This past weekend I traveled to Salt Lake City, UT with my awesome roommate, Taylor, to attend a Washington State University vs. Utah State University's college football game. I have never been to a college football game before, and couldn't have wished for a better, first experience! I am originally from Utah; you would think I was cheering for the Utes, but I sure wasn't! You see, Taylor's dad is one of the coaches for WSU, so of course I was cheering for them! ;) #traitorandproudofit Oh, and the best part.... the Cougs won by one point!

Salt Lake City bound!!

Rainy, cloudy, wet, but still beautiful.

The team getting on the bus about to head to the stadium!

Have you ever attended a football game where it down-poured the entire time, and all you could cover yourself with is a thin plastic poncho?! Yeah... I hadn't either, UNTIL NOW, ha ha. Grey clouds covered the beautiful city of Salt Lake all weekend; I wasn't complaining, though! Rainy days are my favorite, especially when you can eat breakfast inside a cute bakery such as Kneaders, have a warm cup of hot cocoa or coffee, and watch the raindrops swim down the cold, glass window, all while listening to classical music. Yes, we did this on the morning of Saturday before exploring City Creek Mall.

And of course there I am... doing what I always do... taking pictures :P

We stayed two nights in The Marriott hotel, located smack-dab in the middle of downtown. Wow. That's all I could think when stepping inside the gold-swinging doors. It was absolutely beautiful. The hospitality was amazing; right as we pulled up Taylor and I were greeted by the valet men who opened our door, helped take our bags inside, and took our car to the parking garage. The view from our room (on the ninth floor) was breath-taking (the first picture up above). There is something about those bright city lights...and my most favorite part of the hotel was the restaurant that was located inside of it, La Belle (I will be writing a separate post dedicated to La Belle, soon).

And of course, my most favorite part of the entire trip was....... THE FOOD!!!! I am a total, and complete #foodie at heart. I swear I was trying to capture a picture of every single delicious thing I ate, but that was a challenge. Why? Oh, because Tay likes to make fun of me for taking pictures of EVERYTHING!... I can't help it, ha ha. This was my first time meeting Taylor's parents....thank goodness Tami, Taylor's mom, didn't think I was some crazy person for stopping every five seconds for a picture! :P I think everyone feels like they are allowed to eat more treats than usual while on vacation, and I couldn't agree more! A few of the yummies that I treated myself to were: buttery/stadium popcorn, creamy/chocolatey hot cocoa, creamy/sweet/vanilla custard filled chocolate crepes, warm/oatmeal w/ crunch granola, fruit, and brown sugar, and soft bread rolls dipped in olive oil & vinegar.

Breakfast at Kneaders :) Pumpkin Bread, Coffee, and an egg white omelet.

Japanese Chicken bowl for lunch!

Food/Dessert at the La Belle <3

Dessert at the La Belle <3

Buttery, stadium popcorn!

Late night cravings called for a slice of Tiramisu cake!

Road trip snack, of course!

I would love to hear about your weekend; It's storytime! Ready....... GO! :)

I'm Linking Up With:

F R I D A Y || W E E K E N D P L A N S

Good morning, friends! I hope your Friday is starting off as well as mine is! So far this is what I have accomplished: 

1. Woke up (believe me.... that's a chore in itself)
2. Dragged my booty to the gym (did a nice full-body lifting workout)
3. Checked all social media updates (Pinterest, IG, Facebook, Bloglovin', ect.)
4. Ate breakfast (actually still eating it right now... what am I eating you ask? Oh, just those delicious Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares I posted on the blog a couple days ago...tastes like cake!!)
5. Watched am still watching The Today Show
6. Wrote am still writing a good morning post to all of you beautiful people :) 

 

W E E K E N D  P L A N S 

This weekend I will be headed to Salt Lake City, UT to attend a University of Utah vs. Washington State Cougars football game with my roomie! 

 

 

 

What do we plan on doing while there? Oh, we will probably go site-seeing around downtown Salt Lake City area, eat lots of yummy food, maybe go shopping (at the beautiful City Creek Mall), drink hot cocoa, laugh a lot, take lots of pictures (be aware that my social media accounts will be blowing up with photos this weekend), and make wonderful memories!

Do you have anything fun planned this for this weekend? :D

Blog-tember // Challenge // Relationship Status // SEP 13

R E L A T I O N S H I P  S T A T U S

Single.

Taken.

Hungry.

That pretty much sums it up..... Who else is hungry? :P

Okay, but getting a little less silly now..... I want to answer the following question at a different angle than most would expect: What's your current relationship status?

My current relationship status is great! I have many, many close relationships that I share with my family, friends (which includes my new, online blogger friends), food, doggies, coffee, laptop, comfy sweaters, photography, family traditions, holidays, bed, peanut butter, clothes, exercise, and so on and so forth..... Who say's this question has to be targeted towards a significant other? For those of you who don't have one of those at this time, think about all the other things you DO have close relationships with. Each day I am more and more grateful for all the new ones that I have built while in college, and in the online world, and for all the ones that have continued throughout the years.

      Photo found on: P I N T E R E S T

Sunday Post #2

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!! :D

Hello my friends, I hope that your Sunday is starting off right; I started mine off with this good ol' cup of coffee! It's pretty much delicious, and it's all because of this guy. Goodness, I cannot believe a whole week has already gone by! Let me do a little recap of my adventures since the last time we talked:

1. I went on the most perfect date with a very handsome guy! :) We went to a theme park to play put put golf, and then proceeded to have a delicious dinner under glowing lights! Not that this is relevant, but I had a delicious Greek chicken pita sandwich, and some warm/cheesy/creamy spinach & artichoke dip with toasted pita bread slices...... are you drooling yet? Words don't do this food justice.... I tried :(
2. I went to my school's club fair, and got to enjoy hanging out with my new, awesome friends, and also sign up for some new clubs!
3. I went SHOPPING for some new, fall clothes, which instantly put me in a fantastic mood! I don't know why, but adding a few new additions to my closest made my mood ten times better that particular day. Crazy how that works, huh?..... By the way, you all should go check out Old Navy's Labor Day sales! They. Rock.
4. Today I bought the ingredients to make this delicious Greek quinoa salad & these clean-eating berry muffins! I am going to portion the salad into mason jars, and eat it for lunch the rest of the week. As for the muffins, they will be my breakfast! (crossing my fingers they turn out yummy)!!
5. I started my lifting regime again!! #teammuscle For any of you that want to start working out and/or lifting, you should go check out bodybuilding.com. On the website you can find workouts to target certain muscle groups. 
6. I got a call from my little sissy saying that she got asked to her first, high school, homecoming dance!! Ahhhhh I was so excited for her, but at the same time.... it's bittersweet. I can't believe my baby sister is going to be going to her first dance already. On the bright side, I can't wait to help her pick out her first dress! :) 
7. Lastly, this morning, for the very first time....... I went to a Christian church. My good friend Jill (bless her heart for inviting me) had asked me last night if I wanted to go with her. Normally I would have made up an excuse as to why I couldn't go (because I like to stay home on Sunday's); however, an excited feeling crept over me, and I wanted to say yes! So I did just that, and let me tell ya friends....... I have never in my life felt so moved. I feel close to God today, and quite frankly, its one of the best feelings I've ever felt.

Say Yes to New Adventures

TOP LEFT: This is me doing my "I'm so nervous for my date tonight" look. But gladly, it all went well. Luck must have been on my shoulder the whole time! :P

TOP RIGHT: I woke up early on Friday morning in order to get in a nice 2-mile run before my classes started. I love running early enough to watch the sun rise; do you ever do this?  

BOTTOM LEFT: Sooooo Thursday was an EXTREMELY busy day for me, well, that's what it seemed like anyway. So in order to make it feel like all my hard work had been recognized for the day, I of course treated myself to a creamy, delicious cup of almond milk/vanilla malt frozen yogurt!! On top of this wonderfulness I had peanut butter M&M's, organic granola, one Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, crushed Butterfinger, and caramel turtles. It's basically the best thing on earth.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Tuesday's and Thursday's are some of my busiest days. I work out at 6 in the morning, and have to go straight from my workout to my 8 o'clock Spanish class. Time was pretty slim, and I had forgotten to bring something for breakfast to eat after my workout. So, I ran to the store to grab some of my favorites. A cold bottle of coffee paired with a chewy, energizing granola bar makes for a very awake me during class!

Blogs to Follow:

Back to Her Roots - I discovered Cassie's blog yesterday (after looking at another one of my favorite bloggers post). Cassie is an amazing food blogger, as well as a graphic designer, country gal, new mommy, and wife. She seems like the kind of person I'd love to call my friend!

Dearest Love - Thanks to Logan over at Logan Can, I discovered Jenna's blog. Every Friday Jenna hosts a link-up party called "Coffee Date" (that title alone made me excited to see what her blog was all about!) I would be pretty happy if I could go have coffee with her someday! She is a cute 2nd grade teacher that lives in Atlanta, and blogs about the wonderful things in life. Go have a look-see; you won't be disappointed!

Enjoying the Small Things - Wow. I am so incredibly happy I came across Kelle's blog. She is definitely a person you guys should follow. Not only is she a beautiful mama.... she is also a wife, writer, blogger, photographer, and so much more!

Random Links:

Ooey, Gooey Chocolate Chip & Toffee Bars

Must Have Shoes For Early Fall

15 Autumn Pumpkin Projects & Recipes

Summer Meets Fall With Pressed Flower Candles

Crisp Air

Chai-Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

Random Facts:

• I don't sing in the shower because I'm always afraid of someone hearing me... even when i'm the only one home
• I don't like wearing bras. Once I'm home, it's gone (well... unless I have company). Common ladies you know you do it too!
• I don't catch onto jokes as quickly as most people. If I don't get it, then I try and play it off like I do by laughing
• I eat peanut butter every day whether its on a rice cake, a banana, another kind of fruit, on my toast, or on my oatmeal pancakes
• Gum to me is like a cigarette to a smoker
• Country music has my heart
• I have been told I have vampire eyes, like the Cullens on Twilight 

Captures Of The Week

THIS WEEK I'M LINKING UP WITH:


Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep in touch with me through Instagram; I would love to chit chat with you! :)

--McKenna <3

Shut Up, I Think Your Gorgeous

Since I found some of that time that I had so sadly lost (due to school), I decided this subject was important enough to me to write about (even though it's not Sunday he he).

I am pretty upset right now, guys. As I sit here watching the new episode of "Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders - Making the Team", I am absolutely disgusted. At who? Well...... these two below.

I'm disgusted, not at Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell as people, but at their actions. During this particular episode, they let go of 3 amazing, beautiful, talented, healthy, muscular, fit women. Why? Oh ya know..... because they had gained "so and so" pounds since the last time they were on the team, and they "didn't fill out the uniform in the right way". I tell ya people..... I just wanted to throw my t.v. out the window and over the balcony right then. 

One of the most puzzling part of this episode was when Kelli and Judy told this girl (who had gained 13 pounds since the previous year) that most girls who are 5 ft. 3 inches (which is what she was) on their team weighed around 104 pounds.........

This really put things into perspective for me because about a little over one year ago, I myself, also 5 ft. 3 inches,  weighed 104 pounds. To say the least, I was NOT healthy. I still don't really believe that some of those girls weigh that much less, because on t.v. they look so much healthier than I did at 104 (in my opinion); they look muscular and fit. However, maybe they are, and maybe they ARE healthy. 

Okay, I don't want to get off track here. Okay take a look see at these girls below....

Each one of these girls has different bodies. They are all beautiful. They are all fit. They are all amazing dancers. Yet..... a girl may get kicked off just because she gained a few pounds while on break.... it's just sad. For some most of these girls, this is their dream. They have wanted to be a Cowboy's cheerleader ever since they were little, and unfortunately their dreams get crushed because they don't "fill out a uniform" in the "right" way. I would never in a million years crush someone's dream just because their body isn't proportioned a certain way (especially if that person is STILL an amazing dancer!). I understand that this team has standards, but really..... crush a woman's dream because she doesn't have a long torso & has a bit more skin on her hips?

Every little girl, young lady, woman is beautiful. Period. Never ever ever ever let anyone make you feel like you are less than you really are. Follow your dreams, and never give up. Show the world that you are more than a body. You. Are. So. Much. More.

Sunday Post #1

Oh my goodness, words cannot describe how good it feels to be back! Ever since I decided to only post on Sundays (due to lack of time throughout the week from school), I find myself daydreaming during class about a million different things I want to write about; do any other bloggers out there do this while at work, school, or elsewhere? #bloggerprobs

I have been trying to figure out how I want to go about these #sundayposts, and honestly, am still not quite settled on anything. Basically, today's post is my guinea pig; it might be a little random, but I promise it will be filled with lots of interesting and delightful "stuff".

Say Yes to New Adventures

 TOP LEFT: See that lady cheering? That's because the Uintah Utes (my hometown's high school football team) made an awesome play at there first home game (they ended up winning as well). After class this last Friday I raced home (3 hours) to watch my little sister, a member of the Uintah High U'ettes, perform at her first high school football game. Upon arrival I realized I had made a mistake in wearing cute, yellow shorts. Why? It looked like I was in Seattle, Washington; rain was on the way. After making it to the game, I watched in excitement as the score board time neared the half-time mark. 8 minutes....... 6 minutes.... 3 minutes.... 30 seconds.... 2 seconds left!!!..... THEN.... Rain. Everywhere... Teams running off the field.... parents, siblings, and students clearing the stands... umbrellas going up.... and here I am thinking, "SERIOUSLY!?!?! You couldn't have waited like..... 5 more minutes?" Long story short, they ended up finishing the game; however, the U'ette's did NOT get to perform. Sad. Day. Although I didn't get to see my sis perform during halftime, I did get to see her do some shorter, side-line routines before the rain came, which was just as great. She is a rock star. As I watched her dance and sit in the student section, I became quiet, and couldn't quite grasp the fact that she is now in high school, my little sis. It's bittersweet watching her grow up (I'm even getting choked up now), but more sweet than bitter. #proudoldersis

TOP RIGHT: For those of you who didn't see this earlier in the week, this is my FAVORITE snack/breakfast/side in the world! There are three reasons for that: there's peanut butter, there's honey, and there's bananas. That combination right there equals LOVE. It's also very filling, so if you are ever in need of a quick fix that keeps you full, try this out. Whatever you do though.... DO NOT forget to sprinkle cinnamon on top... you won't get the full, delicious effect!

BOTTOM LEFT: I mentioned on this picture that I would be putting the recipe up on the blog Sunday, and what-do-ya-know, it's Sunday! This (Strawberry Protein Oatmeal Pancakes) is one of my favorite breakfast meals. Not only does it fill me up, it provides for and fuels my body during the day. Here it is:

Ingredients

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 - 1/2 scoop strawberry protein powder
1/2 cup quick oats
splash almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkle cinnamon
Banana slices
Honey
Granola

Directions

Mix all ingredients together (in the above order). Pour entire mix into medium size fry pan for one large pancake. Top with banana slices, honey, granola, and/or peanut butter. Eat plain, drizzled with yogurt, or dipped in low-cal maple syrup. Enjoy :)

BOTTOM RIGHT: This right here is another one of my favorite snacks/pre-workout snacks! It's just a caramel corn rice cake with Jiff's whipped peanut butter, honey, banana slices, and cinnamon. Delicious. Nutritious. Low-cal. Filling. Yum!

Blogs to Follow:

The Daily Tay

Logan Can

Rivers & Roads

Oak and Oat's

East &


Random Links:

11 Thing I Wish I Knew Before Going To College

Teen Who Survived 2 Plane Crashes Achieves Basketball Dream

Why You Should Make New Years Resolutions In The Fall 

18 Healthy Sandwich Choices That Make Lunchtime Special

You'll Flip For These Pumpkin Pancakes


Stuff I Want to Tell You:

Yesterday........ I GOT A CAMERA!!!! I have been wanting a nicer, more professional camera for awhile now (mainly to improve my blog). After we went and got the camera (a Nikon D60) that my cousin sold to me (thanks Misty!), my sweet mom took the time to help me understand the camera before I went back to school.  I kept telling her that in a way I felt guilty for allowing her to help me, seeing as she has worked for over 4 years researching and reading to get to the place she's at today. Of course I still have a massive amount to do myself, but....basically I just feel super blessed to have such a humble mother. I also told her that she has a way with teaching, and should think about giving photography lessons; anyone who knows my mama probably agrees! Here is the link to her site if you want to check out her photos: Janece Kenney Photography.

To wrap up this weekend post, I'm going to share a few more photos that I took this morning, just because I'm tickled pink with how they turned out! :P I hope that you all have a wonderful week. Manage your time wisely so that you can lessen stress. Eat healthy. Eat treats, too. Exercise. Spend time with your family. Get enough sleep. Have goals to accomplish each day. Tell the ones dear to your heart that you love them. Make a new friend. Reach out to someone. And lastly, spoil yourself a little! :) I will talk with you all in one week! In the meantime.... follow my adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Lots of love -- McKenna <3

Palisade Peach Festival 2014

The following information is directly from the Palisade Peach Festival Website

A bit of history: Early historical records from The Museum of Western Colorado indicate that “Peach Days” was a popular event held in the late 1800s. Some of the first peach trees in the area were planted in 1882 by John Harlow and his wife, Jean. John built a canal system that brought water from the Colorado River into Palisade (which was finished in the late 1800's); by the early 1900's more than 25,000 pounds of peaches were being shipped daily from Palisade to destinations around the region. Palisade soon grew as a town and other fruit crops followed such as apples, apricots and cherries.

Today, Palisade peaches are the pride of Colorado, world-famous and shipped far and wide. They are sought after by people who drive hundreds of miles to taste the best and take several bushels home to preserve and enjoy throughout the year.

We didn't get a funnel cake, but if you've never had one....you're really missing out. It's basically fried bread covered in powdered sugar... are you slobbering yet?

My cute friend!!

Dun Dun Dun.... the FAMOUS Palisade Peach Ice Cream :) It was definitely worth spending my 3 bucks!

Soo..... this was new this year. Taylor was brave enough to do it! I on the other hand, stood on the sidelines and took pictures :)

There she goes! What a daredevil!

Of course, I couldn't NOT buy a bag of homemade kettle corn.... another thing that was definitely worth spending 3 bucks :)

That hair though!... Tay and I decided that this is what we want to be for Halloween this year.... thoughts? :)

To anyone who plans on going next year, I recommend going around 7 or 7:30 in the evening (it ends at 9 PM). Why? The weather was perfect; it wasn't scorching hot. Last year when I went with my family we went in the middle of the day, and will never do so again (unless of course we want to be wiping beads of sweat off our foreheads the entire time.... isn't that cute).

 From the homemade peach ice cream, to the 80's party jam afterwards, and everything in-between, Tay, my roommate/buddy ol' pal, and I had such a great time at the festival this year! I hope you enjoyed the pictures, and have a wonderful, relaxing, peaceful Sunday :)

-- McKenna <3