The Break Room – April 2022


The break room no. 1

Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, get cozy, and letโ€™s take a well-deserved break and catch up about April 2022.

My Recent Buys

Finn Family Faves

Ellis in the pool

Here are some faves from the other members of the Finn family…

  • We celebrated Rory’s birthday and she was gifted some special items. She got this cute raincoat and rain boots, these soft Frozen pajamas, Magna-Tiles (she is obsessed!), and this scooter and helmet. We try to be very intentional with gifts for the kids, so this was the perfect amount of “stuff” for her.
  • Ellis is growing like crazy, so we’re constantly buying more clothes for him. (He is wearing 12-18 months.) For our Arizona trip, we picked up this shirt in every color, this tank top, and these trunks. He was the cutest little guy at the pool.
  • Finn had his birthday last month and I gifted him this reMarkable tablet. He is a big note-taker and always likes to write things down. This is a tablet that looks like paper, and comes with a pen, so he can keep his notes organized.

The Click List

Finn Family Updates – April 2022

Rory brushing her teeth at the new vanity

Whoa, where did April go? This month really flew by for me. I spent the beginning of the month cleaning, decorating, and photographing our new bathrooms. Did you catch the kids’ reveal and the main bathroom progress? Each space is totally different, but I love them both so much! I’m eager for the finishing touches on the main bathroom so we can call it officially done.

Our family trip to Arizona
Rory in Arizona

Mid-month, we headed to Arizona for a family wedding. My family decided to rent a big house for a week, to create a vacation out of it! We rented this gorgeous place in Paradise Valley, Arizona. It had a pool, swingset, and basketball court, so the kids had a ball. Rory was in heaven, spending every single day with her cousins and it made my heart swell.

While there, we visited the Easter bunny. Rory, in all of her toddler glory, refused to sit on his lap. So Ellis got a nice picture with him and his cousins! Ha!

Grama with some of the grandkids
All of the grandkids taking pictures in Arizona

We also attempted to get a nice picture of all of the grandkids together. Pictures of kids are tough. We tried our best, though, and had a lot of laughs along the way!

Rory and Janie

When we got back, I sent out my first monthly newsletter. I hope you’re signed up. If not, you can sign up right here. I’ll be sharing exclusive content mid-month, answering your questions, and sharing some of my favorite items in the newsletter. The next one goes out in a couple of weeks, so don’t miss it!

I had my 34th birthday last week, so Finn and I made a mini staycation out of it. My mom watched the kids and we booked a hotel at the Hoxton in the West Loop. It’s the cutest boutique hotel and in the heart of all of the city’s best restaurants and bars.

We miraculously got an 80-degree day in April and enjoyed every minute of it. We hit up all of our favorites restaurants and sat outside drinking cocktails and sharing small plates. We even had dinner with friends and it was glorious to catch up with people we love. All in all, it was good for the soul and we are so grateful that my mom watched the kids while we were away. We will be doing it again!

Feel good makeover for laTanya

May is going to be another busy month with a BIG reveal heading your way! I’m teaming up with Kim & Scott from Yellow Brick Home to makeover the living and dining room of a very deserving woman here in Chicago. We’ve spent the last six weeks ordering, planning, and doing everything we can to make this woman’s dreams come true. I’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks and you can watch our live on Instagram right here ( we share a bit more background about the project). Then, the entire makeover happens the weekend of May 13th! Lots of exciting things ahead…

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.