Disney Princess: Role Model or Nightmare?

When did liking the Disney Princess movies become detrimental to your feminist status? It's just a movie, at face value it may not have many valid lessons but let's look a little deeper than simple- Princess needs Prince. Here are a few Princesses and the messages that I think they share: 

Belle (Beauty & The Beast) | Selfless, righteous and smart, this Princess is one of my favourites. One of the only characters (in early Disney movies) challenging gender roles, Belle is a bookworm and weirdo who doesn't care for regular norms. This princess selflessly trades her freedom for her fathers, staying in a creepy castle with a Beast (which she doesn't know is actually a Prince) not knowing what fate will bring. She single-handedly saves the Beast and though he has a temper, horrible etiquette and looks like a weird buffalo, wolf- she's able to get through to him with kindness and patience. 

Cinderella (Cinderella) | Kind and forgiving, this Princess is the epitome of the saying " turn the other cheek". Having lost her family, being treated like a slave and only having mice as friends- if that's not a recipe for losing your mind, what is? By being brave, staying hopeful and only seeing the good in those around her- she finds her happy ending, not the Prince but her courage to finally remove herself from an unhealthy situation and forgive those who did her wrong. 

Snow White (Snow White) | As one of the first Disney Princesses, this character does not have much depth but if one thing can be said about this loveable character is that she's trusting. Keeping her innocence alive, she trustingly takes refuge with seven little men and accepts food from a creepy ass lady, like really? Maybe this is not the best message, but if some good could come from this movie is that you cannot focus on the bad in people; you have to have a little faith that people are innately kind and giving. 

Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | Troublesome and curious, this Princess is known for making less than ideal life choices but nonetheless is part of one of my favourite movies. Ariel is a character that's going through growth, she thinks she knows what's best and the only thing on her mind is exploring the world. Yeah, she may have Prince in the brain but don't all teen girls? This princess is a symbol of growing up, making mistakes and figuring it out along the way. 

Thought? Agree or disagree. 

xoxo, 

Natalie 

Bad Day or Wake Up Call?

Do you ever have a really bad day?  Not only did you get your period, but you feel like you are getting sick. All your plans and everything that you had hoped, just came crumbling down.  Well, that day was today for me and it sucks! 

The perfectly outlined plan that I had made is no more- I'm stranded between a "I told you so" and "you should of known better". The hormones don't help because as someone who hates to cry, I've been feeling like yelling and crying all day. I may feel like giving up and just curling up, I'm probably more in debt now than I started but I will figure it out and I'm not alone. 

I feel like crap and my throat still hurts, but today is just one day of many. It always gets better, even if its just one day of many crappy days- there is always a silver lining. It gets you thinking about how if this is my worst day, than I must of had a lot of good in my life, this isn't a tragedy or a loss but a fallen branch on my path. 

I may be freaking out and it may seem like the end, but it's not. Everything is going to be different, I'm going to have to come up with a new plan and that's ok. I'll have to try new things and blindly enter the unknown, but it was going to happen anyway. I might wake up with no voice tomorrow, but I'll still have a roof over my head and food in my belly. 

I may be having a crappy day, but I am still blessed and have lots of things to be thankful for. I have to step back and put things into perspective, this isn't the worst day ever- this is a wake up call and I better answer it. 

xoxo, 

Natalie