Celebrate Labor Day All Weekend

Make sure to stay in Happy Valley this Labor Day Weekend.  There are a bunch of great events going on that you and your friends can attend.  These are not just University events.  There are also community wide events that you can attend, when there you are not cheering on Penn State.  You can learn more at Happy Valley.





Labor Day Weekend starts a little bit early in Happy Valley. That’s because it’s important to celebrate the end of a great summer the right way. It all starts on Thursday, August 28 with the WingFest Finals at Tussey Mountain starting at 5:30 p.m.. You’ll be perched on the mountainside to help determine who has the best wing sauce in the area. There will be live music, a setting sun, plenty of wings, other good food and beer. Just be careful, things could get rather messy.


Friday night, August 29, Mount Nittany Winery will host their End of Summer Gala at 6 p.m., complete with a jazz quartet to set the mood for the evening.


Saturday, August 30 kicks off the 2014 football season bright and early, with an 8:30 a.m. ET game time for the Croke Park Classic. Watch the game in your jammies at home with a cup of coffee in hand, or head to one of the many local bars and restaurants that will be serving up plenty of early-morning specials for this unique kickoff time. Stay tuned to HappyValley.com for a list of establishments and specials.


Sunday, August 31 starts early with the Mt. Nittany Marathon. The 26.2 mile race meanders around the beautiful scenery of the mountain. Those who do well enough will qualify for the 2015 Boston Marathon. Runners will enjoy the loading up on carbs, compliments of local restaurants, the night before at the Pasta Dinner. The day moves right along, so you’ll have to stay on your toes (but if you’re in the marathon you might be too tired, no need to apologize.) Crickfest 2014 is a fun, family event celebrating the Penn’s Creek Watershed at Coburn Park from 12-6 p.m. In addition to the food, silent auction, and new information, there’s a petting zoo.


Afterward, head to Bellefonte for a community pig roast from 5-8 p.m. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Faith Centre Food Bank as your admission. In addition to the delicious pork, enjoy beer from the historic Roopsberg Brewery. The night ends with the Aurigids Meteor Shower, which you can watch at Black Moshannon State Park. This small shower often produces a plethora of meteors, so come prepared to be wowed.


Labor Day on Monday, September 1 provides several great options for fun, too. Celebrate the end of summer at Lakemont Park. There will be free ride and slide passes for everyone all day. If that’s not a fantastic deal, I don’t know what is. Del Grosso’s Amusement Park is having their Labor Day and Customer Appreciation Day for $5.99 all day long. There will be plenty of fun and entertainment. At those prices, you can bring the whole family to both on the same day! In addition to the great parks, you can get a little time with nature. There is a Labor Day Float at Bald Eagle State Park that will take you out on a kayak. Experts on natural and cultural history of the area will join the group, so it will not only be fun, but informative.


Labor Day Weekend in Happy Valley has plenty for you to do between the picnics. Take the whole family out for a day, two days, or a weekend of fun and memories. There will be delicious food, and plenty of activities. Enjoy the last days of summer!

The Homecoming Schedule Is Here!

Homecoming at Penn State is one of the best times of the year.  The Homecoming schedule has been released for this September, and we have all of the information below.  You can learn more at Happy Valley.


September 20-27, 2014
Football Game: Saturday, September 27 vs. Northwestern


October in Happy Valley means trading your sunscreen for sweatshirts and seeing the green foliage of summer turn into a mosaic of colors draped over Happy Valley. It also means football, and specifically Homecoming weekend for Penn State.


This year's Homecoming weekend will be on September 26-28, with the Nittany Lions taking on Big Ten rival Northwestern on Saturday the 27th.


Homecoming is one of the toughest weekends to get a hotel in State College, so start making your plans now!
Homecoming Week Schedule of Events


Important Event Dates:
Penn State Homecoming week is September 20 - 27
East Halls Celebration - September 22
Past to Present - September 23
For The Glory Talent Show - September 23
Best of Penn State Carnival and Field Day - September 24
Student/Alumni Ice Cream Social - September 26
Homecoming 2014 Parade - September 26
Student/Alumni Tailgate Competition - September 27
Homecoming Football game against Northwestern - September 27


Visit the PSU Homecoming Site

Improve Your Iced Latte

We love a good caffeinated drink to wake up in the morning!  However, there are ways to make your normal iced latte even better! This blog will tell you how to make your own homemade iced lattes better than ever. You can learn more at The Kitchn.

Here are five things to try to make that homemade iced latte oh so worthy worthy of a warm summer afternoon.

Now of course, there are those who will tell you that putting milk and a sweetener in good coffee is practically sacrilegious. I agree.

Only 35% of Americans take their coffee black, which I think has more to do with the fact that we're used to bad coffee than it does that we love milk and sugar.

But really good coffee doesn't need to be diluted with milk and sweetener; it's good on its own; in fact, if it's made with quality beans, it's better on its own. Adding milk and sweetener is almost a must if you're drinking cafeteria style coffee that's been sitting on the warmer for too long, but when you're going for a pour over of craft roasted beans, you want the coffee all to itself.

That being said, I do have one exception: iced lattes. Because come on, an iced latte is a tasty thing, especially on warm summer days. It's sort of like if you're a wine lover. Inevitably when it's hot out, and you need a refreshing late afternoon drink, you'll take the sangria now won't you?

So, how to make the best iced latte? The standard milk and sugar route is boring and expected, you need something different.

1. Create homemade syrups

Forget sugar, make your own simple syrups. All you have to do for homemade syrups is to start with a basic simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio) and then figure out a flavor that will pair well with your iced coffee or cold brew.

→ How to make simple syrup: Straight Up: DIY Simple Syrup

Here is where you can get creative. I am intrigued by the blackberry syrup fromHow Sweet it Is, made with fresh blackberries, sugar and water. Cardamom syrup perhaps?

→ Try a recipe: Recipe: Homemade Caramel Syrup for Your Coffee
2. Pair almond milk and a dash of almond extract

You can easily make your own almond-flavored creamer by adding in a few drops of pure almond extract. Pair it with almond for an extra dose of almond flavor.
3. Use coconut milk

Coconut milk is a popular iced latte ingredient in the non-dairy crowd. It works well because of its very creamy consistency. In fact there's even a recipe for making coconut cold brew by adding in toasted coconut with the coffee grounds before adding in the cold water.
4. Use your blender

If you want the ultimate in a summer drink then you're going to want your coffee blended. It's easy to make blended coffee drinks at home, which allows you to make them cheaper and healthier than they would be at a cafe. Try this recipe for a Mint and Choco Frappucino, made with dates instead of sugar and cocoa nibs as well.
5. Spike it!

It's summer after all, and if you want to add a little booze to your iced coffee then have at it. You can make your own coffee liqueur and mix that in with your iced drink, or take a tip from the bartenders making craft coffee cocktails and experiment with flavor combinations. Amaretto perhaps?

Add Storage to Any Space

It does not matter how big your apartment is, everyone can always use a little more storage. Squeezing storage out of small spaces is something Apartment Therapy is great at teaching renters about.. Keep reading this blog, and check out Apartment Therapy to learn how to gain storage in any kind of apartment.

One of the biggest challenges of small space living is... where does all the stuff go? If you feel like you've maxed out all your storage but you still have things that need a home, this post is for you. Here are ten often-overlooked spots where you can squeeze a little extra storage out of a small space.

Above: Hang a set of wall-mounted shelves above a radiator. Spotted on VT Wonen.

The space above your door is the perfect place to mount a shelf to store books and other sundries, as spotted in the New York home of Ashlina Kaposta of The Decorista.

→ Small Space Storage Solution: Look Above the Door

What about above the bed? If you mount the shelf high enough, you won't have to worry about bumping your head when you wake up. Photo from Share Design.

→ More Space-Saving Solutions for Small Bedrooms

Use the space above your kitchen cabinets to store cookbooks, as in John's Sunlit Studio (from out 2013 Small Cool Contest).

Or try this: put baskets above the cabinets for lesser-used kitchen items, as in this home from Better Homes & Gardens.

Mount the lid of a mason jar under the bottom of your cabinets. Then use the jar to store little things that you want to be in easy reach. Spotted on House to Home.

→ More Smart Solutions for Small Kitchens

Make the most of the space in your home with a long, low console that goes under a window. Spotted on My World Apart.

→ Small Space Secrets: Swap Your Bookcases for Wall Mounted Shelving

Park a catch-all basket under a console table, as spotted in Jessica & Scott's East Coast Nest.

Another place to squeeze out a little extra storage is the back of the door to your medicine cabinet. These stick on pods are great for organizing makeup, or, if your medicine cabinet is made of metal, you can add magnets to the smaller things you use the most (lipstick, mascara, etc) and attach them to the inside of the door.

→ 10 Small Space Storage Solutions for the Bathroom

And don't forget about the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang small hooks there for things like measuring spoons that you use often and want to be in easy reach. 'Baking Pantry in a Cabinet' DIY from Jenny Steffens.

Make a Rental a Home

Do you want your apartment to feel like home? We have some great tips that will help you transition the place you are renting to the place you call your home. These tips will help you feel comfortable and love the space you created. You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Letting Go: It's possible to focus so much on decor, design, and picking the perfect furniture to reflect your personality and interests that can turn your house into a place of stress. How about taking a quick breather and switching gears for a sec and not allowing that stress to enter your home? Trust it will all eventually come together and just let it all happen when it does. Try cherishing your home in all its different quirky stages. Your mind and wallet will thank you for it in the end.

Make It a Refuge: Do you have a place you go to in your mind that's a no-stress zone? A place that you sneak away to that just calms you down and clears your mind? For me it's when I step into a yoga studio — the outside world just seems to melt away. Now wouldn't it be incredible if that place was your home? How can you make that happen for you? Maybe try taking a few deep breaths before you open the door, or leaving all the negativity outside on the front steps. What can you do to eliminate stress and worry from your house and make it a peaceful, happy place?

Spend Time There: This seems like a no-brainer, right? But it's not all that easy. How much time do you just spend in your home enjoying it? Do you hang out there and get to know it better? Or do you run out every chance you get? The more time you actually spend in your house, the more you may grow to love it. Even if it's not your ideal space, you can start to appreciate it and make it work for you.

Share It: Do you share your home with others you love? Do you have friends over often for dinner or a movie? Or do you very rarely invite guests over because your house isn't perfect? The more happiness and laughter that enters your house, the more it is going to feel like a home.

Make Memories: This is a direct result of the previous tip. If you fill your home with people and laughter, you will be making memories all along the way. Filling your house with memories will quickly turn it from a mere dwelling into a home. You may not look back and remember this house for its amazing picture windows, or french doors, or balcony to the pool, but you will remember the birthday party where your best friend baked their first three layer cake and then the dog promptly knocked it off the table resulting in impromptu ice cream cookie sandwiches with candles stuck in them.

Keep Your Apt Cleaner for Longer

These tips can be as easy as putting stuff away as soon as use it, or we have some great DIY tips that will also help you in the never ending quest for a clean home.  You can learn more at apartment therapy.


Put it back after you use it: This is the simplest tip and the one that, if it's the only tip you take away, will render your house clean enough. It's also the one I'm most guilty of not following. I realized that the number one reason I feel grumpy about putting stuff away is that most of the time, it's not easy to put it away — the shelf it goes on is too high, the closet it goes in is too crowded, the drawer is too full. Recognize yourself? Then it's time to rethink the homes of the things you hate putting away the most. For me, it was the vacuum cleaner. Once I moved it from the coat closet (seemingly convenient but I had to move a lot of stuff to get it out) to the scary closet (a few steps further away but all I have to do is shove it inside), not only did I vacuum more often but after I did, the vacuum didn't sit out for days while I got up the "courage" to put it away.

Keep it where you use it: A sharpie in the freezer to mark those bagged leftovers, pens by where I plug in my iPhone, laundry detergent with my clothes, dishes stashed near my sink, the extra set of sheets stored underneath the mattress. The less effort I need to make to put something away (or find it), the more often it will actually get put away (see above). Even if the place you put it seems crazy (jewelry in the kitchen, vitamins by the front door) if it works for you and it gets put back, work it. It's your house.

Chuck the stuff you don't use: As Laure pointed out in her post about decluttering, some stuff, as much as you love it and think it's ridiculously beautiful and useful (the usual criteria for keeping something), is just not working for your life. As hard as it is to admit that there isn't a place in my life for that fully-equipped wicker picnic hamper, that I will never be a person who wears Mary Jane flats and that teacups are made for people who actually drink tea from teacups not mugs, getting rid of these things can have an enormous affect on your cleaning routine. Donate them to someplace that gives a receipt so I can take them off my taxes or gift them to a friend that will love and use them. I can even photograph the things that are sentimental to me or that I find particularly beautiful. Now my home has more room to house the things I actually use and I feel a lot less guilty.

Have an outbox: I started using an outbox during my first Cure and I haven't looked back. Most of us have a problem detaching from our stuff even if it's stuff we don't use or want. Of course there's the junk. That's easy to get rid of but man do I feel guilty when I'm getting rid of something I paid good money for, that was gifted to me by a good friend or that I inherited. That's where the outbox comes in. I use a bag but you can use a box, a spot in the closet or a little-used corner of a room. I put stuff here while I live without it (and subconsciously work through the anxiety of getting rid of it). After about a month or so, it's easier to make a rational decision about what to do with it.

Quality over quantity: My life got a lot simpler when I started to cut down on how much of any one thing I bought. For example, I have two sets of sheets. One for the wash, one for the bed. It feels good knowing that I have less to store and I don't feel guilty about buying stuff that's a little better quality because I know I'm definitely going to using it.

Make one thing in every room a priority item: I learned this from Flylady whose famous directive is to keep your kitchen sink clean. There's a "sink" in every room. Concentrate on keeping that one thing clean and the rest of the room will feel clean and eventually the clean will spread to the surrounding areas. For me, that means keeping the bed made, the coffee table clear, my desk free of papers and the bathroom sink wiped.

Use a landing strip: It's not only a place to put down the mail and the keys, it's also a launch pad where I put stuff that I'm planning to take with me for the next day. While this may seem to be more of an organizing tip rather than a cleaning tip, once I started using it, I found that it was much less likely that I was going to rip apart the house looking for my dry cleaning receipt. I started out my day on the right foot, came home to a calm home and I felt relaxed. Home clean home is home sweet home.

Happy Fourth of July and Trivia Answer!

We hope everyone has a great Fourth of July!  Here is the answer to our trivia question.

Answer: The Pennsylvania Evening Post

After John Dunlap of Philadelphia printed copies of the declaration for the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, printers throughout the Colonies produced their own versions. The one from the Pennsylvania Evening Post came out on July 6, 1776.

Did you get it right?