It’s coronation day! Princess Elena’s heroic journey to become queen culminates in an epic prime-time finale special of Disney’s Elena of Avalor on Aug. 23. New episodes leading up to the finale will debut on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW every Sunday beginning Jul. 26 at 5 p.m. ET/PT.
Inspired by Latin culture and folklore, Elena of Avalor premiered in 2016 and tells the story of Elena, a brave and adventurous teenager who has been learning what it takes to be a great leader by ruling her enchanted fairytale kingdom as crown princess until she is old enough to be queen. The series, which airs in over 150 countries around the world, has been lauded for its messages of leadership and inclusiveness.
In the prime-time special titled Elena of Avalor: Coronation Day, as plans for Elena’s coronation are underway, Esteban’s team of villains unleash legendary spirit misfits, the Four Shades of Awesome. In order to save her kingdom, her family and her friends, Elena must journey to the Spirit World and back, and face the ultimate test of her courage and character, before becoming queen. Jenny Slate, Mark Hamill, Fred Armisen and Andy Garcia guest star as the Four Shades of Awesome and Patrick Warburton voices Grand Macaw, ruler of the dark side of the Spirit World.
The finale also features returning guest voice cast members Constance Marie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jaime Camil, Justina Machado, Gina Rodriguez, Mario Lopez, Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, John Leguizamo, Cheech Marin, Whoopi Goldberg, Cloris Leachman, Chrissie Fit, Tyler Posey, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Kether Donohue, Nestor Carbonell, Andrea Navedo, Eden Espinosa, Ana Ortiz, Gina Torres and Gaby Moreno, who also sings the series’ theme song.
The series stars Aimee Carrero as the voice of Princess Elena; Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel; Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown and Carlos Alazraqui as jaquins Migs, Luna and Skylar, respectively; Emiliano Díez as Francisco; Julia Vera as Luisa; Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban; Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi; Joseph Haro as Mateo; Jorge Diaz as Gabe; Keith Ferguson as Zuzo; and Joe Nunez as Armando.
Elena of Avalor will continue to air on Disney Junior and Disney Channel platforms around the world. The series’ first two seasons are also currently available on Disney+.
Turn up the AC and cozy up with a pint of ice cream. Christmas in July has begun. Starting Jun. 29 The Hallmark Channel will once again offer a selection of their holiday classics.
“Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries once again bring the yuletide poolside this July, with the return of the networks’ popular summertime Christmas-movie programming events starring fan-favorites Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Holly Robinson Peete, Danica McKellar, Chad Michael Murray, Ryan Paevey and more,” according to a press release from the network.
Three Yuletide tales will be offered each weeknight starting Mon., Jun. 29, beginning at 5 pm ET/PT. Double Feature Fridays will pair together original movies of the same franchise, with Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas and Time for You to Come Home for Christmas on July 3, and Christmas in Angels Falls and Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday on Jul. 10. On Sat., Jul. 4, the network will honor our country’s service men and women with a daylong tribute to Veterans, featuring military-themed holiday movies including Operation Christmas, Holiday for Heroes and A Veteran’s Christmas.
Hallmark Channel’s annual “Keepsake Christmas” will continue with the tradition of nonstop Christmas cheer with 17 days of original Holiday movies beginning Fri., Jul. 10 at 12 p.m. ET/PT with Christmas at Dollywood. The festive marathon runs through Mon. Jul. 27 at 6 a.m. ET/PT with favorite movies including The Nine Lives of Christmas, A Christmas Duet, Switched for Christmas, Christmas in Evergreen:Tidings of Joy and Christmas in Rome.
Summer time means warm lazy days spent with family, with maybe a beach or camping trip added in for good measure. While you’re chasing your kids and making memories the last thing you want to worry about is your hair. Luckily we’ve got you covered with some easy summer hairstyles that are cute and functional.
A fun, but easy hairstyle to keep your curly or natural hair up and out of the way is with a Pineapple Updo like the one shown in this easy to follow YouTube tutorial by SimplyBiancaAlexa. All you need is a little moisturizer and a scrunchie, and you’ll have a perfect updo in minutes.
If the summer sun has you overheating, sweep your hair up into a top knot that’s easy and playful. Keep it sleek and pinned for a cleaner look or just let the ends hang loose for a little more messy fun.
This is a great look for short hair when you want to sweep it back, but still keep some volume. Work your hair into a loose French braid and tie it off with a short ponytail.
Your kiddos aren’t the only ones who can rock a ponytail. Sweep yours up high for a more dramatic, grown-up look that still keeps the hair out of your face while you're racing around the splash pad.
Roll up that classic bandana you still have from summer camp and wrap it around your forehead Karate-Kid-style, then loosely weave some hair around the band for a messy half-up style.
Braid your hair into a crown for a stylish look that keeps your hair off your shoulders and lasts all day. You can keep it simple by using a twisted braid. Start at the top of your hairline and slowly twist two sections together, gathering more hair into the braid as you work your way to the opposite side and secure the ends with a bobby pin. Or check out this easy-to-follow video tutorial.
You can never go wrong with a basic messy bun to give you the clean, practical look of an updo without being too formal. Pull your hair into a loose ponytail, either high or low will work. Twist the hair, and wrap it around the base of the ponytail, continuing to wrap below the bun. Secure your hair with an elastic tie and bobby pins. You can pull out a few strands from the bun or around your face to make it a little messier.
Headbands don’t have to be relegated to bad hair days and gym visits. Elevate a basic top knot or ponytail by wrapping a floral print scarf into an accent piece.
Beachy Waves
SoCal Curls
Get gorgeous beach waves for that date night or moms night out, without more than a few minutes of effort with the genius hair tie by SoCal Curls. It gives you the look in half an hour, and you can even chase the kids while your hair is setting. We tested it out on ourselves, and after setting the hair tie in and then enjoying a few minutes of playtime, we were left with happy kids and perfect curls. A mom win-win. You can buy the SoCal Curls in several adorable colors here.
Skip the boring single mom bun and get a little more creative with two. Panda buns are as easy as regular buns, with a much more stylish result. Split your hair into two parts and put each side up into a high, messy bun.
You’ll Need:
a rock
glue
fun fur yarn (we bought ours at Amazon) or feathers
a towel (to keep the rock warm and a base for your craft time so your table doesn’t get dirty)
Optional:
eyes
crown
fake eyelashes
Instructions:
Step 1: Find your pet rock. It can be any size, shape or color.
Step 2: Give your pet rock a bath to clean off the dirt before dressing him or her up.
Step 3: Dry off your pet rock with a towel.
Step 4: Lay out all of your supplies to make sure you have everything you need. Feel free to get creative with your decorations–we think feathers, ribbons and stickers could work well too!
Step 5: Lay out your towel on your table and begin to assemble your pet rock. Spread glue on the rock and affix the fun fur yarn all over.
Step 6: Once your pet rock is covered in fun fur yarn add a bit of glue to its head. Add your gold crown.
Step 7: Glue on the fake eyelashes.
Step 8: Add the eyes and make sure your crown is affixed properly.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend that will chase your social distancing blues away, then Hallmark has you covered. According to ET, the Hallmark Channel will be running a special Christmas movie marathon weekend to help fans pass the time during the coronavirus outbreak. So settle in with a mug of hot cocoa and get back in the holiday spirit with these feel-good movies.
Starting Friday, Mar. 20 at 12 p.m. ET/PT, Hallmark will air 27 original “Countdown to Christmas” holiday films from recent years, starting with Candace Cameron Bure’s A Christmas Detour and ending Sunday, Mar.22 at 6 p.m. ET/PT with Christmas in Rome starring Lacey Chabert.
The debut of Hallmark’s In the Key of Love, starring Laura Osnes and Scott Michael Foster, will still air as planned Saturday, Mar. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, as well as the preview specials for the network’s “Spring Fling” and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries lineups.
You can view the complete schedule on the Hallmark Channel website.
Friday, Mar. 20
12:00 p.m. ET/PT: A Christmas Detour
2:00 p.m. ET/PT: Holiday Date
4:00 p.m. ET/PT: A Christmas Love Story
6:00 p.m. ET/PT: Mingle All the Way
8:00 p.m. ET/PT: Christmas Under Wraps
10:00 p.m. ET/PT: Crown for Christmas
Saturday, Mar. 21
12:00 a.m. ET/PT: The Christmas Cottage
2:00 a.m. ET/PT: A Royal Christmas
3:30 a.m. ET/PT: Marry Me at Christmas
5:00 a.m. ET/PT: A Very Merry Mix-Up
7:00 a.m. ET/PT: Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays
Halloween isn’t the only day for dressing up. Tap into your creative side any time of year by making a hat. They make great additions to your costume box because they can serve as a full costume on their own—no snaps, zippers, buttons, tight leotards or confusing ties to figure out. With that in mind, we’ve dug up some simple, fun and totally crazy hat ideas that’ll make your day.
They're already obsessed with Jurassic World everything, so up your pretend play game with this adorable DIY paper dinosaur hat. It's easy to make, and you already have everything you need. Stomp over to Cutting Tiny Bites to learn how to cut, glue and assemble your way to your very own spiked dino hat.
This craft from First Palette is fit for the pint-sized royalty in your life. With construction paper, crepe paper, and as much sequin bling as you can find, you'll have a new addition to the dress-up bin. Head here for the full instructions.
A cool cowboy hat
Gabby Cullen
This cowboy hat is an easy craft you can make with your kids. Say giddy up and grab the tutorial by clicking here.
Your kids will be hoppin' around in no time with this super simple craft. Directions from our friend Alpha Mom call for scissors, one pink marker, and one paper plate. The site offers other great ideas for paper plate hats like decorative crowns and heart hats so check it out.
Rainbow Queens? Rainbow Fishies? Flowers? Make these colorful egg carton crowns and see how they brighten up your kiddos' day. Having Fun at Home has the 411 on how to make this colorful hat—all you need is paint, an egg carton, and a ribbon for the tie.
For the shark and sea monster enthusiast that wishes he could breathe underwater, this hat's for you. There is a lot of scissor work involved so be prepared to help a bit if your kid isn't an expert cutter. All you need is blue construction paper, markers, glue, and a stapler. Head over to Tippytoe Crafts for the tutorial.
You need black and white paint for this ... oh, and a red baseball cap but the good news is that you can get one on Amazon for just $3.99! And why not ... it's so cute and it's durable! See the tutorial over at Crafts by Amanda.
There are simple templates for this winter crown and all you need is blue construction paper, two white pipe cleaners, a pencil, scissors, tape, white tissue paper, and white thread. Optional craft supplies are stickers, markers, glitter or gel pens to decorate! See the how-to over at DLTK.
If you love all things UK but aren’t planning a trip across the pond anytime soon, you’ll love Epcot’s new Minnie Ears! The United Kingdom-inspired headpiece is the epitome of British!
Covered with blue and white roses, bow and gold crown, the limited edition headband is perfect for those photo opps at the United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot. Is anyone else suddenly craving fish and chips?
In addition to the festive headband, park goers can also shop a variety of other British gear, including apparel, a double decker bus hip pack and a red phone booth coffee cup.
You can shop all these fab finds at the Toy Solider shop located in the United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot while supplies last.
When it came time to celebrate their daughter Calista’s first birthday, pit master and restaurant owner Paul Morales and his wife Denise decided something a little more fitting was appropriate for their lifestyle. Basically, a regular cake smash just wasn’t going to cut it.
In a festive and funny photo shoot, the Texas family decided on a more meaty take on this tradition and served up two racks of ribs! The result was a delicious-looking set of pics.
Little Calista wasn’t going to let those ribs pass her by for her first “Rib Smash.” Donning a white onesie and crown, the 12-month old dug right in, clearly not a stranger to Texas BBQ.
In a recent post by dad, Paul shares that Calista is becoming quite the sensation as a result of her unique photoshoot. We just wonder what kind of “smash” we’ll see next.
Walt Disney World’s Villains After Hours even just got more delicious! The event, which runs from Feb. 7-July 10 not only offers plenty of up close and personal encounters with the likes of Ursula and your other fave bad guys, but specialty food and drink too.
New to the list is Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Soul” float. According to @disneyfoodblog, the sweet treat is made with black raspberry soft serve, Cherry coke and topped with candy pearls and crown.
We love Chicago not only for its deep-dish pizza, sports teams, charming neighborhoods and lake views but also for its world-class museums—namely, The Field Museum. Where else can your kids see gems and diamonds from around the world, human and animal mummies, animal dioramas, and SUE, the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever discovered? As a treat, Field Museum is treating IL residents to free basic admission the entire month of February! Read on to hear about the exhibits you’ll see and programs that inspire curiosity about our world, past and present.
EXHIBITS
1. Fantastic Bug Encounters!
Don’t get too creeped out, but all around us, bugs have built an amazing world that we rarely notice. They can camouflage themselves as flowers, communicate with flashing lights, and even perform “brain surgery” to turn their prey into zombies. Fantastic Bug Encountersgives visitors a peek into this hidden world now through Apr. 19, 2020. Discover how bugs’ incredible adaptations are changing the world through interactives, larger-than-life models and a bug zoo where visitors will see (and even hold) live bugs from all over the planet. More details.
2.3D Movies
The Museum offers three ticketed movies (for an extra fee): Waking the T.rex 3D: The Story of SUE; Egypt 3D:Secrets of the Mummies; and Titanosaur 3D: The Secrets of Máximo. Kids love these movies for the jump-out-of-your-seat visual effects and parents love them for the educational content (and the opportunity they provide to rest their legs). More details.
photo: Maximo via Maria Chambers
3. Oldies But Goodies: Sue and Máximo
SUE, the famous T-Rex that formerly could be seen in the Field Museum’s Stanley Field Hall, now resides in Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet in her own exclusive home. New updates to the 90-percent-complete dinosaur include knowing where Sue’s gastralia fit in, which resembles a second set of ribs which likely helped the T-Rex breathe. In SUE’s former place, stands Máximo, the museum’s newest tenant. Spanish for “maximum” or “most,” the name is a nod to the Titanosaur’s enormous size and Argentinian homeland. At 122 feet from head to tail, he’s longer than two accordion CTA buses end-to-end and his head peeks over the museum’s 2nd-floor balcony (perfect for Máximo selfies). More details on Sue and More details on Máximo.
photo: Underground Adventure
4.Underground Adventure
Kids travel underground and shrink to 1/100th of their size to get a bugs-eye view of the world below in this mind-boggling exhibit. This adventure teaches kids how important soil and its underground bugs are to creating a healthy environment. More details.
5.The Crown Family PlayLab
The Crown Family PlayLab was created with the knowledge that kids are natural scientists, always observing and testing the world around them. The PlayLab encourages kids to go wherever their innate curiosity takes them to discover the wonders of nature and learn about diverse cultures using creative play. They can dress up as an animal and star in their own nature play, explore a pueblo home to see how families lived in a different time and place, examine insects, play an African drum or dance to a Latin beat. The opportunities for self-expression are endless. More details.
PROGRAMS
The Field Museum offers an almost infinite amount of programs for educators, adults and families. Here are a few designed with little ones in mind.
photo: Dozin’ with the Dinos
6.Dozin’ with the Dinos
This is one of the best, well-thought-out museum programs because it allows for kids and caregivers to sleepover at the museum and experience exhibits as an insider. Imagine walking around in your pajamas and snapping photographs, with a background of dinosaurs, and then waking up before the museum opens to the public. This is an unforgettable experience for kids ages 6-12.More details.
7. Poetry Pop-Up
Most kids have never even seen a real typewriter, but poet-in-residence Eric Elshtain is about to change that. He’ll pick a different spot to set up shop with his desk and typewriter, inviting poets young and old to create alongside him. More details.
8. Sensory Saturdays
The Field Museum understands that some kiddos may have specific sensory processing needs in order to have a great museum experience. For that very reason, they open the doors to the Crown Family PlayLap one hour early, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. on certain Saturdays, so families can enjoy a crowd-free space. There are tactile opportunities and sensory tools to help ensure an enjoyable experience for all. More details.
9.Discovery Squad
Daily, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., kids can get a sneak peek of the museum’s vast collection that is not on display. They’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, hold objects (animal teeth, bird specimens, fossils and more) and get an inside look at what makes the museum so special. More details.
10.Public Tours
Now, this is a real treat — kids can view the exhibits with an in-the-know tour guide and ask questions about whatever pops in their heads. The schedule changes monthly, so refer to their online schedule or stop by the information desk on the Main Level for a full list of tours. More details.
photo: Meet a Scientist
11.Meet a Scientist
Another great free program, included with basic admission, is the Meet a Scientist opportunity on Fridays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Kids can hold and see real artifacts from the museum collection and learn from real scientists about their research. This is just another example of how great this museum is and how they stay true to their ethos of inspiring curiosity and learning.More details.
12.Dino Camp
Preschoolers (ages 3-4), with a caregiver, can experience two mornings this summer digging for dinosaur bones, playing educational games and completing art projects in the Crown Family PlayLab. The camp runs from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and basic admission to the museum is included for the rest of the day in the camp fee. This camp is a wonderful opportunity for preschoolers to learn and become engaged in natural sciences and history. More details.
13. Birthday Parties
Does your kid’s curiosity sometimes surprise even you? Is he more interested in exoskeletons than X-box? If you’re searching for the perfect venue to celebrate your little explorer’s birthday where she can step into a bug’s shoes, party with dinosaurs and have a science-themed scavenger hunt, look no further. More details.
14.Free Admission Days
The Field Museum makes a visit possible for every family through Free Admission Days and Museums for All programming, which makes general admission free or discounted for Illinois residents. As part of the Museums for All initiative, they also offer $3/person admission every day for up to six people to all families who qualify for state food assistance. More details.
The Field Museum 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus Online: fieldmuseum.org
