Decking the Halls 2012

 Now that the advent calendar is out of the way, I've had a couple minutes to finish some other Christmas projects. My aunt showed me these cute elves last year. She also showed me a picture of the ladder her husband was making, for the elves to climb. I grabbed up the elves on clearance last year, and made the ladder today. I think it turned out really cute. May just have to make another ladder next year to lean against the Christmas tree, and have an elf decorating the tree....oh, the possibilities....

 

 Here's a Santa wreath that I saw on Pinterest. It was pretty easy to make and I think it turned out cute. (He does need round, smaller glasses, but I haven't found any yet)

 

This is another Pinterest craft. I saw these canvases by Lindsey Letters. She hand paints her calligraphy on them, and they sell for $200-350 each!! I LOVE it, but not that much. So I set out to create my own. With a $13 canvas, and some vinyl lettering, I made my own for under $20. Score!

 This is a painting that I fell in love with at Hobby Lobby. My husband found out that I wanted it and he bought it for me. When we got it home and went to hang it up, I read the poem on the back and found out it's a Greg Olsen! I love his work.

 Here's the poem on the back:

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

By the magical light of a small Christmas candle
A little old man tries to carefully handle

The small porcelain manger which serves as a bed
For the wee Baby Jesus to lay down His head.

In wonder he brings the manger up to his view,
Smiles at the baby and whispers, “I love you!

I love you for bringing this season of joy,
I love you for growing to a man from a boy;

For being our light and leading the way,
For being the spirit which makes Christmas Day!

You’ve been my mentor, my model, my hero and guide,
Please continue to help me and stay by my side.

I’ve tried to follow your teachings and give as you gave,
Reminding all to be kind and that it’s wise to behave.

Help me to serve others and bring them your light,
Especially the children, please bless them tonight!

Some have so very little, scarce food for their table,
You know how it feels - you were born in a stable!

Bless all their mothers and fathers with a knowledge that’s sure,
The best gift they can give is their love, strong and pure.

That’s the Spirit of Christmas when all’s said and done,
God’s gift of love, that came as His Son!”

Then back to His mother the child is returned
The Nativity glows as the candle is burned.

In a wink the little old man slips quietly away
Some say he goes up the chimney and climbs in a sleigh.

Whatever the case, His mission is clear -
Give unto others, bringing love and good cheer.

He flies into the night and bids us adieu
Doing for others what Jesus would do!

Greg Olsen - 2009

Thanks to Hobby Lobby, I was able to get a large one (larger than on his personal website), and for a ton cheaper. They were 50% off so I snagged a large one for about $65-matted and framed!!

Advent Calendar Challenge

After today, I can officially admit to myself that I'm crazy! I know, I know. Most of you learned that the first time you met me (or maybe the second time). But I'm pretty good at rationalizing to myself that I'm "normal" and everyone else is just a little slow. Sorry! Hehe.

But now I know and I can say it-My name is Karisa and I'm crazy!

It all started shortly after Christmas last year. I was surfing the cooking blogs and found a post by Sara, from Our Best Bites. She had a post about "trapping her kids in a snowglobe". It looked like so much fun that I ran out to CVS and found snowglobes so we could do this activity this year.

Anyways, along with the post about snowglobes, she did a separate post on her advent calendar, because she had so many comments and questions about it. It's just that adorable! Here's the link if you want to check it out. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/12/advent-calendar-ideas/

Way down at the bottom of the post Sara writes, "If anyone attempts to make one, I want to see pictures!" Yep, that's the line that did me in. How could she issue me a challenge?!?! ARGH!!! I was sucked in, hook, line and sinker.

For the last year, this project has filled up an entire shelf in my craft room. I'd pull it out, cut a little, and back into the closet it went. It was a HUGE project, in more ways that one. My first issue was that I wanted to copy Sara's exactly. That's my downfall....I ran to JoAnn's and of course, they didn't have red corduroy. Man, why can't projects be easy!?!? So I went with burgundy, and from there I just started changing more and more. And I've learned that it's ok!!! I convinced myself that I could make a few changes and maybe even make it look a little better-forgive me Pottery Barn!

Today, over 11 months later, it is done! And I love it!

I made the mistake of asking my boys about advent calendars this last week. My youngest said, "I'm not really into those." My oldest said he just wanted it filled with chocolate. Seriously!?!? Part of me wanted to scream my head off and just tell him I'll go to the Dollar Tree and get an advent calendar filled with chocolate if that's all he wanted. So huffed and puffed for awhile, and put the project back in the closet for a week, and then I calmed down. I decided that if chocolate is what my son enjoys, then he's just going to have the most adorable chocolate advent calendar in the world!!

As for Pottery Barn, I think these calendars are totally worth the $100 you were selling them for! I totally would have spent that on it, knowing what I do now!! But I'm glad I did it. I have a very short attention span and this made me really commit to something and stick with it. Thanks, Sara!

The Great Ohio Powdered Milk Taste Test

I'm the Emergency Preparedness Specialist in my ward, and this month we were focusing on the dreaded powdered milk. I  know, most of you are probably making gagging sounds right now, huh? But I'm here to tell you that powdered milk has come a long ways, since our youth.

In the past I have stocked up on the LDS Home Storage Center's powdered milk. One day we ran out of milk so I made some of this up to drink, and we ended up spitting it out. It was horrible and left such an aftertaste. Ever since, I've been on the hunt for a milk that my family would drink.

I do have to say that I cook with the LDS Home Storage Center's milk. It's the most inexpensive-even cheaper than our current fresh gallon of milk in the store. It's easy to just add 3 TBSP. of powder and a cup of milk, into any recipe that calls for 1 cup fresh milk. (I don't even bother mixing it up beforehand)

There are 3 kinds of nonfat dry milk (NDM)-regular or non-instant, crystallized instant and instant.

Regular NDM is sold at the Church cannery, dairy co-ops and at some health food stores. It is very fine and almost feels like flour. It is the least expensive of the three kinds, and has the least volume per dry weight. It is usually the most difficult to mix by hand, usually requiring it to be mixed with warm water, to help it dissolve. It requires 2/3-3/4 cup powder to make 1 quart.

 Crystallized instant NDM is sold through food storage companies. It has 10% more volume than regular NDM and requires 3/4-1 cup to make a quart. It is a powder also, but the individual grains are more noticeable.

 Instant NDM is sold in grocery stores. It has very large granules and has twice the volume of regular NDM. It requires 1 1/3 cups to make 1 quart milk.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, here's what we did. We sampled 10 different milks, 1 regular fresh skim milk, 1 powdered milk alternative, 1 non-instant powdered milk and 7 instant powdered milks. 10 probably was a bit much, but I really didn't want to show a preference towards a certain company, so I made sure I included most of the main ones that I can purchase online. Each sample was given a letter, A-J. Even I didn't know which one was which, so I had the chance to sample them too.

We used a little rating card, with the numbers 1-5 on them. "1" was for "poor", and "5" was for "excellent". (When I did a taste test last year, I had them try to rank the five samples from best to worst, but that didn't work too well) Also a space was left for comments on each milk.

I took the results and figured out the average score (added them all up and divided by number of results), range (lowest to highest score), and mode (most frequent score given). 

Because I don't live in Utah, I have to order all the milks online and have them shipped. The shipping rates varied greatly so I gave that information out on my handout (see below)

Here's the results:

H-Meijer Fresh Skim Milk

No, I wasn't trying to be sneaky. I figured that if we were comparing powdered milks to fresh milk, I needed a control sample to see how well the fresh milk scored. Our milk is currently around $2.79/gallon for the fresh skim. It scored 3.89 average, 2-5 range and 4 mode. Only comment made was "edible".
A-Augason Farms' Country Fresh




 This milk retails for $11.25 and is currently on sale for $9.56 per #10 can. It contains approx. 39-1 cup servings. According to the directions, it takes 5 1/3 cups powder per gallon! I called the company on this because I thought they were incorrect. This milk looks like a crystallized, almost regular NDM. I thought it should have taken way less. The customer service rep. put me on hold and talked to marketing, and they assured me that the directions were correct. So this one comes to around $4.62/gallon. It scored the lowest rating, with an average of 1.35, range 1-3, and mode 1. Some of the comments were "no bueno", "horrible", "watery", "tastes like a box" and several stated "aftertaste".

I had ordered a large can of this, 1 1/2 weeks before our taste night, so I would have samples. It didn't show up in time, and in fact, still hadn't shipped, 2 weeks later. So I called the company and asked for it to be canceled, as I didn't want to even give it out-it was that bad. I'm just wondering if using a lesser amount of powder would make it taste better?

B-Grandma Country Foods' Country Cream


According to the label, this can makes 20 full quarts, or 5 gallons. It's priced at $17.99 a can. This can really frustrated me. On the can label, it shows mixing instructions for five different quantities: 1 serving, 1 quart, 1 gallon, 5 gallon and cream-like. If you use the formulas they give, and convert them all to gallon quantities, they aren't the same:

1 serving              2 Tbsp. powder to 1 cup water
1 quart                  2/3 cup-1 cup powder to 4 cups water
1 gallon                2 2/3 cup-3 cups powder to 16 cups water
5 gallons              whole can to 80 cups water

So if I use the "1 serving" instructions, and make 1 gallon,  it will take 32 Tbsp. powder-which is 2 cups.

If I use the "1 quart" instructions, and make 1 gallon, I would use 2 2/3 cups-4 cups powder.

If I use the "gallon" instructions, it's 2 2/3 cups to 3 cups powder.

And if we use the "5 gallon" instructions, the can held about 12 cups so it would be just under 2 1/2 cups powder per gallon.

So it ranges from 2 cups/gallon to 4 cups/gallon! I called the company and talked to them about the issue I was having. They told me that it's all about "personal taste". I acknowledged that, but stated that I was conducting a taste test and wanted to know which was the best ratio to use. The lady was very nice and she told me that she would talk to the owners and bring it to their attention.

I decided that I'd shoot for the middle and go with 3 cups/gallon. That means a can makes about 3 gallons, instead of the 5 gallons they claim, and it's about $4.17/gallon.

This one scored the best, out of the 7 Instant Nonfat Powdered 100% milks that we tried. It had a 3.17 average rating, 2-5 range and 2 & 4 mode. Some of the comments were "best", "not great", "just like 1%" and "ehh, ok".

C-Walmart's Great Value



I purchased this one at the local Walmart, in a 25 oz. box, for $6.99 plus tax. It had the largest granules of all of milks tested. It takes 5 1/3 cups powder per gallon of water. It only makes 2 gallons per box, and averages $3.50/gallon. It scored 2.81 average, 1-5 range and 3 mode. Some comments were "pretty good" and "watery".

D-Honeyville

Sorry, poor graphic. They only have one milk-Instant non-fat dry milk. It was $14.69/can, takes 2 2/3 cups powder/gallon, and makes about 48 1-cup servings. This comes to $4.90/gallon. It had an average score of 2.25, range 1-5, and mode 1, 2 and 3 tied. Comments included: "aftertaste" and "watery".

E-Maple Island's Abby's Best






Maple Island graciously sent me a one pound sample of their milk, for the taste test. So thank you to Maple Island! However, there were no instructions sent. So I emailed the company and asked for nutritional information and mixing instructions. They emailed me these instructions:

INSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS

• ONE QUART NONFAT MILK
• Add 3.2 oz (91g) (1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups) Instant Nonfat Dry Milk to 3 ¾ cup (900mL) of water.

• FIVE QUARTS NONFAT MILK
• Add one lb. Instant Nonfat Dry Milk to 18 ¾ cups (4.4 L) of water.

• 25 QUARTS NONFAT MILK
• Add five lbs. Instant Nonfat Dry Milk to 93 ¾ cups (22 L) of water.

At first I didn't question them. However, I decided that I wanted to inquire about how many gallons each can could make, as many of the other samples had varying amounts of powder in them. So I emailed the company and asked how much I could make from a can, and I was told "15 quarts". I did a little math using the instructions they gave me, and realized something was wrong. A #10 can only holds 13 cups, and they were telling me that the can had  20-24 cups of powder, depending on which ratio I used (1 1/3 cups or 1 2/3 cups). So I emailed them back and told them that there was no way a can made 15 quarts. So they emailed me again, and this time, they actually sent a photocopy of the can label. One the label it states that it takes 2 2/3 cups powder per gallon. That's less than 1/2 of what they originally quoted me, and made more sense. So I used the 2 2/3 cups/gallon and that works out to be about $2.55/gallon, or $9.58/can. This one averaged a 2 score, 1-4 range and mode was 1 & 2 (tied).

Can label says it has a 3 year shelf life.

F-Emergency Essentials' Provident Pantry (Fortified)








This milk is $14.50/can and makes about 45-1 cup servings. It takes 4 cups of powder and averages out to $5.16/gallon. It scored 2.31 average, 1-5 range and 2 mode. Comments included: "nasty" and "Mmmm!"


G-Shelf Reliance's Thrive Instant


I was really excited to taste test this one, as I used to be a consultant for Shelf Reliance. I loved their instant milk and stocked up on it, after my very first taste test. Then, in March 2012, Shelf Reliance changed the formula to their milk and many consultants and customers have been complaining that the new milk isn't as good. I haven't purchased any of the new milk so I borrowed some from another consultant. It is currently priced at $21.69/can, makes approx. 33-1 cup servings, and takes 3 cups powder/gallon. This comes to a whopping $6.55/gallon! Yes, $6.55/gallon. (I know, I can hear all the consultants out there saying, "but I can tell you how to get it 1/2 off, if you'll host a party!") It scored a 2.53 average, 1-5 range, and 3 mode. Comments included: "sweet" and "tastes like iron".

I-Augason Farms' Morning Moos (Milk Alternative)


This is a milk alternative. What does that mean? It means it's made from whey, soy and a whole lot of other crap. Here's the ingredient list: sweet whey, creamer (coconut oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, sugar, diglycerides, polysorbate 80), sodium silicoaluminate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, soy lecithin, nonfat milk, sugar, guar gum, vitamin A and vitamin D.

It costs $15.75/can, makes 96-1 cup servings and takes 2 cups powder/gallon. It comes to about $2.63/gallon. It scored the highest average (except for the fresh milk) with a 3.33 average, 1-5 range, and 5 mode. Comments included: "not bad" and "most creamy".

J-LDS Home Storage Center Nonfat Milk












This is the milk that I use to cook with (but not drink!). To me, it has a nasty aftertaste. But I learned that there are many out there that love the taste, which surprised me! It costs $8.60/can, makes 69-1 cup servings, and takes 3 cups powder/gallon. It comes to $1.99/gallon. I decided that if I was mixing all the other samples with cold water, I'd go ahead and do that to this one. I used a mixing pitcher and it worked okay. Yes, there was a little powder stuck to the plunger, but not bad at all. It scored a 2.86 average, 1-5 range and 2 mode. Comments included: "aftertaste", "watery", "sour" and "nutty". Several people scored it at a 4, and even one a 5- what where they thinking!?!?! ROFL

 Here are all the results, in chart form:

 

The Great Ohio Powdered Milk Taste Test
Milk Name	Fortified? Vit. A & D	Cost/        #10 Can	Cups Dry Milk/  Gallon	Number of cups you can make from one #10 can	Cost per gallon of milk	Test Sample	Average Taste Score 1=low, 5=high	Test Score (Range)	Most often chosen taste score
Milk Alternatives:
Augason Farms' Morning Moos	yes	$15.75	2 cups	96	$2.63 plus shipping**	I	3.33	1-5	5
Instant NonFat Powdered Milks (and real milk):
Augason Farms' Country Fresh	yes	$11.25	5 1/3 cups	39	$4.62 plus shipping**	A	1.35	1-3	1
Grandma Country Foods' Country Cream	yes	$17.99	3 cups	69	$4.17 plus shipping****	B	3.17	2-5	2 & 4
Great Value (Walmart)	yes	6.99/25 oz. box	5 1/3 cups	32	Aprox. $3.50	C	2.81	1-5	3
Honeyville	yes	$14.69	2 2/3 cups	48	$4.90 plus shipping*	D	2.25	1-5	1, 2 & 3
Maple Island's Abby's Best	yes	$9.58	2 2/3 cups	60	$2.55 plus shipping****	E	2	1-4	1 & 2
Emergency Essentials' Provident Pantry	yes	$14.50	4 cups	45	$5.16 plus shipping**	F	2.31	1-5	2
Shelf Reliance's Thrive Instant	yes	$21.69	3 cups	53	$6.55 plus shipping ***	G	2.53	1-5	3
Meijer Skim Milk	yes	n/a	n/a	n/a	$2.79	H	3.89	2-5	4
Non Instant  NonFat Powdered Milks:
LDS Home Storage		$8.60	3 cups	69	$1.99	J	2.86	1-5	2
Shipping Costs:
1 star *		flat rate $4.49
2 star **		based on order total-orders over $100 have flat ship rate ($12 ave. max. shipping rate)
3 star ***		based on order total with no max. rate
4 star ****		based on product weight-Shipping cost/case decreases the more you order. For example: Grandma's Country cream-$19.95 to ship 1 case, 2 or more case- flat $29.99 rate
All the milks, except for the Morning Moo's, are made from 100% real milk. Shelf Reliance labels it as "milk solids". I called the company to confirm that it is 100% real milk and they looked it up and confirmed that it is. They stated:" milk solids is what is left after real milk is dehydrated".
Morning Moo's is a lowfat milk alternative (soy based). The ingredients include: sweet whey, creamer (coconut oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, sugar, diglycerides, polysorbate 80), sodium silicoaluminate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, soy lecithin, nonfat milk, sugar, guar gum, vitamin A and vitamin D.
Daily Vitamin D % varied by brand-ranging from 0% to 40%

So what did I learn from doing this? It was amazing how different people's tastes are. I thought for sure that one milk would be the clear winner with everyone-but that wasn't the case. It showed me that everyone is different and that it is IMPORTANT to taste several different milks for yourself.

If you think a milk is "watery", add more powder and try it again. If you think it's bland, add a little vanilla or sugar and try it. Everyone that participated found a milk that they ranked a 4 or 5. That tells me that there is something out there, for everyone. You just need to be patient and try several to see what suits your family best. And if you can't find a 100% real powdered milk, try a milk alternative. Having that is better than nothing.

Pinterest Baby Shower gift

I attended a baby shower recently for my friend Abby, who's having a girl. As she proclaimed that she already had everything, we had to use our creative juices to come up with a gift for her. We decided to surf her Pinterest boards and sew some of the projects she had pinned, for her little girl. Everything was put into a basket with the tag "You pinned it, we made it, we hope Cleo enjoys it!"

(I had a long blog post all typed up, detailing each gift, and the links to find them. Unfortunately, it got deleted. I don't have time to type it all again. If you want links, visit my Pinterest boards or email me!)

 Ruffled dress (made from pre-ruffled fabric and onesie)

 Self Binding quilt 

(the backing and scallop fabric are all one continuous piece)

Shoes

( I think these are the Mila pattern)

Another pair of shoes-these have elastic in the back, so you can easily slip them on.

Snuggler

Twist on the "pocket full of posies" quilt

Toddler Pouf-complete with monogrammed name, and a handle for easy carrying

(it's made from only 1 yard of fabric!)

Car Seat Canopy (front)

Car Seat Canopy (back)

This one has elastic so the back doesn't fly up in the wind.

We made a couple other items-the anywhere chair and the door muff....Pinterest, have I ever told you how much I love you!?!?!?!

Bedroom/Laundry/Bath Makeover

After seeing so many cute ideas on Pinterest, I decided it was time to redo my bedroom and incorporate many of the ideas I have found. I love how it's turned out-

Yes, I did gray, and I LOVE the color. I tried 5 different grays that I could purchase locally, before I gave up and drove the 30 minutes to our nearest Benjamin Moore, to get the color I fell in love with on Pinterest, Chelsea Gray. I bought the sample there, and brought it back, tried it, and loved it so I took it to Lowes and had them color match it. (I have the numbers on the can if anyone wants to match it)

This is a hope chest that my grandfather built for me, for my high school graduation gift. It was originally plain oak, and didn't match any of the black furniture I have. So I purchased the Rustoleum enamel from Lowe's, and used a sponge roller to paint it black. It went on really smoothly. Then I bought some foam and fabric and made a cushion for it, and sewed some pillows I found on Pinterest, using pillow forms I had stashed away.

Saw this ruffle on Pinterest and instantly fell in love with it. Purchased to king size sheets from Target to make this-it took me an entire week to do it, because I serged everything. But I think the extra effort paid off.

I wanted a bedspread that wasn't so big that I couldn't wash it. And I wanted something that was going to hold up to lots of washings. I found this duvet cover at Target and knew it was the one for me. So simple-elegant, but not overly feminine. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it wrinkles a ton when washed.

Another Pinterest idea-love the quote. Designed it up with the fonts I have and cut it out (this is my second one-the first one was waaaayyyy tooo big!)

I should number these like "Pinterest idea #10010", lol. Four canvases I got at Michaels. I tinted my wall color with a little black to get this deeper color. I don't have the Silhouette so I couldn't download this vinyl, but I used the picture I had seen of it to transfer into Corel Draw and draw it out. Cut with vinyl and applied. Love that I can just remove the vinyl and add something else if I get tired of it.

Moved the chair, light and butterflies in from my spare room (which I no longer have). Got the light at Ikea (love that place!). Chair was from Target online and butterflies are at Target (I spray painted them black as they come white)

I couldn't get a good picture of this one. It's a 12x12 canvas that says "You are my happily ever after". I used my Cricut to cut out two sets of chipboard-glued them on top of each other to make the letters thicker, and glued them on the canvas. At first I used a pearl paint, but it didn't paint on well-left it streaky. So I resorted to spray paint and it worked great!

 Found the frames at Hobby Lobby. Used our birthdays, and wedding date for the number one at the top that says "The dates that changed our lives forever".

Curtains and window screen are from Ikea. I love that the screen lets light in all day, but is solid enough that we have privacy and don't need to use the curtains.

Got the light from Target-added some black ribbon to the bottom of the shade. Just grabbed my Twilight Series books and used them, with a picture, for more decor.

I've been wanting to try a rosette pillow. This one was a little challenging because I did my first homemade piping around the pillow. The rosettes were easy once I figured out what style I wanted.

Other nightstand. I love the light and pictures, but I'm not liking how it came together. I think I just need to get rid of the alarm clock and get something nicer. But I do love the new phot of my hubby and me. I told the photographer at JCPenney that I didn't want a "cheesy picture of me dangling over my husband's shoulder". So she sat me on a lounge chair, and I looked up at Gordon while we were waiting for her to set up, and winked at him, and he bent down and kissed me. The photographer told him to do it again and she snapped the photo.

So that's the bedroom. I decided to get rid of the dinosaurs in the boys' bathroom, as they are getting older.

I found this shower curtain at Target and loved the bright colors. Of course, Kaden loved it because it has orange in it.

I've never had anything hanging on the walls in their bathroom because I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted. But I finally saw these on Pinterest and instantly fell in love with them. My boys definitely need the reminders!

A lady on Etsy sales them (but I didn't want to pay for them). I just looked at hers, and designed some up, matching the colors in the shower curtain.

 As for the laundry room, it's never been too functional. I haven't had a place for the clean clothes. Usually I'd just have a basket on top of the dryer or on the floor and we'd stumble over it. I redesigned the closets upstairs and had an extra shelving unit. So I drug it downstairs and put some baskets on it.

I got the bins from Target, and used a reverse pull method in vinyl lettering as my stencil pattern. I just used acrylic paint and it worked great. Now the boys actually take their own clothes up and put them away, and are really good at bringing their bins back down. I also like that I have the trash bin off the floor, and a place for the detergents/bleach/fabric softener (in the white bins in case they spill-easy clean up)

We have a laundry shoot so I have these two baskets on the top shelf, to sort the clothes. And I added some vinyl lettering to the baskets.

Saw this quote on Pinterest and fell in love with it. I have a really large, ugly breaker box there on the wall. I decided to get a huge canvas to cover it up. I attempted to stencil the lettering on, using reverse vinyl, but it bled through and I didn't like it. So I just cut the vinyl letters out and put them on and they are holding just fine.