I am absolutely enamored by Dawn Chorus, a sound project that collects and maps bird song recordings from all over the world. I relived the first morning I woke up in Berlin to the most charming bird chirps I’ve ever heard. Although I can’t remember the sounds I heard on our road trip through the Czech Republic, this recording perfectly captured the magical landscape I experienced. It’s so refreshing to discover projects like this that induce awe and reverence for the natural world. — CD

The easiest way to share contact information between two people with iPhones, is to squarely align the top edge of each person’s phone so they touch. When they “kiss” each phone makes a weird glow to indicate the contacts succeed in exchange. You can do a two-way share, or just a one-way share from one person. I find it a relief from the awkward task of typing other people’s info precisely. — KK

One of my favorite zines of the early 1990s was Beer Frame: The Journal of Inconspicuous Consumption. In each issue, the author, Paul Lukas, reviewed mundane products by examining their packaging and design details in a way that made me look at everything in the human-made world with fresh eyes. He stopped publishing it a few years later and focused on reviewing sports uniforms for the next 25 years, which held zero interest for me, unfortunately. But a couple of months ago, Lukas rebooted Inconspicuous Consumption as a Substack newsletter. After reading the issue about the superiority of "Beware of Dog" signs over "Beware of the Dog" signs, I immediately bought a subscription. — MF

I still buy travel guide books. But in addition to them, I find the most useful, the most up-to-date, and most interesting travel advice is found in the Rick Steves’ Travel Forums. I find these forums to be more reliable than either Trip Advisor or Reddit, with a very high signal to noise ratio. Usually there is a narrow topic already in process for what I am looking for (say, seeking a personal driver in Crete, or whether a particular border post is opened, or the best place to rent a car in Poland), and if not, then I can make that question to ask. The big downside: they only cover Europe. (There is one thread for the rest of the world, which is good, but not organized.) — KK

Here is a thought-provoking graphic I came across on Reddit that categorizes your perception of time based on your thoughts and feelings. For example, if you are experiencing emotions like guilt or shame, you are considered to be living in the past; if you are overthinking or worrying, you are seen as living in the future; and if you are feeling or embodying acceptance, you are living in the present moment. While I don’t think these categorizations are absolute—I have definitely experienced fear and negative emotions while being in the “Now”—I still found this useful as a general framework. — CD

Amazon Basics 16-Inch 12-Speed Pedestal Floor Fan uses a DC motor to move lots of air with less power consumption than a comparable AC fan. It's impressively quiet, even at high speeds. The included remote means no more getting up to adjust settings (though I could do without the loud beep it makes when I press a button). While it's not a brand name, at under $70 it's a steal for the features. — MF 

Silicone suction dishes won’t move unless you want them to. They stick to a table with surprising instant force but are super easily released. This makes them perfect for minimizing spills by toddlers. Their flexible sides also won’t hurt. Lots of brands make silicone suction bowls, but the Mushies are the simplest and most elegant, and will stack with other bowls. — KK

I bought this Beyond Yoga dress based on the reviews to be my go-to travel dress because it’s packable and doesn’t wrinkle easily. I’ve worn it many times, both while traveling and at home, and I love it so much that I had to buy another one in a different color. It’s the perfect length and so soft that I’ve even slept in it. It’s a bit pricey, but I wear it so often that it feels justified. I’ve washed it many times now, and it’s still buttery soft and wrinkle-free. — CD

Unlike typical 2x2 decision grids, this 3x3 matrix by John Cutler has nuanced categories that reflect the real-world complexities of decision-making. The X-axis is labeled "Can" and the Y-axis is labeled "Should" and it contains 8 "boxes" of potential opportunities. The idea is to think about things you should be doing and plot them on this grid. It's especially helpful for figuring out tasks that are important but tricky and avoiding things that are easy but don't really get you closer to your goals. — MF

If you're feeling low or need a pep talk, you can share your feelings and rant to this AI bot. It's designed to sweetly reflect back what you're feeling and offer encouraging "compliments." It never fails to make me smile. (Discovered through the most recent issue of WIMN.) — CD

This Anker 67W USB-C charger is about half the size of my MacBook's original charger, but it powers up my laptop just as quickly. The foldable plug makes it travel-friendly and pocketable. It's not just for laptops either; it fast-charges my iPhone and iPad too. At around $25, it's significantly cheaper than Apple's offering. The only downside is that it only has one port, but the small size makes up for it. — MF

I really enjoyed this doc about the Blue Angels – an elite jet squadron showing off Navy flying skills. But since pilots are rotated out after two years, it is really a training program that constantly absorbs newbies. Their training process is worth emulating. At the end of the touring season their planes are flying with only 12 inches between wing tips!  I had no idea. Produced by JJ Abrams, with incredible cinematography inside and out. Free on Amazon Prime. — KK

Here is something everyone should have in their communication toolkit: “35 Phrases To Set Boundaries Firmly and Fairly”. This article provides practical phrases and advice on how to assertively set boundaries without causing unnecessary conflict. These phrases work in a wide range of scenarios, from dealing with children and family to workplace dynamics. Here are a few examples: 

• "I'm not available." - Helps establish off-hours and personal time boundaries.

• "I need you to help me." - Encourages teamwork and shared responsibility.

• "I don't agree." - Clearly states disagreement while remaining open to finding a mutual solution.

• "I understand you need my help, but I cannot work on this right now." - Balances empathy with personal limits.

• "I prefer not to discuss this topic with you. It makes me feel uncomfortable." - Protects emotional well-being by avoiding triggering subjects.

Note: Both of my recommendations this week were discovered in Matt Rutherford’s newsletter, 👓 Stuff—a weekly email crammed full of tips for a better life. If you love Recomendo, I highly recommend subscribing to Matt’s newsletter. — CD 

The only active ingredient in this bottle of Mighty Mint spider repellent spray is peppermint oil. I spray it around the windows on the outside of our house, outdoor furniture, and potted plants, and it keeps them from building webs. The label says for best results use twice a week, but in my experience, once every couple of weeks seems to be frequent enough. — MF

If I had to re-assemble my workshop from scratch, one of the first tools I would buy would be a cordless angle grinder. I would not have guessed that a decade ago, but I use mine all the time now.  I’ve found that an angle grinder is the perfect tool for cutting through thick or thin metal. I can cut rebar, metal sheeting, chicken wire, hardware mesh, rusty nails, old hinges, stripped screw heads, welded parts, etc. It is the cheapest way cut metal. The cordless part (a little more expensive) makes it so easy to grab and go. Because they grind with grit instead of cutting with teeth, they aren’t as scary as a saw, too. You can find them for all battery types; mine is a Dewalt DCG 412. — KK

I recently came across a clever idea in an email I received. At the bottom of the email, there was a link labeled "About me." I clicked on it and was taken to the results of a Perplexity search about the sender. It was an ingenious way to provide a snapshot of who they are, and I found it so useful and creative that I decided to steal the idea myself. — MF

I love watching artists work in their studios. I really delight in seeing how they make their art, what tools and techniques they use, and their material approach to creation. Getting access to a studio is rare, but very easy to do via two YouTube channels. Art21 is a multi-season PBS show, available on YT, that features a contemporary American artist at work in their workshop or studio. Some artists even reveal their process in detail, which is  a plus. The other venue is Craft in America, another PBS show, which lets you watch how crafts people manifest their exquisite artifacts, such as a chair from a log, or a knitted coral reef. I am constantly inspired to make my own art after watching others create art from such raw ingredients. — KK

I use Midjourney to create AI illustrations of dream imagery, and to improve my skills in writing AI image prompts, I've been playing a Google Arts & Culture game called "Say What You See." The gist of the game is to describe what you see and aim for at least a 50% match—or higher—to the original prompt. Warning: It can get very frustrating past level three. Thankfully, if you want to come back to it, you can skip the easier levels anytime. — CD

Over the weekend, my daughter and I played an unusual video game called Papers, Please. In this single-player game (which came out in 2013), you work as a border checkpoint inspector for Arstotzka, a fictional country resembling a 1980s Soviet state. Your job is to examine the documents of people attempting to enter the country and decide whether to grant them entry. The game presents moral dilemmas as your daily pay is usually insufficient to cover rent, food, and heat. Your family constantly faces the risk of starvation and illness. This raises the question: Should you start accepting bribes and other dubious offers from spies and smugglers to make ends meet? Despite its intentionally crude graphics, reminiscent of 1980s video games, I found myself completely engrossed in the gameplay. — MF

The arrival of reliable cheap fusion energy on Earth would be a revolution nearly as important as AI. Fusion is a synthetic sun, with relatively benign byproducts. For 70 years, experts have predicted it to be “20 years away;”  It is still 20 years away. This excellent summary of the state of the art in fusion energy explains why progress has been so slow and why it may speed up now. Or not! Easy to read and smartly informative, Will We Ever Get Fusion Power is the best thing I’ve read on fusion, a brief and succinct article, highly recommended. — KK