Lifestyles category, Page 147
Out & About: New Excela hospice program helps kids deal with grief
“What do I do with the sad that I feel?” Excela Health Hospice is helping children deal with that question through its Neighborhood Kids grief support program. Attendees at the hospice Neighborhood Christmas event, held Dec. 5 at Rizzo’s Banquet Facility in Crabtree, were given an introduction to the program....
Gift-wrapping this season trends jazzy but sustainable
The trend in gift wrapping this holiday season is toward jazzy yet sustainable options. Consider beautifully folded fabrics or understated, brown or green masking paper topped with colorful washi tape or sprigs of green instead of easily crushed store-bought bows. “There’s a lot of fun stuff going on in gift...
Out & About: Saint Vincent College presents Handel’s ‘Messiah’
It’s customary to stand for the “Hallelujah Chorus,” which concludes George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” Conventional wisdom says that Great Britain’s King George II stood in awe during the 1743 London premiere of the work. And when the king stands, everybody stands. Though the chorus is only 4 to 5 minutes...
Out & About: ACS ‘Real Men’ celebrate successful fundraising effort
The American Cancer Society’s 2019 Real Men Wear Pink campaign in Westmoreland and Fayette counties kicked off Aug. 22, with 12 area men each vowing to raise $2,500 by the end of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Dec. 2, some of the group and other campaign supporters gathered...
Out & About: Hospital auxiliary members enjoy annual holiday fete
Members of the Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary gathered Dec. 3 at the Unity home of Ann Albanesi for their annual holiday auction and cocktail party. Guests arrived with arms full of items for the auction and children’s books for Books for Babies, a program that provides a book for siblings of...
Out & About: Festival of Lights reflects beloved holiday poemVideo
Visit the Ligonier Town Hall community room through Dec. 10 and you’ll be walking in a winter wonderland. The Ligonier Valley Historical Society has taken over the space for its 37th Festival of Lights, which opened Dec. 6 with a “Toast the Trees” reception. Guests descending the steps to the...
Remember When: Dec. 9
100 years ago Police raid slot machine owners The first results of the planned police drive on slot machines and punch boards in New Kensington netted two arrests. Both men arrested were store owners on Fourth Avenue. 75 years ago East Deer trims Redcats A packed house at the East...
Living with Children: Encourage good behavior … even during the holidays
Question: I’m already dreading the holidays. Our 8-year-old is a very excitable child and our family is expected to attend numerous holiday get-togethers at the homes of family members. When he’s included in events where there’s lots of excitement and anticipation in the air, he has a reputation for becoming...
Travel tip: Kennedy Space Center planning ‘Holidays in Space’ event
If your December travel plans includes a trip to Florida, stop at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island for Holidays in Space. This year, the annual event harks back to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions of the 1960s. Guests will enter the complex through an...
Learn how to sow seeds of shrubs, trees in the winter
If you’re looking to increase the number of trees and shrubs on your property and you’re up for a challenge, now is a great time to start new trees and shrubs from seeds. Yes, it’s an exercise in patience, but it brings big rewards for generations to come. Winter sowing...
10 things that annoy us about the holidays
It’s that holiday season. The trees are up, laden with keepsake ornaments. The little lights are twinkling. The stockings are hung by the chimneys with care. Presents are wrapped, adorned with ribbons and bows. Nice and all, but seriously, the holidays aren’t all fun and games. Here are 10 things...
All aboard for a memory-making holiday train excursion
Children’s book author Chris Van Allsburg said “The Polar Express,” his classic holiday story, “began with the idea of a train standing alone in the woods. I asked myself, ‘What if a boy gets on that train? Where does he go?’ ” In the story, the boy boards the train...
The best evergreen ground covers for a slope
Question: We are looking for some ground covers that stay green all winter long. We have a steep slope behind the garage that currently is filled with clumps of daylilies. We like them, but they die back in the winter. We’d like to plant some type of evergreen ground cover...
Doug Oster offers his annual gift guide for gardeners
It’s always fun to put together the annual gift guide for gardeners. They (we) are easy to buy for, so here’s a list of some of my favorite things that will make you a hero when they unwrap these unique gifts. • Growing vegetables and flowers from seeds is fun,...
Allergic to that Christmas tree? Maybe not, but these tips could ease the sneeze and wheeze
Oh, Christmas tree — achoo — oh, Christmas tree. ‘Tis the season for choosing and decorating a tree, hanging a wreath, lighting candles, and cozying up indoors. Dr. Robert Gorby, an allergy and immunology specialist with Westmoreland Allergy and Asthma Associates, said spending so much time indoors can cause flare-ups....
Classic Blue is Pantone Color Institute’s color of the year
In these uneasy times, as we move along to a new decade, the Pantone Color Institute has reached back in time to calming, confident Classic Blue as its color of the year for 2020. The color is an anchor offering stability, constancy and connection, said Laurie Pressman, vice president of...
Penn State New Kensington Art Gallery showcases work by East Suburban Artists League
All of this amazing art is in one place. It’s the East Suburban Artists League’s annual holiday season art show running through Dec. 27 in the Penn State New Kensington Art Gallery. Visitors can meet the artists from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 6. Tina Booth, art gallery coordinator, says the variety...
Hempfield’s Fruits & Roots serves up cold-pressed juices, smoothiesVideo
Tracey Bryant was a stay-at-home mom for 22 years before a change in her diet prompted an entrepreneurial endeavor. “I wanted something for myself, my own thing,” says Bryant, 52, of Unity. And after watching documentaries, including “Forks Over Knives” and “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” she says, a seed...
Study: Hair dye, straighteners linked to increased breast cancer risk
Some hair products could put women at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, especially black women, according to a study published by the International Journal of Cancer. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It followed 46,700 cancer-free...
New Stanton Eat’n Park rolls out new lookVideo
The Eat’n Park in New Stanton is once again bringing the smiles, with diners admiring the bright, open design, including a new counter section. The restaurant, at 111 Byers Ave., reopened in late November after a six-week remodel. A take-out window will be in operation starting Dec. 6. “We took...
Everything you need to know about freezing cookies
Nothing is better than freshly baked cookies. But during the holidays when fresh, homemade cookies matter most, we’re also needing to split our time among cooking, hosting, shopping and celebrating the season, leaving little time to spend rolling out and filling dozens of dainty little cookies. This is when having...
Handmade Arcade celebrates 15 years of creativityVideo
Handmade Arcade turns 15 this year. That’s a lot of hand-crafted items. Pittsburgh’s award-winning independent craft fair, Handmade Arcade celebrates the cutting edge of craft by connecting creators and consumers through making, sharing and learning. Showcasing 250 innovative craft-based artists, designers and makers (including 84 first-time vendors) from all over...
What’s Brewing? Boozy brews are full of flavor
Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than a slow sipper during the fall and winter months. Many of these boozy tasting beers have been barrel-aged, too. Leaving the beer in barrels for months can impart flavors of oak, vanilla and anything that was previously in the barrel. An abundant amount of...
Avant-Garde Art & Craft winter show offers holiday shopping
Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show will include a large number of vendors selling 100% handmade goods. The series of festivals held year-round throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showcase local artisans and crafters. This winter’s show is set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 7 at Teamsters Local Union 249, 4701...
Chef Justin Severino opens pop-up ‘Salty Bits’ in Strip District
What began as monthly subscription packages of artisanal salumi handmade in Pittsburgh will expand into a pop-up retail location for chef Justin Severino. He intends to open a brick-and-mortar version of Salty Pork Bits, the digital company selling his charcuterie nationwide. The shop will be open on select days at...
