MIA!

I have been MIA for too long! I am feeling inspired and ready for some change in my house! The cheapest way to makeover a room is paint right? Although I love the color in my house right now, we don't get a lot of sunlight which makes the color seam dark. So, since adding windows is a little extreme and I am sure it's expensive,  I decided that I want to repaint a brighter, lighter, color! So I need your help! What is your favorite gray wall color? 

In the mean time, it is time to start working on Kaden's room. Now that he is three, I should probably start taking the baby stuff out of there! Gotta be honest... I am a little sad. My baby isn't such a baby anymore! I am not ready to get rid of any baby stuff, so I will find a nice little place in the garage for it. Shhh.. don't tell Brian! He says we have too much in the garage. 

(He is right, I might be border line hoarder! At least there is a pathway!) 

Anyways, I started with his bedding. I ordered the blue and white rugby bedding collection from Target. Only cost me $30 for the comforter and sham, plus I got free shipping for using my Target card... if you don't have one you should. It's not a credit card, it is linked right up to your checking account. You get free shipping online, 5% discount every time you use it, and it makes returns so easy! You can go here to order the bedding. 

My next project for his room will be from Pinterest. We are going to take out his changing table that is holding his books and toys and replace it with this shelving. What do you think? I can't wait to get started and of coarse I will share all the details with you!

Lemon Basil Spaghetti

I love this recipe! It started with a recipe that I found on Pinterest but I made a few adjustments for my family.

Lemon Basil Spaghetti

2-3 Chicken breasts

1 package of whole wheat spaghetti

1 package of pine nuts

4-5 basil leaves

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chicken broth

Juice of 1 lemon plus the zest

Salt and pepper chicken and add to a frying pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil. While that chicken is cooking, boil the spaghetti noodles by following the instructions on the box. Using a small frying pan, toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Watch them closely, they burn quickly... I learned the hard way! When the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and to the pan and add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute then add chicken broth, lemon juice and flour mixture. Stir to get all those yummy bits from the chicken mixed in. Once the mixture starts to thicken then add to the strained spaghetti. Also add the parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and basil. Cube chicken and add to the top.

HOW TO MAKE A DOLLAR STORE SKULL LOOK.... BETTER?!

If you know me, you know that I like to save money any way I can by shopping at garage sales, thrift stores, and the dollar store. 

Most of my Halloween decorations come from there, but as far as looks go.... well they look cheap! 

So I like to give them a little love! 

Over the next couple weeks I will be posting my tips and tricks to decorating for Halloween with dollar store decor. The first one is from the Halloween display that I posted on Instagram today. 

Have you seen it? You should, it's a giveaway that I am doing. Go find me @simplykatiegraham and see how to enter. 

Anyways, I bought some skulls, but they needed some help. I used some Krylon spray paint to give them a less plastic look. 

Once that dried I used some Valspar tintable glaze. It costs about $20 at Lowes, and they can tint it to any color that you want. I bought black and brown about 2 years ago and still have at least half in each can. It will last you a long time. Brush that all over the skull. 

While the glaze is still wet you want to use a rag, napkin, cloth, or paper towel to wipe off all the excess. It doesn't have to look perfect! In fact the the more imperfect it looks the better. Then you just let it dry.

That's it. A few little steps can make this plastic looking dollar store skull look real.

Healthy Chicken Wrap

This is a quick, easy, and healthy dinner that my family loves.


Easy and Healthy Chicken Wraps
Tortillas (I like to buy the uncooked ones from Costco... only 5 simple ingredients. Click here to see ingredients)
Roasted chicken (I also buy this from Costco... we like Costco!)
Turkey bacon
Tomatoes
Avocado
Lettuces or mixed greens
Soft cheese spread (We use Boursin garlic and herbs, also all natural)

We just pile it all up on the tortilla, red onions would be good too. Kambree had 2 servings tonight, both my kids love it. I love it because they actually eat it and it's easy!

Kitchen Table

A year ago I bought this table from a garage sale site. It was only $30 which was an awesome deal! Thinking that I could have it done in just a few weeks, I decided to sell my old table.

I thought that by selling it and not having a kitchen table would be motivation to get it done... wrong! 

Not having a Kitchen table just made me realize how stupid I was for selling it so quickly. Plus, this table was in such bad shape! It even had "I love Mom" carved in it!

It got cold here, it was never snowing or anything, but it was too cold for me to sit outside and work on the table. The owner before me did such a horrible paint job on the table that it needed to be stripped and sanded. 

After stripping the first chair I knew I needed to call for help!

So, I called my sister-in-law Amanda. I knew that she loved doing this kind of stuff so it was perfect! wrong again! She moved to California so I was left once again to get this table done with no help.

Don't get me wrong, stripping paint isn't hard. I have done it before lots of times, but they are usually flat surfaces. These chairs and legs were going to be the death of me! 

So, I decided to give up and wait until it was warm again plus I had our ward Christmas party to plan which took up a lot of my time.

Spring came.... I went outside and sanded the top of the table! I was so proud of myself! The top of the table had things carved in it and it took me forever to sand! The top was easy though compared to those chairs, I took a look at those chairs and legs and gave up again.

Summer hit. Brian started asking me when our table was going to get done and I said in the Fall. It was way to hot outside to work on this table. I wanted to wait for cooler weather, but one day Nicole came over and said lets work on your table and get it finished. She can get me to do anything (except dance! I don't have rhythm like she does!) So I said okay and we loaded up the table onto a wagon and walked it over to her house. (I miss those days!) She went to town on this table! She is amazing and does such a great job! She did all of the hard part while I sat and kept her company!

Sad I know!

We did make a deal though and she said she would finish my table if we had a girls night and went out with friends dancing at a club! At that point I wanted to call Brian up and have him come pick the table up and take it back to our house... so not me! She convinced me anyways and now I owe her a night out.

Well, fast forward a few days and they ended up moving last minute :( We brought the table back to my house and I was determined to finish it! Brian helped me a lot and we finally got it done!

It is so good to sit at a nice table and have a family dinner! I was getting so sick of using the patio table and chairs.

So I learned a few lessons here...

1. I am a procrastinator, I don't like doing hard things!

2. Next time I will just hire Nicole to paint my table (she takes custom orders!)

3. Next time I wont sell my table until the project is complete!

Healthy Ice Cream?

Sometimes (actually, all the time) I feel like I need a treat. I decided to make the banana ice cream that I see all over Pinterest. Have you tried it? I have done it a couple times for the kids and they love it. Here is what used.

3/4 - 1 cup of sliced frozen bananas

1-2 Tbsp of almond milk

1 Tbsp peanut butter powder

1 Tbsp chocolate Shakeology (or you could use cocoa)

That's it. Blend it all up. Hopefully you have a better blender than I do. I had banana chunks in mine... It was still good and healthy! Yum!

Shakeology 101

Protein and Essential Amino Acids can help you:
- Build and repair muscles
- Reduce hunger and food cravings
- Promote ideal blood sugar levels
- Support brain function to help promote alert thinking and positive mood
- Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails

and guess what... You get protein and amino acids in your daily serving of Shakeology!

Shakeology 101

One of Shakeology's superfoods is Kamut Grass... here are a few facts about this grain-
Kamut has a sweet or nutty flavor. Kamut has a higher nutritional value than wheat! It is considered a high-energy grain. Kamut is 2x larger than wheat and studies show it is is non-allergenic.

What can Kamut Grass do for you?
-40% more protein than wheat
-Higher in lipds than wheat
-65% more amino acids than wheat (tryptophan, leucine, tyrosine, alanine and glycine)
-More vitamins and minerals than wheat (Folic Acid, Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C and E)
-30% more Vitamin E than wheat
-Cholesterol free
-Superior protein levels
-Cleanses the blood and detoxifies our cells to restore health and vitality.
-Effective therapy for ulcerative colitis (according to Israel Institute of Technology)
-Lightweight protein for vegetarians
-Anti-aging properties and the potential to normalize pH balance.

SHAKEOLOGY 101

WHAT IS SHAKEOLOGY?

Shakeology is the most delicious, nutrient-dense, superfood-packed protein shake on the planet.

It contains more than 70 natural ingredients derived from rich, nutrient-dense whole-food sources from around the world.
Shakeology is so incredibly healthy, no other single food item out
there can supply you with all the nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and
minerals in the amounts you need the way one delicious shake can.

Not only does it provide a wide range of essential nutrients from the fruits and vegetables you should be eating every day, you'll also reap the benefits of incredibly nutritious food you'd otherwise never have the opportunity to eat

Shakeology truly is NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED. I can't imagine not drinking it and I have NEVER felt better!

Shakeology 101

Did you know that Shakeology has 30+ super foods in just one serving?

These super foods come from all over the world including SACHA INCHI which is a plant that grows in the highlands of Peru. 

Not only is sacha inchi a super food but it is a great source of protein which makes this Shakeology ingredient twice as good for you.

-An organic vegetable protein that's easily assimilated
-Naturally rich in good fats and fiber, which help control your appetite
-Helps promote the body's natural anti-inflammatory response
-Has a high concentration of omega fatty acids—providing a perfect balance of omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9

GIVEAWAY!

Okay everyone, I am so excited for this giveaway! One lucky winner will receive this cute jar with a chalkboard tag, along with 3 samples of Shakeology in the flavor of your choice!

Here is how this one is going to work. Everyday for the next 2 weeks you have a chance to enter your name into the drawing... this means 14 possible entries total if you participate every day! 

Since I am promoting a healthy lifestyle change I want you to post a picture on Instagram of a healthy choice you make that day. 

It can be anything like eating something healthy (a snack, dinner, lunch, anything), going on a walk, running, working out, anything active, drinking LOTS of water, getting 8 hours of sleep, or even throwing away those cookies in your cupboard. 

Get creative! 

Post your healthy lifestyle change pictures on Instagram, tag me in the photo @simplykatiegraham and use the hash tag #simplykatiegiveaway so I can see all your healthy changes! 

One entry per day. I will draw a winner on Monday, September 2nd.

Happy Instagraming and good luck!!

Powdered Organic Peanut Butter

I added a tablespoon of this powdered organic peanut butter to my Shakeology today. 

I am not going to lie, I was nervous about trying powdered peanut butter because I thought it would taste nasty, but seriously this blew me away! 

Same peanut butter taste in my shake without the extra calories and fat! 

Bye bye natural creamy peanut butter... hello powder! 

Seriously, if you drink a lot of shakes, go get this! 

I found mine at a health food store while in California this last weekend! 

Powder: 45 calories 
Natural creamy: 190 calories 
Powder: 90 mg sodium 
Natural creamy: 125 mg sodium 
Powder: 1.5 g fat 
Natural creamy: 17 g fat

Shape Tape

Have you heard of shape tape by Frogtape? Every time I pass this at Lowes I think to myself that I should get this. Finally, the other day Brian was at Lowes and picked some up for me. Such a good hubby! So I pulled out a few scrap pieces of wood from the mess in my garage and started crafting away. I had no idea what my plan was, I just picked a few colors from my stash of paints and started painting. 

Have any of you tried doing chevron print before? I have and it was a pain! On my old project, I wanted everything even, so I grabbed a ruler and started making staring lines. When all that was done I started making my diagonals to get the chevron shape. It was a pain and took forever! So Frogtape is genius for thinking of this shape tape! Seriously... it is so easy to use and saves so much time!

Here is what I did made with the tape...

1. First paint or stain your piece of wood and let dry. You can find pieces of wood like this at any craft or home improvement store. Use shape tape and cut to fit your piece of wood. Remove the back and stick to your dry piece of wood. Press down firmly all over the tape so the paint doesn't spread. 

2. Paint the areas that are not covered by tape. Make sure to cover everything completely. Then pull the tape off and let dry. 

3. While the paint dries, print a letter from your computer. My printer was out of ink so I traced it from the screen. Ghetto, I know! I didn't want to wait to get to the store to! So after I traced my letter I took some chalk and colored the back of the paper that my letter was on. Then I flipped it over, placed it on the spot that I wanted it and used a pencil to trace the letter. When you remove the paper you should see an outline of your letter. 

4. I used a small brush and painted in the outline of the letter. I also painted the sides of the wood with the same color as my letter. 

5. After letting the paint dry again, I painted the letter and sides with modge podge and covered in glitter. The modge podge will dry clear.

 That was it. This letter K is going into Kambree's room once I find some shelves to put in there. I also decided to do one with a G for our last name.  It was fun, quick, and easy! Plus, I have a ton left over for more projects. I love this tape and you can use it for so many fun and creative things!