Monday, June 30, 2014
The Kind of Princess Disney Needs Next.
I'm nine days into my vacation in California and having an absolute blast and part of the fun has been being able to spend plenty of time in Disneyland!
Now, I went through a phase of being less than enchanted with the Magic Kingdom and I think this is just because I got old and didn't have kids and I went through a phase of kind of being over the whole thing - the crowds, the heat, the drive to Orlando, bleh.
But now, I'm experiencing an all new love for Disney as I see it again through my three year old daughter's eyes. That and I have discovered that I like my experience at DisneyLAND here in California more than my former experiences at DisneyWORLD in Florida. Mainly, I like the cool, dry weather here much more and I like that it's closer to where my in-laws live so instead of a three hour plus drive to Orlando from where I live, we can do a 20 minute drive up the Freeway and boom, there we are. I also find Disneyland smaller and more manageable and it has been significantly less crowded. Besides that, I absolutely love the California Adventure park. It's super cool, very pretty and I find it relaxing.
Part of the Disney experience with a little girl is going to involve princesses. Lots of princesses. I used to be kind of anti the whole princess thing, but I've come around especially after the past few days getting to meet some of them. Let me just tell you, the girls who play those Disney princesses are so incredibly sweet and lovely with the children. They're a lot of fun and all the Disney employees make the experience so meaningful with their thoughtfulness.
Part of what has redeemed the whole princess thing for me is that Disney has really made an effort in the past several years to create more diverse princesses who are really good role models. My daughter likes Merida because she climbs and jumps and shoots a bow and likes to play outside. She's three so she doesn't get the whole getting married thing yet. My favorite princess is Tiana because I just think it's the coolest thing in the world that a princess likes to cook and has a goal to own her own restaurant. Plus, she has what I think is the prettiest dress. Just kidding. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to having my photo taken with Tiana at some point on this trip and yes, I will post it if I get one.
So we have a black princess, princesses who don't want a prince, princesses who like to play outside, princesses who like to read, princesses who save all of China by dressing like boys, princesses who are brave and funny, awkward, plucky, kind, sweet and princesses who are more complicated characters than dear, helpless Cinderella and I love that. I love that more different looking princesses are being celebrated, but I still think Disney has a little further to go in that department.
What Disney really needs is a fat princess.
Now that would be truly revolutionary.
And a fat princess would be a hero to so many girls and women who feel they don't live up to the willowy standard of beauty to which every single other princess regardless of race, culture or personality conforms.
In the past, all of the curvier or more overweight characters in Disney films have been either evil, old or stupid. I'd like to see a more voluptuous princess who is smart, independent, beautiful and complex. I'd like to see her weight not being a main issue in the storyline either, as in that it's something for her to overcome. Her weight should be secondary to her real story, whatever that might happen to be.
Disney is doing much better with their fairies of Pixie Hollow. If you haven't seen any of the Tinkerbell spin-off movies, I highly recommend them. I'm a big fan. The animation is gorgeous for one thing and the fairies are extremely diverse and YES! There is a fat fairy in Pixie Hollow. Her name is Fairy Mary.
I'd like to start a Fairy Mary fan club. Fairy Mary embodies everything that I'd like to see in a princess. She is confident, beautiful, smart and in a leadership position in the fairy world. She isn't old, evil or stupid at all. In fact, she shows extremely good sense and her weight is never, ever mentioned or an issue in the story. She's just a big, beautiful fairy loved as she is. On top of that, she is the best ice skater of all the fairies, so she's even athletic! Here is a blog post that someone else wrote all about Fairy Mary that I think is an excellent and eloquent read.
Disney is definitely headed in the right direction. I love that we now have single princesses, warrior princesses, entrepreneurial princesses and bold, intelligent princesses who do their own thing. I love that we have a Native American princess, a black princess, and a Chinese princess. We need a princess who truly goes against tradition by daring to redefine our preconceived notions of what it means to be beautiful.
Come on Disney. You can do this.
Now, I went through a phase of being less than enchanted with the Magic Kingdom and I think this is just because I got old and didn't have kids and I went through a phase of kind of being over the whole thing - the crowds, the heat, the drive to Orlando, bleh.
But now, I'm experiencing an all new love for Disney as I see it again through my three year old daughter's eyes. That and I have discovered that I like my experience at DisneyLAND here in California more than my former experiences at DisneyWORLD in Florida. Mainly, I like the cool, dry weather here much more and I like that it's closer to where my in-laws live so instead of a three hour plus drive to Orlando from where I live, we can do a 20 minute drive up the Freeway and boom, there we are. I also find Disneyland smaller and more manageable and it has been significantly less crowded. Besides that, I absolutely love the California Adventure park. It's super cool, very pretty and I find it relaxing.
Part of the Disney experience with a little girl is going to involve princesses. Lots of princesses. I used to be kind of anti the whole princess thing, but I've come around especially after the past few days getting to meet some of them. Let me just tell you, the girls who play those Disney princesses are so incredibly sweet and lovely with the children. They're a lot of fun and all the Disney employees make the experience so meaningful with their thoughtfulness.
Part of what has redeemed the whole princess thing for me is that Disney has really made an effort in the past several years to create more diverse princesses who are really good role models. My daughter likes Merida because she climbs and jumps and shoots a bow and likes to play outside. She's three so she doesn't get the whole getting married thing yet. My favorite princess is Tiana because I just think it's the coolest thing in the world that a princess likes to cook and has a goal to own her own restaurant. Plus, she has what I think is the prettiest dress. Just kidding. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to having my photo taken with Tiana at some point on this trip and yes, I will post it if I get one.
So we have a black princess, princesses who don't want a prince, princesses who like to play outside, princesses who like to read, princesses who save all of China by dressing like boys, princesses who are brave and funny, awkward, plucky, kind, sweet and princesses who are more complicated characters than dear, helpless Cinderella and I love that. I love that more different looking princesses are being celebrated, but I still think Disney has a little further to go in that department.
What Disney really needs is a fat princess.
Now that would be truly revolutionary.
And a fat princess would be a hero to so many girls and women who feel they don't live up to the willowy standard of beauty to which every single other princess regardless of race, culture or personality conforms.
In the past, all of the curvier or more overweight characters in Disney films have been either evil, old or stupid. I'd like to see a more voluptuous princess who is smart, independent, beautiful and complex. I'd like to see her weight not being a main issue in the storyline either, as in that it's something for her to overcome. Her weight should be secondary to her real story, whatever that might happen to be.
Disney is doing much better with their fairies of Pixie Hollow. If you haven't seen any of the Tinkerbell spin-off movies, I highly recommend them. I'm a big fan. The animation is gorgeous for one thing and the fairies are extremely diverse and YES! There is a fat fairy in Pixie Hollow. Her name is Fairy Mary.
I'd like to start a Fairy Mary fan club. Fairy Mary embodies everything that I'd like to see in a princess. She is confident, beautiful, smart and in a leadership position in the fairy world. She isn't old, evil or stupid at all. In fact, she shows extremely good sense and her weight is never, ever mentioned or an issue in the story. She's just a big, beautiful fairy loved as she is. On top of that, she is the best ice skater of all the fairies, so she's even athletic! Here is a blog post that someone else wrote all about Fairy Mary that I think is an excellent and eloquent read.
Disney is definitely headed in the right direction. I love that we now have single princesses, warrior princesses, entrepreneurial princesses and bold, intelligent princesses who do their own thing. I love that we have a Native American princess, a black princess, and a Chinese princess. We need a princess who truly goes against tradition by daring to redefine our preconceived notions of what it means to be beautiful.
Come on Disney. You can do this.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Good Ideas...For Someone Else.
I have more ideas than I know what to do with or that I have the actual skills to put into action. Every day I think up new stuff that someone else ought to do, so I thought I'd share a couple.
1. I want someone to start a blog where for a set period of time, say, two weeks or so, they try a new diet plan and report on it everyday and say what they ate and what it was like and how they felt and if the diet works. For example, they could do Paleo for a couple weeks, then try a vegan diet, then maybe do Atkins, then South Beach, then Weight Watchers and then go all raw for two weeks. I would be totally fascinated by a non-biased, experimental, almost scientific approach to trying and reporting on these diets. It could probably even be turned into a pretty interesting book at the end of a year or so. Reasons why I won't be doing this? I am lazy and totally undisciplined and could never stick with any crazy eating plan for more than like a meal at a time.
2. Somebody needs to write a children's book that teaches kids about privacy. As in, leave Mommy alone when she is going potty. Please. I seriously cannot go to the bathroom in peace. Between my daughter and the cat, because the two of them have actually teamed up with the common goal of not letting me poop in peace, I will never, ever have a moment's privacy. I really need a book that teaches my daughter about this. I'm not even kidding, the other night we were out in the yard and the cat was pooping in the flower bed and she was all up in the cat's business. Maybe we could title the book "Let Me Poop in Peace!!" The alternate title could be "Get Out of the Cat's Ass."
3. Most women hate their nipples, especially after childbirth. You know how they have vaginal rejuvenation surgery? They need nipple rejuvenation and nipple reduction surgery too. I have a friend who says after nursing her son her nipples look like Ipswitch clams. Lots of other women think their nipples are too big or weird looking. In fact, all the women I know are way more self-conscious about their nipples than their vaginas. If someone could come up with a nipple fixing cosmetic procedure they would be a gazillionaire.
Monday, June 16, 2014
How to Have Fun With Your Friends Like You Did When You Were a Teenager
“Forever Young, I want
to be forever young…” – Alphaville, 1984.
Although my grown-up friendships are profound and
fulfilling, I sometimes long for the excitement and adventure of my teen years
when everything I did with my friends took on a sense of thrilling urgency. I
miss both the innocence of adolescence and its experimental sort of
naughtiness. Back then I lived in a
world that buzzed with anticipation. I survived middle school and emerged
butterfly-like from puberty, and my burgeoning independence intoxicated me.
Everything was fun.
But you know what? Life is intoxicating now too. Everything is still fun.
There is absolutely no reason that we can’t bring a little
bit of that teenaged excitement back into our lives once in a while no matter
how old, fat and wrinkled we’ve become (or not). It simply takes a little
imagination and some courage.
Forget the dry
dinners out and stuffy cocktail parties of adulthood. Here’s how to have fun
with your friends like you did when you were a teenager.
Spend a day at the
mall.
Yes, you may do this already, but going to the mall as a grownup
isn’t the same as it was when you were a kid. Back then we used to wander
around the mall for entertainment, not to run errands. Leave your to-do list at
home, bring your best friend and roam freely, arm in arm. Try on fancy dresses
for which you have no occasion. Get free makeovers at the MAC counter. Buy a
new tube of Clinique’s Raspberry Glace. It was your first lipstick. They still
make it and it still looks pretty. Share a soft pretzel and a cherry slushy and
giggle at all the crazy, racy toys in Spencer’s. Bonus? You don’t have to find
a payphone to call your mom to pick you up when you’re ready to come home.
Go to an amusement
park, a fair or a boardwalk.
Ride the rides, win at skee ball, get an old
time photo taken because you always wanted to do that and your parents would
never let you. Go nuts on the Gravitron, pig out on carnival food and then
scream your way through the Haunted House before you conquer the bumper cars. Be
as silly as you can. Walk an invisible dog or buy that turd bird you always
wanted. Wait, why did you want that, anyway?
Have a sleepover.
Sleep
in the same bed and stay up all night talking. Make popcorn and binge on a
late night John Hughes marathon. Wonder if you’re more Amanda Jones or Watts.
Swoon over Andrew McCarthy. Cry, laugh and tell secrets.
Scare the hell out of
yourself.
Teenagers love a good scare. Since they don’t have real
world fears yet -taxes, high deductibles, mortgages, threats of layoffs at the
company and you know, actual scary
stuff, they like spooky thrills to get their hearts racing. Share supernatural
stories with your friends, go on a ghost tour, get lost in a corn maze
together. Take a walk or a drive through a graveyard at night just like you did
in high school. Even better if it’s foggy. Wear all black and sit amongst the
gravestones and listen to Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil. Then, go home
and watch the movies that terrified you as a kid: Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Prom Night.
Sneak out.
Sneaking out as an adult doesn’t have the exact same sense
of danger as it did when you were fifteen. You can’t get caught and get
grounded now after all, but find a good friend and take a walk at night. Be
careful, of course, and use the good sense you probably didn’t have when you
were younger. For old time’s sake, find your way onto a golf course, run
screaming from the security guards and get soaked by the sprinklers.
Roller skate
Put your hair in a side ponytail and slip on some pin-striped
Jordache jeans and hit the roller rink for an afternoon or evening of retro
fun. Eat crappy, roller rink pizza (oh the memories of that taste). Ask the DJ
to play some 80s classics so you can shuffle to The Romantics, The Scorpions,
Culture Club, Duran Duran, Billy Ocean and Yes. Couples skate to Phil Collins.
Yeah, you know you still remember all the words to “Against All Odds.”
Get tickets to see
your favorite band.
Wear cheesy tee shirts, sing every song at the top of your
lungs and sneak your way up to the front row so you can make eyes at the lead
singer. Scream and yell, whistle and dance your butt off. This is way more fun
as an adult because you’ve outgrown your adolescent self-consciousness and you
don’t have to worry about what the hot guy you like will think about you acting
like a nutcase in public. You married him and he already knows you’re nuts.
Even better than that is now you have
no curfew. You can stay out as late
as you want and you don’t have to call your mom at ten to check in. On the way
home, be sure and stop at the greasiest 24-hour diner you can find for a late
night grilled cheese, fries and milkshake. Don't you dare even think about calories.
Cast a Spell
My friends and I totally, okay, desperately wanted to be witches when we were in high school. It’s
a little embarrassing to admit now, but at one point we wanted to start our own
coven. Mainly this was because we wanted to magically make the boys we liked
fall madly in love with us. It was silly and it was fun and as adults, we could
still use a little mysticism. Bring some mystery into adulthood. Believe in
magic again. Cast a love spell or two. Be careful though. Remember what
happened to those girls in The Craft.
Throw a bonfire party.
Good news. You don’t have to wait for someone’s parents to
go out of town. Get the red Solo cups ready because it’s party time. Back in
high school, all sorts of legendary debauchery happened at bonfires. They were
a really big deal and bonfires can still be fun. Use that fire pit you put in
last summer, invite a bunch of friends over, put some REM on the boom box and
let the fun begin. Start a game of Truth or Dare, have a Dead Milkmen sing
along, roast some hot dogs and make s’mores. If you’re feeling really wild and
you’re single, Spin the Bottle might be in order.
Make a photo album.
Not on Facebook or Instagram. I’m talking a real photo
album, with actual prints that you have to get developed. Take a bunch of
pictures with your best friends. If you’ve known each other since high school,
maybe recreate some of your best memories all over again and document the
hilarity. When you get the prints, arrange the pictures on the sticky pages and
cover with the plastic film and give the albums as gifts.
Go thrift store shopping.
Buy funky vintage outfits.
Remember back in high school when no one had any money and
twenty dollars seemed like a fortune? Remember how many outfits you could get
at the Goodwill for ten bucks? And cool stuff too! Nothing has changed. You can
find a lot of surprising second hand treasures. Get together with your BFF or a
group of girls, dig out your old Cure tee shirts and clunky Mary Janes and go
pop some tags! Hit every used clothing store and yard sale in town and make a
day of it. Then go out that night wearing your funky, (not-so) new outfits. You
always wanted to be cool and dress like Iona from Pretty in Pink when you grew up. Here’s your chance.
Go Swimming at Night.
Naked.
No further explanation needed here. Skinny-dipping at night
is the best. REM even wrote a song about it.
Hang Out at the
Bookstore.
Some of my greatest hours as a teen were spent hanging out
with my friends at the bookstore. We’d gather armfuls of books and find a quiet
corner where we’d sit on the floor and flip through romance novels until we
found dirty parts. We’d creep ourselves out in the occult section and fantasize
about cool clothes with fashion mags like Sassy.
We’d read funny books like The Joy of Sex,
cookbooks, anything really and then we’d head over to the café for an iced
hazelnut latte with extra whipped cream, feeling a little smug that we were
grown up enough to drink coffee. You know what else? It’s okay to read trashy
books and Young Adult novels as a grownup too, so go ahead and get that V.C.
Andrews series.
Make Mischief, Rebel
a Little, Indulge, Experiment.
This is what made being a teenager so much fun. Our lives
were thrilling because we had few responsibilities, we felt free (but not too
free that it was scary) and we were brave enough to buck authority once in a
while. We experimented with everything from our own identities, to what music
we liked and how we dressed and it didn’t matter. Trying new things was like
our job in life, yet somehow, as we grow older and take on more adult roles
like mom and dad and branch manager, we lose touch with our wilder, younger,
braver selves. The good news is that we can always find a balance. We can bring
adventure back and as an adult it’s even better. No curfews, no worries about
getting grounded and yay, no drinking age to worry about. Plus, everyone can
drive now, so way easier. Have fun, but caution. You can now be charged as an
adult, so no stealing your neighbors’ mailboxes, k?
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
2014 Summer of Fun Bucket List
Picture from HERE via Pinterest.
I'm so excited. In a little more than one week, I will be in southern California for a whole month, relaxing, having adventures and enjoying a desperately needed break. It's been a very difficult year and I deserve some fun. Last summer I made a bucket list of all the things I wanted to do during my Summer of Fun, and it worked so well that I wanted to do it again. Summer of Fun - The Sequel has arrived, people.
1. Balboa Island, Ferris wheel, tortilla soup, frozen banana stand.
2. Disneyland. A lot of Disneyland. I want to get my picture taken with Olaf. I want to take my daughter on Peter Pan's Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time.
3. Sawdust Festival in Laguna. Make some art.
4. Pageant of the Masters.
5. Fish tacos.
6. Tide pools. Shell collecting.
7. Make homemade ice cream with Little Lawns.
8. Fireworks and glow sticks over the Dana Point cliffs by the beach on July 4th.
9. Yoga outside.
10. Coffee on the beach.
11. Paddle boarding in the harbor.
12. Really good mexican food.
13. Really good sushi.
14. San Juan Capistrano Mission.
15. Eat at the Crab Cooker in Newport.
16. See someone famous.
17. Lots of BBQs with family.
18. Connect with my in-law family and bond with them.
19. Watch my daughter playing with her cousins.
20. Plant a tree for my daughter at her grandparents' house.
21. Farmer's market and learn about California local produce.
22. Try some good, old fashioned, California, New Age hippie yoga.
23. Sleep with the windows open
24. Enjoy a fire in the fireplace in the middle of summer.
25. Walk off a few pounds.
26. Work on my third book.
27. In 'n' Out and Pinkberry. At least once.
28. Shop at Trader Joe's as often as humanly possible just because I can.
29. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Genmai Cha.
30. KCRW in the car, Sunday morning, oh yeah. I know I can stream it on the computer but somehow it's different when I'm actually there.
31. See a whale, or at least try to. A seal would be good too.
Okay, I already don't want to come home and I'm not even there yet. This is going to be an amazing adventure. I'm not from Orange County, California and I don't know a lot of the exciting things there are to do there so if I am missing something, please let me know in the comments, on Facebook or just email me some ideas.
Also, I am trying to manifest attending one of Jennifer Pastiloff's classes or workshops, so Universe, hope you're listening. Thanks in advance.
I'm so excited. In a little more than one week, I will be in southern California for a whole month, relaxing, having adventures and enjoying a desperately needed break. It's been a very difficult year and I deserve some fun. Last summer I made a bucket list of all the things I wanted to do during my Summer of Fun, and it worked so well that I wanted to do it again. Summer of Fun - The Sequel has arrived, people.
1. Balboa Island, Ferris wheel, tortilla soup, frozen banana stand.
2. Disneyland. A lot of Disneyland. I want to get my picture taken with Olaf. I want to take my daughter on Peter Pan's Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time.
3. Sawdust Festival in Laguna. Make some art.
4. Pageant of the Masters.
5. Fish tacos.
6. Tide pools. Shell collecting.
7. Make homemade ice cream with Little Lawns.
8. Fireworks and glow sticks over the Dana Point cliffs by the beach on July 4th.
9. Yoga outside.
10. Coffee on the beach.
11. Paddle boarding in the harbor.
12. Really good mexican food.
13. Really good sushi.
14. San Juan Capistrano Mission.
15. Eat at the Crab Cooker in Newport.
16. See someone famous.
17. Lots of BBQs with family.
18. Connect with my in-law family and bond with them.
19. Watch my daughter playing with her cousins.
20. Plant a tree for my daughter at her grandparents' house.
21. Farmer's market and learn about California local produce.
22. Try some good, old fashioned, California, New Age hippie yoga.
23. Sleep with the windows open
24. Enjoy a fire in the fireplace in the middle of summer.
25. Walk off a few pounds.
26. Work on my third book.
27. In 'n' Out and Pinkberry. At least once.
28. Shop at Trader Joe's as often as humanly possible just because I can.
29. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Genmai Cha.
30. KCRW in the car, Sunday morning, oh yeah. I know I can stream it on the computer but somehow it's different when I'm actually there.
31. See a whale, or at least try to. A seal would be good too.
Okay, I already don't want to come home and I'm not even there yet. This is going to be an amazing adventure. I'm not from Orange County, California and I don't know a lot of the exciting things there are to do there so if I am missing something, please let me know in the comments, on Facebook or just email me some ideas.
Also, I am trying to manifest attending one of Jennifer Pastiloff's classes or workshops, so Universe, hope you're listening. Thanks in advance.
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