The Break Room – October 2022


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

My Recent Buys

Our family in October 2022
  • My old gym shoes bit the dust and it was time for something new. Finn convinced me to go with these On Cloud shoes because he is obsessed with them. I got these and wow, they truly are comfy. Now, if they could just give me the motivation to workout…
  • I’ve been on a non-fiction kick with books and just finished High Performance Habits. I loved it! As someone who identifies as a type-A achiever, I liked learning new techniques to add intention and clarity to my days. It’s a great read if you’re wanting to make some improvements in your productivity and how you spend your days.
  • The change of seasons has done a number on my skin. I recently asked for your recommendations for hand and foot cream and got hundreds of responses. In the end, I went with this hand cream, this foot cream, and this lotion that I use in the morning to act as a barrier all day long. I’ve been using them all for a few weeks now and everything feels much better!
  • I’ve been having some hair struggles and a lot of shedding lately. I thought I was out of the postpartum shedding phase, so maybe it’s stress related? I’ve got an upcoming appointment with the derm and I’m hoping we can get to the bottom of it. Anyway, to take care of the hair that I do have left, I’ve started using this hair mask once a week. It’s amazing. The only downside is you have to wash your hair, put it on, and then wait ten minutes, so you have to get out of the shower. I typically put it on and then tweeze my eyebrows while wearing a towel and then hop back in the shower to rinse it out. It’s worth the extra effort, trust me!

Finn Family Faves

Our family apple picking
  • Ellis: It was finally time to get Ellis some shoes after being barefoot all summer. We went with these shoes as his first pair! They came recommended by a physical therapist for new walkers and they’re super cute too.
  • Rory: These kids grow so fast, so we had to get Rory all new shoes and coats for the colder months ahead. We went with this adorable green jacket for the fall and these cute boots. While I’m not ready for snow just yet, we did scoop up these snow boots too.
  • Finn: Finn recently stumbled upon the brand Quince, and we cannot get over the quality of their stuff for the price. He got this cashmere sweater and these chinos. I just ordered a few items from their women’s section, so I’ll keep you posted on how I like them!

The Click List

Come to Italy With Me!

let's go to Italy together!

A few weeks ago, 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! 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 – October 2022

A fun filled October 2022

It’s been quite an eventful fall season for our little family. We made a bucket list at the start of the month (you can see it in this blog post) and we’ve slowly been ticking items off of our list.

We visited the Morton Arboretum at the beginning of the month to get outside and see all of the fall colors. It was a gorgeous day and the kids had a blast roaming all over. We will absolutely be going back!

Rory apple picking

We also went apple picking, which is one of my favorite fall traditions. Finn and I used to go every year (just us two) and it was especially hard when we were going through infertility. Seeing all of the happy families having a great time together was always tough.

A fun October 2022 as a family

Now, here we are with our own family, a short time later. It’s crazy how things can change so quickly.

Rory in her party dress at her sleepover

Finn promised Rory a daddy-daughter sleepover in the living room and they enjoyed one together this month. Rory got to choose what to wear (she chose a party dress as you can see in her morning-after picture above) and they stayed up til 8:30 pm, watching movies and eating snacks. They then both passed about by 9 pm. It was pretty adorable.

Finn’s best friend got married, mid-month, and we had a wonderful time at their beautiful wedding. Finn’s mom came into town to go too, so it was a family affair. Jan stayed home with the kids so we could all have a fun night. We don’t get dressed up and out of the house very often, so we’ll take it! I ordered a few dresses from Rent The Runway and ended up going with this Monique Lhuillier dress and it was perfect.

October 2022 our family trip to Notre Dame

Then, last weekend we went to the Notre Dame game with my dad. It was an unseasonably warm day and the trees were breathtaking. I haven’t been back very often since I graduated in 2010 and this was the first time the kids got to see my alma mater. We had a blast but didn’t make it past the first quarter and my tired kids slept the entire ride home!

Rory at Notre Dame

Finally, I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween! We are dressing up as the cast of Frozen – I’m Elsa; Finn is Kristoff; Rory is Anna; and Ellis is Olaf – and I’ll be sure to share pictures of our costumes on Instagram.

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.