My Super-Comforting Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

This recipe is a super-favorite in our house! I created it because we wanted something comforting, homey, and that reminds us of mom's cooking, but on the lighter, healthier side. My husband practically races home when he hears we're having this for dinner. I like to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes (try Bob Evans brand for a pre-made, refrigerated version that cuts down on time in the kitchen) and French-cut green beans. Leftovers are just as delightful as fresh out of the oven. Bon appetit!

How WeightWatchers Changed How I Manage My Closet

Years ago, I did Weight Watchers to lose the pounds I had gained in graduate school from poor eating and exercise. (This post isn't about that.) One day, a girl hit her goal weight and the leader asked if there was anything she wanted to share about what she'd learned, experienced, whatever. 

She thought for a moment and told the story of how she'd was going to watch a movie with her boyfriend, and they stopped at the store for some snacks. She wanted chocolate, and like all of us watching our weight, she was reading nutrition labels. The first instinct is oftentimes to go for the lightest option - whatever low fat, lower sugar, "lean" option is there. However, she found that she wasn't satisfied with those "cheaper" options, and found herself eating more of it to try to reach satisfaction. She'd realized that she was better off truly treating herself with good quality chocolate. She was satisfied, felt totally indulged, and ended up eating less than the "diet" options.

Her story resonated with me with food, of course, but it also really works when I started looking at my closet. I had approached my wardrobe like diet food - if I purchased cheaper clothes, I could purchase more. I felt like I had more options, a better closet. But really what I ended up with was racks and drawers full of cheap clothing that didn't fit right and rarely satisfied me. I never put something on and felt good about it. Loose threads and popped buttons were common. I never felt like I was dressed nicely. I just never felt satisfied.

I remembered that girl in Weight Watchers, and how I'd agreed with her take on chocolate. Quality over quantity. And so I tackled my drawers and closet. The very first thing I did was take all maternity clothes and put them into vacuum seal bags from Dollar Tree. (The bulk of my pregnancy clothes are winter clothes, so they wouldn't work well for post-partum anyway.) Then I started clearing things out. Old leggings, cheap shirts, things that don't fit (some that possibly never did), ugly patterns, shirts from 5 years ago, stuff that I keep thinking I'll get back into but won't... it all went into bags and donated to Goodwill or thrown away. Then I got down to restocking and rebuilding a quality wardrobe I could love.

I bought one good pair of leggings. I purchased good quality shoes that offer support and are a variety of colors. I waited for a JCrew sale and ordered shorts, a skirt, and several shirts. I went to H&M and picked up basic tees in black, white, blue, cream and some new camis for underneath. I used an online coupon for Old Navy and ordered a couple shirts, a pair of black pants, and a summer dress. All of these were purchased in my current size, which is 2 sizes larger than I was before, but they fit and flatter, and that's most important. I didn't spend a ton of money and now my closet has a lot more room and you know what? I feel like I have WAY more things to wear than I did before.

I joined Stitch Fix and am only keeping one skirt from this round. It isn't like anything else I own, and my son smiled and squealed when I put it on, so I'm keeping it. The rest? Meh... so I'm sending them back. If they're not satisfying now, they'll just take up resources (space, money) from getting something that truly DOES satisfy me. So that's what I'm doing. Holding out for what I really like... and no settling for poor substitutions! Like the chocolate, sometimes splurging on one good piece of apparel is way more satisfying (and cheaper!) than a bunch of cheap substitutions that never satisfy.

Have you done any closet cleaning recently? How do you determine what goes in there and what gets tossed?

XO,

Kelly

Get to Know Your Blogger: 32 Random Questions Tag

I felt like posting, but don't have pictures to go with my planned recipe post yet, so here's something a little lighthearted and fun - a tag post! Found this one randomly online... and I didn't read through all the questions beforehand, so here we go!

1.) Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Closed! That way the monsters can't get us.

2.) Do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?
I do sometimes, but not usually. We don't have room to hoard a bunch of little bottles.

3.) Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
I like them tucked in at the foot of the bed, but out along the sides so I can stick my feet out over the side of the bed if I get hot.

4.) Have you ever stolen a street sign?

Nope.

5.) Do you cut out coupons and then never use them?

All the time! And I save them (like the ones from Bed Bath & Beyond) and put them on the counter, then go to the store without them.

6.) Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?

Bear. Bees are the DEVIL.

7.) Do you always smile for pictures?

Not always, but most of the time.

8.) Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Not really, no. My FitBit does - does that count?

9.) Have you ever peed in the woods?

Yes I have!

10.) Do you still watch cartoons?

Yeah, LOL. My husband and I watch Family Guy and now we sometimes watch Little Einsteins with our little one.

11.) Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?

Probably in my backyard? 

12.) What do you drink with dinner?

Diet Coke, water, tea.

13.) What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

Honey mustard!

14.) What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

The Devil Wears Prada, 13 Going on 30, Identity Thief, Bridesmaids. (I like silly dumb lighthearted movies, obviously.)

15.) Were you ever a girl scout?

Nope. My mom wouldn't let me join because I played sports and had dance. To be fair, I only wanted to join because they got snacks after school during their meeting and I wanted a popsicle...

16.) Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

How much money and airbrushing are you offering? Probably not.

17.) Can you change the oil on your car?

I can pay for someone to do it.

18.) Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?

Nope!

19.) Afraid of heights?

No, actually. But I don't like free-falling to my death.

20.) Do you sing in the car?

Yes. My poor baby!

21.) Is Christmas stressful?

It can be due to family and if I'm doing the seven fishes. That's a LOT of cooking. Plus I love giving the perfect gift, so that requires some creativity and a lot of thought, which can be stressing.

22.) Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid.

Secretary, doctor, librarian, princess, cashier, researcher. Guess which one I am now...

23.) Do you believe in ghosts?

Not really, but I'm afraid of them anyway.

24.) The first concert you ever went to.

Billy Joel or The Hollies.

25.) Walmart, Target, or Kmart?

TARGET.

26.) Nike or Adidas?

Depends on the item, but I guess I'd go with Nike.

27.) Can you curl your tongue?

Yep!

28.) Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Yes, especially lately with the birth of our son.

29.) The last concert you saw?

Billy Joel.

30.) Can you swim well?

Yes. I was a competitive swimmer. Freestyle is my jam.

31.) Can you knit or crochet?

Technically, I guess. I'm not very (any) good.

32.) Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Both. It's fine to like one over the other, but if you hate either, chances are I won't like you very much. My dog and cat are awesome.

Mirrored Vanity on a Budget (with links!)

My husband and I recently redid the bathrooms in our home. Most of the changes were just minor cosmetic changes with new toilets and paint, but we elected to totally gut our Master bathroom and redesign. I gave up my tub (that wasn't really used very often) and we had a large tiled custom shower built, plus new flooring and new bathroom cabinets and sinks. Now I had space for my dream vanity.

Picture source - Pier1 imports

Arguably the most popular mirrored vanity is the Hayworth Collection vanity from Pier1 imports. I have wanted one since we bought our house, but because our bathroom didn't have enough room, I held off. Now that I had my own little available corner, I started doing the math.

• The vanity itself is $399.95 with a $40.00 large package surcharge.
• The mirror is $229.95 with a $15.00 large package surcharge.
• The matching bench seat is $169.95 with a $15.00 large package surcharge.

This adds up to $869.85 before tax and does not include any organizational details that I may want to add. 

I looked at ways to get the price lower. I can take 10% off the prices of each unit by signing up for emails from Pier1. I can elect to pick up in store and avoid large package surcharges, which takes my total to about $719.87 before taxes. If I go through Ebates (and you should ALWAYS go through Ebates before shopping online. I can't tell you how much money I've gotten back for nothing!) then I can get an additional 2% cash back from the total, which would give me back about $15.40... Still over $700 before tax. That's pretty pricey and I haven't gotten to the organizing elements.

So... I took a different approach. And here it is!

Too Much Television: My Day in the Dark

I have recently realized that I watch WAY too much television and spend too much time sitting on the couch. I look at the coffee table that is cluttered with papers, items that need to go to the basement but instead have been sitting by the stairs for a month, unfinished craft projects and unwritten thank you notes on my mess of a desk... it's all strong evidence that I've been slacking. And television has a lot to do with it! So, I'm trying a little experiment.

One day without:

• Television
• YouTube
• Facebook

What is allowed:

• Music
• Email
• Calls and texts

I'll keep some notes and check in here in this post on what gets done with the tv gets turned off. Here we go!

Healthy Eating

We've all heard the phrase "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym." Well, as I'm trying to get my post-pregnancy body back into something I'm at least a little comfortable with, I've started spending a little more time in the kitchen and a little more attention to what we're putting in our bodies. Here are some meals we enjoyed last week!

This Week's Workouts

I made it through the first week back to working out! Here's what (and how) I did.

Breakfast Chat Blog

Hello, world! I said I would be back, then promptly disappeared again, but here we are. I thought I would just take a few moments to sit down and write about life and such. One thing I have been thinking about is the kinds of blog posts I want to do moving forward. I started thinking about various blogs I have read over the years, and something I realized is that my favorite blogs aren't just strictly reviews/hauls. They talk about life, share experiences. So I have been thinking about writing more about daily life, things we do and places we go. Stuff like that. If nothing else, it will encourage me to take more pictures and reflect on life more positively. Who can argue with that?

So, here's what's up!

Open Letter to My Body: Post-partum Edition

Dear Body,

I haven't written you in a while, and the last time we spoke, I promised to take better care of you. In light of recent activities, it's time to write you again. This time, it's to apologize.

I'm sorry for not thinking you were good or strong enough. Even at my fittest as an adult (three years ago today on my wedding day), I didn't think you were enough. Arms weren't defined enough. Tummy was still a little soft. Legs could have been more muscular.

I'm sorry for constantly being ashamed and trying to hide under ill-fitting clothes instead of just sizing up and dressing to flatter.

I'm sorry for not exercising you more in general, and for taking your strength and capabilities for granted.

Now I know better...

Pregnancy Post: My Labor & Delivery Playlist

I am a music person. If I could have a soundtrack for my life, I totally would. I guess it started with dance lessons. My parents enrolled me at 2 and a half years old because I was leggy and awkward, and dance would help me gain some semblance of gracefulness. I've always had a response to music... fast and upbeat to get your heart pumping, slow and calm to relax, fast and angry to work through frustration, soft and sexy to get in the mood. And who can resist dancing (even just a little bit) when a favorite upbeat song comes on?

So, I decided to create a labor & delivery playlist. It's perfectly possible that zero music will be played during labor (I've never done this before and frankly don't have a lot of perspective to go on), but in the case of a long and arduous process, I know that a good way to distract myself from the icky parts (blood, needles, etc.) is to have some music ready to go. I listen to my playlist every now and then, just to get in the zone, and I thought I'd share my list here for prosperity. And yes, my taste in music is all over the place and "kind of lame." Whatever.

My 2015 Resolutions

2015 is going to be a pretty epic year. It would be hard to top 2014 for me personally, but we already know that 2015 is going to do it. So, in an effort to get myself to feel somewhat together, I'm going to create some resolutions for the year that I think can help manage all the major changes and life experiences headed our way.

Pregnancy is Sexy?

Pregnancy is not sexy. People will tell you it is. They'll tell you it's the most amazing thing ever. A miracle, they say. The greatest experience a woman can have, they encourage.

It's incredible.

You want to know the truth? 

Details ahead that may not be for the squeamish... You've been warned.

Special Announcement!

Hi everyone. I'm back!

And I have a special personal announcement and update on the direction of this blog.

Updates on Previous Posts: Le Tote

As my blog passes 80,000 hits and rounds the corner to 100,000, I decided to look through my posts and find some of the more popular ones and give updates this week. I noticed that a lot of beauty bloggers and vloggers post raves about various products that you never, ever hear about again, and it can be helpful to hear an update on whether or not they're still loving things they reviewed.

Today's topic is Le Tote, originally reviewed here.

Week Wrap-Up

Hello, TRB Readers! It's been a while since my last update, so I thought I would come back and do a little recap of the last week or so.

Health & Fitness Update 2

It's time for another check-in for health and fitness here on TRB! This week had some rough weather, but for the most part, I did okay. Let's jump right in.

Current Favorite Apps: January 2014

Today's post is a little different, but in today's digital age, we rely so heavily on our phones, tablets, and computers that I thought it might be fun to share a couple current favorite apps: one for productivity, and one for leisure.

Goal Check-in: A Week of Business Travel

This week has been quiet for this blog as well as Twitter and Instagram because I have been traveling for work. I wanted to review some things in the week as a follow-up to this post about my little changes goals for 2014. So, here's my first check-in!

2014 Health & Fitness Update 1: Small Changes

Welcome to my first health and fitness post of 2014! This year, my first resolution is to be happy and healthy. (My second is to waste less time, but that's another post.) And I'm determined to set positive, reasonable goals for myself and meet them through small, sustainable changes.

Home Life 1: Cleaning, Clutter, and Comparing Myself to Others

Welcome to my first Home Life post! If you like this kind of sharing, please let me know and I will keep posting these kinds of things. This blog is primarily for discussing beauty, but a beautiful home is a glorious thing. Don't you agree?