The Road to Fit

Almost everyone I know tries to get fit in one way or another, and whether it's really needed or not. I have definitely been among those seeking and striving to look and feel better. After having my second child, my body morphed into being an out of control blob that I have finally come to terms with. The terms being that this out of control blob needs to get healthy, fast. And, by healthy, I don't necessarily mean to focus on the pounds lost.

In the last year, I have realized that living healthy is more important than what the scale (or pesky tags on the clothes) read. So, in talking with a friend yesterday, I have come up with a personal reward system towards a fitter, healthier lifestyle. Before I lay out what the plans are, I will say I am doing this to live the longest possible,  to actually "live" while I'm alive, and to show my kids anything is possible. And, last but not least, to feel like myself again in clothes, during activities, and any time I look in a mirror.

Knowing me, any plan that is long term will have something to do with either France or Disney. This particular one is Disney based. My family and I have a trip we are in the middle of planning, and it's for us to head to "the World" next spring. I am using that as my catalyst to literally catapult myself towards better choices. Each step in my planning program will be based around my health choices. Every time I make the right choices for a full week in drinking the correct amount of water (and diet soda, as a treat, only on Sunday) and white tea, then I will deposit $5.00 in the Disney fund. Whenever I make the proper food choices for a full week (also taking away Sunday as it is a "cheat" day), and eat what has been prepared at home, I will add $10.00 to the Disney fund. Whenever I work out three times a week (working out is outside of the realm of walking, which I already do. So it is actually an aerobic activity lasting longer than 20 minutes) I will add $5.00 a week.

Another way to get myself moving is to not allow myself to actually book our family trip until I have lost 20 pounds. So, though I know Disney has not opened up next years booking, I know that they usually do mid-summer. Which means that I have 6+ weeks to lose 20 pounds, or else I have to keep my travel agent (whom I have already contacted) waiting until the scale reaches what I contracted with myself. The same will go for ADR's, I will not make them until I have hit 45 pounds lost. That means if day 180 hits, and I have not budged more than the initial 20, I will not be picking up the phone to make those ADR's.

Also, any time that I "slip-up" I will be detracting from my funds for that week. For example, if I break and have a Diet Coke on Monday, I will take away $0.25 from the $5.00 I would be putting into the fund at the end of the week. Hopefully this will keep falling away from my goals to a minimum.

I am very excited to give this a try, as I know I am at the end of where I should be health wise, and that I want to be the best I can be for my family, God, myself, and my community. So let the Disney get fit times begin!

Disney Delights

Photo from www.caffeinetime.wordpress.com

As most of you know, I'm from the West Coast (i.e. the land of coffee). When I first moved to Florida to take part in the Walt Disney College Program I had a very hard time adjusting to being so far away from home. It was the first time I had ever really worked, been away from home, and had roommates. The first few days in our wonderful Chatham apartment I remember being slightly shell shocked, and just existing between work related moments.

My wonderful roommates (they were/are wonderful, wonderful ladies) helped me out the best way they could with directions, work tips, and eager interest at my life back home. No matter what, though, I couldn't seem to make myself fit in.

About a week into me being there, my roommates surprised me with a small outing - we were on the hunt for a coffee shop! Let me preface this by saying they had heard plenty about my shock at not having a coffee pot supplied by Disney (I had been told that our kitchen would be fully furnished - a kitchen without a coffee pot is not really a kitchen!), and had seen my joy when a friend's Grandmother mailed me a small coffee pot. So, the three of them decided that I needed a small taste of home, and out we went into Orlando to find it!

It took 20 minutes for us to locate a Starbucks (in my own hometown there is literally a coffee shop every few blocks), but in that time I truly was able to let loose and get to know my roommates. After finally entering the shop, it was my pleasure (and also shock) to show them how to order a mocha, and what flavor pairing would be best. From that moment on I had lifelong friends.

Now that Disney and Starbucks are forming an in park relationship, it makes me happy to think of those old days and the joys that those two separately brought me.

Home Adventures of Epcot Style France

Back in December, my dear friend (and fellow Princess Procrastinator), Holly, decided to take me on a mini French Adventure for my birthday. I have always had a love of anything French, and was drawn in to Paris in Epcot. Holly had found a blog by a woman from France (for those interested in reading French Girl in Seattle) who missed home and was looking for local places to help ease her homesickness.

 The blog provided information about all the places to go to feel as though you truly were in France. So, we set out for the town of Madison (which is in Seattle). We started by eating at the restaurant Voila!. The service was incredible, as was the food. Their menu reminded me of Chefs de France in Epcot, and so did our waiter (a student who had spent a year backpacking through Europe).

Incredible menu from Voila!

Bristo Burger avec Brie, Truffle Oil, and Wild Mushrooms

After lunch we proceeded to go to Ines Patisserie for some wonderfully fresh made hot cocoa and pastries. The way the patisserie is laid out, customers can view all of the delectable sweets as they are being made. There is plenty of seating, and bright, inviting colors to just sit and people/pastry watch (think Boulangerie Patisserie, but even more quaint with a small home town feel). 

Holly and I with our hot cocoa's

Right before leaving Madison

Finally finishing all of our treats, we decided to head to City People's Mercantile for some shopping. The Mercantile is located near the U District, and has a wide variety of souvenir type merchandise with plenty of it being French. They were several sections of Eiffel Towers, Le Chat Noir pictures, French travel books (and information for traveling around the world), candles, and much much more.  

There was so much left in the town of Madison to explore that it would have taken us several days to see everything. For more information on all of the Frenchy things to do in Seattle, please go to the French Girl in Seattle's blog. A huge thank you to her for sharing her knowledge of little known places! The day was perfect, and had me imagining myself back at Paris in Epcot once more.

Disney Junior Treats

One of my wonderful, long time friends (Holly) came into town for a much needed girls day, and also planned a cooking activity for my two kids. It was found on the Disney Junior site, and so cute that I felt I must share it with all you.

The first part of the meal Holly found was a veggie skateboard. According to the website is meant to be made with mini cucumbers, carrots, and Swiss cheese. We couldn't find mini cucumbers and switched things around a bit. So, to make these delightful creations simply clean and cut the largest part of a few carrots (the number of carrots depends on how many skateboards you would

like to make. One carrot can make up to two skateboards), these are the wheels. Then, lengthwise cut a cucumber to make the board. Place the cucumber on top of the carrots, and then cut designs in the Swiss cheese, and place it on top of the board for some extra style. Both of my kids loved these, and they were completely eaten within the first few minutes of them being placed on the table.

Next, we made adorable Mickey Mouses April Fool's Cupcakes. Below are the ingredients:

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and lining a cupcake pan with 8 liners (we were actually able to get 9 cupcakes out of this recipe).

Next, place the potatoes in a pan of cool water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium high heat and continue cooking until potatoes are soft. Then drain and set aside.

Now it is time to mix the turkey (we used beef), egg whites, bread crumbs, cheese (instead of asiago I used cheddar), tomato sauce, and carrots. Use hands for mixing :)

After everything is mixed, place the meat mixture into the cupcake liners, make sure it mounds over the top so that it is taller than the muffin tin. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until completely cooked.

For the potatoes, use a mixer and add the milk, salt, and pepper until light and fluffy. Once the meat is done cooking (and cooled), scoop mashed potatoes on top for a frosted look, and enjoy!

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Security

Right after receiving the initial acceptance letter from the WDW College Program, I realized (courtesy of my parents) that I did not really know much about what the program living conditions were: Was it safe? How private were these apartments? Was there security?Admittedly, as a naive 18 year old I made a lot of assumptions that Disney, being a giant family corporation, would make sure things were fine and tried to put my parent's minds at ease. They won out, though, and I was forced to do some research. Back then there really were only 2 resources available - the College Program website and speaking with your school representative. Both assured my parents that there was plenty of security everywhere, and they weren't kidding. 

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the fencing around the apartment complex. From the front, there are large (and I mean large) brick walls that are near impossible to climb. Also, at the entrance/exit (only one way in and out, folks) there is a security booth with several guards. It is their job (and trust me, they do it well) to check the id of every single person entering the complex whether they're driving or walking- If you happen to lose your apartment id, or forget it at home, they will send someone to your apartment to verify your identity. The back of the complex does not have the brick walls, but instead barb wire fencing to keep intruders from trying to climb in. My own apartment (located at Chatham#23203) was located at the very end of the property, and had that fence as it's lovely backyard view, I hated it then but understand and appreciate it's use now.

One of the other things that Disney does for it's interns, is make each person sign a contract that shows the rules they will abide by for their 6 month term. In that contract, we each had to agree to security making random checks for drugs, any form of paraphernalia, overnight guests, and alcohol (for those under 21). Disney is very serious in not allowing underage drinking and even has separate housing up front for those of legal age. That's not to say that minors don't sneak in and drink, it's impossible from stopping everyoccurrence, but those guards do their best. And, as mentioned before, the exit is located next to the entrance with guards making sure no drunk drivers leave the complex.

The apartment complexes also require all non Disney guests sign in at the front gate, and provide ID (they actually photocopy the ID and keep it on file), and make each guest aware of the hours they are allowed to be there (between 1-7am anyone who is not an intern has to leave the property, no overnight guests allowed for any circumstance), and monitor the logs constantly for sign out times. If it appears that your guest did not sign out before 1 am, they usually send someone to check the apartment and escort that person out.

Another thing thing Disney makes sure of is that all of their apartment complexes are well lit during the evening hours, as are all areas for bus pick ups and drop offs, and every cast member parking lot. And their on the job security is incredible. For example, I worked at Disney's Animal Kingdom and usually had to be there between 4-5 am daily to prep costumes for the day. Anyone who has been to Disney's Animal Kingdom knows that the park is huge, well backstage is even bigger. The walk from the front gate to the costuming warehouse was 1/2 mile, and usually it had to be done in the dark. Disney made sure that there were lights scattered along the walk way, and bike and buses were also available for quicker, safer transport.

All in All, Disney does the best that they can to provide safety to the thousands of interns they have every year, and every parent should be reassured in knowing that this company will spend what it has to, to keep each person free from harm. It would be irresponsible for me to say that rules were never broken, and accidents didn't happen, but Disney does do its best.

Life Skills on the College Program

I opened up my Facebook page today, and noticed a posting from the Disney College Program. Their message today was simply "what life skills did you learn on the program?" I quickly put down my response of the basics about learning how to manage a bank account, get along with others, and have more fun. After clicking submit, I really started to think about my time in the program, and what others coming after me could benefit from. In other words, what else does this program contain that would make a student want to move far from home (at least it was far in my case), and go into a completely known world.

The first positive is pretty self explanatory - working for a top company like Walt Disney World will definitely help when creating a resume. Even if you have zero job experience prior to the College Program, that will be an attention grabber, and for good reason. After completing the application, interview, Traditions, training, and then working in the fast paced parks for so many months anything else will seem easy. Literally anything. Not only that, but any future company knows the WDW reputation for requiring excellence from all of their cast members. There is no slouching, frowning, leaning, back talking, laziness, or bad attitude allowed. People who make it through the grueling process are those who can create magic for all guests, and actually want to do it. These are the people who are willing, wanting, and waiting to go the extra mile. Now why wouldn't any employer want those qualities?

Another positive is the transition into the real world. Technically, we cast members lived on our own (as in, away from parents and schools) but are still in Disney provided housing with excellent security guards, and common sense rules to provide extra safety. It's a start though, it's a real tool to learn how to get along with roommates, cook, clean, do laundry, pay bills (although rent is taken, automatically, from each check), and get to work on time. Oh, and lets not forget having a bank. Disney provides a banking service from a company called Vista. For some (like me) it's a first to have a bank account, and Disney does what they can to educate. On the first day of being on property, Disney required all of us to attend an orientation, and part of that was teaching us how to fill out a check, balance a check book, and sign up for a bank account. Also, Vista has some very helpful bankers that will sit down and explain even more about budgeting and what not.

Something else to definitely keep in mind is the life lasting friendships that come from the experience. Every person you meet will be unique, and contribute something to the person you will develop into over the course of the internship. My former roommates, for example, are still friends of mine. We don't necessarily communicate every day, or very often, but they are always on my mind. We check up on one another via Facebook, and chat by text occasionally. At the birth of my daughter, I received gifts, cards, and congratulations from them, and with each achievement they have I make sure to share my happiness. Other friends met in Traditions, and on the job, are still part of my life with fairly regular life updates. Each of them mean so much to me, and helped make my time in the College Program special, and bearable when times got hard. And I will never forget them.

I think, though, that the biggest things that can be gained is self confidence. After going through so much, you will know that you can do anything you set your mind to (with the right amount of effort and work, of course). Not only that, but knowing that you were one of the fortunate few chosen to be in the College Program, that you have so much passion a Disney recruiter can see it during their brief interview, is more than enough of a confidence booster.

All in all, so much can be gained by applying. Not all that I have listed are "life skills" to most people, but to me they are. I cannot imagine a better program for life preparation, and some day, when my daughter turns 18, I hope she'll follow in my footsteps and give it a try.

Creating the Dream - The Interview

Growing up, I was always surrounded by Disney images - the main movies my family watched were either classics or Disney animation, and the dolls I had weren't Barbie, but the princesses. From how my family tells it, at an early age I would pretend to be a different Disney character each day and only answer to that character's name. My love for all things Disney stayed fairly steady until junior high hit: at that point, Disney seemed uncool and even childlike. Not something I wanted to associate myself with. For a few years, things were rocky and I walked away from myself, high school came and I met Krystal. She shared her passion for Disney with me, and told me about casting opportunities with the company. I started looking for all the Disney information I could find, wrote papers about the company in college, and started making plans for the future.

By 2005 both of us had completed high school and were of age to apply for the College Program. I still remember sitting at the college library computers, filling out the application. It had asked for employment information, and I remember thinking that I would never be accepted as all of my work, to that point, had been volunteer only. Still, I decided to complete the application, and go to the orientation. The worst Disney could say to me, was no. And if they did, I promised myself I'd be back.

A few weeks after completing the application, Krystal and I headed up to one of the community colleges in our area for the College Program orientation. Anyone who knows both of us knows we like to talk and have a good time. The ride up Bellevue Community College was different: We filled the car with Disney theme park music, and exchanged hopes that this would be our ticket into the Disney company. It took about 45 minutes to get up there, 45 minutes of not knowing what came next, or what to say.

We finally reached the campus, and headed into the room for orientation. It was filled with other college hopefuls, many of whom were dressed in suits, dresses, and brought along resumes and portfolios. We all gathered together and listened to the presentation, and watched the film for about 20 minutes. Then, our presenter, Bryan, requested we all leave the room so he could start the interviews, which would be conducted in groups of 3. Krystal and I waited in the cafeteria for over an hour. Then, finally, our group was called. The 3 of us went in (I believe the other girl's name was Julia) and sat in front of Bryan, trying to maintain our calm and quickly prepare answers. I remember that any thoughts I had prior to entering that room quickly left me. Internally, I was panicking, hoping that Krystal and Julia could keep talking so I could come up with something original to say. My turn suddenly came, and Bryan asked me why I wanted to work for Disney. All nervousness left, and I was able say that Disney was my dream. I had been pretending to be a part of their company since I was 3 years old, had researched it in high school, and wanted to create the magic I experienced on all of my trips. Bryan smiled, and then moved on to ask the other girls new questions. One of the last questions he asked me was what role I most wanted and why. Before I answered, he gave me a sheet with the listing of available roles along with a description. My first choice was being in costuming, because I wanted to be behind the scenes and create the magic, to let other kids see the characters, believe they were the characters, and take that memory home with them after their trip.

The other girls gave their answers, and then Bryan took a moment to look over our applications again. He finally looked up, smiled, and said he was going to do something unusual, and that we could not tell anyone else from the orientation, but that he would like to extend the opportunity of working at Disney World to all 3 of us. Bryan then said that, though none of us had much work experience, that we made up for it in our passion. He felt we would be a true asset to the Disney company, and he hoped we would accept the offer. After a few moments of just staring, all I could do was nod and say yes over and over again.

We left the room trying to contain ourselves, and not show our true excitement. Somehow, Krystal and I made it to the parking lot without saying a word. Once in her car, we let loose screaming, bouncing up and down, and calling random people - I actually remember leaving my now sister-in-law a voice mail shrieking "I did it, I got in, I'm going to Florida!!!!!" We ended that day with making future plans, and started coming up with how we wanted to decorate our Florida apartment. I still remember the ride home and the shock I felt: the shock at how one interview, and one man, could change my life forever and give me a chance at my Disney dream.