On The + Side: Sea Turtles, Drive-In Movies and Crossover Episodes

Welcome back to On The + Side, where we share stories and tips for maintaining your health and happiness during difficult times. Whether you’re craving some good news or simply in search of cute animal footage, we’ve got your back. Check out our latest finds in this week’s edition!

Positive Focus

As we have learned in these unprecedented times, there are countless ways to make a difference in the lives of others. Here are just a few of the individuals and organizations that have inspired us.

• To give back after restaurants began to reopen, former wide receiver Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) left a $1,000 tip after dining at a Cuban restaurant in South Florida. Way to show the love!
• Sea turtle nesting season is off to a strong start, as efforts to protect the turtles have begun to show their positive effects.
• As we celebrate the Class of 2020, iHeartRadio has launched a podcast that will feature commencement speeches for those who will not experience an in-person graduation ceremony. Speakers include John Legend, Jimmy Fallon, Abby Wambach, Katie Couric, Hillary Clinton and more.
• For those venturing out, Downtown Orlando is offering free parking in metered spaces and specific City of Orlando garages for a limited time to help us support local businesses.
• We recently participated in the LSCU Credit Unions Care Challenge! For one month, Addition Financial purchased lunches from local restaurants for credit union employees. In response, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions matched those funds to donate back to Addition Financial to give to the community. We were able to donate to Orange County Public Schools, Seminole County Public Schools, Lake County Public Schools, Osceola School District, IMPOWER and The Village. We also donated 2,000 respirator masks to Orlando Health and AdventHealth, and purchased gift cards from local businesses.

Wellness Boosts

We’ve been known to post a lot of virtual workouts on our blog, but wellness is about more than just your fitness levels. This week, we share a few wellness tips to enhance other areas of your life.

• Although we need to maintain a safe physical distance right now, our relationships are more important than ever. The UCF Marriage & Family Research Institute is offering free virtual relationship workshops for couples and individuals. Those who complete the workshops will receive a $100 Wal-Mart gift card!
• Need a pick-me-up? Breaking into song can actually make you feel happier and change your breathing patterns. Check out this list of 35 happy songs to add to your mood-boosting playlist.
• Having plants in our homes is a great way to increase our happiness, clean our air and improve our overall health. For those who were not blessed with a green thumb, check out this helpful guide on caring for your houseplants.

For the most up-to-date guidelines on taking care of yourself during this global pandemic, visit the CDC’s website.

Additional Resources

From podcast episodes to drive-in movies, we are always on the hunt for innovative ways to stay entertained and learn something new. Below are our latest favorite resources.

• On The + Side was featured on a special crossover episode of the Making It Count podcast! Tune in to hear our tips for staying positive and healthy during a pandemic.
• Are you a trivia mastermind? Show off your skills at Skype a Scientist’s Science After Hours Trivia Nights! For just $5, you can join a virtual trivia game and support Skype a Scientist, which connects students and families with real life scientists.
• In case you’ve missed it, the Metropolitan Opera has been offering free nightly streams of its performances. What a perfect way to enjoy some of opera’s greatest singers from the comfort and safety of your own home!
• The National Zoo in Washington DC may be closed, but you can still go behind the scenes and see photos and videos of what some of the animals have been up to.
• If you’re in the Mount Dora area, Epic Theatre will now be showing movies in their parking lot, so you can still enjoy a night at the movie theater while socially distancing from others.
• Want to learn something new? Coursera offers more than 4,000 online courses you can take to enhance your skillset while working from home. From Personality Types at Work to Data Science to Fashion as Design, this site provides a variety of classes taught by different universities, museums and other institutions.

We’ll be back next week with more positive stories and resources to make this time a little easier for everyone. To get notifications when we post a new issue, subscribe to On The + Side.

For the latest COVID-19 updates from Addition Financial, please visit our response page.