31. Core Value & 32. A City You've Visited | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

31. Core Value

Trying to think of what my one core value is was very challenging, however I think it all goes back to one thing- be nice to people. There's so much hatred and crap in this world that being nice to people goes a long way. Treating others the way you'd like to be treated is such an easy way to help improve the world. If everyone was just a little bit nicer to those around them I think we would all be a lot happier. You can be fat or thin, short or tall, dumb or smart, black or white, etc etc etc; it doesn't matter what you are or who you are in my eyes. I may not understand you but that doesn't mean I can't respect you and with that comes kindness. 

32. A City You've Visited

I've been to quite a few different cities but the one that always sticks with me is Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I have never been to such a relaxed and free place. There's something about walking barefoot on a beach by the ocean that makes me feel so at peace.

I'm sorry I missed posting last Sunday, but sometimes life doesn't go as planned. What is your core value? Where is your favourite place that you've been? Please do let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

100 Questions No One Asks | Tag

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Closed- I actually can't sleep unless my closet doors are closed.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?

No haha.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Tucked in on one side and tucked out on the other. Gotta crawl in, right?

4. Have you stolen a street sign before?

No, but I've been with a friend whilst he drunkenly stole one.

5. Do you like to use post-it notes?

Not particularly.

6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?

No, I don't receive coupons.

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?

A big bear- I'm allergic to bees so at least with a bear I'd have a chance to survive.

8. Do you have freckles?

Not a lot, but I do!

9. Do you always smile for pictures?

I rarely smile for pictures, I don't like having my photo taken so I typically make a silly face.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Probably just people who aren't nice.

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Can't say I do haha.

12. Have you peed in the woods?

Yea for sure.

13. Have you ever pooped in the woods?

Yes.... hahahah.

14. Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing?

Quite frequently actually- there's always a song in my head!

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils?

No, ew.

16. How many people have you slept with this week?

WHAT? None haha.

17. What size is your bed?

Twin -_-

18. What is your song of the week?

The entire Made in the AM album by One Direction! Namely If I Could Fly, Long Way Down, I Want to Write You a Song, History, and Wolves.

19. Is it ok for guys to wear pink?

It's ok for guys to wear whatever they want to (as long as I don't see bums or balls).

20. Do you still watch cartoons?

Simpsons! :D

21. What is your least favourite movie?

Hmm.. Not too sure.

22. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?

If I told you it wouldn't be hidden.

23. What do you drink with dinner?

Water or tea.

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.

25. What is your favourite food?

Tomato, Turkey, Bacon Pasta :)

26. What movies could you watch over and over again and still love?

PS. I Love You, A Beautiful Mind, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and The Breakfast Club.

27. Last person you kissed/kissed you?

It's so pathetic, but I don't even remember. I haven't kissed someone in so long- I don't just randomly kiss people. I always want it to mean something.

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

Yes; Sparks and Brownies.

29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

Never.

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

Very recently, however it's not yet sent out.

31. Can you change the oil on a car?

Definitely not.

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

Nope!

33. Ever ran out of gas?

Nope!

34. What's your favourite kind of sandwich?

BELT; bacon, eggs, lettuce, and tomatoes!

35. Best thing to eat for breakfast?

Oatmeal and tea :)

36. What is your usual bedtime?

Like 10pm....haha

37. Are you lazy?

I have my days, but as a rule I'm not.

38. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

It wasn't the same every year.

39. What is your Chinese astrological sign?

Pause whilst I Google it... Year of the Pig- whatever that means haha.

40. How many languages can you speak?

English and high school level French.

41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

Yes, but sadly they go to my parents house so I can't read them until Christmas vacation :(

42. Which are better: legos or lincoln logs?

Legos... duh!

43. Are you stubborn?

I definitely can be.

44. Who is better: Leno or Letterman?

Leno!

45. Ever watch soap operas?

My mom and I like to watch Days of Our Lives :)

46. Are you afraid of heights?

No, I actually love heights!

47. Do you sing in the car?

Heck yes!

48. Do you sing in the shower?

Belt it out all the time!

49. Do you dance in the car?

Oh yea! Car dancing is my kind of dancing!

50. Ever used a gun?

Can't grow up in Northern Ontario without having used a gun.

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

Recently- photography student haha.

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?

No, I LOVE musicals!

53. Is Christmas stressful?

It definitely can be but I try to find the joy in it.

54. Ever eat a pierogi?

Yes.

55. Favourite type of pie?

Chocolate silk.

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

Scientist, lawyer, paediatrician- probably a few more.

57. Do you believe in ghosts?

I believe in the Holy Spirit, but that's it.

58. Ever have a deja-vu feeling?

Yes, not too often, but I have experienced it.

59. Do you take a vitamin daily?

No, but I should.

60. Do you wear slippers?

Yes ^.^

61. Do you wear a bath robe?

Yup :)

62. What do you wear to bed?

Usually sleeping shorts and an old shirt.

63. What was your first concert?

Hedley!

64. Walmart, Target, or Kmart?

Walmart 100%

65. Nike or Adidas?

Nike.

66. Cheetos or Fritos?

Niether.

67. Peanuts or sunflower seeds?

Neither.

68. Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?

I haven't, but I'm going to check it out now.

69. Ever take dance lessons?

Yup.

70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?

I'm not sure, I guess I've always pictured a man who works with his hands in a trade of some sort.

71. Can you curl your tongue?

I can!

72. Ever won a spelling bee?

No, I came third in the seventh grade?

73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Yea, I'm a sucker for happy cries.

74. Own any record albums?

Yup!

75. Own a record player?

Yea, it's back home though.

76. Do you regularly burn incense?

Nope, never.

77. Ever been in love?

Twice I do believe.

78. Who would you like to see in concert?

Mariana's Trench... so bad! AND I AM ON TUESDAY!

79. What was the last concert you saw?

One Direction :)

80. Hot tea or iced tea?

Hot.

81. Tea or coffee?

Tea for sure- cinnamon tea!

82. Sugar cookies or snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles; anything with cinnamon has my vote!

83. Can you swim well?

Was a competitive swimmer for 15 years, so yea.

84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

I sure can.

85. Are you patient?

I'd like to think so.

86. DJ or band at a wedding?

I'd want a live band but that did covers, not originals so that everyone can groove along and have a blast.

87. Ever won a contest?

I don't think so.

88. Have you ever had plastic surgery?

Nope.

89. Which are better: black or green olives?

Niether.

90. Can you knit or crochet?

I can't, but I want to learn to knit over the Christmas break.

91. Best room for a fireplace?

A library/sitting room.

92. Do you want to get married?

For sure I do.

93. If married, how long have you been married?

Not married.

94. Who was your high school crush?

My boyfriend at the time.

95. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?

Umm no? Haha, I'm not 4.

96. Do you have kids?

Not yet.

97. Do you want kids?

Heck yes I do!

98. What is your favourite colour?

I'm not sure, I really enjoy every colour. This is probably the one question that gets asked so often and I never have an answer for it.

99. Do you miss anyone right now?

My family and friends back home for sure.

100. Who should do this next?

Everyone reading this. :)

I hope you enjoyed reading through these 100 questions no one asks (although I'm pretty sure I HAVE been asked the majority of these questions haha.) If you do this tag let me know, I'd love to read it!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

10 Min, 10 Moves + Progress Update | Fitness

I have never been so busy as I am now that I'm in college- between school, work, and keeping the apartment clean there seems to be no time left to keep up with my fitness. Because of this lack of time, I have put together a ten minute workout that I do every morning as soon as I wake up!

My ten minute workout is only ten moves- go hard for 40 seconds, then rest/switch to the next move for 20 seconds. It's a quick workout that gets your heart rate up and your muscles burning!

10 Minutes, 10 Moves

1. High knees

2. Front kicks

3. Butt kickers

4. Mountain climbers

5. Plank walk star

6. Spider plank

7. Jumping jacks

8. Bend and reach

9. Windmill

10. High knees

I think we can all admit to having a spare ten minutes during our day and spending it working out is a great option! Being healthy and active is so important- please always take care of yourself. My health and fitness journey has been on going since the beginning of 2014. The progress has been slow but steady and I'm very proud of how far I have come. I'm not showing these progress photos to brag in any way, I'm sharing them to hopefully inspire some of you who maybe aren't completely happy with your body or are thinking of making some changes. Taking your health and fitness seriously is 100% a lifestyle change and you can never go wrong by practicing self love.

 I'm really happy with all the progress I have made- I'm getting so close to where I want to be! I have lost 63 pounds- I'm sitting at 107.6 pounds- and have dropped from a size 12 to a size 2. But it's not about the numbers, it never has been, it's all about how I feel! I have more energy, I feel healthy, and my self confidence has improved immensely! If you are thinking about taking your fitness a little more seriously I HIGHLY recommend you do. When I started making my fitness and diet a priority, my life changed (get an idea of my diet in my last What I Eat In A Day post). My decision to practice self love in this way was one of the best choices I have ever made.  

I wanted to throw in this little side by side to show you all the importance of posture- a hunch back adds about 10 pounds haha. Spending the majority of my time either sitting in class or sitting at my desk doing homework/photo editing has taken it's toll on my posture. I have been doing the exercises from the Blogilates Perfect Posture video and it really is starting to make a difference. 

I hope by sharing my progress I will inspire some of you to make your health and fitness a priority. How do you make a healthy lifestyle work for your busy schedule?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Revlon Nail Enamel | Product Review

I'm one of those gals who can not stand having bare nails- I feel so naked without my nails painted! Finding a good quality nail polish that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is quite the task now a days! It seems like you can't have it all; quick drying, long lasting, good colour pay off. But alas, I have found my favourite nail enamel brand! Turns out it was right under my nose all this time. Coming in at roughly six dollars a bottle, my favourite nail polish lately has been Revlon. 

Left to Right: 905 Sophisticated, 705 Gray Suede, 471 Fashionista, 495 Sultry, 211 Charming, 161 Teak Rose, 580 Eclectic, 571 Post, 912 Pink Posh, 715 Privileged, 902 Craving Coral, 950 Top Coat.

The colour pay off of this brand is absolutely stunning- two coats and you're done! The wear power could use some improvement as it chips usually by the third day but I find that's typical even for more expensive brands like Essie, OPI, and China Glaze. The top coat is really great from Revlon. I even find myself using this top coat when I'm using colours from other brands as it has really become my go to. 

I really love this colour for this time of the year. It's a good transition colour from autumn to winter without being a holiday/Christmas colour. 

I really love a good grey around this time of the year and these two have definitely been my go-tos. I love that Gray Suede is almost a nude. It's a really great combination of taupe, gray, brown, and mauve. Sophisticated is a really beautiful slate grey colour with a slight blue undertone that is really flattering on the nails.

For this nail look, I used Fashionista as a base with Penny Talk by Essie overtop. I wanted to test the layer-ability of the Revlon polish with another brand and also how well it would stay on when I removed my guide line tape. As you can se it turned out great! The polish didn't peel off with the tape and the Essie colour layered on smoothly and beautifully.

The only downside I have found with the Revlon nail enamels is that they don't come in the wide variety of shades that you are able to find from other brands. That aside, it's an absolutely amazing budget nail brand and has definitely become my go-to nail polish line!

What is your favourite brand for nail enamel? Have you tried Revlon nail enamel? If so, what'd you think? Please do let me know!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Posts I love | Social Media Round-up

Today I wanted to do something a little bit different to what I typically do. I wanted to share with you some of the things I've been loving on social media, specifically Pinterest, Bloglovin' and Instagram. These are all posts you can find on my person accounts- both saved and my own. Enjoy!

Pinterest: follow me hereCarrot Cake Overnight Oatmeal

Holiday Movie List

Unrealistic Expectations

Bloglovin': follow me hereFitSugar

Milk Bubble Tea

Simple Capacity

Katelyn McPhee (me)

Instagram: follow me here

Hope you enjoyed this social media round up! Let me know if it's something you'd want to see again. Leave links to posts you've been loving lately!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

30. Your Current Age | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

20 years old.

When I was fifteen, imagining myself at twenty this is definitely not the life I would have pictured for myself. I should be in third year university working on my bachelor of science psychology thesis and applying for grad school programs. 

In reality, I am in my first year of college doing photography in the nations capital- and I couldn't be happier. Being twenty has allowed me to fully embrace adulthood and with that has come a lot of self-actualization and self love. I don't think I have every been in a healthier place mentally and emotionally than I am now, at twenty. I have become an independent young woman and I am incredibly proud of how far I have come. I only have four months left of being twenty; I can't wait to see what else this year holds for me. The future is an exciting prospect.

What has your current age taught you? Where were you/where do you see yourself at twenty?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn 

2. What I Eat In A Day: College Edition | Meal Time + Recipes

Breakfast:

Chocolate Oatmeal

1/2 cup large flake oats, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. 

To make this I add the oats, milk, and water to a saucepan and bring that to a light boil over a medium heat. I then turn down the heat to very low, stir in the cacao powder and cinnamon and allow it to simmer over the low heat for about 5 minutes. To serve, I put it into a bowl and add a little splash of milk around the edges.

Cinnamon Tea

1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon milk.

To make this super delicious and simple cinnamon tea, I bring 1 cup of water to a boil. I then stir in the cinnamon and allow it to steep/simmer for about 8 minutes. I add in the sugar and milk once the tea is already in my mug. It's super simple, delicious, and great for you!

During breakfast I have been journaling as of late. It's been so nice to start my morning with some me time instead of what I had been doing prior which was scrolling social media. Taking this time in the morning to reflect has really helped with my anxiety and has also helped me to have a clear mind going into the day. 

Lunch:

Eggs on Salad

2 large brown eggs, black pepper, 1 cup romaine lettuce, splash of white vinegar.

To make this salad I fried my eggs on a low heat to ensure that they cooked all the way through whilst still keeping the yolk runny, seasoning them with black pepper. I chopped up the romaine lettuce and drizzled the vinegar on top- I probably used about 1 teaspoon. Once my eggs were cooked I placed them on top of the lettuce.

Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon greek yogurt, 3 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

To make this delicious rice pudding I put all the ingredients, discluding the cinnamon, into a saucepan and let it cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, until almost all the liquid was boiled off. I then stirred in the cinnamon, covered with a lid and allowed the pudding to simmer for another 5 minutes. It's such a delicious way to fill you up while being able to have a dessert element at lunch time- plus you get a container of leftovers from this sized batch!

Lunch for me is usually a nice little break from school/studying. I like to catch up on YouTube videos or TV series whilst I eat my lunch. I'm trying to eat slower and more mindfully than I had been in the past so my lunch usually spans about 30-60 minutes. I noticed myself eating out of boredom quite often which left me feeling bloated and not having the greatest energy levels. Now that I'm eating mindfully I have noticed a big difference in the way I feel. I make sure that I'm truly hungry before thinking of eating instead of mindlessly binging on food just because I'm bored during a long study session.

Dinner:

Herbed Pasta and Veggies

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, 1/3 cup frozen peas, 1/3 cup frozen corn, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon basil, salt and pepper to taste.

To make this super simple dinner, I first boiled water to cook the pasta. Once the pasta was half cooked, I added in the frozen vegetables and allowed the pasta and vegetables to cook together. Once everything was cooked through I drained off the excess water, stirred in the spices and allowed the dish to cool before transferring to a tupperware container. 

Although this particular day, my dinner was eaten at work, most days dinner is treated a lot like lunch for me. The only difference is that I have been taking this hour of time to read a novel for pleasure while I'm eating. I love to read but allowing myself the time for enjoyment reading is a tricky balance. When I begin to read I tend to get lost in the book- two hours later I've still got my nose stuck between the pages. Reading during dinner gives me a conscious cut off time; I can read for an hour without the fear of wasting my study time.

Snack:

Greek Yogurt Bowl

1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup oats, 1/3 cup multigrain Cheerios.

This snack is so ridiculously simple yet so deliciously satisfying at the end of the day. I begin by mixing the yogurt and the cacao until it's completely mixed through. I then fold in the cinnamon and oats roughly and flatten the mixture out- yes it looks as odd as it sounds but trust me on this. I sprinkle the Cheerios on top with a dash of extra cinnamon and voila! It's a light snack but enough to tide me over during the night. On top of that the flavours are amazing- you get a taste of chocolate, cinnamon, yogurt, and cheerios in every bite.

During my evening snack, I pull out my journal again. I like to look back on my day through writing. I'm currently on a journey of getting to know me and I feel like daily journaling is really helping me to get in touch with myself. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through my meals of the day and I hope it helps any of you struggling to balance college life with eating well. Not sure if you noticed but this was a completely meat free day for me! I like to eat meat free 2-3 days per week as I feel it really helps with my weight control, my digestion, and my energy levels- I highly recommend trying a meatless day! If you have any tips for me, please do let me know! What is your favourite quick meal or snack?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Double Exposures | Fiddling With Photoshop

I have recently become somewhat of an addict to creating double exposure images with Adobe Photoshop. I can't stop! Double exposure images are really intriguing to look at and can really help to tell a story. I've decided today to share with you my process for creating double exposure images. It's a REALLY easy process that leaves a lot of room for creativity.

My step by step guide:

1. Open your subject image in photoshop

2. Create a duplicate layer to work on and lock the original

3. Turn off the view option for the locked original

4. Create a blank layer and rename paint

5. Select the brush tool and paint around subject(s) completely white. Use the [ and ] keys to decrease and increase brush size to get around tight areas.

6. Drag your second image onto the screen. It should automatically add as a new layer. I always rename this layer as overlay

7. Right click the overlay layer and open blending options. Set to screen and adjust opacity of base layer to achieve desired effect

8. Reposition overlay to where you want it

9. Use adjustment layers to create desired look

10. Save work and export

I hope this little tutorial helped and I hope you guys will experiment with double exposures. Please let me know if you do, I'd love to see some images!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn