The Break Room No. 9


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 January, 2020.

My Recent BuysRainbow hospital bag

    • I ended up getting some amazing Christmas gifts from my family. I got these gold hoops that I’ve been wearing repeatedly. My mom also got me this rainbow bag for our rainbow baby (I plan to use it for the hospital!) and this baby book that I’ve already started filling out. Sweetest gifts ever.Bedroom humidifier

Humidifier // Art // Dresser

  • My face and lips have been feeling extra dry this winter, so I checked our humidity in our house and realized it was way too low (around 30%. You can check on your Nest thermostat). Long story short, I had someone come look at our humidifier on our HVAC system and he said it’s so old and they don’t make it anymore. He suggested replacing it or seeing if new filters would make a difference (I went with the latter, but not so sure it’s helping). I also ended up adding this humidifier to our bedroom and we use it at night. We’re feeling a lot better (and more hydrated!) when we wake up in the morning.
  • The showers in our old house are less than ideal. Even when the water is super hot, I still feel cold in there because the pressure and spray just isn’t great (old house problems). We’re not remodeling our bathrooms just yet, but I’m looking into upgrading our showerheads to this Nebia by Moen Rainshower with a handheld wand. Not only does it look super sleek, but it has 2x greater coverage over your body! Yeah, the thought of not shivering while I shave my legs sounds pretty delightful right about now. It does that while conserving much more water than an average showerhead (45% water savings). It’s available for pre-order on Kickstarter right now (starting at $160) and I’m considering scooping up the matte black one…Maternity clothing
  • Let’s chat a bit about the maternity clothes I’ve purchased so far. The Pea in the Pod near us was closing, so Finn and I went on a huge shopping spree days before it closed. Holy smokes, I ended up getting about $2,000 worth of maternity clothes for less than $400. I got four pairs of jeans, pajamas, three bras, three dresses, two swimming suits, tops and more. I’m usually not a big shopper, but it was awesome. They didn’t really have any athleisure or workout items, so I ended up getting a few of those on my own. I got these green leggings, this tank top (a must!), this robe, these joggers, and this comfy top. I’m almost 27 weeks and I’m set for the rest of this pregnancy!
  • I swear by this tinted lip balm for everyday wear. I’ve been liking the “Sweet Violet” color, but the “Red Dahlia” is nice if you want a bit more color.

Finn’s Recent BuysFinn shares his january 2020 buys

In our reader survey, many of you chimed in saying you would like to read Finn’s recent buys in The Break Room post. Ask and you shall receive!

  • Chicago winters are tough on your shoes, so this year I got this repel spray to protect mine. You can spray it on any fabric (leather, suede, gym shoes, etc.) and after spraying, my shoes have held up so well this winter. I’m telling ya, if you don’t put this on your leather shoes, you are wasting money and ruining your nice kicks.
  • I’ve always had the goal of learning how to make an old fashioned at home and not have it taste like orange whiskey water. Mission accomplished. This simple kit took my game to a whole new level…the proper utensils and process really make a difference. ย I’ve been making old fashioneds after work each week. And if you are making your own cocktails of any kind, also pick up this large ice cube tray. The ice cubes keep their shape really well; they’re easy to pop out; and it’s simple to refill for more drinks.
  • I have finally gotten into a groove of cooking in our new house, but I’m a really messy chef (just ask Casey). I bought this spoon holder off Amazon and it’s a lifesaver. It allows me to store several spoons at once as I create wonderful chaos in the kitchen. Casey is happy to not scrub crusted sauce off the kitchen counters anymore (Sorry, Honey!).

The Click List

Finn Family Updates – January 2020christmas day finn and casey

My last Break Room post published before Christmas, so I figured I owed you guys one Christmas picture. We had a lovely Christmas with our families. Since both of our parents are divorced, it’s always a lot of moving around to see everyone. We enjoyed Christmas Eve with my mom, Christmas morning with Finn’s dad, and Christmas evening with my dad.

Week 22 pregnancy

Our baby girl is growing, growing, growing! I’m almost 27 weeks and I can’t believe how fast the time is flying now. We still have appointments and ultrasounds every other week, which gives me lots of reassurance. And I’ve started to feel her move, which is pretty much the best feeling in the world. I’m planning to do a big second-trimester recap post in the coming weeks answering any of your questions.

January 2020 palm springs babymoonAs you may have seen on Instagram stories, Finn and I were in Palm Springs last weekend for our Babymoon! It was a wonderful and very relaxing trip! I’m sharing a big blog post with all of the details (where we stayed, where we ate, what we did), so look for that next week.Sharing a behind-the-scenes look of January 2020

Other than our recent vacation, we’ve spent every weekend working hard on our office built-ins. It’s a slow-moving project and we’re learning a lot along the way. We’re trying our best to keep it fun and not make it feel like “work.” We order a yummy lunch, blast tunes, and don’t stress if we don’t finish every little task on our DIY days. The room is coming together nicely and I can’t wait to show you guys more…

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.