Spring

Spring is in the air, and it sure smells clean. The annual ritual of ridding our homes of winter's dust and dirt has begun. While some of us dread spring cleaning, you can do things to make it easier on yourself and your wallet. I chatted with Sue Perry, deputy editor of ShopSmart Magazine, where staffers test and compare hundreds of cleaning products year round. They recently highlighted some of the most effective money-saving cleaners. "You go to the grocery store, and you think you are doing fine on your bill, but you put a couple of cleaning products in, and the bill just skyrockets," Perry says.

The spring face is a cool one. It's flushed, but not bronzed. Brows are thick. Lashes are long. Eyes are lined blue. Sometimes, lids are yellow and lips melon. It's not sultry or dewy, dreamy or pouty, but pastel and pretty - like a doll's face. "Think light and bright," says makeup artist Kelley Hughes. Hughes is co-owner of Parlour, a hair and skin boutique in Fishtown. "Pastels: turquoises, yellows, greens, tangerines. The colors are pastel, but pigmented for the perfect pop. " With her salmon cheeks, rosy lips and near-alabaster skin, actress Anne Hathaway is the grand dame of the uber clean-faced look.

Lace has woven its way into many a spring fashion look, and the result is a dainty mix of decades: Alençon sleeves are reminiscent of the romantic flapper look, and lacy floor-length maxis in blush tones are '70s bohemian chic. Minis in sherbet Chantilly are so totally 1980s punk. Pair a sheer lace shell with a slim-fitting pantsuit and your '60s mod silhouette is now - poof - futuristic. Add in the fashion industry's continued love affair with mixed media, and is it any wonder lace is popping up in so many unexpected ways?

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Kyle Kendrick was pitching in a minor league game in the last week of March. This year, that is a good thing. Kendrick, who has spent most of the last 4 years in a swing role that has sometimes left him on the precipice of the minor leagues, wrapped up a strong spring training on Monday afternoon. He allowed five earned runs, while surrendering three home runs on a windy day, but he struck out eight and walked only one, and afterward was pleased with his preparation for the regular season.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - First, Darin Ruf hit a walkoff home run that gave the Phillies a victory over the Braves. Next, he spent 15 minutes signing autographs for fans along the third-base line. Then he answered reporters' questions for 10 minutes. And after all that, Ruf was summoned to Charlie Manuel's office, where the manager and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told him he was being sent down to minor league camp. It was a fitting end to what had been a whirlwind spring training for the Phillies' improbable prospect.

HERSHEY, Pa. - Brittany Moore first realized she was going to win a state championship when her team was up by about 10 points with a little more than four minutes to play. For another Spring-Ford senior guard, Sammi Haas, that feeling happened when she looked at the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter. She didn't want to think the Rams had it wrapped up too soon, she said, so she buried the thought. Junior guard Sammy Stipa knew as soon as her team picked up the pace on defense in the third quarter.

Up by seven points in the fourth quarter, the Spring-Ford girls' basketball team was looking to start its 2012-13 season with a victory over Notre Dame. But a remarkable 33-point performance by Megan McGurk propelled the Irish to a comeback win in the final seconds. It was the last time the Rams lost a game they were leading. It also was the last time the Rams lost to a team from Pennsylvania. Since that opening loss, Spring-Ford (31-2) has been a different team, relying on its staunch defense and balanced attack to advance to the PIAA Class AAAA state final, a game they were one win away from a season ago. "It's so important to us," junior forward Shelby Mueller said after her team's semifinal win Tuesday over Cardinal O'Hara.

Up by seven points in the fourth quarter, the Spring-Ford girls' basketball team was looking to start its 2012-13 season with a win over Notre Dame. But a remarkable 33-point performance by Megan McGurk propelled the Irish to a comeback win in the final seconds. It was the last time the Rams have lost a game they were leading. It also was the last time the Rams have lost to a team from Pennsylvania. Since that opening loss, Spring-Ford (31-2) has been a different team, relying on its staunch defense and balanced attack to advance to the PIAA Class AAAA state final, a game they were one win away from a season ago. "It's so important to us," junior forward Shelby Mueller said after her team's semifinal win Tuesday over Cardinal O'Hara.

Matt Rhule didn't have time to spare. After being formally announced as the Owls' 26th head football coach on Dec. 17, Rhule hit the ground running, embarking on the recruiting trail for the first time as a collegiate head coach. "We feel really good about it," said Rhule, who has 15 seasons of professional and collegiate coaching experience under his belt. "People really responded well to us. We're going to take that Temple 'T' further across the country and let people see us. " Along with recruiting, Rhule composed a staff of his own, bringing in offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, defensive coordinator Phil Snow, offensive line coach Allen Mogridge, defensive line coach Brandon Noble and wide receivers coach Terry Smith.