Finding your Niche

Pittsburgh can be an insular community, with so many people choosing to return to their hometown to raise their own families.  One of my fears when we moved here was that it would be difficult to make connections because people would simply not be looking for more friends.

Thankfully, I’ve found my fears to be unfounded.  Besides my friendly neighbors and the parents at my son’s preschool, two local social groups have provided me with a way to meet many wonderful women:

Mt. Lebanon Mom’s Network – A local group that seeks to provide support, socialization, and service opportunities for its members.  www.meetup.com/mtlebanonmomsnetwork

Mt. Lebanon Junior Women’s Club – Seeks to make our community better through civic, philanthropic, and social activities. www.mljwc.com

Of course, there are many local groups you could look into to find your own niche… www.meetup.com is a great resource for finding people with similar interests.  Mt. Lebanon’s own website (http://www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?nid=2084) has information on local groups and organizations, as well.

Tapping into Community Education for Personal Growth

One of the hardest things about being a “grown up” is the amount of work there is to do on any given day.  Cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, shoveling the walk, getting kids to school, dinner on the table, and laundry back into drawers can eat up entire days – and that’s not even including paid work outside of the home!  Life can start to feel like you are on a hamster wheel at times.

This year, I’m making a conscious effort to take time out for myself and for my family to do things that enhance our lives.  A couple of weeks ago when the CCAC registration booklet arrived in the mail, I was inspired!  There are so many classes to take advantage of – from woodworking, gardening, and foreign languages to classes on blogging, toddler aerobics class, and swimming lessons.  There truly is something for everyone.  The best part is that they are not time or money intensive!  Many classes are one to three nights for just a few hours, while others (like swim lessons) average $6 per class.  You really can’t find a deal like that anywhere else – believe me, I’ve tried!

So the next time things are looking a little boring on your calendar, check out some community education options – it really is a great resource for all residents, young and old!