Strip it Off | Sunday Night: Skin Care

I'm a firm believer in the common thought of a pretty face starts with a flawless base. Some people consider their base to be foundation. I like to think it starts even before then with the skin. 

My skin has been a source of trouble for me since about the tenth grade. Acne is something I really struggle with! It's been a challenge to find a skin care routine that works for me.

I used to think my skin was dry because it would feel tight and it would flake off. However, after having a skin consultation I found that my skin is actually slightly on the oily side but quite dehydrated. My main problem is that my skin is very sensitive.

As far as treating my acne, I've learned that my skin responds better to salicylic acid as opposed to benzoyl peroxide. I only use one product that contains salicylic acid and I only use it twice a week.

Sunday night I like to treat my skin to a face mask and really cleanse well. Enjoy my Sunday night strip down (makeup strip down that is!)

As far as my skin care goes, these are the products I use. 

Step one is to take my makeup off using the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk. This is a really hydrating product and does an amazing job at removing all my makeup- including waterproof mascara!

It takes very little rubbing and makes my skin feel so clean!

After massaging the Cleaning Milk into my skin, I wipe it off with a warm, wet flannel from the Body Shop.

After my makeup is off, Sunday night is face mask night! I've been really enjoying using the Garnier Pure 3 in 1 as a mask once a week.

I apply this mask only in my T-zone, leaving my cheeks bare. I let it dry on my skin for about 2 minutes before rinsing the mask off with warm water. 

The final cleansing step is the Clinique Bar Soap in Extra Mild. This leaves my skin feeling super clean, but not dried out. 

I rub it into my damp skin, all over my face, until it becomes a rich and creamy lather.

I then rinse my skin with warm water until all the soap has been washed away. I follow up with the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel moisturizer in generous amounts, concentrating the moisturizer under my eyes and on my cheeks. 

I love this gentle, yet effective skin care routine! My skin has never been so clear and healthy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through my Sunday night skin care routine. Let me know what products you love for your skin!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Wake Up With Me: School Day Edition | Morning Routine

Am I the only one who was actually excited to go back to school?? Probably haha. Now that I'm in a program I love, on track to a career I would be happy doing for my whole life, I actually enjoy school and look forward to going.

That being said, I'm not so much a fan of having to wake up early again after such a relaxing winter break! Getting back into the swing of things has been hard (many naps have been had this past week haha) but I've established a new morning routine that has been working for me and I'm excited to share it with you all today!

My alarm is set in the mornings for 6:45am so I can be ready to leave by 8:00am for school. I always spend that first fifteen minutes, from 6:45-7:00am stretching, chugging a big glass of water, and making a tea. These three tasks help to wake me up in the morning so I can truly begin my morning routine!

7:00am: morning yoga!
I'm not sure what sort of workouts I do in my sleep, but I always wake up quite tight and sore throughout my neck shoulders (my chiropractor tells me it's stress but I tend to disagree, probably because I'm in denial haha). Doing yoga first thing in the morning helps to loosen up my body and set my mind on the right track to take on the day.

7:15am: bathroom stuff- wash face, brush teeth etc.

Once my workout is done I head to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I need to do this before breakfast for some reason... like I just HAVE to. I feel so gross until my face is washed and my teeth are brushed! To wash my face I use the Clinique bar soap in extra mild. I then follow up with the Clinique daily moisturizing gel. To brush my teeth, I use Crest Pro-Health whitening toothpaste- love how minty fresh it is!

7:30am: hair and makeup

Now that it's winter, my hair has to be done because throwing it up in a bun doesn't work with wearing a hat (Canadian problems!). I've been using my NUME tools to curl my hair almost everyday. If you're interested in NUME, check out my full review post and my everyday hair routine video! 

When it comes to make up I keep it super simple- some days I don't wear anything but mascara. However most days I'll use Rimmel wake me up concealer under my eyes and on spots, NYX stay matte but not flat powder foundation so I'm not shiny and a little blush from Revlon in ooh baby pink- that's the face done! I then use the blush as an eye shadow for a really pretty wash of shimmery pink followed up by the L'Oreal highlighter in my inner corner and under my brow bone. I fill in my brows with the Revlon brow fantasy pencil in brunette, curl my lashes and apply generous amounts of Covergirl lash blast, and finish off with Maybelline baby lips chapstick. Simple, natural, and quick!

7:35am: get dressed

I usually pick out an outfit the night before in an attempt to streamline this process... putting an outfit together is not easy for me. My lack of fashion sense rears it's ugly head in the mornings so I make sure I either have an outfit already picked or all the pieces clean for a go-to outfit that I know looks good.

7:38am: make and eat breakfast, catch up on e-mails

If you've been following this blog for any length of time then seeing this bowl of cereal for breakfast will be a shocker- where's the oatmeal!? Lately I've been eating cereal in the morning because 1. it's so much quicker 2. it fills me up so much more! My class schedule doesn't allow me to eat lunch until about 1:00pm on most days so I have to fuel myself up enough to last over five hours on one meal! Oatmeal just doesn't fit the bill for me on a school day anymore. Instead I will divide my bowl in thirds- one third full of Post Shredded Wheat cereal, one third of Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal, and one third of GM Multi-Grain Cheerios. I sprinkle on some cinnamon and pour in a generous amount of 2% milk. It's delicious, nutritious, and really filling!

7:55am: gather all my things together

I grab my camera bag, my backpack (laptop, agenda, etc), lunch bag and all my winter clothes to get dressed and ready. It takes a good five minutes to suit up for these frigid Canadian winter mornings!

8:00am: head out the door!

Once I finally manage to sufficiently bundle up, I'm ready to head to the bus stop and make my way to class! My morning routine really is quite streamlined- no frills, no social media- and efficient. I get everything I need to accomplish done in only an hour! This allows me to maximize my sleep time as any college student knows just how precious those extra minutes can be!

Do you have a morning routine? What is one thing you do every morning that sets your day off on the right foot?

Thanks for reading & check back to see what KatieDidd, xo

Tips and Tricks for An Early Start | Morning Routine

Am I the only one who feels like 8am classes just should NOT exist? What purpose do they serve in my life and education when there are so many other hours in the day that aren't 8am.

But alas, 8am classes do exist and they probably always will, so we've got to suck it up and make the most of it! I've put together a list of 5 tips/tricks that help me to sleep a little longer while still getting out the door on time, all without cutting corners!

1. Pack your things the night before

It's a pain in the butt to have to run around looking for all the things you need for your class- it's so easy to get organized the night before an early morning. What I like to do is pack my agenda, folders, notebooks, pens, highlighters, and Macbook into my backpack before going to bed. This ensures that in the morning all I have to do is grab my bag and head out the door.

2. Pre-make your meals

Making and eating breakfast in the morning can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes! I like to hack this by making my breakfast the night before: 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 raw oats, 1 tsp raw cacao powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. I mix it all up in a tupperware container and take it along with me to class. If you're in a lecture hall then you're able to eat whenever you get hungry, there usually aren't rules against food in a lecture hall. If you're in a program like mine, you won't be allowed food in the class room because of the technology. In this case, odds are you professor will provide you with a break half way through (my class is 8am-11am and we usually get a break between 9am and 9:30am) when you can eat, drink, and use the washroom. I also pre-make my lunch the night before so I'm not stuck at school having to buy something over-priced and unhealthy from the cafeteria and it doesn't add any extra time to my morning routine. The easiest way for me to pre-make my lunch is by making enough of my dinner to take along the next day!

3. Lay out clothes in advance

Choosing an outfit in the morning can be an absolute chore! I always find trying to put an outfit together in a rush frazzles me and makes the task harder. I choose 2 outfits the night before; one fancy outfit and one more casual outfit. This gives me options! When I do this I lay out everything including bra, panties, shoes, etc.

4. Perfect a go-to look
The last thing you want to have to worry about in the morning is how to tackle the task that is hair and makeup. Having a quick makeup routine for busy days is a really helpful hack. Mine includes concealer, powder foundation, blush, highlight, mascara, and filling in my brows. Hair takes me the longest to figure out in the morning- it's definitely not my forte. Because of this, I have a few quick goto hair styles for day 1, day 2, and day 3 hair that I shared in this post!

5. Wake up tech-free
Yes, this does sound daunting and impossible, but I can honestly say that avoiding all social media in the morning really helps to speed everything along! I find that I can save myself about half an hour in the mornings just by not checking social media right away! If you think about it, spending just 5 minutes catching up on each major social media platform; FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest  and Snapchat, adds up to 25 minutes. Throw YouTube into the mix and you're looking at a good chunk of time! My best advice is to keep your phone on airplane mode so you're not tempted by notifications. Get through your whole morning routine and then check social media when you're all ready for the day!

My Morning Routine for an 8am Class
5:45am: wake up, stretch in bed
6:00am: get out of bed, get glass of water
6:05am: yoga sun-salutation
6:20am: bathroom/skincare routine
6:35am: go-to hair and makeup
6:45am: get dressed
6:50am: get lunch bag from fridge and pack into school bag
7:00am: head out the door and walk to bus stop
7:20am: catch bus to school, check social media on bus
7:45am: arrive at college and head to class

I hope these 5 tips will be useful to some of you who are stuck in the 8am club! If you have any hacks I could use for my morning routine do let me know! What does your early morning consist of?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

School Day Routine + Fitting in Exercise | Saturday Series: Back to School 4 of 4

Well... I start school in 3 days! I'm so excited (and very nervous). Because I'm so type A, OCD, I've already planned out my school routine for each day that I have classes.

Monday

6:30am: Wake up, quick shower, brush teeth, wash face

7:00am: Get dressed, do makeup and hair

7:30am: Eat breakfast, wash the dishes

7:55am: Get my things together, head out the door

8:10am: Catch the bus

8:40am: Arrive at college

9:00am: First class of the day!

11:00am: Class ends, eat a snack

11:15am: Free time, can stay at school or go home, or go do errands etc

12:30pm: Lunch

1:00pm: Second class: a lab

4:00pm: Class ends, munch on a snack

4:15pm: Catch bus home

5:00pm: Start preparing dinner

6:00pm: Dinner time, clean up dishes

7:00pm: Free evening (workout)

Tuesday

6:30am: Wake up, quick shower, brush teeth, wash face

7:00am: Get dressed, do makeup and hair

7:30am: Eat breakfast, wash the dishes

Day off school, get laundry done and do meal prep, run errands, clean apartment, workout etc.

Wednesday

6:30am: Wake up, quick shower, brush teeth, wash face

7:00am: Get dressed, do makeup and hair

7:30am: Eat breakfast, wash the dishes

8:00am: Free time (workout)

12:30pm: Lunch

1:00pm: More free time

2:15pm: Catch bus to school

3:00pm: Class

5:00pm: Class ends, catch bus home

5:45pm: Prepare dinner, eat, tidy up dishes

7:00pm: Free Time

Thursday

6:30am: Wake up, brush teeth, wash face

6:50am: Get dressed, do makeup and hair

7:00am: Eat breakfast, wash the dishes

7:15am: Catch bus to school

8:00am: Class

11:00am: Class ends, snack!

11:15am: Head home

12:30pm: Lunch

1:00pm: Free time (workout)

5:15pm: Catch bus to school

6:00pm: Class

8:00pm: Class ends

Friday

6:30am: Wake up, quick shower, brush teeth, wash face

7:00am: Get dressed, do makeup and hair

7:30am: Eat breakfast, wash the dishes

8:00am: Free time (workout)

9:15am: Catch bus to school

10:00am: Class

12:00pm: Quick snack/lunch between classes

2:00pm: Class ends, head home

3:30pm: Snack

3:50pm: Free time

6:30pm: Eat dinner, tidy dishes

7:15pm: Free time

As you can see, I've got a lot of areas that are free time where I have slotted in a workout. Of course, this is tentative and subject to change depending on what I need to get done each day and how much homework I have- I'm also hoping to get a part time job!

Keeping a schedule is so important to me, I'm someone who thrives off routine. Slotting time for a workout is important to me because it's my stress release and helps me to feel relaxed.

I hope you enjoyed my school routine plan and even more, I hope that you are inspire to squeeze in workouts where you can! Just because you're on your own and heading college doesn't mean you have to let those freshman 15 get to you! Best of luck in school!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn