Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 - I'm not a fan of football, but I have "celebrated" the Super Bowl in my house every year since I was a kid. My dad was a football fan growing up, and now my spouse is (go Green Bay Packers 🏈). I understand the game, but I'm mostly there for the food, the commercials, and the Halftime Show. If you're a football fan and this upcoming Sunday is exciting for you, I hope you enjoy the day. May your team win. 1) Reflection:More than at any other point in my life, the lines are blurry between "work time" and "personal time." For example, I have a Substack and write about topics I care about... but people also pay to subscribe. So is that work time? Or personal time? Plus my kids are at an age when they need to be shuttled around constantly, so I'm really feeling the squeeze in my day. One thing I started doing is "co-working" with my kids in the evening. They work on their homework, and I'm at my computer. My 12-year-old, in particular, says this helps him focus. Even though my kids are working, I'm trying to seize the opportunity for some personal time — focusing on projects that are important to me and not tied to my business in any way. 2) Product:My husband always makes wings for the Super Bowl. I'm a vegetarian, so I need an alternative. For many years now, I've made this cheesy bread. It's easy and delicious — perfect for a gametime snack. 3) Tip:I cut the cord with cable tv back in 2009 and most of the time this is fine... except for events like the Super Bowl. So every year, we subscribe to YouTube TV the day before the Super Bowl and the one-month subscription usually takes us through the Oscars in March. Highly recommend paying for services for a month and then canceling them when you're not using them. Want more ideas?→ Just getting started as a solopreneur? Here's how to set your business up for success. → If contracts and client proposals make you nervous, check out this free checklist of things you should include. That's it for this issue of Tinkering! See you again in two weeks. Cheers, PS: If you like this newsletter and want to support it, here's what you can do! 1) Forward this newsletter to a friend. Sharing is caring. |
Practical tips to make your day better & make your life easier.
Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 Well, here we go. 13 days until I have surgery to remove a brain tumor. The next several issues of Tinkering With Ideas that land in your inbox will have been pre-written and pre-scheduled. Because the next issue will be only one day post-surgery, I doubt it will include an update. Surgery is expected to take 10-12 hours (yikes). But I'll try to get an update added to a subsequent issue, or send out a separate email. If you'd like to follow the journey of Betty the...
Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 Happy Wednesday. It's unbearably hot where I live, so we had ice cream for dinner last night. Yep. Sweltering heat + brain tumor diagnosis = officially entered the DNGAF era. If you'd like to follow the journey of Betty the Brain Tumor (yes, I named the tumor), you can read updates here. 1) Reflection: My brain surgery is in 27 days, and I've been doing a ton in the background to keep parts of my life moving while I recover. I've been truly touched by the people who...
Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 Happy Wednesday. My kids are eagerly counting down the days left in the school year (five, including today), and then summer break begins. If you'd like to follow the journey of Betty the Brain Tumor (yes, I named the tumor), you can read updates here. 1) Reflection: My kids have attended the same summer camp since they were little, but this year will be a bit different. My oldest has aged out of the camp, and my middle child has opted only to attend camp for a few...