More Lifestyles category, Page 42
Snap a picture of your dog for chance to be in Biggies Bullies calendar
Have your furry friend strike a pose for a chance to have his or her picture in a calendar. The search is on for 13 dogs to be featured in the 2022 Biggies Bullies pet calendar. The contest begins Monday and is a fundraiser for the organization, which is a...
Double duty: Gift cards help businesses, Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Center
Cathy Reifer and Cheryl Gerson could not bring themselves to ask local, family-owned businesses to make a donation to support an upcoming gala. So they decided to do the opposite. They devised a plan to give money to the businesses through purchasing gift cards. The “Gift Card Give Back” idea...
Thin mints or Trefoils? Girl Scout cookie sales set to begin
Thin mints or Trefoils? Do-si-dos or Tagalongs? It’s time to decide which Girl Scout cookies you’re buying this year — and how many boxes. Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania will launch their 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program on Friday, hoping to bring smiles to the faces of their customers during a...
Animal Friends executive director Kelli Brisbane getting hands dirty in new post
Kelli Brisbane is getting her hands dirty in her new job. There’s nothing nefarious about it — it’s just part of being the new executive director at Animal Friends of Westmoreland. Since taking over the role on Dec. 14, Brisbane already has fostered a dog and pitched in at the...
Phipps Conservatory extends run of annual Winter Flower Show
The Winter Flower Show: Home for the Holidays has been extended through Jan. 17 at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. The extension offers visitors an opportunity to view the annual show that they might have missed due to the site’s recent pandemic-related shutdown. “We wanted to give everyone...
Living with Children: Advice for preschool teachers
Question: I teach 3- and 4-year-olds in a childcare center in Australia. I always have a few difficult children in any group and the book in which you describe Alpha Speech (“The Well-Behaved Child”) has been very helpful. My disciplinary options are limited to separating a misbehaving child out of...
The clock will strike midnight later in 2021 for the Cinderella BallVideo
The daughters and dads dance will have to wait. The 95th annual Cinderella Ball has been moved because of the pandemic. Traditionally held in January at the historic Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh, the committee decided to host it on June 26 at the Allegheny Country Club in...
Chewy sends pet paintings to keep customers from straying
NEW YORK — Danielle Schwartz didn’t ask for an oil painting of her cat. But she loves the portrait of Stinky that hangs in her upstate New York home, a surprise gift from an unlikely place: an online pet store. It’s one of the more than 1,000 free paintings that...
Modern farmhouse decor seamlessly blends best of diverse stylesVideo
Brothers David and Will Franicola of Madison took on a big project in June when they bought an old farmhouse on 115 acres in East Huntingdon. Built around the turn of the 20th century, the house needs a lot of work before it will be move-in ready. “Everything is pretty...
Make a new year’s kindness resolution with Children’s Museum of PittsburghVideo
How can you ensure a good start to the new year? At the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, staff members think we can make 2021 a brighter year by sending more expressions of kindness into the world. “To make this happen, we’re inviting kids and families to make and share resolutions...
Living with Children: Beware of ‘The Protocol’
Question: Our son is 7 years old and in the second grade. His school went virtual this past spring and we see no end to it, not in the near term at least. When he was going to a brick-and-mortar schoolhouse, he did very well. Close to the top of...
Sharing lessons learned in a tough 2020, looking ahead to a better 2021Video
Was most of what we learned in 2020 stuff we didn’t want to know? Like what really happens during a global pandemic or an ultra-polarized presidential election? From wildfires and earthquakes to hurricanes and floods, it hasn’t been pretty. In fact, a lot of it has been frightening and heartbreaking....
Greensburg infant’s brief life honored with random acts of kindness
In January, the brief life of a Greensburg infant led to an outpouring of love and support to his bereaved parents. This year on the date of his birth and death, Jan. 6, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region is honoring his memory with Willie’s Random Acts of...
The Westmoreland’s upcoming Community Day will be last for a while
Fans of Community Day programming at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art might want to make sure they join in the Jan. 3 virtual installment. Not only will it offer three hours of diverse programming, it also will be the last session for a while. “This will be the museum’s...
Living with Children: Teaching emotional resilience
A journalist asks, “What is the biggest challenge facing today’s children?” “The real world,” I said. For the last 50 years or so, good parenting has been defined as protecting one’s children from frustration, defeat, difficulty, stress, loss, deprivation, negative consequences, mistake and just about every other real-world experience. The...
Voting still open for People’s Choice award in Pittsburgh’s Gingerbread House Display and Competition
There are 14 more days remaining to vote for the People’s Choice award in the City of Pittsburgh’s Gingerbread House Display and Competition. The recognition is new for the 18th annual event, which went virtual this year because of the pandemic. More than 1,500 votes have been cast for the...
Holiday symbols represent the meanings for the season
They are the universal symbols of the holiday season. Menorahs and dreidels, wreaths and trees, unity cups and bowls of fruit — all integral parts of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. While each has its own customs and meanings and ways to celebrate, all three share one thing in common: light....
Pittsburgh ‘Menorah Parade’ lights up the cityVideo
Despite months of pandemic gloom, the lights of Hanukkah shined bright Tuesday evening on Pittsburgh’s East End. More than 75 vehicles illuminated with menorahs drove through the streets, honking horns and yelling “Happy Hanukkah” to the people lining the course. The annual Menorah Parade celebrates Hanukkah, known as the festival...
Living with Children: Tantrums and bribes
Question: Our 14-year-old daughter desperately wants to begin wearing makeup, which all, and I mean all, of her classmates are allowed to do. We have held off not only because of our beliefs but also because of her immaturity. Up until recently, for example, she has continued to throw magnificent...
Philadelphia Flower Show to move outdoors for 1st timeVideo
For the first time in its history, the renowned Philadelphia Flower Show will be an outdoor event in 2021. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society said the long-running exhibition is being re-imagined to provide a new, safe experience for visitors. “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outdoors and offer...
Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive changes game plan because of Wolf’s covid-19 ordersVideo
The plan to distribute toys to 200 families on Friday and 300 on Saturday turned into 500 on the same day. That doesn’t sound like fun, but organizers of the Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive scrambled to make sure bicycles, trucks, dolls, stuffed animals and more get into the...
Downtown Pittsburgh ice rink still open with capacity changes
The Rink at PPG Place in Downtown Pittsburgh plans to stay open, but with capacity changes, in light of Gov. Tom Wolf’s new pandemic restrictions. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people. “The ice rink will be open and abiding by the state requirements,” said Byron Sharp, president of Magic...
Gifty new and unusual pandemic-proof games for the holidays
The pandemic has proven there’s no shortage of games to keep families, couples and kids amused. The classics are ever-present, but a range of new or off-the-beaten-track gift entries are available. A sampling: Tragos It’s a party card game focused on Latino pop culture that comes in a variety of...
Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive gives new meaning to children’s fun
Miniature cars are lined up ready to roll. Kitchen sets await that first pretend meal. Bicycles sit ready for that ride around the block. And teddy bears and baby dolls long for that much-needed hug. These are some of the items that will be given to children as part of...
Virtual menorah lighting, scaled-back parade set in Pittsburgh to celebrate Hanukkah
Dark times need illumination. At 5 p.m. Thursday, 1,000 homes in the Pittsburgh area will light the first candle on their menorah celebrating the opening of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. They will do it virtually because of the pandemic. “It is so important that people stay connected,” said Adam...
