10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me

Hey everyone it has been awhile since I have posted. I wanted to do a fun fact about me post for this week. This is going to be a little different but since we have more readers and more followers on Instagram I wanted to share more about me!

So, lets get started shall we!!

First, fun fact about me is that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have also served a mission for the church. I spent 18 months of my life serving the Lord. I put schooling on hold and my whole life pretty much on hold to serve in Oklahoma. I have been home for about 4 years and I miss it everyday!

Second, fun fact about me is that I am the oldest child and I have 3 little sisters who are not so little anymore. They are all married now, and I have one amazing nephew! I love my family and I miss them when I am away at school.

Third fun fact I am the first to actually receive a Bachelors degree!! I have worked so hard for this! So, many people told me when I was young that I have to work hard for my education and I am. I am not that great at taking tests but I do know my stuff. I work hard for everything as I am sure I can relate to most of you in this aspect. When people tell me NO, it just makes me want to do it 10x more! I am excited to graduate at the end of the year. Yes, end of the year not Spring like everyone else. BYU-Idaho is weird and we have a weird track system. So, I will be graduating in the fall semester at the end of 2018.

Lovely number 4!!! I have had about 18 surgeries all related to my heart. I have a Pulmonary valve problem. It hinders me a little but I love to push myself and do things that I couldn't do when I was younger. Like, play soccer and ride my bike with the neighborhood kids. I can now play soccer with my friends on the field and I love it!!

What number are we on now? That's right 5!!!

This one you guys probably already know if you have been following me for a while is that I was a previous Cast Member at one of our Disney Stores in Salt Lake and then later I was accepted into the Disney College Program and worked at one of the largest retail stores that Disney has in the world. It was an amazing experience one that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Number 6!!

I have switched my major at least 3 times. When I graduated high school back in 2009 I originally went to Salt Lake Community College and studied American Sign Language. I then went on to Utah Valley University and was still studying American Sign Language. I paused schooling and went on a Mission as I have said above. After my mission I went to LDS Business College and got my Associates degree in Social Media Marketing. After that I decided to go to Disney and then I came to BYU-Idaho to get my Bachelors degree in Communications which I have been back and forth on Visual media, and Advertising. I have finally landed on Advertising.
    So, for all you Freshman out there! It is okay to switch schools, take a break. As long as you finish and you love what you do! I love going to class and studying and learning new things. I love my major and I am excited to start working in my career.

Number 7
         Phew... guys this is harder than I thought it was going to be!
I started this blog so that I can get better at my writing. I am not that confident when it comes to my writing and grammar as some of you may have catched some of my mistakes. Practice, practice, practice right? This is what this blog is for me. I chance to express my feelings and a chance to free write and practice my grammar and spelling. I encourage everyone to do the same if you are not confident in a skill practice it over and over again.

Number 8

I have never owned anything but Apple products. I have been a Apple girl all my life and I remember my first iPod that I bought and saved up money for. My first cell was a green LGE cell phone and then later it was an iPhone. I have a Macbook Air, Apple Watch, iPhone, and a iPad mini. I am hoping I can upgrade my tablet to a pro so I can do my editing on it later and create some awesome things for you all!! I have some great business ideas and I can not wait to start implementing them once I graduate school.

Number 9

I am short!! If you guys haven't watched my videos on YouTube you can tell that the way I hold my camera to vlog you can definitely tell that I am a short one. haha  I am 4'9" and I have a love hate relationship with being short. Some days I don't notice it but when I go shopping for new clothes that's when I get irritated haha the petites are not meant for adults.

Last but not least..

Number 10

I have been to 8 out of the 50 states. I would love to go to more states and travel the country and see different things. I want to travel more than I have the money for but that is on my life bucket list is to visit every state in the country!

So, my question to you all is that what is on your life's bucket list?  Let me know down in the comments below!

Love you all
 xoxo
McKenzie

2 must do's during the Pixar fest

I just came back from Disneyland this weekend and I have a few things I wanted to say about the Disney Pixarfest. I tried to try as many foods as I can and experience all the fireworks and parades and I have come up with a list of things you MUST do during your stay this summer at Disney if you end up going to the Pixarfest.

1. Parades and Fireworks

 Paint the Night is back and it is spectacular! I am absolutely in love with this parade and the music is amazing. I have always loved night time parades they are always so well done and looking at the lights are amazing to look at and the detail of the floats are out of this world

                            

The firework show on main street is something else. They project all of the Pixar movies on the houses and it is honestly one of my favorite firework shows. It may have beaten wishes! I honestly cried when Coco came up. I am emotionally attached to that movie (as we probably all are) and I fell in love right then when all my favorites came up on the screen and if you get their early enough you get to see Buzz Lightyear come up from the castle. We didn't get a chance to see that but the real action is the projection on main street not the fireworks (in my opinion)

2. Treats! 

No excuses when it comes to this one. When you are at Disney there is no calorie count lol you must be able to try all the treats you possibly can! I did and I am so glad I was able to try them and actually get my hands on them! They sell out fast so make sure you go at a decent time. 

 I want to talk about this little guy first. The green alien macaroon. Everyone went head over heals for it but to be honest. It wasn't worth it to me. I don't like sweet things all that much and this little guy was to sweet for me. I had a hard time finishing it because I had to. It was $6.00 and no way I'm I throwing it away. So, if you are like me and don't have a HUGE sweet tooth then don't get this one. Save your self and try something else.

  The dole whip doughnut.  Now this little guy is totally worth the line and the money! I would definitely try this again. It actually tasted like a real dole whip. If I had to pick the dole whip itself and the doughnut I would choose the doughnut! That's right you read that right. So, makes sure you get to try this cause I would fly to CALI just to bring one home.

Of course you have to see the characters while you are there that is a given. But, I want you all to know of my 2 favorite things. Pixarfest is a huge deal because it's a whole summer full of fun festivities and great merchandise that will be released all summer long so you can betcha that I will be going back again and again before the festival ends just to experience the magic.

Comment down below and let me know what you think of the festival? Is it worth it?

What to pack when you go to Disney

It's a week till I go to Disney so I am starting to think of what I need to bring when it comes to my trip and also what stuff I need to leave in Idaho in my boxes since it is also the end of the semester for me.

Crazy to think that this semester is almost over and that finals are practically done and Disney is just another weekend away! So, Here is a list of things that you need to bring with you!! This is a list that I always follow through with. I can not forget these magical items when I go to the park!

                                 Things to bring 

1. Sunscreen/ Lotion 
    Guys these things are so expensive in the parks. Make sure you pack lotion, sunscreen and carmax. You will thank me later. I always bring these items because I burn easily and when I leave Idaho to go to a dryer climate or to the humidity my lips get super dry/chapped and its not the funnest thing when you are at the park.


2. Clothing 
    This goes without saying though. Bring your necessaties but also bring cheap shoes that you don't mind getting them ruined. If you want to buy cute Disney shirts Etsy has amazing cute ones for your family that are usually cheaper than the ones at the store/parks. Or if you have time go to the local Walmart and you will find really cute ones. My favorite pair of Mickey sweats are actually from Walmart in Orlando. Also, if you want to treat your self and you have an annual pass double check your discount cause you can get discounts!! P.S. Buy ears online! They are way cuter maybe more expensive but cuter than the ones in the parks and people will be asking you where you got your ears!

3. Camera 
    Put this in your purse!! Do not forget. There are so many times that I wish I had a nicer camera than my iPhone. They take better quality pics and if you like to edit they are so much better for that. But if you don't care that much you can use your iPhone.

I hope this helps! Comment down below what you all bring to the park!

Have a magical day my friends

xoxoxo
   Mckenzie

HUGE CHANGE

Hey guys I recently changed my name on all my social media handles and I promised you a reason for that!

For the longest time I have been wanting to have this handle @thatdisneygirllife for so long that it has finally become available!! 💜 I love my old name but it wasn't me. I wanted something that was more of who I am and who I wanted others who know me by.

Ever since I was little I wanted to work for Disney. I have loved Disney growing up and I have loved the movies and life lessons that you can learn from them. I then was able to become a Disney Cast Member at when I was in College later on I was I able to participate in the Disney College Program! Which was my life long goal. I always wanted to work in the parks and live in Orlando that dream finally became a reality.

I am a huge Disney Fan and probably always will be. This new name is something that I am well known for. When people meet me and other people ask if they know me they say, "oh she loves Disney." I am so excited about this change and that when this handle was finally accepted I jumped for joy haha. But really though!

xoxoxo

 McKenzie

How College Changed my life

Guys my semester is about to come a close. I am so excited! 11 more days till Disney and I am counting down the days till I can leave Rexburg for a week.

I wanted to write today and say somethings that have been on my mind since I have now been up here in Rexburg for about year and I have loved every second of it! I must say though I was very confused that I was going back to school. I got my associates at LDS Business College (LDSBC) in Social Media Marketing and after the Disney College Program I was set on working at an ad agency and not going back to school. However, things changed and I followed through with promptings I have received and next thing I knew I was filling out an application to attend Brigham Young University- Idaho.

I never knew I wanted to attend a Church Educated School (CES). Since I am LDS or Mormon it was bound that I would attend one of the Church owned schools. However, I was totally against it and I attended Utah Valley University and then I went on a mission for my church and I came back and I fell in love with the CES Schools. LDSBC taught me who I was after my mission and helped guide a path for me.

This past year has been a whirl wind of emotions and never stopping. Always something to do and you never get bored. I have met some amazing friends and I am forever grateful for them. You will truly make the best friends at BYU-Idaho. I honestly thought I would say this but BYUI is the best decision I have ever made.

When picking a college to go to trust your gut. Go with your first extinct and run with it. You will never regret it. I most certainly do not regret this decision. The teachers are amazing. I am learning so much more about who I am and who I am as a Advertiser and a Communication major. I didn't really  know what I wanted to do with my social media degree but now I know exactly what I want to do and where I want to end up. I thought I wanted to work for the mouse again and be a Disney Cast Member but I think I have other plans in store for me that doesn't include that coveted name tag.

I hope that when you pick your college and start sending out applications you will list all your pros and cons and listen to your heart and follow through with it. You will not regret your choice!

xoxoxo
   McKenzie

My Fear of Speaking in Public and How to overcome it.

 It's currently 11pm at night and all my roommates are asleep and I have so much energy I don't know what to do with myself. So, I decided to sit down and talk to you guys. I wanted to talk to you all about something that had happened to me this week!

I gave my very first TED TALK!! For those of you guys who don't know it's all about Technology Entertainment Design or in other words "ideas worth spreading." At BYU-Idaho we were able to have our own mock up of it.

Honestly, I hate speaking in front of people. It is not my favorite thing in the world. However, being a Communication Major you have to have the ability to speak in front people so we have to take a professional presentation class.

I was dreading this class but it honestly has become one of my most favorite ones because it has helped me over come my fear. Fear of Public Speaking is honestly high on my list. I'd much rather be on a high mountain top then be in a front of millions of people and speaking to them on a stage with a microphone on. 

Here are some tips that I have learned from this class that I would like to share with you!

Tip Number 1: 
    PRACTICE!! 
This should go with out saying. Practice makes perfect. Over the course of 14 weeks we had at least 10 presentations. Some with groups some that are stand alone. I was dreading this because I hate it. I get sick and anxious. But during this class I have noticed that I have become less and less scared of speaking in front of people and it's been a great transformation! So, PRACTICE!!!

Tip Number 2: 
     MEMORIZE 
This sounds difficult but memorizing is not that hard. If you read over your speech and you know what you are talking about and you KNOW what you are talking about you will be more confident when you go up there. Granite when I give a speech I never know what rendition I will be giving because I have been practicing it so many times and I have memorized  I don't know how it is going to start. I just remember my points and that's it.

                                                     Last but not least  

Tip Number 3: 
     Learn how to do a PowerPoint 
I hate power points. I don't like them I find them in-personable and a distraction. When done properly you can have a great presentation with them. This is one thing that I love about this class. It taught me how to do it and how much info you should be putting on them.
   Put as little as information as you can. I honestly don't put any. If I do it's one or two pictures. If I do put things on it I don't put numbers or graphics. That's just to hard to read and quite frankly boring. If you can put words on it that match what you are saying that you are golden! Another tip I use my power points like you would as bullet points. Just memorize where you are on your screen and you will be great! 

I hope this helps! I know this is a different post then I normally do but I want to do something that will help you guys get through your college careers and as you adventure into adult hood. 

Let me know what you guys think about this post and comment down below what helps you get through your schooling and presentation works.
     
    

How to Prep for a Disney College Program

 I love the Disney College Program (CP). I am so excited that you have decided to go on this amazing journey. People have been asking me questions lately about how to pack for Disney and what to expect during the program.

I am going to list 3 IMPORTANT things that I wish I would have brought to the college program.

1. Park Outfits 

Guys bring cute outfits to go to the parks. You are going to be bringing work out clothes and spanks and such because they are the easiest to change out of when switching into your costume. However, when you are spending your day as a guest it's time to dress cute and take those gorgeous Instagram pics!

Remember it's going to be like 80 Degrees or HOTTER when you are in Orlando so make sure you pack accordingly to the weather too. I wish I also had rain boots and a rain jacket. It rains constantly their and sometimes it could rain up 2 hours a day and then beautifully sunny the rest of the day.

2. Backpack 

I wish I had a smaller backpack when I went to the CP. I had my normal backpack I would bring on campus and that was just to big! They have these really cute Disney bags that act as a purse and I wish I had it when I was there. The brand name is Disney Lounge fly they are about 50 bucks per bag and they have adorable limited time designs and some park exclusive designs too!!

3. Disney Look 

Study that bad boy. You guys are going to want to plan accordingly and bring outfits that go with the Disney Look. Even when I was not a Cast Member (CM) and I was a guest other CM's knew and I felt like I had to be on the Disney Look at all times!

P.S. if you are into make up at all stock up on ALL neutral colors! I don't wear that much make up anyways so I didn't have a huge problem with it so I chose not to bring some just enough for when I was working and at the parks. It also slides off your face and you have to reapply (really annoying I know) But my most favorite make up ever is the MAC line because it's built to last that humidity.

If you guys have any questions about the Disney College Program let me know! I am free to answer anything or if you want to put your two sense make sure you comment down below as well!

Love you all

Have a magical Day
  McKenzie