To us, Happy Hour is a time to sit back, relax, and catch up with friends. It’s a time to chat about everything and anything, and that’s exactly what we bring to DIY Playbook’s monthly Happy Hour.

These monthly posts are a chance to catch up with friends and bring just a little extra happy to your day. So grab your coffee (or champagne) and let’s catch up!

Casey

• I try to opt for fresh flowers on our dining room table whenever possible. However, the selection isn’t always so great in the winter at the grocery store. So I decided to buy faux eucalyptus stems and this black pitcher from the Hearth & Hand line at Target! It’s adding some much-needed greenery to the middle of our room!
• It’s never too early to think about warm temps, so I recently scooped up these wedges for 55% off! I had never shopped at the website 6pm before, but the wedges came quickly and they look great.
  
• Two of my favorite Christmas gifts…new sunglasses and a new tote. I coveted Cuyana bags for quite some time and I’m so happy to finally have my own monogrammed tote! It fits my laptop, holds tons of stuff, and is my new everyday bag. I’m usually not one to buy “nice” sunglasses, but these are so flattering and make me feel pulled together (even without any makeup…)
• Last year, Finn & I tried the product Baby Foot and had terrific (albeit gross) results. The product is so crazy and we could hardly believe that it actually works. You put your feet in these little foot masks for an hour and then 2-7 days later your entire foot starts peeling…all of the dead skin sheds right off! With the winter in full force,  my feet have been super dry so I ordered this Lanbena foot peel from Amazon. It’s a bit cheaper than the Baby Foot product ($20 for two pairs) and still worked great!

Bridget

• One of my favorite mini projects this month was swapping out the old hallway light fixture (left) for this new light fixture. I didn’t think this mini upgrade warranted an entire post so I decided to skip that and wait to report about it here instead. Isn’t the change SO much better?! It was very easy to install and a great option if you’re looking for an upgrade under $60.
• My career classes are currently learning about “Cause Marketing” and researching companies that our school’s coffee shop can donate its spring semester profits. It’s one of my favorite annual projects because the kids have ownership in which cause they want to support and watching them get excited about the opportunity to give back is so rewarding. To kick off the semester, I presented examples of companies who give back and one of my examples this year was Cuddle + Kind. They’re a company that sells adorable stuffed animals that are handmade by artisan women in Peru. Not only do these women make a living off of crafting these dolls, Cuddle + Kind also donates ten meals to starving children for every toy sold. I loved their mission so I caved and bought a couple for Baby Mac’s nursery. I mean, how cute are these adorable characters?!
  
• Like Casey, I also bought a few pieces of eucalyptus from Target’s Hearth & Hand. Everything that Chip + Joanna touch is pretty gorgeous and these faux branches are no different. While I was at Target, I also scored this black tray in the holiday clearance section for $4.99!!
• We finally have a bed… frame! We’re still researching mattresses, but the delivery of this bed means we are officially one step closer to moving upstairs permanently. Now that we have the bed, I’m working to create a design plan for this space. I’ll keep you guys updated once we make any progress.
• I also needed a weekender, so I bought this one on sale (over 50% off!) and packed it as my hospital bag. My amazing sister bought me this diaper bag, I’ll keep you updated on how I like it. I’ve only heard great things about it so I’m excited to use it and see if it lives up to the hype.

Link Love

• Absolutely OBSESSED with everything about this gender neutral nursery.
• Emily Henderson bought a Fixer Upper in Portland and we cannot wait to see what she does with it!
• On the hunt for a vintage rug? This guide is chock full of lots of helpful tips and tricks.
• Anyone else see Oprah’s speech from the Golden Globes?! We were both blown away by how graceful, elegant, and strong she was up there. Not to mention beautiful! As longtime Oprah fans, we were so happy to see her get recognition for her contributions to this world. #Oprah2020 anyone?!
• Improve your marriage in 60 seconds
• Interior designers share their tips to decorate small spaces.
• 127 amazing facts (anyone else as obsessed with trivia as Casey is?)

Casey’s Updates

Whenever I write these monthly recaps, I always look back at my calendar and photos from the month to see what I was up to. And honestly, this month was pretty lame! Ha! We didn’t do too much on the weekends, and during the week you could find me working. 

As I said in this post, I’m now working on the blog somewhat full-time..and producing a show on WGN a couple days a week. The show is called SEE Chicago and it’s all about the shopping, entertainment, and events in the Chicagoland area. It’s such a fun show to produce because we get to do so much awesome stuff around the city! We started shooting this month and I’ve already done curling, a pottery class, visited a salt cave, went to a botanical garden, and took a painting class. New episodes start in the coming weeks, so I’ll be sure to share with you guys!

Other than that, I’ve been getting into yoga a lot more lately. It’s so nice to just to stretch, meditate, and slooooow down. I have been hitting up yoga sculpt and regular yoga classes at my gym, as well as doing some at-home routines.

Some new athletic gear always helps to get me in the mood too. These velvet (!) shoes, hunter green leggings, and a twist-tie top are my new athleisure favorites.

Bridget’s Updates

The final countdown is on! I honestly can’t believe I’m sitting here recapping January because that means we are only two weeks away from meeting our little guy. Just typing that gets me emotional (must be those pregnancy hormones… they’ve been bringing all the tears lately!).

I have to say, this pregnancy has FLOWN BY, yet I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever. Weird, right? I’m taking one day at a time right about now and not losing sight at how blessed we have been throughout this entire process so far. I know not everyone shares this same journey, so I feel like the least I could do is stay positive, patient, and grateful.

Outside of baby prep, we continue to make progress on the house! I feel like it’s finally time for all the fun stuff — painting the front door, getting a dining room table (post coming tomorrow!), a new couch, and lots of decorating decisions! I’ve had to call in lots of help over the past month (thanks, Mom & Dad!) to actually execute these projects but I can’t wait to sneak in lots more DIY projects over my maternity leave. Am I crazy for thinking that’s a solid possibility?! Haha #naive

Even though baby Mac will be making his debut in February, I have quite a few posts scheduled… most notably a LOT more progress (and hopefully the reveal) of the nursey. And if you aren’t already, make sure you’re following along on InstaStories (@diyplaybook) where I’ve been sharing more “real time” updates of our home’s progress. And if you’re on baby watch, be sure to check there for the most up-to-date news on Baby Mac’s arrival. But of course, I’m sure Casey will help me get things organized and ready to share right here on the blog too! As always, thank you for all of your love and support. I feel incredibly blessed to share this journey with all of you.

Bridget&Casey

Sales

• LOFT: Extra 40% off sale items (Been wanting to try a poncho…this one is 40% off and so adorable!)
• West Elm: Up to 30% off rugs (This neutral one is gorgeous and on sale)
• World Market: Home decor sale (This gray pouf would work in just about any room and it’s less than $80!)
• Nordstrom: I’ve heard good things about these tunics (seems perfect for work) and may have to scoop a couple up since they’re less than $30!