Historic Downtown Clean-Up and Earth Day Celebration

I may not be the most Earth-friendly person, but I try to make eco-friendly choices when I can. I switch to CFL light bulbs, recycle and buy random eco-friendly products when I can. Honestly, I'm not very dedicated to the cause, but when others make it easier or more convenient to make those decisions, I will.

So, here's an event that makes it easier for you to help beautify the Earth, or more specifically, Bethlehem. Historic District Downtown Bethlehem Earth Day Cleanup and Celebration will take place on Saturday, April 28, beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers will help clean up the South Side and plant new flowers for spring until 11 a.m. Then the celebration will begin, and attendees can meet representatives from local eco-friendly organizations while walking the streets of Bethlehem. Local bands will provide live music, and anyone who shops or dines in the downtown district can help the cause by donating a dollar toward having a tree planted in Bethlehem.

More information about the event can be found at its Facebook page. Also, according to the Downtown Bethlehem Association's website, anyone who would like to volunteering at the event can email lolyr@lehighvalleychamber.org for more information.

With events like these taking place on the South Side, it's much easier to get involved. I know I wouldn't take my own initiative to pick of litter or trash on the side of the road, but it's almost hard not to get involved when someone else organizes the event for you. So get out there, and help clean up Bethlehem, then relax and enjoy the city we live in. Saturday offers us an opportunity to give back to and take care of our home.

Things to do in the LV this week

All this week through April 15, Skirmish Paintball is hosting half prcie paintballing for students. Now what student doesn't love half price paintball? For $14.95, students can bring their ID and play all day (plus the cost of paintballs, which is $52 for 1,000 according to their site).

Now, if you're like me, and hate guns, then maybe you'd be more interested in seeing David Sedaris,the country'sforerunner in humor writing, tomorrow at Raritan Valley Community College. The tickets are a bit pricier at $50 than paintballing, but I'd bet it's worth it.

If you don't like paintballing or humor, maybe the Spring Wine & Food Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. this weekend is more your taste. Wine tastings and meals are throughout each of the two days at Bear Creek Mountain Resort.

Many other events are listed on Discover Lehigh Valley and The Express Times' websites. It's actually hard to not find someting to do with all the possible options the Lehigh Valley has to offer on any day of the week, especially weekends.

There is such an assortment of events that I would suggest trying out different things just to see if you like them. Whether it's an art show or a comedy show, it's pretty much inevitable that you can find something new and exciting to do in the Valley.

Events in the valley for through Sunday, March 25

Here's a map I made of a few events going on this week. It's only partly done for a class assignment. More places and events to be added tonight!


View Events in Lehigh Valley week of 3/19 in a larger map

Half Off the Valley

Just found this really awesome website for the Lehigh Valley: Half Off the Valley. It works sort of like Groupon, offering deals for majorly discounted rates. The deals include gift cards to restaurants (like a $50 gift card for $25), tanning salons, bowling alleys and more. The site also lists a discounted cruise for Celebrity Cruielines, which is a half price 12-day cruise. The various places that are offering discounts vary by a few categories: auto, leisure, retail, restaurant, salons and spas and services.

Some popular deals are already sold out, but the site is continually updated to include more discounts. If you are really interested in getting a good deal, you can sign up to receive email alerts for when new deals are available.

And like all good sales, the deals and gift cards expire, and many have specific rules to follow. So read the fine print. Even if it's a really particular deal, chances are the money you save is worth the extra effort.

I am really interested in this site because I'm an avid user of Groupon. Well, I always check out the deals, but I often find t hey aren't really relevant or nearby places that I would want to go to. But, Half Off the Valley is all local, which means more convenience for buyers.

So check it out sometime, maybe bookmark it, and you might find a deal you can't help but take advantage of.

61 days in a car?!

I have to admit, I actually enjoyed myself at the America on Wheels Museum. It was pretty cool considering cars aren't that interesting to me. But actually, I found that there was a lot of history of the U.S. preserved in the cars and photos that the museum displayed.

One of the most interesting facts that I learned was that in 1919, before the national interstate highway system was designed and constructed, it took President Dwight Eisenhower 61 days straight to cross the U.S. by car. Now that's a long time to be in a car. At the time, Eisenhower was serving in the Army, but during his presidency, that experience led to his support of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.

So I'll add that fun fact to my repertoire of random information, and maybe I'll consider going back to the museum when its rotating exhibit changes. I was surprised by my interest in the information there, and I would guess that the Valley has many other places that would do the same.

Here's a few photos we took!

 I LOVE photo ops!

 Car colors were so much prettier back then!

Feeling a little bit adventurous for a Thursday

So my boyfriend Shawn and I will be celebrating our sixth anniversary next weekend, on March 3. I've been looking around for something fun and interesting to do that's local and somewhat inexpensive. While I was surfing Discover Lehigh Valley, I found the America on Wheels museum is right in Allentown. While I'm no car buff (Shawn totally is though), I thought it would be an interesting place to visit with Shawn.

Right now in the changing exhibit gallery, the museum has a display titled "100 Years of Chevrolet," which seems fitting since Shawn owns an atomic orange 1977 Corvette. I'll be taking him there today, since it's only 15 minutes from Lehigh's campus and $7 for general admission. Despite my somewhat lack of interest in cars, I do enjoy going to museums and art exhibits, and I'm sure it will be something Shawn will enjoy and appreciate.

It's not hard to find a museum, gallery or exhibit in the Lehigh Valley. The area is overflowing with them in fact. Allentown has the Museum of Indian Culture, The Liberty Bell Shrine, The Mack Trucks Historical Museum, the Allentown Art Museum. In Bethlehem there's Lehigh University's art galleries, the Banana Factory, The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, The National Museum of Industrial History. And Easton has the National Canal Museum, Abbey Hill Art Gallery and The Crayola Factory (Yes, I'm 20, but I went there a few weeks ago with my family, and we had a blast!). And there are so many more that this area has to offer.

There's so much culture and history preserved in art galleries and museums. I've always enjoyed going on tours or just wandering around for myself. It's always so interesting to see what other people are working on or have done, and I love seeing exhibits or displays that are something my mind could have never thought up. That insight into someone else's thought processes is something I find so fascinating.

It's important to take advantage of what these historical places have behind their walls. You can learn so much about the history of the Leigh Valley and the people behind it. And besides the fact that these places are learning experiences, they are also new, exciting and fun things to do! And since they're usually fairly inexpensive, why not get out there and experience them?

Last November I traveled to New York City to see an art exhibit at Bard College that was centered around hats. I'm not really a hat person, but to see some of the ideas designers and artists come up with was so cool. Whether it was using obscure materials to create their designs or the shapes and patterns of a veil or mask, every display case had something new and interesting. There was even some history preserved in the exhibit, which included hats from historical and famous figures (Like one of Andy Warhol's wigs and Babe Ruth's baseball cap). I wasn't expecting to see so much in that tiny exhibit, but it was a pleasant surprise.

Now that I've done a little research, I know the Lehigh Valley has all that to offer its residents too. You don't have to travel to New York or any other major cities to find interesting museums and exhibits to go to. And, chances are the ones you find locally are probably cheaper than paying an admission fare in the city.

Well, I'm off to America on Wheels now. If they let me take photos, I'll post some later tonight!

Shop for a Cause

This weekend, instead of fleeing to the Lehigh Valley Mall for a shopping spree, why not stick to downtown Bethlehem? From Feb. 17 to 19, the Downtown Bethlehem Association is supporting a Shop for a Cause event. This means that while you shop for yourself, 10 percent of all your purchases at participating locations with go to a charity of your choosing. Better yet, when you dine at participating restaurants, 10 percent of your bill will also go to your charity.

The way it works: Print out a “Shop for a Cause Purchase Form” off of the website of the charity you pick. Then, bring that form to the store or restaurant you decide to shop or eat at and have the owner fill out the form. That’s it.

For a complete list of participating businesses, go to the event’s page on the Downtown Bethlehem Association’s website. The site also has a tab with a list of charities to choose from, including the Bethlehem Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers and United Way of Lehigh Valley, just to name a few. See online for the rest of the charities you can choose from.

This event is a really great way to support a local cause, but also get something for yourself out of it too. Of course, we always feel better about ourselves when we can do something nice for someone else, but there’s also the added benefit of picking up a cute top or grabbing a nice meal at the end of a stressful week.

It seems that people are always more inclined to do something if they can get something out of it too. Incentives are pretty powerful sometimes, and this is a pretty good one. Shop for a Cause offers virtually no effort on your part, besides printing the form. So why not participate?

restaurant week is back!

The only thing better than being served a full course meal is being served a full course meal at a fraction of the cost.

This past Sunday, Jan. 22, marked the beginning of Restaurant Week in Easton. Eleven eateries are offering lunch for $8 and three-course dinners for $30. This weeks offers locals the opportunity to eat great food for a great price, while also helping out the local restaurants. Sette Luna, Mangia Italian Restaurant, Colonial Pizza & Pub, Ocean, Mex Tex Trio, River Grille, The Standard Restaurant, Vintage, Widows Tavern & Grille, Phoenicia Middle Eastern Cuisine and Porters' Pub will be offering tasty food for a lower price through Saturday.

Also, you can enter to win four tickets to "Shrek the Musical" at the State Theatre in Easton while dining at any of the restaurants participating in Easton's Restaurant Week. Maybe not a show you would normally opt to go to, but hey, if you win free tickets, you gotta go!

I'm always looking for the good deals or specials, and when it comes to eating out, Restaurant Week is just about the cheapest way to get quality dishes for less.

So the best part of Restaurant Week is that it is coming to Bethlehem next week, beginning on Sunday, Jan. 29. With varying price points, 32 restaurants will offer breakfast, lunch and/or dinner menus all week long. Some participants are Apollo Grill, Blue Grillhouse and Winebar, Burger's and More by Emeril, Mama Nina’s Foccacheria, The Melting Pot, Starters Riverport and many more. For a full listing of the restaurants, and links to their menus, visit the Downtown Bethlehem Association's Bethlehem Restaurant Week page. An added bonus: when you dine at any participating restaurant, fill out a entry form for their gift card drawing. Five winners will be awarded gift cards for two to every participating restaurant.

Restaurant Week can also be a time to try out new foods or new restaurants. Since the prices are considerably lowered, maybe try a new appetizer or entree, or a whole new eatery altogether (Might I suggest Blue, one of my favorite places to go in the area).

So start planning now because the deals are only here for a short time. And make sure to take advantage of all the food and sweepstakes opportunities.

the age-old college student dilemma

"But I'm a poor college student."

We've all heard that excuse before. And as a full-time college student who is working two jobs, I know that situation all too well. Despite my lack of funds from time to time, I've made it my goal to always find new and exciting things to do that fit my budget. When I'm at Lehigh, my schedule is so jam-packed that it's hard to find time to slow down and relax. Ironically enough though, whenever that time comes around, I'm bored. So why am I ignoring all the possibilities the Lehigh Valley has to offer?

During my summers, when I'm not working, I'm always on the lookout for fun ways to spend my hard-earned cash. Whether it's new activities, local events or places to go, I keep my eyes and ears peeled for anything that might be entertaining, but also inexpensive.

I've never really done this at Lehigh though. Bethlehem, and the greater Lehigh Valley, is a place billowing with things to do. Not all of them are budget-conscious, but many are. And I want to take advantage of that while I'm still here.

I know the Lehigh Valley has more to offer us. So, I'm making it my personal goal to not only find what's going on in the Lehigh Valley, but to make sure college students low on dough have the information to take advantage of all the less-expensive opportunities the Valley has to offer too.

So to get started, here are a few links that always have ideas for fun and affordable ways to fill your free time:

• Downtown Bethlehem Association:From First Fridays to craft shows to town clean-up days, the DBA's calendar is always packed with fun, interesting and exciting ways to not only get involved in the community, but also to have a great time.


• Discover Lehigh Valley: Offering many ways to "play, stay, eat, save and discover," this organization encourages community members to embrace experiences in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.


• Local newspaper sites: The Express Times and The Morning Call both offer their readers interactive community calendars that allows them to browse events by date or by a search bar.