Thursday, December 27, 2012

December Budget


I'm linking up with Franish with my December Budget! It appears I had an unintentional accessory theme to my purchases!

The pearl necklace and earrings as well as the studs to the right were purchased from Bridier Baubles (currently on maternity leave!!). The necklace/earrings set was $24. The studs were $16. I used a discount code to get 20% off the original price.

The gold circle earrings were purchased at the Junior League Holiday Market from Betsy Pittard Designs. I think they were $25. Sadly, I can't find the receipt. Goal for 2013: Be more mindful of these things!!

I had another purchase, which I blogged about here. It was the J Crew Perfect Shirt in mini gingham (picnic blue). It was a darling shirt, but it just looked bad on me. Button down shirts are not very flattering on my body type. I purchased it for $40 when J Crew had their 25% off plus free shipping sale. It has been returned (hmm, should check if I got my refund yet!).

Total spent: $65

Here's to a fashionable yet fiscally responsible 2013 :)

Friday, December 21, 2012

favorite things swap - what i received!

So M and C totally did a genius job in matching me with Little B. I adore my package!! I've been coveting the fresh products forever. Essie is my favorite polish brand. And the Bliss stuff I was about to order it for another friend!

Thanks for hosting, M and C!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Holiday Treat Boxes!

I recently blogged over at The Chirping Moms about planning our holiday treat boxes. It took us around 6.5 hours to get everything baked, cooled and packaged. We prepared 13 boxes total.

Here are notes on each of the recipes!

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies - We doubled the recipe, which yielded 5 1/2 dozen mini brownies (baked in mini cupcake tins). We added 1 bag of mini chocolate chips. We substituted the mint chocolate chips for Andes Creme de Menthe pieces. We baked for 14-16 minutes.

Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies - Instead of spooning out the batter, my sister used a piping bag to pipe out the cakes. They turned out so cute! We also omitted the crystallized ginger.

S'mores Bark - We added crushed graham crackers to the top to add texture and visual interest. My sister used a culinary blow torch to "roast" the marshmallows instead of broiling. We also let it harden in the freezer for 30 minutes instead of an hour in the refrigerator.

Pecan Pie Bars - We used pecan halves instead of chopped pecans. I layered them on top of the filling instead of mixing in.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods - We used pretzel twists instead of rods. My sister liked the chocolate to salty ratio better on these! The pretzel rods get a little dry while the twists are perfect size bites!

I made a few general notes that I hope you find helpful!
  • Next time, we will order and prep our packing material in advanced! We raided our Dollar Tree today, purchasing cellophane bags, tags etc. Then I wrote out labels for each item. Our boxes were not the most aesthetically pleasing!
  • I highly recommend you put on some fun music. I suppose the normal people would put on Christmas music. Us? The Mandy Moore Pandora station. We even had a sing-a-long to "Never Had a Dream Come True" by S Club 7.
  • While we did get everything done in one day, I highly recommend you spread this out over two. Your legs and sanity will thank you!
And now! For the good stuff. The pictures!


I delivered boxes to some of our friends today. It was wonderful to bring a little cheer and a hello!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Holiday Party - In Real Life

Last Friday, we attended J's work holiday party. A week or so ago, I blogged about my potential outfit. Here's how it worked, in real life!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My Favorite Things

I participated in the Favorite Things swap, hosted by the lovely ladies at Blair's Headband and Christina Izlar. My swap partner, Little B, has received her box, so I wanted to share what I sent! And as an aside, after reading Little B's blog, I can see the ladies did a perfect job matching us.

California Olive Ranch - J started ordering olive oil from California Olive Ranch a couple of years ago. It is delicious! We've used a variety of their products. This particular olive oil is best as is and not exposed to heat. We use it for salad dressing, pesto, hummus, and for bread dipping.



Peterbrooke Chocolate - This is my favorite chocolate! It is made right here in Jacksonville. They are best known for all their hand dipped chocolate treats and the pictured chocolate covered popcorn. I included the popcorn and an assortment of chocolate covered treats.



Food writing is one of my favorite genres. Cooking for Mr. Latte is written by Amanda Hesser, who wrote for the Food section of the NY Times. This book has recipes, food descriptions and romance. 



Oh Ina. When I first started cooking, I devoured so many of Ina's cookbooks! I've cooked quite a few things from "Back to Basics". I made sure to include the page numbers of my favorite recipes.

I've enjoyed sharing some of my favorite things!

**I did not receive any compensation for any of my mentions. These are simply my favorite things!**

What NOT to Wear: Personal Edition

For the past several months, I've been seeing an inordinate number of outfits similar to this one:


12.17.12


The button down gingham shirt layers under the crew neck sweater was quintessential J Crew prep. The girls sporting this style looked so put together and adorable. I thought, I just have to replicate this!

So I ordered this shirt from J Crew.




I was so excited upon receiving! That is, until I tried the outfit on. Can we can frumpy and lumpy? I have thick arms, broad chest and a soft tummy. Combine these 3 attributes with a fitted button down shirt and sweater? It was just a bad look. I'm too vain to share the atrocity with you.

Even though I KNOW that most button down shirts look bad on me. Even though I know that I look better is less structured fabrics and more forgiving cuts. Heck, I even think it looks frumpy on people that have my same trouble areas! But, I STILL ordered this shirt. I STILL wanted to recreate a look that is not meant for my body type. 

Why? I'll admit it. I succumbed to (self-inflicted) peer pressure. Against my better judgement, I wanted to emulate this look because darn it, it is preppy. But it was so wrong.

So here's to 2013 and working on only wearing items that flatter rather than trying to be something I,m not!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Favorite Christmas movies that aren't really Christmas movies

I featured my favorite "Made for TV" Christmas movies last week. In continuing with the Christmas movie theme, I wanted to share a few of my favorite Christmas movies. The kicker is that these aren't so overtly holiday-ish, but they do take place over the holidays.








**Note - Yes I love "Love Actually". But goodness, doesn't everyone? Same goes with "The Holiday". **

Guest blogger: The Chirping Moms

I am so excited to be sharing ideas for Holiday Treat boxes over at The Chirping Moms. Check it out!

Gwynnie Bee - Second Box Review

I received my second Gwynnie Bee box last week. Again, everything was packaged beautifully, with each piece wrapped in tissue and sealed with a sticker. I knew this box would have the two tunics I was most interested in trying as well as a faux wrap dress from Lands End.

Here are my thoughts after trying everything on!

Simply Be Bird Tunic - I wanted to like this one so much! However, It just did not work for me. It fit in some places and was huge in others. Perhaps that is just the style and not the piece itself. Regardless, it was a bust.
From Blogger Pictures

Next up is the dress from Lands End. This was one just wrong all over. The fabric felt like a sweatshirt to me. The bust was too big. I could only dream about being able to fill that out :) I felt this was just flat out matronly on me. I don't think sizing down would have made me like it.

From Blogger Pictures


Last up, a tunic from Simply Be. This print was very out of my comfort zone. But I really liked it! I ended up wearing it out that night for dinner with J and meeting up with our friends afterwards. I told J was a bit self-conscious of the print. So when I got two compliments on it while out, he knew I was tickled by it!

From Blogger Pictures

After this box, I decided to cancel my subscription to Gwynnie Bee. I do love the concept of renting clothes. The Gwynnie Bee website is easy to navigate. The shipping and returning process is very easy. However, I still struggled to find clothes (1) in my size that (2) was my style. Luckily, I'm still able to log in and I'm checking weekly to see if the inventory has improved (for me). I'm definitely open to subscribing again if I find more items I'm interested in.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Gift Giving Tips


I love gift guides. Whether it be in a magazine or blog, it's fun to learn about new products and ideas. However, you may find yourself still stumped over what to get your friend or family member, especially when they seemingly have everything! Here are some tips I've used. I'm not promising it will help with every single person on your list, but it's a start!

Facebook

If your friend or family member is on Facebook, check out their "Likes". This is a great way to find out their favorite restaurants or retail stores. A gift certificate to a place you know they like is a winner, always. You can take it a step further and see if your loved one commented on a product picture and indicated interest.

Personally, I have used Facebook to see what charitable organization my loved ones are supporting. For birthdays, I've made donations in their names.

Pinterest

More people are joining Pinterest and creating boards for every topic imagineable. Does your loved one have a "Wish List" board? Or maybe a "Fashion Inspiration" or "Food" board? All of those will have obvious or not so obvious clues as to what to get.

Some people like to save their favorite quotes on Pinterest. Why not find a print with that quote on it and have it framed? That would be a personal and thoughtful present!

Amazon

Always check if your loved one has a wish list on Amazon! Other than obvious indications on what they want, you may draw inspiration from their list. Perhaps they have listed a lot of cookbooks. You could find a cookbook that has recently come out that mirrors their tastes.

Twitter/Blogs/Instagram

What better place to find out what someone likes than to go to the places where it is all about them! Seriously. I'm not being snarky, promise! Take my own blog. If someone were to look through old posts, they'd see that I like TJ Maxx, Lilly Pulitzer, baking, etc etc.

Give them an upgrade or accessorize what they already have 

For some of us, we received many of our household items when we got married. If they have been married more than a few years, they may have some items that need updating. Think plush new towels, a new immersion blender, etc.

Or you can accessorize what they already have! Have they recently received a Kitchen Aid? They are numerous attachments and bowls you could give.

The saying is "It's the thought that counts." By doing a little research, you can show that you put thought and love into your gift!




Tuesday, December 4, 2012

WTWW: Holiday Party edition





This topic for "What to Wear Where?", hosted by Amy, could not have come at a better time. J's work holiday party is in two weeks. He works in financial technology, so the crowd is a little more conservative as far as dress is concerned. The party will be held at a local hotel. They never indicate attire, but I'm going off last year's events with a conservative cocktail look.


Holiday Party

Holiday Party by natylite78 featuring a clutch purse

The dress is from Nordstrom. The earrings are from Anthropologie, purchased in store. I tried to find them online, but no luck. The clutch is from Target

The shoes. I went to Twitter and asked what shoes I should wear. The majority stated nude shoes. For me though, nude=tan. Thus the kitten heel Jessica Simpson shoes above. I am not good in high heels. I'm a complainer too, so for the sake of J, I'm going with a lower heel.

Yes. I'm going with bare legs. This is Florida, after all!


Monday, December 3, 2012

Cheestastic Holiday Movies - Netflix and Hulu+ Edition

We cancelled cable a few months ago. We still get the major networks, thanks to our HD antenna. We also subscribe to Netflix streaming and Hulu+. It has really been great! I don't feel like I'm missing too much. However, this is the time of year that I LOVE to watch cheesy Christmas movies. Not just cheesy, but cheesy MADE FOR TV movies. ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas? Love. Hallmark Channel? YES. Lifetime? Bring it.

But alas, no cable. However, Netflix and Hulu+ have a great selection of holiday "Made for TV" movies! Here are some of my favorites.




"Desperately Seeking Santa" is an ABC Family movie. A career driven girl falls for handsome EMT student, set to the backdrop of a South Boston shopping mall. I know. CHEESE! But darnit, it is cute. Nick Zano is easy on the eyes too. Available on Netflix streaming.




"Christmas Angel" originally aired on Lifetime. Set in Chicago (nice city scenes but when you spot the mountains, you surely know it isn't really in Chicago!), a young woman starts working for her neighbor as a Secret Santa. There is love and a cute dog so really...all the makings of a sweet holiday movie. I did get teary. Available on Hulu+.





"12 Dates of Christmas" is another ABC Family movie. A woman has to keep reliving the same date. Biggest reason I like it is because Zach Morris Mark-Paul Gosselaar is in it. Available on Netflix streaming and Hulu+ (web only).




This modern version of the classic O. Henry tale originally aired on the Hallmark Channel. I think Marla Sokoloff is darling in pretty much all her roles. It's a likeable movie with a good message. Available on Netflix streaming.

NPR Sunday Edition had a story about "The High and the Low in Holiday Movies". It's a fun listen/read found here.

There are many more Christmas movies available on both platforms, so I plan to watch all that I can!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Review - Gwynnie Bee

Gwynnie Bee

Gwynnie Bee by natylite78 on Polyvore

Gwynnie Bee is a clothing subscription service geared towards women size 10 and over. For a monthly fee, you can rent clothing at various levels (1 at a time, 3 at a time, etc). I read about Gwynnie Bee on one of my favorite wardrobe blogs, Wardrobe Oxygen. She partnered with Gywnnie Bee to offer her readers a 30 day free trial. The idea intrigued me, so I requested an invitation to the site (it is currently invitation only). I selected a 3 item membership, which is $79/month plus tax. 

The website is very user friendly. The major categories are shirts/blouses, dresses/skirts. cardigans and blazers. You select 8 items that you are interested in trying. Gwynnie Bee will send you three from the list.

I had a hard time picking out 8 items for my closet. For a style standpoint, I only saw a handful of things that I was interested in. However I decided to push myself and pick some items that I would not normally try. As well, this would be a great opportunity to try out brands that I was unfamiliar with, so I could see how the sizing ran. I normally wear a 12/14 (Yes, I just put my size out there for the whole world--eeep). I do not have any experience with shopping women's sizing, so I was curious. Within a day or so, I saw that my closet had been updated to show three items were on their way to me (pictured above).

The items are shipped via USPS. The packaging is terrific. Each item was wrapped in tissue paper and sealed with a customized sticker. Attached to each garment are two tags, one for comments and one with care instructions. There was a handwritten note welcoming me to Gwynnie Bee. Also enclosed were two return bags with prepaid UPS labels.




The clothing received were all of great quality. Fabrics were nice and the clothes were well constructed. However, the sizing was really off. I wasn't completely surprised as I picked items from brands I wasn't familiar with. Here is a summary of my thoughts on each:

(1) Tunic Dress from Alfani - Fabric was great. Length was good. I ordered a 0X. It was way too wide. A shame as even a belt wouldn't help it. I really liked it otherwise!

(2) Tweed Jacket from Coldwater Creek - I was hesitant about this one as I look at CC as beyond my age range. However, I wanted to give it a chance. I normally wear a size up in jackets because of my shoulders, so I ordered a 16. Big mistake! The jacket was swimming on me! Best line regarding this jacket came from J - "It looks like something my mom wore once.". Enough said :) I will say the fabric was terrific though! Great quality.

(3) Cheetah skirt from Karen Kane - I ordered this in a 0X. I liked the elastic band as it was wide and flattened my stomach. It was a tad wide in the hips, but I liked the room. It was a hair long on me but otherwise, a great skirt! 

Below is the comment card I filled out for the jacket.


I sent everything back, which was really the easiest process ever! The large return bag was perfect for sending three items. Even better was I was able to give it to our UPS guy with no hassle! Then I updated the status of the items on the GB website as shipped back. 

I checked today and three more items are on their way- Two tunics and a dress. I'm excited to try them out.

I haven't decided if I'm going to continue the subscription after my 1 month is up. It appears that for some of the brands, the women's sizing is too big on me. I'm not sure if I could find enough in my normal size to keep my closet "full". However, I keep checking the website to see what I can add. I'll be sure to update again after I receive my next shipment!


Monday, November 26, 2012

November Purchases

November Purchases

November Purchases by natylite78 featuring a wool jacket

I started reading Franish after my bloggy friend Amy at Forever 29 wrote about her budget friendly style. Franish hosts a Budgeting Bloggers linkup and I'm joining in this month!

 I needed to add some items to my wardrobe since I'm going back to work in January. For the first time in forever, I did a lot of eBay shopping. Here's how I did.

1. J Crew Bella Wool Blazer in Grey Herringbone - $ 34.99. I am so excited about this blazer. After some research, I discovered that this blazer in EUC (Excellent Used Condition) was going for $120-$175 on eBay and various blog sale. Looks like this blazer was from 2007 or 2008. Great quality and perfect weight for NE Florida winters.

2. Talbots Sateen Button Front Shirt - $11.99 - This was a bust. It was too tight in the bust (haha). I'll probably consign it at my local store.

3. Talbots Skirt - $8.99 - This will pair well with my black blazer. I love prints on skirts. This is conservative enough for work, but still has a touch of personality.

4. Sofft Black Suede Heels - $15.99 - This was one of my riskier buys as I've never tried on Sofft shoes before! I needed a comfortable heel able to handle lots of walking. It isn't the most stylish or sexy shoe, but it fits like a dream and fills a need!

5. Talbots Polka dot Navy Blouse - $10.00 - I bought this for spring to wear under the green blazer I purchased last month. I think it will also pair well with a few of my cardigans.

6 and 7. Cable and Gauge Twist Top - $14.99 each. Find it online here. I like the visual interest of the twists. The fabric is soft. This will be great under blazers and cardigans as well as on its own.

8. J Crew Reve striped shirt - $12. I already blogged about this top here

9. J Crew Cashmere Purple V Neck Sweater - $18. I've never owned cashmere before so I'm tickled over this find!

Total: $141.94 (does not include tax on Marshall's items as well as shipping)

If I added tax and shipping, I'd be closer to $160. Definitely not a cheap month, however I am proud of the items I found. They fit well into what I have already and will be work appropriate(except the striped shirt) come January.

Chocolate Pecan Tart

Before this baking project, I had never used a tart pan before. When my MIL asked me to bake a pie for Thanksgiving, I searched Pinterest. I found this tart recipe and honestly, the pan was the biggest reason I picked this. I only have a deep pie dish and the pie dough that I had was not big enough. A tart pan fit my needs more!




This recipe showed me that pie is 100x easier than cookies!! J had made the pie dough a few weeks prior and froze it for me. So all I had to do was make the filling. The hardest part of this tart was arranging the pecans. However, I heavily recommend you take the time to do so, as it makes for a pretty presentation. The only change I made in the recipe was to omit the bourbon.





I'm linking up with AP at I Love You More Than Carrots for "Hey, That's Pin-tastic!"

I'm working on my plan for holiday baking now. I have plans to make several treats with my pastry chef sister and give out some treat boxes to friends. Wish me luck!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Hey, that's Pin-tastic! - Oat, Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Squares




J asked if I was going to bake today. I wasn't really planning on it, but I had a rough night with Jack last night. Baking is a stress relief for me, so I needed it. Since I wasn't planning on baking, I had to make something that used ingredients we had in house.

I pinned this recipe to use for a future post/link-up with AP at I Love You More Than Carrots, but no time like the present, yes?

Source: cookiemadness.net via natylite78 on Pinterest

This was the first recipe that I've had to use (1) cold butter and (2) the food processor! I followed this recipe to the tee with the exception of the coconut (didn't have any). I ended up packaging most of them up for J to give to our friends. I picked up some cute treat boxes from Homegoods. They were too small for their intended purpose of cookies, but worked great for these bars. 



Butternut Squash Risotto



I'm linking up with my dear friend Andie at Sweet, Southern, Spirited for a Thanksgiving side dish link up. While I love all the traditional trimmings, I like the idea of my Butternut Squash Risotto paired with roasted Turkey...or all by itself!


I use Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Risotto recipe. Find the original post here.

Butternut Squash Risotto
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
6 cups of chicken stock (vegetable stock works fine too)
6 tablespoons (3/4) stick of unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced (I get mine at the deli so I can get exactly the amount I need)
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1.5 cups Aborio rice
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads  Great if you have but not necessary
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (does not have to be exact). The yield should be around 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, till very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken or vegetable stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch Oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes and shallots are translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the win and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sit, and simmer till stock absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, around 30 minutes. Take off the heat, add the roasted squash and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.










Saturday, November 17, 2012

Friday, November 16, 2012

Flashback: I was a Disney Cast member - Part 2

For my first weekend at the Studios, I had to work with a Disney trainer. I mentioned that my zone was by the Backlot Tour. However, my training site was the Hollywood Boulevard zone. The costume was awful!! High neck, long sleeved white blouse with black bowtie AND a long, black (and HOT) skirt. I had to wear a ribbon attached to my nametag that said "Earning my ears".

Truth be told, it was a fun weekend to start at Disney! LGBT couples and families abound. There were definitely families who were not aware that it was Pride weekend. Opps! I remember the amazing after parties that were held in the park after it closed to the public.

Finally, I started in my zone. I started OUTSIDE at the nametag kiosk and was eventually "promoted" to the air conditioned AFI store. Luckily, the costume for the back of the Studios consisted of shorts and a polo shirt.

Sidebar: At the time, the Studios was the only park where you could wear your costume outside of your assigned zone. It was considered a "working studio" at the time so it was permitted. Ever notice that you don't see cast members dressed outside of their "land" at the Magic Kingdom? You can't be in your Adventureland costume in Fantasyland. Instead, MK cast members have to navigate the vast MK Underground and take the properly assigned stairs to "magically appear" at their land. I toured the Underground and it is quite the site! I peeked in the employee cafeteria to see Haunted House employees dining with a headless Minnie Mouse. AMAZING.

Here was a typical day. A security guard would check your Castmember ID and you would clock in. At that time, Cast members could clock in before their official start time as we were paid for our costume change and walk time. Usually, you were not supposed to wear your costume outside of the park. However, I knew many people who did not change if they closed that night.

I would go to the Costume window and let the costume mistress know where I was working and what size I needed. She would make sure you had your nametag. If you forgot, there was a bin of miscellaneous nametags. I would usually pick a random boys nametag if I forgot.

Once at my location, it was show time. We were encouraged to interact with the guests as much as possible.  We were helping people find their way (the infamous Disney Point) or entertaining the kids. I used to draw a hopscotch "board" with sidewalk chalk and get kids to play. If you haven't figured out already, we were called cast members because we were "on stage" while working. Always smiling. ALWAYS. Assertively friendly behavior was required.

We were empowered to do almost anything to turn a guest experience around. Immediate guest recovery was expected. If you want to read more on Disney Service Basics, this post is a good resource.

Guests were mostly nice. Usually overheated and stressed around their kids, so you felt for them. Guests were also pretty naughty! Cast member friends told me stories of guests getting busted for having sex on the Planet Earth ride at EPCOT or the Haunted House at MK.

You figure with all the smiling and "acting", Cast members have to blow off steam. Cast member nights at Pleasure Island were nuts, but so much fun! College Program cast members all lived at Vista Way, which we likened to Club Med. Lots of parties. Lots of hooking up. I was not a CP cast member :)

I left Disney when the fall semester got a little too busy. It was a GREAT experience! Sometimes people ask if working there makes the magic disappear. Maybe for some, but I really appreciate the attention to detail that Disney takes to make the experience magical.

And in case you are wondering, my favorite park is EPCOT. My favorite non park area is the Boardwalk, where you can watch EPCOT's Illuminations for free (parking is even free!).

Any questions???




Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Flashback: I was a Disney Cast member - Part 1

I worked for Walt Disney World in the summer of 1997. I never really planned on working there. It just happened! Here's my part 1 of my story.

My friend heard that Disney was casting for the season as well as year-round employees cast members. They were hosting a day long job fair. I tagged along out of boredom really. I already had a summer job working at my college's Bio lab, assisting my professor with her botany project. I spent the days in the darkroom, developing pictures of this plant that tracked the sun. Anywoo, exciting stuff.

Back to Disney, we arrived at the job site (a large tented area) where Mickey Mouse greeted us, dressed in his safari outfit. Get it? Because people were "job hunting"! Oh, that Mickey. I saw that you could work just once a week and still get the park benefits (I'll cover those later). We completed applications and got called for on the spot interviews. They asked us what areas we were interested in as well as reviewed our previous experience. I indicated I wanted retail (it's what I had experience in). In retrospect, I could have been a character as I was the right height to place Minnie, Chip and Dale, etc.

I passed the first interview (so did my friend). Because I was interested in retail, I had to take a math test. The testing took place at the Casting office (visible from I-4). I passed that test and then waited. And waited. Then I got called back to a recruiter's office and got my offer! I was hired for weekends and was assigned to the Studios in retail. At that time, you were hired for a zone. My zone was near the Backlot tour. My retail spots included the American Film Institute store, souvenir nametag kiosk, Ellen's Bookstore (from Ellen's sitcom!), and a photography stand. You got assigned to whichever area needed you the most.

Before I could start at the Studios, I had to go through Orientation Orientation was called Disney Traditions. In 1997, Traditions was a two-day class. In researching for this post, it looks like Traditions is only 1 day now. Traditions was a crash course in all things Disney. We covered all the different parts of Disney (ESPN, Touchstone, etc etc). We were required to dress professionally--suits! You may have heard of the Disney Look Book. We received a pocket sized book that included hairstyle recommendations (!!!), jewelry requirements etc. Of course, all of this information is on their website now! My favorite part of Traditions was the scavenger hunt. In our business dress, we had to run around Fantasyland to find examples of attention to detail as well as hidden Mickeys. My group also visited the Polynesian Resort.

My class had all different cast members in it. Retail, Parking, Characters etc. There is definitely a pecking order. The hardest positions to fill are the "face" characters like all the Princesses, Prince Charming, etc. Costumed Character cast members usually played a couple of different characters. All characters had to also take an autograph class! You can definitely appreciate the need for Mickey's signature to look EXACTLY the same whether you are at EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom etc.

Before I forget, Disney benefits included free park admission at any time, quarterly free tickets to give to your friends and family, retail discounts, and Cast Member nights at Pleasure Island (RIP). I did not qualify for medical etc, so I cannot speak to those.

After Traditions, I had to attend a 2 day Retail class where we learned how to count back change "The Disney Way". Disney required that we count back change up to the original tendered amount. For example, your total is $17.25. You pay with a $20 bill. I would say, "Your change is 25, 50, 75. 18. 19. 20"  The change amount was NEVER displayed on the register. I'm sure we learned other things, but that's the big thing I remember. I also remember that we rode Tower of Terror before the park opened. You know, to help wake us up for class!

Next post: My first weekend...which happened to be during Pride weekend ;)


Latest Consignment Find: J Crew Reve Shirt

Consignment find

Consignment find by natylite78 featuring old navy

I bought this shirt a couple of weeks ago from one of my favorite consignment stores. I normally shy away from shirts with words on them, but I liked the sequins and thought it would be fun to mix in with my current wardrobe.

I wore it with the orange Old Navy Rock Star Jeans and TB's. It was a fun way to update the "Jeans and T-shirt" look.

I'm thinking of pairing it with a pair of skinny jeans and the green Talbots blazer that I picked up a month or so ago. 

I recently bought 2 work friendly pieces from eBay and can't wait to share if they worked out (or not!).

Monday, November 12, 2012

What I'm Loving: Baby Sniffles Edition



Jack had his first cold a month ago. Considering J and I both suffer from seasonal allergies, I figured Jack would be the same. The above products are in my mommy arsenal to fight the runny nose.

(1) Saline Drops - I use Target's generic brand of saline drops. They help keep the nasal cavity moist and loosen the hard mucus that may be get stuck up there.

(2) Boogie Wipes - Boogie Wipes are saline wipes. They comes in a variety of scents, but I prefer the non-scented ones. They can be purchased at Target, Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. However, I like to order them from Drugstore.com as they are Buy 3, Get 1 Free. Drugstore.com also has a reward dollar program AND you can use Ebates!

(3) NoseFrida - NoseFrida is an alternative to the traditional syringe bulb. I heard about the NoseFrida from Twitter and cannot say enough good things about it. I love sharing how well it works for us with fellow moms. I love it for 2 big reasons: (1) You control the level of suck. (2) You can see what comes out!

Not pictured is our Rock n Play. Jack has been sleeping in his crib since 6 or 7 weeks old. But when he got a cold, we let him sleep in the RnP to help with the drainage. I definitely think it helped!

Any other products I should know about? 


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

 
Really, who is tired of my baking yet? Luckily, the people in my life are enjoying the fruits of this labor! For this week's link up with AP at I Love You More Than Carrots, I baked specifically with my father-in-law in mind. We had dinner with my in-laws on Saturday and I wanted to bring him something sweet. He has a big sweet tooth! 
Like his son, he is a fan of chocolate and peanut butter. I made these cookies back in September. I wanted to use the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips that I had in the pantry. After a bit of Pinterest browsing, I found the following:

Unlike past baking projects, I made several modifications to this recipe, including adjusted baking time, ingredient additions and changes. Here is my adaptation:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from KA Flour
Yield 2.5 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon of brewed coffee, cooled
1 2/3 (1 bag) cups Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, egg, coffee, and water, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well. Stir in the peanut butter chips

Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell the chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.


These cookies turned out so yummy. So pour yourself a glass of milk (or Lactaid in my case) and enjoy!