More Lifestyles category, Page 32
Living with Children: Why? Because I said so
When I was a graduate student, one of the parenting memes then emerging from within the mental health professional community had it that “children deserved explanations.” The flip side of that very progressive notion was that parents should never say “Because I said so” in response to “Why?” or “Why...
Registration open for 30th annual Greensburg Thanksgiving Turkey Trot
How do you fill the hours before Thanksgiving dinner is served? You can whet your appetite by participating in the Greensburg Turkey Trot. After offering a virtual run in 2020, organizers are bringing back the live event, which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The trot begins at 9...
Saturday night’s all right for ‘Light Up Night’ in Pittsburgh
Light Up Night returns for its 60th year in Pittsburgh, but with a new date. Traditionally held the Friday before Thanksgiving, the celebration this year will be held on the Saturday before the holiday. The date will be Nov. 20, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced Thursday. What is being called...
Cabbage Patch Kids, piñatas, sand lead Toy Hall of Fame finalists
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Cabbage Patch Kids, the rosy-cheeked dolls that left store shelves picked clean during the first big holiday toy craze, are up for a spot in the National Toy Hall of Fame, part of a finalist group announced Wednesday that also includes garden-variety sand and the toy fire...
Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival relies on homemade foods, personal touches
In the United States, there’s a festival for everything from bugs to bologna, pickles to peanut butter. So why not a festival for flax? The people of Stahlstown have been celebrating the humble plant since 1907 with the annual Flax Scutching Festival. In fact, some residents grow flax — the...
Laurel Highlands ranks 8th in USA Today’s top-10 fall foliage spots
Once again, USA Today readers have confirmed what Western Pennsylvanians have always known — the Laurel Highlands is one of the country’s best places for viewing fall foliage. For the second year in a row, the Laurel Highlands is a Readers’ Choice Winner in the Best Destination for Fall Foliage...
Living with Children: Give teenagers clothes stipend to teach responsibility
Q: My two young teens are constantly begging me to buy them clothes. It’s become highly annoying. After reading your book on teenagers, I’ve decided to stop buying them any clothing and give them each an $750 annual clothing allowance. Should I give them the whole amount at once or...
Scottish clans to gather for 1-day Ligonier Highland Games
The clans will gather once again for the Ligonier Highland Games. Returning after a pandemic-year break, the celebration of Scottish heritage is planned Saturday at Idlewild & SoakZone, off Route 30 in Ligonier Township. Gates open at 8 a.m., with the last event beginning at 5:30 p.m. Usually spanning a...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Sept. 10-12Video
Laurel Canyon will play the classic rock music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at 7 p.m. Friday in St. Clair Park in downtown Greensburg as part of the SummerSounds weekly concert series. The trio comprises music industry professionals, including a former frontman for Pure Prairie League and a songwriting...
Nature meets nostalgia: Treehouses return in style
Anthropologists believe our ancient human ancestors spent their time in trees, so it should be no surprise we love treehouses today. Treehouses of all kinds are experiencing a renaissance. When an acre-size slice of land in Gold Hill, Colo., came on the market earlier this year, local resident Jessica Brookhart,...
Penn Township Fall Festival returns with parade, music, food, fun
Three community members who were instrumental in setting up a covid-19 vaccination station at St. Barbara Church in Harrison City will be honored as parade grand marshals for the Penn Township Fall Festival. The festival will take place Sept. 17-19 at Penn Township Municipal Park in Harrison City, with the...
Pittsburgh Irish Festival celebrates 30 years by adding even more green
Barb Martin will be making the Pittsburgh Irish Festival a little greener. The master gardener is teaming with members from the Late Bloomers Garden Club in Forest Hills to turn the Cultural Cottage into a plush area full of what Martin calls a “kaleidoscope of flowers, plants, herbs and vegetables.”...
Living with Children: How to help your child get more grit
It’s all over the web, that “grit” thing. Seems like every day, I get some promo for a webinar on how to get more grit, project more grit, or get in touch with your inner grit. So allow me to enlighten the reader on how to help your child acquire...
Electric boats making waves without the noise
The auto industry has raced ahead on an electric wave with more manufacturers joining the race seemingly every day. The boating industry has sputtered far behind, bogged down by low-horsepower engines and batteries that take up nearly half the boat. That’s in the process of changing. Bolstered by new technology,...
Labor Day: Fun facts, travel tips, picnic fare and that rule about white
The first Monday in September is set aside to recognize the social and economic achievements of American workers. It’s also a last hurrah of summer, as family members and friends get in that last trip, party or other warm-weather special event. Here are some fun facts about Labor Day and...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Sept. 3-6
Sunset at the fort Start the long holiday weekend with a Sunset Tour beginning at 7 p.m. Friday at Fort Ligonier. Guests at the 21-and-older event will take a guided tour of the site’s French and Indian War museum and then enjoy a wine and cheese reception and lantern-lit stroll...
5 fun facts from The Palace Theatre’s 95th anniversary tourVideo
Did you know that there once was a bowling alley in the basement of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg? And a billiards parlor too. These bits of trivia were among facts and stories shared with about 100 visitors during a free tour Thursday highlighting the historic entertainment venue’s 95th anniversary....
Living with Children: Tighten up deadline for adult child to move out
“We should, like, what? Give him a year to figure out his life and move out?” I’m talking to the parents of a 21-year-old male, who instead of going to college or into the military, delivers pizzas, eats pizzas (he gets an employee discount) and plays video games. I’m having...
Fort Ligonier goes all out for Cannon Ball auction prizes
The Cannon Ball returns to the grounds of Fort Ligonier on Sept. 17, after going online in 2020 because of the pandemic. Under two large tents on the patio of the education building and adjacent lawn, the signature fundraising event will feature the unveiling of a new whiskey collaboration with...
Allegheny City Civil War veteran’s effects fetch more than $4K at auction
A cache of military relics and a wooden locker belonging to an Allegheny County Civil War veteran sold for $4,600 at auction on Sunday, commanding more than 250% of its estimated value. The collection of items originally belonged to Alfred W. Kredel, a German-American resident of Allegheny City’s Troy Hill,...
Kennywood introduces Phantom Fall Fest
Kennywood on Friday announced a new Halloween-inspired experience. Phantom Fall Fest debuts on Oct. 1. It combines two events the park has held in the past – Phantom Fright Nights and Happy Hauntings. There will be daylight activities for families and scarier experiences for others at night. “Phantom Fall Fest...
Civil War cache on auction block chronicles Allegheny City veteran’s 2 tours of duty
Allegheny County Civil War veteran Alfred W. Kredel was granted an invalid pension of $6 per month in 1884, for wounds he received 22 years earlier during action at Gaines’ Mill in Virginia. On Sunday, the record of that pension, other personal effects related to the Troy Hill resident’s Union...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Aug. 27-29
Tree tales Do you ever find yourself wondering about the trees that provide shade as you sit in your yard or hike a local path? Meet the park naturalist at 6 p.m. Friday at the beach house of Keystone State Park in Derry Township for a short walk to learn...
Westmoreland Symphony to play under the stars for Ligonier museum benefit
There’s another opportunity to hear the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra perform outdoors, as the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier Valley and Ligonier Country Club present “An Evening Under the Stars.” The benefit for the museum is set from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 on the grounds of the country club...
Allegheny County’s RADical Days back, bigger than ever
People looking to expand their civic, cultural and educational horizons by trying something new have the perfect opportunity during upcoming RADical Days. RADical Days began in 2002 as a “thank you” to Allegheny County taxpayers with a weekend of free events from organizations that received support from the Allegheny Regional...
