Mickey and Minnie Mouse await your visit. (Photo by Bo shou on Pexels.com)
For many, their relationship with Disney may not extend beyond the beloved films and television shows Walt and company have created over the years. Then there are others whose childhoods included trips to Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. (I’m grateful to be among this group!) Still, if these vacations max out your Disney experiences, you have only scratched the tip of the iceberg of what the company now offers. Since Disneyland opened in 1955, Walt never stopped dreaming up new ways to entertain his guests. Now, in National Geographic’s 100 Disney Adventures of a Lifetime, Marcy Carriker Smothers shows us all the magic we’ve been missing, and I promise you’re going to want in on the action!
Hackers are already selling account information for Disney+, the new streaming service which launched just over a week ago. (Photo courtesy Canva)
If you use online services for banks, games, music, shopping, and even streaming services like the new Disney+ platform, you need passwords for each one. But how do you remember all of them? Do you have them written down on a sheet of paper somewhere? Or, God forbid, do you use the same passwords over and over again in an effort to keep your sanity? If so, not only are you taking an enormous risk with all your personal information, but you’re basically asking hackers to take over your life. So what should you do? It’s time to download a password manager to help you simplify and protect your life in cyberspace. Read more of this post
New Bedford sunset (Photo by Jathan Fink/Jadeworks Entertainment)
Moving always forces a family to make all kinds of adjustments, and our new home is only one of the many we are going to need to get used to. In January, we told you that we would be moving to New England with a job transfer. Well, in February we drove across the country, outrunning a winter storm that nipped at our heels the entire way. Then on March 1 we finally moved into our new home in Massachusetts. Read more of this post
Earth Day is celebrated worldwide on April 22, although it may be commemorated on other dates in your community.
Dear friends,
Despite tax season, April is a fun month. The weather is generally a little warmer, spring is officially in full swing, and people’s spirits are generally much better than they were during the chilly winter months. Plus there are several great events to look forward to!
As we’ve told you before, one of our favorite charities is the Nature Conservancy, whose motto is “Protecting nature. Preserving life.” This year in celebration of Earth Day (on April 22nd), they are encouraging all of us to get outside, have fun and explore nature as a family. They’re also urging people to “picnic for the planet,” by hosting picnic meetups in 199 cities around the globe.
The Earth Day Network is also urging people to pledge to live and act sustainably. You can find great resources about how to reduce your carbon footprint on their Website, find ways to get involved and can even make donations to the cause.
But Earth Day also means the release of a brand new film from Disneynature, African Cats! The film follows two feline families striving to make a home in the wildest place on earth. See African Cats during opening week, and Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to protect the savanna these cats call home. And before you watch the movie, be sure to visit the African Cats Website for educational information and downloads that can help you teach your children about the science and geography themes in the film.
And if you’re in Cincinnati, you can join us down at Sawyer Point at noon on Saturday, April 16th for the 41st Anniversary Celebration of Earth Day! There will be tons of stuff to see and do for the entire family, including animal presentations featuring an aquarium and petting zoo, a rock-climbing wall, great food and live music.
Then, on Friday, April 29th, head on down to Great American Ball Park for UC Night at the Reds! The Reds will take on the Florida Marlins and the park will be packed with UC alumni. Buy reduced rate tickets, then be sure to show up early for the pre-game activities and FREE giveaways in the Reds fan zone!
Color explodes at the Cincinnati Zoo during Zoo Blooms throughout the April 2011.
Get out your garden gear and prepare to plant a tree, because the 29th is also Arbor Day. For those of you who aren’t sure what the Arbor Day Foundation is or how the day gained popularity across America, you can check out two articles Jathan wrote last year about the trees in our lives and the origins of Arbor Day on his philanthropy blog, Some People’s Lives.
April is also a great time to start planning your summer garden. You can visit the Cincinnati Zoo for ideas during the entire month of April as the park explodes with color during Zoo Blooms. This event always fuels our imaginations, particularly since spring makes us anxious to plant tons of herbs, veggies and flowers of our own. Because we plant the majority of these plants in containers, be sure to watch for a future blog post about that. We’ll give you some great tips on gardening, including inexpensive ways to make your yard look phenomenal!
So what are you waiting for? Get outside, commune with nature, plant a tree, take a picnic, watch a game, or plan your garden. It’s spring, and there is no better time to enjoy the great outdoors!
When we were children, we created some of our favorite memories on Sunday nights when the family gathered around the television with steaming cups of cocoa and big bowls of popcorn to watch movies on the Wonderful World of Disney and later on the Disney Sunday Movie series in the mid-80s. Times have changed a bit since then, and family films have become big business with many studios besides Disney making big-budget movies like the Harry Potter and Shrek franchises. In fact, there are so many of these movies now, that many of them seem to get lost in the shuffle. So here are some of our favorites, ones that you may have missed. Finally, we hope you’ll write and tell us about some of your family favorites too. We’ll post some of your comments in a future article. —J&H
Jathan & Heather 