time! Make it a Girls Night Out and let loose! After such a long, cold week of slushy snow and freezing rain… why not put on some sexy heels, a new top, rocking pair of jeans and go dancing! There are plenty of free or inexpensive places to go in Boston to hear good live music. Visit http://www.going.com/ for their “Recession Busters” events for some great places with reduced admission guest lists or even FREE entry to spend your Saturday night!
Beacon Hill snow image courtesy of planetware.com
