Things To Do In SW Florida

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

The term “body doubling” might make you think of someone completing a task for you, like a stand-in who does stunts for an actor, but it actually refers to using someone else’s presence to help you focus on your own task.

While the technique has been used for years among people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, financial experts say that people outside of the ADHD community can also find body doubling helpful to get money tasks done, especially if they are struggling to get started or remain focused.

You could dial into a video conference filled with strangers while you revamp your budget on your own, or you could sit with your partner while you pay bills or organize receipts.

“The social presence of somebody doing a task with you makes you feel like you’re not alone and allows you to get it done,” says Dave DeWitt, a certified financial planner who specializes in serving clients with ADHD. “It helps you feel supported,” he adds, especially when you’re working on something that can be overwhelming like financial to-dos. read more

Universal Studios Florida has introduced its Mega Movie Parade to theme park visitors, an event that salutes films tied to the park, past and present.

Gray clouds, literally and figuratively, loomed above its first outing Wednesday evening. Spectators exchanged knowing, cautious glances as thunder rumbled in the distance, and the threat of inclement weather eventually pushed back the start of Mega Movie by about 15 minutes.

Rain fell before the units looped back to backstage. It wasn’t a downpour, but it was enough for umbrellas to pop out. The show went on.

Halloween Horror Nights adds ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ house

But another gloomy pre-parade element was the shift from “opening night” status to “technical rehearsal,” what parks once called “soft opening” and still a warning that all may not be as planned. Sandwich boards briefed spectators: “Not all elements of the parade may be functioning,” they read. “Parade may stop or be canceled without notice.”

But here’s what we saw on Night One, which technically we cannot call a dry run. read more

Chamberlin’s, an organic and natural foods staple in Orlando since 1935, has opened its first grocery in the Bradenton-Sarasota area.

The Lakewood Ranch store is also the company’s first in Southwest Florida.

The new grocery, with an emphasis on organic foods and a healthy lifestyle, opened in mid-June at 6574 University Parkway in the Center Point development.

Brett Hutchens, president of Casto Southeast Realty Services, first announced Chamberlin’s was coming to Center Point in 2022.

“I think there is a niche in Lakewood Ranch to be served by Chamberlin’s,” said Brett Hutchens, president of Casto Southeast Realty Services, which first announced Chamberlin’s was coming to the area in 2022.

This week, as he walked through the new 10,000-square-foot store, he said he is a big fan of Chamberlin’s.

“The food is great. I especially like the prepared foods and supplements. They have the best apple pie I have ever had,” he said.

Chamberlin’s other stores are in Orlando, Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Kissimmee and Lakeland. read more

As Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin prepares for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral this year, the company has taken time to voice concerns over future launches of competitor SpaceX’s massive Starship and Super Heavy, also planning to launch from the Space Coast.

Elon Musk’s company continues development of the most powerful rocket ever to reach orbit from its test site in Texas, but has plans for launch pads at both Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and neighboring Kennedy Space Center.

The Department of the Air Force is the midst of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the new rocket to launch from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37 aiming to take over the space that was used by United Launch Alliance until its final launch of the Delta IV Heavy earlier this year.

FAA initiates environmental impact study for SpaceX Starship launches from KSC

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration is performing a similar environmental impact assessment on a Starship launch pad from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A where SpaceX currently flies its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. read more