More Lifestyles category, Page 21
Pittsburgh’s First Night to kick off New Year with a bangVideo
New Year’s Eve will start with a bang in downtown Pittsburgh — and end the same way. Pyrotecnico Fireworks will bookend Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, with displays at 6 p.m. and midnight on Saturday. In the hours between, the free annual event will feature music, dance, theater, visual arts, comedy,...
Down time: What to do in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve
’Twas the day after Christmas … You’re off work and the kids are home from school. You’ve visited all your friends and relatives. The kids already are tired of their gifts. Now, you’re just waiting for New Year’s Eve. What to do in the meantime, while school is closed and...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 23-25
Most people probably have plans to gather with family and friends this weekend, but here are a few things to do if you want to get out and about. Final requests Before he heads back to the North Pole, Santa will take last-minute gift requests from 11 a.m. to 8...
Bringing a dog along for a holiday stay? Make sure to plan
NEW YORK — Traveling with dogs can be stressful. Throw in holiday home stays at one of the most chaotic times of the year and double that stress for humans and animals alike — especially when hosts have pets of their own. Large gatherings, unfamiliar smells and sounds, mixing older...
Not just for kids: Toymakers aim more products at grown-ups
NEW YORK — Since the pandemic, Elizabeth Hulanick has turned to toys from her childhood to relieve stress. She and her co-workers chip in to buy Legos at Target and play at their desks. She also started playing with Silly Putty again, noting she felt comforted by the bouncy rubbery...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 16-18
Christmas classics Westmoreland Performing Arts will stage these holiday shows on Friday in Science Hall Theater at Westmoreland County Community College, 145 Pavilion Lane, Hempfield: • “A Christmas Carol,” 6 p.m. WPA’s Home and Cyber School Theatre Troupe will present an adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic through a series...
The problems with using buy now, pay later to fund travel
Book a flight or hotel room now, and pay it off later? It’s an increasingly common trend in travel spending. Companies like American Airlines , United Airlines and vacation rental website Vacasa now offer the option to make reservations now and pay it back incrementally over time with “buy now,...
No, holiday tips are not mandatory — especially if your finances have changed. Here’s what etiquette experts say
Ah, the holiday season. It arrives each winter, bringing feelings of gratitude, merriment, generosity — and financial anxiety. The cost of gifts and gatherings isn’t the only subject that weighs on people’s minds this time of year. Holiday tipping can be stressful, too, with individuals, couples, and families deciding which...
Sharing a roof, and money, with adult kids
When Amanda Claypool was 28, she left a government contracting job in Washington, D.C., and moved back to her parents’ house in upstate New York while she figured out her next step. Then the pandemic struck, and her temporary return lasted longer than she’d planned. Living with her parents for...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 9-11
Cookies galore The annual Christmas Cookie Tour is set for 5 to 8 p.m. today in downtown Irwin. Local businesses, churches and restaurants will be open to offer cookie samples, while supplies last. The family-friendly festivities will include horse and carriage rides, Christmas karaoke, kids’ cookie decorating and a visit...
Greensburg rec department accepts Santa letters, entries for holiday decorating contest
Greensburg’s recreation department is initiating a holiday decorating contest for residents, with entries due by 4 p.m. next Friday, Dec. 16. “If you live in the city, you can send in a picture of your house or apartment that you have decorated,” said Lydia Kinkaid, recreation program manager. Photos of...
Jewish Americans confront antisemitism with resolve, worry
NEW YORK — Jewish Americans are closely following the recent upsurge in antisemitic rhetoric and actions with a mix of anxiety and resolve — along with a yearning that a broader swath of Americans, including leaders across the political spectrum, speak out against anti-Jewish hatred. New Yorker Rizy Horowitz, who...
7 no-regret New Year’s resolution parties
Some people call them resolutions, others goals, and there are even those who may refer to them as a little pointless. But regardless of semantics, New Year’s fill-in-the-blanks offer an opportunity for a clean slate. In celebration of new beginnings and shaking the dust off another year in the rearview,...
Speaker series highlights Westmoreland County’s ‘hidden treasures’
There are people who go about their work quietly, making positive differences in the community without getting much public recognition. The Westmoreland Diversity Coalition intends to shine a light on some of those people, and their diverse backgrounds, through its new Hidden Treasures Speaker Series. Maria LaVelle, CEO of Pheple...
Wiz Khalifa to make W.Pa. stops to push his medical marijuana products
Rapper Wiz Khalifa is making another mark on the Pittsburgh area — his medical marijuana products will be available at Trulieve locations statewide starting Monday. Khalifa, a graduate of Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, will be back in his old neighborhood at the Trulieve location there, as well as...
‘Generational changing’ investments poised to remake Western Pa.’s trails system
Described as “generational changing,” recently awarded investments in rails-to-trails will help connect more than 100 miles of recreational trails in Western Pennsylvania, opening previously unrealized pathways to communities poised to benefit economically. Murrysville to Rankin. O’Hara to East Deer. Aspinwall to Homewood. Plans are underway to grow and connect mostly...
5 things to consider when picking a live Christmas tree
The Christmas tree tends to be the centerpiece when the halls are decked for the holidays. The question can be whether to go with a live or artificial tree. Here are two things to consider when making the choice: Shopping for a live tree is a great way to make...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Dec. 2-4
Holiday greens and gifts Hours for Greensburg Garden Center’s annual Gifts & Greens Sale are 3-7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road. Holiday merchandise includes trees of various sizes individually decorated by Garden Center members, along with aromatic...
The mind behind the Rubik’s Cube celebrates a lasting puzzle
NEW YORK — If you’ve ever had trouble solving a Rubik’s Cube, a good piece of advice is to break it down into steps. It’s worth a shot: That advice is from the man who invented it. “Problem solving is a very basic activity of the human mind and if...
Greensburg Luminary Night returns with crafts, carols, Mr. and Mrs. Claus
Greensburg’s 53rd annual Luminary Night holiday celebration is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with most activities taking place along Pennsylvania Avenue. Rows of luminaria will add a festive glow to downtown streets as visitors enjoy seasonal music, activities for kids and shopping at local stores. A Christmas tree...
Thanks, inflation: Cost of ’12 Days of Christmas’ items nears $200,000
The tune is oh so familiar. Not just the “and a partridge in a pear tree.” We’re talking “more than last year.” Financial services firm PNC has for 39 years compiled the consumer costs for those who would wish to make corresponding purchases for their true love replicating “The Twelve...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Nov. 25-27
Light ‘em up Light Up Ligonier will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday on the Ligonier Diamond. Santa will come to town for a countdown to the flipping of the switch to illuminate the bandstand, trees and holiday decorations on the Diamond. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available. For information, visit...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 25-27
Shopping, seminars, Santa and more are in the news this weekend in Pittsburgh. Thanksgiving tradition Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will present “Thanksgiving Tradition: Strauss Family Favorites” at 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave. in the Cultural District. Former PSO Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley returns to...
5 tips for buying the best artificial Christmas tree this season
If you are dreaming of a lovely, needle-free Christmas tree, you are in luck. Gone are the days of stiff, flimsy, plastic trees. Artificial trees are now more realistic than ever before, and they are growing in popularity. In fact, about 80% of homes will opt for an artificial tree...
Greensburg kicks off holiday season with parade, window display, raffle
When units head south on Greensburg’s Main Street Saturday for the city’s annual holiday parade, they’ll pass by a scene not witnessed in about four decades. Windows at the former Troutman’s department store at Main and Second streets will be decorated for the holiday season — for the first time...
