More Lifestyles category, Page 35
Sandcastle’s Lazy River to flow once againVideo
The Lazy River at Sandcastle Waterpark took its time opening for a third consecutive season. After a monthlong delay, the water attraction in West Homestead is scheduled to finally begin flowing at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Sweltering temperatures and sun will coincide with the opening. View this post on Instagram A...
Living with Children: These 4 words are the most powerful in a parent’s vocabulary
We interrupt this weekly column with a three-question quiz, following which you will find the correct answers. 1. True or false? Telling a child that her feelings concerning a decision you have made are irrelevant and that you will not discuss the matter with her is likely to cause psychological...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 25-27
Live at the Lamp Well, the good ol’ days may not return — but at least live music is back at the Lamp Theatre in Irwin. At 8 p.m. Friday, The Breakers will take the stage, playing a tribute show to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Formed in 2018, the...
Stop the slide: Here’s how to make summer learning fun
Summer is a time for vacations, picnics, fun in the sun and the dreaded educational slide. When students head back into the classrooms after summer break, teachers expect them to have lost some of the knowledge they gained the previous school year. This could be even more true after the...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 25-27
It’s the final weekend of June. Here are some ideas on how to spend it. Carrie Blast Drive-in Carrie Carpool Cinema at the Carrie Blast Furnaces will host baseball films this weekend. “A League of Their Own,” about women’s professional baseball, is being shown at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. “The...
Revamped Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival returns to Green Tree hotel
The Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival, returning under a new name after a pandemic-year hiatus, will be held Thursday through Saturday at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Green Tree. Under new ownership, the festival will offer more than 50 classes in knitting, crochet, quilting, weaving and other creative arts, along with...
July 4th weekend starts with a bang at Fort Ligonier social event
The Fourth of July weekend will begin with a bang at Fort Ligonier, as the fort hosts a new social event called Cannons and Cocktails. Set for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 2, the casual gathering will feature an artillery firing, live musical entertainment by fiddler Andy Bronkaj and...
Wings Across Westmoreland art project lands in Smithton
Smithton is spreading its wings, so it’s appropriate the town will be the next site for a Wings Across Westmoreland community art installation. Framed in the shape of a pair of wings, the art piece incorporating images of the town’s present and past will be unveiled at 1:30 p.m. Saturday...
Living with Children: Why this misunderstood parenting adage deserves another chance
I wrote a book several years ago, “Grandma Was Right After All,” in which I deconstructed the 25 most popular parenting adages of a bygone era. They included: “You made this bed, so you and only you will lie in it,” “I knew if I gave you a long enough...
It’s an adventure: National Aviary’s new exhibit soaring to new heights
A palm-nut vulture soars above guests seated in the Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater. From the corner of the room, an owl exits its cage, flies across the room, and sits perched high on a branch. A red-billed hornbill takes its place on an elevated platform. A gray-crowned crane comes...
‘Mask anxiety’ is a bare-faced fact for some people
It’s a common-enough dream — you’re at work, at school or in some other public place, when suddenly you realize you aren’t wearing any clothes. That doesn’t mean you’re a secret exhibitionist. Rather, dream analysts say, it hints at hidden insecurities and the fear of having them revealed to others....
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: June 18-20
Dads get in free In recognition of Father’s Day, admission to Bushy Run Battlefield is free for dads this weekend when they’re accompanied by one or more of their kids — regardless of the offspring’s age. Tours of the museum and golf cart tours of the battlefield will be available...
Cruise Pittsburgh’s waters on the Rivers of Steel’s ExplorerVideo
Being aboard a boat on Pittsburgh’s three rivers can be both scenic and scientific. The Explorer riverboat’s “Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tour” is a 90-minute excursion that offers guests views from the water while they learn the rich history of the city. The Explorer was built as a floating classroom. Owned...
Photo challenge focuses on importance of Pennsylvania pollinators
Photographers of all ages are invited to focus on some of the smallest, but most vital, players in the ecosystem by participating in the Pennsylvania Pollinator Photo Challenge. Contestants have until Aug. 13 to submit electronically a high-resolution image of a pollinator taken somewhere in Pennsylvania. The contest is sponsored...
1st-ever ‘Inside Out’ exhibit premieres at Children’s Museum of PittsburghVideo
The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh reopened June 12 with the world premiere of the first interactive exhibit based on the Disney/Pixar animated feature, “Inside Out.” “Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out,” developed by the museum in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios, offers interactive experiences focusing on the five emotions...
Thinner Mints: Girl Scouts have millions of unsold cookies
The Girl Scouts have an unusual problem this year: 15 million boxes of unsold cookies. The 109-year-old organization says the coronavirus — not thinner demand for Thin Mints — is the main culprit. As the pandemic wore into the spring selling season, many troops nixed their traditional cookie booths for...
Living with Children: The better the husband, the better the dad
Several columns past, I took to my bully pulpit and excoriated men who are married with children for being fathers first and husbands a distant second (maybe even third behind sports fans). My point, for those of you who are behind the curve here, is that children don’t need fathers...
Stage Right’s campers will be singing, dancing and playing harmonicas this summer
You’re never too young to start making music with Stage Right School for the Performing Arts in Greensburg. Among five summer camp offerings is a harmonica camp for families with children ages 6 months to 4 years. The camp is part of Stage Right’s Music Together Program, an immersive music...
Out & About: SAMA-Ligonier Valley party grooves to Woodstock themeVideo
If you had fallen asleep in 1969 and woke up Saturday at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, you wouldn’t have felt out of place. It was like the Age of Aquarius all over again for the annual Garden Party, held under sunny skies on the lush...
Out & About: ‘Happiness’ on menu of Westmoreland Symphony Hat LuncheonVideo
It was an interlude of “Hats and Happiness” on Saturday at the Greensburg Country Club, as the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra presented its 19th annual Hat Luncheon. Guests gathered on the veranda prior to moving into the ballroom, sipping champagne and mimosas and admiring each other’s colorful frocks and fanciful chapeaus....
Safety first: Plan ahead to avoid vacation travel mishaps
“On the road again. Just can’t wait to get on the road again.” Willie Nelson sang it, and Americans are living it this summer — eager to make up for travel time lost during the pandemic shutdown. “Obviously, Memorial Day weekend was extremely busy for travel, and we’re seeing that...
Forest Hills man cycling for MS Society fundraising milestone after serious crash
Bicyclist Larry Sachs knows his strength isn’t in climbing hills. His forte is making up time on the downhill. During a training ride with members of his bicycling group, he began a descent on Greenleaf Street from Mt. Washington to Route 51. His friends warned him to watch his speed....
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 11-13
The Dollar Bank Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival ends Sunday. That’s one of five choices on how to spend the weekend. Final arts festival weekend The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts wraps up Sunday. There will be entertainment on the main stage at Point State Park featuring Sugaray Rayford at...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County, June 11-13
Just relax Climb up four stories (or take the elevator) for Yoga Under the Stars on the top floor of Robert Bell Parking Garage in downtown Greensburg 8:30-9:30 p.m. Friday. Bring your own mat and water for a one-of-a-kind session with instructor Sarah Just, suitable for all ages and experience...
Irwin shop seeks rainbow paintings for Big Brothers Big Sisters benefit
A rainbow after a storm is a sign of hope. At Irwin’s Feathers Artist Market and Gifts, owner Tracy Alaia is hoping to spread some peace, love and joy through the second annual Project Rainbow art show and auction. People are invited to purchase a canvas for $2 at the...
