By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Last night in New York, I saw Alan Cumming in "Macbeth" - not the traditional version, but one staged in a mental hospital, with Cumming (Eli Gold on "The Good Wife") playing all the roles. The reviewer who described Cumming as "dazzling" was not exaggerating. The play ends its run on July 14, which means, as the ads note with some urgency, you have just 22 more opportunities to see it. If you do decide you're interested in "Macbeth" - or another Broadway show - don't
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
In most cases, once you book a flight there's no more shopping around: Even if you find a cheaper fare on the same flight later, you're stuck with the higher-priced ticket. Unless, that is, you're flying Southwest Airlines. Last month, about three weeks after booking a November flight to New Orleans on Southwest, I got an email from the airline touting its "Big 72-Hour Sale" for fall travel. I checked to see if the fare for my flight had changed, and it had - by
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
School gets out soon. Head off the inevitable "I'm bored" litanies by encouraging the kids in your family to read. And if they need a little encouragement … well, libraries, bookstores and even a bank have got some tempting incentives. Start with the "Dig Into Reading" program - books, activities, prizes - that's being offered by many Massachusetts libraries this summer. You can find out if your local library is participating by clicking on this link. Barnes and Noble's summer reading program, Imagination Destination, encourages kids to
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
A few weeks ago I wrote about "gift with purchase" cosmetics promotions, and mentioned that I've amassed quite a stash of sample-size lotions and potions. A reader emailed this response: "Here's something you can do with the extra little cosmetic samples. I've been keeping them to take to women's shelters, overnight shelters, that type of place. They really appreciate them. And, you can include those zipper bags that you get too many of when they come with the cosmetics." Why didn't I think of that? I
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Fast on the heels of last Friday's National Doughnut Day comes another "celebration" - National Iced Tea Day, which is today, June 10. At 7-Eleven the occasion is inspiring a week-long giveaway: Stores are handing out free Snapple Iced Tea while supplies last, and determined customers can snag a bottle each day - up to six in all. In a press release, 7-Eleven called the promotion a "party for cold tea-lovers [that] lasts through Saturday, June 15." But you'll need to jump through a few hoops
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Homemade jams and jellies, put up in charming glass canning jars, are classic Americana - and easy as pie to make, if domestic arts pros like Martha Stewart are to be believed. But as anyone who has ever wrestled with a crumbling crust can tell you, pie-making isn't always easy. I feel the same way about jam. You have to sterilize those charming canning jars. You have to cook the jam, then transfer it to the jars, making sure to wipe any excess jam from
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Shipping charges are often a deal breaker for me when I'm shopping online: If I discover that it's going to cost me $7.95 to have a $20 item delivered, more often than not I pass. I suspect lots of other shoppers feel the same way, which is why a growing number of retailers are offering an alternative - free shipping to your local store. The downside, of course, is that you have to schlep to the store to get your order. My rule of thumb: If
By Reporter
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The yawn-inducing phrase "class action suit" got a little PR jolt last week, when news media gleefully reported the proposed settlement of a lawsuit against the cereal manufacturer Kellogg. The plaintiffs in the class action suit claim that Kellogg falsely advertised Frosted Mini-Wheats by saying that the cereal could make kids more attentive and improve their memory. According to the settlement website, Kellogg stands by those claims, and "The Court did not decide who was right." What the court did decide on was a settlement
Northampton's Restaurant Week begins today, June 3, and after getting shut out in past years, I made my reservation well in advance. Eighteen restaurants are taking part, offering three-course meals priced at either $20 or $25 through June 9. The price isn't the attraction - I'm not a big eater, and I often manage to eat out for less than $25 even without Restaurant Week deals. What I like about the event is seeing how chefs finesse relatively low-cost ingredients to come up with dishes
The June 3 issue of The New Yorker includes a profile of Northampton resident Kim Gordon, an artist, fashion designer and, until quite recently, member of the band Sonic Youth. The story, titled "Next Stage: Kim Gordon Goes Solo," detailed Gordon's affinity for conceptual rock, her unease as a singer, her sometimes standoffish manner and her recent split from her husband, Thurston Moore. If you're from around Northampton, though, all that serious stuff pales next to the parlor game potential of the profile. Some of
