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To us, Happy Hour is a time to sit back, relax, and catch up with friends. It’s a time to chat about everything and anything, and that’s exactly what we bring to DIY Playbook’s monthly Happy Hour.
These monthly posts are a chance to catch up with friends and bring just a little extra happy to your day. So grab your coffee (or champagne) and let’s catch up about our August 2018!
Casey
- I recently polled you guys on Instagram to ask if you had any tips to keep our new shower doors sparkling clean (head to this post to view the dozens of awesome tips!). Soooo many of you guys recommended applying Rainx to the glass doors, and then using a squeegee after every shower session. So that’s exactly what we’ve been doing and it seems to be keeping the water spots at bay! I’ll be sure to report back on how effective it is in the long-run.
- Over the summer, I was driving out to B’s house at least once a week for projects and I never had a great coffee cup that I could take on the road. I recently ordered this Yeti and I can see what all of the hype is about! It keeps my coffee hot and (even better) it doesn’t spill all over my lap in the car.
- I’m sooooo excited to show you guys the new suede skirt I got for fall. In fact, I just shot 3 ways to wear it last week and it will be coming to the blog real soon. I’m not normally a skirt girl, but this tan suede one just screams fall to me. Can’t wait to show you how I styled it. On another fashion note, I have a fall wedding coming up and I’m struggling to find a good dress. Anyone having any luck out there? I’m hoping to find a good fall color like maroon, but I can only seem to find summery floral dresses. Help!
- A few weeks ago, I hit up Sephora to replenish a few of my go-to makeup items. I’ve been out of my favorite powder for the last month or so, and I was so happy to get it again. It goes on so lightly and keeps the shine at bay. I also picked up my (first ever!) beauty blender and I’m loving it! Anyone else use one and have tips for me? Have I been living under a rock, because apparently EVERYONE uses these?!
Bridget
- After seeing how much use Casey gets out of this jacket, I bought one too. I’m sure she’s thrilled that now we can be twinsies. Haha
- My neighbor gave me a few packets of this natural flavoring for my water. Essentially they’re little packets of crystalized limes, lemons, or grapefruit to sprinkle into your water if you don’t have fresh fruit on hand. I’m obsessed and feel like I’m drinking so much more water thanks to these mini packets!! (Thanks Julie!)
- We seriously have the SWEETEST readers EVERRR! A reader sent me this HAND DRAWN picture of Ben and my heart melted when I opened the package. I am blown away by this talent and can’t believe how much this painting looks like Ben. If you’re looking to purchase a one-of-a-kind portrait like this for a little one in your life, you HAVE to check out Mike’s Etsy Shop here. Talk about the sweetest gift ever. Love this idea so much!
- I really didn’t buy much this month, but am excited to add a few fall staples to my closet now that I’m back at school. I’m eyeing this thermal tee (in green), this sweater (in gray), and this blouse (love those buttons!).
Link Love
Casey Updates
The biggest highlight of August was our family reunion in Kansas City! Every year, my mom’s side of the family gets together and we usually rent a big house on a lake. We have family in Texas, Kansas City, and Chicago…so we swap the city we visit every year. As our family grows and more grandkids are added to the mix, it has been really tough finding a property to hold all of us.
So this year, we rented out an entire bed & breakfast 1.5 hours south of Kansas City in Pleasanton, Kansas. The trip was amazing and we had so much fun!
The B&B staff made our breakfast and dinners (which were divine) and during the day we’d go hiking and hang by the pool. Every night, we’d take in a gorgeous sunset together as a family. It was unbelievable and I feel so grateful to have such an awesome family. Love that we were all able to be together, even if it’s just once per year.
Finn & I have also been enjoying our August off of fertility treatments! We’ve spent lots of time exploring our city, going to the farmer’s market, going out for dinner, and hanging on our back patio. I’m treasuring these days together.
Create & Cultivate
Another highlight of our month was the Create & Cultivate Conference that was recently held in Chicago. For those who may be unfamiliar with the conference, basically, it’s a one-day conference for women who are looking to “create and cultivate” their careers. In short, it’s a diverse collection of GIRLBOSSES!
We learned a lot throughout the day but our favorite part was being surrounded by such determined, talented, and SUPPORTIVE women. It was so. much. fun and we left extra inspired to keep chasing our dreams.
If you ever get a chance to go, we highly recommend it. The tickets were a tad pricey, but it’s already an investment we are happy we made. Plus, a WHOLE day together to chat all things blog?! Worth. Every. Penny!! 😉
Bridget
This month brought us back to a daily routine and back to reality, as Matt and I both headed back-to-work after a long summer off. But I definitely can’t complain because I enjoy my job and appreciate having a daily routine again.
Plus, Ben has been an amazing sleeper, which has made it a lot easier to transition back-to-work because we are all well rested! Matt and I also decided to finally take action in getting healthier. We cleaned out our refrigerator and pantry and went completely vegetarian and mostly vegan this month. We decided to commit to becoming the healthiest versions of ourselves. And more specifically, wanted to establish this healthier lifestyle before Ben started eating.
So far, it’s been almost a month of no desserts, no bread, no cheat meals, and no processed food and we feel great. I still haven’t jumped on the exercise train, but that’s my goal in September. Guys, PLEASE hold me to it!! I need all the motivation I can get because #thestruggleisreal.
If you have any questions about our journey so far, leave them below and I’ll try and answer them in our next “Ask Us Anything” post. I know I can’t drop this healthy-living bomb without giving you more insight, but I also don’t want to jump the gun and chat about it until we have some time/experience under our belts.
In short, it’s not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I don’t really crave the desserts, sugars, and comfort food like I was nervous I would… quite opposite in most cases. I never feel hungry and if I do, I eat. It’s not a restrictive diet where we are counting calories, I don’t even like to call it a diet. We’re just trying to change our lifestyle to eat the healthiest that we can. Of course we know we will have splurge meals (eventually) but for now, we wanted to start with a month of detox and re-evaluate after that.
I promise to keep you guys updated as our journey unfolds! Matt’s actually taking a paternity leave to stay home with Ben for the next couple of months. It’s starting next week so I’m sure he’ll have lots of new recipes to try (and hopefully share) soon. On second thought, we’re also kicking off our kitchen demo next month sooooo…. those healthy recipes may be on hold until after the new kitchen. Either way, lots of exciting things on the horizon in the Matkovich household. And A LOT of work in store. Stay tuned…
Bridget&Casey
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