Lifestyles category, Page 159
Living with Children: Affirming and validating a child’s feelings, makes matters worse
As my regular readers know, I am a certified heretic in my field: child and family psychology. To the point, I am convinced that psychological parenting theory, which began to inform American child rearing in the late 1960s, has caused more problems than psychologists know how to solve. I came...
3 ways to propagate herbs
I grow many herbs in my garden. I use them for cooking and for making my own herbal tea blends. While I do purchase herb plants from the nursery, I also try to save money by propagating my own herb plants. Thankfully, propagating most common herbs is easy. Depending on...
Ligonier golf outing will benefit Derry Township humane society
Golfers on Friday will have an opportunity to help local pets in need of homes by trying their luck on the greens at the Ligonier Country Club. The club will play host that day to a golf outing benefiting Derry Township-based Action For Animals Humane Society. The cost of $125...
For $20, you can buy AirPods-looking earbuds that don’t work
If you want to look cool but not drop a bunch of money, boy does ASOS have a product for you. The online retailer is selling a “faux headphone ear piece” for $9.50. The single earbud comes in silver and does not work. But, they could trick people into thinking...
Out & About: WSO supporters are ‘Cheap ‘N Chic’ after shopping spree
The Cheap ‘N Chic shopping benefit, held Sept. 26 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, accomplished two purposes. First, it raised money for the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. Second (some might put this first), it helped a roomful of thrifty fashionistas to look good on a budget. “This is the...
Frightfully fun: Attractions offer new thrills for HalloweenVideo
What appeals to people about being frightened, say, on a roller coaster or in a haunted house? Researchers posted the following: • Fear gives us a rush of adrenaline, followed by a release of endorphins and dopamine, which can result in an opioid-like feeling of euphoria. • Many people like...
Take in the fall fun at Renshaw Family Farms annual pumpkin festivalVideo
Yes, there will be flying mini orange orbs. Spend a day at Renshaw Family Farms in South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County, during the 11th annual Pumpkin Festival and you’ll see that and much more. Dates are Sept. 28-29, Fridays through Sundays in October and also Oct. 14. “We have had...
Celebrate National Coffee Day with a free cup
National Coffee Day is Sept. 29, which means many of us will have a leisurely day off to sip our favorite morning beverage. Pittsburghers like their brew. According to wallethub.com, the city cracks the top 20 (landing at 19) on a list of best cities for coffee lovers in America....
Yes, you can grow fresh figs in most parts of the country
Seems like just about everyone likes the idea of growing figs. Perhaps it’s some primal attraction for this ancient fruit. The rich, sweet flavor of the tree-ripened fruits is definitely part of the reason. Figs can, in fact, be grown over much of the country. Although the plant is subtropical,...
Pruning techniques for burning bushes
Question: I have two gorgeous, big burning bushes in my yard that are really, really in need of trimming. I don’t want to trim before they put on their autumn show, but I need to know when is the best time to trim and how much can I really cut...
Plant a tree the right way
There’s an old saying that goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today.” Fall is the best time to plant trees as the temperatures and day length are conducive to root growth instead of top growth. They can be planted...
Now is the time to plant those new trees
While walking through Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, horticulturist Richard Liberto pulled me aside to passionately describe the story he hoped I’d tell. He runs Liberto Designs and works at Best Feeds Garden Center’s Babcock Boulevard location in Ross. After seeing a year of landslides, sinkholes and an early season...
McDonald’s takes a nibble of the plant-based burgerVideo
McDonald’s is finally taking a nibble of the plant-based burger. McDonald’s said Thursday that will sell the PLT, or the plant, lettuce and tomato burger for 12 weeks in 28 restaurants in Southwestern Ontario by the end of the month. The small-market test is rolling out about six months after...
Yes, there is an art to the perfectly peeled egg
I love eating deviled eggs and egg salad, but I had been avoiding making either because it was so much trouble peeling the eggs. I researched the subject online and tried many of the techniques that promised perfectly smooth eggs. I even went so far as to purchase an egg...
Empanadas — Great on the street and everywhere else
Empanadas — those familiar, golden, hand-held pies — are popular throughout Central and South America, from Mexico to the southernmost tip of Argentina. But in Chile, they are something of an obsession. You could call empanadas the national dish of Chile, and no one would argue with you. In Chile,...
What’s Brewing? ‘Tis the season for the extra taste of malted grains
Beer is made up of four main ingredients including grain, water, hops and yeast. How much of each ingredient is used will change the taste. This gives brewers an unlimited palate from which to create. Grains are the foundation of beer! They lend color, flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, as well as...
It’s a vegan world after all, at least at Disney parks
ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a vegan world after all, at least at Disney’s U.S. theme parks. Disney said Tuesday that plant-based meals would be available at all of its restaurants and quick-meal hubs at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. The company says on its blog...
Help needed with annual Crick Falls Cleanup effort
A spot popular with ATV-riders and partiers seeking seclusion leads to a mammoth cleanup effort from the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association each year. The association needs both volunteers and operators of off-road vehicles, says Annie Quinn, executive director. “The majority of trash is beer cans,” Quinn says. The association will...
Garden center luncheon program includes talk by Doug Oster
Everybody Gardens editor Doug Oster will discuss “The Magic of Fall Planted Bulbs” during an Oct. 1 luncheon at the Greensburg Country Club. Lunch followed by Oster’s talk will begin at noon, as part of Greensburg Garden Center’s annual meeting. “We are very happy to have Doug joining us for...
Philadelphia museum hosts Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit
Fans of the “Notorious RBG” might like to take a trip to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia to view the first-ever exhibition on the woman more commonly known as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,”...
Peebles stores closing, reopening as Gordmans in 2020
Another store is planning to close in the Countryside Plaza in East Huntingdon. Signs advertising “mega closing event” began appearing in the Peebles department store windows not long ago. Unlike grocery store County Market, which closed in August, and Payless shoe store, which left the plaza two years ago, the...
Hop aboard a Pennsylvania scenic railway for fall foliage tour
When you take a fall foliage car trip, the driver necessarily misses out on some of the colorful vistas. You can eliminate that problem by letting someone else steer — hop aboard one of these Pennsylvania scenic railways. These old-fashioned trains and trolleys operate during the fall. Some have special...
The look of hand-drawn art is hot in decor
Hand-crafted is popular these days, and many home decorators are looking for unique textiles and other furnishings that feature the look of hand-drawn art. Items like the eclectic, playful wallpapers of Brooklyn-based artist Aimee Wilder, who designed for brands like DwellStudio, Martha Stewart and Vans before starting her own studio....
Out & About: Blues, Brews & BBQ kicks off Greensburg Craft Beer Week
What better way to kick off Greensburg Craft Beer Week than with Blues, Brews & BBQ? Held Sept. 20 in the downtown Helman-Ghrist Parking Lot, the event was hosted by Westmoreland Cultural Trust and organized by Kelli Brisbane, the trust’s director of corporate engagement and events. The blues came courtesy...
Out & About: Fort Ligonier Cannon Ball guest wins rare rye whiskey
Organizers did a bang-up job with Fort Ligonier’s Cannon Ball, securing 450 RSVPs for the annual fundraiser. There was plenty to draw a crowd to the Sept. 20 event, not least the prospect of bidding on a rare 1911 bottle of Old Overholt Rye during the live auction. For those...
