Lunch at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar, Disney Springs

We recently went to the newly named and revamped Disney Springs, (formerly known as Downtown Disney) for some lunch and shopping. We grabbed a small bite at the Indiana Jones themed Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar. This small bar is decorated with worldly items from Jock's many adventures including some pictures of our favorite snake hating archaeologist.


We enjoyed drinks on the deck overlooking the pond, but if your travel here is during hotter or rainier  it weather would be best suited for inside the hangar seating. Jock's has a great selection of specialty drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The "Cool Headed Monkey" is a refreshing fruity cocktail perfect for a hot Florida day. If you're looking to hold off on the alcohol, I recommend the Poisonless Dart, it's like a Shirley Temple with a twist.

Cool Headed Monkey, Anti-dote, Poisonless Dart

Let me tell you the food was delicious and the portions were big! I absolutely loved the wings, and the pretzels were the best I ever had.

Lao Che's Revenge, Spicy Asian sticky wings
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar is great for drinks and small bites and we really enjoyed it. Something to keep in mind if you're traveling with small children: Disney has designed Jock's to have an old world dive bar feel so the food menu is not very extensive, and though children are welcome there isn't much for traditional kid's meal foods, so they may need to broaden their tastes a little; or just bring them a snack from somewhere else in Disney Springs.

A flight of pretzels with beer cheese fondue and spicy mustard.

P!nk Creates New Song and Video for Disney's "Alice Through the Looking Glass".

P!nk has a written a new song for Disney's new movie "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and it is quite wonderful. The video is designed to give you the feel of the film with whimsical style and typical P!nk flair. It's like a musical journey to a faraway land of garden tea parties, chess boards, and a touch of madness for good flavor. See the video for "Just Like Fire" by P!nk.












Disney's "Alice Through the Looking Glass" marches into theaters on May 27th.

How A dog's Story Can Teach Your Children About Life

I strongly believe that for as much as we do to give pets a happy life, they do so much more for us. In my house, our pets are an important part of our family. Just like any family member, they can sometimes be frustrating, but they enrich our lives so very much; I can't imagine life without them.

One common method parents use to teach children responsibility is pet ownership, where kids help feed, clean and generally look after pets.

As important as instilling a sense of responsibility is, there are many more lessons pets can teach us, says Cheryl Smith, a rescue-animal advocate who founded a non-profit that assists pets in need. Smith, a public defender, has cared for rescue animals since childhood and believes they can help humanity as much as humans help them.

“Our courtroom deputy found a scared and thin little Chihuahua, alone on the street; I had to adopt the little guy, who I named Oliver,” says Smith, who adds the incident was the impetus for her to write “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (oliversheroes.com) and “Oliver’s Heroes: Two Paws Up.”

Oliver joined the rest of her six rescue dogs. Smith says the happy dog pack features the perfect characters for teaching the following life lessons.

• Acceptance of others, despite arbitrary differences: Humanity has bred dogs to suit a variety of purposes, resulting in an enormous diversity of physical and character traits. Despite the differences, most dogs have an innate ability to assemble into a pack. In Smith’s children’s book, when the group encounters different kinds of creatures, such as a polka-dotted and striped spider, the dogs judge the spider on its character and not its exotic markings.

• Overcoming fear, together: Oliver and his friends go places like the woods, which are unknown, unpredictable and scary to some. The dogs who are scared are reassured by those who are not, which is a great example for children who may fear the next grade level, or moving to a new town.

• The regular expression of gratitude: Anyone who has ever rescued an animal has probably experienced the gift of gratitude in return. These rescue animals tend to be more loving and are less likely to take for granted what’s given to them, such as love, food, shelter and company. It’s a great reminder for children to keep in mind as they mature.

• Now is a good time to have fun: Dog owners are constantly reminded of at least one thing – the time, and the time is always now to play catch, enjoy a treat or simply bask in the company of companions. Remembering that the time is now, and that now may be a good time to enjoy fun, is a lesson children may not want to lose as they grow older and take on more responsibility.



About Cheryl Smith
Cheryl Smith is a public defender who started a non-profit, Just The Place Inc., to assist in the care of pets when owners were experiencing difficult financial situations or environmental crises. She was inspired to write “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (oliversheroes.com) after her courtroom deputy found Oliver, a dog who was alone, thin and scared on the street.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but this site does use affiliate links.