Amazing Sweet n Sour Meat loaf!

When thinking of Meat Loaf you don't think of it as amazing usually, but taste this recipe and you will from now on.

I made this for Brent after we first got married as I was trying to find ideas for dinner. He loved it so much that it is now his favorite meal. He begs for it often. It is moist, tasty and sweet. I enjoy too! What better recipes then the ones that come from Mom! 

Ingredients:

11/2 pound ground beef

1 cup oatmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

1 teaspoon onion minced

1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

Topping Ingredients:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard 

Mix and form into bread pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 50 minutes. Combine topping bring to boil careful so as not to burn. Pour over meat and bake for additional 10 minutes. 

Using oats is a key ingredient.

Don't be afraid of the meat. Using hands to combine is a must.

Form into pans. I doubles this batch I made because we love it so much!!

The Glazed Meat Loaf

Favorite things

Sorry I missed last week! I was at my grandmas funeral.  My birthday was last week so I love doing a favorite things post.  After a crazy sad week it was hard to find much positive that day. So I decided to pick a few of my favorite things.
One of my favorite things is dirty diet coke.
They are super simple to make.
All you need is diet coke, ice, fresh lime and coconut syrup.

Fill a cup about half full of ice
Cut your lime into quarters.
pour the coconut syrup over the ice. I usually use a few tablespoons.
Take 1 or 2 lime quarters squeeze over the ice and lay on top of the ice skin side down flesh up.
Pour the coke over the top
The syrup tends to sink to the bottom so stir it up every once in a while to get the full effect. 

So that is one of my favorite things
My other are these 3 crazies! I love them more than anything (even diet coke) I have no idea where I'd be with out them. Through everything I know I will always have them!

Alien Phone Noises

  There was a time when I was talking to my sister on my phone we had been talking awhile probably over 30 mins or so and mid way through a sentence all of a sudden I hear, breathing, static, high pitched noises, just plain weirdness! It freaked me out! So we both hung up because, you cant hear the other person on the other line through the "Alien noises". My sister calls back and we are both weirded out and discuss the madness. It had been the first time anything like that had happened so I kinda just brushed it off. 

  Well yesterday as my pediatricians office called to remind me of my sons 2 yr old well check appointment it happened AGAIN!  This time it was right away, I said "hello" the person said" is this Jeremy's mom?" and I said yes. Then it proceeded into doing the creepy noises again. She hung up and called me back and was quite freaked out as was I that this had now happened twice. 

  So after getting off the phone this time, I texted my sister saying it had happened again, and  I started googling " alien noises" on phones. Well I found tons of You tube videos and stories of this all happening to other people! Most of whom were like me KINDA FREAKED OUT  after hearing these noises. Here is a link to one of the video on you tube that is preety much the same noise I heard https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9U86xZVHxEAKxf7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTByN2RnbHFoBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMw--?p=alien+phone+noises&vid=ad4e173ea2697df5fe5a25741b7a4480&l=00%3A46&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608051074786201002%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DK5jxG0NTfnE&tit=Weird+Alien+Noise+over+iphone+call&c=2&sigr=11bdrqphj&sigt=112erconn&sigi=11r95sh7r&age=1402211449&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=sfp&tt=b    Crazy right?   Well as I was investigating there were some that were the logical phone repair people that said this is just a radio waves interference, or cell phones too close together or your phone needs to be turned off and turned back on. Whatever it was its still creepy, and still a mystery! My husband jokingly said well good thing it wasn't on a baby monitor. Ha ha in reference to the movies SIGNS. I have picked up others talking on my baby monitor before but nothing like this. If this happens again I might get a new phone and go from there. Or I  hope my husband doesn't find me gone because I was abducted by aliens. :)


EMILY :)

Four Things

I am not a perfect mom. Especially when I had postpartum depression, I was not at all the mom I wanted to be. Just feeding, changing and entertaining Andrew would wear me out and exhaust me. (That is why I don't frown on moms who let their kids watch TV. I remember being so depressed and exhausted and Winnie the Pooh saved my sanity. You never know their situation.)  I felt so stuck and I wanted to do something to change it.

I came up with four simple things that I wanted to do with my children every single day no matter what. No matter how busy, crazy, stressed or tired I am, I would try to do these things as long as my situation permitted it. I'm not perfect at it at all but I'm trying REALLY hard to stick to doing these four things at least once a day. 

#1- Get them to laugh. My boys are pretty happy kids so it's not a big challenge but I try to make sure that I can keep them smiling. I do something to make them laugh or tickle them. Yesterday I was putting away groceries and Andrew started tossing the grocery bags around and it made Ben laugh. I pulled out a few more and we made it rain grocery bags in the kitchen and we laughed and laughed. I try to have at least one, if not more of these moments every day. 

#2- Sing! One of my favorite movies is Sarah Plain and Tall. In that movie, Caleb wants a mother to sing to him. That really stuck with me and I promised when I became a mom that I would sing. I want my boys to remember my voice. I want to teach them to sing. And it is working. Drew will sing our special lullaby "Billy Boy." He loves to sing "Beside the Seaside" and "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam." And it is the cutest thing ever to hear him belt out "Happy Birthday" at birthday parties. In church he will sit with the hymn book in his lap and he sings nonsense words and looks around so seriously at everyone else singing. I hope Benjamin likes to sing as much as Drew. Right now he just likes to listen. 

#3- Read! Anyone who knows me will tell you just how much I love books. I'm a book hoarder. I try so hard to read at least once a day to my boys. I have read to them on long drives to the zoo and I have read to them while they are playing outside. But 90% of the time my boys are pretty content to just sit and read with me. 

#4- Look them in the eyes and say, "I love you." 

This is the most important thing I think any parent can do. And it is the easiest one for me to do. I give them hugs and kisses all the time and tell them multiple times a day. I never want a day to pass that I don't tell them I love them. Because knowing you are loved is the greatest feeling in this world. It is something people crave. It is something we as humans NEED. I never want my boys to feel unloved. Because no matter how broken or scrambled I felt, my love for these boys will never change. I want them to remember that. 

There are other things in my house that are a priority too. But for me, these were the most simple things I could do to make my self a little better mother every day as I was recovering from PPD, and they just happened to stick with me long after. I think I'm going to make a craft inspired by my four things. If I do I'll be sure to share it. 

Have a good weekend!! Don't forget to follow us on facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood and my personal Instagram @diariesofasupermom! 

Let yourself off the hook!

            Picture this scenario.  I hear the alarm, but not really.  Not being a very good morning person, I hit the snooze button.  All of the sudden, 30 minutes later, I jump up!  I have overslept and everyone is late!  This is how way too many mornings go in our house!  In spite of being late, I somehow manage to get everyone to High School, Junior High,  and Elementary school on time.  The door shuts and I am engulfed in the silence of my empty house.  And I am left with the beginnings of judgements that I have begun to pile on myself for the day.  I should have gone to bed earlier, I should have woken up.  I should have given them more time, etc, etc, etc.  And so it begins.....
             I wander into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror.  But I don't see the Mom who stayed up until late helping my son get his term project done for the thousandth time, or the Mom who made lunch for the kids before they left, signed their planners and gave them their meds, who made sure to do the I love you sign language for my autistic son, because it makes him feel secure and ready to leave with carpool.  I made sure all four boys got a hug before he walked out the door.  But that is not what I see.  I see a Mom who made everyone late because she hit snooze and couldn't get up. The girl, who, no matter how much time she has, just can't seem to get all of her stuff done.  I see all of my shortcomings and the day is just beginning.

             Since when did we start to be so hard on ourselves?  From a very early age, I think most of us can remember seeing and hearing Moms, sisters, or friends, who fell short and made mistakes, for one reason or another.  And always it was accompanied by gossip of another girl judging them.  It was then that we thought, "There is no way I am EVER going to do that!?  I will never make those mistakes."  But then, as is normal, you make a mistake.  And you remember a previous instance where a person you know was judged for doing exactly what you just did.  And you judge yourself! You heap all of that judgement and weight on your back for making a mistake.  It builds up over time as we make more and more mistakes, some little and some not so little.  It adds to the stress of our lives and continues to make us feel inadequate, no matter what we do right.  At some point, the madness has to stop! 
             We need to let ourselves off the hook!  We need to look in the mirror and see all the good things we are.  And know that in spite of our worst mistake, we have so much value!  Life is about making mistakes and learning from them.  Instead of letting them pile up and make us feel totally worthless, we need to help each other to get rid of that burden. Once we have been able to get out from under all of that, we can be so happy!  I challenge anyone who is reading this blog to find ways to tell the women in your life the things they are doing right and that you are impressed with!  Let them know how much you admire them and tell them you love them!  We are hard enough on ourselves and hearing those things that we do well from an outside source can be just what we need to shake off all of those judgments and be the women we were meant to be!

Grief: survivor of suicide and tragic loss..

As much happiness surrounds me at this time it hasn't always been that way.
Four years ago on March 25th I lost three of my closest, most looked up to, cherished, heroes, and loved ones to a suicide/murder tragedy.
I am numb thinking of those events that day and the days that followed.
I went through all stages of grief over and over.

1. Denial 
2. Anger 
3. Bargaining
4. Depression 
5. Acceptance

I know the pain of each stage and the real heart ache of it all.
I was stuck in a hard, dark  place longer then I should have been. It was hard to get out of it.
My trail and struggle through the grief is a long story.
What got me through was finally accepting what had happened. Even with it happening I still had my Father in Heaven. That had not changed. I still had the family I did have, that did not change. I took some big steps to turn myself away from that darkness and now I have my husband, the gospel, and a baby on the way!
I had to accept that even though what had happened did, it didn't change the fact that I knew my loved ones. I knew that they would have wanted me to be happy. That they would have wanted me to have faith and live the gospel I believed in.

Grief never ends... but it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith... it is the price of love.



Most days I look to Heaven in so much love I have for my loved ones. Some days are hard though, and I still ask why. I still am mad that it happened. I still wish for them back. But I know that families are eternal and I have answers from God that they will be there no matter what watching over me and my family.

I have survived this. I have triumphed through the hardest thing to go through. I have my Heavenly Father by my side. I have Angels watching over. I am full of love that this time for the love that was and the love is and the new love I have.

"Even After all this time, I still can't believe you are gone."

"I loved you yesterday. I love you still always have always will!"

"Nothing is the same I wish you were here"

"I'm thankful for every moment I had with you. Every tear, laughter, and smile. Those memories will remain with me for the rest of my days"

"I walk down memory lane because I know that I'll run into you there."

"Some days the memories still knock the wind out of me.."

"No wheel chairs needed in heaven!"

"You are missed each and every day. For you were someone special who meant more than words can say."

"You left this world but forgot to tell my heart how to live without you"

"My heart is full of memories with pride I speak your name though life goes on without you it will never be the same."

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory that no one can steal."

"Thinking of you is easy, I do it everyday missing you is the heartache that never goes away."

"A smile can hide the tears, a laugh can hide the pain, but nothing stops the longing for having you back again"

"The tears in my eyes I can wipe away the ache in my heart there it will always stay"

"To say I miss you is an understatement."

"Since heaven has become your home I sometimes feel I'm so alone, but one day all the pain will cease when God restores this missing piece."

"although you can't be here with me we're truly not apart you'll be living in my heart"



I would never wish anyone to loose a close loved one in such away. My heart just aches and relates in a way I wish I didn't have to...

Forever in my hearts Kathy, Jim and Erik! <3

For today I allow myself to grieve.

Zofran Baby

I am writing this in light of the recent articles and commercials about taking Zofran to control morning sickness during pregnancy. I am not a doctor. But I honestly feel this needs to be addressed, especially for those of us who had Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

A little background: I am a "Zofran baby." My mother took Zofran her entire pregnancy with me, as well as my four siblings. 

Twenty four of my cousins are also "Zofran babies." 

My own two boys are "Zofran babies." 

Not one single birth defect. Not one. And it wasn't just a take-once-a-day-to-get-through-the-first-trimester kind of deal. It was 8mg three times a day and once at night for 39 weeks. For two months I received it through a PICC line. I even had it in my IV the day I delivered my sons. 

I have also been interviewing and talking to multiple mothers all over the world who have taken Zofran their entire pregnancies. I have yet to meet a Zofran baby with a birth defect. 

But that is just my personal experience. I'm not saying that it is not possible. There is a risk taking any medication, especially when pregnant. What frustrates me the most about this is that it is scaring moms from taking it. Moms that actually need it.

 I recently was apart of a Facebook discussion where this subject was brought up. A mother was getting more and more dehydrated but was terrified to take the Zofran because of what she had heard. I stood up for Zofran and was called selfish for not "sucking it up" and "powering through" my Hyperemesis. That I was selfish for having a medicated pregnancy and that there were "other options." 

First, to the mother who told me to "suck it up" I hope with all of my heart you never have to experience anything like HG. I also hope that you will do some research on HG before you tell an HG mom to power through it. Because yes, I would rather take the Zofran risks over losing my baby any day. With HG, the risks of not taking it are SO much worse than what Zofran can do. At 10 weeks pregnant I was so malnourished that my baby stopped growing. The Zofran didn't stop the puking. None of the things I tried stopped it. But it was the ONLY thing that slowed it down. 

HG is so bad that 1 in 8 moms with HG choose abortion to end their suffering. Yet those of us who chose Zofran to help control it have healthy and happy children.

The following list was taken directly from the HelpHER facebook page. 

To the mom who is seriously suffering but afraid to take zofran, relax. Do what is best for you. 

You are not a bad mom for taking Zofran. 

One of my dear friends and fellow HG survivor had a zofran pump. This is actually a really common treatment in severe HG cases. She said, 

"I was on Zofran from 15 weeks to 30 weeks receiving a dose of it HOURLY. Zofran saved my life. If I didn't receive my Zofran pump at 15 weeks I don't think myself or my daughter would be here right now. And IF I do decide to have another child I will be put on to Zofran again." 

Another HG mom shared her thoughts on it with me. 

"Oftentimes people whose child has a birth defect look for something to blame. That is human nature and it is somewhat understandable. And then there are those people who are sue happy and money hungry.

Don't take medical advise from a lawsuit. If this was 1920 most women with HG would be dead. People who have not experienced HG cannot fully understand the seriousness of it and the importance of trying to survive it." 

Again, I  am not a doctor. But I am tired of women who think they know it all because they read an article about it on Facebook and then tell those of us who depend on Zofran that we are selfish. Do some real research. Don't limit it to just one "study" or lawsuit. Talk to your doctor. If you feel you can power through it or don't feel comfortable taking it and think other things might help, by all means, please do! But please think about what you're saying when you're talking to a mom who is taking it or who took it. 

We are living  proof that Zofran helps. 

We are Zofran babies. 

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood and my personal instagram @diariesofasupermom! 

  

Arrow Tutorial

Hey guys it's Megan again!  This week I am going to do a tutorial for these Arrows.  These are for a certain type of design but I think they look great in my boys bathroom.  However, Jeff says they look like fast forward arrows.  He just doesn't see the vision.

I got my raw wood from Home Depot for about $10.00 total.  It comes in either 12', 6' or 4'.  We bought the 12' for cost and had them cut it in half so it would fit in our car.

My handsome hubby kindly ripped the 6' boards in half with a table saw. Then cut each 6' board to 3' with a 45 degree angle on each end.

 

I stained but you could paint to match your home's decor.  I used Minwax oil based Espresso.  Also, if you are going to hang them in a high traffic area I would put a coat or two of polyacrilic on.  Just to protect them from finger prints and scratches.  

To attach them together you could use wood glue but I don't have clamps big enough.  So I hinged them together.  These brackets can be purchased at any hardware store for 2-5 dollars.  I also attached a self leveling hanging bracket on the top point to hang on the wall.

That's it! Super easy and I think they add a little contrast in my boys small bathroom.

Remember if you like what you read make sure you like our Facebook page to the right of the blog.  

That song in my head

I have a song, I have a song for every moment and every memory in my life.

I love music I love everything about it.

Music is what I turn to when I'm happy or sad and everything in between.

At first I didn't even realize I was doing it until a few months ago I noticed that when I thought about something or was remembering something from the past or even present that there is a song attached to each one

I was going through my list of songs I turn to and thought it would be fun to share.

My high school prom. I went with my boyfriend who at the time I was completely head over heals for

From this moment by Shania Twain

High school graduation Here's to the night by Eve 6


When I married my husband July 16 2009 Blue Jeans and a Rosary by Kid Rock


When I had both my babies May 2010 and October 2014 They are such bright spots in my memory.


Just recently when my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes as soon as we were told to get to the ER this song popped into my head and I didn't stop singing it for weeks. I had the song in my head all the way to the hospital the whole time we were there and for weeks after.
Katy Perry Roar.
At the end of the video she roars into the tigers face and he isn't so scary any more. I feel like diabetes is my tiger and there is no way I will let it win. That and my girl has always loved this song especially the music video.


On days that we hate diabetes or we are sad about something we dance to
Shake it off by Taylor Swift


Lately I have been feeling a little hopeless and sad and, sometimes I feel like I can't take much more but I know I have to.
This has been my go to song. Especially today I found out my sweet grandma passed away last night and my heart just aches so much I am going to miss her terribly I have listened to this song about 100 times today.
Broken by Lindsey Haun

Now these songs aren't necessarily the song that was playing at the time it's just what reminded me of the moment. It's really important to me because every time I hear these songs it brings a very vivid memory good or bad and I love it. There are many more songs and many more memories I just thought I would share a few of my favorites.

Now tell me, what song is in your head?

Easy baby blanket

Today I'm going to show you a simple way to make a baby blanket.  No seriously you will be amazed at how simple it really is. I love using flannel for them it's easy and you don't need batting if you don't want it. Flannel is really cheap too at the end of winter I usually stock up on it.

What you want is to start with 2 pieces of the same size. You can do a square or rectangle.  I like more of the rectangle shape because it works really well in my bassinet but it's totally up to you.
First you take both pieces and lay them right sides together

Then you sew around it all leaving a small opening to flip it right side out.

Once you have it flipped right side out you close the opening how ever you prefer. Then you need to iron it so it lays flat especially around the seams because you're going to top stich.

After you iron it you top stitch.  I usually just line the seam at the right side of my presser foot so it's about 1/4 in seam allowance give or take. This is where you can do just a straight seam or have fun using the patterns on your machine that you have never used before.  Seriously I've had my machine a year and this was my first time doing more than a straight stitch and it was so fun.

There you have it super simple.  If you have any questions shoot me a comment and I'll help any way I can.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!

I love baking and trying new recipes! 

At a relief Society activity my neighbor made these wonderful cookies. I begged for the recipe to be able to make them myself.

One Sunday afternoon I made them.
They were super easy and super yummy! 
Unlike other sugar cookies they stayed soft! They were moist! A few days latter they still tasted fresh out of the oven good! The taste is comparable to the soft loft house sugar cookies! 

I highly think that you ought to try them out!
I have had a sugar cookie recipe and yes its a good one specially because it came from my grandma, but I think these are my new favorite!

They only took 8 minutes to bake! 
I topped them with my favorite sprinkles and my butter cream recipe! 
Stay tuned and I will share my secret butter cream recipe I use for cake decorating. It is delicious! 

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients. Roll out and cut out using flour for non stick. Spray a pan and space out the cut outs. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Being a Tall Girl Rocks

   
  Oh Yes the tall girl is back.:) After exploring the cons of being tall. I'm now going to explore the pros of      being a 6'2 woman.

  The list probably isn't as long as the cons list, but there is a good chunk! 

  Sports pro- every person around you even complete strangers will walk up to you  if you are tall whether you are male or female and ask you "How tall are you?". "Do you play basketball?". Yes, I did play basketball and there is definitely an advantage of being tall for sure. I however knew many tall people who didn't play basketball and they had no skills in sports what so ever. So I still think a lot of it is skill still, but yes in lots of sports height is an advantage for sure. So growing up playing basketball my height was a great advantage.

  Reaching things pro- the fact of the matter is I'm tall therefore I can reach high up things! This is very nice at grocery stores,cupboards , closets, garages and more. I can put things high up and have it accessible with out getting out  a ladder  or a chair. It's quite nice. I get asked frequently to grab things for people in stores or I offer help if I see someone struggling in that department. This is a great thing to be able to do. Especially putting toys in " time out" easily away from my kids where they can't reach.😃

  Stand out in a crowd- This is a pro in many ways. I'm always easy to find in a crowd, I can also find people easier because I can look over people. That is especially good at concerts, sporting events and more. People also tend to remember me easier because I was the tall one at the party. It's also very good in the job department. Growing up I heard "rumors" that being tall gets you better job and make more. I thought this is ridiculous,but researching it in many studies they find this to be true.:) Here is just one of the many on why? http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/Careers/02/02/cb.tall.people/

So standing out is a great thing in the job market also.

Model pro- Growing up as a teenager I got constantly asked or told "are you a model?" Or " You should be a model.". Although I never felt my body type would suit a model it was nice being told most of your life that you could or should be a model. This would boost anyone's self confidence.

Food/weight pro- let's face it the more you weigh the more calories you are able to consume and still not gain weight. Most tall people way more than short people because they have  longer bones and body mass.😄 you are able to eat more than your short friends would be able to. Another great thing about being tall is if heaven forbid you gain weight after children or you are eating even more calories then you should. You have a lot more room and space to fill up and look proportioned vs a shorter person the fat wouldn't really have any where to go. Now you still need to maintain health so don't go crazy with this, but it is quite a nice feature of being tall.

   When my  husband first walked into my apartment ( before we met) when my roommates were having a get together. I was talking to another guy and since I was tall he noticed me right away and I "stood out" out of all of the other girls that were there.  He loved/loves that I am tall. When he first saw me he said he knew that single life was over for him.If being tall scored me my wonderful husband than that is the best Pro of all! 

 

 Thanks for reading,

 Emily

Bow Tie Stand Craft

Happy Friday!!!

As you know, I am a mom of boys. My favorite day of the week is Sunday when I get to dress up my little boys for church, and bow ties are our favorite staple for our church outfits! 

Today I am doing a tutorial on how to make your own bow tie holder. 

Easter is coming up, and I have yet to meet a little guy who doesn't look adorable in a bow tie!

We get all of our bow ties from a cute Etsy shop called Molli and Bean. They have a great selection and their bow ties are very sturdy, stay on well and hold their shape. Perfect for little boys! 

After doing some serious thinking and messing around on Pinterest, I found this super cute and easy craft as a way to not only keep the bow ties nice and organized, but to display them so nicely.

These are the materials you will need. 

•A candle holder (I got mine from my local dollar store) 

•A small container of oatmeal 

• black paint and paint brush 

• hot glue gun or super glue

First, paint your EMPTY oatmeal container completely black. You can actually do whatever color you want, but I think black makes the colors stand out.  I do two coats just to be safe. 

Be sure to pain the top and bottom as well. 

Then hot glue or super glue your candle holder to the bottom and let it dry. 

Then you're finished!!! 

Easy peasy! 

All of the new Molli and Bean bow ties have new straps like this red one, which makes it a lot easier to put them on your child, and this bow tie stand. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @molliandbean for monthly giveaways! 

Strap on your bow ties and you are good to go! 

Also, don't forget to follow 7 Tales of Motherhood on Facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood! And my personal page @diariesofasupermom! See you next Friday!!!