More Lifestyles category, Page 66
‘Competitive readers’ duke it out in Battle of the Books
There is no skimming for the 29 teams competing in Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Battle of the Books. Teams of three to five people need to read — thoroughly — the list of books “assigned” each year. “The questions are really hard,” says Dan Hensley, the library’s adult programming coordinator....
Sandcastle to add a new water slide: Bombs Away
There will be a new way to cool off at Sandcastle next summer. The West Homestead park announced it will next year debut Bombs Away, described as “a high altitude, looping free-fall body slide.” The park said the slide will take riders up more than six-stories. “Riders will enter the...
New lunchboxes ideas to kick off the new school year
A new lunchbox is one of the more fun back-to-school purchases you can make, and a cool one can be a bright spot in your kid’s day. These days, there are loads of choices, some simple, some with lots of bells and whistles. “There are so many more options for...
Monongahela group sets Guinness world record for largest wedding cookie tableVideo
It’s official — the Monongahela Area Historical Society on Sunday established a new Guinness World Record, that of “largest wedding cookie table.” Christina Conlon, Guinness adjudicator, said that by late afternoon, it was clear the tables set up in Chess Park held more than 50,000 cookies. “We know that you...
Living with Children: Alpha speech, a matter of properly conveying authority
Question: Some friends of ours who’ve read a couple of your books and attended one of your talks told us that they solved some major discipline problems with their 4-year-old just by using what they called alpha speech. They tried to explain it to us, but we’d like to get...
Son, daughter-in-law reject ‘circus-like’ family gatherings
Dear Carolyn: My oldest son has informed me he is finished with family gatherings “like a circus” and only wants to visit my husband and me in the future. The “circus” consists of his two brothers, their wives and one granddaughter. The excuse is that he and his wife have...
You can buy an extinct volcano in England for $60,000
You don’t have to be a James Bond villain to own a volcano. There’s patch of woods sitting atop an ancient volcanic outcrop in England that just might suit your needs. It’ll cost you about $60,000 to join the global ranks of volcano owners. The property is part of the...
Lincoln Highway Experience plans night of friendly competition
A night of friendly competition is planned for Aug. 23 at the Lincoln Highway Experience in Unity. Starting at 6 p.m., the “Thinkin’ Lincoln Summer Classic” will feature fun individual and team competitions both outside and in the museum’s new addition. Individual games will include basketball, fold a pie box...
Some common garden plants might help keep bugs away
If mosquitoes, gnats, black flies and no-see-ums are driving you buggy, then consider cozying up to some lavender, marigolds or basil. Scientists question their overall effectiveness, but many fragrant ornamental flowers and herbs grown around the home have properties that can repel insects. Insect repellents are divided into two primary...
Cruise back to the fabulous ’50s at The Stroll in Ligonier
If you have no particular place to go on Aug. 9, pick up Mustang Sally in your Little Deuce Coupe and head for Ligonier for some fun, fun, fun at The Stroll. The 17th annual 1950s-themed car cruise and dance contest is set for 5-9 p.m. on the downtown Diamond...
Latrobe Art Center has fall classes for all ages, skill levels
The fall lineup of art classes for all ages and skill levels will begin in September at the Latrobe Art Center. Two new classes are designed to create more interest in art among middle to high school students. Instructor Sharon Coons was an art teacher for 30 years, says center...
Greensburg’s Pride in the Park Picnic welcomes all
Jean Slusser, president of PFLAG — Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays — Greensburg welcomes anyone to the annual Pride in the Park Picnic. Slusser is a founding member of the group and of Westmoreland LGBTQ Interfaith Network, co-hosts of the picnic from 2-6 p.m. Aug. 18 at...
The Clarks to play annual Big Brothers Big Sisters benefitVideo
The Clarks will take the stage at Greensburg’s Palace Theatre on Oct. 19 for the band’s annual benefit concert for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region. The band’s latest release came in May — “Between Now and Then, Volume 2,” featuring all of the original members, is a...
Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer moving to larger venue for next sale
To accommodate more vendors and more shoppers, the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer is moving to a larger venue for its next event. Dubbed by organizers as the “biggest vintage fair yet,” the Mixer is scheduled for 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 9 at Nova Place, the former Allegheny Center in Pittsburgh’s North...
Headwaters party supports watershed association
The third annual Headwaters Party will raise money to help support the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association’s growing recreation programs, including its new water trail, says Annie Quinn, executive director. Money raised at the 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 10 event at Yinzer Valley Farms, 681 Mulberry Hill Road, Mt. Pleasant,...
From Zen to zany, backyards with style and personality
For some people, backyards aren’t just backyards anymore. “We’re seeing everything from Zen retreats for al fresco yoga to whimsical children’s spaces that go way beyond the typical swing set,” says Jennifer Bringle, editor in chief of Casual Living magazine. More and more, she says, homeowners are putting the same...
Living with Children: Model emotional control for your kids
As I crisscross the country in public speaker mode, I poll people in various demographic categories. I ask how they were raised, what their parents were like, how their parents disciplined, how they raised their own kids, their perceptions of how their kids are raising their grandkids and so on....
Supporting a partner veering off course
Hi Carolyn: My partner completed an undergraduate degree but struggled to find a career in that industry. Under pressure from family, they followed and struggled through a career path they hated for two years before deciding to go back to college to complete another undergraduate in something they thought they...
Need information on safe cosmetics? Here are some resources
When Ovie Marshall, an esthetician at The Spa at Aestique in Hempfield, decided to use natural beauty and skin care products, she says she found valuable information in Stacy Malkan’s 2007 book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.” The book asserts that (as of...
Minivan sales keep falling, but experts say they’ll live on
DETROIT — They were the suburban vehicle of choice in the 1990s and early 2000s, but ever since, minivans appeared to be riding the slow lane to extinction. The soccer moms who once made the boxy people-haulers ubiquitous have shunned them for car-based SUVs with three rows of seats. Many...
Locally made skin-care products and cosmetics find their niche
“You are what you eat” has long been a folksy tenet of good health. Increasingly, people are coming around to the notion that you also are what you put on your body in the form of skin-care and beauty products. Ovie Marshall, a medical and laser esthetician at The Spa...
Whistling Winds Flower Farm boasts bouquets and banquetsVideo
Since 2000, Monica Puskar and her husband, Stan Puskar, have operated a “hobby farm” in Mt. Pleasant Township. “We did church events, had festivals; both of our kids’ weddings were here,” Monica Puskar says of her rural home. But the idea of a cut-flower business and hosting other events persisted....
Creativity, functionality both matter in playroom decor
Go bold. Stay practical. Think long-term. These are among the tips offered by interior decorators for creating a fresh, fun — even inspiring — playroom for kids. Foster creativity “I love bold choices in a playroom,” says Mel Bean, a designer in Tulsa, Okla. In one client’s theater room, for...
Swimply lets you rent strangers’ swimming pools by the hour
Your neighbor’s pool can look mighty tempting on a hot summer day. Now, there’s a chance you can book a couple of hours of time in their swimming hole. Swimply is a swimming pool rental network that allows owners to make a few bucks by letting strangers take a dip...
‘Girls in Pearls’ to showcase YWCA Westmoreland thrift store finds
The mission of the YWCA Westmoreland County is to empower women and to eliminate racism, but once a year it’s also to show people how to look good on a budget. To that end, “Girls in Pearls: Walk the Red Carpet,” the annual show of fashions from the Y’s downtown...
