Wicked Cheap in Boston

I would like to challenge Eleanor Roosevelt.

A quick google search pinpoints her as the source of a quote that you’ll also find in 99% of all graduation speeches.  It’s plastered over Pinterest.  It’s been photoshopped onto landscapes.  It’s downright irksome.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

With all do respect, Mrs. Roosevelt…

Really? EVERY day? At what point do you stop searching for terrifying situations and actually start enjoying yourself? I know, I know, it’s a figure of speech and perhaps not meant to be taken literally but still.

With that said, I’d like to present you with my own advice.

“Do something that scares you when the opportunity presents itself.”

As I’ve talked about before, writing this blog has offered me some pretty awesome opportunities. Last week, a scary situation (for me) presented itself in the form of a friendly email. I was contacted by Bristol Studios, a local recording studio and vocal school, and asked if I’d want to try a couple voice lessons.

My first instinct was NOPE. NO THANKS. PLEASE FIND ANOTHER BLOGGER. But then I thought a bit more.  That automatic refusal was just fear.  And if I gave into that, I’d be letting ol’ Eleanor down.

A bit of a background – I studied music for many years.  From piano lessons, a rough year screeching on a violin, and finally finding my niche with flute.  I double majored in college – psychology and music.  And somehow, through all that time, I deftly avoided singing in front of other people.  It’s not that I was tone deaf or that I couldn’t carry a tune.  It just made me extremely uncomfortable. So the thought of having to go into a voice lesson and sing for someone who, you know, knows what they’re doing, was intimidating.

Which, I thought, was the perfect reason to say yes.

So last week I found myself in a room with Ric Poulin, the owner of Bristol, yelling at a wall and actually feeling pretty good about it.

Bristol Voice Studios offers a unique and effective vocal method for all styles of contemporary music not found anywhere else!

Bristol Studios offers half hour voice lessons that take the student through three levels.  The first level focuses on the basics – breathing, vowel shapes, the four basic tones, and building a repertoire and typically lasts 10-12 weeks.  Ric’s confidence comes from 20+ years of experience training singers from the completely inexperienced to those coming across the street from the music-school-you’ve-all-heard-of.  He assured me that truly anyone can learn to sing. It’s all about taking it step by step and having a good foundation in the basics. His method was developed over time and realizing what other vocal teachers weren’t doing.  You won’t find this method anywhere else.  In addition to voice lessons, Bristol offers recording and performance workshops as well as artist development.

I left my first lesson feeling confident.  There was a spring in my step. My dream of learning banjo and becoming the next folk sensation one small step closer to reality.  It’ll happen.

There’s something truly valuable in pushing yourself to do that which scares you.  Not EVERY day, but often enough.  Saying yes when your first inclination is a fearful NOPE can lead to fantastic things.  You may even surprise yourself and like it!

So, what do you say? Wanna try singing?

Bristol Studios will have an offer up on Living Social this Saturday, April 6 – two voice lessons for $59.

Disclosure: I was given two complimentary voice lessons thanks to Bristol but was not otherwise compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.

A few weeks ago, I decided to give up sweets until Easter.  I was a few days late on the whole Lent thing but I figured Easter would be a good goal date.  So far, I’ve done well.  I’ve avoided the Easter Trifecta Of Yum (Cadbury Mini Eggs, Creme Eggs and Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg).  I’ve avoided the siren song of the Girl Scout cookies that magically appeared in the office kitchen.  I’ve gotten REAL grumpy during daydreams of ice cream. But I’ve quieted those cravings and have traded chocolate for fruit.  Yeah, I’m THAT girl.

But then, this happened:

The lovely, lovely people at Rosie’s Bakery asked if they could possibly deliver some treats to me for review.  Momma didn’t raise no fool. Of course I said yes.

I had passed the Rosie’s Bakery kiosk at South Station plenty of times without trying it out.  After these samples, I’ll be stopping next time.

For Passover (starting March 25) and Easter (March 31), Rosie’s is offering a special menu of desserts.   I got to try the Chocolate Coconut Macaroon, Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroon, Chocolate Caramel Matzoh Crunch, Passover Brownie and the Chocolate Delirium Cake (which happens to be Gluten Free).

The will power I had been working on was indeed put to the test.  But I have an important announcement to make: I am now the type of person who can have a box full of ridiculously good looking desserts in my apartment for two days without eating them. SAY WHAT.

I got the goods on Wednesday, tried a nibble of the Matzoh Crunch, and then resisted everything until Friday night when I had friends over so I could share the wealth.  I’ve been patting myself on the back ever since.

The Chocolate Coconut Macaroon was my favorite hands down.  Really nice texture, sweet but not too sweet, A+.  The Chocolate Delirium was SO rich and dense – definitely something to share.  The brownie was ooey gooey delicious.  The Chocolate Caramel Matzoh Crunch was really good when I tried it fresh, but it felt a little stale by Friday and stuck to our teeth.  The only thing I probably wouldn’t order again was the Chocolate Dipped Almond Macaroon – just not my thing.

Rosie’s Bakery started in Harvard Square 37 years ago by Judy Rosenberg. Judy’s mission speaks to me:

My mission at Rosie’s Bakery is to provide you with luscious indulgences that lift your spirits and reward you for a good week’s work and a lot of self discipline! For that reason, I don’t scrimp on the good things: creamery butter, rich chocolate, fresh cream, unbleached flour, whole eggs, pure cane sugar, fresh fruit and nuts are my staples. We use no preservatives or chemicals.

If you’re going to give in to those cravings, go all out.

Kate over at BostonOnBudget offered to write a guest post for me today featuring what she did on a cheap day out last weekend.  Kate’s blog is a lot like how Wicked Cheap in Boston started  - she shares deals and cheap events in and around the city.

There are so many fun and cheap things to do in the city, especially on the weekends. Molly was so kind to let me share a few fun ideas to do on the weekend, and share a little bit of my Sunday fun with you!

I had initially wanted to head into Cambridge to explore some free museums on Sunday morning. However, with daylight savings, and my husband’s lack of enthusiasm for early morning museums, we decided to have a laid-back and inexpensive Sunday instead.

Here are a few things we did in the city to help keep the costs down, while having an enjoyable day:

We stopped at McGreevy’s for a little nourishment, and grabbed $1 Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwiches, (which are available every weekend from 10am to 3pm).

We strolled down Newbury and Boylston, and stopped into Georgetown Cupcakes, who tweets free cupcake code words every morning. They only give 100 free cupcakes away a day, so if you are looking for a free cupcake, get there on the earlier side.

We also took my young puppy to Castle Island for her first time, which she loved. She enjoyed chasing the birds, playing in the snow, and meeting new furry friends.

We also grabbed Hot Dogs at Sullivan’s for $1.60 each, which I’ll gladly pay for a little taste of spring!

It was a simple and laid-back day, but also really fun and affordable. Molly has a great list of food deals and cheap stuff to do in the city if you are looking for fun ideas. My website, BostonOnBudget.com, also has a great list of discounted things to do and cheap eats in Boston. There are so many free or inexpensive things to do in Boston; all you have to do is explore! Enjoy!

-Kate at BostonOnBudget.com