This is the first article in a “life upgrades” series. These articles will highlight various routines, habits, products, decisions, tips, etc. that provide a net benefit to my life, in no particular order.

1. To help me reflect on simple pleasures and some of my favorite things that I’m grateful for.
2. To inspire others to try something new that could benefit them in some way.

These articles do not contain any sponsored content or affiliate links. In other words, I don't receive any money for mentioning or recommending any products—I only mention them because I've used them and like them.

1. Getting a bidet attachment for my toilet 🚽

I’m quite happy with my TUSHY Spa 3.0 bidet. That said, I would be just as happy with the (less expensive) TUSHY Classic 3.0, because I’m not currently using (or missing) the warm water feature of the Spa model.

2. Drinking black coffee ☕️

I used to exclusively enjoy Café Altura's Organic Instant Coffee with reverse osmosis filtered water and Radiance Dairy's scrumptious whole milk.

However, my coffee options expanded when I re-discovered that black coffee is also delicious. Now I frequently savor Café Altura's Organic Instant Coffee with just reverse osmosis filtered water.

While I still enjoy coffee with Radiance Dairy's whole milk, I've come to realize that it's not necessary for my coffee enjoyment.

October 2023 Update: In October 2023, I discovered Hunter Bay Coffee (thanks to a kind clerk at Natural Grocers). This is currently my favorite coffee! So far I've tried their Praying Monk and Colorado blends. Both blends are delicious, but Praying Monk is my current favorite!

November 2024 Update: I've switched back to drinking coffee with Radiance Dairy's delicious whole milk instead of black!

3. Drinking kratom tea 🍵

I first tried kratom in April 2017 in the form of capsules with kratom powder in them. I sporadically consumed kratom capsules in 2017 and 2018, but I eventually stopped—largely because kratom capsules simply aren't very pleasant to consume.

Sometime in 2022, I became aware of Top Tree Herb's kratom teas thanks to Hamilton Morris' podcast. And in December 2022, curiosity led me to place my first order of Top Tree's kratom teas.

Consuming kratom as a tea has been a game-changer, and I have no desire to go back to kratom capsules. Kratom tea tends to be bitter, but the earthy, somewhat 'toasty' flavor has grown on me over time. Also, adding a generous spoonful of honey helps to improve the flavor. 🙂

I tend to prefer green and white kratom strains for their uplifting, yet mellow effects. However, red strains can be great for pain relief and for promoting relaxation at the end of the day.

If you'd like to learn more about kratom, I recommend listening to these two Kratom Science podcast episodes to start: Chewing Kratom Leaves with Soren Shade and Hamilton Morris, Soren Shade, and Dr. Oliver Grundmann Talk Kratom and a New Survey.

❗️Note 1: Kratom is not for everyone. Please read up on the safety and potential side effects of kratom before you try it to determine whether kratom would be helpful or harmful for your unique physiology. kratomanswers.org is a good resource for additional info.

❗️Note 2: At the time of this writing (April 2023), kratom is still unregulated in most U.S. states. This means that consumers need to make sure that they purchase kratom from reputable vendors. According to Top Tree Herbs, "good kratom vendors lab-test their kratom, label their products adequately, and follow Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards."

4. Moving to a less expensive area 🌎

I was born and raised in southern California, and I love it there for many reasons. However, at this point in my life, the cost of living in many parts of California is too high for me.

So, in late 2020, my spouse and I decided to move from SoCal to southeast Iowa—largely because the cost of living is lower there, but also because it's less crowded.

We've had to adapt to various aspects of living in Iowa, such as the much colder winters. However, we're happy here overall, and we're grateful to not have to work as much as we would have to if we lived in California to stay afloat.

5. Listening to Soma.fm 🎧

Soma.fm offers "over 30 unique channels of listener-supported, commercial-free, underground/alternative radio broadcasting to the world." All of their music is "hand-picked by SomaFM's award-winning DJs and music directors."

Three of my favorite Soma.fm stations are Drone Zone, Space Station Soma, and Groove Salad, but they're all worth checking out.

Shout-out to one of my former coworkers at The Water Brewery, Macy P., for telling me about Soma.fm in early 2020.

Well, that's it for now! Stay tuned for additional entries in my "life upgrades" article series. 😃