Seven on Sunday: Week 7

Day 1: Sunday ~ Strange, last Sunday I ran across a quote that touched me. Now this past Sunday, I ran across another one! I think of my kids when I read this. This is what Scott and I try so hard to instill in them..character, integrity.

Day 2: Monday ~ Last week, we ended up in Urgent Care for an ear infection and it turned out she had pneumonia! But she was all smiles at her follow up visit! Totally cured :)

Scott left to "work" in San Diego for a few days, so the kids and I had a game night. Brookey almost pulled off one of the greatest come-from behind wins in SORRY history. Seriously. It was one for the record books :)

Day 3: Tuesday ~ Soooooo....last summer these two clowns started sleeping in the same bed together. Totally their idea! They would stay up and chit chat late into the night. Well, they're back to sharing a bed again! No clue why, but they are. #howlongwillthislast #siblinglove

Day 4: Wednesday ~ I stopped by the office at the kid's school to snap a pic of Brookey's class bulletin board. Each kid decorated a heart and they are all displayed in the front office. Love this!

Day 5 : Thursday ~ At around 9pm I was beginning to think making 70 bags of Valentine's Day Snack Mix wasn't such a good idea. Notice the wine...

Day 6: Friday ~ Sarah and I made a Costco run to pick up some steak and fixins' for Valentine's Day dinner with Aunties Jenna and Jen! My little Valentine has donut all over her cute face!

Day 7: Saturday ~ Aunties Jenna and Jen arrived!!!!! We went wine tasting at Peju....

Sarah says Happy Valentine's Day!!! Notice the hand on hip :)

The kids had so much fun with their Aunties!!!

 

 We stopped off at our old stomping grounds, Honig :)

Jenna got Valentined by Sarah!!!

Happy Valentine's Day from the Rooneys!!!

Have a great week!

In case you missed my Foodie Friday post, you can find it here :)

Click here for Wardrobe Wednesday.

Xo ~ Casey

Foodie Friday: Ain't Nobody Got Time...

I absolutely looove lasagna! The meat, the gooey cheese, the pasta...doesn't get much better. EXCEPT--i hate making it. It takes so.much.freaking.time!!!!! Boil the noodles, cook the meat, add the sauce, meticulously layer and layer and layer....then after all that, you have to bake the thing for an hour!! AND CLEAN UP!! You know what I say ....

Or maybe you prefer the words of wisdom from Miss Brown herself...

But never fear! This recipe has all of the yummy flavors of lasagna but it takes 1/3 of the time! I have to say, this is a family fave. I have never seen kids devour a plate of food so quickly. You'll love it!!

 "Ain't Nobody Got Time for That"--Skillet Lasagna
1 package of bow tie pasta (or whatever pasta you like)
1 lb of ground beef (i use 93% lean)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (you know I only use Gina Rispoli!!!)
1 cup grated mozzarella (or more)
1/2 cup Ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt/Pepper/Red pepper flakes to taste
Fresh Basil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside.

2. In the meantime, brown up the ground beef in a drizzle of olive oil. When beef is nearly brown, add in onions and season with about a teaspoon of each salt/pepper and Italian Seasoning. Cook for about 3 minutes.

3.  Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes longer.

4. Add in marinara sauce and simmer about 10 minutes until all flavors are combined.

5. Turn off the heat. Add mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan. Stir until all cheeses are melted and combined. 

6. Toss in the pasta and stir to coat. Note: I usually only end up using about 3/4 of the box of pasta because my family likes it really saucy :) Season with salt or pepper if needed. Add red pepper flakes if you like, for a bit of heat.

7. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, serve it up and watch it disappear!

Now THIS is somethin' you got time for :)

Oh...and in honor of Valentine's Day, if you really want to say "I love you," don't forget to make my Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake. Throw some strawberries on top and you're a hero. You got time fo' that!!!

XO ~ Casey

Ways to Wear ~ A Striped Dress

Happy Wednesday!!! As you probably know, I'm definitely a jeans type of girl, but every once in awhile I'm forced to wear something besides jeans (AKA: work!). And sometimes I just like to change it up and wear something different, as long as it's COMFY and functional.

I'd been looking for a casual-looking striped dress forEVER after seeing other people wear them and of course from Pinterest pictures like this:

 And this...

Casual, laid back, yet pulled together. I looked and looked but could never find the "right" striped dress. So one day I was picking up some candles, cereal, and tampons at Target (please say everyone shops as randomly as I do at Target...) and I happened to spot this navy and red striped dress.

I tried it on immediately without even looking at the price. It was AWESOME! Then I looked at the price....$7.88!! Whaaaat???? I felt like I was stealing it because I threw it in my cart so fast before anyone else scooped it up! Then I saw the same dress in black and white for...yes...$7.88, so I got that one too! With my Target Red Card, both dresses with tax came out to less than $20. Even if I only wore them once, I figure it was still a good deal :) #girlmath. Well, I never expected I'd be wearing these dresses in as many ways as I came up with! It's amazing how versatile they are.

Check it out...

 Here are the details:

Outfit 1: With a cargo vest, long necklace and tall boots. You could also add navy tights!

Outfit 2: Layered with a navy cable-knit sweater so it looks like a skirt! Again, navy tights would be great.

Outfit 3: Super simple--jean jacket, long necklace and ankle boots.

Outfit 4: Sweater, scarf and black tights. It's a skirt/dress in one!

Outfit 5: With colored tights and a scarf. I love layering long necklaces under my scarves.

Outfit 6: Chambray shirt and Converse. I'll be repeating this weekend look a lot this spring!!

Now, I'm super sad to say I purchased these dresses several months back, and I haven't seen them on the Target clearance rack in while, but the black and white striped one is still available online (sorry, it's not $8, though!).

Merona Knit Shift Dress: on clearance in limited sizes 

I also found a few other options below that are similar. I am actually surprised that I wear the red/navy one more than the black and white one! Both are equally as versatile and can either be super casual or dressy. Another great thing is that a dress like this can span multiple seasons--i love pieces like this! Throw on some tights and boots and it's a winter outfit. Pair it with a baseball hat and Converse/flip flops and it's perfect for spring!

This one is almost identical to my Target red/navy one. I love that it has little pockets!

Gap Stripe Ponte Dress (on sale!)

This one looks super comfy!! Perfect for spring.

Mossimo Striped T-Shirt Dress

This one is cute with a little bling. Be sure you wait until it goes on sale for at least 50% off!

Loft Sweatshirt Dress:

Cheers to finding the perfect striped dress! If you find the right one, I know you'll be happy to have it in your closet!

XO ~ Casey

If you want to check out my other Wardrobe Wednesday posts click here:

Getting Dressed, Mom Style
Easy Outfit Formulas 

Linking up with some of my favorite blogs: A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, Momfessionals and Jo Lynn Shane.

Seven on Sunday: Week 6

It's Sunday!!!! Just in case you're new here :) Seven on Sunday is my digital scrapbook. Many moons ago, I was an avid scrapbooker. I would scrapbook every "big" even that would happen from parties, to trips to anniversaries. Well, then kids happened and that kinda fell by the wayside.

But it's so important to me to have pictures of documentation of my kiddos lives...FOR MY KIDS. There is a company that will take your blog and print it out, just like a scrapbook. So this is why I do Seven on Sunday. I don't have time to detail every little thing that happens, but I find a few pictures (supposed to be 7, one for each day) on Sunday is a manageable way of helping preserve memories for my kids.  And of course, for your entertainment! I find people enjoy laughing at my chaos!! LOL!!!

Happy Sunday!!!

Day 1: Sunday ~ Once in awhile I'll run across a quote and think, "I need to frame that and put it up in the house!" Some might think it's a cheeseball quote but I love it! I truly try to count my blessings everyday and realize how fortunate I am!  To this quote I can just say "Amen."

Day 2: Monday ~ This was an exciting day! Started out great! Sarah and I baked a lemon bundt cake for Daddy's birthday tomorrow!!!

She's an expert with the hand mixer now!

 ...and spoon cleaner :)

All was fine and until a few hours later, she woke up from a nap screaming saying her ear hurt. She literally cried for an hour! Since she's been sick on and off for about a month, I was pretty sure she wasn't kidding about the ear infection. The Dr. couldn't get her in, so I took her to urgent care. This is her apprehensive "Really, Mom you're taking a picture right now after I've been screaming my head off for an hour?"-look :)

Turns out she has the beginnings of pneumonia! The Dr. said she had a ton of fluid in her lungs! I'm so happy I took her in!! Poor baby! She on antibiotics now, so I'm hoping that will knock out this cold once and for all.

Day 3: Tuesday ~ Daddy's birthday!!!! 42 years young! (We just took off the 2 and put 4 candles in) :). Common Core people would HATE that! :)

...and in the middle of my picture taking..someone farted!! #reallife Brooke looks a little too happy. Hmmm....! I doubt that's what Scott wished for but whatcha gonna do??

Nevertheless, I think he's pretty happy to have these 3 crazy people in his life!!!! Happy Birthday!!

Day 4: Wednesday ~ On this day, all I can remember is that Sarah and I went to the library. Since I have lost my phone, I can't retrieve any pictures from this day! Argh!

Day 5: Thursday ~ I've said it here before, but I love my job! Almost everyday that I work some kid says something hilarious or heartwarming and I think, "I need to start writing these down!"

I started to see students at the preschool last month and I am just loving those little guys! I had been feeling like I was ready to catch yet ANOTHER cold this week an was feeling just kind of..."UGH." After my preschool class, I was getting ready to leave and one of the preschool girls (looking upset!) yelled, "WAAAIT You forgot to give us our hugs!!!!!!!" Then the other little boy chimed in "YEAH!!" And it ended in a giant 3 way bear hug. Seriously. How much do I love my job??!!

And how cute are my precious Kindergartners in this pic??! I love these kids!!

Day 6: Friday ~ Rain finally! Sarah and I were super happy we got to wear our new boots!!!

Day 7:  Saturday ~ Grandma came up and we took a little drive to Napa to play around :) Of course we took some winning family pics! LOL!

Then, Scott and I went out to celebrate his birthday! We are pretty lucky to have a 5-Star restaurant within walking distance from our house in the middle of nowhere!! Unfortunately, my phone has been missing for the last 24 hours and I have no pictures! Ugh!


Have a great week!!

XO ~ Casey

Foodie Friday: Love is in the air!

Valentine's Day is not a huge "event" at our house. We always celebrate the holiday because after all, it's all about surrounding yourself with the ones you LOVE! But it usually consists of a little Sinatra and a homemade dinner. Since the kids have gotten older, we like to include them in our "love day," too!

Today I'm sharing one kid-friendly and one adult-friendly recipe. Although I serve the champagne cupcakes to my kids, too. The alcohol cooks out :) But if you're not cool like that,  I understand :)

Cheers to a wonderful day with the ones you love!

**Remember you can Pin these recipes to Pinterest--just hover over the picture and click the icon on the top left.

Adult-Friendly Recipe: You guys know I "don't bake." Pretty much every dessert that goes into my oven is semi-homemade (AKA: cake mix!) These cupcakes are semi-homemade, yet a little special because they have champagne in them!! If you want to make your own frosting, knock yourself out--i just use the canned kind. Ain't nobody got time for that! :)

Champagne Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 1/4 cup pink champagne
1/3 cup oil
6-8 drops of red food coloring (adjust depending on how pink you want it)
1 container pink frosting
Sprinkles

1. Mix together cake mix, egg whites, champagne, oil and food coloring according to package directions.

2. Spoon mix into cupcake holders and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes--do not over bake as the cupcakes will start to brown and lose their pretty pink color.

3. Decorate when completely cool.

DONE!

Kid Friendly Recipe: This year we are hosting my sisters in laws (SISTERS in LAW?? Laws?? Sisters? Whatever!) for Valentine's Day, so it will be them and all the kiddos. I'm pretty certain the night will end with the kids drinking hot chocolate and eating this snack mix.  This recipe would also be perfect to bag up and share as a Valentine's Day treat at school.

Valentine's Day Snack Mix
1 bag salted popcorn, popped (try to find the kind with the least butter)
1-2 cups of Chex cereal
1-2 cups of mini pretzels
1 cup of nuts (optional)
1 cup Valentine's Day colored M&Ms
Valentine's Day sprinkles (optional)
1/2 12 oz. bag of pink candy melts (I found these at Michael's in every color of the rainbow!)

1. In a large bowl, combine popped popcorn, Chex, pretzels, and nuts (optional).

2. Place half the bag of the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave according to package instructions until completely melted.

3. Spoon melted candy melts over the snack mixture. Stir until the mixture is well coated. Fold in M&Ms and sprinkles.

4. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet (or two) and allow to cool completely. When cooled, break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

This is what the Candy Melts look like:

This is the popcorn I used. It was perfect--not too much butter.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!!

XO ~ Casey

Wardrobe Wednesday: Easy Outfit Formulas for Moms

Welcome back to Wardrobe Wednesday! Last week, I talked about Casual-Classic Wardrobe Staples. Today I'll show you four super easy, comfy outfit "formulas" just using these few pieces.

1: Good Fitting Jeans 2: Striped Tee 3: Scarves 4: Neutral Flats 5: Layering Tees 6: Long Necklace

1. Jeans, Striped Tee, Long Necklace, Flats:  Super easy, yet pulled together. The necklace says, "I made an effort." :)

2. Jeans, Layering Tee, Multi-Colored Scarf, Flats: I like buying scarves that have multiple colors so you can mix and match them with different colored tops.

3. Jeans, Striped Tee, Plain Colored Scarf, Flats: I love bright colors for my plain-colored scarves!

4. Jeans, Layering Tee, Plain Scarf, Long Necklace: A year ago I would have never thought to layer a long necklace and a scarf. Now I love this look!! Throw on some heels and you're ready for date night! :)

Hope this gives you a little outfit inspiration! If you have any wardrob-y topics you want me to feature, let me know in the comments below :) Have a great week!!!

I'm linking up again with two great blogs A Little Bit of Everything and Jo Lynne Shane.

XO ~ Casey