Living Like A Disney Princess Part 1

I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that I love princesses. Specifically, Disney Princesses. I wanted to write a spring recommendations post or something along those lines, but then I got thinking and thought, what about giving spring coded recommendations based on Disney Princesses? They are perfect examples of Old Fashioned Girls, girls who are sweet, kind, and beautiful yet make up their own minds and work towards things bigger than them. Think of this as your guide to becoming a Disney Princess yourself.

You can try all of my suggestions or just the ones that fit your favorite princess. (Yes some of the recommendations are going to be retellings of the original fairytales, I hope that is acceptable to you.) I also want to note that this list starts with Snow White ends with Moana. I know that Raya is technically a part of the Disney Princess franchise, but I have never seen her movie. Also technically Anna and Elsa aren’t Disney princesses so they are also excluded from this list.

Snow White - 
    A sweet homemaker of a princess. Snow White is the youngest princess (at 14), and yet she is also the oldest seeing as her film came out in 1938.

Book - Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
    This book is not your average Snow White story. It’s about Aza, a girl who is considered ugly with her pale skin and ashy hair. Her one beauty is her voice which she can throw around a room and use to imitate voices. When she gets invited to the wedding of the king, everything changes for her. She gets caught up in a plot involving a magic mirror, a handsome prince, and her honor. This book is a middle-grade fantasy and it’s a childhood favorite of mine.

Movie -  Disney’s Enchanted with Amy Adams is a movie I think Snow White would love. It’s about a princess from a perfect fairytale world who gets sucked into the very real world of New York City. It’s whimsical, silly, and romantic, a great movie for spring time.

Fun Drink - Last year I uploaded this recipe for earl grey lavender lemonade. I think this drink is perfect for Snow White. It’s floral, classy, yet rustic at the same time.

Treats - In the original film Snow is seen making a gooseberry pie (bet you didn’t know thats what she was making.) Gooseberries aren’t the easiest to get, but some other berry pie like blueberry captures the essence of Snow in a dish. Bonus points for you if you whistle while you work.

Extra - For each princess I thought it would be fun to share some extra things that I think fits the aesthetic of the princess. For Snow White it’s all things gentle and cottagecore. Creators like Randi Lynn Reed and Ahya’s Cottage with their rural charm and bookishness perfectly match the aesthetic of Snow.

Living Like Snow White - Snow White cares for the dwarves because they took her in in a challenging time in her life. She repays kindness with kindness and tries to bring small joys into the dwarve’s lives. To be a little more like Snow we can care for the people in our lives by doing small acts of kindness. Snow is also the kind of girl to do her hard work with a smile, if you feel weighed down by spring cleaning, homework, or any other stress, take a hint from Snow. Open your windows, let fresh air flood in and sing or whistle while you do your work

Cinderella-
    Cinderella to me is the epitome of a Princess. She’s beautiful, she works hard, she has all of her dreams come true. As far as I can remember this is the first movie I ever saw as a kid, so Cinderella will always have a special place in my heart.
    
    Book - An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
    If you want a book that represents kindness in the face of adversity, true love winning, and all around wholesome vibes, this is the book. I know I know it’s the book my blog was named after, but there is something about Polly Milton that feels very Cinderella to me. It’s about country mouse Polly who goes to spend a winter with her cousins in the city, it’s about her learning how to hold onto her values among people who don’t live the same way she does. It’s about bringing kindness into places that are void of it.

Movie - I feel like this is a cop-out movie. But seriously it’s one of my all time favorite movies and I think it’s pretty much perfect. That movie is Disney’s Cinderella live action. It’s magical, sweet, beautiful, basically every adjective that is good. It stars a dazzling Lily James and it’s my ultimate spring comfort movie.

Fun Drink - For Cinderella I’m thinking a London Fog would be the perfect drink. A vanilla scented earl grey with foamy milk. It’s got this coziness that also feels springy which is perfect for Cindy. Here’s a recipe.

Treats - I know it’s not fall, but you can’t talk about Cinderella without talking about pumpkins. This pumpkin bread from Broma Bakery is one of my favorite recipes and I think it’s acceptable for spring because princesses baking with the remaining harvest from the autumn is totally the vibe ;)

Extra - In the 2015 Cinderella, her mother tells her that she needs to “Have courage and be kind”. I think this is a simple yet powerful message that we can turn into action. Volunteering somewhere new is a great way to do this. It can be challenging to step outside of our comfort zones, but showing kindness and sharing Jesus’ love with people who are hurting (or animals if that’s your thing) is really important. So maybe volunteer somewhere this spring.

Living Like Cinderella - The thing that stands out to me the most about Cinderella isn’t even her kindness, but it’s how she dreams. Her life is so hard, yet she dreams and hopes with confidence that better days are ahead. She romanticizes her life by creating and singing and dreaming. This is something we all can do to make our lives a little more beautiful.

Aurora-
    You may not know this, but even though her movie is titled Sleeping Beauty in reference to her, Aurora is the princess with the least amount of screen time. She is also the only princess with violet eyes, which is an interesting design choice that I am not mad about.

Book - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    I don’t know if you’ve ever cried over a book because it’s beautiful, but I have. The Secret Garden is about Mary Lennox, a girl who grew up spoiled in India. She is very dissatisfied with her new life with her uncle in Yorkshire, but when she discovers an entrance to a hidden garden her world opens up. This book is so beautiful and touching, it’s about friendship and grief and how new life can come out of what has been broken.

Movie- Aurora falls in love with a man that she doesn’t know is the prince she is arranged to marry. This mystery romance kind of gives off You’ve Got Mail vibes. The coziness, the misunderstandings, and the falling in love without knowing each other's true identities feels like a less creepy Sleeping Beauty with a wonderful 90’s bookish aesthetic.

Fun Drink - Pink or blue? Ask anyone and they will tell you that the main conflict of this movie isn’t Aurora being asleep in the tower, but what color her dress truly is. I haven’t tried it before, so take this recommendation with a grain of salt, but… Butterfly Pea Flower Tea changes from blue to a pinkish purple with the addition of acid. Pink or blue? The choice is yours.

Treat - In the movie for Aurora’s sixteenth birthday her fairy guardians (or whatever they are) make her a sixteen layer cake with drippy blue frosting and tall candles. This would be a big undertaking of a cake to make, but there are lots of cute, more scaled down versions I’ve seen on the internet. This could be a really fun weekend project.

Extra- One thing I think of when I think about Aurora is dancing. She dances alone in the forest and then Prince Phillip cuts in which is very romantic of course. But there is something about solo dancing in your bedroom that just feels so good! Bonus points for you if you put on a pretty dress and the music you dance to is Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.

Ariel- 
    This little redhead saved the Disney Animation studios and I am so grateful to her! I love her whimsical outlook on life and her voice actor Jodi Benson is a personal hero of mine

Book - This isn’t so much a book that Ariel would like as much as it is a book about Ariel. That book is Part of My World by Jodi Benson. Jodi was the voice of Ariel in the original film, this book is her memoir that talks about her journey with acting, working with Disney, as well as her personal journey with Jesus and how he changed the way she lived. It’s full of fun stories about the creation of Ariel and what Ariel means. It’s also full of insights on life, dreaming, marriage, family, and following God’s calling for your life. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Movie - This might be a stretch I know, but when you really think about it The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan is the perfect movie for Ariel. Redheaded siblings who don’t always get along perfectly, get up to so many antics in new worlds to them, and they are trying their best to bring two people together. 

Fun Drink - Ariel in a sense feels almost tropical to me..? I think a smoothie with tropical fruits like mango and pineapple would fit her perfectly.

Treat - Since Ariel is from the sea but wants to be a part of our world, I’m thinking she would love salted caramels covered in chocolate. Chocolate is a very our world thing, and sea salt is something she’s probably familiar with.

Extra - Thingamabob shopping! Ariel loves collecting little kicknacks and hoarding them. Thrifting feels like the perfect ariel inspired activity to me. Bonus points if you thrift a unique dinglehoper. 

Living Like Ariel - Ariel sees the world as this beautiful and wonderful place with new things to discover and explore. I know that this viewpoint in the film is rooted in naivete, but I think her general outlook is something we can all get behind. Ariel finds immense joy in little material things, she’s so curious about the world around her. She lives with her eyes and heart open. I think this is something we all could do some more this spring. Let yourself see the wonder of the everyday. Let yourself fall in love with the little things in life. 

Belle-
My favorite Disney princess. I bet you would never have guessed that. Belle is a shift in what princesses in the Disney world were. She thinks for herself, she doesn’t go out looking for love. She’s smart, clever, and beautiful. She is the best and she’s the only princess with hazel eyes (twins in case you didn’t already know that we were twins.)

Book - Books are hard when it comes to Belle because we already know she has read them all, so really any would be a good choice. But for a read that has a focus on books and also sentient inanimate objects, I would highly recommend The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson. This book is set at a time traveling bookstore in New York during World War II. The bookstore travels through time to bring hurting people together through the power of books. The story follows Poppy, a young girl who is dealing with the loss of a freind. With such a clear depiction of light versus dark, glimmers of romance, and an emotional bookshop this book is perfect.

Movie- Okay, so not me plugging all of my favorite cozy and bookish media, but the movie I have selected for Belle is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This movie is amazing, it’s about loss, war, love, and the power of reading and writing. The setting is
beautiful, Lily James is her wonderful self, the costumes are so pretty, there are letters and typewriters and kooky old people, I can’t recommend this movie enough!

Fun Drink - Belle is from France and if I know her, I know she loves reading into the night. A french inspired hot chocolate is my drink choice for her. You can make it homemade (preferably) or find a mix or kit.

Treat - “There goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell.” Belle sings this line at the beginning of the movie while she also basically steals bread from said baker. I personally agree with her taste (why wouldn’t I) and would recommend a french bread or pastry (such as a pain au chocolat or an almond croissant.)

Extras - In the reprise of the song “Belle”, she sings that she wants “adventure in the great wide somewhere.” I love this line so much and it makes me think about taking a spring day to do all the little things that make me happy. Adventures don’t have to be big deals, they can be little things. If we’re going for ultimate Belle vibes, then going to bookstores, museums, and french bakeries are exactly what we should do.

Living Like Belle - I resonate deeply with Belle for obvious reasons, but the thing that stands out the most to me about her is her sacrificial love. She gives her life and freedom up for her Father and eventually the Beast. She loves fully, sure she’s independent and free spirited, but she cares so deeply for the people in her life and she would do anything for them.

I hope you've enjoyed this little guide to living like a Disney Princess, stay tuned for part 2!!

What Disney Princess do you most resonate with, and why? Are you going to try any of these suggestions?

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea.