'Deck The House' Winner Named in Patch Holiday Decor Contest

Family in Davis, CA, wins the $100,000 grand prize for its school district.

A California family won Patch's Deck the House contest and netted $100,000 in prize money for the Davis Joint Unified School District. “We all won,” said homeowner Kristy Powell, who designed and created many of the decorations. “There are a lot of needs at the schools. This is not going to fix it all, but it will help. This is a blessing.” Powell entered her home in Patch's national Deck the House contest during the holidays and was selected as one of the top 24 finalists in late December. For the Pine-Richland community, Mark and Jenene Hunkele entered a video of the gorgeous decorations around their Pine Township home. The Powells' home in California jumped out to a massive lead the moment voting opened up, thanks to support from the …

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Simply From Scratch

Cooking at Home is Key to Making New Year's Resolutions Come True

Here are five easy steps to a healthier New Year.

Columnist Kelly Burgess is on vacation this week, so we decided to run last year's New Year column because the advice is timeless. The New Year traditionally brings resolutions, and the most popular are to lose weight, improve health, spend more time with the family, get organized and save money. Getting more comfortable in the kitchen can help you achieve all five of these goals. 1. Lose weight.  People who cook for themselves tend to make food with fewer calories than restaurant or packaged food. So, even if they don't actually eat less, the chances are they're ingesting fewer calories. 2. Improve health. Cooking for yourself allows you to control the ingredients and make healthy substitutions, such as whole wheat bread for white, ground…

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Bus Detours, Street Closures Planned During Pittsburgh's First Night Event

Buses to run on amended schedules and access to parking garages will be changed during annual festivities and parade.

Revelers headed to Downtown Pittsburgh tonight for New Year's Eve should note that the Port Authority of Allegheny County will enact detours on about 20 bus routes and numerous streets will be closed due to First Night activities. First Night-related detours are scheduled to begin at approximately 10 a.m. today and will be in effect through the end of service tonight. Riders should allow for extra time when traveling on New Year’s Eve and through the holiday weekend, when Port Authority bus, light-rail "T" and incline service will follow these schedules: For more information, call Port Authority customer service at 412-442-2000 or the TTY number, 412-231-7007. The customer service line is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday …

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A Look at Area Malls' Hours Through New Year's Day

Some malls have special hours to accommodate returns and sales.

To accommodate seasonal sales and the returns of items purchased, many Pittsburgh area shopping malls will have special hours of operation for the week after Christmas, while some malls will simply revert to their usual schedules. See below for a list of area malls and their hours from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Also, see if those malls will keep their children's ride-along trains up after Christmas. All restaurant hours may vary.      

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Dispatches: Layaway Angels Spread Generosity Through and Beyond Western PA

Families in Moon and West View have been beneficiaries of Kmart "angels" who have made anonymous payments on strangers' layaway accounts. Others around the region have joined the host of generous angels who've popped up all over the country.

Across the country this holiday season, anonymous benefactors have dropped into local Kmarts and paid off layaway balances for families with children. It’s difficult to tell where this trend of generosity started—you can see reports of the donations reported by Patch sites across the country [ above ]—but it’s clear that where “layaway angels” tread, tears of joy follow. In the North Hills, anonymous benefactors have shown up and helped "a bunch" of families at the McIntyre Square Kmart in Ross, manager Mike Divoky said.  Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, "angels" have worked their magic in Moon Township by paying down balances for at least a half-dozen families who had laid away items at the Kmart on Beaver Grade Road. Others have turned…

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Did Santa Leave a Smartphone or Tablet Under Your Tree? Now You Need the Patch App.

Use your new device to keep up with Patch, and share your photos and videos with your neighbors.

So Santa —or someone who loves you a lot—brought you a new Smartphone, iPad or tablet for the holidays. Your next step? Go to www.patch.com/mobile and install the Patch app to keep up with and contribute to all the news and conversation in your hometown. Don't forget to share your own photos and video with Patch for your community to enjoy! Patch for iPhone keeps you connected to the latest news, weather, local business listings and current events happening in your neighborhood. Patch’s app will keep you and your neighbors engaged and mobile by delivering 24/7 local community coverage.   Patch’s useful features help you to: Or save anything from favorite stories to business listings direct to the for easy offline access. Customer opinions …

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Here Comes Santa Claus! Track His Sleigh Ride Here

He's getting closer all the time ... make sure you put out milk and cookies for the jolly old elf and maybe something for the reindeer too.

Where is Santa? Are the reindeer in shape and pulling their weight on that sleigh?

Idolator Poll Ranks Jackie Evancho's 'Believe' as Favorite Christmas Song of 2011

'Believe' is on 'Heavenly Christmas' CD.