Our reaction to Toy Story 4 and some updates (and a giveaway!) for two Disney favorites

Over the weekend, we had the chance to see the new Disney-Pixar film, Toy Story 4, which is the latest in the Toy Story series. It was a heartwarming tale complete with some surprises and plot twists! I don't want to give any details away so you'll just have to see it. My kids said it was "awesome" and "one part is sad, and another part is scary with a few creepy dummies." It was nice to meet some of the new characters, especially Duke Caboom, Giggle Mcdimples and Forky!

We also got to play some Toy Story 4 themed games and win some fun prizes at the Toy Story 4 Summer Tour when it stopped in Somerville's Assembly Row a few weeks beforehand. So fun!!

Also last week, Disney released two classics on digital... the live-action version of Dumbo and the 70th anniversary digital remastery of Cinderella.

We are pleased to offer a giveaway for both Dumbo and Cinderella! Enter through the rafflecopter here:

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“Dumbo,” the grand live-action adventure from Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, which expanded on the beloved animated classic and sent spirits soaring, is now available on Blu-ray™ and DVD, as well as in digital format, all with never-before-seen bonus features, deleted scenes, Easter eggs and bloopers.

Stunning extras will transport viewers to the set of “Dumbo,” where cast members Danny DeVito (circus owner Max Medici), Michael Keaton (opportunistic businessman V.A. Vandevere), Colin Farrell (war-veteran-turned-elephant-keeper Holt Farrier), Eva Green (stunning aerialist Colette Marchant), Nico Parker (Farrier’s daughter, Milly) and Finley Hobbins (Farrier’s son, Joe) share their personal stories of courage and character. Features explore how Disney’s timeless animated story was brought to life with an incredibly expressive, lovable, fully computer-generated baby elephant; the longtime collaboration of Burton, production designer Rick Heinrichs and costume designer Colleen Atwood, which resulted in jaw-dropping sets and costumes; and the creation of the visually colossal Dreamland parade sequence. Also included are nine deleted scenes, hidden and not-so-hidden Easter eggs, bloopers and a special performance of “Baby Mine” by Arcade Fire.

The Anniversary Edition of “Cinderella” offers two all-new extras: “Cinderella” trivia and fun facts, hosted by Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker from Disney Channel’s “Sydney to the Max,” and “In Walt’s Words: Enhanced Edition,” a special edition of “Cinderella” featuring fascinating production details, original storyboards, archival photos, thumbnail sketches and transcripts throughout the feature film. Hours of classic bonus material celebrates the masterful animation, memorable music and long-lasting impact of “Cinderella,” showcasing Walt Disney’s core group of animators, the art of Disney Legend Mary Blair, the original demo recording of the film’s title song and Cinderella’s iconic glass slipper.

Cirque Du Soleil's CORTEO is now playing at Boston's Agganis Arena through June 30!

Cirque Du Soleil's CORTEO is now playing at Boston's Agganis Arena through June 30!

Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.

The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music turns lyrical and playful carrying Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.

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NOTE: We have been provided with tickets to see the show and will give our review shortly after. 

Comcast Business offerings, X1 for Business and WiFi Pro and Xfinity is hosting a Day of Awesome on 6/22

Watching the game on X1 for Business.
Image provided by Comcast Xfinity.

This is a sponsored post by Comcast.

Recently, I had the chance to learn about some offerings from Comcast Business, most notably X1 for Business and WiFi Pro, which would be especially useful for small to medium businesses.

As an Xfinity customer, I’ve grown used to the great offerings X1 has given me at home, as well as the use of xfinitywifi when away from home. What’s nice is that now when I go to visit a business that is using Comcast Business, they will have the same X1 experience that I am familiar with at home.

I find it useful to be online when waiting for my car at the mechanic or needing to check things when out with friends. I also like to watch TV shows when at the gym and having reliable internet is key.

Comcast Business offers Ethernet (with speed up to 100 Gig for interested businesses), Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses.

X1 for Business includes easier search and navigation, voice control and a picture-in-picture, sports content companion called the X1 Sports App that includes team and players profiles, statistics and real-time, game-specific data. This offering is available to bars, restaurants, hotels, gyms and other businesses across Comcast’s operating area throughout the Greater Boston Region and its footprint in the US.

WiFi Pro provides a business owner with a built for business tool to maximize WiFi coverage in their building that makes it easy to manage your business's Internet. A business can control their network with a separate guest network that could include custom splash pages for customers, offers, data analytics and more.

This Saturday, June 22, Xfinity is hosting a "Day of Awesome" at its Greater Boston Region Xfinity Stores. It’s meant to be informative, so you’ll learn some tips and tricks about services you may already have like X1 and check out free Xfinity apps (The Xfinity xFi app is a true game changer – see my previous write up here).  They’ll have giveaways and refreshments too.  Check out http://www.experience-xfinity.com/ to sign up and register for a location near you.

Watch Red Sox on the Boston Common today and other activities for June

Out of the Park event on Boston Common.
Image from Boston Red Sox, redsox.com

Today starting at 2:30 pm, the Boston Red Sox once again will host “Out of the Park” on the Boston Common with free food, games, and live NESN broadcast of the 4:05 p.m. game on a big screen! It is courtesy of the Highland Street foundation, along with other partners.

There are other fun activities/promotions coming for Red Sox Nation and Families in June:

June 23:
Kids' Build-A-Bear Presented By Hood - distributed to all kids in attendance

June 24:
Catholic Night: Special pre-game ceremony honoring local Catholic clergy prior to the first pitch.

Phish Night: Purchasing a ticket through this special offer the first 1,500 will receive a limited edition pennant designed by Phish.  

June 25:
Alex Cora World Series Bobblehead Presented By Coca-Cola for the first 7500 fans in attendance

June 26:
Run the Bases: Kids have the opportunity to run the bases at Fenway Park after the game

LEGO Day at Fenway: Your special ticket purchase through this link includes a limited edition Red Sox themed LEGO set. Ticket also includes access to pre-game LEGO Build Experience in the Kids Concourse.

June 29 & 30:
Red Sox vs. Yankees in London: The Red Sox will take on the Yankees in London for two regular season games. History will be made for this is the very first time regular season MLB games will be hosted in Europe.

NOTE: We are proud to be part of #RedSoxParents and are providing you with this great information. No compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

Disney's Aladdin is now in theaters!

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” opened today and is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia; Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders; and Numan Acar as Hakim.

“Aladdin” is produced by Dan Lin, p.g.a., and Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., with Marc Platt and Kevin De La Noy serving as executive producers. Eight-time Academy Award®-winning composer Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Oscar®-winning lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and includes two new songs written by Menken and Oscar and Tony Award®-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

NOTE: We are huge Disney fans and are providing this information since we know our readers are too! No compensation was provided.

The Red Sox will bring baseball to the Boston Common with Out of the Park on June 15

The City of Boston, Highland Street Foundation, L.L.Bean, and the Boston Red Sox will host the sixth annual “Out of the Park” on Saturday, June 15, on the Boston Common. “Out of the Park” is a free, family-oriented event that brings the Fenway Park experience out to the community.

“Out of the Park” will feature a live viewing of the 4:05 p.m. June 15 Red Sox-Orioles game at Camden Yards. The NESN (New England Sports Network) broadcast will be shown on a 15-foot video screen in the park. NESN will also broadcast their pregame show live from the Boston Common, weather permitting, starting at 3 p.m.

“Out of the Park” will begin at 2:30 p.m. with the Red Sox Mobile Showcase, presented by T-Mobile, bringing a batting cage, virtual reality station, pitching accuracy, and other games for families to enjoy. The events will also include many of the signature elements and amenities that can be found in and around Fenway Park and Jersey Street during home games, such as caricaturists, balloon artists, and face painters. Red Sox Mascot Wally the Green Monster, his sister Tessie, along with a live DJ will be present throughout the day. Attendees will also have a chance to take rides on the carousel with free vouchers and participate in giveaways. “Out of the Park” includes free food, provided courtesy of Red Sox partners.

NOTE: As a Red Sox Parent, I am providing this information for you, my readers since I think you would find it useful. I did not receive any compensation for this post and all opinions are my own.

My experience in the Citizen Public Safety Academy of my town

Every other week for the past few months, I have had the opportunity to join 34 other residents of my town to learn from our public safety officials: what it takes to do their job and the importance of building connections within the community. Before taking this course, the only experience I had with a police officer or firefighter was when I visited the building for assistance with installing a car seat and ensuring it was done properly.

In early January, we met in the training room of the new police department building and learned the history of police and fire departments in our town and the various reasons that fire prevention laws were developed. Over the course of the following months, we received a behind-the-scenes look at the public safety facilities, vehicles and tools and we learned about:

• Fire Department History
• Fire Prevention & Fire Behavior
• Fire Department Emergency Medical Services: Capabilities, Equipment Demonstration and First Aid
• Fire Department Emergency Management and Home Safety
• CPR and Stop-the-Bleed Training
• Training like a Firefighter with hands-on activities for various firefighting tasks
• Police Operations, Tools of the Trade and Use of Force
• Police Department Administration, Detective Bureau, Interviewing, Warrants and a K9 Demonstration and their role
• Operating Under the Influence discussion and Breathalyzer Demonstration
• Simulation with Interactive Scenarios involving Decision Making and Application

During the fire department training activities, I was amazed at how fast water comes out of a fire hose and how heavy the hose is to maneuver. We used the Jaws of Life and I was amazed at how they cut a car door and metal like a knife through butter. We put on protective gear and masks and went into a smoke filled trailer to get a sense of what it is like to wear 40 lbs of gear while crawling through a space where you can't see your hand in front of your nose. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be in that same scenario with your adrenaline pumping, temperatures rising, all the while being careful where you step because you may go right through the floor. 

I was in total awe at the amount of knowledge they have and the split second decision making that they have to have on a daily basis in high-stress situations that they may encounter. I already had a huge amount of respect for all public safety officials for the work that they do on a daily basis to keep us all safe. During this time, I've learned in greater detail about their various responsibilities and the inherent risks associated with their professions.

Here's a few of my favorite photos from the classes: