One More Summer Weekend

School may have started, but your family still has one three day summer weekend left.  Check out these five summer activities to try with your kids this Labor Day Weekend.  You can learn more at Living Pittsburgh.

Blue Slide Playground at Frick Park – Aptly named for the big blue slide carved into the hillside, this playground at Frick offers fun for kids of all ages. There’s a toddler playground in addition to a more traditional play structure, swing sets, climbing structures, and a quarter cloverleaf to run out all that extra energy.

The PPG fountain D’town shoots water flush from the ground, dancing at varying heights. It’s as much fun to watch as it is to play in (for those that are a little timid). Check their website for times. During the winter, it transforms into a skating rink (no longer free – boo!), but is still fun all the same.

Highland Park Super Playground is a ginormous wooden play structure in Highland Park. Take a walk around the water reservoir and pack a lunch – you could make a day of this one.

The Water Steps on the North Shore is a multi-tiered fountain with pooled areas that creates perfect wading areas for kids of all ages! Made from stone blocks quarried in Butler, it offers a unique way to cool off in the summer, with beautiful downtown vistas.

Pittsburgh Spray Parks offer a free, new way to cool off in the summer! These brightly colored parks are equipped with plenty of structures for spraying and dumping, along with picnic tables for munching. You can wear out your kids for naptime in no time.

Delicious Cookie Recipe

Do you know anyone that is starting school this week?  Check out this great recipe to make for them after school! It is also just a great cookie recipe to make for company or for fun.  You can find more great recipes at The Kitchn.

M&M'S® Cookiesmakes about 36 cookies

1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup M&M'S® Milk Chocolate Candies

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs until well blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Press 3 or 4 additional M&M'S® Milk Chocolate Candies into each cookie. (Or, if you like, create a smiley-face or your child's initials using M&M'S® MINIS Chocolate Candies.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown. Cool slightly and remove to wire rack. Enjoy!

Greek Festivals in Pittsburgh

Are you a fan of Greek food?  There are tons of Greek Festivals in the city during the summer.  Check out the few listed below.  You can find more festival information at Living Pittsburgh.  Do you have any favorite summer festivals?

Summer is here, and that means food festivals galore! Greek festivals can be an affordable place to grab a tasty meal…and you’ll usually get some fun entertainment, too.  Here’s a start to the Allegheny County lineup for 2013. Please email details for additional Greek Food Festivals to deals@livingpittsburgh.com.

August 22 – 25, 2013: Ypapanti

1672 Electric Avenue, East Pittsburgh
412-824-9188
Hours: Thursday – Sunday 11am – 10pm

August 28 – September 1: Holy Trinity
985 Providence Blvd, North Hills 15237
412-366-8700
Hours: Daily 11am – 9pm

Email Organization Tips

Do you have a Gmail?  Did you know there are tools and tricks to help keep your inbox as organized as possible.  Keep reading the blog below to learn how to make your Gmail inbox more efficient.  You can find out more information at Apartment Therapy.



Efficient Gmail Inbox Habits

Sort as emails come: The best way to stay organized is to start from the get-go. Don’t let emails pile up throughout the week, believing you'll get to sorting and reviewing them "later". As emails start to flow in, at the least, organize them with designated labels ("followup", "family", "response needed", etc).

Labels: Back in 2011 Gmail began offering “smart labels”, a feature which automatically labels incoming bulk, notification, and forum messages for easy sorting and review. If you're the type who subscribes to regular email newsletters, store/sales notifications, or other group-wide correspondence, smart labels could be helpful in keeping the inbox trim and slim.

Color Categorization: Color categorization with labels: use it. If you’re someone who has to keep tabs on multiple tasks (who doesn't?) or juggle different groups of friends, categorizing incoming email by color will greatly simplify inbox reviews, creating color associated connections between senders and their emails. Assigning a color for emails sent from close friends and family is practically a must for anyone with a busy inbox.

Filters: After you’ve created labels and assigned colors, using filters is your next line of defense in streamlining an email inbox. In the Settings menu, select Filters and click, Create a new filter. Here, you'll be able to assign search criteria used to scan incoming emails and assign specific actions, including, "Skip the Inbox" or "Mark as read”.

Tools

Gmail offers an additional wide range of tools to help users stay organized and efficient in regards to their email needs:
Drag and Drop files: Instead of manually clicking “Attach a file” simply drag and drop files directly into the message.

Apps search: By activating “Apps search” you can extend your searches beyond the inbox into Google Docs and Sites.

Offline Gmail: Compose emails even without internet connection.

Tabs: the latest Gmail feature update takes something we're all ready used to while using browsers – tabs – and integrates them as a feature for easier viewing/sorting right from the Gmail inbox.


Users can turn on this new feature by clicking on the Configure icon (the little cog icon in the upper right), and choosing "Configure inbox". From there, optional tabs can be turned on or off, and once set, Gmail will automatically categorize the inbox by appropriate tab for segregated and tabbed viewing.

At launch, Google only offers five tabs categories:

Primary (messages from friends and family)

Promotions (sales and deals from retailers)

Social (social network sites)

Updates (online statements, verifications, receipts)

Forums (mailing lists, discussion board exchanges)Messages can be drag-and-drop between tabs, with specific senders set to always appear in a particular tab, and star messages so that they also appear in the Primary tab. Depending upon your workflow, this new tabbed view can help prioritize the process of viewing, responding, or archiving emails.

Summer Concert Series on Walnut Street

Check out these great summer concerts on Walnut Street in Shadyside. It is one of the biggest block parties in the city during the summer.   It is free or two dollars for a wristband if you choose to drink.  Keep reading for more information.



2013 Summer Jams on Walnut

Event: Summer Jams on Walnut
Location: 5442 Walnut St. in Shadyside
Date: Saturday June 29, July 27 & August 17, 2013
Time: 7-11pm
Description: Summer Jams on Walnut Street are Shadyside’s biggest block parties. It’s a great way to join the community in the fight against cystic fibrosis while partying it up with the latest local bands. The best part? It’s FREE, and runs all summer long, although it’s only $2 if you want a wristband to drink and the proceeds go to a great cause. The stage is located outside of where Doc’s Place used to be in Shadyside.

Bands this year are:

June 29, 2013 @ 7:00pm
Dancing Queen
Kelsey Friday

July 27, 2013 @ 7:00pm
Radio Tokyo
Donora

August 17, 2013 @ 7:00pm
Chris Higbee
Abacus Jones

Find out more details here.

Knit the Bridge

 

Knit the Bridge is a community-made public art installation on the Warhol/7th street bridge.  It goes up on the weekend of August 10th and 11th and comes down September 7th and 8th. The bridge will be closed on both of those weekends for the installation and removal. There will be a community celebration on August 25th from 3-7pm on the bridge.  The bridge will also be closed for the party and the celebration is open to the public.
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> The artwork has been made by over 1,500 folks from SW Pa, kids, seniors, and everyone in between.  As it is a community-made artwork the community is also responsible for maintaining it.  We will be inspecting and repairing the installation 3xs a day and also have a hotline for folks to report damage.
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> Knit the Bridge Hotline: 412 208 4324

The 7th Street Bridge will be getting a new look in a few weeks, but it is not a new paint job.  Knit the Bridge is a unique art installation scheduled to start August 10th.  Keep reading to learn more.  You can find out more information about this project by clicking the picture to the left.