Lifestyles category, Page 212
Point Park University student turns assignment into benefit for kids
Point Park University student and grandmother Christina Wonnacott, 65, saw a way to turn a classroom assignment into a way to help others. “I needed to create a four-minute film for my screenwriting class and thought, ‘Why not make a promotional film that an organization could use to increase awareness...
No Steelers? No problem. Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food
When you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Super Bowl LIII is all about wings — and chips and dips, pizzas and guacamole — but not so much about football, at least not this year. So while New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams fans will be cheering for their teams at...
‘Cubcake Wars’ to help Norwin Lions support Kitty Sack Project
The Norwin Lions will hold their seventh annual Cubcake Wars fundraising event from 1-4 p.m. March 3 in the Norwin High School cafeteria. Numerous bakers will make “cubcakes,” available for a $2 donation, all the while competing for best cubcake, best decorations and most funds raised for best in show....
My friends say my boyfriend is ‘tough to like’
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My boyfriend and I are going to visit some friends who have invited us to join them at their lake house. A few months ago, my friends told me my boyfriend is “tough to like.” I realize his sense of humor isn’t...
Human trafficking happens everywhere, Blackburn Center program notesVideo
Local residents may be surprised or shocked to learn that human trafficking happens in Westmoreland County. According to Human Rights First, human trafficking enslaves nearly 25 million people a year worldwide, exploiting victims for sex or labor, sometimes both. The Blackburn Center is collaborating with Reunion Presbyterian Church and the...
Out & About: Students take the lead at county prayer breakfastVideo
Students were in the spotlight for the 44th annual Westmoreland County Prayer Breakfast, held Jan. 25 in the Ramada Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center. The breakfast brings together community members from area business, education, government and labor, and each year focuses on one of those sectors. For the first time,...
Out & About: ‘As I See It’ offers glimpse of artists’ vision
Artists have the ability to see and interpret the world in unusual ways. Greensburg Art Center is giving those of us who don’t have such abilities to see through those special eyes via “As I See It,” a member exhibition running through March 1 in the Hempfield gallery and workshop...
Out & About: Ruffed Grouse Society banquet aids feathered friends
Forget the black tie, here come the denim and flannel. The banquet facility at Rizzo’s Malabar Inn in Crabtree became a sportsmen’s paradise on Jan. 25 for the 28th annual Conservation and Sportsmen’s Banquet hosted by the Ruffed Grouse Society Western Allegheny Chapter. A large part of the event is...
Out & About: Trolley ride connects 2 Saint Vincent gallery shows
The Neighborhood Trolley trundled around Saint Vincent College on Jan. 24, carrying visitors between openings in two campus galleries. In the Saint Vincent Gallery, they found “a visual reminder to slow down, linger over and reflect upon the world as it exists around us,” according to curator Andrew Julo, in...
Resented by sister since the day she was born
Adapted from a recent online discussion Dear Carolyn: I ruined my sister’s life the day I was born, which was cute back then, but we’re almost 50 now. Starting with childhood, most decisions I make (hair, clothes, musical instrument, sports, college, career, house, etc.) somehow ruin her day. She gets...
Living with Children: The children-need-lots-of-attention myth
One of the more difficult facts for today’s parents, as a rule, to wrap their heads around is the … I’ll say it again, with emphasis … FACT that children do not need (as a general rule) a lot of attention. I was there, working as a journeyman psychologist in...
Sometimes even the weariest traveler must refuse a hotel room
As a travel seller, I’d hear it from time to time: “That hotel was totally unacceptable.” But you slept there, right? Travelers often abandon rational thinking in pursuit of a travel objective. It’s difficult to make significant emotional investment selecting and booking a hotel, long anticipating a safe, quiet sanctuary...
Travel tip: Get your ‘Phil fix’ during Groundhog Day festivities
Standing in the freezing cold in the middle of the night, waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from his Gobbler’s Knob burrow, is only a small part of Groundhog Day fun. The Jefferson County borough after which the woodchuck weather forecaster is named has two days of nonstop activities, starting...
Greensburg salon owner tapped as a cut above by Intercoiffure America/Canada
Hair is more than strands on your head. “Your hair is your No. 1 accessory,” says Jesse Peles, president of Peles Salon with locations in Johnstown and Greensburg. “It truly identifies and defines you.” His head of thick, expertly coiffed hair is one of the first details you notice when...
Son struggles with intimate relationships after death of father
Dear Carolyn: My adult son, now 29, lost his father in a freak accident the day before he turned 13. For more than two years after the accident, his dad lingered in a near vegetative state. A grief counselor I consulted back then told me that as a result of...
Dealing with a ‘Debbie Upper’
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I have a dear friend who won’t allow anyone to say anything bad about ANYONE. My youngest son was trying to make a point about one of his teachers, who treated him like dirt — we as parents got involved as well...
Boyfriend from Brooklyn won’t cater to her communication style
Dear Carolyn: I would love some perspective on how to accept my significant other’s communication style. For 20 years I have told him I would appreciate it if he would initiate conversations about what’s going on in my life and ask me how/what/why questions instead of yes/no questions. At this...
Most popular conversation hearts won’t be available this Valentine’s Day
The conversation is over. At least this Feb. 14. America’s most beloved Valentine’s Day candy — SweetHearts, those cute conversation hearts with phrases like “Cutie Pie,” “Say Yes” and “True Love” — won’t be on the shelves this year. Why? Well, despite SweetHearts being the No. 1 Valentine’s Day candy,...
Flaky deep-dish pizza worth the time it takes to make at home
If you’re from the Northeast, or if you haven’t been to Chicago, you may dismiss deep-dish pizza out of regional pride. That would be a mistake. Real Chicago-style pizza is certainly thick, but its texture and flavor are something special: Instead of being bread-like, the crust offers the contrast of...
Greensburg antique show and sale promises items for all tastes
Whether you have $5 or $25,000 to spend, you should be able to find something you like at the annual antique show and sale at the Greensburg Country Club, says organizer John Mickinak. “Not everyone has the same taste, so there’s something for everyone,” he says. The show, which benefits...
Pittsburgh makes BBC Good Food’s 2019 foodie destination list
What does Pittsburgh have in common with Matera, a town perched on a rocky hilltop in southern Italy? According to BBC Good Food, both are Top 10 foodie destinations for 2019. Matera ranked No. 1 on the list compiled by the global food media brand that has a monthly magazine,...
Feeling relief, not grief, about her beloved father’s death
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: It was the 15th anniversary of my dad’s death recently. I know it should have been a day marked by profound grief, but instead the primary feeling I had was … relief. This sentiment would have been easier to accept if he...
Gentle cooking is the key to ultra-tender white bean soup
The people of Tuscany are known as mangiafagioli, or “bean eaters,” a nod to the prominent role beans play in their cuisine. Cannellini (white kidney) beans are the region’s most famous legume, and Tuscan cooks go to extremes to ensure these beans are cooked perfectly, from simmering them in rainwater...
‘Flip or Flop Vegas’ star to give tips at Monroeville Home Show
Aubrey Marunde has a knack for turning neglected properties into paradises that often are over-the-top Vegas-style transitions. She and her martial arts champ/handyman husband, Bristol, have made HGTV’s “Flip or Flop Vegas” one of the cable station’s hottest home improvement and real estate shows. The show has been renewed for...
Cheesy nachos turn after-school snack into a fiesta
These nachos are a cinch to make and can turn after-school snack time for a few kids into something of a fiesta. Or double the recipe and use a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, and you’ll have enough nachos to really get the party started! If you like your nachos spicy, layer...
