Still in a headspace that doesn’t allow for much in the way of long form contemplation and content, but I have another pile of sticky brain things that want to placed somewhere, so it’s time for… another brain dump!
- I’ve returned to traditional bullet journaling. – I found myself unable to consistently and truly return to my Hobonichi Weeks, as much as I adore it. Life is too unstructured, unpredictable, and unable to be contained in the format, not to mention I no longer need a portable planner/journal. Not going anywhere. Stay tuned on this front because, in true Taurus fashion, I ordered a handful of notebooks to use as my pandemic bujo. I’ll be sharing the hauls from Jet Pens and Ink + Volt soon!
- Fiona Apple has a new album and I’m devouring it. – There is really not much more that needs to be said. She is lovely, I’ve been a fan since her first album, and I’m glad there’s more of her music in the world. This review captures so much of what I love about Apple’s musical evolution.
- Reachability on iOS with no Home button – I used to use this feature on my iPhone that had a home button and never figured out how to reach the top of the screen easily on my XS Max or my current 11 Pro. Someone asked me about it today so I finally googled it. Handy if you have a large phone screen and small hands.
- Netflix updated their parental controls – THANK you for the additional settings and filtering! I can now block shows and put a passcode on the adult profiles, making it less of a problem to install Netflix on my kiddo’s iPad. (By the way, I am a veritable wizard of iPad lockdown in general. Hit me up if you have a young one and want to know exactly what your kid can access any time they pick up their tablet.)
- Animal Crossing is a lovely place to exist – Really though, it’s soothing, it allows for connection, and I’ve just really enjoyed a pleasant place to pick fruit, fish, and even lie on a hammock on a virtual beach while I scribble in my bullet journal. (Related read: The Quiet Revolution of Animal Crossing)
- This website will self-destruct if no one posts – What a lovely little bit of randomness, and an easy way to throw your thoughts into an anonymous pile of witnessing. I can’t remember where I found this, but I’ve bookmarked it to peek at regularly and read through messages.
- Fabriq’s 2020 Social Media Detox – I mentioned Fabriq in a recent post because it’s a huge help with managing connections (did you take the “What kind of friend you are” quiz yet?), but I also really like this overview. Lots of great tips, info, graphics to use if you want to update a profile pic to reflect a hiatus.
- Diamond painting in small doses – A few people I know have taken up diamond painting and I’ve eyed it but had done any real investigating until I received one for my birthday (woo for quarantine birthdays!). I really like working on my larger project, but I found that these small kits that I linked to are satisfying in a quick fix kind of way (and they’re also doable for kiddos – my 6 year old has done them). Bonus that they’re stickers. 🙂
Reading I found interesting:
- Welcome (Back) to the Appointment Internet (NY Magazine)
- Loneliness is Other People (The Paris Review)
- The reason Zoom calls drain your energy (BBC)
Random niblets:
- Create your own Jeopardy game
- Essential workers can get free/low-free therapy
- Jackbox games are on sale and are great for virtual game night
- Coffitivity = coffee shop background noise available anywhere
What’s get you through these days? Share in the comments or over in the community. 🙂