Category: Family Friendly

Trade-A-Tree

Debbie Roney Smith on

The non-profit Keep Pensacola Beautiful is hosting Trade-A-Tree today, January 3rd, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Looking to get your LIVE holiday tree out of the living room? Take it down to the parking lot of the GCE/KPB building at 2001 N. Palafox Street. Your tree will be recycled, FOR FREE, into mulch. Additionally, you will receive a Live Oak tree to plant along with instructions. This is a wonderful opportunity to go carbon neutral and create a more sustainable holiday tradition. 

Keep Pensacola Beautiful is partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation, and they’ve worked hard to help make this program possible. Additionally, there will be hot chocolate and hand sanitizer available (will products last!). Please be sure to wear your mask, and hope to see you there. If you want more information or to RSVP, visit Keep Pensacola Beautiful’s event page HERE. 

Happy New Year

Debbie Roney Smith on

Happy New Year to you and yours! The celebration of a new year is a wonderful time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. It is the perfect opportunity to encourage a fresh start for yourself in whatever way you need or want; you can start trying to eat healthier, spend more time with family and friends, schedule more volunteer activities, and more! The new year is a chance to reinvigorate yourself, your enthusiasm, and your goals for the future. Wishing you all the best in this new year, 2021!!!

New Year’s Eve

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New Year’s Eve, celebrated annually on December 31st, historically marks the final day of the Gregorian calendar year. The Gregorian calendar is based on the solar year and replaced the ancient Roman calendar that was based on the lunar cycle of the moon. Ever wonder where on Earth you need to be to experience midnight before anyone else? The clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve on the Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati first. Swiftly behind the three island nations, New Zealand,  Australia, Japan, and South Korea are the next countries to enjoy the new year.

National Call a Friend Day

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Although it has only been a tradition in recent years, National Call a Friend Day is a beloved celebration held annually. National Call a Friend Day was created to bridge the communication gap between friends who have been out of touch. Did you know that sending a text message overtook making phone calls as the most popular medium of communication for people under the age of 50yrs old in 2014? That means that those 56yrs old and under have likely been spending the last SIX years imagining the voices of friends, family, and work acquaintances in their heads. Yet oral communication is a vital component of self-care and community wellness; talking with friends and family can increase the release of dopamine, aka the feel-good neurotransmitter, which will make you feel more relaxed and happy. So call up someone you care about and catch up today in the spirit of National Call a Friend Day!  

Pensacola’s Palafox Market

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From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Palafox Markets will be open to all. Held in the MLK Plaza in Downtown Pensacola, the markets are host to artists, crafters, makers, cottage bakers, and farmers. It is an open-air market, but please be sure to practice safety precautions like wearing masks. As a bonus, the parking is free on Sundays!

Merry Christmas!

Debbie Roney Smith on

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate, and an equally joyous day to those who don’t! Do you know how fast Santa Claus would need to travel to drop presents off for every child in the world? Well…

…according to Arnold Pompos of Purdue University, Santa would have to travel a total of 160,000,000km(farther than the Earth to the Sun!) to visit the approximately 200 million children in the world. Father Christmas would need to travel at a speed of 4,705,882km/h. While this is far slower than the speed of light, it would still be more than fast enough to vaporize Kris Kringle via air resistance. Luckily, St. Nick has a magical sleigh and a team of highly-skilled reindeer to help him out! 

Christmas Eve-ntful Facts!

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Saint Nicholas Church, Austria

Today is Christmas Eve! Take a look at these three fun facts about the night before Christmas:

  1. The traditional Christmas carol “Silent Night” was first performed in the Austrian village of Oberndorf on Christmas Eve in 1818. It was performed for the public at a midnight mass in the Saint Nicholas parish church.
  2. You might already know that the astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission of 1969 were the first humans to orbit the Moon but did you know that it was broadcasted live on Christmas Eve?! 
  3. Celebrating Christmas Eve has been a tradition almost as long as the Christmas holiday itself. This is historically linked to the history of Christian public worship beginning at sunset with the ringing of bells; therefore, a celebration of Christmas would begin, literally, on the Eve of Christmas. Also, jingle-bells!

Lights Along the River

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Every night until December 31st, the Earle May Boat Basin is hosting their annual Lights Along the River Drive Through Lights Display! COVID safe, you stay in your vehicle, tune to 99.3 FM for some holiday music, and drive through almost a mile of holiday lights AND seasonal themed displays. Occurs daily from 5 p.m. CST to 9 p.m. CST. 

Sunshine Riding Trails

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Debbie Roney Smith & friend at Sunshine Riding Trails, 2020

Looking for a fun experience to gift to a family member or friend this holiday season? Consider gifting a 1-4 hour horse ride with Sunshine Riding Trails! A local, family-owned business located outside of Panama City Beach, Sunshine Riding Trails boasts over 10,000 acres of Florida terrain to explore: everything from sandhills to preserved forest. Trail rides are available for individuals or groups, are based on experience, and offer a wonderful experience to explore Florida in a new way on beautiful Tennessee Walking Horses. For more information or to book your gift-experience now, visit the Sunshine Riding Trails official website HERE!

 

 

Saddle Up Santa

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Dothan Boots & Saddle Club’s Saddle Up Santa will still occur in 2020! This year, the event will be a drive-through in order to keep things safer for everyone. Saddle Up Santa is a drive-through Christmas Festival with tons of goodies, food, and gifts from Santa! Please be sure to bring a can of food for the Salvation Army Food Bank donation. The event will be held today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Houston County Farm Center; cars will enter from Cottonwood Road.