GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens in theaters everywhere on August 1st!

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” finds space adventurer Peter Quill the object of a bounty hunt after stealing an orb coveted by a treacherous villain, but when Quill discovers the power it holds, he must find a way to rally the quartet of ragtag rivals hot on his trail to save the universe.

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From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance!!

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From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige, p.g.a., producing. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

 

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Million Dollar Arm – In Theaters NOW!

In Walt Disney Pictures’ drama “Million Dollar Arm,” the fate of JB Berstein’s career as a sports agent rests with finding an exceptionally gifted young cricket pitcher in India, who can be trained for an American major league baseball team.
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Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds 
that business has changed and things aren’t going well for his 
career. In a last-ditch effort to save his livelihood, he concocts a 
scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young 
cricket pitcher he can turn into a Major League Baseball star, JB travels 
to India to produce a reality show competition called “The Million 
Dollar Arm.” With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed red 
baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (played 
by Madhur MiƩ al from “Slumdog Millionaire”) and Rinku (played by 
Suraj Sharma from “Life of Pi”), two 18-year-old boys who have no idea 
about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping 
to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings 
the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely 
out of their element in India, the boys, who have never left their rural 
villages, are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the 
boys learn the finer points of baseball, JB, with the help of his charming 
friend Brenda (Lake Bell), learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, 
commitment and what it means to be a family.
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Don’t forget the tissues! Per Disney’s usually heart-warming, entertaining, story line, there is always a lesson to be learned, and Million Dollar Arm is no exception.  So make sure you grab the tissues and popcorn and make your way to the #MillionDollarArmEvent!!
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Making a Difference with #KidsLiveWell Recipe Challenge

This is a compensated post based on my involvement in the #KidsEatWell initiative. All opinions, as usual, are my own. 

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Children’s nutrition is a top trend on restaurant menus. To shine the spotlight on the industry’s commitment to providing healthful menu options for children and to inspire others to adopt similar practices, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and McCormick For Chefs created the Kids Recipe Challenge. The Kids Recipe Challenge is a fun and creative way to showcase healthy menu options available when dining out.

Participating restaurants & food service providers submit their creative culinary creations from their kids menu for consideration for this exciting, new award. The NRA Show 2014 is taking place at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL May 17th thru the 20th. Though I would love to be there, (there’s gonna’ be some AWESOME peeps there!) but since I can’t I can at least follow along on Twitter using the #KidsLiveWell hashtag.  

When parents dine out, they are increasingly looking for healthful options for their children. Many restaurants already have them. The National Restaurant Association has teamed up with Healthy Dining on the Kids LiveWell program. The initiative showcases the restaurant industry’s commitment to offer healthful options for children.

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Kids LiveWell is a first-of-its-kind voluntary industry program, reaching over 41,000 restaurant locations committed to providing families with a growing selection of healthful children’s menu choices when dining out. Follow Kids LiveWell on Twitter and Like our Facebook page to find out what participating restaurants are doing to celebrate. Also, check out HealthyDiningFinder.com and download the free smartphone app for a list of all Kids LiveWell restaurants and menu items.

Stay tuned as I will be posting the highlights and winners on Monday!! 

Posted in Fitness/Health | 3 Comments

FIRST-EVER DETAILS ABOUT HARRY POTTER AND THE ESCAPE FROM GRINGOTTS –

Today Universal Orlando Resort revealed details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – the revolutionary attraction found in the heart of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. The Grand Opening date for the spectacularly themed environment will be announced at a later date.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Imagine being part of the iconic moment from the Harry Potter film series where Harry, Ron and Hermione break into one of the most guarded places in the wizarding world – Gringotts bank – to retrieve a magical object that will help defeat Lord Voldemort. You’ve seen the action on-screen, and now you get to be part of it.

Universal’s creative team worked hand-in-hand with Stuart Craig and his production team from the Harry Potter films to immerse guests in this pivotal scene from the final Harry Potter book and film.

During an action-packed, fully-immersive journey on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, you will:
· Marvel at the 60-foot, fire-breathing Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon atop Gringotts Wizarding Bank
· Tour Gringotts bank and pass through the marble hall where you’ll see goblins hard at work
· Race through a labyrinth of underground Gringotts vaults
· Encounter the villainous Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, as she attempts to send you to your doom
· Come face to face with He Who Must Not Be Named
· Experience even more mind-blowing moments

The multi-dimensional, multi-sensory attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, will revolutionize theme park entertainment. This next generation thrill ride seamlessly integrates a compilation of the most innovative technology ever created, 360-degree themed sets, 4K digital high-definition animation, state-of-the-art 3-D Infitec projection systems and live special effects with beloved characters and breathtaking moments from the Harry Potter books and films.

“Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts will change the way you think about theme park attractions,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “We’ve created an entirely new type of ride that propels guests into the story like never before, and guests will remember it long after their visit to Diagon Alley.”

CLICK HERE to watch a video with more details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will bring even more of Harry Potter’s adventures to life. The new area will double the size of the sweeping land already found at Universal Orlando, expanding the spectacularly themed environment across both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Inside the land, guests will enjoy themed shops, dining experiences and the groundbreaking thrill ride – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

For additional information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/WizardingWorld.

About the Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. Each of the seven books by author J.K. Rowling has broken sales records, with the series to date having sold over 450 million copies worldwide and translated into 77 languages. The Harry Potter films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $7.7 billion to date worldwide at the box office, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.

About Universal Orlando Resort
Vacation like you mean it at Universal Orlando Resort – where every heart pounding, jaw-dropping, goose-bumping second counts. It is the only place where you can turn spending time with your family into spending time as a family. Together, you can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, become a Minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, and join Optimus Prime in the fight to save mankind on the new mega-attraction, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D. And, coming this summer, you can step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

Universal Orlando Resort is home to two incredible theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure; four magnificently themed on-site hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the newest addition, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort; and Universal CityWalk – a nighttime entertainment complex featuring a collection of nightclubs, restaurants and shops. And located just minutes from Universal Orlando Resort is Wet n’ Wild, Orlando’s premier waterpark.

Universal Orlando Resort is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company. Follow Universal Orlando Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

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UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND WITH A LIVE CONCERT BY GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BAND THE ROOTS

This Saturday, GRAMMY Award-winning hip-hop/neo-soul band The Roots, house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and best known for their singles, “The Next Movement,” “The Seed” and “You Got Me,” will shake up Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration with a live concert on the Music Plaza stage. Before the concert, guests can catch colorful beads by the handful during the festive Mardi Gras parade, which features 12 vibrant floats, including three new additions celebrating Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days.” Guests can also visit Universal Studios Florida’s very own French Quarter Courtyard to enjoy authentic Cajun cuisine and see performances by bands pulled straight from Bourbon Street.

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Universal Orlando’s “N’awlins”-inspired, family-friendly version of Mardi Gras runs select nights through June 7. The excitement of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is included with admission to Universal Studios Florida. For more information, visitwww.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

2014 Mardi Gras Talent Line-Up
Mardi Gras Event Dates Headliners

(performing in the Music Plaza)

May 17 The Roots
May 24 Cher Lloyd
May 31 Huey Lewis and the News
June 7 Robin Thicke

Schedule of Events for Saturday, May 17:

  • 4:00 p.m. – French Quarter Courtyard Opens
  • 8:15 p.m. – Mardi Gras Parade Starts
  • 9:00 p.m. – Live Concert Begins
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