Living

News, Trends & Alerts Affecting Your Life

DETROIT -- Walk through the main doors of the elegant 33-story Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel, and it's easy to picture yourself mingling with the rich and famous who have stayed here. Full story »

KALAMAZOO - In this week's podcast, find out when you can start buying tickets for the Michigan Brewers Guild's Winter Beer Festival, learn more about the collaboration between Bell's Brewery and Belgium's De Proef, preview upcoming homebrew events, and peak into the future of KalamaBrew. Full story »

The much-anticipated collaboration beer between Bell's Brewery Inc. and Belgium's De Proef, called Van Twee, should be ready for area craft-beer lovers soon. Full story »

Four Michigan breweries will be participating in the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild's seventh annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer in Chicago Saturday. Full story »

Organizers of the Sundance Film Festival have a plan to beam outward some of the energy that pulses through Park City, Utah, each January to select theaters across thecountry, including Ann Arbor's Michigan Theater. The new program announced Thursday would transmit select Sundance films to eight independent theaters Jan. 28 and also dispatch the filmmaker to lead discussions in... Full story »

When I'm in the mood to bake, I'm in the mood to bake. Nothing irritates me more than finding out I don't have exactly what I need in the cupboard - especially when that something I'm in the mood for is chocolate. Judy Dishaw to the rescue. The Bay City resident sent in substitutions that will come in handy... Full story »

Crain's Detroit Business is reporting that Michigan's tourism office had to take a pass on media buys for the winter Pure Michigan ad campaign, long pushed for by ski resort owners and others who rely on Michigan's winter tourism. But tourism officials are pushing for a permanent fund, supported by new tourism-generated sales and use taxes, that'll create a... Full story »

Some festive food events are coming up in West Michigan that you don't want to miss. Full story »

THREE OAKS - The Wine Shop at The Acorn Theater will present a five-course beer dinner from Two Turnips (a local catering business owned by chefs, Drew and Lauron Turnipseed) and a new Michigan microbrewery, Greenbush Brewing Company. Full story »

A photograph and tracks found recently in the Upper Peninsula have rekindled a debate over whether Michigan has an established, breeding cougar population. The state Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday confirmed the authenticity of a cougar photo taken by a trail camera last month in eastern Chippewa County. The DNR also verified the discovery last week of cougar tracks... Full story »

D&W Fresh Market has launched an online catalog that offers 20% to 40% off beer and wine. Full story »

KALAMAZOO - It's gonna be quite a day for homebrewing. Ken Schramm, author of the "The Compleat Meadmaker" will be at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 North Westnedge Avenue, on Saturday, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to give a demonstration and talk about the basics of meadmaking. Full story »

For the first time this year, you don't have to travel to D.C. and wait in line, to score a ticket to the Dec. 3 lighting of the National Tree. Instead, you can register online for a ticket, distributed via lottery. I just signed up here and learned that should I not beat the odds, I could watch via... Full story »

My mother, age 65, is losing weight at a rapid pace because of her very high level of activity and many diet restrictions.  Full story »

It's one of the oldest cookies know to woman. Called springerle, this cookie has been around since the 14th century according to a Web site I found offering the history of this little cookie. According to the site, the name of the cookie in German means little knight. The earliest sighting of the cookie was in 14th century Switzerland.... Full story »