Lifestyles category, Page 33
Mounted police units offer tradition, spectacle and service in modern law enforcement
On Monday, the Allegheny County Mounted Police Unit will add a touch of tradition and spectacle to the South Hills Memorial Day Parade. While officers on horseback are a rarer sight than those in cars or on motorcycles, “They definitely create a presence,” said Sgt. Jason Donaldson of the Allegheny...
Sam Butcher, artist who created Precious Moments figurines of teardrop-eyed children, dies at 85
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic teardrop-eyed children, has died. He was 85. The company said in a Facebook post that he died early Monday surrounded by family. It said his life’s mission was “to share God’s gift of love with...
Remember last year’s Memorial Day travel jams? Chances are they will be much worse this year
You didn’t think summer travel would be easy, did you? Highways and airports are likely to be jammed the next few days as Americans head out for Memorial Day weekend getaways and then return home. AAA predicts this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8...
Steelers, UPMC Magee hold SteelHERS Social at Acrisure Stadium
Mary Beth Shaw ran a route, caught a pass from Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Rodney Williams and gave wide receiver Calvin Austin III a little shove to reach the end zone for the touchdown. Shaw was one of 1,000 women on the Acrisure Stadium field Wednesday evening. It was the...
For some digital detox, look to the latest in craft kits
Digital diversions may have us tethered to tech, but screen fatigue is real. Even my digitally native, young-millennial kids prefer printed books these days. And a recent weekend together at home had us busting out some craft kits. There might have been Netflix in the background, but everybody’s hands were...
Shake Shack opens Pittsburgh location, 2 more in the works
Emily Spooner turned 24 Monday. To celebrate her birthday, she headed to Shake Shack’s official opening day in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The New York-based popular chain is known for its burgers, crinkle-cut fries and desserts including custards and milkshakes. Pittsburgh’s new location will also serve beer and wine. Originally from...
Sour Patch Kids Oreos? Peeps Pepsi? What’s behind the weird flavors popping up on store shelves
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream usually draws customers with gourmet takes on classics like vanilla and pistachio. But occasionally, the artisanal ice cream maker headquartered in New York slips in what it calls a “shock flavor,” like Hidden Valley Ranch or pizza. Surprising flavor combinations—think gravy-flavored Jones Soda or Sour Patch...
Prom is still a fun and glamorous rite of passage in 2024
Now that prom season is in full swing, some clear trends in fashion, music and overall prom experiences are emerging. Here’s the scoop on how kids today are having fun at the big dance. The fashion Finding the perfect gown is an essential part of the prom process for young...
Alyssa Lyon champions environmental justice through community activism, education
Alyssa Lyon wants people to stay connected to the environment, each other and themselves. Growing up in the Bronx, Lyon considers herself a “stoop kid” — afternoons after school were often spent playing on the block, with the sounds of laughter and running children behind her. Now the director of...
Mixtape in Garfield using space for different entertainment experiences
Mixtape, the music-themed cocktail lounge in Garfield, continues to transform. It’s been a Halloween-inspired space dubbed House of Burton, a holiday bar called Tinseltown and The Tipsy Elf, an “Alice in Wonderland” venue with the moniker Wonderland: An Immersive Adventure, and is currently decked out as a 1980s retro arcade,...
McDonald’s plans $5 U.S. meal deal next month to counter customer frustration over high prices
McDonald’s plans to introduce a $5 meal deal in the U.S. next month to counter slowing sales and customers’ frustration with high prices. The deal would let customers get a four-piece McNugget, small fries, a small drink and either a McDouble burger or a McChicken sandwich for $5 in most...
Pancake tacos lead the lineup of sweet eats at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift
A random plastic taco holder in Pittsburgh’s Strip District served as inspiration for a quirky, tasty twist on traditional pancakes at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift. “I just looked at it and thought that would be cool to stick a pancake into,” said G&G co-owner Chris Kakias, creator of a variety...
Stuntpig parks food truck for permanent shop in Squirrel Hill
Stuntpig has announced it is trading in its food truck wheels for a more permanent location — a sandwich shop in Squirrel Hill. The announcement came this week on the food truck’s social media pages, eliciting many reactions from excited Pittsburghers. The shop will be located at the former Bull...
Carnegie family’s Migdale Castle set for public auction
A sprawling British-inspired castle owned by the Carnegie family is up for auction in New York. Migdale Castle, the mansion Pittsburgh-based steel magnate Andrew Carnegie constructed in 1927 for his only daughter Margaret “Midge” Carnegie, is being sold with no reserve. Midge was the sole heiress to Andrew Carnegie’s vast...
If your soil’s no good or you don’t have any, grow your garden plants in straw bales
If you’d like to install a raised bed but don’t have the resources to build one, you can achieve the same effect by growing your plants in straw bales. It’s also a great option for those with poor soil or who don’t have a patch of dirt to call their...
There’s bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. Raw milk drinkers aren’t deterred
Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite years of warnings about the health risks of drinking the unpasteurized products — and an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows. Since March 25, when the bird flu virus was confirmed in U.S. cattle for the first time,...
Healthy Athlete program aims to prevent tragedies from happening
Last summer, Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, went into sudden cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of California Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and back on the court five months later. But not all situations end up with the...
Western Pennsylvanians recall treasured advice bestowed by their moms
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” “I’ll give you something to cry about.” “Because I said so.” There’s no shortage of well-known motherly advice in the parenting universe, and some of those mom-isms end up seared into our memories well beyond childhood. In honor of...
Dog Show 101: What’s what at the Westminster Kennel Club
NEW YORK — To the casual viewer, competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show might look pretty simple: Get a dog. Groom it. Pose it. Lead it around a ring. But there’s a lot more involved in reaching the pinnacle of U.S. canine events, now in its 148th year....
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership hosts human foosball in Market Square
Foosball is soccer on a tabletop with figurines attached to a rod. Handles are on either side of the board and players slide and turn the figurines. The goal is to flick a ball into the opposition’s respective goal. You may have seen it on “Friends” in Joey and Chandler’s...
New sushi to-go restaurant to open in Bakery Square
Golden Gai, a to-go sushi restaurant, has announced its grand opening day — May 28 — in Bakery Square. Its intention is to bring the taste of Japan to Pittsburgh’s East End and redefine the authentic sushi experience. Golden Gai To-Go will just be a sneak peek of what’s to...
Prantl’s purchases Lincoln Bakery in Bellevue
Joe Porco recalled an anniversary party to celebrate Lincoln Bakery’s 65th year in business — more than 700 customers lined up along Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue. “A bakery is about community,” Porco said on Wednesday as he reflected on the sale of the bakery after nearly eight decades in business....
Mother-daughter bond encircled with permanent jewelry
When Kim Francese looks at the shiny bracelets around her wrist, she immediately thinks of her daughter Abby. They have matching accessories on their arms every day — keeping them connected when they are apart. This jewelry is permanent, just like their mother- daughter bond. Jewelers measure a customer’s wrist...
Ecotone Renewables turns food waste into gold with Soil Sauce
Banana peels and thrown-away leftovers can hold surprising value. Ecotone Renewables, for example, takes food waste and transforms it into Soil Sauce, a plant fertilizer. While composting often is the first solution that comes to mind for food waste, Ecotone aims higher. The partially Black-owned company’s goal is to divert...
‘Oh, Baby!’: Millie’s ice cream flavor celebrates Mother’s Day, women’s health
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream has unveiled a new flavor just in time for Mother’s Day. Partnering with Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation, a portion of sales from the “Oh, Baby!” flavor will fund women’s health research. This collaboration celebrates motherhood and highlights the need for advancements in women’s healthcare. It...
