Lifestyles category, Page 40
Customers battle for specialty Stanley cups at Target, resell them online for hundreds
Usually, you see lines of frenzied shoppers in stores in the weeks before Christmas, not immediately afterward. But the release of a special limited-release cup sold at Target has led to long lines, campouts and people reselling the items for hundreds of dollars in some cases. The limited edition Stanley...
Dry January, Damp January or sober curious? What you need to know about reducing alcohol intake
As opinions about drinking alcohol, even in moderation, are shifting negatively, perhaps it’s no surprise that Dry January has gained in popularity. But is Dry January — quitting alcohol for the entire month — for you? And what exactly is Damp January? Or even sober curious? Here’s what you need...
Greensburg Garden and Civic Center to hold wedding expo
Those familiar with the nonprofit Greensburg Garden and Civic Center know of its value to the community. The home to outdoor events, plays, meetings, weddings, teas, art shows and garden parties, will host a first-ever wedding expo this month in an effort to make the center a destination site for...
How to spend the winter planning and preparing for your spring garden
Gardening isn’t usually the first thing that springs to mind when the calendar page turns to January. But with the holidays behind us, there’s no better time to start planning and preparing our 2024 gardens. Of course, that will mean different things in different places. It’s impossible to account for...
Shake Shack eyes 2nd Pittsburgh location in city’s East End
A popular burger chain is looking to add a second site in Pittsburgh. Shake Shack will be moving into a new development in Pittsburgh’s East End, the second location announced in the city for the New York-based burger chain. O’Hara-based Echo Realty announced last week that Shake Shack will be...
Revelers set to pack into Times Square for annual New Year’s Eve ball drop
NEW YORK — The confetti has been tested for airiness. The giant numerals — 2 0 2 4 — are in place. And the luminous ball, bedazzled in 2,688 crystal triangles, is fixed to the pole from which it make its 60-second descent at 11:59 p.m. With throngs of revelers...
Chef’s themed dinners in North Huntingdon offer creativity, fun, delicious food
Nick Saxon loves the creativity that the kitchen provides . From his main job as executive chef and beverage director for Braddock’s Rebellion, the restaurant in the Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh, to his commercial kitchen, SaxonFood Ink in Prospect, Butler County, Saxon loves nothing more than firing up a...
En garde! Western Pa. clubs explore historical German, Italian fencing
Jon Mullin and Brendan Bailey’s clash is not flashy like an Errol Flynn duel in one of those classic black-and-white swashbuckling films. Then again, flashiness is not a typical feature of effective, real-world sword-fighting. The goal is not to look impressive; the goal is to win the fight. Mullin and...
After 60 years, Ligonier barbers hang up their clippers
When cousins Ken Knupp and Walt Boyd closed the doors of their Ligonier Borough barbershop Wednesday, one thing was clear — they will miss their customers the most. After working as barbers for more than 60 years, the two decided to retire together from their longtime practice at Knupp’s Barbershop....
Western Pa. welcomed new restaurants in 2023, said goodbye to some old favorites
Pittsburgh was once hailed nationally as a foodie destination because of its booming culinary scene. Whether that’s still the case could be up for debate. But there certainly wasn’t a dearth of news on the restaurant front this year. Here were the comings and goings of 2023. Yes, we’re open...
Not so fast: You could toss your poinsettias, or help them ‘bloom’ again next year
I tend to view holiday decorations strictly as anticipatory objects. They’re lovely leading up to the big day, but as soon as midnight strikes, I’m ready to drag the Jack-O-Lantern or Christmas tree to the curb. Not so with poinsettias, however. The red and white “flowering” beauties can be kept...
The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year
Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays. Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the...
Last-minute appetizers can still be fancy and fun
It’s the holiday season and you have people coming to visit. It’s an impromptu get-together: You need party food, and you need it now. So what can you do when you barely have enough time to get in the kitchen let alone run to the store? It’s time to get...
Looking for a last-minute gift? Try these local Black-owned businesses
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, knowing just the right gift to give may be tricky. But, there are still three days until Christmas. For anyone who still feels like summer was last week — this one is for you. There is still time to get something unique and with...
Ponche Navideño is a warm Latin American Christmas drinkVideo
Sipping on a warm spicy fruit punch is traditional in Latin American cultures. Ponche Navideño is a marker of the holiday season and a staple to Mexican Christmas festivities. Known as Merry Christmas punch, Dec. 24 is that date it is commonly consumed. “Maybe here in America, punch is for...
Holiday togetherness can also mean family fights. But there are ways to try to sidestep the drama
The holidays, a time where families and friends can get together to talk, to laugh — or get into screaming arguments. There are plenty of reasons togetherness can turn into tension — maybe that cousin you mostly love has that one opinion on politics or world events you just can’t...
Jak’s, a traditional Bulgarian bakery, opens in Bloomfield
As a freshman at what is now called the Professional High School of Tourism in his native Bulgaria, Zhelyazko “Jak” Latinov studied the standard math, geography and history. He studied English but it wasn’t a core subject. In addition to his regular classes, he attended a technical school where he...
America’s animal shelters are overcrowded with pets from families facing economic and housing woes
MENANDS, N.Y. — Kaine is a big, buoyant dog looking for a home. But lately, he’s spending a lot of time at the office. Animal shelters around the U.S. are bursting at the seams amid the rising cost of living, so the gray and white 7-year-old has been staying in...
The poinsettia by any other name? Try ‘cuetlaxochitl’ or ‘Nochebuena’
SANTA FE, N.M. — Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once...
White elephant gift exchange parties popular with millennials
Millennials are revamping white elephant holiday parties. The tradition stems back to Southeast Asia when the white elephant — considered a sacred animal — was given by a high-ranking person as a gift to someone who displeased them. The gift was given almost as a punishment because the recipient would...
Nafasi in Hill District hosts pre-Kwanzaa celebration
Kwanzaa came a little early at Nafasi on Centre in the Hill District on Saturday. “We are giving people an opportunity to learn about Kwanzaa and implement the practices of Kwanzaa,” said Tyi-Sanna Jones, educational consultant and program coordinator of the celebration. Kwanzaa, a Pan-African celebration, begins Dec. 26 and...
She bought a colorful vase at Goodwill for $3.99. The rare piece sold at auction for $107,000
Jessica Vincent had just started surveying the shelves of a Virginia thrift store when a vase caught her eye. It was shaped like a bottle and had ribbons of color, aqua green and amethyst purple, that spiraled up its glass surface like stripes of paint. The piece looked old amongst...
Effortlessly gorgeous and easy to ship, drop cookies are what to bake for Christmas
I’m as dazzled by a beautifully decorated holiday cookie as the next person, but when it comes to wielding a pastry bag myself, I’m not a pro. I’m much more about the cookies than the piping. And while elaborately crafted cookies shaped like delicate snowflakes or sporting ombre frostings are...
Forgoing traditional Christmas celebrations to travel is becoming more common
Melinda Cody of Allegheny Township has implemented a Christmas strike, and she’s never been happier. For decades, Cody — a wife and mother of two adult children — prepped, baked, cooked, decorated, shopped, organized and wrapped gifts, providing a traditional Christmas experience for her family with all the expected holiday...
Cup of cheer: Holiday bars are popping up all over Pittsburgh
Holiday pop-up bars are limited-time establishments with creative cocktails and mocktails — some also offer food — with a backdrop of decorations, perfect for posting photos on social media. Western Pennsylvania has plenty to choose from of these bars, which have become popular in recent years. Tinseltown Tinseltown, formerly The...
