This article highlights various routines, habits, products, decisions, tips, etc. that provide a net benefit to my life, in no particular order. I will periodically add things to this page.

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

This article does 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.

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.

Moving to a less expensive area 🌎

I was born and raised in southern California, and I love it there for many reasons. However, the cost of living in many parts of California had become too high for my spouse and I to manage comfortably. So in late 2020, we decided to move from SoCal to southeast Iowa—primarily for the lower cost of living, but also because it's less crowded.

We've had to adapt to various aspects of living in Iowa, like the much colder winters. Overall though, we're happy here and grateful that we don't have to work as hard just to stay afloat as we would have had to in California.

Working from home 🏠

Since 2020, working from home has become somewhat of a cliche, and it’s certainly not without its downsides. That said, at this point in my life, the pros of working from home (e.g. no commute, convenience) outweigh the cons (e.g. Zoom fatigue, sometimes feeling isolated).

Getting back into video games 🎮

I played a lot of (mostly Nintendo) video games in my childhood. I had an original Game Boy, a Game Boy Color (Atomic Purple), a Game Boy Advance SP, a Nintendo DS, a Nintendo DSi, and a Wii.

I was so into gaming in junior high and early high school that I subscribed to Nintendo Power and Game Informer magazines. I also started and ran my own Nintendo fan forum called “Nintendo Addict.” The forum ceased to be active years ago, but you can see glimpses of it via the Wayback Machine.

Regrettably (in retrospect), I largely bounced off of gaming around 2012 and missed the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eras. I was largely focused on making music and other endeavors between 2012 and 2020.

In 2020, my spouse and I wanted to get a Nintendo Switch so we could play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, due to supply chain issues and high demand, we were unable to obtain a Switch in 2020, so we settled on playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3DS instead to scratch our Animal Crossing itch.

Thankfully, we were able to snag a Switch in early 2021, and I’ve gotten progressively more into gaming since then. (Here's a list of some of my favorite video games.) Playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a major factor that helped to reawaken my childhood love for video games. It has been a lot of fun reclaiming this joyous childhood pastime. I've also been able to shed some conditioning that had influenced me to sometimes feel embarrassed about being into video games.

Learning the basics of front-end web development 💻

In early 2022, I participated in Leon Noel's full-stack web development course called #100Devs. While the actual programming aspects of the course (e.g. JavaScript) weren't my cup of tea, I enjoyed learning the basics of front-end web development (HTML and CSS). Since the course ended, I've practiced and applied my HTML, CSS, and graphic design skills by working on various website projects.

By the way, I recommend checking out HTML5 UP's free website templates and using Netlify Drop for free static website hosting.

Listening to podcasts / audiobooks / music while doing chores 🎧

In this increasingly aural age, I greatly enjoy listening to interesting podcasts, audiobooks, or music while doing chores, brushing my teeth, or running errands. Stimulating my mind with quality recorded content makes these mundane tasks much more bearable.

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.