Disclaimer #1: We realize the following may trigger flashbacks to that scene in Ghost. Disclaimer #2: We are 99.9 percent sure the following will be nothing like that scene in Ghost. How many times lately have you thought to yourself, I really need to work with my hands? Ten? Five? Okay, let's go with once. Once is definitely enough to make you appreciate the upcoming Wheelthrowing Intro at Mudflat Studio in Somerville. Hosted in the studio's new location at the former (and recently-renovated-with-$3.8-million, thank you very much) Broadway Theater, the workshop serves as a primer for those …

Note: For this week's Great Escape we're turning the format on its head, offering ideas that will help moms maintain sanity during the upcoming April break... call it the 'Great Inverted Escape'. Somerville and nearby organizations are offering affordable, creative and down-to-earth programs during your child's April vacation.    For artists and builders The Parts and Crafts Collective has organized a week of arts, science and engineering projects called “Making Things and Making Things Happen!” for children aged 7 to 12 at the Clarendon Hill Church, in West Somerville. From Monday through …

You have to like a business that posts lines like this on its Facebook page: “We’re open and our tubs are bubbling.” Inman Oasis in Cambridge combines two of the most relaxing treats you can give yourself: massage therapy and hot tubs for soaking in. And the wellness center’s “15 Squared” special makes it more affordable to escape there than you might expect. For $30, one of the center’s trained and certified massage therapists will give you a 15-minute massage, and then you can trot blissfully off for a 30-minute soak in one of their communal hot tubs (which hold 7 to 8 persons). To give you…

Are you suffering from cabin fever after keeping the kids entertained on snow days? Or perhaps you’re simply tired, harried and longing for an hour or two just for yourself. One way to have your strains and tension literally smoothed away is with a facial specifically designed for your complexion at Somerville’s Skin & Body Works. It lasts a full 55 minutes—consider it an hour just for you. All are welcome here, and the mini-spa makes a special effort for mothers. “We create an extremely comfortable atmosphere for mothers here,” said Kathleen Thomas, owner of Skin & Body Works, which opened …