I got this idea from the Amish. They have replaced their kerosene lamps with LED lamps powered by a rechargeable battery. That’s not so new; their hack is to power the LED lamps with a cordless tool battery, which acts as a stable base, lasts a super long time (days), and can usually be found charged. Also, a battery is the most expensive part of a light and this is dual use. You can get these units to fit any of the three major tool battery systems. I use ours (for a Dewalt battery) for brilliant emergency lighting and as a perfect camp lamp.— KK
Something super-magical happens when people sing collectively in harmony. We don’t do it very much any more. Musical genius Jacob Collier is trying to change that with his audience choirs—the audience sings, in harmony, without practice. It can be profoundly beautiful. As example, listen to this concert at the Kennedy Center that begins with an Irish ballad. If that works for you, there’s longer audience harmony at Academy Brixton in London. Other performers, such as Pub Choir, are doing this as well on world tours. If you have a chance, give communal signing a try. — KK
The house we moved into a few months ago is overrun by spiders. New webs appear every day. This cobweb/duster has a 100-inch extendable pole that lets me reach the high corners where spiders tend to spin their webs, both inside and outside the house. It comes with two interchangeable heads — the spider web brush tackles cobwebs, while the microfiber duster gently cleans delicate areas. I paid around $13 for it and it's surprisingly sturdy for the price. — MF
This might be an oversimplification of the true sources behind our fears, but I appreciate this visual chart of possible unmet needs and the arrows pointing toward a healthy resolution for each fear. Sometimes fear can be paralyzing, and this serves as a good reminder to stay curious about my negative emotions and what truly lies behind them. — CD
Marketing guru Seth Godin and artist Debbie Millman have teamed up to create a unique page-a-day calendar for 2025, called Go Make a Ruckus. Each day features one of Seth's inspiring quotes, beautifully hand-lettered by Debbie. It's a fun way to get a daily dose of Seth's wisdom and Debbie's artistry. — MF
If you ever need to find words within words, anagrams.io is a useful website to bookmark. It’s a free anagram sentence generator for English, German, French, and Spanish. — CD
I read this short one-page article years ago and still remember its lesson vividly: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning. A drowning person does not splash, flail, and yell. They are quiet and incapable of splashing, yelling, or even lifting their arms. “Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.” Read this and maybe save a life. — KK
To allow peace and pain to sit side by side, I practice this Anchoring Heart Technique by Deborah Grassman. It was initially created to help military veterans in hospice care, but is universally effective for anyone wishing to embrace conflicting feelings. How it works:
Place one hand or both hands firmly and tenderly over your heart. Breathe deeply.
Feel whatever you are experiencing, even if it’s just for a few seconds.
Be curious about the place inside you that is strong enough to hold your pain without fear. Get to know your BRAVE SPACE.
There is something very powerful and effective about being able to name your tension and embrace it at the same. It really is a very simple and beautiful act of self-compassion. Here’s a link to a 10-minute video that expands on how and why it works. — CD
My wife recently discovered a brilliant travel accessory — the EZ4UVOY stuffable neck pillow. It's a soft velvet neck pillow that you can fill with clothes or other soft items, giving you extra packing space without counting as additional carry-on luggage. You can fit 4-5 pieces of clothing inside, saving baggage fees. While it can get a bit heavy when fully packed, the pillow is comfortable to use on the plane once stuffed, and comes with a shoulder strap and a clip to keep it in a curved shape. — MF
Japan is not as expensive to travel in as many believe. This excellent video guide to budget travel in Japan is very relevant now that the yen is so cheap. How Expensive is it to Travel in Japan? Is a 30-minute YouTube video by a British Guy, Abroad in Japan, and he covers all the tricks of cheap Japan travel that I know. — KK
I learned about silicone freezer trays during a visit to my parents' house. They use them to store leftover soups and stews. The flexible silicone makes it easy to pop out individual frozen 1-cup cubes, and the rigid lids make them stackable in the freezer. — MF
I have an old ugly couch in the basement that I've covered with a throw blanket. To prevent it from shifting or being pulled off, I used Velcro Brand Heavy-Duty Fasteners. It’s not a permanent fix, but it spares me from unnecessary fussing with it. — CD
I’ve struggled every which way to store and deploy very long extension cords in our garage. A year ago, I splurged on the ideal solution which I had seen in hi-tech company workshops: a retractable cord stationed on the ceiling or wall. Like the retractable cord in a vacuum cleaner, you pull it out to the length you need and then when done, a quick yank will instantly wind itself back up. I got an 80-foot one to reach into the yard, as well as the garage or workshop, and it's so easy now that I don’t hesitate to roll out the cord. Innumerable generic brands make various lengths and gauge of wire. A 45-foot 12-gauge Suraielect Retractable is $90, and totally worth it to me. — KK
I've intentionally cut down on my social media time, but there's one account I never scroll past because it always makes me smile: Official Stick Reviews on Instagram. It's the internet's go-to spot for stick reviews submitted from around the world. Initially, I thought it was satire, but I soon realized the enthusiasm for finding cool sticks is both genuine and contagious. Here’s a good example. — CD
Keeping up with the advances in AI is almost a full-time job. The most reliable single source for understandable and useful news about consumer-facing AI that I use is Ethan Mollick’s substack called One Useful Thing. You can read it as a web blog or as an emailed newsletter. He is quick to thoroughly try out the newest thing and report on what it is useful for. — KK
I was burning through lint rollers like crazy to remove cat hair from my office chair. I ended up buying an Odora Pet Hair Roller. It's a reusable device that removes pet hair from upholstered furniture, bedding, and some clothing. It uses a back-and-forth motion to pick up hair and deposit it in a chamber. Because you have to move it back-and-forth, it doesn't work well on loose blankets, which is something to keep in mind. — MF
Here is a great short list on how to stay calm without any hacks from Greg Isenberg. All of these tips are effective and simple ways to help you move out of “stuck” energy or feelings of helplessness, guiding you toward something more beneficial and useful. The advice, “if you’re scared, take a risk,” reminds me of an anonymous quote I recently came across: “The cold water doesn't get warmer if you jump late.” — CD
Our once wired home is now totally wireless. I recently upgraded to a mesh wifi network, with multiple wifi units around the house creating one extended network with one shared password. We went with the Eero 6 system (owned by Amazon) which Wirecutter gives the highest marks for its ease of setting up and speeds. In our kitchen we get 700 mbps. You can easily daisy chain the units ($90 each) with small overlaps to reach anywhere in a sprawling household. It’s great to never have to think about reliable and robust wifi. — KK
I’m learning European Portuguese, and I’ve asked AI to be my tutor. I use a prompt like this:
Have a simple conversation with me in European Portuguese in the Simple Present tense and correct me in English when I get anything wrong. Start by asking me about my day. If I respond with "t" repeat what you said in English.
I use Claude Sonnet 3.5, but it doesn’t seem to matter what AI you use. — MF
Whenever an old piece of luggage breaks, I replace it with a SwissGear model. I finally abandoned my 20-year-old Briggs & Riley because the zippers were all broken and I didn't like having to use both hands to extend the telescoping handle. I bought the latest version of the SwissGear carry-on for under $100. It's a lightweight, 360-degree four-wheeled spinner with two front pockets, a snap-on TSA liquids bag, and a mesh zipper compartment in the interior lid. It also has handles on the side and bottom, making it easy to pull out of stowage areas. We now have 7 pieces of SwissGear - three 21-inch models and four 25-inch check-in models. — MF