Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, get cozy, and let’s take a well-deserved break and catch up about November 2022.

My Recent Buys

• Last month, I shared that Finn purchased a few things from a new-to-us brand, called Quince. I ordered a few things for myself and I love them all, especially these leggings! The quality of everything is exceptional and the price point is really hard to believe. The only downside is that it took a few weeks for everything to arrive. I’m used to such instantaneous shipping with Amazon. But overall, it’s worth checking out this brand for a few new things for yourself or to gift this holiday season. I ended up getting these leggings, this sports bra, these silver hoops, and this athletic dress.
• On Instagram, I shared that I scooped up this Sunday Riley nighttime skincare regimen during the Sephora sale. I’m really loving it. It contains small versions of their bestsellers and it gives you an exact routine to follow, which I really appreciate. I have sensitive skin, so I like to try things out before committing to a large purchase. My faves from the kit, that I’ll likely be purchasing again, are this lactic acid, this night oil, and this retinoid cream.

• Our old floor protectors bit the dust a long time ago, so we recently got these for our kitchen chairs. They are great! I hate the felt pads that come off quickly. These are snug on the bottom of each leg and now the chairs slide in and out easily without scuffing our floors.

Finn Family Faves

• Rory: Our kids’ dishware needed an upgrade, so we got a few new things. We got these plates, these bowls, these placemats, and this set of silverware. Rory and Ellis are big fans! Oh, and if you missed it on Instagram I got Rory a cute little Christmas tree for her room. It’s this one, with this polka dot tree skirt, this angel, and the cutest set of mini ornaments.
• Ellis: The cold has officially arrived here in Chicago so we purchased this bunting to keep Ellis warm on walks in the stroller or wagon. He stays snuggly and warm!
• Finn: During our trip to Cabo, Finn picked up a few polos from this brand and he has been wearing them non-stop, for work. They are a little pricey, but they’re a good find for any guy in your life if you’re looking for a special gift.

The Click List

• I talked to 70 parents who raised highly successful adults—here’s the ‘rare’ skill they all taught their kids.
• I’m a hair doctor and I avoid these 6 winter hair habits.
• Leaving Brooklyn for Connecticut was easier than they thought.
• This room is giving me major basement design inspiration!

Come To Italy With Me!

Last month, I opened up a trip to Italy next spring to this entire community and a few of you have already booked your trip. It’s time to get the rest of the spots filled – there’s only one early-bird priced ticket left! As of now, it’s looking like a girls’ trip and we have a few mother/daughter duos as well! It should be an amazing time, with lots of wine, a cooking class, and some boat tours. You can find all of the details and pricing right here in this blog post. I would absolutely love it if you came along! Grab a friend, or come solo, and join this fantastic group of women.

Finn Family Updates – November 2022

I didn’t get to show you our family Halloween costume here on the blog last month, so here’s a picture of the cast of Frozen. I figure we only have so many years where our kids will willingly dress up with us, so we might as well make it a group thing!

Sadly, on the actual holiday, the kids were down for the count with RSV. Ellis got a pretty severe case and Finn ended up taking him to the ER for about 8 hours one night. He was then diagnosed with croup and a double ear infection, along with the RSV. Poor baby! Thankfully, with some antibiotics, he was better in a few days!

Rory, on the other hand, was sick for about two weeks. And when I mean sick, I mean sick. The poor girl was so lethargic and she barely ate a thing for almost 12 days. Then, one day she woke up and was better, full of life, and hungry!!! I felt so helpless seeing my little girl struggling.

As the kids started to improve, Finn and I snuck away for a trip to Cabo. It was a work achievement trip for him and I got to be his plus-one. We stayed at the Four Seasons Los Cabos and it was the most beautiful resort I’ve ever been to! We even had a pool in our suite!

However, it wasn’t all smiles and sunshine. The kids passed their sicknesses onto me and I ended up with an ear infection of my own. The hotel had a doctor on site, so she was able to check me out and prescribe antibiotics. The ear pain on the flight there was excruciating, but luckily I was a bit better by our flight home.

But, there was no better place to recover than in the sunshine with zero parental responsibilities! Finn and I enjoyed some much-needed time together and we came home rejuvenated and ready to get back into parenting mode. A big shout out to my mom for going above and beyond to be with our kids so we could get that time away.

Mid-month, we had Ellis’ baptism and had some family fly in for the big occasion. We had to postpone his baptism a couple of times and I was so happy we could finally do it. We are so proud of our little boy.

Finally, we celebrated Thanksgiving together last week as a family. I watched the parade with the kids in the morning and then we went over to my brother’s house for a big dinner and time spent playing with the cousins.

This past weekend, we put up our holiday decorations and tree (more coming to the blog soon), and it was so wonderful to get into the spirit with the kids. Rory is all in on Christmas this year and it just makes this time even more special. I’m excited for all of the fun ahead…