Summer officially started June 21. Time for meals made with fresh herbs and produce, drive-in movies, picnics at the park and swimming outside.
Take our current WichiTalk poll, which asks, “What’s your favorite part about summer?“ (Not a fan? No worries: There’s an option for you to choose, too.)
And if your favorite part of summer isn’t reflected in the survey, please leave a comment here and tell us what you love about these lazy, hazy days.
Check out WichiTalk’s Thursday cover story for a look inside several Wichita candy stores.
We realize, though, that there are many other places in the Wichita area to get treats and desserts, including malts at Jimmie’s Diner, pies at Riverside Cafe and muffins at Copper Oven.
What local store or restaurant do you seek out to satiate your sweet tooth?
Neighborhood parks. Locally owned restaurants. Museums and venues. Wichita has endless corners to discover.
What Wichita adventure have you always wanted to have but have never actually done? Tell us what’s on the top of your “staycation” to-do list this summer. We’ll randomly select one participant to win a $15 gift certificate to Connie’s Mexico Cafe, 2227 N. Broadway.
A little bit of background on the restaurant, from Eagle write Denise Neil: “Connie Lopez helped start this family-run Mexican cafe in the 1960s, eventually passing it to her only daughter, Carmen. Carmen’s five daughters also worked in the restaurant and help run it today.”
Forget coed college dorms or floors. Now coed dorm rooms are on the rise, according to a story in today’s WichiTalk.
Is this a progressive movement or a sign of declining morality? Would you have liked to have the opportunity to have a coed dorm roommate? Would you let your college-age student live in a coed room?
Earlier this week, WichiTalk featured a story for which Bonnie Bing interviewed women who wear petite sizes. They told her about how difficult it can be to find properly fitting clothing that is also age-appropriate. This week, we’ve heard from women who wear tall sizes who simply cannot find clothes that fit at all. (Bonnie will share some of their grievances in her Monday column, so watch for that.)
Do you have shopping frustrations? Are your feet incredibly narrow? Your athletic calves too big for many slim-fitting pants? Share your fashion frustrations or tips on where you shop to soothe your sizing stresses.
With additional fees for the more luggage and more things you bring on planes, it’s quickly becoming more expensive to fly — especially if you have a lot of stuff you’re bringing with you on work or vacation trips.
Wrinkle-resistant fabrics, reversible clothing and color coordinating everything you bring are a few ways to make the most of the space (and luggage weight) of your belongings. Pack your socks in your shoes. Don’t bring all of your shoes. Tie that bulky jacket you want to bring around your waist instead of smashing it into your suitcase. Stop by a drug store or grocery store when you arrive at your destination to pick up diapers, snacks and other things you’ll want and need during your trip.
Share your tips for packing light for travel, whether you’re en route for business or vacation.
We love stories about misbehaving pets. Take for instance the popularity of funny dog clips on YouTube, dog trainer Cesar Millan’s Web site, the Animal Planet TV show “It’s Me or the Dog” or book “Marley & Me” by John Grogan.
We’re collecting funny anecdotes about your pet behaving badly. Here’s one to get you started: When my golden retriever Dakota was a puppy, my husband and I purchased a copy of “Golden Retrievers for Dummies” to read up on the breed and learn more about how to train a golden. During one short unattended period of time, our sweet little pup chewed the edges of the book, but not enough to prevent us from being able to read it. From that experience, we learned that our dog had a sense of humor and was a smart-aleck.
Leave a comment, and we’ll randomly select a participant to win a copy of “The Whole Dog Journal: Handbook of Dog and Puppy Care and Training,” edited by Nancy Kerns (Lyons Press, $20).
Dress codes and fashionistas doesn’t always see eye-to-eye when it comes to panty hose. The question has been referenced in national media in recent weeks, including when Mid American Credit Union president Jim Holt wrote a Wall Street Journal columnist to ask her whether other companies had a panty hose policy in place.
In the meantime, what do you think? Are panty hose tacky and outdated? Professional and stylish? Click on “comments” to share your opinion.
An Associate Press story gaining popularity online this afternoon quotes actress Jessica Alba saying that she’ll be a strict mom:
“I don’t want to be my child’s best friend,” the 27-year-old actress recently told Fit Pregnancy magazine. “I want to be a mom. But I do want my child to come to me when they have problems and need to talk, so it’s going to be about treading that line.”
Do you think that too many mothers or parents in general try too hard to be their child’s friend rather than their parent? Do strict parents risk losing the trust and opportunities for more personal conversations with their child?
Do you let Fido sleep on your futon? Does he have his own puppy pad to sleep on? Or is he an outside-only pooch?
At night, Dakota, the older of my two golden retrievers, will come into my bedroom and growl at me if he is wound up and is still wanting to play. Usually a good pet will settle him down. It also helps me unwind and get ready for a good night’s sleep. One of his favorite places to crash? The bathtub. I think it feels nice and cool to him.If you have any funny stories or animal anecdotes to share about where your pet sleeps, click on “comments.”