Suggestions to make your life easier

I recently came across a Reddit thread that asked, “What’s your ‘I can’t believe other people don’t do this’ hack?” Here are some tips I had never heard of before:

  • I have a keyboard shortcut on all my devices where @@ automatically enters my email address.

  • When you're cleaning up "goopy" stuff that can't be absorbed, use two flat stiff things like the edge of two pieces of cardboard and literally scoop it up.

  • I am shocked at the number of people that don’t put their sheet sets in the matching pillow case for storage until use. It keeps it all together!

  • Clean out your fridge before grocery shopping! Eliminates mystery Tupperware and always reminds you of something you need to pick up.

  • When tech stops working and you need to “turn it off and back on again”, turn it off, and ALWAYS wait 10-15 seconds or more before turning it back on. This allows the capacitors inside holding the memory bits to fully discharge, and it allows the device to fully reset fresh.

  • 2 colour matched £10 flower bouquets combined are normally more varied and bigger than a £20 bouquet.

Check out the entire thread here. — CD

LifeClaudia Dawson
Color walks

I am working on a new book of my photography that has all the images arranged by color. That arrangement is surprisingly compelling and unleashes all kinds of new joys. This has made me very attentive to the idea of following a color. Rob Walker publishes a fantastic newsletter devoted to noticing things, called The Art of Noticing, and recently featured the concept of color walks, where you follow colors while walking, as a way of amplifying your ability to notice things. It really works. — KK

LifeClaudia Dawson
Vorfreude: the joy of anticipation

Vorfreude means “the pleasure of anticipation.” I learned it from Jono Hey’s excellent Sketchplanations newsletter. “The magic of vorfreude lies in how it stretches out the pleasure of any upcoming event or experience,” writes Jono. “Once I hit 'Confirm' to book a trip, it kicks off joy for months whenever I think about the trip.” — MF

LifeClaudia Dawson
Mini-pharmacy

I’ve long carried a mini-pharmacy in my daypack, packed with small doses of common over-counter medicines for occasional use. Mosts are used to supply my companion travelers. I recently upgraded to a very compact container that takes up almost no room. The Portable Travel Pill Box ($4) can hold 10 different medicines, which I label with dosages. It is very handy, and goes with me everywhere my bag goes. — KK

Travel GearClaudia Dawson
Stress Science 101 series

NPR’s Stress Less newsletter series shares actionable strategies to reduce stress and increase joy. This series, based on a resilience course created by psychologist Judith Moskowitz, teaches eight strategies to boost your day-to-day well-being. 

The 8 skills to manage stress are: 

  • Positive events: Notice when positive things happen in your life

  • Savoring: Relish the positive things in your life

  • Gratitude: Appreciate what brings you happiness

  • Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment without judgment

  • Positive reappraisal: Find the silver lining 

  • Self-compassion: Be kind to yourself

  • Personal strengths: Recognize your unique abilities

  • Attainable goals: Make plans that set you up for success

The series launched on September 30, and I am currently on week 2 of the 5-week program. However, you can sign up for the Stress Less newsletter at any time and access the archived issues, as well as the upcoming weeks, if you subscribe now. — CD 

MindClaudia Dawson
Ask AI to write your prompts

I’ve learned that ChatGPT and other chatbots are often more useful when you ask them to help you write your prompt. For example, instead of asking “Write an action-item list for planning a trip to Kyoto next fall,” ask “I’m taking a trip to Kyoto next fall. Write a prompt I can use to ask you to create an action-item list.” — MF

AIClaudia Dawson
Compare text online

Difftext.com is an online tool that quickly finds the differences between two blocks of text. You can copy and paste text or drag in files, and it will highlight the differences in plain text, markdown, or code. There have been many times in the past when I wished I had something like this, so I was very happy when Recomendo reader Spencer Smith shared it. — CD

UtilitiesClaudia Dawson
Visual experiments

An Instagram artist I enjoy following is Adam Hale. His Daily Splice artfully spans photography, collage making, photogramery, gifs, cut outs, video clips, mash ups, and other visual experiments. — KK

ArtClaudia Dawson
Flavor pairings

This book, The Flavor Thesaurus; Pairings, recipes and ideas for the creative cook,  is original and without peers. It starts by mapping out 99 flavors of foods into a “flavor wheel,” and it then examines all the plausible combinations of these flavors, with comments on the pairing. I find it useful for cooking new things, but it is also a very enjoyable browse. How about trying these unexpected pairings: coconut & dill, or saffron & rhubarb, or walnut & cauliflower? There are thousands more, including well-loved common pairs. — KK

Cooking, KitchenClaudia Dawson
Uncanny a cappella covers of popular show themes

Maytree is a Korean a cappella group that recreates popular theme songs with stunning precision. Their vocal performances are so spot-on that you'd swear you were hearing actual instruments. My favorites include their renditions of Pyscho, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Godfather, and SpongeBob SquarePants. — MF

Music, YouTubeClaudia Dawson
People as sunsets

It’s rare to come across a quote that can instantly shift my perspective, but when I do, I feel compelled to share it widely. I found this one in issue #209 of Down the Rabbit Hole, a favorite newsletter of mine, and it is attributed to psychologist Carl Rogers from his book “A Way of Being” : 

“One of the most satisfying feelings I know — and also one of the most growth-promoting experiences for the other person — comes from my appreciating this individual in the same way that I appreciate a sunset.  People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be.  In fact, perhaps the reason we can truly appreciate a sunset is that we cannot control it.  When I look at a sunset as I did the other evening, I don’t find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a little on the right hand corner, and put a bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color.’  I don’t do that.  I don’t try to control a sunset.  I watch it with awe as it unfolds.  I like myself best when I can appreciate my staff member, my son, my daughter, my grandchildren, in this same way.”

— Carl Rogers

—CD

QuotablesClaudia Dawson
Powerful Hair Drying System

I’ve been using the Shark FlexStyle Blowdryer for almost a year now, and I can confidently recommend it as the best hair tool I’ve ever owned. I chose it over the Dyson Airwrap because it was half the price, and reviews indicated it was just as good, if not better. This tool is a significant time saver. I can blow dry and style my long hair in exactly 10 minutes. All the attachments are game changers: the oval brush adds volume, the paddle brush adds shine and smooths my hair, and the curlers use hot air to auto-wrap, curl, and set, which reduces heat damage. Although the blow dryer itself is compact enough for travel, the entire set with all the attachments take up a lot room. With that said, I often sacrifice other essentials in my luggage to bring it along because I really love how it makes my hair look and feel. — CD 

Hygiene, BeautyClaudia Dawson
Best Europe guides

My chief go-to guide for Europe is Rick Steves, who has made yearly trips to Europe over 40 years, and personally updates his guides. I trust his advice for anywhere in Europe and found him incredibly reliable in his details. He’ll not only tell you where to go, but also what window to get the ticket the fastest, and when is the best time of day to visit, etc. Most important, he will guide you to the best experiences – the evensong choir at the church, the cheesemaking place with samples, the back entrance to the museum, etc. Standard guides like Lonely Planet or Fodors are obliged to cover the whole country, while Steves smartly just directs you to the selected best. I have all the Rick Steves’ guides, and keep them updated. I find it very worthwhile to optimize my travel by buying the latest edition for a relatively small price compared to the cost of the trip. For a good example try Rick Steves’ Best of Europe (2024). — KK

Travel tipsClaudia Dawson
A guide to writing well

William Zinsser's book On Writing Well emphasizes clarity and brevity. He urges writers to cut excess, avoid jargon, and express ideas simply. Don't fret about style. Strip your sentences, and your voice will emerge. I’ve read it three times and it always pays off.  — MF

WritingClaudia Dawson
Find the most beautiful word

Cellar Door is on a mission to find the most beautiful word in the English language based on public voting. To participate, all you need to do is pick between two word choices until you get tired of doing so. It's fun to reflect on your personal picks and notice how some words seem to hold more charm than others. This process allows you to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of words, such as their sound and rhythm, regardless of their meaning. As of today, the current word on the leaderboard is: diagnostics. — CD 

LanguageClaudia Dawson
Long technical interviews

I am enjoying another new podcast doing very long interviews on fairly technical topics. Dwarkesh Patel’s superpower is asking unusual questions that no one has asked the guest before. His Dwarkesh Podcast (also on YouTube) goes deep – and long – on AI, history, and frontier sciences. It’s the ultimate nerd enjoyment. — KK

The Art of Saying No

Found on Reddit, here is a cute illustration of very polite and empathetic ways to decline social invitations. I typically respond with a combination of "thank you for thinking of me" and "I'm sorry I can't make it." If it's someone I definitely want to spend time with, I follow up with an invitation to meet up in the near future. — CD

LifeClaudia Dawson
Free calligraphy classes from Montblanc

My dad gave my daughter his Montblanc fountain pen that’s 50 years old. She went to a Montblanc store nearby, and they cleaned out the dried ink for free. They also mentioned the free online calligraphy classes Montblanc offers. Anyone can join, even if you only have a Bic pen. We took the one-hour French Cursive class together and loved it. You can also watch past sessions. Be sure to download and print the exercise sheets for the classes. — MF

WritingClaudia Dawson