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Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 -

Happy Wednesday. We're fully into the fall season in Chicagoland (colors, weather, pumpkins, everything).

My husband has wanted a 12-foot skeleton for years. I keep wondering where we would store it...

It's that time of year when buying a skeleton is A Discussion in our house. And ConverKit has a polls feature, so I ask you...

Stay tuned for the results (and possibly skeleton photos if we end up getting one...) in the next issue.

1) Reflection:

We're now about a month into the school year and have re-settled into the school routine. It's an entire production to get my kids out of the house in the morning with three different schools and three different bus pickup times ranging from 6:42 a.m. to 8:34 a.m.

But even with the before-school chaos, I've resumed my morning walking routine. It's something that always falls to the wayside during summer, but crisp fall mornings are the best. I've even tried recording a few videos while walking.

If your routine changes with the school year, what's something you look forward to when school resumes?

2) Product:

On chillier days, I put a blanket on my lap while I'm working. I absolutely love these book blankets from StoriArts. They're so soft and the perfect weight. I have two of them: The Phantom of the Opera and Pride and Prejudice.

I've also received these writing gloves as a gift, and they're fun.

3) Tip:

The year is 71% over, but I always feel like the last 6-ish weeks are a complete whirlwind between U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, realistically, the end of the year is right around the corner.

For the first time ever, I'm thinking ahead to next year. I usually start reflecting at the end of the year / start of the new year, like most people. But this year is different.

This year, I tried quarterly planning. But quarters feel hard for me, as a self-employed person (and parent). One quarter goes by so quickly.

So next year, I'm thinking in trimesters instead, giving myself four months to "get something done" instead of three. With trimesters ending in February, June, and October. That means my first trimester starts in a few weeks (October - Feb). I'm excited to see if next year feels different.

Want more ideas?

→ The last issue of this newsletter went out on the morning of September 4th. The day ended up being really awful. You can read more here.

→ I'm fascinated that Apple AirPods received FDA approval to serve as hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Read more here.

→ Thoughts on paying speakers for events like conferences.

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

Cheers,
Anna

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