Day 1002: But I Drifted...

It's been a while since I found enough little references in my life to Disney to do a round up of them all. As much as I could probably write a blog post on every single one of these things, I think you would probably get pretty bored if all I talked about was Mac & Cheese for a day. Then again, who doesn't like Mac & Cheese? The point, however, is that, sometimes, there are a lot of little references to Disney that make our day a little bit brighter, and it's those exact moments that make up the foundation of Everyday Disney. So, over time, I make notes of such references I find in my daily life, whether it's in a class, at a meal, or on the radio, and then do a round up of the little things!

Roasted Almonds: 

I've never really been a fan of nuts, and yet there's something about the Cinnamon Roasted Almonds you can find at Walt Disney World that keeps me coming back for more. It's certainly possible that it's the fact that it's Disney food, and all Disney food is amazing, or maybe I actually like almonds after all. Either way, I don't have Cinnamon Roasted Almonds here in Wisconsin, but I do have roasted almond tea. Thanks to a combination of my parents and roommates and a little bit of CaptainSwan, I've fallen in love with loose leaf tea over the last year, and I bought the Roasted Almond Tea on a whim after trying a quick sample while at the tea store.

Long story short, I ended up going back only weeks later to buy more.

EPCOT = Every Person Comes Out Tired:

I've already discussed my schedule this semester, and if you didn't read that post, all you need to know is that freetime, if there is any, is usually spent working on something else, therefore eliminating any freetime anyway. Whether it's writing a paper or a blog post, editing a video, filming a football game, working on a painting, doing a reading for class, organizing the music library, or practicing for my recital, every minute of every day is booked. Yesterday, while sitting in the library around this same time (11 p.m.) after working for 13 hours straight, I realized that my days here at college remind me a lot of a day at Disney. So I guess instead of thinking of my constant "go, go, go" as a downfall, maybe I should think of it as training for Disney world? This also may have something to do with th fact that one of my friends recently told me she overheard someone talking about walking on campus as training for a Disney trip...

Mac & Cheese

And you thought I was kidding when I mentioned Mac & Cheese earlier, didn't you? If you haven't been to your local grocery store recently, or maybe you just didn't buy Mac & Cheese recently, you should definitely head that direction if you're a Star Wars fan. There are currently Mac & Cheese boxes with pasta shaped as Star Wars characters, and while I'm not sure which characters are all included, I definitely had R2-D2 Mac & Cheese for lunch today. Thanks Mom!

But I Drifted...

It's not every day you get the chance to meet a real-life author, although I guess I'm actually surrounded by several every day of my life. That tends to happen on a college campus. Regardless, this past Friday, SNC was honored with the presence of Gina Barreca, who's book They Used to Call me Snow White...But I Drifted features one very obvious reference to Disney: Snow White. In her discussion with my English 305 class, she revealed that the title of the book is actually based on a famous line from Mae West, although the cover of the book definitely features a more Disney-based version of Snow.

You don't have to write a daily blog about Disney to find the little references to Disney in your life though! Let me know what you find in your day to day routine in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

Day 838: Mugs & Things

Creative title, I know, but due to a slow day in my world, it's time for Part 2 of...

A Quick Guide to Bringing Little Bits of Disney into Your Everyday Life! 

(Still a super long title...I know).

While things have been pretty slow thanks to a lot of going back and forth between college and home, schoolwork, scale practicing for juries that are coming up soon, concerts and who knows what else, there has been some little bits of Disney thrown in here and there, and that's what I'm here to share! This is sort of a combination post from a few other posts that just sort of fit together nicely. What inspired this post, you ask? My Tsum Tsums of course, which I'll discuss in just a moment, but the idea with this edition of A Quick Guide is fitting in Disney without over-doing things. It's usually very obvious in my dorm rooms which desk is mine, and I've included pictures of both my desk from last year and my current desk just as a refresher since not everything on my desk is included in the post, but the great part is that this one isn't just for desks! There are so many little ways to add Disney to your living space while still keeping it subtle! 

Tsum Tsums: 

Of course, because it inspired this post, it's got to be on here. I may or may not have recently gone to Target with the intention of leaving not just with my groceries, but also with new Tsum Tsums since they recently began selling the adorable little guys and they're just too cute to pass up. I'm absolutely addicted, and while right now I've only got nine (you just have to buy them in like groups of three so they stack!), I'm pretty sure that after June I'll have a few more. So far my favorites are definitely the Dumbo Tsum Tsum and the Donald one, but honestly I love them all so...

Mugs: 

Obviously I collect Disney Mugs, but these things are a great way to showcase your #DisneySide while also having your morning coffee (or tea)! While I collect them, that doesn't mean you have to, as one or two mugs can go a long way! At the moment, I'm in the moment of getting my hands on all of the Disney Parks You Are Here Starbucks Mugs, but I've definitely also got my sights set on that new Disneyland 60th Mug! Of course, not all of my mugs simply say Disney World either. Here I've got my "Hook's Crew" mug, which sits proudly next to my Emma Swan bug. CaptainSwan is well represented on my shelves! 

Towels, Plates & Things on Which You Ate:

I really wanted that to rhyme apparently. Regardless, Disney, in addition to a wide range of mugs, has a ever changing unique set of Disney Kitchen merchandise. Before my Freshman year of college I bought a set of bowls, a set of plates, a set of glasses and a couple of towels, and since then I've collected a few other things. The dishtowels, however, are my favorite of the collection. They're subtle Disney, but excellent towels if you ask me. The design is probably different now, but any of the merchandise for the home that's Disney themed is a great way to bring a little bit of Disney into your Everyday Life! 

Vinylmation: 

I've talked plenty of times about these guys too, but just like the Tsum Tsums, they're small enough to fit easily on your desk and there's one out there for everyone. I limit myself to one Vinylmation per trip, sometimes taking the safe route and buying one like the Princess Leia Minnie Mouse, which I knew what I was getting, and other times I'll take a risk, like I did with the Buzz Lightyear (as my first Vinylmation I have no clue how I got so lucky)! I actually get a lot of compliments on these guys though, mostly because they're different. Yeah, they scream Disney if you look at them, but they catch attention, and that makes them a great conversation starter every single time! 

Pillows: 

My roommates and I seem to have this love of pillows. We have them everywhere. Our beds are filled with them (alright, mostly mine and Ashley), we have some in the back room and some in the front room and they're all pretty classy. One of the greatest things I've gotten for my dorm room and my bedroom at home, however, are the pillows! They're expensive and often a real trick to get home because they take up some room if you're not shipping (we have to carry ours home in June on the band trip and that was rough!) but they're not screaming Disney. They're classy, simple and still Disney!

There's like a million other ways to bring little bits of Disney into your dorm room or home, and maybe I'll do another one someday, more focused on DIY or something because I've got that down too! Either way, what are some ways you bring little bits of Disney into your room or home? Let me know! 

Have a magical day!

Day 762: More Little Things

In high school I remember our English teachers basically making us swear to never use the word "thing" in a paper. I'm pretty sure we all lived in fear of the possibility of slipping up and using the word without realizing it, and yet, here I am, years later, using it not only in the contents of a blog post, but in the title...time after time. Oh the irony.

However, I do find it difficult to come up with another word that works quite as well for this situation. I guess I could call it "Little References" in relation to this series of posts, but that just doesn't have the same ring to it. There's millions of other words out there, but you know what? I'm just going to use the word "thing."

Despite the fact that it's only been a few days since the last "Little Things" post, I realized that there wasn't really a better way to describe the Disney in my day. After all, Disney is one of those things that makes such small appearances throughout your life that sometimes you hardly even notice them! And that's why we're back here talking about the little things again!

This Speaker:

I was out shopping yesterday, picking up a few things here and there for my dorm room or to throw on my desk in the music building so I don't have to continuously run back and forth all the time, when I saw this:

I too have a little wireless speaker, but mine looks nothing like this. I did, however, have to stop and take a picture because I can't be the only one who things that, as odd as this thing looks, it sure resembles Spaceship Earth. 

Baking Up A Storm: 

Another roommate birthday means more cupcakes, and I'm always trying new things. However, this past trip I got my hands on the most adorable new apron for when I'm in the kitchen baking, and it definitely has a bit of Disney spirit! 

Now, I do believe there was another thing that was supposed to make it's appearance on this post, but I literally cannot for the life of me remember what it was, so I guess we'll just save it for another day! 

So now then, what little Disney things can you find in your day? 

Have a magical day!

Day 290: Midterms, Coffee and Awesomeness

As a Freshman in college, I have to say that I'm learning to appreciate the little things in life. Like coffee. I love coffee. Actually, we have a great coffee shop here on campus, one that I drink way too much coffee from, but that's ok. Or the fact that I got an A on my first midterm, which I took last week. Or that I completed two other midterms and finished a paper and talked to my professor about a different paper. Yeah, all great things.

Oh...and Once Upon a Time.

But I'm not going to talk about that. I don't want to reveal anything. Although there's a fair chance that some of you already know what I'm talking about. Still, I will not be the one to spill the beans. HAHA that was actually no pun intended but ended up being a great joke. Gosh I love that show.

No, today we're talking about the little things in life, remember? Like the little bits of Disney that just make your day awesome. For instance, tonight as I was seriously procrastinating on my homework, I came across lots of little Disney things that made me happy. Just going on Youtube or Pinterest has a wealth of little Disney things, many of which I have discussed. If you follow Disney blogs like I do, then you obviously see a lot of this stuff.

But I'm saying the little things down to the Disney Parks Commercials on TV, currently which are running through the Disney Side campaign I talked about last week. Or the set of Vinylmation I have on my desk here at college. My E-Ticket mug that I probably use more here at college than I ever did at home. Or the Annual Passholder magnet I have on the side of my mini-fridge (which I use because it's right here next to my desk.

And what about the Disney Parks music I continuously have been listening to these past few days as I studied for all my midterms. I think I listened to my 3 hour long play list at least 10 times this week. At least. Probably more than that. I think last night I made it through 2 and a half times. Just goes to show you how long I was sitting here. Granted, depending on what I was doing I sometimes skipped a song, but you get the point.

Anyways, since I got really distracted by planning my future Once Upon a Time Disneybounds, it is now 11:55 and I want to actually post this today yet.

So here's today's Disney History: 1965: The World's Fair in Flushing, New York, officially ends. The fair included 4 attractions developed by Walt Disney: General Electric's Carousel of Progress, Ford's Magic Skyway, Pepsi-Cola's It's a Small World, and the State of Illinois' Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

Have a magical day!

Day 169: Napkins

I found this on Pinterest and just had to make it into a blog post because it's another one of those things where it's just so true that you can't handle it.

My dad has always been one to do this, where we'll be eating lunch somewhere at Disney and he'll just leave with like a pocketful of napkins. I'm pretty sure we have like an entire array of different napkins from all over the years. They do make great little souvenirs, until you find random folded up ones from like 10 years ago in some box and you just end up spending an hour and a half trying to figure out what year they actually were from. 

I don't know, but there are a lot of little things like that you can take home with you as like a free souvenir. Napkins are obviously one of them, as are park maps and times guides. Anything like that. Even those brochures you can pick up from at the resorts work. The stuff your resort gives you when you arrive, the stuff in the bathroom of your hotel room that's the little free samples. All that kind of stuff. I don't know, maybe when I go in a few weeks I'll have to go around looking for little free things that you can bring home to help remember your Disney trip. 

Here's today's Disney History: 2012: The second phase of Disney's Art of Animation Resort opens at Walt Disney World. The wing dedicated to the popular film Cars is themed after the Cozy Cone Motel. Taking on a notably different tone than the vibrant Finding Nemo wing (which opened May 31), the new Cars area embodies the feeling of the sleepy little town of Radiator Springs. Disney's Art of Animation Cars wing is WDW's 26th resort. 

Have a magical day!