My Undying Love for Disney's Frozen

While I am now in my 20s, an age at which many would consider "grown up" or sophisticated, I am still an avid Disney and animated movie lover. Whenever a new animated movie comes out, I'm the first in line to see it. While I am a huge fan of the "classic" Disney and other animated movies, I also have a different love for the newer animated movies, such as Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2, Tangled, Brave, Wreck-it Ralph, etc. All of that love for animated movies was completely outdone once I saw Frozen. I instantly fell in love, have seen it over 10 times, and know all of the lyrics to all of the songs, as well as much of the dialogue. To say I enjoy this movie is a huge understatement. 

Frozen movie poster

There are so many reasons I love this movie; the animation, the story, the voice actors, the songs, the love story, the comedy, how relatable it is, etc. My favorite parts of this movie would have to be both Anna and Elsa's characters in their own respects, the songs, and how it pokes fun at previous Disney movies in a very subtle, yet respectful way.

Princess Anna and Queen Elsa

This movie is so perfect, because it combines everything that is in a typical Disney movie (dead parents, headstrong teenage royal hero/heroine without the typical rules of someone their age, beautifully composed and performed songs, a personified non-human comical sidekick(s), and a love story that is resolved with a kiss at the end of the movie) but it also has several factors that aren't usually included in Disney movies, such as a huge plot twist, a lack of a true villain for the majority of the movie, blurred lines of good and evil, unpredictability, and a few comical pokes at previous Disney movies. Disney really created a wonderful movie that will be loved by all ages for generations to come and will no doubt be received in the same way the "classic" Disney movies have been and continue to be.

The first thing I love about this movie would be Anna's character. She is so relatable, awkward, and funny that you can't help but love her. As I was watching this with my roommates, we couldn't help but assign Anna as my roommate, which ended up being proven throughout the movie to be an accurate comparison. Anna is beautiful, confident, silly, and kind, yet also clumsy, naive, and desperate for human interaction and love, due to essentially being abandoned by her older sister at a very young age and being confined to the castle, without real human interaction, aside from with her parents, their butler, and their maid. Anna is not like the typical, "cookie cutter" Disney princess (strong, confident, graceful), yet she does have many of the same traits as her fellow Disney princesses (beautiful, young, somewhat rebellious, will do anything for love, searching for something to fill a void in her life, etc.). She fits in very well with the other Disney princesses, yet she stands apart for being awkward and quirky, which makes you love her even more. Where Belle and Jasmine are so confident and graceful around the Beast and Aladdin, Anna is clumsy and silly around Hans, but it makes you think of her as more realistic and relatable. The way that Kristoff teases and questions Anna for becoming engaged to Hans after having known him for only one day just shows her naivety and unfailing belief in true love, which she later admits she knows nothing about. Anna is such a fun character that you can't help but fall in love with and root for throughout the entire movie.

Princess Anna

On the other hand, there is Elsa, who is almost like the polar opposite of her sister Anna. While Anna is silly, confident, clumsy, open, loving, and desperate for human affection, Elsa is withdrawn, shy, graceful, serious, and has very little confidence. All of these can be attributed to Elsa's childhood, which was even more difficult than Anna's. Both girls lost their parents, but Elsa also lost all human interaction and was in a constant state of fear for her entire life. She had to deal every day with her guilt for harming Anna with her powers, attempting to unsuccessfully control her powers, struggling to come to grips with who she will always be, having no human interaction, and constantly having Anna make attempts to interact with her only to have to turn her down without an explanation in order to protect her younger sister. As displayed during "Let It Go", Elsa has been essentially bottled up her entire life. Even up on a mountainside, completely alone, Elsa worries what the people back in Arendale will think of her. Elsa is constantly living in a state of fear, due to her lack of understanding and control of her powers.

   

 (Left) Princess Elsa cowering from the effects of her powers.    (Right) Queen Elsa attempting to control her powers during her coronation.

I have watched the scene for "Let It Go" probably 50 times. (As I am writing this blog I have already watched it at least 3 times.) It is without a doubt my favorite part of the entire movie. It is the best transformation I have ever seen of a character, whether animated or live-action. Idina Menzel is FABULOUS as the voice of Elsa, which makes Elsa even more amazing and lovable, since she has a gorgeous voice to match her gorgeous appearance.

Idina Menzel in the studio voice recording for Queen Elsa.

The animators who worked on Elsa did an amazing job of showing the emotional transformations Elsa goes through in a physical way, as well as displaying the physical transformations she also goes through.

   

(Left) The beginning of Queen Elsa's transformation.    (Right) "Let It Go" Video.

Elsa is without a doubt, my favorite animated character ever. Up until now, I had always wanted to be Princess Ariel. Now I would kill to be Queen Elsa.

Queen Elsa

Elsa is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all of the Disney heroines. She is given gorgeous, long blonde hair, which compliments her icy powers well, but she is beautiful both before and after her transformation. Before her "Let It Go", Elsa is beautiful in a reserved, classic way as she maintains to "be the good girl she always has to be". Once Elsa goes through her physical transformation during "Let It Go" she is absolutely stunning. The way her hair falls in a messy braid and the gorgeous icy dress Elsa creates transform her into a breathtaking vision in white and blue. Honestly, I am seriously considering being Queen Elsa for Halloween, because I love how amazing she looks. The costume she adorns in her ice palace completely mirrors her icy powers and her decision to "let it go".

Queen Elsa

Another reason why I love Elsa so much is her complete emotional and mental transformations. Elsa spends her entire life being scared, bottled up, and alone. Once her powers are finally revealed, she finally gets to let loose and be herself. It is both physically and verbally displayed that Elsa finally feels free and happy for the first time in so many years.

   

(Left) Queen Elsa first beginning to explore her powers.   (Right) Queen Elsa "letting go".

You can visibly see in Elsa's face that she is happier than she has ever been as she plays around with her powers and creates her icy palace and attire. Although she is still troubled and worried about hurting people, as shown when Anna comes to find her.

      

(Left) Queen Elsa trying to make Princess Anna leave.    (Right) "For the First Time In Forever (Reprise)" Video.

The hardest part for Elsa is that she is constantly trying to protect everyone, while also having no control over her own powers. She is terrified of people getting hurt, yet she has no way of stopping herself from hurting them, which causes her to go through intense internal turmoil on a daily basis. Even when she runs away and creates her icy palace of solitude, Elsa realizes no matter where she goes or what she does, she can't control her powers, which refuse to stop affecting the lives of everyone she loves. 

   

(Left) Queen Elsa alone in her prison cell.    (Right) Queen Elsa with Prince Hans in her prison cell.

Queen Elsa

I love that Elsa was originally designed to be the villain of this movie, but then she was rewritten to be a misunderstood heroine, not unlike Elphaba from Wicked (another misunderstood witch played by Idina... I'm sensing a pattern here). While it is pretty apparent that Elsa never means anyone harm and should be considered good, the song "Let It Go" defines Elsa's character and displays not only her hurt and her fear, but also showcases the fun, carefree side of her that Elsa has been dying to let loose her whole life. Elsa is a complicated, complex character that I love to watch and listen to. Idina Menzel has done it again :)

Another great part about this movie is Olaf. Honestly, I could just leave it at that and everyone would understand exactly what I meant, but I think I'll elaborate at least a little. 

   

(Left) The many faces of Olaf.     (Right) Olaf excitedly spotting a flower in the snow.

Frozen poster featuring Olaf.

Honestly, I think it is impossible to look at Olaf without smiling. He just has that effect on you that you can't help but smile, laugh, and feel warmth in your heart. Olaf provides that great comedic relief this movie needs and manages to make every scene he is in something you can smile at. Two of my favorite lines from this movie come from Olaf, "Some people are worth melting for" and "Man I'm out of shape." The first quote makes me melt and the second makes me laugh every time, which is exactly what you're hoping for and exactly what you get out of Olaf. He is the perfect personified, non-human companion for this movie. He is a beacon of unconditional love, optimism, humor, and loyal friendship.

   

(Left) "I don't have a skull... Or bones." ~ Olaf.    (Right) "Some people are worth melting for." ~ Olaf.

   

(Left) "It's like a little baby unicorn!" ~ Olaf.     (Right) "My own personal flurry!" ~ Olaf.

   

(Left) Olaf dancing during "Fixer Upper".     (Right) Olaf during "In Summer".

"Man I'm out of shape." ~ Olaf

This movie also gives children a great message about family and love. As opposed to many other Disney movies, where the princess or heroine is chasing a prince or changing her life for a man she loves, Anna is trying to find and help her sister, Elsa. Even at the end of the movie, when Anna has the choice between running to the man she loves to save herself or running to save her sister, she chooses family over love. You assume up until that point that the "act of true love that will thaw a frozen heart" is true love's kiss, but instead it is Anna displaying her love for her sister Elsa through sacrificing herself to save her older sister. Instead of the main focus of the movie being love in the romantic sense, this movie focuses more on love in the familial sense, which is a nice change of pace.

So in short, I love everything about this movie and 100% recommend that everyone should watch it. I can't wait to watch this movie with my kids and grandkids in the future. This will definitely be a classic Disney movie that will be loved for generations to come.  

Copycat Edible Arrangements

The other day I was trying to figure out what to get as my dish for a friend's New Year's Eve party. I was considering getting an Edible Arrangement, but then I saw the price... 

This small arrangement of fruit costs $49!! 

http://www.ediblearrangements.com/

If you totaled up the price of the fruit needed for the arrangement above, it would be significantly less than the price of this arrangement, and there aren't even a lot of fruits present. There are about 5 types of fruit in this arrangement; pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, and grapes. The price for these fruits would be about $20 total, with A LOT of leftover fruit.

I liked the idea of an Edible Arrangement, but was not about to spend that much money on a small amount of fruit. Luckily, my cousin gave me "Pop Chef" for Christmas.

Pop Chef kit contents

Pop Chef

With the help of the items in the Pop Chef kit, I was able to create my own edible arrangement for significantly less money than an actual Edible Arrangement, even though I used more types of fruit and had a lot of leftover fruit for my family to munch on while I was at the party. 

MY edible arrangement

I was able to create this edible arrangement, which includes 8 fruits: pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, kiwi, blackberries, star fruit, and strawberries, for a measly $25. As you can see in the background, I had a bunch of leftover fruit. Enough fruit, in fact, to create at least 1-3 more edible arrangements such as this one.

The vase I placed my arrangement in is a plastic vase I bought for $1 at Dollar Tree and the fillers are just multiple strings of plastic Mardi Gras beads, also from Dollar Tree, that totaled $4 for about 17 strands of beads.

This was a little time consuming, but only took about 2 hours to create. Honestly, I would recommend creating your own edible arrangements, as it is much cheaper and you get a lot of leftover fruit to munch on after.

Enjoy :)

Apple Mac and Cheese

A few years ago, when I was babysitting, I was faced with a dilemma, the kids wanted macaroni and cheese for dinner, but their mother wanted me to make them something healthy for dinner. So I decided to make a compromise, and with that Apple Mac and Cheese was born. 

This recipe literally couldn't be easier. I don't exactly go out of my way to cook fancy while I'm using someone else's kitchen while babysitting, so this is a meal anyone could make. I only use red apples, because I find that green apples are just too tart for box macaroni and cheese. However, if you were to try a more savory mac, go right ahead and try it with green apples. 

Follow the instructions on the side of a box of macaroni and cheese (I used Annie's Shells and White Cheddar with some red delicious apples in the picture below, but I've found Kraft works just as well, if not better).

While the pasta is cooking, cut up a red apple into quarters. 

If you are preparing 1 box of macaroni and cheese, use between 2-3 of the quarters and cube them into small, bite sized pieces that are about the same size as the pasta. 

If you are preparing 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, use between 1 - 1/2 apples and cube the slices into small, bite sized pieces that are about the same size as the pasta. 

After you have drained the pasta and returned it to it's original pot, add the apples. 

Then finish following the instructions given on the box. 

The apples will be slightly crisp, yet slightly soft, which not only creates a nice texture alongside the soft macaroni, but the juices will be fresh and sweet with each bite, creating a delicious cheesy/apple taste that kids and adults will love. 

If your child has difficulty trying "new" foods, I suggest peeling the apples first, so that the red skins don't give you away. Children will think it is just regular macaroni and cheese until they try it and realize it tastes delicious. 

Annie's Shells and White Cheddar with apples

Personally, I make this meal all the time in my apartment and my roommates LOVE it! :)

Lego Organization

I was babysitting the other day for a family of "Lego enthusiasts". This father and his two sons absolutely LOVE Legos, so each year for Christmas, the mother gets her husband and each of her two sons their own large Lego kit. They all go crazy for them and spend the next week working with nothing but Legos. I usually end up babysitting for them around that time and I thoroughly enjoy helping the boys with their Lego creations.

Here are some examples of their previous Lego creations:

Left: Lego Space Shuttle. Right: Lego London Bridge

This year, the youngest son received this Ewok Village kit for Christmas:

Ewok Village Lego Kit

I was told at my arrival to the house that day that I would be helping to build this Ewok Village, and to be honest, I was really excited. I had just been to the Lego Store earlier that week on a date and had actually seen this model set up in the display window. I thought it was extremely cool and wished I still received fun presents like this for Christmas. As luck would have it, I got to have a hand at assembling it a few days later.

As any parent, grandparent, babysitter, caretaker, or teacher will tell you, Legos can be the most difficult toy to allow children to work with, because it makes a mess, the pieces get lost or stepped on, younger children or pets can choke on the tiny little bricks, etc. Basically, even though they bring such joy to children, Legos can be a real hassle. 

I have found an easy, DIY way of organizing Legos that any one can use, so that children do not lose the pieces as they are building. Using a tray with elevated sides, children can lay out the Legos they would like to work with in a spot that doesn't permit the Legos to get lost, stepped on, or move away from the child. 

This is a GREAT way to let children play with Legos in the car for long car trips!

Another great way for organizing Legos, and the method I use when helping the children I babysit to build their Lego kits, is to use cupcake tins. Not only do they provide a method of keeping the tiny Lego pieces from getting lost during construction, but they also allow for the child to organize them in a way that helps them find the pieces quickly and easily as they go through the instructions of their kit. 

Cupcake Tin Organization for Legos

I like to combine the two methods above to optimize organization and preventing the loss of pieces. What I like to do is pick a large, wide tray (pictured below) and to place the cupcake tins on either side of the tray. I do this by placing the cupcake tin on the side of the tray between one of the rows of the holes, so that the side of the tray is between two rows of holes, locking the cupcake tin in place. This can be done in either direction, (as shown below), but personally I prefer to have the two cupcake tins facing the same direction as the tray (as shown in the horizontal image). 

 

            Tray/Cupcake Tin Arrangement horizontal                                     Tray/Cupcake Tin Arrangement vertical       

What I like best about this method is that it allows for space on the tray for children to place the pieces they need in the middle of the tray, rather than on the floor, as they collect the pieces they need for that current step of the instructions. Otherwise, children would place the pieces on the floor, where they can easily get misplaced or roll away. 

Space for large Lego pieces and pieces that are needed

I use these methods any time I'm working with Legos and haven't lost any pieces yet! I've also gotten great reviews from the "Lego enthusiast" parents, who have used these methods with both their sons and have used these methods for their own Lego creations. 

Finally, here is a small portion of the Lego Ewok Village I helped the boys to construct the other day.

Lego Ewok Tree House

Stormtroopers, a catapult, and a cruiser.

Close up of the Lego Ewok Village.

Completed Lego Ewok Village.

Happy building! :)

Christmas Gift Wrapping

It's my favorite time of year!! One of my favorite parts of the holiday season has always been wrapping the presents. For years it has been my job to wrap the gifts for my family members (thankfully mom still wraps mine). This year I decided to get a little crafty, while also keeping it relatively simple and cute. 

To start with, I used some very pretty shimmer wrapping paper. Every year mom buys between 1-3 big bulk rolls that 95% of the presents end up being wrapped in. Last year's reversible roll had so much paper she only bought the one roll (it was more than what we needed surprisingly). It featured a blue background with penguins dressed in mittens, ear muffs, scarves, hats, and winter coats on one side, and a pretty red and silver design on the back. 

This year's two rolls of wrapping paper are featured in the pictures below.

This first gift is so simple and yet looks really quite pretty. I just used some simple, yet pretty, shimmery wrapping paper on a rectangular box, and then used very thin, 1/4" thick red shimmer ribbon. I tied the ribbon as I would for any gift, wrapping around the front, twisting in the back, and then fastening it in a small knot on the front. However, I left a fair amount of excess ribbon to use for curls. I repeated this 2 additional times, varying where the ribbons were positioned to give this cute, 3 ribboned look. 

To curl my ribbons, I used the age old technique my mom taught me back in primary school. Just take a pair of scissors (I use safety scissors to avoid cuts) and you run the blade along the ribbon from the knot to the end, creating cute, tight curls. 

For this next gift, I got a little more creative. I used the same multiple ribbon technique as I did above, but I changed it up a little and only did 2 ribbons. Thanks to a great Pinterest find, I was able to create this adorable tissue paper topper. I chose to add the cute yarn flower, which I found in my wrapping station, to the center.

To create the tissue topper, I followed the simple, easy to follow, picture instructions on this blog:

 http://liagriffith.com/make-some-mini-tissue-poms-and-flower-gift-toppers/

These instructions are super easy to follow and will have you making your own fabulous tissue toppers in no time. 

Instead of using a hole punch on the tissues, I used the point of my scissors. I also threaded the tied yarn end of my yarn flower through the holes of the tissues to hold it all together and to keep the yarn in place.

This one couldn't be similar. I actually just used "tissue paper" to wrap this gift. Just about every store during the holidays is selling those big packs of a variety of tissue papers that each include about 4 of each type. My mom picked one up the other day and they are very inexpensive. They usually will include a few metallic papers as well. I chose this cute peppermint candy metallic tissue paper to wrap this tiny little gift. (By the way, look how absolutely adorable that gift box is). 

Wrapping a gift with tissue paper is exactly the same as wrapping a gift with wrapping paper, however I recommend only using the metallic, thicker "tissue" paper, rather than the actual tissue paper, due to the amount of breakage you'll have with the real stuff. 

I really liked how the edges and such turned out with this, since it isn't as thick as wrapping paper.

To finish this off, I added a cute silver ribbon, which I wrapped in an untraditional corner wrap, wrap around one corner and then around the corner opposite it, and then topped one corner with a silver shimmer bow. 

Love how this one turned out :)

Sometimes the nicest looking gifts are the simplest. For example, all I did to this lovely brown box was add a nice blue and white ribbon. I think it looks simple and lovely.

And of course, here are some regular, traditionally wrapped gifts :) 

Merry Christmas!