Five ways to have fun this weekend.

1. In theaters this weekend is "Isle of Dogs," rated PG-13, a stop-motion animated film featuring an ensemble cast of voices (such as Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston and Frances McDormand) about a boy’s odyssey in search of his lost dog; "Sherlock Gnomes," a PG-rated animated film and sequel to 2011′s "Gnomeo & Juliet" that follows the pair of garden gnomes as they recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments; "Pacific Rim Uprising," rated PG-13, the sequel to 2013 hit sci-fi action film in which mankind once again uses gigantic humanoid mechas to battle colossal sea monsters; and "Unsane," an R-rated psychological horror-thriller starring Claire Foy as a young woman who is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she must determine if her delusions of a stalker may in fact be real.

2. Look on the bright side: March is National Optimism Month. So act like an optimist. Use upbeat, optimistic words such as challenged rather than overwhelmed. Avoid pessimistic people who will only bring you down and be grateful for what you have.

3. Earth Hour takes place Saturday. This is a time designed to get people and businesses to shut off as much electricity as they can for at least one hour. It’s held from 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time. Take the opportunity to save some energy (and some money!) and play some games by candlelight, or tell scary stories by flashlight. Go to http://www.earthhour.org/ for more information.

4. March Madness isn’t over yet, although your favorite team probably got beat by an underdog. Sweet Sixteen games will still be taking place this Friday and the Elite Eight games are on Saturday and Sunday. Tune in to TBS and CBS to catch the games or go to the official website of the NCAA tournament, http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness.

5. Sunday, March 25, is Vaffeldagen or Waffle Day, a Swedish tradition to indulge in baked waffles with jam and whipped cream. All you need is a hot iron and good batter. What makes a waffle different than a pancake? They’re crispier.