Ask Us Anything No. 4


Earlier this year, we started a new series called, โ€œAsk Us Anything!โ€ย  We certainly get lots of design-related questions, and weโ€™re trying our best to answer those in ourย Reader SOS blog post series. But we still get tons of questions about things outside of the DIY/design field. Thatโ€™s when the idea for our โ€œAsk Us Anything!โ€ series began.

Ask Us Anything!

We’ve gotten awesome feedback on this series, so we’re so excited to check in with this post every month or so. Be sure to submit your questions in the comments, or send us an email at [email protected]

You Ask, We Answer!

 

Bridget, can you share more about Ben’s sleep schedule?

Matt and I read this book and are really trying to commit to a set sleep schedule for Ben. The book was soย informative about the importance of healthy sleep, I would recommend it to any parents or soon-to-be parents. The doctor who wrote the book says that kids should get 12 hours of sleep each night so that has become our nightly goal with Ben. Luckily, Ben is such a good baby and followed our new routine from the first night we tried it. Around 7 pm, we go in his room and close the shades. We read him a book quietly, give him a bottle of breast milk, put on this sound machine, put on this amazing sleep suit, and place him in his crib. He hasn’t cried yet and sleeps for about 8 hours. Then he gets up for another feeding and then goes right back to sleep for another 4 hours. We’re still finding our groove with naps… I’ll report back when those become more scheduled!

It looks like Bridget is getting more into fitness (based on Insta Stories). What is she doing to get back in shape after having a baby?

I’m trying! I still have quite a bit of baby weight to lose, but honestly, I’m not focused on that. More importantly, I’m focusing on getting healthier (you can read more about my body after baby in this post)! I joined a gym and have been trying to get outside to workout since the weather has been so beautiful. I’m definitely far from as committed as I should be, but I’m givingย myself credit for at least trying. Every little bit helps, right?! I’m taking a few workout classes at the gym (hopefully I’ll do that more when Matt is home over the summer to watch Ben). I’ve also been running outside and trying to build up my endurance since I can power walk faster than I run these days! Slowly, but surely, I’m trying to get more active but don’t get me wrong — I dread it every single day.ย  #thestruggleisreal

Can Casey give us an update on her job and if she’s still doing the blog full-time?ย 

I officially left my corporate job in November to work on the blog full-time. It was a scary (but awesome) leap and you can read more about that decision right here. However, in December, I was asked to produce a TV show here in Chicago for about 6 months. I’ve been doing that 2 days a week and we’re just about done shooting for the show. It’s been so much fun to still have my foot in the TV world (and the show is a blast since it highlights fun things to do in Chicago), but to be perfectly honest I’m really looking forward to only working on the blog and devoting every day solely to that. It’s sometimes hard to feel like I can give both of my jobs 100% of my time & attention, so I’m eager for our shooting schedule to be over and then I can get to REALLY blogging full-time!

I’m visiting Chicago this summer and would love some recommendations on where to go and what to do! Any advice?ย Chicago is the BEST in the summertime, so we’re happy you’re coming during our favorite time of year. We’ve actually blogged about our favorite city a few times. You can check out these posts for lots of detailed information… our tourists’ guide, the best spots for photos, and Casey’s favorite neighborhood spots. But if we had to sum it up quickly we’d say to take an Architectural boat ride, visit the Lakefront, hit up Wicker Park for yummy eats, and explore areas outside of the Loop & River North!

How are Casey & Finn doing on their fertility journey? Any updates for us?ย 

I know I’ve kept you guys in the dark since I shared our struggles in March, but I actually have a huge post coming next week about our IVF journey so far.ย  In short, we’re hanging in there and are still in the midst of our first round of IVF.ย  It has been exhausting and I’ve been on a cocktail of meds since the start of the year…so I’m forgetting what “normal” feels like for me. I’ll share all of the details on where we’re at next week, but just know that we’re fighting the good fight and hanging in there the best that we can.

What are some exciting blog projects and partnerships you have coming up this summer?

As we chatted about earlier this week, Casey & Finn are renovating their guest bathroom with Lowe’s Home Improvement. This is by far the biggest DIY project we’ve ever tackled, so it’s incredibly exciting (& a tad overwhelming). We’re creating a few how-to videos for Lowe’s as we work on the space, so expect to see those coming soon! Bridget is also in the early stages of planning out her kitchen renovation, and we have some awesome collaborations setup for that. It’s going to be a busy summer, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Bridget has been going to makeup classes at Sephora lately on Instagram. What’s that all about?

In short, I need all the help I can get. Ha! When I turned 30, I made a goal to step up my skincare and makeup routine. Before recently, all I did in the skincare department was wash my face twice a day with dial soap. No lotion, no serums, no facials… nothing extra. Well now that I’m getting older, I’m trying to be better about what I use on my face. I’ve been trying to do more reading/researching in these areas and that’s when I found that Sephora offers free classes! I took a skin care class and a “how to apply natural makeup” class and learned SO much from both! I still have a lot to learn, but I’m slowly but surely stepping up my game and plan on posting about my whole journey once I have a set routine for each.

Are you still breastfeeding Bridget?!

Yes! I’m still breastfeeding and plan to continue as long as it works out. But I do pump A LOT for a few different reasons. I like to know how much Ben is eating, I like having a bottle when we go out and about, and I also want to give Matt a chance to help feed Ben too.

To submit questions for June’s Ask Us Anything post, comment below or email us at [email protected]. We can’t wait to read your questions! Also, we won’t be posting on Monday due to Memorial Day…so we will see you back here on Tuesday. Have a wonderful holiday weekend everybody.

Bridget&Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.