Lifestyles category, Page 209
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s tableware gets Architectural Digest shout out
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s line of tableware, Penn + Fairmount, is barely 2 years old. And for the (at least) second time, it has been singled out and earned high marks from design industry giants. During the recent NY NOW winter market, it caught the attention of Architectural Digest and was...
4 ways to support your local insects
Question: I just read an alarming article about the decline in the insect population. I know that in addition to writing about gardening, you also write about insects. Can you tell me what homeowners like me can do to help insects and slow their decline? Thank you. Answer: What a...
Four area restaurants retain AAA Diamond luster
Four Southwestern Pennsylvania restaurants have retained coveted annual AAA Diamond awards in this year’s listing of elite eateries released this week by the motoring and travel organization. Two of the high-rated restaurants are at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Fayette County. Lautrec, which features French cuisine, holds AAA’s top...
Beach house standoff
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My wife and I have a beach house. When we bought it 12 years ago, we established one firm rule — no one could use it when we’re not there. And we’re very cautious about inviting relatives or friends to stay with...
Sunrise view is goal of snowshoe hike up Laurel Mountain
Winter outdoors enthusiasts are invited to take part in a free Rise N’ Shine snowshoe hike Feb. 23 in the Laurel Highlands’ Forbes State Forest. Geared toward families, the moderately-paced, two-hour hike begins at 7 a.m. and will take participants to a scenic high point on Laurel Mountain, to enjoy...
Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society includes Ohio exhibit in show
The Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society will feature regional and tri-state area glass/pottery dealers in its 42nd annual show and sale, set for March 2-3 at the Quality Inn in New Kensington, 300 Tarentum Bridge Road. Included will be American glassware from the 1880s to Art Deco to the...
Should kids be forced to call adults by their honorific?
Dear Carolyn: I hate honorifics for myself and want to be called by my first name, period. Some kids in my life have parents who say they HAVE to call me Ms. Lastname or at least Ms. Firstname. They insist it’s important to them that their kids “show respect.” I...
Ligonier Valley Writers plan session on family writing projects
Ligonier Valley Writers will lead a free program on family writing projects from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Ligonier Valley Library, 120 E. Main St. The program is aimed at parents or grandparents and children ages 4 and up, but adults who write for children or others interested in...
Homemade cake pops, cookies perfect for Valentine’s DayVideo
Add some pop to the menu this Valentine’s Day. Homemade cake pops make the perfect gift for your significant other. Nechama Huber of Greenfield, owner of The Pop Cakery, a company with a certified kosher kitchen, makes and sells customized chocolate treats, including cake pops (round and heart shaped), chocolate-dipped...
What’s Brewing? Is there really chocolate in your beer?
There are some pretty chocolaty tasting porters and stouts out there. After trying a sample for yourself, even you would be certain there is chocolate in the beer. But is the beer brewed with actual chocolate, or is it something else that is producing that taste? It might surprise you...
Shoes pulled from Katy Perry line after blackface criticism
LOS ANGELES — Katy Perry’s fashion line has pulled two types of shoes after some people compared them to blackface. The Ora Face Block Heel and Rue Face Slip-On Loafers were released last summer in nine different colors. They included protruding eyes, nose and red lips. In a statement released...
Daffodil Days return as American Cancer Society spring fundraiser
The American Cancer Society has announced its annual spring fundraiser, Daffodil Days. The colorful first flower of spring represents a campaign to bring hope to cancer patients and those affected by the disease, the nonprofit states. Funds raised through sales help support groundbreaking research, patient services and other cancer society...
South Side Soup Contest guarantees to warm your belly
The popular South Side Soup Contest that brings more than 1,200 participants into the Pittsburgh neighborhood for an afternoon of soup sampling is taking a cue from Disney World with the modification of its VIP ticket to include a FastPass feature. “This year’s VIP FastPass ticket will allow ticket-holders to...
Shake things up with these Valentine’s Day cocktails
It doesn’t matter if it’s surf and turf, a heart-shaped pizza or death by chocolate, Valentine’s Day meals should be chased with a special libation or two. Soft drinks and tap water just won’t do. If you are looking to capture your loved one’s, or your intended’s eye, along with...
Heart-shaped pies turn pizza into romantic Valentine’s Day fareVideo
Making dinner reservations or preparing a home-cooked meal for Valentine’s Day can be stressful. No worries. Numerous area pizzerias will play Cupid for you, rolling out a heart-shaped pie that you can share with your sweetheart. And as Feb. 14 approaches, their phones start ringing. Holiday pizzas popular Area pizzerias’...
Big Brothers Big Sisters plan ’80s-themed guest bartender event
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region will host a guest bartender fundraising event from 5-8 p.m. March 5 at Oliver’s Pourhouse, 8 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. “Battle of the Banks ’80s Edition” will feature guest bartenders representing S&T Bank, Standard Bank and Somerset Trust Bank. Tips will benefit...
Fighting the urge to coach nervous rookie parents
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband and I got married and had kids relatively young, especially for his family’s standards. Our kids are now in middle- and high school and doing well. His sister is only two years younger than he is but has a 6-month-old...
Overachiever son ditches fast track after college
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My son, “Ron,” 27, works part time at a low-pressure, low-paying job. He has a four-year college degree my ex-wife and I paid for and he graduated with honors but has never worked in that field and shows no interest in doing...
Spring break: Planning and flexibility key to successful travel
It’s not too early to start thinking about spring break. The annual rite for sun worshipers, which runs from February to mid-April, isn’t just a stampede toward warmer weather. Many ski resorts experience peak demand, too. If you’re traveling somewhere in the coming weeks, you’ll need to start planning now...
Check out these Valentine dining deals
From romantic meals to schussing with your sweetheart, celebrating with your gal pals or putting your romantic thoughts on paper, regional Valentine’s Day deals abound. Breakfast in bed Spoil your sleepy sweetie on Valentine’s Day with the hot or cold beverage of their choice and a heart-shaped bagel from Bruegger’s...
Don’t wait for a disaster to take inventory of your belongings
With floods, fires, tornadoes, superstorms and even cranes toppling onto apartment buildings, no home is completely safe from natural or man-made disasters. Although many of us are prepared to either stick it out with emergency supplies or evacuate to safer locales, only 44 percent of homeowners have inventoried their belongings....
Out & About: Mosaics adorn Penn State New Ken art gallery walls
Steven “Stevo” Sadvary is making the world “a more beautiful, happier place” one mosaic at a time. The Penn Hills resident, who has an art studio in Squirrel Hill, is sharing his beautiful, happy vision with an exhibition in the art gallery at Penn State New Kensington in Lower Burrell....
Out & About: Saint Vincent College ushers in Chinese New YearVideo
Maybe we should reconsider the lowly image we have of the pig. That was one takeaway from the 2019 Chinese New Year Party at Saint Vincent College in Unity. The event was held Feb. 5 in conjunction with the holiday that ushers in the Lunar New Year in China. This...
Out & About: West Overton exhibit says ‘We Can Do It!’
Judging from the Feb. 9 opening reception crowd, “We Can Do It! WWII” is going to be a big draw at the West Overton Distillery Museum. The crowd was wall-to-wall, vying for a look at the traveling exhibition from the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh that gives an...
Out & About: Pitt-Greensburg welcomes St. Clair Lecture speaker
Historian Susan Sommers visited the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Feb. 5 to delve into the life of a local Revolutionary War figure. The Saint Vincent College professor of history discussed “Arthur St. Clair: Myth and History” as the 2019 St. Clair Lecture at the Hempfield campus. The lecture...
