Connecticut Guide and Deals

State-licensed massage therapist (license #004958) A. Malaika Sharp cultivates relaxation and targets each client's unique issues with a focused menu of services. She can shoo everyday stress away through basic relaxation massages, but she’s as focused on function as she is on feeling good. An avid martial artist and cyclist, Sharp consults with all clients to understand the ways they use their bodies for work and recreation. That helps her pick out distinct patterns of motion and coax bad habits or stored tension out of muscles, whether she’s targeting chronic aches through deep-tissue techniques or helping athletes recover from strenuous duck-duck-goose training through sports massage. Or, for those suffering from headaches and migraines, she can incorporate trigger-point therapy. Sharp is also a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and is certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

Founded in 1903, New Britain Museum of American Art was designated the first museum in the country to be dedicated exclusively to American artwork. Upon its founding, wealthy industrialist John Butler Talcott endowed the museum with a hefty sum of gold bonds and bottled phoenix tears with which to purchase modern oil paintings. The collection blossomed to include other artistic media over time, and it now consists of more than 10,000 works spanning more than three centuries of American creative endeavor. The museum's permanent collections showcase works by noted American artists ranging from Norman Rockwell to John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt to Georgia O'Keeffe. Along with rotating exhibitions and borrowed collections, the museum showcases work by emerging artists.

Inflated structures, slides, and games fill the climate-controlled environs of the numerous BounceU locations that speckle the nation. At each site, staff members closely monitor all activities as little ones traverse obstacle courses or pull on oversized inflatable boxing gloves. The crew also invites parents to join in on the fun, letting them bounce alongside their kids or make sweeping edicts from atop a bouncy-castle throne.

In addition to open sessions, the indoor-play haven sets the stage for Pre-K and Play Classes, where instructors lead games and activities. Special events include Create and Bounce, which lets kids bounce and paint the day away so their parents can do grownup things, such as eat marshmallows with a knife and fork.

From their three locations, the auto mavens at Platinum Car Wash & Oil employ advanced water-reclamation systems and power-conscious equipment during cleaning and maintenance services. The facility's full-service car-wash tunnels spray paint jobs with Simoniz soaps, waxes, and foams before staff members dab rides with microfiber towels. They continue hands-on touch during signature or 20-minute express detailing sessions that unfold as auto owners explore the waiting area's magazines, complimentary WiFi, or leather couch cushions.

Opposed to using recycled or reprocessed oils, the crew spurs pistons with Mobil oil and complimentary top-offs between services. They also help boost car with lube services, such as transmission drains, tire rotations, and VPS fuel-rail services that dislodge harmful debris and misplaced CDs from fuel- and air-intake systems.

Shelves stretch across the walls of The Pottery Piazza Studio, abounding with more than 1,500 bisque mugs, plates, and figurines in need of decoration. Beside them sit stencils, brushes, bottles of paint, and more than 100 types of glaze. At the tables, clients adorn their blank bisque canvases with paint while sipping from their favorite home-brought wine. Staff members stroll up and down the store, eagerly awaiting their chance to offer advice on the best ways to design a piece, perform artistic techniques, or accidentally drop incriminating evidence into the kiln. During fairer weather, painters lay claim to the tables on the front patio, painting, snacking, and socializing alfresco style. Throughout the year, the shop hosts special events, including private parties, kids' summer camps, and BYOB ladies nights.

Ten kinds of beds, two types of spray tans, and one hydration station make up Aloha Tanning, a studio manned by helpful tanning experts with more than 20 years of experience. Clients looking for a quick fix can step into the Mystic spray tan booth for a streak-free tan in 60 seconds. Those in desire of a more customized bronze can head to a master-certified technician, who airbrushes skin with Norvell tanning spray or by dipping a photoshop CD in some tanning lotion and rubbing it on your skin. Soliel, Elixer, and Diva Tower beds and booths await in the UV rooms, where clients can soak in rays through adjustable face lamps and high- and low-pressure body lamps. For an extra treat, three kinds of KBL beds not only deliver sunshine, but also aromatherapy and satellite radio. After their tanning session, customers can darken their newfound glow at the hydration station, designed to burn calories and improve skin’s overall appearance.