Instead of using a scissors, I just use my thumbnail to pinch off the leaves. I have so many plants in a row that if some pull out, instead of being cut off, it's not a big deal. I've done this for 20 years and not had a problem. It's much faster than using a scissors.
Otherwise, this is a very complete article about growing lettuces. The photos of the different varieties are great too.
I've also used lettuce as an edger in my perennial garden. You have lovely choices of yellow green, green,red and red greem combos to pick from.

I've found that to be sure of having squash, I become the pollinator. Find a male flower, pick it off and strip off the petals. Then I find a female flower that just opened it's petals and stick the male flower in and rub against the center portion to transfer the pollen. You can pollinate a couple flowers with one male flower. I've also had a variety of squash that produced no female flowers until 2 weeks before our first frost in the fall, way too late for the squash to grow to an eatable size! It was a pattypan , I think.

I too have had the problem of no squash developing. There are both male and female flowers. I just pick off a male flower and strip off the petals and pollinate the female flower by rubbing the middle of the flowers together. I did have a problem one year when no male flowers developed until late in August, then there wasn't ime for the squash to grow before we had a frost. If you become the pollinator, you know you will have squash, if you have both male and female flowers.

Applying vinegar to the sting site also works. I put some on a cotton ball and then used a bandaid to hold it in place for 30 minutes, when I got stung on my face. It helped a lot with the pain and the sting site didn't swell much either. I also used vinegar for bug bites. It eliminates the itch almost immediately. The odor goes away soon after it dries, so you don't smell like a pickle.