Pool Party Guide

So you're looking to throw a pool party, huh? Well luckily for you, the weather is warming up, and with spring break now behind us, summer is quickly approaching. Everyone's going to be hitting the pools, so why not just throw your own pool party? It's easier than you think, and with all the necessities, your party will for sure beat out all the others.

Pool Party Check List:

• Guests - Make sure to send out invites! You can't have a party without people. An easy way to do this is to make a Facebook event, so you can keep track of how many people are going.
• The little things - People always forget small items that are usually  crucial. Make sure you take a few minutes to double check your supplies.
• Entertainment - You don't have to reinvent the wheel here. Keep it simple with a few activities that are not too involved, like some of your tailgating games. 
• Music - Make a party playlist! Variety is key. Your guests are going to expect to hear some of the new hits, but mixing in some high school throwback songs is always a good idea.
• Food - Grilling is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to feed your guests. Snacks like chips and salsa, queso, or guac, pizza, or wings are also great to pick on during the day. 
• Drinks - Cold iced tea or lemonade really hit the spot on a hot day, or for the 21+ crowd, a blender an extension can be clutch for making your favorite frozen margarita or daiquiri!

Things You Always Forget:

• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Koozies
• Portable Speakers
• Ice for your cooler
• Coals, lighter fluid, and lighter (if grilling)
• A bottle opener

Downtown Orlando

Most would consider Downtown Orlando a small town. But, when you look at the facts, we are growing more and more each day. Downtown has more than 340 retailers, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, and even Florida's largest public library. Not to mention a sports arena (Amway Cetner) and a concert hall, and a performing arts theater (Bob Carr). So why leave town when you have all you need to spend a great weekend getting to know your own city?

Downtown By Day

Lake Eola: Lake Eola Park is a popular destination in the Downtown area. With the beautiful weather, families, athletes, and visitors flock to the beautiful location, which is one of the many Orlando landmarks. You can rent swan-shaped paddle boats or electric gondola boats for $15 for half an hour. If you decide to stay on dry land, you can feed the swans, play in the Walt Disney Ampitheater, or relax at the bank among the beautiful scenery and the Orlando skyline. On Sundays, Lake Eola is home to the downtown Orlando farmer's market from 10am to 4pm. It was established in 1987, and they have a brand new wine and beer garden, live entertainment, an outdoor dining area, and even arts in the parks programs.

Thornton Park/Eola Heights District: Just a short distance away, you can find the brick-lined streets of Thornton Park. Lined with beautiful colonial homes, shopping, and gourmet restaurants. It's a place to eat,meet, and have fun! Offering outside seating, Anthony's Pizza and Italian Restaurant serves delicious authentic Italian cooking, and its location close to Lake Eola makes it a perfect stop in between shopping. Fora  lively atmosphere, down the street is Graffiti Junktion. Enjoy the colorful graffiti art on the walls and tables, as well as the original works of art for sale by local artists. You can bite into their true American burger, and sip on an ice-cold beer. If you start early, you might as well stay late! Graffiti by night is whole new experience.

Downtown By Night

For Foodies: After a day of activities, you are in the right place for dinnertime. The downtown restaurant scene is as vibrant as its nightlife. Shari Sushi and Lounge offers style and great Japanese cooking. Their extensive sushi list will leave even the most avid diner pleasantly surprised, and their happy hour specials are unbeatable. In the same spot for 10 years, it has only gotten better. The Rusty Spoon offers American favorites in a rich and comfortable atmosphere. The ever-changing menu focuses heavily on Southern Comfort with a farm to fresh table approach. The Fifth on Orange Avenue is a class above the rest. They offer a relaxed menu among an ultra-trendy environment. You can eat, drink, and dance, all in one spot. What more do you need? Bento Cafe across the street is also in the middle of the action and has something for every taste. They have over 25 available options on their kitchen menu, on top of sushi specialties and drink specials.

Central Business District: One thing you will never have to worry about in Downtown Orlando is lack of entertainment. The business core of the city might be home to suits and ties during the day, but it comes to life at night every day of the week. If you want to dance the night way, two locations on historical Church street will get you swaying until the morning. Native Social Bar tells the story of Orlando to its residents. The bar is divided into different sections so you can find the best spot that suits you. Drink specials, bottle service, and local DJ's all make up the fun you will have here. Loft 55 is just down the street and offers incredible views of the skyline of Orlando. The open doors, two main bars, and talented DJ's create the same upbeat atmosphere of most upscale bars found in New York City. Just walking distance from the arena, why not stop by for a drink...or two?

Most Anticipated Movies for 2015

We all love going to the movies. The popcorn, the candy, the excitement. The anticipation always spikes when you hear the movies that are going to come out throughout the year. You now have a reason to be excited for every month of the year.

There are a lot of movies coming out for the rest of 2015. Several people will argue which ones are going to be the most sought out. Here is MyCity's list for the Most Anticipated Movies of 2015:
(Keep in mind, these are in no particular order of most to least, because they all have pros and cons to why they could be anticipated and why they may not be)

1) Avengers: Age of Ultron
When the first Avengers movie came out, everyone was talking about it. You couldn't have a conversation without hearing something about Thor, Captain America, Tony Stark, or Black Widow. Now, the sequel is coming out and people are already waiting in that metaphorical line. The anticipation is palpable. Some simply loved the first movie so much, and others are looking to see if they follow the plot line of the comic books. We'll have to wait in line to find out.

2) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
We haven't had a Star Wars movie come out since 2005, and we haven't had a good one come out since the 80's. A lot of people are wondering if they're going to be able to live up to the legend that Star Wars has become. With an all new cast, and varying people a part of this production, it's really a 50/50 chance on great v. terrible.

3) The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2
When the first Hunger Games movie came out, it was beloved by all. Mostly, we were just thankful that a young adult movie, with planned sequels, came out and was better than Twilight. The storyline is much more complex and interesting, so we weren't too worried. However, the movies have increased in greatness, and the growing popularity of Jennifer Lawrence certainly helps the film. This will be the end of the trilogy, and everyone is waiting with baited breath to see just how they'll document what happened to the Capitol.

4) Inside Out
Finally, we have a break from the comic book and sequel genre. This movie is something a little more adventurous for Disney-Pixar. They're tackling the inner workings of a twelve-year-olds mind. The concept is interesting - the idea that we have little people in our head, each with a purpose or identity, and they are what controls us. It will be beloved by children everywhere, but the question is: Will their parents love it as well?

5) Jurassic World
An interesting take on the Jurassic Park franchise is the addition of this movie. What we can tell from the trailers is that Jurassic Park is having a grand reopening, and they've created a dinosaur hybrid now. With the addition of Chris Pratt to the movie, many people will venture out to see this movie. This will not just draw in the younger audience, but the older audience who grew up watching these movies. Will it do the previous films justice?

6) Batman v. Superman
We're back to the comic books! When Man of Steel came out, a lot of people were really exciting. Finally! We had a Superman movie that was at least decent. We've had a string - at least in recent years - of awful re-imaginations of one of the greatest superheros. The fact that we're incorporating Batman into the mix (which is kind of DC's version of the Avenger's, at least in regards to mash ups) is pretty exciting. When everyone found out that Ben Affleck was going to be Batman, there were mixed reviews to say the least. What will this movie bring us? Hopefully another box office hit.

7) Pitch Perfect 2
When this movie first came out, it was huge hit. Everyone loved that it was enough of a musical for girls to love it, but it was enough of a non-Musical that they could bring their boyfriends willingly. This movie forced everyone to adore it, and gave the world even more reason to love Anna Kendrick, and Rebel Wilson. Will this movie live up to the greatness that was the original?

8) Paper Towns
After the Fault in Our Stars was so popular - both with the books and the movie - it was clear that everyone wanted another story transformed into a cinematic masterpiece. However, this is a brave move for John Green. Choosing to remake one of his books into a movie, so close to the previous one, might not be the best move. If it isn't as great as the previous movie, a lot of people may lose faith in the author's success with movie adaptions.