Stationery Review 186 - Mickey Mouse Disney Bookmarks

Hi Friends, 

I bought this from a local reseller of AliExpress who brings some stuff from there in bulk and sells it in South Africa. Check it out! 

These bookmarks are made from metal, and the colour may fade away, but the shapes will remain forever. The same looks great inside the books and different. You can also tie around some kind of ribbon if you want. 

Link to video - https://youtu.be/GeBY5moeWww - Your Views Are My Only Blessings!

#Bookmarks #Disney #MickeyMouse #MinnieMouse #Books #StationeryReview #TheLifesWay #TechBlogger #Youtuber #Johannesburg #SouthAfrica 

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Disney Debuts Super Bowl Commercial Celebrating 100 Years of Storytelling and Shared Memories #Disney100

Hi Guys, 

The Walt Disney Company marks its 100th anniversary on Oct. 16, 2023, and throughout the year, will celebrate the fans and storytellers who have sparked the joy and magic that is Disney over the last 100 years. Today, Disney honours those fans and creators with a special commercial debuting during Super Bowl LVII that spotlights 100 years of unrivalled storytelling and innovation.

Link: https://youtu.be/vqfIgNQ7_wY

“As we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, it is remarkable to look back at Walt Disney’s legacy and his relentless pursuit of excellence that continues to propel the Company forward today. We are incredibly grateful to the generations of people all over the world for being such a special part of our history and for inviting our stories and characters into their lives over the past century,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “Disney100 represents a celebration of all of our fans and families, and our storytellers and creative visionaries whose talents and imaginations have created the magical moments that make Disney such an enduring part of the global culture.”

The “Disney100 - Special Look” features scenes from iconic Disney films, series, stage productions, theme parks, and fans, as well as a collection of inspiring words from Walt Disney, calling on the shared memories and nostalgia that have given Disney a special place in the hearts of audiences across the globe.

The debut of “Disney100 - Special Look” during the big game is an exciting milestone for Disney – with a year full of opportunities for fans and families of all ages to relive their most beloved Disney memories and to delight in new, heartwarming stories and experiences. On Friday, Feb. 17, the newest Marvel Studios film, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, will debut in theatres. Then, on Feb. 18, Disney100: The Exhibition will have its world premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, inviting guests into a 15,000-square-foot, ten-gallery exhibit that will bring Disney stories to life through innovative and immersive technology. The Walt Disney Archives is opening its vault of treasures, showcasing more than 250 of its “Crown Jewels” – rarely seen original artwork and artefacts, costumes and props, theme park attraction vehicles, and more. The exhibition will also make stops across the United States and throughout Europe.

Global audiences can enjoy an amazing slate of theatrical releases from our renowned studios, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and more, coming through the rest of the year. From The Little Mermaid and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May, to Elemental, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Marvels, and The Haunted Mansion this summer, both long-beloved characters and new stories will come to life on the big screen. Then, on November 22, 2023, Walt Disney Animation Studios will debut Wish, an original animated musical film only in theatres.

Already, Disney Parks have begun delighting guests with special Disney100 celebrations. On Jan. 27, Disneyland Resort introduced the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction, two new nighttime spectaculars: “World of Color – One” at Disney California Adventure and “Wondrous Journeys” at Disneyland park, and all-new, limited-time Disney100-themed entertainment, food and beverage, and merchandise offerings. Disney Parks across the world will also feature surprises throughout the year to celebrate this momentous milestone.

Disney will also celebrate its biggest fans with exclusive events, sneak previews, and, in September, a Disney100-themed Destination D23 just for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.

Disney is excited to celebrate its 100th anniversary with its fans, creators, and employees throughout the year. To learn more, visit Disney100.com and share your favorite Disney memories on social media with #Disney100.

Cheers!!!

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If You Love Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic Check Out @disneyplus #DisneyPlus

Hi Friends, 

Disney+, the streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, launches today in South Africa. Standard pricing at launch is confirmed at R119 per month, or R1190 for an annual subscription, with sign-up information available at disneyplus.com. Annual membership is at a discount as you get only charged for 10 months just like the school fees! 

With over 1000 films, more than 1500 series and a slate of 200 exclusive Originals from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and general entertainment from Star, Disney+ offer fans the greatest stories, all in one place.

Previously announced, subscribers will have access to Star Wars “The Book of Boba Fett”, both seasons of “The Mandalorian” and, the highly anticipated “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. In addition, Disney+ will be the home of the entire Skywalker saga, with Star Wars Episodes 1 through 9 streaming on the service.

Confirmed from launch, superhero fans will have access to over 60 Marvel Studios’ films including Academy Award®-nominated “Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings”, “Eternals”, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain Marvel”, and over 80 Marvel Studios’ series including “Moon Knight”, “Loki” and “WandaVision”.

Subscribers will also be able to enjoy over 100 titles from Disney and Pixar, including the entire “Toy Story” franchise, the Academy Award®-winning “Soul” and the Academy Award®-nominated “Luca”. From Walt Disney Animation Studios, stream the Academy Award®-winning “Encanto” which tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, and fan favourites “Frozen” and “Frozen II”. Disney fans can also stream the Academy Award®-winning “Cruella” starring Emma Stone as the legendary “Cruella de Vil” and Disney’s “Jungle Cruise.”

National Geographic documentaries including “The Rescue” and “Free Solo”, from Academy Award®-winning directors and producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, will sit alongside popular National Geographic series such as “The World According To Jeff Goldblum” and “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted”.

In general entertainment, subscribers will also be able to watch titles including the hit original comedy series “Only Murders in the Building,” limited series “Pam and Tommy”, “The Kardashians”, “Queens”, and mystery thriller “Death on the Nile”, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, as well as “The Simpsons” and back seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy”, “9-1-1", and “Black-ish”.

With unprecedented access to Disney’s vault, beloved classics such as "Cinderella”, “Tangled”, “The Princess and the Frog”, and "The Little Mermaid”, will be available to stream alongside recent blockbusters like “Raya and the Last Dragon”. There will also be hundreds of Disney Channel series, shorts, and specials available to stream, including “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” and “Phineas and Ferb”.

Users will have access to features like high-quality viewing, up to four concurrent streams, 4k video quality for select titles and the ability to set up to seven different profiles, including the ability for parents to create pin-protected profiles, ensuring kids access age-appropriate content. SIGN UP TODAY!

I am personally liking the content of the various Disney+ shows and movies - so far I have watched RISE, MULAN, Only Murders in the Building, Da Vinci's Demons (All 3 seasons) and so much more. I am looking forward to watching some of the shows from Nat Geo like Genius (all 3 seasons) and various other documentaries available on the streaming platform for binge-watching.  

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Support me if you want with USD FOUR - https://www.patreon.com/TheLifesWay Namaste!

All Treats and No Tricks on @DisneyChannel This October @DStv #DisneyAfrica

Hi Friends, 

-- Halloween-themed episodes across Disney Junior and Disney Channel --

This October both Disney Channel and Disney Junior bring you the spookiest episodes and all the fan favourites to celebrate Halloween. Keep the little ones entertained with a host of exciting entertainment, from a delightful Disney Channel Original Movie on Disney Channel, DStv channel 303, to the best of Halloween episodes from our Disney Junior friends on DStv channel 309.

Disney Channel’s Friday movie feast continues throughout October with the return of Zapped on Disney Channel, starring Zendaya. Zapped is about sixteen-year-old Zoey Stevens, a skilled dancer and straight-A student, who is having a hard time adjusting to a new high school, a new and klutzy dance squad, a new step-dad, three new rowdy step-brothers and an unruly dog. But things change when a dog training app on her smartphone begins to somehow control all the boys around her.

On Friday, 29 October at 17:00, Disney Channel premieres a great new Halloween-themed Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) Under Wraps.

Under Wraps is the contemporary comedic remake of the 1997 Halloween classic of the same name and follows three 12-year-old friends, Marshall, Gilbert and Amy. They happen upon and awaken a mummy, which they affectionately name Harold, and must rush to return him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween. Along the way, the team narrowly escapes a nefarious group of criminals, intent on selling the mummy to the highest bidder. When Harold is inevitably captured, Marshall, Gilbert and Amy must band together to stand up to the criminals, face their fears and rescue their new—but rather “ancient”—friend.

Disney Junior offers up an entire day of festivities on Sunday, 31 October with back-to-back Halloween-themed episodes kicking off at 10:00.

The fun starts with Mickey’s Mixed-Up Adventures at 10:00. In the episode entitled The Spooky Spook House! Mickey decorates Mr. Doozy's bed and breakfast for a chance to win Alistair's Halloween contest.

The entertainment continues with two premieres Halloween themed stories from Chicken Squad. In T-Wrecks / Trick or Eek (10:30), Sweetie and Little Boo both want to dress as a T-Rex for Halloween, so Coop referees a contest to decide who is the winner.

Then in Trick or Eek, The squad helps their friends track down a candy-stealing ghost on Halloween night.

Canine chaos ensues as Puppy Dog Pals join in with 221B Barker Street (11:00). When treats go missing from the Puppy Playcare Halloween party, Bingo and Rolly set off on a mission to solve the mystery. Then in the episode “Leaf It to Puppies”, when Bob leaves before he finishes raking, Bingo and Rolly set out to protect the leafy pile.

Vampirina returns to the channel this Halloween with premiere episodes. The first premiere episode airs at 11:30. In Double Double Halloween Trouble / The Creepover. In the first story of the episode, Vampirina can’t decide if she wants to celebrate Halloween with her friends in Pennsylvania or attend her Nanpire and Grandpop’s annual Boneyard Banquet in Transylvania, so she tries to do both. Broadway legends Patti LuPone (“Evita”) and Brian Stokes Mitchell (“Kiss Me, Kate”) return as Vee’s grandparents, Nanpire and Grandpop. Then, Vee’s friend Frankie visits Transylvania to attend her first human sleepover. Marsai Martin (“black-ish”) and Martha Plimpton (“The Goonies”) recur as Frankie and Bridgit’s mom, Briana, respectively.

Mickey joins the fun with a special, Mickey Mouse: The Tale of Two Witches (12:00). On Halloween, Mickey tells of two witches-in-training (Minnie and Daisy), who must pass four tests to graduate from the Witch Academy in Happy Haunt Hills. While Daisy isn’t confident about passing, the girls learn that working together makes their magic and their friendship stronger. After they defeat a mischievous ghost, they prove their witchy worth and graduate to become real witches! Minnie and Daisy learn that working together makes their magic and their friendship stronger.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

@Disney #WorldPrincessWeek Launches from 23-29 Aug 2021 Inspired by #UltimatePrincessCelebration #DisneyAfrica

Hi Friends, 

Weeklong Event Aimed at Inspiring Fans Around the Globe to be Courageous and Kind

Disney pledges 45,000 princess-themed adventure packs, created with charity partner MediCinema, for seriously ill children across UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa

World Princess Week launches ahead of 2021’s Casual Day, inspired by the Ultimate Princess Celebration

Disney today announced the first-ever World Princess Week, a special global event that forms part of the year-long Ultimate Princess Celebration. From 23-29 August 2021, World Princess Week will celebrate the courage and kindness exemplified by Disney Princess characters and aims to inspire fans around the world to display the same attributes in their daily lives.

As part of World Princess Week, Disney has pledged to deliver 45,000 ‘Moments that Matter’ for isolated and seriously ill children in hospitals and hospices in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa. As part of Disney’s wider commitment to bring comfort and provide inspiration, with support from long-standing charity partners, these specially-designed packs aim to reduce isolation, stress and anxiety amongst children and families in places of care, providing 'Moments that Matter'. The packs will contain new stories focusing on Disney Princess characters Rapunzel, Moana and Ariel, as well as arts and crafts activities that help to increase confidence and encourage acts of kindness.

The event, inspired by the Ultimate Princess Celebration which spotlights the courage and kindness these Disney heroines and their stories inspire in fans of all ages, will offer fans new products, digital content, retail activations and more:

• Disney has created brand new video tutorials featuring simple ideas on how families and children can have a big impact on others, which will be available on Disney’s social channels. Disney fans will be able to follow along with ‘kindness activity’ tutorials, including how to make Cinderella-inspired kindness cards for friends, or how to bake Tiana’s beignets for loved ones. Families are encouraged to share their own acts of kindness by using the hashtag #UltimatePrincessCelebration.
• On Disney Junior (DStv, Channel 309), Disney’s heroines will be celebrated as weekday blocks (09:30-11:30(CAT) and 18:00-20:00(CAT)) of specials and episodes of Sofia the First with appearances from the Disney Princesses themselves
• Fans can listen to their favourite Disney Princess songs now on a curated playlist from Walt Disney Records
• The Ultimate Princess Celebration is currently being brought to life at participating retailers across the country this month, with a broad range of the latest Disney Princess product across toys, fashion and accessories, beauty, home décor, books, games, and more.
• Tales of Courage and Kindness, a series of 14 original stories featuring unique illustrations by artists from around the world that demonstrate how the Disney Princesses, as well as Queens Anna and Elsa, exemplify the qualities of courage and kindness, is available for families to download for free from DisneyPrincessStories.co.za during World Princess Week.

Inspired by the Ultimate Princess Celebration, Courage+Kindness will be this year’s theme for the National Council of and Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) flagship awareness and fundraising project, Casual Day on 3 September 2021.

To show their support, South Africans are encouraged to order Courage+Kindness merchandise and digital stickers from www.casualday.co.za with special-edition Courage+Kindness stickers and wristbands available for purchase at participating retailers. The proceeds will go to supporting Persons with Disabilities at over 600+ beneficiary NGO’s and schools. On Casual Day, the public can show their support by dressing up with the Courage+Kindness stickers, wristbands and merchandise, or their very own interpretation of this year’s theme.

Tasia Filippatos, Senior VP, Consumer Products EMEA at Disney said, “Courage and kindness are universally important qualities that are just as relevant for adults as they are for young children. We hope that families will help celebrate ‘World Princess Week’ by sharing their own small acts of kindness to help make the world a kinder place.”

Luke Roberts, General Manager, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, The Walt Disney Company Africa. “Disney stories are timeless, and while each Disney Princess character has her own admirable qualities, courage and kindness connect them all. With World Princess Week as well as this year’s Disney Princess-inspired Casual Day that follows right after, we are excited to see how South African families will be celebrating along with us.”

Fans to share their own tales of Courage and Kindness, their favourite Disney Princess story and more on social media with #UltimatePrincessCelebration and #WorldPrincessWeek.

Cheers!!!

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Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste! 

3 Million Pageviews on www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends, 

3 Million Pageviews

8.5 Years of Blogging

300+ Brands and Companies

770 Posts Self-written content

The Life's Way started on 27-December-2012

1 Million achieved on 21-July-2016

2 Million achieved on 8-August-2018

3 Million achieved on 16-May-2021

2281 Total Blog posts on Lifestyle and Technology

www.thelifesway.com

It all started with a dream to take care of my free time and to get involved in some kind of creative pursuit so that I can find my mojo and also get into something which can take me places around the city as well as the world. I have been able to enjoy my life in the truest sense of The Life's Way and also thankful to all the brands, companies, PR agencies, People involved in all these creative industries to give me a chance to perform and be myself and promote their products from time to time. I am sure some of them I have failed, some of them are indifferent and some of them must be happy too. Over the years, I have met some people who were really happy to meet me in person and it used to astonish me as to what special I have done in their lives. I also got the opportunity to eat in certain restaurants where I would not have normally gone and also maybe won't be able to afford a meal or two but because of TheLife'sWay I was invited and enjoyed some vegetarian delicacies. I might have not drunk alcohol but if it was gifted to me some of my friends must be happy for that day when he drank that wine or champagne or whiskey. 

The power of social media platform I understood in my first year of participating in the Facebook contests and then migrating to the Twitter contests soon thereafter. With a strong presence in both these platforms, I was set to achieve something big when I started my blog inspired by the journey my friends took in their collaboration with the Indiblogger platform. I wanted to win some Soul by Ludacris headphones and that was the whole purpose of starting in the blogging industry but I could not win them since today. Though I got to win a lot of prizes on the Indbiblogger platform from earphones to headphones to laptops to cash to gift vouchers and build up my creative instincts as well as knowhows of blogging and in the process meet the biggest celebrities and eat at the 5-star restaurants in India. 

When I came here just before the first anniversary of TheLife'sWay, I came upon a different kind of struggle. The internet data was too expensive and I had no social media following locally as I created another Twitter handle @thelifesway to be using especially in South Africa only. I didn't know any PR companies and any brand and even when contacting those brands they were saying you only have 62 followers. Then slowly and steadily I built up my following and after more than 6 months (Nov-2013 to Apr-2014) of struggle, I got my first chance from Sony South Africa who was instrumental in putting me with Primedia to review each and every movie released in their theatres. Throughout my next many years, I continued to watch each and every movie twice a week non-stop unless it's some kind of load-shedding happening in the area. 

The second thing that happened around the same time was the Mission Samsung's Blogger Challenge Campaign for all the residents of South Africa and it was my dream to be winning one or at least be a part of the challenge. It came in newspapers and on Twitter handles and on their website - I read through the Terms and conditions as I wanted to win the same and put in a lot of effort to get to know about the challenge. It was their collaboration with Webfluential as well as SA Bloggers by Sandy. This contest really gave me a boost as it became my passion because I had missed the opportunity to become Samsung Blogger in India as I started my channel a little late and the contest was over by then where they chose certain bloggers who will get their products and will be getting invited to all their launch events. It was a really big dream for me to get involved with all the technology brands. 

I don't remember now when 1 Million and 2 Million pageviews were achieved but I will dig deeper maybe to check on the same. So after a lot of digging, I got the answer to the 2nd Million was done on 8 Aug 2018 after 5.5 years of blogging so it took me around 3 years to reach the 3 million mark. That's a lot of effort guys. The first million I was subscribed to a service where I paid the money annually to do the tweets which used to bring me a lot of traffic on the website and I used the service for 2 years. But I had to disconnect as many of the users blocked me as it was never-ending tweets about the same content again and again. The first million was achieved on 21 July 2016 as I used to tweet the daily progress of my blog those days. Such a time waste if I think about it. I think when I stopped posting that number for many years, people who used to follow me kept asking me how's your blog doing? I never understood the reason for their ask but now I am getting it as to why they used to ask me this question. 

So the fastest growth seems to be between the first and the second million pageviews as after the same, I started rejecting many brands who were just making use of my time and efforts and not giving anything in return at all. I have considerably reduced my time to be spent on my blog since the birth of my second child in January 2018 and focussed more on other social media platforms once again. My still belief is that I have got much more goodies from my social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as compared to the blog which means that I have won several contests giving me much bigger prizes as compared to the goodies gifted by PR companies and Brands at their launch events. But this post is to celebrate the overall crossing of three million page views on The Life's Way and what it means to me? 

3 Million is just a number and I hope to reach 5 Million soon in some next years and I will continue to write the new articles and blog posts. I will also focus on shooting video blogs that will go on my Youtube Channel. If you have not followed me on the channel, kindly do so as I am still far from the first 1000 subscribers and just need around 228 new subscribers to reach that landmark. This can be done in a single day by my readers around the world. Kindly follow the link and subscribe to the TheLife'sWay Youtube channel, please. Your help will be greatly appreciated in this regard. 

I would also like to mention what I have received in terms of goodies or media gift pack during all these years from all the brands I have supported on my blog posts - 

1. Samsung South Africa - 139 Posts - Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (Won), Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (Gift), Samsung Powerbank 8700mAh (Gift), Samsung Launch Event trip to Cape Town for Note4, Samsung Launch Goodies - Snacks Packs (Gift), Samsung NX300 (Community Challenge Winner) Won, Samsung 65'' Curved UHD TV (Mission Samsung Grand Finale Winner) Won, Cape Town Trip for Grand Finale Mission Samsung

2. Huawei South Africa - 136 Posts - Huawei FreeBuds3 (Gift), Huawei Watch GT2e (Gift), Huawei FreeLace (Gift), Huawei Watch GT (Sponsored), Huawei Bands (Gift), Huawei Wifi Dongle (Gift), Huawei Gift pack and accessories, Huawei Tshirt and Shorts (Gift), Huawei Hoodie (Gift)

3. Montecasino, Johannesburg, South Africa - 85 Posts - I have shared so many posts for Montecasino and most of them are for the event tickets and never got any stay at any of their hotels or properties. I was recently again invited for their movie launch event where I won Tomato Watches and also some Coca-Cola goodies which I have made YouTube videos about. 

4. Indiblogger - 83 Posts - I have participated in a lot of their contest where sometimes I won Flipkart vouchers, sometimes goodies were sent to us, some of the posts were for cash also and overall it was a joyous collaboration with this blogger network in India. I have bought a lot of stuff using those Flipkart vouchers for sure. 

5. Disney South Africa - 68 Posts - Other than their annual showcase goodies along with movie tickets from time to time the gift packs includes generally some books, notepads, Mickey Mouse Volkano Bluetooth speaker and recently in 2021 time National Geographic Astrum Bluetooth Speakers which you can watch on Youtube channel. 

6. Acer South Africa - 67 Posts - R500 gift voucher to buy stuff from Shop.acer.com (used thrice), Acer Launch goodies like Pen drive 8GB, Paper stand, Typo calculator, pens and diaries. 

I have stopped sharing for Acer South Africa as I didn't get anything worthwhile sharing all their press releases and doing product reviews though I used to get invited to their local launch events and also some products to review. 

7. Sony South Africa - 53 Posts - Sony MDR-XP450AP Extra-Bass Wired Earphones (Gift), Diary, Pen, Sony Xperia XA Ultra, Sony Xperia XZ Premium

My love for Sony products is such that I bought so many products in London along with my earlier collection of products that when I came back to India, the Indian Country Manager of the Sony Headphones division wanted to visit my home and gift me with a new product but that couldn't happen as I travelled to South Africa before he could plan a visit. Anyhow, it remains my favourite company as I have kept hold of my old portable e-Reader, old noise cancellation headphones along with various other Sony products from Cassette player to MP3 Players to Portable CD player. I will start showcasing them on my Youtube channel soon. 

8. Silverstar Casino, Johannesburg, South Africa - 48 Posts - Silverstar Casino Marketing team provided me with a lot of staycations which I won during their several events and got to stay in their Presidential Suite also twice or thrice. I have got pen drives, Champagnes, Pens, Diaries, Casino vouchers, hotel stays, free movie tickets, Picnic sets, beach mats, Cheese cutter, Coffee maker and so many fun activities to be part of in terms of their event tickets. I am not getting invited anymore to their launch events but I have had a great run with the brand and I am so grateful to them. 

9. SterKinekor South Africa - 39 Posts - Movie tickets mainly and some launch events. 

Sterkinekor was the first company if I remember correctly to invite me to a movie night and gave my first goodies bag in South Africa which was a Diary and a Pen. I still have not used any of the items and kept them safe. 

10. rAge Expo South Africa - 36 Posts - rAge Expo Tickets, rAge Expo media goodies like Lego blocks or some kind of other goodies like caps, t-shirts, carry bags from their sponsor like MSI Gaming etc. 

It's always a pleasure to receive an invite to their expo which is a mad mad time to enjoy the best of the best games, memorabilia, gadgets and other technology-related products and goodies. I have been part of most of them since I came to South Africa and over the years the thing that remains with me is MSI  Lucky Dragon Bag which is a perfect fit to carry all the groceries and vegetables from the car to the home. All my 3 bags collected over the years are now at the end of the road and I need some new ones to carry on showcasing them in my shopping trolley. 

11. ZEE South Africa - 28 Posts - No benefits at all other than 1 invite to go to Zee launch event in a Chauffer driven limousine which was an experience in itself. That's my only experience in life to sit inside a limousine. 

12. LG South Africa - 25 Posts - Macaroons, Mobile Stand, Pendrive, LG X Screen, Mobile Photography Class at Vega 

13. Lenovo South Africa - 24 Posts - Lenovo Pen drives, Diary, Pen, Customised Laptop Sleeve, Yoga mats, Tshirts full sleeves, Lenovo Wireless Mouse

14. Microsoft South Africa - 23 Posts - Pen drives, Poncho, Scarf, Brainstorm magazine, Pens, Invite to their CIO-CTO Event, Cap

15. Uber South Africa - 21 Posts - Tshirt, Discount voucher (never used), Mobile Stand

So these are the top 15 brands in terms of the number of posts done and some of them I have also marked as brands that just wanted free promotion and vanished once I asked for something in return so there are around 60+ posts belonging to those brands. So this is the current number of posts for all these brands and maybe or not there will be more for them or not depends on the respect I get in return for my time and efforts. Here I have not talked about the thousands of tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram posts for all these brands which come along with attending the event, or sharing blog posts or receiving the goodies. Overall, it's has been a great journey so far and I generally do publish the yearly posts too which you can read and enjoy too. Thanks to each and every pageviews reader to make it happen! Thank You! 

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

#Disney Launches Heart-warming #Christmas Advert #FromOurFamilyToYours #FestiveWithDisney

Hi Friends, 

• The touching animated tale tells the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter, and celebrates the festive family traditions and shared experiences that connect generations 
• Families across South Africa encouraged to share their own festive memories via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using #FestiveWithDisney and #FromOurFamilyToYours 
• Viewers can spot Disney-inspired ‘Easter Eggs’ that appear throughout the advert 

Disney announced the launch of its new Christmas advert, a three-minute animated short telling a touching story of a grandmother, her granddaughter and the family traditions that connect them through the years. 

As part of Disney’s festive retail campaign, From Our Family To Yours, the advert will premiere at from Monday 9 November across TV and Digital plus Disney’s own channels in 26 countries in EMEA, as well as Australia, New Zealand, North America and parts of Asia. 

The heart-warming storyline is inspired by the themes of traditions, family togetherness and nostalgia, and introduces two new characters – a grandmother, Lola, and her granddaughter - alongside familiar friend Mickey Mouse who features as a much-loved toy, gifted to Lola as a young child by her father in 1940. With each passing year, Mickey comes to symbolize Lola’s childhood and a present-day connection to her granddaughter, ultimately inspiring a festive surprise on Christmas morning. 

The story is accompanied by the emotive vocals of UK artist and Ivor Novello Rising Star nominee, Griff (19), who performs ‘Love Is A Compass’, written by songwriting/production team, PARKWILD. To celebrate the theme of festive family traditions, Disney is encouraging fans to head to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to share their own past and present festive memories using #FestiveWithDisney and #FromOurFamilyToYours 

From Our Family To Yours is Disney Africa’s largest festive retail campaign to date and will offer the perfect opportunity to stock up on those gifts for every member of the family – from stocking fillers, toys, apparel, books and so much more – featuring the very latest and greatest from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. 

Luke Roberts, General Manager of Consumer Products Commercialisation, Disney Africa said: “We are excited to be launching our festive retail campaign with this ad that encapsulates the magic of this time, combining the themes of family and love, with the magic of Disney storytelling. We certainly hope families will be inspired through this universal message to create their own special holiday traditions.” 

UK artist Griff, who performs ‘Love Is A Compass’ said: “I was excited to get involved in Disney’s Christmas campaign. The lyrics of the track and the storytelling in the advert are powerful and important. The theme of family and loved ones are so fronts of mind for many of us – especially this Christmas.” 

The advert was developed and produced by Disney EMEA’s in-house creative team, led by Angela Affinita, Director of Brand Marketing and Creative, in partnership with Flux Animation Studios. The From Our Family To Yours advert premieres on 9 November, with the single, and social media and retail festivities campaigns launching simultaneously.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

7 Years of www.TheLifesWay.com #TheLifesWay #BlogAnniversary #7YearsofTheLifesWay #1890Post

Hi Friends,

1 Dream to Create The Life's Way

7 Years Completed

2.5 Million Pageviews Achieved
Local Guides Level 8 Top Contributor in Johannesburg, South Africa
1.4 Million Photo Views Achieved on Google Maps #LetsGuide
100k Views on Reviews Posted for Google Maps #LetsGuide

#TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra

#WalkingWithCamera #PhotographerWithPassion

Thousands of photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Thanks to everyone who valued the relationship and who didn't!

As I moved into the 7th year in 2019, I made some rules which I broke again and again till it broke my confidence and got me irritated to the hell and back. I am not of the types to share and rant that emotion on social media but it really hurts me that I am not getting invited to the year-end parties when I have done so many blog posts and other social media posts for the brand for free the whole year. So as they say, it's better to come out of that kind of unvalued relationship with brands where I am ranting my anger on my kids and family members. The blog I started for my happiness and not to torture my family members. Now in 2020, I am not going to do anything which breaks my motivation and taking me for granted. It won't happen again, I will definitely make sure of this. 

Let's get back to the achievements of 2019 which, to sum up, is basically not from the blog but from the use of various social media channels and contests that happens on those platforms. The best part of 2019 was getting cash money for one of the social media posts and that's the only one throughout the year which got paid. Rest all the other things were for the posts and engagement done on the social media channels and launch events attended.

The year started by getting some of the Samsung Uflex Bluetooth earphones and Scoop speakers from the activation for Samsung S10 launch on twitter and facebook. I got my first Instax Mini 9 camera from Orbit Gum in one of their media drops and later I won SQ20 at the launch event of Fujifilm Instax. I also won the Best Photographer of Jan 2019 from Huawei Mobiles and received a medal. Huawei sponsored me their Watch GT Active to train for MTN Walk The Talk 25kms and which I successfully completed too. I won another Instax camera and an expensive perfume from Edward JoziStyle nights at the Thava Restaurant @ Montecasino dinner event. Edward is one of the innovators of The Social Media Industry in South Africa and always invites me to all his events suitable to my tastes. The best of it all was mines and Keisha photo won the Asus Vivobook S15 on which I replaced the 1TB HDD with 1TB SSD by paying R3200 to Rectron making it the fastest booting laptop I have ever used.

I became a winner of the Montagu Orange twitter contest winner and got some nice nuts and snacks from the brand which I totally loved eating. I won the Dermalogica gift hamper at the launch event of Sorbet Man in Morningside Mall. Huawei gave FreeLace earphones in one of the launch events which I really wanted from them from the start and enjoying the sound of the same. Netflix South Africa gave me a six-month membership and I watched a lot of movies and TV series. I also won an Acer Predator Gaming Mouse by tweeting the most from one of Predator Fortnite gaming events. Unilever finally sent some samples goodies after posting for them for more than 2 years for free. I am grateful to Martin for picking me up for the Kids toys like Scrabble and Mattel Mega Crystal Creatures which my daughter Keisha did the unboxing videos on. There is a hidden talent right at home and in 2020 she is going to be my main model for everything related to Parenting and Kids products on my Youtube Channel.

Keisha won another Instax camera from the Getaway show for her photograph on Instagram. I was the lucky winner at India Day in Wanderers Stadium and won myself 2 nights stay at the City Lodge, Fourways. There were many small gifts I got from my work location at MTN based on their employee's fun activities and brand activations from time to time. Finally, the 3M Privacy Gold Filter arrived from the USA and I picked it up immediately from their office as the wait was quite long. DJI gave a nice carry bag to carry all my wires and cables which I always wanted from long at their Mavic Mini launch event. MIOPS sent me a Mobile Remote to make all my camera accessible by my smartphone using the MIOPS Mobile App.

I really loved the goodies received from Disney when they launched the Avengers End Game DVD and it was totally unexpected. Many thanks! I was part of the Huawei Watch GT 2 launch where our team won the challenge and received the Huawei Smart scale as the prize which is helping me check my weight and maintain the same too. Other than these I got to see a lot of stage shows, music events and movies from time to time. I will continue to promote all those events in the future as it keeps me active throughout the year and give me enough content to share on all my social media platforms. During the South Africa rugby world cup season, I drove all my colleagues to participate in beer brands twitter giveaways that they all got so many beer bottles from Castle Lager, Flying Fish, and Heineken for free.

The various things which irritated me were not getting invited to any of the Silverstar casino events or Montecasino events. I was not invited to the Year-End function of Huawei Mobiles nor I was invited to any of the Samsung launch events throughout the year. I didn't get any Huawei smartphones or newly launched products like earphones and Watch GT 2 throughout the year and neither I was invited to the Lenovo breakfasts this year. I didn't get any Acer products for review and there was no goodies bag from the one event I attended with them. Canon South Africa told me not to participate in their events as I was overdoing it so I stopped it completely.

Many product reviews are pending at my end which I intend to finish in December 2019 before the 7th anniversary of The Life's Way comes along with some of the ABC of Success posts which I totally love to write based on my experiences in this industry. My next target is to complete 500 reviews on Google Maps and take the photographs and videos on the platform to cross 10000. My Youtube channel will be my main focus area throughout the next 3 years and let's see if I have it in me or not? If it works out I can be someone brands will be interested to collaborate else I will continue to live passionately enjoying Music, Movies, TV series, Youtube, Masterclasses, Lynda Courses and books on my Kindle Keyboard. Let's go!

Cheers!!!
Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to discuss your products, launch events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay #NoFreePosts. TheLife'sWay charges a blogging fee for the time and efforts to join a new campaign or an existing one based on your requirements. Namaste!

A #Gift for the Whole #Family This Festive Season @Gammatek #FunkoPop

Hi Friends,

The festive season is upon us and some of us have already started to scramble for ideas on what to get for everyone in the family this festive season. Getting a pair of socks of different colors got very old very quickly after the first year that you tried it so the time has come to really do something that would “Wow” the whole family. This is easier said than done as every person has their own tastes and interests and no one gift would be a good match for everyone.

A good starting point to search for the perfect gift is to figure out what every member of the family is a fan of. There is Dad that is a die-hard football supporter, Mom that loves binge watching her Game of Thrones series, little Brother that cannot get enough of Marvel superheroes, Sister that is in love with Aquaman and Granny that constantly talks to her grandkids about how much she loves Snow White and other Disney princesses. Well, it seems that you have just stumbled upon your list to get everyone the perfect gift!

But where are you going to find something that is related to all of these subjects without having to travel to the far corners of the planet to find it? There is one company with the slogan “everyone is a fan of something” that might just have exactly what you are looking for and in one place. Funko Pop! collectibles literally have a character for any taste and you are bound to find a character that will be perfect for every member of the family. For your Football-fanatic Dad, you can get an EPL player. For mom, a Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen would be perfect. How about getting The Avengers collection for your little brother and then an Aquaman for sister that she can talk to when no one is around. Granny would love a Snow White figurine to accompany her stories that she tells the grandkids and it would take her back down memory lane as well.

“I and my girlfriend watched Pixar’s “Up” movie the other day and fell in love with the Grandpa, Mr. Fredrickson. We then saw the Funko figurine in a shop window and we just had to have it. Now we will have to hunt for the Russell character as well to complete this cute collection.” – says Christiaan Louw, an Avid Funko collector.

There are also collections that you will be able to gift to the whole family where each member of the family can get a character to complete the collection. Examples of these collections would be the Parr Family from the Incredibles or the Justice League from the DC universe. So let’s just see how that would make the perfect gift for the whole family: Dad will get Batman, Mom will get wonder woman, Brother would get the Cyborg and Granny can get the flash to be her little helper.

Funko collectibles also have the potential to start a collecting hobby so it is really a gift that will keep on giving and the best part is, you would be able to buy Funko Pop! collectibles next season again to fuel their ever-growing collection. Funko figurines will also be much better received than those socks that you were planning to get everyone again.

Funko products are available in SA from BT Games, Cardies, Hamleys, Incredible Connection, Musica, Toy Kingdom, Toys R Us, and Vodacom stores. It is also available online on Loot.co.za, Takealot.com; Technomobi.co.za and Shopandship.co.za.

For more information on Gammatek’s product range please visit www.gammatek.co.za or follow on Twitter @gammatek and Facebook

 

Cheers!!!
Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!  

@Disney_Africa Debuts #DreamBigPrincess Photography Campaign To Encourage Kids to Dream Big

Hi Guys,

Disney unveiled a global photographic campaign in support of #DreamBigPrincess celebrating inspiring stories from around the world to encourage kids everywhere to dream big. Nineteen female photographers from fifteen countries have created a series of empowering images showcasing real-world girls and women, as part of Disney’s Dream Big, Princess initiative launched in 2016, which taps into the power of Disney Princess stories to inspire kids. Photographs will be shared on social media to help raise funds for Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s program supporting adolescent girls’ leadership and empowerment.

"The idea that stories, whether real life or fictional like those of Belle or Rapunzel, can inspire kids to follow their dreams is at the heart of the #DreamBigPrincess campaign,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “We asked some of the most accomplished female photographers to help tell the stories of inspiring women and girls from around the world—and the results are incredible.”

From one of the first female staff photographers at National Geographic to winners of the International Picture of the Year, World Press Photo Award for Nature, Commonwealth Photographer of the Year, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News, the accomplished roster of photographers bring a wealth of experience and talent. Each was challenged to find and document stories with the power to inspire kids.

With subjects including the youngest ever speaker at the UN, a gold-medal-winning Chinese Paralympian, the founder of the first female cycling team in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, a teenage author of a STEM coding book for kids, and a young surf champion from Brazil, the project aims to spotlight a diverse range of stories to connect with kids and families around the world. The images bring the #DreamBigPrincess message to life in a multitude of ways, including highlighting women who’ve achieved success in the face of adversity, young Girl Up Teen Advisors who’ve already helped make a positive impact on the world, and girls at play who illustrate the importance of imagination in childhood.

As well as inspiring kids with positive images and the stories behind them, the campaign aims to make a tangible difference for girls who face challenges in achieving their dreams, through its collaboration with Girl Up. From August 15-October 11, 2017, Disney Worldwide Services will donate US $1 for any public post of a photo using #DreamBigPrincess or like of such a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, for a minimum donation of US $500,000 and a maximum of US $1 million. Girl Up’s leadership program engages girls to take action and advocate for girls around the world, giving them empowering tools to help make a difference.

“Girl Up envisions a world where every girl can reach her full potential and be an advocate within her community for positive change and empowerment. The #DreamBigPrincess campaign is perfectly aligned with our goals and we’re excited to partner with Disney and this incredible group of women to spotlight what it means to dream big around the world,” says Melissa Kilby, Director of Girl Up.

Annie Griffiths, one of National Geographic’s first female staff photographers profiled eight teenage girl leaders at Girl Up’s Leadership Summit in Washington DC, to showcase their inspiring stories as part of the campaign.

“Every picture tells a story and I’m delighted to be part of an initiative that tells so many stories that are interesting and diverse. I hope that people around the world will be motivated to share their own inspiring #DreamBigPrincess images in support of Girl Up,” says Annie.

Girl Up Teen Advisor alumna Meg Schwartz, was given the chance to follow her dream of becoming a professional photographer by creating images of Girl Up celebrity Champions, including YouTube influencers Brooklyn & Bailey, actress Katherine McNamara as well as philanthropist and actress Monique Coleman. Meg’s images will be shared as part of the campaign to help raise funds for Girl Up.

In 2016, Disney launched “Dream Big, Princess”, a campaign that encourages kids everywhere to dream big by highlighting key story moments and the inspiring qualities that each Disney Princess showcases through her adventures, such as Merida’s bravery, Cinderella’s kindness or Tiana’s perseverance. While each princess has her own unique and admirable qualities, what they all have in common is resilience and an ability to triumph over adversity to make their dreams come true. The Dream Big, Princess content series, which runs across Disney TV and digital networks globally, brings together a host of inspiring moments from beloved Disney movies with the stories of real-life young role models, who have dreamed big and achieved their goals to show kids what’s possible.

The Dream Big, Princess series has already reached millions of kids and families and the photographic campaign builds on this success by spotlighting women and girls from around the world with stories that have the power to inspire others.

Visit the Disney Princess Facebook page to support the campaign.

About Girl Up
Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign, supports the empowerment of girls everywhere. Since its launch in 2010, Girl Up has funded UN programs that promote the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries and built a community of over half a million passionate advocates. Our girl leaders, representing more than 1800 Girl Up Clubs in 90 countries, stand up, speak up, and rise up to support the hardest to reach girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl. Learn more at GirlUp.org.

About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at unfoundation.org.

Cheers!!!

 

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !