More Lifestyles category, Page 28
Homes: Storage that goes well beyond the utilitarian
You might think of storage cabinets as utilitarian. But designers are forever fascinated with how a simple cupboard can be built, dressed and adorned in ways that showcase craftsmanship and inventiveness. There are sleek, low-slung consoles with jewelry-esque handles. Swanky Deco-style bar cabinets. Rustic credenzas hewn of timber. And some...
Remembering Mother’s Day: Despite the whirlwind around them, some moms make it look easy
Being a mom isn’t for the faint of heart. Gone are the days when the mother of the household was expected to stay at home, raise children, cook and clean. Today’s moms hold down 40-hour-a-week-plus jobs. They volunteer. They run businesses, home-school their kids — and so much more. Overcoming...
You can still make Mother’s Day special with last-minute plans, gifts
Mother’s Day is almost upon us. If you’re a good child, you’ve already made plans for celebrating that special someone who has loved you and cared for you since the day you entered the world. If you’re still scrambling, though, don’t panic. Here are a few ideas for ensuring that...
America’s love affair with the lawn is getting messy
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — LeighAnn Ferrara is transforming her small suburban yard from grass bordered by a few shrubs into an anti-lawn — a patchwork of flower beds, vegetables and fruit trees. It didn’t happen all at once, says the mother of two young kids. “We started smothering small sections...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: May 6-8
Photos and fun Work by members of the Westmoreland Photographers Society will be featured at Art After Hours, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Photographers will be on hand to meet with guests and discuss photos showing in...
Latin music, Mexican treats await during downtown Latrobe’s Fiesta Fourth
If you can’t wait until Cinco de Mayo, the merchants of downtown Latrobe are offering a Fiesta Fourth from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. It’s a South of the Border twist to the business district’s monthly Shop Hop events, when participating retailers stay open later than usual with special offers...
Millennial Money: A loved one owes you money. Now what?
Your sibling asked you to cover their rent for a couple of months while they were between jobs. Or maybe you loaned a friend a few hundred bucks for a car repair they couldn’t afford. You’d do anything to help those you love. And you did. But what should you...
Tiny tractors add interest to annual farm equipment show in East HuntingdonVideo
Activities for Sunday’s final day of the annual Hammer-In and Plow Days in East Huntingdon were scaled back as sporadic rainstorms moved through the area. Tractors and other machinery gathered for the event by the Fort Allen Antique Farm Equipment Association mostly remained silent after plowing and parading the previous...
Advance care planning for guns: Owners can help ensure safe use and transfer of weapons
Kerri Raissian didn’t know what to do about her father’s guns when he died of covid-19 in December at age 86 and left her executor of his estate. Her father, Max McGaughey, hadn’t left a complete list of his firearms and where they were stored, and he hadn’t prepared a...
Your dog’s personality may have little to do with its breed
Research confirms what dog lovers know — every pup is truly an individual. Many of the popular stereotypes about the behavior of golden retrievers, poodles or schnauzers, for example, aren’t supported by science, according to a new study. “There is a huge amount of behavioral variation in every breed, and...
Animal Friends of Westmoreland dance-off returns live to The Palace
Amateur and professional dancers will once again tread the boards of The Palace Theatre, as the popular Dancing With the Celebrities competition returns live on May 6. A signature fundraiser of the Animal Friends of Westmoreland, the dance-off was canceled in 2020 and presented in virtual form in 2021. “It’s...
Rounding life’s second curve a hard road of self discovery
NEW YORK — It took Jack Craven 20 years to grasp that running his family’s wholesale business selling goods to discount stores wasn’t how he wanted to spend the second half of his life. He also figured out his ever-mounting unhappiness had taken a toll on his relationships with loved...
Greensburg Night Market opens with larger footprint, more vendors
The monthly Greensburg Night Market returns Thursday for its fourth year, with an expanded footprint covering three downtown city blocks. Set for 5:30-9 p.m., the market will stretch along South Pennsylvania Avenue from West Otterman Street to West Third Street. About 80 vendors will be present. “We’ve been wanting to...
In a multigenerational home, design choices can be emotional
ALLISON PARK — Should the hanging from Thailand stay on the living-room wall where it has lived since I was born? Should we lay out the family room as it was when I was 8, when I was 17 or in a completely new configuration? Should we leave my mother’s...
Ligonier Township couple raise exotic poultry in rustic setting
Nestled in a Ligonier Township hollow, a rustic cabin sits among the trees with a stream running along either side. Ducks dabble in a stone-lined pond, while chickens strut around the grounds. The idyllic scene is home to Dave and Rosslyn Kemerer, a young couple who are living out their...
Plant sales at Penguin Court, Compass Inn feature pollinator-friendly native species
Native plants added to area gardens and flower beds tend to require minimal maintenance, and they help support pollinators such as birds, bees and butterflies. A number of varieties of these plants indigenous to Pennsylvania and surrounding states are grown each year at Laughlintown’s Penguin Court preserve and will be...
Find out and fix what Big Data says about you
I thought I knew all about the information that consumer reporting agencies were collecting on me. Then I discovered The Work Number — a database that reports every paycheck I’ve received from my company, with net and gross amounts, going back to my hire date six years ago. Another consumer...
Holiday warning: Easter lilies can kill your cat
As people decorate homes for the Easter holiday, there’s a fresh warning about a certain flower. Easter lilies — those lanky, white beauties of spring — are extremely toxic to cats. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, any plant in the lily family, including daylilies, is deadly for cats....
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: April 8-10
Get your Kix The hard-rock, glam-metal band Kix will take the stage at 8 p.m. Friday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. The band’s 1988 release, “Blow My Fuse,” went platinum, with the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes” peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100....
Robots are on the move at Carnegie Science Center
“Warning, warning Will Robinson!” is how B-9, the robot from “Lost in Space,” might put it. The Carnegie Science Center’s Robot Hall of Fame, of which B-9 is a member, has been permanently moved from the second floor to the ground level lobby of The Rangos Giant Cinema. In addition,...
Sandcastle to open early with new look, first new slide in 10 years
Like its sister attractions Kennywood and Idlewild & SoakZone, Sandcastle will open earlier than usual this season. On Friday, the water park in West Homestead announced opening day is May 21 — a week prior to the traditional Memorial Day weekend start. Kennywood opens April 16 and Idlewild on May...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: April 1-3
Whodunit? Renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht will engage in “A Pathological Discussion,” with sessions at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. With host John McIntire, the 91-year-old Wecht will cover cases of notorious deaths, including those of Jeffrey...
Edmunds: Should you fix your car or buy new?
Perhaps this scenario is familiar to you. Your car broke down and now you’re faced with a costly repair bill. It may not have been the first time this has happened and you’re getting tired of pouring money into an aging machine. A new car would be nice, but is...
4 big expenses you could face in retirement
Retirement planning is part savings, part guessing game. While many of your day-to-day expenses will remain the same, there are big-ticket categories that can take a large bite out of your savings. The more you can plan, the better prepared you’ll be to weather the costs. Here are four expenses...
Millennial Money: Please don’t go broke attending weddings
Sure, you want to feel joy and love upon receiving a wedding invitation. But one little postcard or email can also pack loads of pricey pressure. Perhaps you must secure travel and lodging, buy gifts and attire, or call off work. Or maybe you have the honor — and extra...
