More Lifestyles category, Page 14
What to know about changes to this year’s FAFSA application for college students
NEW YORK — A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is now available to all college applicants for the 2024-2025 school year. The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid was designed to make it easier for students and parents to apply and to...
‘The colder, the better’ organizers of expanded Ligonier Ice Fest say
The deep freeze that has caused many of us to break out our knit caps is expected to continue through this weekend. Those frigid conditions will be ideal for crews creating sculptures for the annual Ligonier Ice Fest, and for those who come to admire the outdoor display of frozen...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Jan. 12-14
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be more social, there are plenty of community gatherings to choose from this weekend in Westmoreland County. Museum of Art vintage ball The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg is celebrating its 65th anniversary on Saturday from 6 to 9...
For 2024, some simple lifestyle changes can improve your little piece of the planet
NEW YORK — The fight against climate change requires the mass cooperation of industries, companies, governments and communities, but individuals have a role to play, too. Little things make a difference, and feel good too. At the dawn of 2024, also known as New Year’s resolution season, here’s just a...
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...
5 Things to do in Westmoreland: Jan. 5 – 7
The first weekend of 2024 is off to a quick start featuring activities for resolution makers and those wanting to get a few more celebrations in before the holiday season is finished. Here’s what’s happening this weekend in Westmoreland County. Holiday light extravaganza Living Treasures Animal Park is hosting its...
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....
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...
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...
5 things to do in Westmoreland: Dec. 22-24
There are plenty of festive things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend to foster the holiday spirit as Christmas approaches. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art: Cantilever Tours The Westmoreland on North Main Street in Greensburg will continue its series of free tours from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday....
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...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Dec. 15-17
From family fun nights to liquor sales, there’s something to do for everyone this weekend. ‘Home for the Holidays’ At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will be performing its annual sing-along show,” Home for the Holidays,” at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg. The show will feature guest conductor...
Would your documents survive a disaster? What to protect and how to do it
Floods, fires, historic storms — severe weather events are on the rise. If your home was hit by high water or a wildfire, would your important papers be safe? “Unfortunately, I’ve had clients who’ve been victims of fires, flooding, hurricanes,” says Sev Tamayo, an agent with Goosehead Insurance in Palm...
Forget the surprise if you’re thinking of giving a pet as a holiday present
NEW YORK — Adriene Mishler was still grieving the loss of her beloved blue heeler mix when her boyfriend at the time surprised her with a Christmas puppy that was nearly identical. “I wasn’t quite ready to fall in love with another animal,” she said. “At the same time, looking...
Technology built the cashless society. Advances are helping the unhoused so they’re not left behind
WASHINGTON — John Littlejohn remembers the days when lots of people had a couple of dollars to spare to buy a copy of Street Sense, the local paper that covers issues related to the homeless and employs unhoused individuals as its vendors. Today, he’s finding fewer people are walking around...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Dec. 8-10
Chestnuts are roasting on the open fire, and Jack Frost is already starting to nip at noses. If that isn’t enough to get you in the holiday spirit, there are plenty of activities that will this weekend in Westmoreland County. Free improv workshop Leaders of StoryZ, a nonprofit theater and...
When is St. Nicholas Day? And how did this Christian saint inspire the Santa Claus legend?
NEW YORK — The white-bearded Christian saint whose acts of generosity inspired America’s secular Santa Claus figure is known worldwide — but Saint Nicholas’ origin story is not. The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to...
Murrysville consumer advocate: Don’t get scammed during your holiday shopping
Last year, during the open enrollment period for Medicare, Mary Bach of Murrysville began receiving calls morning, noon and night about how she and her husband weren’t getting all of the benefits to which they were entitled. Bach, who is a nationally recognized consumer advocate and member of the AARP...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 1-3
The holiday season is in full swing. Instead of bundling up by the fire, here are five things to get you out and about in Westmoreland this weekend. Holly Jolly Christmas From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the annual Holly Jolly Christmas returns to downtown Latrobe. The event will...
New incentives could boost satisfaction with in-person work, but few employers are making changes
NEW YORK — Justin Ryan Horton has two jobs. When he’s not putting in 24-hour shifts as a firefighter, the 22-year-old is working as an administrative assistant for a local community college from his home in Colorado Springs. Firefighting is, of course, not a work-from-home kind of job. So when...
Jill Biden says White House decor designed for visitors to see holidays through child’s eyes
WASHINGTON — Ninety-eight Christmas trees, more than 142,000 twinkling lights and nearly 34,000 ornaments deck the halls of the White House in ways that Jill Biden hopes will inspire visitors to embrace their inner child and experience the “magic, wonder and joy” of the season. It’s her theme for the...
