Make Your Closet Feel More Luxurious With Velvet Hangers

When it comes to purchases that are completely unnecessary and nonessential, I tend to think about them for a long, long time. For several months now, I have been keeping an eye out for a good deal on velvet hangers. Why? I have no idea, but I loved the look of them in some closets I had seen while reading about minimalism. The fact that you'd pay a little more for a hanger (upwards of $0.30–$0.50 each) would sort of force you to keep your wardrobe in check.

Even while I'm nearing week 32 of my pregnancy, I have managed to keep a very small wardrobe with a limited number of tops and bottoms to get me through. I was able to use several tops from my prepregnancy days during this time and was fortunate enough to borrow several pairs of pants from a colleague who was pregnant over a year ago with her first child. Even my original wardrobe had been whittled down to my absolute favorite items and classic styles (all purchased at Goodwill or other thrift stores). 

I received a $25 gift card to a home store and purchased three packs of 25 hangers at $12.99 for a total out of pocket cost of roughly $15 with taxes. Then I got home, started hanging away and tossing my cheap, mismatched plastic hangers we had collected over the years. While I was at it, I also stood there in my closet for several minutes carefully looking at every single item of clothing hanging on those glorious new hangers. Could I trim a few more items from my closet?

After considering the wardrobe I had, there were some items I was able to let go of, including some dresses that we were hardly worn, a few of my not-so-favorite tops, and a few pairs of shoes that hadn't been used in months. I urged my husband to let go of a few more of his shirts, and we were able to clear out some more items in our new walk-in closet. I added a hanging organizer that I snagged for less than $10 and hauled away all of the donations to my nearest Goodwill, less than a mile away from our new home. 

So, is it worth it? When I walked into the house with my new hangers, I looked at my husband and said, "Look, I know this sounds crazy, but I bought some hangers." His response: "Why?!" I know it may make no sense to many people, but knowing that you only have a set number of hangers can keep you from amassing more clothing just because you have the room for them. Our new closet is larger than our laundry "room", so I want to be sure to keep it in check. Here they are, in all their glory. And yes, this is all of the clothing we own. I also own five pairs of shoes, while my husband owns ten. He loves t-shirts, as you can tell, also. 

Looking for some velvet hangers? You can find them in a discounted home goods store like Ross, Marshall's, or TJ Maxx. I bought our set at Home Goods ($12.99 for 25) and then bought another at Wal-Mart ($9.99 for 30). 

Red Gold Veganized Lasagna with Meatless Meat Sauce

I have been on an Italian kick for the last few weeks and when I received an email from Red Gold Tomatoes asking if I'd like to create a lasagna using their products, I jumped on the opportunity. I perfected a veganized ricotta-inpsired cheese blend of tofu and "mozarella-style" shreds and knew I could whip up something that hit the spot and be filling, as well. They sent me information on Laura's Lean Beef, but I opted to use my own meatless version and substitute with pureed meatless meatballs instead. Here's a quick tip o' the hat to their latest campaign,
 
Again, a special thanks to Red Gold Tomatoes for sending the noodles and Red Gold products! They are hosting a giveaway from January 13th–February 3rd on Facebook, where they will be giving away 750 aprons. They'll also be giving away 6 Gourmet Lasagna Party Prize Packs, which will include a Le Creuset Lasagna pan. Check it out and enter to win!

Ingredients
1/2 package lasagna noodles
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 package of meatless meatballs
2-14 oz. cans of Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano
1 bag fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
8 oz. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. Daiya Mozarella-Style Shreds
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
paprika for garnish

Directions
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add meatless meatballs in olive oil. Once cooked, puree in food processor.
3. Warm both cans of Red Gold tomatoes in saucepan and stir in pureed meatless meatballs.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Spread a thin layer of the meatless meat sauce on the bottom of a glass 9×13 glass Pyrex dish.
6. Add three lasagna noodles as the next layer.
7. Spread a layer of the spinach puree.
8. Repeat steps 6–9 once more and top with optional paprika and additional mozarella shreds if desired.
9. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes uncovered.

Hello 2015, Goodbye Successful 2014!

We had a big year in 2014 with lots of accomplishments. I'll keep this post short and sweet and list off my favorites.

January 1—Moved from of Austin, Texas to Houston, Texas.
January 6—My husband started his new job in the outskirts of Houston.
January 8—I joined my husband in moving in to his cousin's three bedroom, two bath home. (We thought this would be temporary!)
February 17—I started my new job as a copywriter in Houston.
April 10—We officially paid off my husband's student loan debt ($17,000 in less than 18 months).
April 14—We had a student loan debt payoff party at my parent's house. We began saving for a house the next week.
June 11—I was hired on as a full-time employee from a contracting position at my job.
June 18—I found out I was pregnant with our first child.
July 28—We heard our little one's heartbeat for the first time during a prenatal appointment.
August 18—We saw our baby during our first ultrasound session.
October 16—We celebrated our four-year wedding anniversary and found out we were having a little girl named Eleanor Jane.
November 15—We saved up $16,000 in less than 7 months for our first house and put in an offer on the seventh home we looked at that day.
November 16—The sellers accepted our offer and we began the contract period on the home.
December 12—We signed on our home after a few bumps in the road, and moved out of my husband's cousin's house.

Overall, it was a good year, and we can't wait for what 2015 will bring.