Do you know ROY G. BIV? Good ol’ Roy isn’t a who, but a what. It is how you can remember the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. I was thinking about these colors the other day and it made me think of Disney princesses. Certain princesses are known by their color; either the color of their hair, the color of their gown, or some other defining feature. So for seven posts we’re going to have fun exploring the colors of the rainbow, Disney princesses, and fun activities connected to them. Today we focus on blue which reminded me of Tiana.
Okay, so most people think of green when they think of Tiana, due to her dress and that frog thing. But what I loved most about that movie (besides the ending, which was awesome!) was the music. Jazz and blues define New Orleans and I adore them all.
5 fun facts about the Princess and the Frog:
1) Tiana is left handed because the person who does her voice is left handed and requested it.
2) She is the first Disney African-American princess. I wonder if she is the first left-handed princess as well.
3) The prince’s name is Naveen, which is an Indian word for ‘new’. This implies he is a new prince from a new country.
4) Ray the firefly falls in love with a star that he calls Evangeline. It is actually Venus.
5) Dr. Facilier is the only one who calls himself by that name. Everyone else calls him the Shadow Man.
It takes a long time for Tiana to believe that life is more than hard work. I think life should be a mixture of both work and fun. Tiana finally learns this lesson (she had to turn into a frog first) so she is a great princess to teach about the balance of work and play.
5 ways to balance hard work and play with Tiana:
1) Make your list fun. We all have lists. Some of us have lots of lists. One way to bring fun into your day is to have fun lists. What is written on them may not be fun but if your paper is pretty and you write with nice pens then you’ll smile more when you see your list.
2) Set a timer. Most people have a competitive streak in them. One way to get tedious things done faster is to set a timer and see how much you can do it a certain time. Maybe you have to weed your garden and you hate to weed. Set the time for 30 minutes and challenge yourself to get it done. The timer keeps you on course and focused on doing more. If you still hate the work you are doing than be glad that the timer will come to an end eventually.
3) Choose a reward. It is said that work should be your own reward and Tiana certainly believed that was true. But for those things in life which we don’t want to do but know we should, a reward can be very motivating. I like to plan to finish seemingly never-ending projects on the day that a new book comes out. That way I can feel guilt-free reading and I am more likely to finish the task.
4) Take a day off. In the movie, Tiana never does this, but I think it is important. Runners are told to take rest days and you should, too. You get more done when you are rested. If you truly feel you can’t take a full day off than aim for a half-a-day to start with.
5) Go for a walk. Sometimes you need to step away and recharge your batteries. Tiana finally learned that lesson. By going for a walk you can free your mind to concentrate on your problems. Not only will you feel refreshed but you’ll have more ideas, too.
So like Tiana you should work hard, but you should also take time to play. If you chip away at a project every day you’ll soon find that it is in the past. Oh, and keep the frog kissing to a minimum. Happiness squared.
Goofy Tip: When I think of Tiana I think of beignets. For great beignets and mint juleps head for New Orleans Square at Disneyland. You can order these bayou delicacies from the window next to Cafe Orleans.
For great tips that you can take with you on your tablet or smart phone download the Kindle app and buy a copy of Goofy Tips for a Happy Disney Vacation