The Best Ballet Flats I’ve Ever Worn

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I’ve tried a lot of shoes in my day. I mean A LOT! I’ve finally found that Sketchers are the right kind of tennis shoes for my feet. I sure do like my Nike memory foam flip flops. And I like Steve Madden heels.

I have small feet. Size 6, so not child-sized, but small for my 5’6″ height. And my feet really like to be comfortable when at all possible. I have a tendency to find shoes that I really like the look of, but they are a little too wide for my heel and then they slip and I get blisters. Or they’re too wide at the front and my foot feels like it’s swimming.

When I found out I was accepted to the Disney College Program, I set out reading as much information as I possibly could. I found out that there would be times in training and in classes where I would need to be dressed in business casual apparel, but there might be extensive walking, like around parks. I don’t like walking distances in heels. Sorry, I’m just not one of those people. So I set out looking for some comfortable flats that were stylish and wouldn’t give me blisters (you’d think that would go with “comfortable” but you’d be surprised at what I have put up with in the past).

I put it out in the Facebook world to see what others thought. I also didn’t want to spend a ton because 1) I just graduated, I’m not rolling in the dough yet and 2) if I liked them, I’d want to buy more than one pair. My friend Amy, from whom I get all my best ideas, told me about Oka-B shoes.

I managed to find some online at DSW that were on sale. So I bought them to give them a try. My feet have rarely been happier (in shoes).

These shoes make me feel like I’m wearing a grown up version of jelly shoes from my youth. But they have actual support like my spoiled adult self has come to hope for. These are the Taylor style Oka-B flat. There are sandals and flip flops and flats with decorations.

Do you see that beautiful arch support in there? Oh my goodness! I typically get pain in the tops of my feet and my shins when I wear other flats. But not these! I’ve given them a pretty good work out too! I’ve worn them multiple days on campus, hiking (literally because my campus is on a mountain side) and I’ve worn them substitute teaching elementary school and walking around while running many errands. I’m excited to try them out in the Disney parks!

They hug my feel in such a happy way. They don’t feel tight, but they don’t move around on my heel. I seriously can not recommend these enough! And they’re quite affordable! On Amazon, you can find them consistently around the high $30 to low $40 range. And sometimes you can find them even cheaper!

The one potential downside is that they do not come in 1/2 sizes. So if you’re in between sizes, you might want to try a couple to see. Fortunately, Amazon has Free Returns! (Man, I love Amazon.) I’m usually between a 5.5 and a 6.5 when I buy shoes. The size 6 is great for me.

I only have the one pair right now, but I plan on getting another pair or two soon. I have my eye on the Dorothy style. They have sparkles! Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a pair of these shoes! I want them all!

17th May 2018 0

10 Non-Disney Things We’re Excited to Do in Florida

By now, you’ve probably noticed how much we LOVE Disney! We’ve been to Disneyland countless times and have multiple trips to Disney World under our belt as well. We have a life goal to visit every Disney park around the world! And of course, we’re headed to Orlando to work for the Mouse at Disney World!

All of that aside, we know we’re heading to place that has so much more than just Disney. And being the great adventurers that we are, we are looking forward to all of the varied experiences Florida has in store for us!

Here are 10 Non-Disney things we’re excited to do in Florida!

Universal Orlando and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Okay…Okay…I know this isn’t a HUGE leap from Disney. It’s still a Theme Park. But give me a break, okay?! We’re easing in! And if you haven’t been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you’re missing out! You don’t know true magic until you’re standing in Ollivander’s Wand shop and your wand CHOOSES YOU!

And have you even tried Butterbeer?! I know it might not be for everyone. But it’s for me! And frozen Butterbeer!!! And last time we were there, we tried the Butterbeer soft serve ice cream. It was another win! Have you had Pumpkin Juice at the Three Broomsticks or the Leaky Cauldron? I promise it’s much tastier than it sounds! It went lovely with our magical breakfast.

Yes we’ve been here before. But we can’t wait to go back!

We’ve experienced pretty much everything in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We even have interactive wands (Hello! My wand CHOSE me! Obviously I HAD to buy it!) But we still have a decent amount of attractions out in the rest of Universal that we need to experience. And we are excited to be able to do it at a more leisurely pace over the course of many trips!

SeaWorld Orlando

I wanted to be marine biologists when I was kid. So it’s not wonder that a trip to SeaWorld is toward the top of our “To Do” list once we get out there. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been to a SeaWorld park and I’m really looking forward to seeing shows and riding rides. I remember when they didn’t have rides! We love aquariums (we went to one on our first date) and we love learning! And in the super heated summer of Orlando, SeaWorld will be a nice escape.

The Beach

I haven’t looked at which beach we might want to venture to first. (I’M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS, ALL OF YOU FLORIDIANS) But I know there are A LOT of beaches in Florida. I’m sure we won’t have a ton of time off, so it will have to be something relatively close to Orlando. I’m excited to see how Florida beaches compare to other beaches we’ve been to, mainly on the west coast. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I typically hang out on a towel, slather myself in sunscreen, and read while I snack.

Legoland

I know, I know! Another theme park! But hear me out…We haven’t ever been to this one. We haven’t been to the one in California either. But we do love Legos at our house. This one isn’t for the rides or even for the food, but I’ve heard there are a lot of really fun models at the park and I know Adam will totally nerd out!

Kennedy Space Center

When I was younger, we lived in Houston, TX. I remember at least one time we made the trip to the Johnson Space Center. It was so cool to see all the pictures of the shuttles and even a full decommissioned shuttle. Back then, we still had a fairly active space program. I can’t wait to visit another space center!

The World of Chocolate

I’ve heard there’s something on International Drive called The World of Chocolate. I don’t need anymore information. I will be making a pilgrimage. If you happen to have more information (such as it’s overrated and I should just go buy myself a Cadbury bar) please drop it in a comment below!

Gatorland

Usually when I tell people we’re moving to Florida they have only a couple of responses.

#1- Why? It’s so hot and humid there! You’re going to hate it. (To which I respond, “Guys, we live in Utah. It’s hot and dry here. And don’t try to tell me the virtues of a “dry heat”. I’m not buying. My hair and skin need the moisture and judging by the wrinkles on your face, so do yours.” And then I get unfriended by that person.)

#2- You’re going to get eaten by an Alligator.

First, I’m not particularly concerned about being eaten by an Alligator. It doesn’t happen nearly as often as people seem to think. Also, I don’t plan on going swimming in the Alligator infested waters. (between you and me, I don’t really do swimming things) But at Gatorland, I can see the animals in a controlled setting. I haven’t checked, but I have to imagine they don’t lose many guests to gator attacks.

Find Some Florida Nature to Explore

One of the other things people say to me is “Aren’t you going to miss the beautiful Utah mountains and all of nature here?” I’m not particularly concerned about missing the mountains. I adjust to change quite easily. And as for nature…nature is everywhere. We’re just going to find different kinds of nature in Florida. We like exploring new environments. If you’re a Florida pro and know of some hikes or trails we should explore, drop it in a comment!

Find New Favorite Foods

We have our regular eateries that we visit here in the Salt Lake City and Bountiful areas, and we will definitely miss them! I get a little nervous trying to new places because I know what I like and what I don’t. We’re definitely looking for some foods suggestions in the Orlando area. I like Waffles and I’ve heard of a place called the Waffle House. I feel like that’s a place that would understand me and my needs. Where else should we eat?

Fresh Oranges

Florida is famous for its oranges, right? I did some driving around on our last trip and we definitely caught sight of some of the Orange groves! I’m hoping to get to try some fresh Florida-grown produce while we live there! I think I’ve seen there are some farmers markets. Is that where one goes to find fresh oranges? Help a girl out!

These are just a few of things we’re looking forward to as we head out to our adventure in Florida! I’m sure there are MANY MORE THINGS we need to explore. I’d love to hear everyone’s suggestions! Please Please PLEASE comment on this post and let us know some of your “must do” items in the area! We’re always up for a new adventure.

8th May 2018 0

Graduating on May the 4th!

In case you haven’t caught on yet, we are

SUPER HUGE NERDS!

And as luck would have it, we got to graduate on May 4th! May 4th is a MAJOR nerd holiday! It’s Star Wars Day! You know…May the fourth be with you…get it? And we are so excited to celebrate hard core.

Here we are in our AMAZING graduation attire! BB-8 All the way!

Here we are being more traditional graduates.

And this is our AMAZING voice teacher Kirstin Chavez. We just love her!

Not only did we look super awesome as graduates, but we also had a fun family party and honored the day the way only the coolest people do.

All parties should include cupcakes, especially ones with Lightsabers sticking out of them!

Who doesn’t love a Death Star watermelon?

We absolutely bought a new Han Solo just so we could put him in carbonite jello!

Wookie Cookie snickerdoodles

And of course a proper May the Fourth Celebration wouldn’t be complete without a Lightsaber Duel!

It was definitely a successful day! From graduation to our Star Wars graduation/birthday party, a good time was had by all. And the best part is…now we can look forward to our move to Disney World and of course, next year the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!!!

5th May 2018 0

How to Land a Role in the Disney College Program: pt. 3 The Waiting Game

I don’t know about you, but for me, waiting is the hardest part of an application or audition process! And the more I obsess over it, the slower time seems to pass. I find that the best way for me to cope with The Waiting Game is to distract myself with other things I enjoy.

As far as the DCP Application and hiring process, there’s really no telling how long you might have to wait. Some people only wait a few days after their phone interview and some wait closer to a month or more!

I have a few suggestions for ways to distract yourself and make The Waiting Game a little more tolerable.

1. Coloring Book- Stress Coloring is a real thing, guys! And I love it. Because I am obsessive, the details in stress coloring books help to focus my obsession on something that is actually in my control. Just color away and before you know it, hours have passed. I love coloring and I love Avengers…so you know I’m getting me this awesome Infinity War coloring book!

2. Get into a good TV show. Netflix is a beautiful time waster. And it’s even more beautiful when you actually WANT to waste some time. Find yourself a TV show with multiple seasons that can really suck you in. Some of my Favorites include: West Wing (7 seasons), NCIS (14 seasons and still running), New Girl (6 Seasons) and FRIENDS (10 hilarious seasons).

3. Movie Marathon! These days there are multiple movie franchises that could take you DAYS or even WEEKS to watch. At our house, we routinely do Harry Potter marathons or Star Wars or Marvel. With 18+ movies in the MCU, this one takes some time and is a fantastic distraction from real life. (Although, there is part of me that thinks Hydra is a real thing and I need to be training for when the Avengers call me up to fight.) Black Panther comes out on May 15th! But the digital is available May 8th! Pre-order here!

4. Read a book. Wait…a book? Did you mean Buzzfeed or Reddit? Nope. I mean a book. Find a book about something you enjoy! Or even better…find a series of books you enjoy. (Kingdom Keepers) I love Disney World and the Kingdom Keeper series are so much fun! Find them at this link. Even reading them before I had actually been to Disney World was fun because the author is so descriptive, I felt like I could see all of the different places the Keepers visited. And they’re suitable for the young and the young at heart. So read them as a family!

5. Find a new hobby! I’m always looking to learn new things. One of the newer hobbies I’ve been trying to pick up is Handlettering/Calligraphy. There are a lot of different resources out there for you to try if this looks fun to you. But I really like this book “Hand-Lettering: An Interactive Guide to the Art of Drawing letters“. It really is hands on and interactive. And that’s the best way to learn! And you can’t forget your writing tools. These brush markers are just what you need to really get started on your way!

6. Eat your feelings. I’m going to tell you right now, do not spend the entire Waiting Game eating your feelings. But maybe treat yo self once a week. Try a new recipe or buy yourself a cake. I have eaten many a cake as my treat yo self reward.

7. Legos! This one is for Adam. We are lego people at our house. We have lego BB-8 and Po’s X-Wing and an AT-ST and many micro fighters. We also have many super hero Block Headz! Legos are a fun little distraction from constantly refreshing your email to see if you’ve been accepted to the DCP. Buy yourself some Block Headz friends here!

8. Exercise! Endorphins make for happier people! And happier people don’t stress out about The Waiting Game! (At least…maybe not as much!) I like to combine #3 with exercise. Watching the Avengers reminds me I need to do more squats and push ups. So drop and give yourself 20!

9. Take a nap! Waiting is exhausting work! Kick back and take a nap! Maybe set an alarm though so you don’t sleep through something you need to be doing!

10. Get out of the house! Go to dinner with friends! Go to a movie! Go for a bike ride or a hike! Just get out of the house. Stop looking at your email and making yourself crazy. Keep living your life! Find fun things to do where you are. You might not be there for much longer! Enjoy your current surroundings before you start your exciting DCP adventure!

Hopefully these ideas will help you while you’re waiting to hear about the DCP or anything else in your life! The important thing to remember is that you don’t have control over when or if they accept you! But you do have control over what you do while you’re waiting. Don’t waste that time by making yourself a crazy person! Keeping improving yourself and living your life!

3rd May 2018 0