December 2023

Minimal Monthly

Hi Reader,

Digital decluttering has been the name of the game around here this last week of the year. Shed a tonne of gigabytes and unsubscribed to a monster load of newsletters I just wasn't keeping up with anymore. Some of them had grown spammy or felt like they were now being written by a bot (they probably were), others just weren't providing any added value to my work or personal interests. Adieu.

One of the subs I did keep is for a letter called Sidepiece, which is focused on work and personal finance. It’s concise, well written, and I always find at least one gold nugget in there each week.

I still also devour the weekly SEO gem Niche Surfer, which a lovely fellow named Yoyao sends out every Saturday. And Further is another one I enjoy. It's geared to Gen Xers and revolves around midlife health, longevity, work, retirement planning, and always has a great flashback music video in the footer that will put a smile on your face. Good stuff all around, sent out a few times a month.

My inbox feels better after the big sweep. Lighter. And also way less noisy now that it's not pinging for attention every 37 seconds.

I switched to laundry sheets and they're genius. Feather-light, no more lugging around heavy bottles of liquid or boxes of powder detergent, and everything comes out just as clean. Plus: way less packaging to dispose of, so eco-friendly. I'm a fan.

End of ad.

Blog Updates

If you find yourself rummaging through cakey makeup palettes every morning, lippie colours you never wear, or you just can't remember when you bought that purple mascara, it might be time to give the 'ole cosmetics drawer a good declutter.
... which led me to reining in even more small stuff around the house. Spare batteries, bobby pins, scrapbooking papers, lipsticks, earrings and other tiny clutter culprits all need a home. Here are some storage ideas for those 'lil bits and bobs.
For the decluttering curious: how about a few home organising resolutions for the new year? Here are some motivating considerations you can use as a starting point.

Stuff I've Loved

New technology being put to a truly good use: Be my AI will be made available worldwide in the coming weeks to iOS and Android users in an open beta version. It allows people with no or low vision to take pictures, re-organise their closet, see what’s around them or find something that’s dropped to the floor, prepare for exams, get descriptions of online content, and so much more. Find out more here or check their Help Centre docs. It's free!
Slow Fashion Season is upon us. Join the movement at SlowFashion.global and take the pledge to not purchase any fast fashion for at least 30 days. I'm in.
How much do other people make? Salary Transparency Street asks folks on the street, all around the US. And if you’re a freelancer who wants to see how your hourly rate stacks up to your peers', this database is chock full of metrics and sortable by role, country, day rates, annual take-home and more. Via Sidepiece.
Shedding a few pounds is a popular New Year’s resolution. We’ve all heard that our metabolism slows as we age and that not all calories are created equal. The USDA has a decent online calculator that gives you a baseline for the amount of calories you need every day, and what those calories should consist of including a vitamin and mineral breakdown. I'd just take their macronutrients with a (figurative) grain of salt: the carbs are too high. But hey, it's New Year's Eve so knock yourself out.