The Break Room No. 26


The break room no. 1Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, get cozy, and letโ€™s take a well-deserved break and catch up about September 2021.

My Recent Buys

Fall decor that I bought in September 2021
  • Earlier this month, I shared a few items I picked up for fall around here, including these burgundy leaves (perfect in a vase), this wood pedestal, and this fall candle. Just a few small swaps and it feels like the new season!
  • I booked a newborn photo shoot with my best friend, Bridget, and I ended up buying this non-maternity dress, which looks nice and flowy, for the pictures.
  • I suck at painting my nails – like so, so bad. But I’ve heard rave reviews about the manicure kit from Olive & June. Knowing that salon visits won’t be in my future for awhile, I decided to go ahead and buy it. I’m pleasantly surprised by how nice my nails look. I still have lots of practice to do, but I’m into it!
  • We bought one big ticket item during the Labor Day sales earlier this month…a heater for our patio! We want to use our new space well into the fall and this will definitely help us do just that.
  • My old phone case was looking so shabby, so I decided to upgrade. I got this tortoiseshell case and a black pop socket and it’s wild how it makes me feel so good every time I pick up my phone! It feels so stylish and fresh.

Finn’s Favorites

Finn snuggling our baby boy
  • I’ve been a big fan of this wrinkle release spray for awhile now. It’s a great way to get those fold creases and wrinkles out, as you transition to the fall clothes hidden deep in your closet.
  • Our garage was getting pretty disorganized and out of control, so I bought this. I’m a big fan.
  • I bought two of these super long iPhone chargers for our hospital stay. They were crucial then, and now they live by our nightstands at home.
  • Casey is a big Allbirds sneakers fan – she has these ones – and I just added their socks to my wardrobe. They’re fantastic.
  • I just upgraded our front coat closet with this shoe organizer. It holds so many!

The Click List

Playbook Inspired Projects

Adding picture frame molding to the walls

In 2022, I’d love to start a new series here on the blog featuring your Playbook-inspired projects. I often get emails or DMs from readers sharing projects (or even recipes!) that they’ve recreated in their own homes. Whether it’s using a paint color in your home that I have used in mine, completing a small craft project that I’ve done, or even DIY’ing office built-ins like ours…I’d absolutely love to see your creation!

It should only take a few minutes to fill out this Google form with the information. All I need is your name, more about the project, and there is also a spot to upload a few pictures. I’m going to compile all of your submissions and feature them right here on the blog when I’m back from maternity leave in January. I cannot wait to see all of the amazing projects you’ve tackled!

Finn Family Updates – September 2021

September 2021 with our family

Before we get to the goods about this past month, I wanted to share our summer video. I like to create these short videos to remember the day-to-day of our family life and the behind-the-scenes of home projects. This video ends with the sweet surprise arrival of Ellis! You can view it over on YouTube here or below.

Well, most of this month has been spent getting adjusted to our new lives as a family of four. I’m so happy that we did everything we possibly could to prepare way ahead of time. (My goal was always to be ready by September 1st.)

Preparing for the arrival of our son

While we did have a few things to do once Ellis arrived, especially ordering a few more preemie clothes, we were much more prepared this time around. I think I had a gut feeling he would arrive early.

proud big sister Rory
Rory during September 2021

Rory spent four and a half days at my mom’s house while we were in the hospital and those two had a blast together. We FaceTimed every day, from my hospital bed, and my mom sent us pictures and lots of updates. It was amazing knowing Rory was happy and in such good hands while we were gone.

Sharing more about our new family of four

My c-section recovery has been slow-moving (I promise I’ll write an entire blog post all about it when I get back from maternity leave), but every day gets a tiny bit better. After my delivery with Rory, I was out of the hospital within a day and feeling pretty good after a week. This experience has been waaaaay different. I am doing my best to take it slow and ask for help, which isn’t my strong suit.

At Ryan & Sarah's wedding

I was also able to make it to my brother’s wedding for a few hours! I was supposed to be 37 weeks pregnant on his wedding day and I stressed about how it would all work out. In the end, I had the baby two weeks prior to the wedding and Finn’s mom was able to come to Chicago to watch the kids, which was such a lifesaver!

The wedding was insanely beautiful (the flowers…omg!) and I got teary seeing my brother so incredibly happy. Oh, and look at Jan go on the dance floor! She nailed her mother of the groom dance.

Ryan and Sarah's wedding day

While I couldn’t partake in the entire day of festivities, I was able to go to the ceremony and dinner, which was my main goal. But I think that will be my last big outing for quite a while. This mama is ready for comfy clothes and as much home time as possible.

Our new family of four

It’s been a month of transition for the Finn family, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m just so grateful that Ellis is here and healthy and we can now focus on recovering and adjusting to our new life as a family of four. This is my last post for a while (I’ll be sharing the nursery reveal on Monday, October 11th), and then I’ll officially be on maternity leave for the remainder of the year! Thanks for all of the support these past few weeks, friends.

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.