CRP | 8 months in...

Clearly, I've been slacking in the blogging department during my program here at Walt Disney World. I always feared this would happen but life is so crazy busy out here, there is always something to do and I just haven't dedicated enough time to writing. That being said, I've been meaning to write some new posts and share my news for a while now so I'm going to try and devote more time to it!

I think the last time I posted was way back in November at the end of the Food and Wine Festival. Since then, understandably loads has happened! I've nearly completed my bucket list challenge of staying in all the Disney resorts and I have been able to make it out of state a few times as well! 

I'm very much settled into Florida life now and if I'm honest, once of my main concerns is how I'm going to readjust when I go back home. It's such a unique and weird place to spend your daily life in; you're very detached from the rest of the world and you can lose your sense of time as not much changes within the World - everything is very consistent on a day to day basis. 

That being said, I thought I'd use this post to share some of my highlights of my Program so far! 

1. Being able to enjoy all the "special" times and events. 

When most people visit Disney World, they come for a week or maybe two and obviously you enjoy whatever is happening at that time. If you're lucky enough to visit a few times of the year, you might experience a special festival or holiday. When you get to spend the whole entire year here, you get to see them all! We've been to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a Very Merry Christmas at the Magic Kingdom, Frozen Fever and Star Wars Galactic fireworks at DHS, Food and Wine, Candlelight, Easter, Flower and Garden at Epcot and fingers crossed, we'll be here for the launch of Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom. When Disney does a special event, they really do it well and it's such a privilege to be able to go trick or treating at Magic Kingdom or try 30 different food kiosks at Epcot. And that's just the parks and it not mentioning Christmas and Easter at the resorts.

2. The staycations. 

I love love love having the opportunity to stay in as many Disney resorts as possible. It's been one of my very favourite things to do. It was on my bucket list to stay in them all and I'm well on my way (three more to go!). Staying in a resort is a great way to unwind and disconnect from the craziness of the parks but still feel a part of the Disney Magic. I also love to learn about the different stories behind the resorts; it makes you appreciate how amazing and talented the imagineers are! 

3. Travelling 

Although it can be hard to get time off work and this can make it super difficult to organise trips, the program is a great opportunity to travel. We've done carefully organised and planned trips as well as spontaneous day trips to cities across the other side of the country. It's also so good for the soul to get out of Orlando and WDW and experience "real life" every now and again. You also get the added bonus of 30 days travel time at the end of your visa here and we're currently planning an 11 states in 25 days road trip, which frankly, would be completely unfeasible if it weren't for the this program. 

4. Trying new things! 

The great thing about the WDW property and Florida being so tourist-centric means that if you want to try something new or learn about something new you can. I've been canoeing at Fort Wilderness (I never thought I'd canoe) and discovered a new found fascination with space. I know people who have sky dived, held baby alligators, gone manatee spotting, gone to a chocolate museum, the played escape/logic games... you name it, you can probably do it here in Orlando!

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed and posting more frequently!   

CRP | One week to go

One week till we leave for Florida and believe it or not, it still hasn't really sunk in what I'm doing or when I'm going.  I still have lots left to do and I haven't really begun to think about packing.  I don't usually pack until the last minute but I usually have a rough idea of what I'm taking... Not this year!  

That being said, I've crossed a few things off my to-do list: 

I've ordered my dollars.  I wasn't sure how many to take but I've ordered a few hundred to hopefully keep me going for a few weeks.  I want to get my Universal Annual Pass pretty early on but that'll end up on my bank card I think! 

I initially planned to suspend my mobile contract for 6 months as I was able to do that for Mexico.  Since EE has taken over Orange, they've got rid of that option, which isn't so great but nothing I can do.  

We received our DORMS email the other day, which is the system Disney use to allocate housing amongst other things.  You put your housing preferences in as well as your roommate requests.  I'm not sure how likely you are to get your first choice but the only thing I feel quite strongly about is not getting bunkbeds and a triple occupancy room.  Fingers crossed!

I've also started rounding up various documents that I need.  My birth certificate usually takes ages for me to find but I've got it and am keeping it in a safe place (still a chance I might lose it!) and will put it together with the other wad of paper I need to take with me. 

What's left to do?  Well, I currently have three lists on the go: to do, to buy, to pack.  Everyone around me seems quite concerned that I only have a week left to sort everything out but it's fine!  It'll all be fine (famous last words).

I have yet to buy my medical insurance.  Oh what a nightmare that has all been, so many options, plans, small prints to read.  I think we're settled on the policy to go for but just waiting to hear back from the company to answer a question.  

Print off all the hire documentation.  Disney ask you to print and complete a few documents to make your arrival easier. 

Upload documents to the DOC Onboarding website.  Again, you need to upload various documents to Disney's website (Visa, medical insurance etc).

Book airport shuttle.  Disney provide you with a discount voucher to book your shuttle to the Vist Way Welcome Center.  However, we're staying in a hotel the first night and the voucher is with Mears, who have been quite expensive in the past when I've been researching for a past trip so we may end up going with Super Shuttle instead.

Oh,and pack.  

I've got loads of time! 

Five ways to unwind

Is it just me or is March already an exceptionally busy and quick month?  My schedule each week has been pretty choc-a-block and at the end of the day, I climb into bed thinking "PHEW!"  

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about how busy I've become.  I'm juggling my day job, my own cottage business of tutoring, blogging, going to the gym, reading, writing, doing my photography course, sometimes I think the list feels endless.  However, I'm one of those people that likes to be on the go all the time and I struggle to to switch off and this can leave me feeling burnt out.  I've been trying to figure out how to fit in some downtime into my schedule and these are my favourite ways to relax:

1. Go to a coffee shop and read.
Going to have a coffee in a coffee shop always feels like a real treat for me for some reason.  I like to order unnecessarily complicated drinks and people watch.  I've found that reading there is also a lovely way to relax; I can't seem to justify spending my time at home reading because it seems like there is always a million things on my to-do list so going to a coffee shop for an hour or so gives me time to unwind.  I've also started taking some work to a coffee shop and although this isn't essentially switching off, it makes a sometimes tedious task seem less draining.

2. Taking a bath.
I'm still fairly new to the whole idea of taking a bath to relax.   I'm a shower girl as it's so quick and easy but I've started to take a bath on a Saturday evening (rock and roll) with a bath bomb and found I easily wile away half an hour or so, not thinking about anything in particular, which is great.  I'm definitely going to try and have more leisurely bathes!

3. Baking.
Baking, for me, has always been one of my most favourite ways to relax.  I love it when I can spend a whole afternoon baking five or six different cakes.  I put on some music and whisk, beat, and ice.  There's also the added bonus of being able to eat the cakes afterwards!

4. Take a walk.
As I've said before, I live in Suffolk which is quite rural and when I get the chance, I jump at the opportunity of being able to make the most of that.  I enjoy going for a walk, especially on a warm summer's evening, and breathing in the fresh air.  I'll often take my camera and that makes me focus on the smaller things out there in nature that we normally rush by and don't notice.  I always feel so much better after going out for a short walk and it's something I hope to be able to do a lot more of now the evenings are getting lighter.

5. Running.
When I run, I completely switch off from everything else around me and find I only focus on my (pretty laboured, let's be honest!) breathing.  It's even better when I run outside as I concentrate on my feet hitting the ground. I've never really had that before, my wind always has something whizzing around distracting me.  I'm still struggling to get back into my exercise groove after my operation and my current lifestyle mean that I can feel very unmotivated and don't want to go to the gym.  It's something else that I always feel so much better after doing though, and I need to try and remind myself of that every time I complain about having to go to the gym!

What do you do to unwind?

Products I've loved in February

I don't often do beauty posts but February has been an adventurous month for me beauty-wise!  First of all, I had my amazing Benefit make-up lesson and secondly, I got my first ever beauty box!  I've been lusting over beauty boxes for so long but never could decide which one to subscribe to, so fortunately, as a treat, I got given the Look Fantastic beauty box and I loved it.  It made me so happy that I've decided to go for it again this month and I can't wait for it to drop through my letter box.  

Anyway, without further ado, here are the products I've been loving in February.

Benefit's watt's up (£24.50):  watt's up is a beautiful, champagne highlighter than glides on silky smooth and blends into a soft finish.  I love this highlighter; I previously used High Beam but I think I prefer watt's up, it really peps up my skin and gives that fresh faced glow (which I need in the morning!).

Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer (£21.50):  Again, another product that I thank my lucky stars I can use in the morning.  I have to get up stupidly early and this concealer hides my dark circles and any other blemishes that I need to cover up.  I usually just whack this on and don't worry about any foundation, it's a good enough standalone product.

Moroccan Oil (£31.95):  One thing I do love is hair oil.  I used to religiously use Macademia Oil - it works wonders for my hair - but it's a bit out of my budget at the moment.  This little gem arrived in my Look Fantastic beauty box and it's been so good to pamper my hair again.  I rub a ten pence size of oil into my hands and then run it through washed hair.  It leaves my hair soft, manageable and feeling great.

Simple revitalising eye roll on (£5.49): Another eye pep upper! One quick swipe of this under my eyes relieves my tired eyes almost instantly.  I tend to use it more often when I have my contact lens in as they can make my eyes feel very tired.  It's good for when I'm dashing around and only have a few seconds to wake my self up again.

Lush butterbear (£2.65): I actually got this bath bomb before Christmas but only just got round to taking a bath!  I think butterbear was a Christmas thing and Butterball has the same fragrance and oils.  I used it after having an extremely stressful and emotionally draining day and it was the perfect way to unwind for twenty minutes.

Have you used any products you loved last month?

Five things I'm looking forward to : take two.

I really enjoyed writing my last "Five things I'm looking forward to" post, even if it was ages ago, as it made me realise I have so many positive and exciting things coming my way and not to wish my time away!  Here we have another five things I'm excited for in the upcoming weeks:

1.  Disneyland Paris
When this post goes live, I'll probably be on my way to Disneyland, Paris!  The Paris Disney parks were the first ones I ever visited and they'll always hold a special place in my heart.  I last went in June 2013 and had such a fantastic time and I'm hoping it'll be just as magical this time round.  There's seven of us going and it'll be the first time my five year old nephew will have visited Disney.  It'll be a completely different trip to what I'm used to as I'm usually pretty organised when it comes to knowing which rides to hit etc but this time, I'm going to go with the flow and enjoy seeing the magic through a small child's eyes.  I do really want to meet Anna and Elsa though!


2.  Benefit Make Up Lesson
I love buying high end make up; I love how luxurious it feels and how it's a real treat when I go and buy it.  However, I'm pretty rubbish at applying it; I never really know what I'm doing and I don't think I get the most of out my products.  Luckily for me, I got given a Red Letter Day experience of a Benefit Make Up Lesson at the Carnaby Street store for Christmas!  This combined with an overnight stay in London in a beautiful hotel and eating Mexican food means it's set to be a pretty special couple of days! I can't wait!


3.  Swan Lake ballet
A couple of days before heading to London for my make up lesson, I'm heading up the road to watch the Swan Lake ballet in Norwich.  I've never seen any ballets but when Dena said she wanted to go, I got us tickets.  I'm sure I'll get dance envy watching the amazing ballerinas but it'll be so nice to do something different.  I'm sure a visit to Jamie's Italian will be on the cards too.


4.  Spring
Okay, so it's probably still a long way off but I'm really not a fan of this wintery weather (and it's not even that cold!).  I hate having to defrost my car in the morning, not being able to move in my coat because I'm wearing so many layers and having permanently cold fingers and toes.  I'm looking forward to the lighter mornings and seeing everything looking fresh, green, and new again.  I've probably just got to get through a couple of spells of snow first though, right?


5.  Eating pizza.
This may seem like a strange one but I haven't eaten a slice of pizza for over a year.  It's not even that pizza is my favourite food  but my gallstones have stopped me eating anything naughty really and sometimes all you really, really want to do is eat pizza.  My operation to have my gallbladder removed is imminent and once I've recovered from surgery, I'm going to eat all the naughty things I've deprived myself of, without feeling guilty.  Hurrah!

2015: A year of creativity

I've always been one of those people who has huge creative urges but have never been able to find an outlet that's right for me.  I wish I felt confident enough to pick up paintbrush, write a short story or compose a song.  I admire those who can do all of the aforementioned creative practices and to be honest, I don't want to undermine their amazing talents by me thinking I could even have a go!  

However, I do believe art in all of its incarnations should be accessible to all so I'm all for anything that let's me think that I can be creative and express myself in a way that isn't a rant on Twitter!

I received some lovely gifts for Christmas that will me to get into my creative groove and I thought I'd share them with you.  

Wreck This Journal - Wreck This Journal is a great way to introduce yourself to think outside the box when it comes to journalling.  It's less focused on detailing everything thought and emotion you have, like you would in a traditional journal, but offers you amazingly creative ways to destroy the journal.  Some of the suggestions made me laugh out loud... I'm looking forward to mailing the journal to myself! 

104 things to photograph - This album is your own personal photo scavenger hunt!  The prompts range from obvious, day to day items to more obscure, challenging ideas.  I'm going to try and think outside the box when I'm filling up this album and it'll be super rewarding to take photos of things I would never usually consider.

My Future Listography - I love, love, love the Listography books and could not decide which one I wanted!  I love making lists and the book allows you to document all your future to-do lists ranging from travel, education, to personal aspirations.  This journal is beautifully illustrated and has given me loads of ideas for the future too.  I'm eyeing up the Literature Listography book next!

Walt Disney World Journal - My WDW journal wasn't a Christmas gift but a post-WDW-Orlando airport gift!  I don't write in this journal as much as I should but I'm reserving it for special journalling occasions!  

Fujifilm Instax mini 8 - My Instax is an instant camera which is something I've yearned for since my Spice Girls polaroid days.  It prints credit card sized photos and I love the soft, vintage look of instant pictures.  The films are kind of expensive so I know I'll only use this on extra special occasions but that means I know I will take extra care with every picture I take.  

What do you do to get the creative juices flowing?   

New Year, new me....? Probably not!

Image source

Ah, it's coming to that time of of year when we all reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well in 2014. I can't actually believe we are here!  2014 has flown by, with lots of exciting changes, occasions, happy memories as well as a few hairier moments. 

As I look forward to 2015, I can't believe I am where I am! I'm not going to lie, I've worked really hard to get myself to this position and of course, there's a few things I'd like to change but I'm not going to be making any life changing resolutions this year. I know I'll never stick to them and we're always so hard on ourselves after Christmas, putting ourselves down, saying we've got to do this or stop doing that and I want to start next year as positively as I can. That being said, I am going to make a few "resolutions", here they are: 

1. Read/listen to more French and Spanish. 

I've recently started giving private tuition of French and Spanish and it's made me realise how much I miss being absorbed in the language. My aim is to read at least ten minutes a day of both languages. I received a copy of my favourite book, The Catcher In The Rye, in Spanish for Christmas so that should definitely help with this and I'm going to aim to read a couple of newspaper stories in French. It can only be beneficial for keeping my languages up and hopefully will be something I enjoy! 

2. Drink more water! 

This is pretty much an annual resolution and involves quite a lot of effort on my part. I know I don't drink enough and its started to affect my well being lately, I suffer from headaches, lethargy and stomach problems. Water might not be the answer but it will definitely help. It should help keep me at my Slimming World target weight too.

3.  Save, save, save!
Exactly what it says on the tin really.  Getting to the USA isn't cheap and I need to pay for medical insurance and what not, so I simply need to save money.  Unfortunately, my job isn't very well paid at all so I will need to cut back on any unnecessary extras.  It's all for a good cause though!

Fingers crossed I will be able to stick to these resolutions!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2015! 

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Goodreads

Florida Bucket List

Although I don't actually go to Florida for a while yet (another 232 days... not that I'm counting!), I'm already in my super-organised-planner mode.  I've started to compile my USA/Florida bucket list which I'm sure I will keep updating as we get closer to August and while I'm out there!  

1. Discovery Cove
2. Visit Diagon Alley
3. Drink ALL the Coca-Cola's in Universal Studios.
4. Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian.
5. Stay in all the WDW resort hotels.
6. Visit the Kennedy Space Center
7. Dine at Be Our Guest
8. Meet Belle.
9. Buy a turkey leg at least once.
10. Drink margaritas in the Mexico Pavilion.
11. Listen to country music at House of Blues.
12. Listen to country music in Nashville.
13. Visit Middlebury in Vermont.
14. NYC, obvs.
15. New Orleans.
16. Watch Fantasmic!
17. Visit all four parks in one day.
18. Trade more pins!
19. Ride Prince Phillip's carousel.
20. See the Welcome show at Magic Kingdom.

Do you have any must-dos or must-sees for me to include?

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Goodreads

Etsy Wishlist #1

I love Etsy, there are so many beautiful things created by extremely talented people.  It's one of my go-to places for gifts and I could spend ages trawling through the pages looking at all the different goodies that I want!  I've started to make a wish list, y'know, just in case... 

Sylvia Plath Quote Bracelets CynicalRedhead £29.35 | 2015 Toodles Noodles Planner ToodlesNoodles £28.71 |  Beauty and the Beast inspired Red Rose in Cloche pendant VintageLightJewelry £22.33 | Peace Love Mickey T-Shirt LostBayTrader £9.57 | Back To The Future Movie Poster AWayWithWordsPrints £10 |  The Perks of Being A Wallflower Typography Print TheWrittenWordPrints £10


Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Goodreads