On yelp, when you hover over two stars it says "Could've been better", and for three stars, it says…read more"OK". My experience at TLC wasn't OK. We started out talking with Gina who was a peach. She was friendly, responsive and communicative. She got me all the paperwork to start my son, and I felt great about it. The same day I filed that paperwork, they sent out an email about a tuition increase. I was shocked because I literally stood right in front of them, probably while the email had already been drafted, and nobody decided to tell me. From there, I had a bit of a snag with some medical documents, which meant we missed our original start date. We had everything sorted out by Wednesday, but despite the fact that my kid would only be attending part time, they advised they would not be willing to work with me in terms of full time versus part time tuition, so I kept him out for the full first week, which as a single mother working full-time wasn't excellent. After some time, I learned that there were several part time kids at the location who paid part time rates, but they didn't want to offer that to our family for some reason. Once we started, I expected the teachers to introduce themselves, especially since we started during COVID, so I didn't get to go into the school or even see these women's faces... but nope. I only learned one of their names, because the other teachers would call her over to receive checks - yes, that's right, it's 2021 and this place still ONLY accepts checks. Speaking of checks, on our second week there, I handed one to one of the teachers at drop off, and it apparently got lost. The director, Julie, emailed me several weeks later to try to shake me down (the abrasive tone of this email is what ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back for me). When I told her that I wished she'd told me sooner, she advised that not telling parents about their missed payments was a "courtesy"? lol. Like, just say that you forgot, don't make something up about trying to do me a favor while messing up my bank ledger. At that point, I started digging, and realized that they'd been gladly charging me the higher tuition rate that hadn't come into practice yet and for full time status while my kid was part time... but had the audacity to treat me like the jerk for them losing one of my checks, claiming i'd missed a payment like they were some kind of collections agency and not someone I was trusting my child with. In all, I overpaid $635 to this school, who tried to shake me down for $300. I called them out for the questionable tone, math, and ethics, but didn't receive a response. Icing on the cake, I asked them to waive the two month withdrawal policy, and they did, as a courtesy, and said my son would be withdrawn "effective immediately"... like did you just expel my 3 year old? Anyway. The teachers were nice, the kids and families are good. The school itself is small but seemingly tight knit. I know a lot of people who have had good experiences there, but overall, I was really dissatisfied and felt that I was being treated like an ATM versus a customer who was entrusting their child with care providers. But only if an ATM required writing paper checks in 2021 - I'm still blown away by that one!

We have been taking our infant to the **Cambridge** location part-time since the end of October. I…read morecannot speak much re: Julie, the owner, who I only dealt with during the registration process and she doesn't appear to be at the Cambridge location much. I can't say enough about the Cambridge location. It's small, but I think that adds to the family-like atmosphere I experience there. I am 100% positive I am leaving my baby in wonderful hands. You can tell all the staff adores her and she gets tons of love. All the teachers, including those not in her "room" and the location's director, Gina, know my girl and her personality. And they know all the other kids too. The infant teachers, Sonia and Dinora, are great. I can tell my daughter loves it there. Is it the fanciest day care in the world? No. But we aren't the fanciest people in the world. What it lacks in frills it makes up for with a family-atmosphere, love, attention, learning, and play. We are moving soon and I am incredibly sad to leave. If it wouldn't add hours to our commutes, I'd be keeping my daughter there, no question!

I asked for a quote. I think it is overpriced and they want…read moreyou to buy a package.

I have taken two years of Italian lessons with Sabrina and am very pleased with the lessons and…read moreresults. I can now read easy books, take part in a basic conversation, ask qustions on the phone with hotels, for instance, and much to my delight not being answered in English. Voglio dimostrare che quello che ho detto e vero. Se chi sono errori sono miei errori e non e colpa di Sabrina. E un piacere e vale la pena d'imparare o migliorare su italiano con Sabrina.

I have worked with Boston Reboot for the past 2 years. Sal, the owner is attentive, knowledgeable,…read moreand way better than dragging your computer or iPhone into the Apple tore for a tune-up. HE MAKES HOUSE CALLS! He has the patience and know-how to address anything from the smallest to most complicated issues, and he never makes me feel stupid for not knowing simple fixes. He's taken the time to teach me how to do things myself, and he has also gone out of his way to order or pick up parts or accessories for me, like a backup drive, DVD's, adaptors, etc., saving me a trip. He looks for the best prices, works efficiently, and makes sure I am backing up and updating software regularly. I have worked with many other computer professionals throughout the years, but none have been as brilliant at solving problems, as well as patient and accommodating, all for a very reasonable price. I will continue to work with Sal as long as I continue to have Apple products in my house, which will be a long time!

I've collaborated with CDSC for many years, and been impressed at every turn with their ability to…read moreprovide successful conflict resolution strategies for communities of all kinds. They do so with skill, energy and heart. CDSC is a wonderful resource for those in need of mediation services as well as for groups and individuals who can benefit from conflict-resolution training.

The mediators meant well, but they were entirely ineffective. In their attempt to be "nice" they…read moredemonstrated a lack of "kindness." For two hours the mediators sat by and allowed the other participant to bully me - the reason we needed mediation in the first place - the other participant consistently silences (bullies) me, while I try desperately to get her to understand how she is harming me. I left the session feeling invalidated and demoralized - traumatized. This is not just sour grapes. I've participated in effective mediation before. Mediators need both heart and spine - "strong back, soft belly". They need to be Upstanders instead of bystanders. When mediators react with silence in the face of bullying it makes them complicit in the abuse. "How do you feel when you are ignored?" - That's the question I asked the other participant - and then to the two mediators. Nobody had an answer for me. That demonstrates a lack of empathy. More than anything else, mediators need empathy. "Free" (pro-bono) is relative when the service provided causes harm. It's a bit like "free" 12-step groups - ironically the subject at the heart of our dispute!

I was looking for a yoga studio in Somerville and stumbled upon Mota. This studio is above Bloc…read moreCafe, right in the heart of Union Square. I've been to two classes so far with two different instructors and enjoyed them both. The hot yoga class is set at a perfect temperature - you can feel the heat, but it doesn't distract you from your movements or flow. Everyone here (members included) have been really nice and the studio has a very welcoming atmosphere. I get really nervous going to new gyms or studios, but the second I stepped into this studio, all of that nervousness dissipated. They had a special rate ($55 for 1 month) during the summer, but I'm not sure that's offered year round. I believe they have new member pricing for anyone who is interested in trying out the studio for a couple weeks before committing to a membership. Most people bring their own mats, but they have some mats available at the studio if you don't have one/forget it. Recommend!

Wonderful staff and classes. I bring everyone here :) website/app signup can be tricky but it's…read moreworth it!

I visited Cass for the first time for one of their Monday evening flower arranging classes! This…read moreone was called tulipmania, and lasted 90 minutes (actually took about 75 min). Booking online was easy and the price was very reasonable (55$). The class size was great (there were about 10 of us) and the instructor was engaging and clearly very knowledgeable about flowers. She spent about half the time talking about tulips and showing us how to create an arrangement, and then passed around flowers for all participants to try. If we asked, she offered feedback about the shape of the arrangement but generally left us to our own devices (this was fine with me, since I attended with a friend just for fun). We were able to take the arrangements home in our vase. They have a whole series of flower arranging classes, ranging from these types of one off events to a full professional floral design course. A great place to learn!

I have been to a few classes and been underwhelmed each time, but arranging flowers is soothing…read moreesp. if you go with a friend and go for a meal before or after. The arrangements are very basic 1950s or 1960s styles in a shabby, uncared-for venue, even though they coin it with these classes. On a few occasions I've registered uncalled for snarkiness toward some class participants but ignored it. But in a recent class my friend, who was a first-timer felt uncomfortable about the repeated remarks directed toward a participant who came on her own. The flowers were also not in great condition, nor was the arrangement particularly interesting. People come to the classes because they want to learn and have a relaxing evening. It would be nice if the teachers remembered that.

My son is so happy at Kesher that we can now use the threat of "not being able to go to school…read moretoday" as a very effective incentive to hurry up the getting dressed process every morning. I have no idea what the previous review could be referring to -- we're constantly impressed by the social-emotional learning, creativity, and kindness of the educators and the curriculum. We're very glad to be part of this community.

This used to be a wonderful preschool. However, based on recent experience, I believe it is now an…read moreunsafe environment for kids, both emotionally and physically.

As I understand it, daily deals run on the regular for Harvard Bartending Course's full-day class…read more At a discount, this is a solid value for two very specific types of people: 1. You intend on becoming a bartender. To be clear, I am explicitly excluding what some people call "mixologists" (where that term isn't yet passé). I mean, you'll be armed with the fundamental knowledge and skills to serve booze. Mostly to patrons who couldn't tell you (and probably don't care about) the difference between a daiquiri and a mai tai. 2. You're looking for a fun social activity to do. This could be with a significant other as a date, or with a group of friends that are interested in expanding their drink knowledge beyond Bud Light and Irish Car Bombs. Plus, you get the added bonus of becoming TIPS certified in case you decide to pursue a profession in bartending. The morning TIPS course is, by nature, somewhat dry and technical. Our instructor did a fine job with offering enough participant engagement and real-world anecdotes to spice things up. There's really only so much you can do to make a video-led instruction fun. For the "mixology" portion of the day, you'll actually get some hands-on application with speed pours and you'll experience what it's like to get behind a bar. You'll learn some information (or misinformation, in some cases) about alcohol products and their history. And finally, you'll get to practice slinging a number of classic cocktails. And by "classic cocktails" I mean "colored water mixtures at the same proportions that classic cocktails would be." That's right, folks. You will touch zero real booze products during your class here. Caveat emptor. All in all, it's a day of socializing and gabbing about drinking. And anyone who's against either of those activities is straight-up unpatriotic in my book.

This course was super informative and entertaining to take! For the TIPS portion, we watched a…read morebunch of scenarios and talked about them. The course instructor told us stories from his experiences throughout the lesson. We also had a few people volunteer to role play some of the instances. The mixology component was a ton of fun. We learned how to pour the correct amount of alcohol and how to prepare a number of mixed drinks. It was all around a ​great time!