The “Trolls World Tour” Trailer Just Dropped & It Will Have You Feeling the Beat

by Shahrzad WarkentinNovember 15, 2019

Poppy, Branch and the entire Troll village are back and sparklier than ever in a sequel to the blockbuster hit Trolls. A new trailer for Trolls World Tour features a sprawling cast of talent that will dance right into your heart.

As the first trailer for the new Trolls movie already revealed, Poppy and Branch, who are voiced once again by Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, discover that they are just one of several different tribes of Trolls in the world. Each new land of Trolls loves a different style of music, from techno to country.

The new trailer gives fans a better look at the newest character, the evil Queen Barb (voiced by Rachel Bloom). As the ruler of the hard rock Trolls she’s on a mission to eradicate all other music.

Poppy and Branch are determined to stop her, however, and unite the rest of the Troll world on their glitter-filled adventure. With so many exciting cast members and musical genres, the sequel is sure to be a rockin’ good time.

Trolls World Tour hits theater Apr. 17, 2020.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: DreamWorksTV via YouTube

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The Thanksgiving Tradition the Whole Family Will Love

by Gabby CullenOctober 23, 2019

The season of gratitude and thanks is right around the corner, and if you’re anything like us, you’re constantly trying to find easy and fun ways to teach your kids how to be thankful. Enter Turkey on the Table—created by two moms in hopes of helping their kids understand what it means to give back, and why it’s so important. This little guy is about to pop up everywhere, so here’s what you need to know.

What It Is

Turkey on the table is a fun new Thanksgiving tradition that was created by two moms determined to instill gratitude in their young children. It comes with “feathers,” that are meant for family members to write down their messages of gratitude until the turkey is fully dressed and ready to be on display during the big day. There are even adorable hats, feather refills, and crafting kits to make those feathers shine.

How It Works

All throughout the month of November, family members come together to recognize and record what they are thankful for, and write it on a paper feather. Simply insert the feather into the turkey’s tail, and by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, he’s got a full tail! Turkey on the Table also comes with a book that helps to explain to kids the process of giving back and being grateful. Plus, with every turkey purchased, 10 meals are donated to families in need in partnership with Feeding America. The goal this year is to reach 1 million donations. Says founders Kerry Maunus and April George, “We hope to encourage the tradition of Turkey on the Table, and conversations about gratitude & giving back in people’s homes.”

Available at amazon.com, $39.84 and up.

— Gabby Cullen

Images courtesy Turkey on the Table

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The First “Jungle Cruise” Trailer Just Dropped & We’re Ready to Go for a Ride!

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 11, 2019

Disney just dropped the first trailer for The Jungle Cruise and you’re going to want to climb aboard for an adventure with Dwayne Johnson.

This isn’t the first time Disney has based a film on one of it’s popular theme park rides. The latest Disney attraction-turned-movie features Dwayne Johnson starring as Frank, a charming riverboat captain who meets up with determined explorer Lily, played by Emily Blunt. Together they end up on an epic adventure down a wild animal infested river––you know, kind of like the ride.

For the uninitiated, the Jungle Cruise ride itself was initially inspired by a film called The African Queen, which starred Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn on a similar riverboat adventure. If the trailer is any indication, the new film is definitely channeling some of those classic vibes along with nods to some other famous action-adventures, like The Mummy and Romancing the Stone.

The Jungle Cruise, which also stars Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez and Paul Giamatti hits theaters Jul. 24, 2020.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Disney via YouTube

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A New “Pippi Longstocking” Movie Is in the Works with the Producer of “Harry Potter”

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 6, 2019

The one and only Princess of the South Seas is making her way to the big screen in a newly announced Pippi Longstocking movie.

David Heyman, the producer behind the Harry Potter franchise and most recently, Paddington, has just revealed his latest project––a feature film based on the classic children’s book Pippi Longstocking.

“Pippi has endured and inspired families everywhere through her life-force, strength of character and her irrepressible joie de vivre. Astrid Lindgren’s books have been translated around the globe for many years – a testament to her vision, which we are determined to honor with a new film,” Heyman told Variety.

Pippi was brought to life by beloved Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in 1945 and has since been featured in multiple books, short stories and films, including the 1988 movie The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. The story of the red-haired, freckled girl who is strong enough to lift her own horse has been translated into 77 languages and her books have sold more than 65 million copies.

“In David Heyman, with his impressive track record of bringing great literary works to the screen, together with Studiocanal, we are confident that we have found a team that can understand and appreciate the full value of Pippi Longstocking and develop films that capture both the playfulness and the gravity in my grandmother’s works,” said Nils Nyman, Lindgren’s grandson and CEO of Astrid Lindgren Film.

No word yet on who will play the famous resident of Villa Villekula or when the movie will be released in theaters.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: IMDB

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Firstborn Kids Are Often Smarter than Their Siblings, Study Shows

by Shahrzad WarkentinMay 7, 2019

If you have more than one child, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that each one is different and unique in their personalities and behaviors––but is one smarter than the other? A study says it’s likely to be your eldest.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Human Resources, found that parents generally spend more time and attention on their first child, which often results in higher intelligence than younger siblings. So why is that the case?

Researchers looked at data compiled in the National Longitudinal Survey of the Youth and determined that firstborn kids tend to receive the most mental stimulation. As families expand, parents are unable to give their subsequent kids the same level of attention as their first.

The research showed that differences in cognitive development between first-born kids and their siblings were significant as early as age one. The longitudinal survey involving more than 10,000 participants first interviewed kids in 1979 and has followed up at regular intervals since then, collecting information on education, employment, and income as adults.

“The lesson here for parents is that the types of investments that you make in your kids matter a lot, especially those that you make in the children’s first few years of life,” the study’s co-author, Jee-Yeon K. Lehmann, told Today. “All those learning activities that you did with your first child as excited, nervous, and over-zealous parents actually seem to have some positive, long-lasting impact on their development.”

This Popular Pixar Film Is Getting Its Own Show on Disney’s New Streaming Service

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 12, 2019

There are a lot of highly-anticipated new shows and movies coming to Disney+, but Pixar fans will be most excited about the new Monsters, Inc. streaming series.

As Disney’s new streaming service platform, Disney+, gets closer to debuting more information about the shows it will include are trickling out and the latest news is that Monsters, Inc. will be getting a series spin-off called Monsters At Work. Even bigger news is that the series will star Mike Wazowski and Sulley as voiced by the original actors Billy Crystal and John Goodman.

'Monsters, Inc.' voice cast to return for Disney+ series (exclusive) https://t.co/NIsvpI2xa6 pic.twitter.com/koqXbX780G

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 9, 2019

The new show will follow the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman) a young monster mechanic determined to work his way up to the factory laugh floor to work with his heroes Mike and Sulley. Other returning actors rounding out the cast include John Ratzenberger as Yeti and Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae.

No word yet on when Disney+ will launch, but it is expected to be later this fall with the new Monsters At Work debuting in 2020.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Monsters, Inc. via Facebook

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After 25 Years, The Gap & Old Navy Are Breaking Up

by Erica LoopMarch 11, 2019

The latest big breakup isn’t between two superstar celebs. Instead, it’s The Gap and Old Navy that are parting ways.

The Gap recently announced the split, detailing what will happen to the two brands. Old Navy, which has seen stellar success in the past few years, will stand alone. The Gap, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix and Hill City will now all fall under the umbrella of a still yet-to-be-named new parent company.

photo: Mike Mozart via Flickr/Composite: Keiko Zoll

So why are the brands splitting? Gap Inc.’s Board Chairman, Robert Fisher, said, in a press statement, “Following a comprehensive review by the Gap Inc. Board of Directors, it’s clear that Old Navy’s business model and customers have increasingly diverged from our specialty brands over time, and each company now requires a different strategy to thrive moving forward.”

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A post shared by Old Navy (@oldnavy)

Fisher also added, “Recognizing that, we determined that pursuing a separation is the most compelling path forward for our brands—creating two separate companies with distinct financial profiles, tailored operating priorities and unique capital allocation strategies, both well positioned to achieve their strategic goals and create significant value for our customers, employees and shareholders.”

What does the split mean for you? If you’re an Old Navy customer, look for more good things to come. But if you’re a fan of The Gap, you may need to find a new mall fave to shop. According to recent reports, Gap Inc. plans on closing 230 specialty stores over the next few years—with the majority being in the United States.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt6L9WCnvRT/

As of now, Gap Inc. hasn’t announced specific store closures or given any word on the fate of Gap Kids. The Gap (now and post-Old Navy split) will still have an e-commerce presence, making it possible for you to buy from the brand online.

—Erica Loop

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This Mom’s Gender Reveal Photoshoot 20 Years After Giving Birth Is Pure Love

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 14, 2019

Typically a gender reveal photoshoot happens before expectant parents welcome a new baby, but one mom decided to have a photoshoot 20 years after her baby was born for this incredibly touching reason.

Heather Lundberg Green has made internet waves with her inspiring and heartwarming transgender reveal photoshoot she recently shared to celebrate the “birth” of her transgender son. Green explained to Red Tricycle, “The shoot was to celebrate a milestone in my child’s life; just as I have celebrated many other milestones in his life this one seemed natural to honor as well.”

Green explains in her Facebook post that has gained thousands of likes and shares in just a few days, “When your child comes out as trans, the best thing to do is create a photoshoot to celebrate the fact that he silently and bravely stepped out of the race that he never wanted to be in, found his own lane and proceeded to win.”

Although she was determined to support her son when he told her he was transitioning, Green explained that she was initially unsure how. “How do I tell people, how do I say this is my son and I’m proud that he has the courage to live his truth, how do I set the tone in our corner of the universe for his journey to be as smooth as possible,” she said.

That’s when she came up with the idea of marking the milestone with pictures. “The photo shoot showed my son that not only am I not ashamed, I’m exceedingly proud of him,” Green explained.

“After we had time to begin the transition and to become more comfortable with this new journey, I wanted to share this important moment with my friends. I hoped that it would move them to share it with their friends so that people could see that it is perfectly acceptable to surround a transition with joy and love instead of the typical ostracizing and dysphoria that occurs. I wanted to prove to Adrian that there is support for him beyond what he saw.”

Kudos, congrats and love all around for this amazing show of family support.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Heather Lundberg Green

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The Benefits of Pre-K Might Last Longer Than We All Thought

by Shahrzad WarkentinJanuary 28, 2019

Having kids attend preschool programs can have a significant impact on preparing them for entering kindergarten, but what are the long-term benefits of pre-K? A study has a surprising answer.

The study, out of Duke University, found that students who attended a structured, state-sponsored pre-K program were more likely to excel in reading, writing and math compared to kids who did not attend the same program. It also found that kids who had structured learning starting at age four were less likely to require special education or to have to repeat a grade.

photo: Mike Fox via Unsplash

The study followed the progress of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students born between 1988 and 2000, tracking data like year-end math and reading scores all the way until eighth grade. It also tracked personal data, like birth weight, parents’ education, race and socioeconomic status and found that, for the most part, the benefits were the same across the board.

However, in certain cases, the benefits were greater for kids at a determined disadvantage. For example, students who were economically disadvantaged gained more in test scores than their peers who were not economically disadvantaged.

It is important to note that this study was limited to just 900,000 students in two state-funded programs in North Carolina with the intention of evaluating the financial investment into these specific programs. It’s not to say that these findings aren’t significant outside of North Carolina. Broader research would need to be conducted to confirm similar findings for universal pre-K programs in general—and this study is a great start.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Twitter Is #FirefightingtSexism to Prove Girls Can Be Fire Fighters, Too

by Shahrzad WarkentinJanuary 25, 2019

When one mom found out her little girl wanted to be a fire fighter after she learned her daughter believed only boys could become one, this mama took to Twitter for help. The outpouring of responses is incredibly inspiring and will totally make your day.

When The Guardian journalist and mom, Hannah Summer’s four-year-old daughter Esme came home saying that she wished she could be a boy so that she could grow up to be a fire fighter, Summer asked Twitter if there were any videos she could show her daughter to prove otherwise. Twitter quickly responded with female fire fighters introducing themselves to Esme.

.Esme, lots of our firefighters are girls and boys – some of them want to say hello to you! We would love to meet you and show you what we do. You can be a firefighter too! #firefightingsexism #thisgirlcan @NFCC_FireChiefs @StaffsFire @LondonFire Let's keep this going! pic.twitter.com/ZV1IdrGp3S

— West Midlands Fire Service (@WestMidsFire) January 18, 2019

It wasn’t just grown-ups that were quick to prove that fire fighters can be female. As one Twitter user pointed out, even young girls are determined and ready.

Message for Esme …be what ever you want to be…our granddaughter passed out as top firecadet…she may have been the smallest but she had buckets of determination @WestMidsFire #girlscandoanything @NFCC_FireChiefs pic.twitter.com/AzPmMqfZfA

— Dawn Whittaker KFSM 🚒 (@CFOESFRS) January 19, 2019

Summers was happy to report that the videos worked and Esme has a future career path paved out.

Update: @WestMidsFire – Esme has now watched the video – on repeat! And LOVES it. She now firmly believes 100% that she can be a girl AND a firefighter so thanks again – job done! She's also very excited about the invite to visit and would like to try on the yellow helmet! https://t.co/7oW5IKDgty

— Hannah Summers (@hansummers) January 18, 2019

And the internet has officially proven it can do much more than just provide hilarious cat memes.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: TheHilaryClark via Pixabay

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