I’ll be totally honest: the idea of meat loaf used to totally gross me out. We just didn’t eat it growing up and I always thought of meat loaf as just that. A loaf of meat. Ew. And then when I was pregnant with my son I saw a commercial that talked about meat loaf and I craved it like crazy. Totally random. So I busted out the The Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook we received as a wedding gift and made the Better Than Grandma’s Meat Loaf. It was love at first bite and I’ve been making a version of it ever since.

A few years ago I had the idea to make the meat loaf with ground turkey instead of ground beef. Again, it was love at first bite. Trust me, it’s so flavorful that you won’t miss the beef and, of course, total bonus that it contains less fat. My husband LOVES this recipe and asks for it often. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable and it’s just about the most delicious meal ever. Enjoy!

The Best Turkey Meat Loaf Recipe

Adapted from recipe in First and Forever Cookbook

Ingredients

• 2 t Vegetable Oil
• 1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1/4 c Milk
• 1 c fresh Bread Crumbs*
• 1 c Ketchup
• 6 t Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 pound Ground Turkey
• 8 oz Ground Breakfast Sausage
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 t Mrs. Dash Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 t Garlic Powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Combine milk and bread crumbs in a small bowl and set aside. *To make fresh bread crumbs, place 2 slices of bread or a roll in a food processor and pulse until crumbled.

4. Combine 1/2 cup of the ketchup and 4 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce in another small bowl and set aside.

5. Add the ground turkey, sausage, the remaining ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, the egg, seasoning mix, garlic powder, and bread crumbs to the bowl with the onions. Mix until just incorporated.

6. Place the meat loaf mixture in a loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off some of the fat. Spread half of the set aside ketchup mixture over the top. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat loaf registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes more.

7. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Use remaining ketchup mixture as extra sauce because it’s so good. It’s also perfect to put on bread for a meat loaf sandwich made with leftovers.

Meet Mylo

For the parent who wants to look good, Mamas & Papas have created MYLO. Sleek, stylish and guaranteed to turn heads, MYLO is the stroller to be seen with about town. With a range of fashionable accessories and innovative features, MYLO means you can be a model mom without compromising on style.

MYLO has the lightest steering, making it easy to navigate around the mall or busy sidewalk.  Both the seat and the bassinette give the best in baby class for comfort and luxury, whether it’s walks in the park or visits to grandparents. Seat faces both ways – face mom and dad or face the world.

Mylo Specifications

• MYLO includes: chassis, seat unit, canopy, and shopping basket
• Suitable for birth to 50 pounds
• Mylo Weighs: 28.6 pounds
• Size: 43” tall, 24″ wide, 46″ deep
• Size Folded: 9″ tall, 24″ wide, 30″ deep
• Travel system compatible with the Graco, Maxi Cosi/Cybex, Peg Perego and Primo Viaggio car seats – adaptors sold separately

Mamas & Papas Mylo Video Review

Out and About with the Mylo Stroller

Since Max’s arrival we’ve been Out and About with the Mylo in every situation you can imagine, from our neighborhood park to the doctor’s office to the zoo to exploring the woods on vacation. The Mylo fits seamlessly into our day to day life and makes more exciting adventures possible.

Mamas & Papas Mylo Stroller

2 Month Old in Mylo

3 Year Old in Mylo

5 Year Old in Mylo

Adventure in the Woods

Family Walk to the Park

Folded in Back of SUV

Folded Mylo

Mylo Car Seat Adapter

Mylo with Cybex Aton Car Seat

Navigating Through Doorway

Out and About

Walking in the Woods

Mylo Review

Features for Baby

The Mamas & Papas provides an exceptionally smooth and comfortable ride for babies. The Chassis Seat is made from a unique, soft molded material that is very smooth and subtle. The five point harness has padded shoulder straps and keeps baby secure. All four wheels have suspension to provide a smooth ride so baby won’t be bumped to and fro while on a walk.

We love that the seat can face both ways and the switch from facing parents to facing the world is very easy. There is no fiddling and fussing to move or remove the seat – simply push the large paddles underneath and it removes from the stroller frame. The seat has several recline positions, including a near-flat recline perfect for naps. The footrest is also adjustable and when raised creates a cozy bassinet atmosphere for infants. The Mylo canopy is adequate when the seat is upright, but we wish it were larger when the seat is reclined. If you live in a particularly sunny or warm environment, we think the additional Sunshade & Insect Net is a must have.

Features for Parents

As comfortable as the Mylo is for babies, it is just as user-friendly and fabulous for parents. First, you simply can’t beat the gorgeous aesthetic of the Mylo. It looks unique and modern and we get compliments on it every single day. The leatherette handle is adjustable for a comfortable push for short and tall parents alike. The quick and easy one-handed fold can’t be beat. Mylo can fold with or without the seat attached and even with our Maxi Cosi car seat adapter attached. When the stroller is folded, it is relatively compact for a full-size stroller. There is no automatic lock when folded, but there is a small clip that you can connect around the frame to keep it folded. Frankly, we rarely use it for that purpose as it’s easy enough to get it in and out of the back of our car without it. But, it turns out the clip makes a great stroller handle for our walking preschooler!

Speaking of our preschooler, the stroller can accommodate children up to 50 pounds and can be used with every child from our 2 month old to 5 year old. It’s super easy to adjust the fit from child to child. The straps can be rethread to adjust the shoulder strap height with a few twists and only takes a moment.

The Mylo weighs about 26 pounds but it pushes like it weighs nothing. It is seriously the most maneuverable stroller we’ve used. It handles like a dream. It’s a one-handed steer and can navigate crowded malls as easily as wide open spaces. The wheels aren’t air-filled which means no maintenance or flats to worry about, but the tires don’t quite live up to the luxury of the rest of the stroller. The front wheels swivel, which help with the steering, and you can also lock them inline when on rougher terrain.

The shopping basket isn’t particularly big, but it unzips on the side to allow easier access. The basket will accommodate a small bag and essentials for a day out, but it’s not big enough for a large diaper bag.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The Mylo is an exceptional stroller that will please kids and parents alike. We love the way it looks, the way it moves and its ease of use. We love that it can accommodate babies from birth through preschoolers who weigh 50 pounds. It’s easy to adjust the stroller for the best fit and most comfortable, safe ride for every child. The Mylo can be a super fashionable and practical travel system with an affordable car seat adapter. No doubt, the stroller is an investment, but it’s one worth making.

Or Not to Buy… We wish the Mylo had an option to grow with your family; for example, we’d love to see an optional ride-on board like with other luxury strollers. The sunshade isn’t the biggest and we’d love more coverage when the seat is reclined.

Shop! The Mamas & Papas Mylo comes  in four fun colors: Welly Green and Lime Jelly, Plum Pudding and Raspberry Ripple, Dove Grey and Sandcastle and Black Jack. The suggested retail price is $699.99 and it’s available for purchase from our affiliate Amazon.

Thanks to Mamas & Papas for providing a sample.

Thanks for stopping by to link up and browse great giveaways. Before you leave, make sure you enter some of our great giveaways.

JumpSport iBounce Kids Trampoline Tablet & DVD Bundle

Oral-B Professional Care Toothbrush

Head over to Baby Loving Mama to link up there, too. And make sure you enter to win a HUGE box of limited edition USA Prints Pampers Diapers.

With more than 20,000 pulsations and 8,800 oscillations per minute, removing up to two times more plaque than a manual toothbrush, it is no surprise that the ProfessionalCare 1000 gives me the “post-dentist cleaning” feel every time.  However, there is more than just the powerful spinning brush that makes using a power toothbrush better than a regular toothbrush.  The compact, round brush head surrounds each tooth for a tooth-by-tooth clean.  There is also various replacement heads, providing focus on specific cleaning actions such as Pro White or Precision Clean.  All of the brush heads include indicator bristles reminding you to replace your brush head every three months.  The brush head even contains a pressure sensor that stops pulsations to let you know that you are brushing too hard.

The ProfessionalCare 1000 also has a timer feature that provides a brief signal every 30 seconds ensure that you spend the appropriate amount of time on each of the four quadrants of your month.  Another longer signal indicates when you have reached the doctor recommended time of two minutes of brushing.  If this isn’t enough features for you, there are other ProfessionalCare brushes such as the  5000 with an in-handle smart display and wireless SmartGuide that provides real time feedback to maximize your brushing routine.

Shop! The Oral-B ProfessionalCare 1000 has a suggested retail price of $74.99, but it currently available on Amazon for $69.99 with a $10 mail-in rebate through June 16.  Replacement heads are around $5.00 each, the same price you would pay for a regular toothbrush.  If you are looking for that dentist feel every time you brush and want to remove more than two times more plaque, thus preventing and reversing gingivitis, an OralB ProfessionalCare power toothbrush is definitely right for you.

Win! An Oral-B Professional Care 1000 Power Toothbrush!

How to Enter: Leave a comment telling us you want to win and you’re entered. Super simple!

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

• Like OralB AND The Shopping Mama on Facebook.
• Share this post on Facebook or give us a shout out on our wall.
• Follow OralB and The Shopping Mama on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. You may do this every day, just leave a link when you do.
  Win an OralB Professional Power Toothbrush worth $80 @TheShoppingMama http://t.co/Sk4UzPJS
• Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or RSS.
• Sign up for the The Shopping Mama Newsletter.

Giveaway ends June 1. Open to US residents only.

The result? This is the first outfit that is post-worthy.

I am obsessed with The Shops at Target. This dress is from The Webster collection and I am tempted by just about everything available online. (There’s a lot more online than there was at our local store.) I wore the dress with Espadrilles from Target I bought last year so the outfit cost a grand total of $60.

Dress: The Webster at Target Sleeveless Jersey Dress
Shoes: Calypso St. Bart for Target Espadrille Wedge Sandal

Almost forgot to mention my white tank top peeking out. I wear a tank constantly while nursing. Constantly. And luckily the tank matches my pasty white legs. Score.

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Because I was dressed in something that I didn’t mind having photographed, I made the kids gather for a picture.

The boys are wearing one set of their matching clothes from Tea Collection. ::swoon::

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This post is happily linked with What I Wore Wednesday on The Pleated Poppy blog and the weekly Monday Mingle hosted by Momtrends, BonBon Rose Girls and Glamamom. 

Shop $15 Dresses.

And for the boys? Shop $10 Tees.

Here are some of our favorites from the sale.

Agung Polo (reg. $30, now $10).

Barong Batik Layered Tee (reg. $30, now $10).

Floating Rice Field Dress (reg. $39, now $15).

Lotus Batik Knot Dress (reg. $35, now $15).

Get more wear out of the dresses and plan ahead for fall with coordinating $10 leggings.

Radiant Rice Leggings (reg. $25, now $10).

Happy shopping!

This past weekend was our first with really nice weather, perfect temperatures, and lots of stuff to do.  It was so much fun to take Charlie out to places where he could explore – and run himself ragged, of course. One thing I love about our neighborhood in Philly is that there is an incredibly vibrant art scene.  On Saturday, we strolled around the neighborhood arts festival, but the highlight of the day was the kinetic sculpture derby parade that went right past our house!  The next day, my husband was going to the Phillies game (without Charlie of course), so mother and son headed up to my hometown in New Jersey.  I had two cravings – one for the greatest sandwich ever made and another for a visit with one of my best friends.  Her name is also Laura.  Our parents started calling us #1 and #2 in middle school and we still call each other that to this day.

#2 (I swear she’s only #2 because she’s younger) met up with us at the deli.  She brought along her two year old son, J, and her husband.  We took our sandwiches to a nearby park where I spent a good deal of my childhood.  While the adults scarfed down our incredibly unhealthy but still delicious food, we had a conversation about the eating habits of our little guys.  Charlie was munching on cooked green beans, fresh mozzarella cheese, and some Free Bird chicken nuggets.  #2 remarked that she couldn’t get J to eat green beans if her life depended on it.  I made it clear that Charlie was not always consistent in his healthy food habits.  Teething has made it quite hard for him to eat anything that is not incredibly mushy, but since we seem to have a bit of a reprieve from that right now, I can usually get him to eat a good fistful of veggies about 80% of the time.  He definitely prefers a nugget or a fishstick, though.

I joked that my son was almost as much of a food snob as I am, refusing to eat any mozzarella other than the fancy expensive kind at Whole Foods that comes in a little tub of holy water.  She joked back that her son’s only preference for his food was that it contain high fructose corn syrup and lots of it.  In that moment, I remember thinking how great it was that I had a friend with whom I could joke about this stuff and know it was just joking.  Since I know #2 so well, I know that she’s a good mom and she’ll do whatever she can to make sure J grows up healthy and strong.  Similarly, #2 knows that I’m far from being a crazy helicopter parent who needs to micromanage every aspect of Charlie’s life right down to the green bean.

But I’ve seen conversations like that go down between parents who don’t know each other very well.  There are awkward silences, judgmental glances, and pursed lips.  Food, and what we feed to our kids, seems to be one of the great divides among parents.  Who knew that debates over hormones in milk, eating soy, organic produce, and peanuts could cause more ire than the presidential election!  Truth is, I’m that mom who brings organic milk and filtered water in to day care each day.  I pack all his meals too, even though daycare provides food.  I can admit that I’m at least a little obsessive about what Charlie eats.

I have felt the glare of moms who seem to assume I’m judging them if they don’t follow the same protocol that I do.  I’ll be honest – it pains me to go to the grocery store and see families with carts full of nothing but boxed frozen meals, cookies, and chips.  There.  I said it.  A part of me judges a little.  But at the same time, I know how hard it can be to get a kid to eat something good if he really doesn’t want to eat it.  Whenever I feel myself judging the pushers of those carts, I remind myself that most parents aren’t actively trying to hurt their kids by feeding them that stuff.  The habits probably started because they were trying to get their kids to eat something.  Anything!  There could be a day when Charlie stops eating his healthy foods and digs his heels into the ground.  No parent is immune to the picky eater.

Where I’m going with this post is unclear, but I guess it’s a message to all parents out there – those parents letting their kid pig out on pizza and ice cream are probably not as bad as you assume they are.  And that other parent trying to cajole her kid into eating just a few more green beans?  She might not be as uptight as you think, either.

Click on each small scrolling image to see larger picture and name of bathing suit.

DownEast Basics Girl Crustacean Cutie Tankini

Lands' End V-Neck Side Tie Tankini

Snap Me Swimwear

Old Navy Rash Guard & Boy Short

Swim Zip Ruffle Me Pretty

Old Navy Butterfly Tankini

Gap Striped Tankini

Lands' End Tiered Top Tankini

Shop! Check out the links below to shop these styles.

• DownEast Basics Crustacean Cutie ($30)
• Lands’ End Shirred Ruffle V-neck Tankini Top ($25) & Gathered Side-tie SwimMini ($25)
• Snap Me Swimwear American Plaid ($29)
• Old Navy Rash Guard & Boy Short ($12)
• Swim Zip Ruffle Me Pretty ($30)
• Old Navy Butterfly Tankini ($15)
• Gap Striped Tankini ($14)
• Lands’ End Tiered Tankini Top ($29) & Plain Front Tankini Bottom ($17)

Sign up your school for the Pottery Barn Kids “Gear Up to Give Back” program* and as you make your back-to-school gear selections a percentage of purchase will be donated back to your school.** Once your school is enrolled, purchases from other parents at your school will be eligible as well.

As an added bonus, if you enroll your school now through June 14, you will be entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500 for your school and $2,500 for yourself!

I was already eyeing a PBK backpack and lunch box for preschool girl’s first fall of “big kid school,” so I’m glad to know the purchase will also benefit her school. For the purposes of the program, duffle bags also count as “gear” and are eligible.

If you have older children, PBteen purchases are also eligible for the “give back” program.

Like any donation program and sweepstakes, there are lots of terms and conditions, one of which is that only U.S. schools and purchases are eligible.

* You will need your school’s tax ID number. If enrolling a private school, you will need an IRS Determination Letter or 501(c)(3) and 509(a) tax exempt certificate.
** Percentage varies with total dollar amount of purchases.

Sleeping in the Sleepi at 1 Month Old

One of the best features of the Stokke Sleepi Mini when using it with an infant is that it is on wheels. So when Max is asleep and I head to bed, I roll the Sleepi closer to my side. I don’t think you can beat this mom’s eye view.

Sleeping in the Sleepi at 2 Months Old

Not only do I have a great view of Max from my bed, but my older son has a pretty good look at his little brother after nap time, too.

Max won’t be in our room for much longer. We’re only in Montgomery for another month and when we move into our house in Germany, Max will get his own little nursery. Part of growing into his own space means growing from the Sleepi Mini to the Stokke Sleepi Bed. The Mini easily converts to the Bed and will be a larger version of the sweet crib Max is familiar with. As much as I love his nursery area in our master bedroom, I can’t wait to put together Max’s space that will be all his own.