The Break Room No. 12


The break room no. 1 May 2019

Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, get cozy, and let’s take a well-deserved break and catch up about June 2020.

My Recent Buys

  • Finn and I shot a how-to video for Crate and Barrel’s IGTV (you can view it here). It was all about how to install a light fixture (seriously guys, this is an easy project anyone can do!). I took the photos above the week before Rory came (can you spot my bump?) and we ended up adding this chandelier over our kitchen table and love it.Candle from Studio Mcgee
  • I’m sure you’ve seen the new Studio McGee line at Target by now…it’s so good! Things sold out so quickly and I was only able to snag this candle (I got it in a few sizes). I have some alerts set for other items to notify me when they’re back in stock.
  • I recently shared how I clean my rings and diamond earrings on Instagram stories and you guys were so intrigued. This is the machine I use along with this cleaner. It’s super easy and I do it about once a month. I’m always amazed by how filthy everything gets!shorts and sandals
  • I picked up a few new items for summer including these Birkenstock sandals and these jean shorts. I can’t quite squeeze into all of my old shorts, so I ended up getting these ones in a size up and they’re amazing. As for the sandals, it’s so funny because my mom questioned them a bit when I got them. She said she used to wear the same style back when she was in high school and she couldn’t believe that they’re still cool! Gotta love a classic brand and shoe. So far, they’re super comfortable and I love that I can just slide them on and head outside to water our flowers in the morning (that’s about the only place I go these days).

Finn’s Recent BuysFinn resting with baby Rory

In honor of Father’s Day this month, Finn is sharing his favorite baby items that we use constantly. Finn buys alllll the baby stuff in our household – all of Rory’s clothes, all of the functional items we use, everything. Stuff just shows up at the house and I’m so grateful he handles it!

  • We use these burp cloths. They’re the softest cotton; they’re nice for Rory’s skin, and they come in great patterns too.
  • These clear bins are the best for bathroom and baby gear storage because you can line them up in closets. They are clear, durable, and easy to clean. We store Rory’s bath supplies in these, along with extra diapers, wipes, etc.
  • Bath time is our favorite time in this house.  I use these pads  on the hard tile and the bathtub rim. They keep my knees and elbows comfortable while I’m holding Rory as she floats around. 
  • We use this to get Rory’s bathwater juuuuust right. The duck is the most amazing little toy because it tells us the temp of the water and how long bath time has been.

The Click List

Supporting the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Community

share the mic now

This past month, I’ve been doing my best to learn how to be an ally of the BIPOC community and support the Black Lives Matter movement. I need to use this platform to help in any way possible and I want everyone who is a part of the Playbook community to feel represented in the content I share. Last Thursday, I had the privilege of joining the “Share the Mic – Home Edition” movement and I had the amazingly talented Black designer, Quin Gwinn, take over my feed. She connected with so many of you and it was so awesome having her share her expertise with my audience. We even did a live on Instagram discussing interior design, race, and family. You can watch it here!

Here are a few more ideas I have to make the blog more inclusive…

  • Highlight a BIPOC owned small business in my Friday sales roundup every week (both on the blog and on Instagram).
  • Showcase more BIPOC homes in my Reader OMG! features (please submit your spaces!)
  • Share posts, articles, and accounts of BIPOC designers in the monthly happy hour post (and regularly on social).

This is where I would love YOUR help. If you have any accounts or small businesses that you think I should highlight, please let me know in an email ([email protected]) or in today’s comments section. Let’s make our feeds more diverse and celebrate the amazing work being done out there.

Finn Family Updates – June 2020

As you all know, I’m obviously back to work around here and my maternity leave is over. The good news is I work from home, so I’m still able to snuggle Rory girl whenever I want. My mom has been coming over when she can to watch Rory and with Finn home too, we’re all able to get our work done. I’m still trying to navigate life as a working mom. I’m able to sneak in emails, conference calls, and writing posts during naptimes, but it’s the actual working on DIY projects that is a tad more difficult. Luckily, my mom is going part-time at her work, starting in July, and she’ll be watching Rory a few days a week. I am so grateful for her help.

Our new work from home office setup with two monitorsFinn’s office doesn’t open until August 1st (at the earliest) and I’m so grateful to have him home for at least another month. He really only got one week of paternity leave, so it’s pretty amazing that he will be home for over three months with our baby girl. I don’t know how I would have made it through this time without him.

kathy and roryFinn’s mom, Kathy, was finally able to come to meet her granddaughter. She lives in Houston and made the long drive up here to visit Rory. She wanted to quarantine before coming so she could have lots of snuggle time with Rory. She stayed for a week and it was glorious! Rory had lots of naps in her grandma’s arms and loved every second of it.Rory's 2 months old

Rory also turned 2 months old and this girl is growing like crazy. She weighed 10.5 lbs at her two-month appointment and we were in shock…she gained 4 lbs in a month!! Way to go, girl! She is becoming more curious and loves to stare at everything in the room. Rory started cooing and really loves her music toy (that’s when we get the best happy noises outta this girl!). Her night sleep is getting longer (we only have one middle of the night feeding now!) and she even slept for 9.5 hours one night last week  (where I was constantly staring at the monitor, wondering if she was alive in there!). The days just keep getting better and better with our sweet Rory girl.

Finn and Rory in the backyardNow that the weather has been nicer, we’ve been able to socially distance in our backyard with my family and a few close friends. It’s good for the soul to see other people and we leave those gatherings feeling uplifted and rejuvenated. It can be a little isolating in our little bubble at home with a newborn. For now, we’re listening to our pediatrician as to how to best navigate going out into the world in the coming months.

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.