Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 -

Happy Wednesday. School's out for the summer. Which means my kids are in summer camp and, as a result, our schedule shifts a lot.

1) Reflection:

If you're like me and summer throws you off from your "routine": I get it. I have a love / hate relationship with summer. Love doing stuff with my family and outside, but am always relieved when the school year starts again.

I'm not really a go-with-the-flow person. I like plans and like to know what's happening. Spontaneity is hard for me.

I'm going to try this summer to bring "less planning" to my work. I'm going to leave my Friday afternoons unplanned and work on whatever I feel like working on. This is a huge shift from how I normally operate. Check back with me in August... we'll see how this turns out. 😆

2) Tip:

I get sunburns very easily, so I always lather on the sunscreen before I go outside. I also have really sensitive skin and often react to different products.

Years ago, I learned that many sunscreens have pretty terrible ingredients. Stuff you really don't want on your skin.

Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database is a GREAT resource. You can put in your product (sunscreens, lotions, and other cosmetics) and the product has a rating based on its ingredients. The site also notes the availability of data and when the product information was last updated.

3) Product:

I love walking in the summer and take near-daily walks to the park. I've always joked that I must have oddly shaped ears because Apple AirPods and similar products don't work for me: they fall out of my ears.

I have Samsung Galaxy Buds and they're a much better shape for me. They don't fall out and the sound is great.

Side note: I'm also obsessed with the podcast American Scandal. I've been listening to it nonstop, including on my walks. If you like juicy stories, even if you're not based in the U.S., I highly recommend it.

4) From a friend!

I've decided to occasionally drop recs from other people. I often learn about new products when people recommend them to me, so I thought I'd pass along the info!

This rec comes from Sneh Ratna Choudhary. She recommends the Fathom AI Notetaker and says it has "blown her mind" and she can't imagine life without it. The notetaking app has also completed a SOC 2 Type II audit, so she doesn't have to worry about security.

Have an app or tool that you love? Reply back to this email and let me know what it is and what you love about it!

Want more ideas?

→ There's still time to register for the webinar I'm hosting tomorrow - Organize That Draft! Check it out here.

→ Also, check out this article about taking breaks in life (and definitely from work).

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That's it for this issue of Tinkering! See you again in two weeks.

Cheers,
Anna

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