Steven's favorite things of 2020
Shopping recommendations, supporting POC and LGBTQ+ businesses, impact of distraction, and exercise during a pandemic
Hi friend,
A change of pace in emails today.
Holidays are upon us - and with that, shopping for those we love. I thought of compiling some of my favorite purchases from this year for those of you looking for things to purchase. They are pretty functional items, so no glitz and glam with this shopping list.
Don’t forget to shop responsibly. Buy what you and others need, never in excess, and it’s sometimes better to communicate rather than buying something that someone else may already have.
(Skip past my recommendations if you want links to shop minority-owned businesses)
Books
Trevor Noah - Born a Crime
My favorite book of this year, I was in tears reading about Trevor Noah’s rocky relationship with his family and coming to terms with racism and intolerance in this world. Some parts were so good that I could not put this book down.
Karen Pryor - Don’t Shoot the Dog
One of those rare books that you keep referring to in almost every single conversation. This is a book about how to use the lessons from animal training to help reinforce and strengthen human behaviors.
Oprah Winfrey - What I know for sure
I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Oprah herself. This book is a collection of Oprah’s life principles that we can also apply in our lives.
Support publishers & independent booksellers if you have the income to do so. You can find books at local booksellers via Indiebound. However, income should not bar anyone from education. You can find books for free via Libgen and use Calibre to manage them on an eBook reader of your choice. If you have a library card, Libby is a wonderful tool to find books and audiobooks to borrow.
Home
Humidity Sensor
This is one of those things you don’t know you needed until you get it. I didn’t realize how much humidity affected my daily mood until I got a sensor. After buying a few to try, this low-tech version had the most consistent readings vs. the expensive ones that were smart home compatible. If your humidity is too high, run the heater for a bit. If your humidity is too low, you can run a steamer, take an extremely hot shower with the door open, or turn on your humidifier. My body seems to enjoy humidity levels between 35-45%.
Yeti Rambler 24 oz
I love a good mug, especially one that is extremely durable, retains heat/cold, and has lots of capacity. I’m not too fond of Yeti lids (or any mug lids in particular), but if you needed one for travel, I recommend their MagSlider lids. It is not leakproof, but it beats having to lift off the lid each time you want to sip. Protip: this mug is also great for soups (keeps them piping hot) and ice cream (doesn’t melt as you enjoy each bite).
Ninja Air Fryer
Anyone that owns an air fryer will attest to how it transforms your home cooking. You get restaurant-level crispy food, without having to use any oil. I bought a few of them to test out and the Ninja had the crispest food without burning. The ones with a larger tray fit more food, but the frying is not consistent. They have been going for $69 here and there - check Slickdeals for discounted pricing. Protip: You can buy frozen finger food and toss it directly into the air fryer for crip deliciousness that beats the microwave.
Going green: Since moving into my new place, I’ve replaced my paper towels with reusable towels (recommendation to buy at least 2 to ensure if one is in the wash, you have one ready to go) and a stack of small hand towels to clean around the apartment. I bought these reusable sticky hooks to put towels within reach. (You can also use the hooks on cabinet doors to hook your kitchen utensils and measuring cups)
Office
3D Terrain Standing Mat
Since I’ve been working at home more, I decided in the past month to upgrade my workspace to a more ergonomic setup. Along with a standing desk I got from Fully, I purchased this mat after reading some recommendations on Reddit. It’s a game-changer. Without the mat, I struggled to stand for more than a few minutes at a time, but was able to stand for 30 minutes with ease with the mat. They also make a smaller one depending on how much space you want this to take up.
Micro-cut 12-sheet Paper Shredder
Not only does this beast shred piles of paper in seconds, it can also shred your delivery boxes. I recently purchased this for my mom to also shred her boxes and the cuts are small enough to be used for composting. She called me ecstatically the other day to tell me that the earthworms in her garden loved eating her shredded paper and cardboard.
CloudValley Webcam Cover
Since this pandemic started, there are so many horror stories of people getting caught doing private things on conference calls. This webcam cover was the smallest and thinnest one I could find that seamlessly blended into my Macbook’s screen. Protip: Before installing, turn on your webcam and check to ensure the “on” light or the focus camera isn’t covered up by the other half of this cover. And if you need more than two, they sell 3-6 packs that drive the cost of each cover down.
Pilot Juice Up Gel Ink Pens
After going to Japan, I fell in love with these pens. They write extremely smooth and the ink doesn’t seem to dry up. The lines are not too thick or too thin, and there is a nice weight to the pen to make it feel extremely luxurious. It’s my favorite pen so far.
Apps
Fitbod
I’ve been struggling to incorporate fitness into my daily regimen, especially with gyms and studios shut down. You can get free workouts with Nike Training Club or Reddit Calesthenic’s Recommended Routine, but I wanted something that was much quicker and more customized. With Fitbod, you can input the equipment you have and set a duration you want to work out for. (Yes, you can even set 10 minutes) The app tracks recovery across various muscle groups and costs less than most fitness apps. With an annual subscription, it’s about $5/mo. You can try 3 free workouts (no time limit) and gift subscriptions are available.
Things
Hands down, the most useful and beautiful to-do list mac application I’ve used. They also offer iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps (though I only use it for iPhone). I love the fact that this is a one-time payment (vs. subscription model). They offer a free 15-day trial for the desktop version and a great addition to any productivity geek’s library of tools.
Beauty
Hibiclens
I was recommended this product by one of my dermatologists to treat body acne. (They use this to wash and sterilize in clinical settings) After using this for years, I’ve learned that you can use this in your hair to treat dandruff too (dandruff = bacteria). The trick is to wash your body or hair as you normally do, then apply a good lather of this and let it sit for a few minutes and wash off. Having this as the last “wash” disinfects the area. I don’t use this on my face as (1) it dries up my skin and (2) Obagi seems to work really well for my face. Protip: Avoid buying this on Amazon - the products seem to be watered down by different vendors. You can find at most local drugstores. The larger bottles don’t come with a factory seal and I’ve been buying the smaller bottles to ensure that they aren’t tampered with.
ShiKai Body Wash
I worked with an acne clinic many years back and had learned about comedogenic ingredients that aggravated my acne. SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) is found in almost every bath product we use (from toothpaste to shampoos) and it gives them the foaming quality we love. Since removing SLS from my toothpaste and my body wash, my acne has cleared up tremendously. ShiKai’s line of body wash has minimal ingredients, doesn’t include any of the comedogenic ingredients mentioned, and leaves the skin feeling hydrated after wash. Protip: Buy the gallon jugs to save money and also fill up any soap dispensers you have around the house. My favorite scent is sandalwood.
What I’m up to
For queer Asians: Hosting a free day-long retreat on January 16, 2021 on mindfulness and empowerment. There are four more spots - apply here. (Also hosting a free support group on Sunday, 12/13. Register on Eventbrite)
For queer POC: Hosting a fireside chat on equity in design happening on Tuesday, 12/15.
For Asians: Hosting a free API support group on Sunday, 12/27.
Support POC & LGBTQ+ this holiday season
My friend Kim who runs Ganeshspace, recently released an email that lists out a an amazing collection of Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian, or LGBTQ+ businesses to shop from. Love this initiative and the wide collection of links!
The price of distraction
Another amazing podcast by Sam Harris, where he sits down with Adam Gazzaley, professor at UCSF to talk about technology and attention. Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor in Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at UCSF, and the Founding Director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center, Neuroscape Lab, and the Gazzaley Lab, which explores mechanisms of neuroplasticity and designs, develops, and validates new technologies to optimize cognitive abilities. In an FDA first, the organization approved a Gazzaley’s video game (NeuroRacer) as a treatment for ADHD in children.
TLDR, big takeaways for me:
Multi-tasking is detrimental to our ability to sustain concentrated attention. The more we multi-task, the harder it becomes to focus. (Why social media and digital notifications are not beneficial)
We must train our minds as we would train running in a marathon - starting with small increments of focused activity to build into a longer duration
Boredom is essential for us. It helps us to assess and understand where we want to spend our time. Similar to the feeling of hunger - these aren’t bad feelings that we need to push away. Rather, we are losing a core sense when we don’t activate these feelings.
Moving our bodies
A recent NY Times article states that 11 minutes of exercise will counteract a day of sitting all-day long! But if you want something less strenuous…
The sweet spot for physical activity and longevity seemed to arrive at about 35 minutes a day of brisk walking or other moderate activities.
Do you have any tips to get movement in each day?
As always, thanks for reading!
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share or sign up here: mindfulmoments.substack.com
Anything else? You can always hit "reply" to email me directly. 💌
Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
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