Much of the world has slowed down over the last year, but the Imagineers at EPCOT have used this time to make some big changes. One of the first to be revealed is the eye catching fountain that stands in front of Spaceship Earth.
The acrylic structure stands where the original fountain did in 1982, welcoming guests to the magic of EPCOT. The reimagined fountain took inspiration from the geometry of the original, while adding a light at the center of the liquid-cooled fixture to go with the changing colors.
The fountain is made of three 16-foot acrylic pylons with the park’s logo and immediately draws your eye upward toward the sky and Spaceship Earth. Imagineers hail the fountain as the centerpiece of EPCOT’s entrance plaza.
Stay tuned for even more changes coming to the park as EPCOT continues to make more magical transformations in the months ahead.
Congratulations are in order. Christina Milian is expecting her third child, her second with boyfriend Matt Pokroa. The couple started off the new year by welcoming a son, Isaiah, in January.
Milian revealed her baby bump in a sunset photo with Pokora placing a kiss on her growing abdomen followed by a sweet snap of Isaiah placing his hands Milian’s stomach.
Pokora shared the same photo with a caption written in French proclaiming that Isaiah is already a protective big brother.
The new baby will also join Milian’s daughter Violet who she shares with ex-husband The-Dream.
Congratulations are in order. Mindy Kaling surprised her fans on Thursday when she made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and revealed she had given birth to her second child. While everyone else was baking banana bread and making whipped coffee, Kaling was welcoming a son.
“I’m telling this for the first time, it feels so strange,” she told Colbert. “I gave birth to a baby boy on September 3.”
Colbert said, “No one even knew you were pregnant!”
“I know,” Kaling agreed. “This is news to a lot of people, it’s true.”
Kaling also revealed that she named her new son, Spencer. The new baby joins big sister Katherine (Kit) who is almost 3 years old.
If you weren’t dreaming about the day you could head back to Bayside High, one look at the new teaser trailer for the rebooted Saved by the Bell will change your mind.
Set to the tune “I’m So Excited,” we are anything but so, so scared as we get a peek into the glossier version of the 80’s and 90’s hit teen show. So far, the show is welcoming back Bayside alumni, Jessie Spano and A.C. Slater, plus plenty of fresh faces.
A Peacock exclusive, Saved By the Bell will follow along as Governor Zach Morris (right!?) launches a program that sends low-income high schoolers to the wealthy Pacific Palisades Bayside High. While filmed in a very different way than the original, which was produced in front of a live audience, the show appears to handle relevant social topics as it did back in the 90’s with a whole lot of comedy.
The new Saved By the Bell is only available on Peacock and starts streaming Aug. 15.
Your summer game plan may have changed this year, but no need to scrap the kid’s summer camp plans, too. Make up for lost playtime with virtual summer camp! Virtual camp packs in all the interaction, diverse activities, fun and fond memories at a lower cost than the traditional camp experience. Keep reading to find out why Got Game’s Virtual Camp is the total package with everything you need to make it the best summer ever!
1. The Social Aspect
Kids have missed out on a lot of playground time with their best buds this year. A program that emphasizes the social aspect they crave in a supportive environment is sure to give them a boost! Got Game’s Virtual Camp is ideal because it has three age groups: rookies (4-6), pros (7-9) veterans (10-12). Kids will bond with peers and sign up for classes based on their interests, like sports and exercise, arts, entertainment, creative expression and social activities.
If your child tends to keep to themselves, Got Game Virtual Camp is an excellent opportunity for them to safely stretch their comfort zone. Each day starts off with a welcoming orientation for campers to meet coaches and new friends, setting the tone for the day. Their daily icebreakers get kids moving and make sure all campers are feeling good!
2. Low Cost
Let’s face it: summer can get pricey quick. Vaycays, day trips, endless snacking…. it’s a lot. You want to get the most out of your entertainment dollar so you have some money left for the ice cream truck! Virtual camp is the camp you can afford. Got Game Virtual Camp runs Monday-Friday, and you can choose either 10-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. for $95 a week. Bonus: two hours of free time to yourself–ahhhhh!
3. The Custom Experience
Summer camp should be an adventure, and you want to find a virtual camp that excites your child. Got Game’s motto is “We speak kid,” and we couldn’t agree more. Whether they prefer more active activities or creative expression, Got Game provides plenty of options to engage in learning, having fun, and socializing. No two campers’ experience will be the same: choose your own adventure!
Got Game Virtual Camp offers two different programs: Virtual Summer Fun Camp, which is designed for kids to make friends, stay active and explore their interests in sports, games, creative endeavors and more! Their Virtual Summer Academy is entering its eighth year, keeping kids’ minds engaged and sharp! This program is available for sign-ups every week, 9:30-12 p.m., and students benefit from live and interactive attention from credentialed teachers. With a student to teacher ratio of 5:1, parents can expect a fast-paced and engaging format that makes learning fun and enables students to stay ahead!
4. Low Parent Involvement
You spent the last few months homeschooling.. time for a break! Choose a virtual camp you can trust to take the reins for a bit because it’s your summer too! It’s essential for kids to feel independent, and virtual camp is a perfect zero-risk opportunity for them to explore while you relax and read that book that’s been sitting around the holidays. Got Game Summer Camp has been welcoming kids since 2004. Needless to say, they’ll be in good hands!
5. Super Simple Tech Requirements
Not a technical wizard? Neither are we. Got Game wins again, making it so easy to log in and get campin’, even their “rookie” 4-6-year-old group can do it themselves. Got more questions? They offer a detailed How-To manual before the first day to set you up for success. All you need is a screen, your kids and the free Zoom login they provide, and you’re good to go!
While we’ve been social distancing, Brookfield Zoo has welcomed some pretty exciting arrivals—two handsome 4-year-old African lions. While Chicago hasn’t been able to welcome these beauties in person just yet, read on to learn how you can be a part of their virtual welcoming committee.
The 4-year-old brothers, Brutus and Titus, were transferred to Brookfield Zoo from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, UT, on March 17. With the zoo being temporarily closed, they introduced the new arrivals via a Bringing the Zoo to You Facebook Live chat.
After seeing the brothers, kids began sending drawings of the lions and welcome messages to the zoo’s Facebook page. Staff decided to line the windows of the lion’s outdoor habitat with these well-wishes, which caught the eye of Titus.
Brookfield Zoo would like to fill the entire window with artwork and is inviting kids to submit their original masterpieces to the zoo’s Facebook page. They will be printed and added to the window for the lions to enjoy.
Brookfield Zoo’s Bringing the Zoo to You Facebook Live Chats are held on weekdays at 11 a.m. Be sure to join in to visit with your zoo favorites. If you miss one, no worries, you can go back and watch on Facebook or YouTube.
Note: As a non-profit, Brookfield Zoo relies on ticket sales, memberships, education program fees, meeting revenue and donations to operate. These temporary Covid-19-related closures have had a significant impact on the operating budget of all non-profits. Please consider making a donation, purchasing a membership or visiting the zoo in person when restrictions are lifted.
Many families are spending their time at home experimenting in the kitchen. For the first time ever, DoubleTree by Hilton is sharing the official bake-at-home recipe for the brand’s beloved and delicious chocolate chip cookie. Now you can bake up this treat with your kids and create a yummy treat everyone will enjoy.
DoubleTree Hotels worldwide are known for their famous cookies. Guests look forward to a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven, upon their arrival.
According to Hilton, “More than 30 million are consumed every year, and the DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie even became the first food to be baked in orbit during experiments aboard the International Space Station.”
Copycat recipes have been shared online for years, but only now has Hilton released the official version to create at home.
“We know this is an anxious time for everyone,” said Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness. We hope families enjoy the fun of baking together during their time at home, and we look forward to welcoming all our guests with a warm DoubleTree cookie when travel resumes.”
It’s a boy for Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee. The proud parents each posted an announcement on Instagram welcoming their son. Dewan gave birth to Callum Michael Rebel on March 6th.
Dewan also has a 6-year-old daughter, Everly, with her ex-husband, actor Channing Tatum.
“And just like that, our hearts exploded into all of eternity and beyond,” Dewan captioned a photo of her holding the newborn. “Welcome to the world you little angel!”
Kazee added a post of the newborn holding onto his finger. “In an instant our universe burst wide open and nothing would ever be the same. Welcome to earth star child.”
Congratulations are in order for Laura Prepon and Ben Foster. On Wednesday, Prepon announced on Instagram that she gave birth to her second child. The mom of two shared a sweet photo of her family’s newest addition.
“Welcoming home our new bundle of love,” Prepon captioned the photo. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Prepon and Foster are already the parents to their 2-year-old daughter, Ella. While they do not share photos of their growing family, Prepon does chronicle her pregnancy and what she eats on her YouTube channel.
Prepon will be taking a break from her YouTube channel for three to four weeks while she is on maternity leave.
Some expectant moms have their hospital bag sitting by the front door weeks in advance, while other moms throw a few things in their duffel bag as they’re timing contractions. No matter how prepared you are, it’s important to pack the essentials such as comfy pajamas, slippers, lip balm and according to one Wisconsin mom, a Nerf gun.
Samantha Mravik-Miller shared a photo to Facebook from her hospital bed after delivering her baby. Instead of a picture of her new baby, it was a picture of the Nerf gun she packed in her hospital bag to make sure her husband didn’t sleep through the night while she was awake with a newborn.
Having been through labor and delivery before, she knew what to expect. Mravik-Miller said, “This came about because when my son (who’s almost 6) was born my husband slept through him crying when we were in the hospital. I had lost my voice due to being on oxygen and one of the nights my call button was also out of reach. I remember having to throw an empty water bottle at him to try and wake him up to help me.”
This time around Mravik-Miller was having a scheduled c-section so she knew she would need more help than with her previous delivery. As she was picking up the house before leaving for the hospital she spotted the Nerf gun and thought to herself, “I’ll have better aim with this than a water bottle!”
After the excitement of welcoming her new son, Mravik-Miller forgot all about packing the Nerf gun until she asked her husband to grab something out of her bag. When he asked her about it, she said, “All the better to wake you with!”
Mravik-Miller is happy to report that no Nerf darts were used during her stay.
