A4 Messenger-Inquirer Monday, March 25, 2024 EXTRA For the past 11 years, Kathy Sudeikis has planned a yearly family reunion. Called the tradition began as a way to bring her six siblings and their families together to honor the memory of their mother. Held annually near Michigan City, Indiana, the event has doubled from about 40 people in its first year to 74 in attendance last summer. son, star Jason Sudeikis, ranks among those who have never missed a year of Nanapalooza and not the only one committed to participating. family drives from New York so they can have their car with Kathy Sudeikis says.
cousin had her baby induced so she could bring the baby to PLANNING A MULTIGENERATIONAL TRIP Kathy Sudeikis works for Acendas Travel, a Kansas City area-based travel management company, so she has extensive experience in the industry and is the de facto leader of Nanapalooza. But unlike Nanapalooza, not all multigenerational trips and reunions go well. For instance, some families could end up picking up a tab for more than what they owe, or have clean-up duty daily versus a rotation. Arguments can erupt over details such as when to travel and how to split bills. why Heidi Durflinger, president of EF Go Ahead Tours in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recommends hiring a tour director.
tour director is there from start to finish, so they get to know Durflinger says. You can also, of course, plan it on your own. SELECTING DATES Sometimes, the hardest part of trip planning can be settling on dates. just never going to work perfectly for Kathy Sudeikis says. always someone whose kid has band camp that To avoid such drama, Kathy Sudeikis advises tying trips to important family dates.
With Nanapalooza, the anniversary of the death of their mother. Otherwise, Kathy Sudeikis recommends simply committing to the date. DECIDING WHERE TO GO To help agree on a location, Durflinger recommends considering family heritage. Her company recently organized a family reunion in an Italian village where the ancestors were from. location, meanwhile, was selected because one family owns a waterfront property on Lake Michigan, which provides a convenient base for most meals and activities.
The families book their lodging nearby. On any extended family vacation, Kathy Sudeikis recommends that each family unit is responsible for booking their lodging and transportation. become a travel agent yourself trying to coordinate she says. PLANNING MEALS AND ACTIVITIES Cruises or all-inclusive resorts can simplify family vacations by offering meals and planning activities for everyone. For example, at Vista Verde Guest Ranch, an all-inclusive dude ranch in Clark, Colorado, guests choose activities from a pre-selected list, then everyone regroups in the main lodge for meals.
Kathy Sudeikis sends out a food chart in advance to reunion attendees. Then, each of the seven siblings picks a single meal to prepare for the entire group. can do their own thing during the day and then meet up for she says. PAYING FOR THE TRIP At Nanapalooza, each family rotates supplying the entire dinner. Frugal families could cook, while another family might pay for takeout.
The lakeside location of Nanapalooza keeps activity costs low. Though Nanapalooza is fortunate to have minimal financial disagreements, not always the case with other family trips. Kathy Sudeikis recommends cruises because families have options for staterooms, depending on their budget. it work for all your siblings because they might not all be in the same financial she says. And overlook a professionally organized tour.
Durflinger says a tour may come out cheaper since they can secure discounted rates for large groups. By Sally French NerdWallet Money Matters Surviving costs, other drama for a multigenerational family trip AP Small Business Monitor AP By Mae Anderson Businesses add more jobs Hiring woes may be easing for small businesses. The CBIZ Small Business Employment Index reported a seasonally adjusted increase of 0.17% in February as the U.S. economy stays strong despite high interest rates. Small businesses have a tougher time retaining workers since they often offer higher salaries or other perks like health insurance.
The CBIZ index tracks hiring among thousands of companies with 300 or fewer employees across the U.S. U.S. economy has shown unexpected strength amid the high interest rate said Anna Rathbun, chief investment officer of CBIZ. apparent that small businesses are holding onto that strength for now as they expanded their workforce steadily during In February, of companies in the index hired more staff while made no change to their headcounts. Meanwhile, cut staff.
Some industries are faring better than others. Industries with hiring gains included administrative and support services; arts, entertainment and recreation; and technolo- gy and life sciences. Decreases were observed in accommoda- tion and food services, insurance, and utilities. On a regional basis, the West, Southeast, and Central regions saw slight increases in hiring, while the Northeast region experienced a slight decline. The small business trend echoes the broader market.
U.S. employers added 275,000 jobs in February, beating expectations, showcasing the U.S. resilience in the face of high interest rates. job growth marked an increase from a revised gain of 229,000 jobs in January. Living in an AI material world TechTake By Matt O'Brien Making instant videos is the next wave of generative artificial intelligence, much like chatbots and image-generators before it.
The pop star Madonna is among the early adopters. team used an AI text-to-video tool to make moving images of swirling clouds featured in her ongoing Celebration Tour. The AI-generated visuals appear on big screens behind Madonna when she sings the 1980s hit song Isla AI-generated videos appear easy to make just describe a few words and out pops a brand-new video but based on a complicated AI technique. The results can be jerky, short and with uncanny distortions. That could change as the technology improves.
Pitfalls await. Without safeguards, a convincing AI-generated video could make it seem as if political figures are doing something they never did. They could also be used to generate fake p*rnographic images of recognizable people without their consent. There also are copyright disputes brewing about the video collections the AI systems are being trained upon and to what extent they are unfairly replicating works of human artistry. AP Sweet Easter baskets will likely come at a bitter cost this year for consumers as the price of cocoa climbs to record highs.
Cocoa futures have surged this year, roughly doubling since the start of 2024. Rising temperatures and weather conditions have stressed and damaged crops in West Africa, which produces more than of the global cocoa supply. Big chocolate companies like and Cadbury maker Mondelez have been passing those costs on to consumers and then some: net profit margins ticked higher to 16.7% in 2023 from 15.8% in 2022. Mondelez reported a jump to 13.8% in 2023 from 8.6% in 2022. Both companies reported shrinking sales volumes for their most recent quarters as consumers grow tired of paying higher prices.
The National Retail Federation expects a drop in spending on Easter this year, though the total figure still remains high by historical standards. Its latest survey shows that consumers are expected to spend $3.1 billion on candy this Easter, or $24.78 per person. down from $3.3 billion, or $26.31 per person a year ago. The cost of candy and other sweets rose 5.8% in February compared with a year ago, according to the latest report on consumer prices. By Damian J.
Troise; Alex Nieves Off The Charts AP Bitter taste for chocolate shoppers ahead of Easter Jan 2023 Apr Jul Oct Jan 2024 2,000 4,000 6,000 $8,000 Source: FactSet Costly chocolate hits Easter baskets Record high cocoa prices confront shoppers with bitter chocolate costs as Easter approaches. Cocoa price per metric ton 1. Oil Gas 1.8 8.2 8.2 17.7 2. Basic Material 0.8 4.6 3.9 12.9 3. Technology 3.6 4.1 15.0 55.7 4.
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