Holiday Break Projects

I’m returning to work today after a nice little break between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I always try to do a few small projects over the holiday break, and this one was no exception. Here’s how those went.

Celebrating Christmas with Family

This is less of a “project” and more the whole point of this break. But I tried to keep my goal of being present with family front-of-mind. It’s far too easy for me to become overwhelmed by everything happening over the holidays and end up missing out.

We had a wonderful time celebrating. With it being Noah’s first Christmas, it was a special one for me. Being a parent on Christmas is just the best, including the work it takes to put things together and make sure all the toys have the right batteries. I wouldn’t trade the look on my son’s face that morning for anything.

Several family get-togethers were had, including a dinner and gift exchange at our house with Katherine’s mom’s family. Hosting is not naturally in my wheelhouse, but it really was a blast having everyone over.

It was a merry Christmas for us and ours. I’ll consider this break a success based on this “project” alone.

Blogging

A break from work meant I had more creative energy to spare for my writing. When I woke up on my first day off, the ideas just started to flow. I ended up with four different articles I wanted to write and publish the week of Christmas, a pace I’d never even considered trying before.

But I went for it, and the ideas actually turned out. I published four days in a row last week:

I’ve never dedicated that much time to writing in a week. It felt amazing to just let my creativity flow. And to actually publish these ideas and get such positive feedback from people who cared enough to read them… I was blown away.

Aside from time with family, this was the best use of my break by far, and it left me itching to write again. (Spoiler alert: I got another article out before the break was over, making this my second blog post for this week.)

Website/Social Media Research

This was the project I was most looking forward to going into the break, and it turned out to bear the fewest results. After thinking about federation, the importance of owning your content, and what I want my space online to look like, I decided to look into different options for hosting my website and social media presence.

The main contender was Micro.blog, a site I have immense respect for. (I even controbuted to Manton’s Kickstarter project to help get the site going back in the day.) I’ve noticed a few people I follow on Mastodon who use their Micro.blog sites for both longform writing and microblogging, and I liked the idea of doing both from a single site that I own.

Upon further investigation, though, I found that the social features of Micro.blog aren’t quite what I’m looking for. Although the site is part of the social web, it isn’t fully feature-compatible with Mastodon. You can’t log in to Mastodon clients with a Micro.blog account, and several key parts of Mastodon, including reposts and favorites, just don’t exist on Micro.blog.

I fully respect the approach that Manton and the team are taking, and I understand the reasoning behind their decisions. But I’m not willing to give up my favorite Mastodon app or features I’ve grown accustomed to, even in exchange for fully owning my social media posts. It’s a shame, but Micro.blog just isn’t the solution for me.

I also did research on some other blog-hosting options and ways I could run my own Mastodon instance. But after looking into all of the options, I came to a very boring conclusion: The setup I already have is the ideal one for me.

Squarespace is a great place to host my website. There are a couple of oddities on the backend that I don’t love, especially when it comes to editing my site on my iPad, but they aren’t dealbreakers by any means. And I’ve put a lot of work into making my site look exactly the way I want it, so I’m going to stick with it.

As for social media, I’m planning to stay on mastodon.social for the time being. I’ve had this hope for a while that Threads joining the social web will allow me to consolidate my social media presence into one account. The more I learn about their approach to federation, though, the more skeptical I become of my utopian fantasy. I’ll probably wait until that shakes out and reevaluate then.

All of that is a long way of saying nothing is going to change. I wouldn’t consider my time wasted, though. At least now I know for sure that I’m running my website and social media the best way for me.

Jetpack Joyride 2

My favorite game on Apple Arcade hosted a Christmas event that I couldn’t resist. I haven’t missed out on any of the game’s limited-time prizes so far, and I wasn’t going to start now. I finished the event in plenty of time and finally filled in the last few missing spots in my sticker book.

I’ve still yet to finish Boss Rush mode, though. It’s my white whale; I’ll keep chasing it.

A Little Bit of Work

It’s funny how giving your brain a break from work can help you subconsciously solve problems you’ve been stuck on for a while. We’ve been without remote access for some time now, which isn’t a huge deal because I was the only person who really used it. But I’ve been wanting to get it going again.

Tailscale has been my stopgap solution. It’s surprisingly simple and works great, but there’s a limit on how many people and devices can use a free account. I wanted something that could potentially scale if need be.

Our network runs on UniFi hardware, and I started digging into their backend to see if I could set up remote access that way. It turns out that they have a very simple VPN offering that I was able to get up and going in just a couple of minutes.

It’s such an obvious solution that one might wonder why I never tried it before. The answer is that I did, but I never had any success with it. The UI did get redesigned recently, so maybe the new look just clicked with me somehow? I’m not sure, but I’m thankful to have remote access at work again.

I wasn’t planning to work over the break, but this project was quick, easy, and enjoyable, so I’ll give myself a pass.

Christmas Cleanup

Everyone has their own answer to the question, “How long do you leave your Christmas decorations up?” My answer is, “Until right before I have to go back to work.”

I know I won’t have the time or energy to deal with it once I’m back in my regular routine, so there’s a short window of opportunity to get the house back in order. Katherine and I got all of our Christmas decorations boxed up and put away in the attic Sunday afternoon, and now our house is a bit more tidy, if a little less cheery.

We also finally put away some maternity clothes and a bunch of newborn stuff that Noah can’t wear anymore. Those piles of laundry were taking up space in my mind—and under my bed—for weeks, so it feels marvelous to finally have them sorted.

Looking back on it, I actually had a productive break. I did everything I set out to do and then some. It was rejuvenating, creatively satisfying, and fun—a beneficial time for my heart, my mind, and my body. I’m thankful for the time away and glad that I used it wisely.

Now I feel ready to dive back into work full-force and with renewed energy. But there will always be a part of my mind planing my next vacation… and all the projects I’ll try to tackle then.

A New Year

Happy new year, friends!

I’m finding myself less reflective this New Year’s Day than most. For many, this is a time to look back on the year that was, meditate on the lessons learned, and use that knowledge to inform the year ahead. A time for remembering resolutions—both kept and otherwise—and for making new ones. Not so for me this year.

The reason, I think, is that I’ve already had a major reset recently. The birth of my son in August was a landmark moment, one of those few events that divides my life into the “before” and the “after.” It felt like starting over, or at least starting something very, very different from the life I had before.

Parenthood has prompted a great deal of introspection and rumination on my part. I did much of it before Noah was born in preparation for being the best father and partner I can be. But each day with my son brings up new emotions, which I try to examine and learn from as much as I can. My journal has been chock-full these past four-and-a-half months.

In light of that, the changing of the calendar doesn’t seem like such a big deal for me. This January 1, I find myself more in a mindset of gaining momentum than starting over. I just got started with my son, after all!

That isn’t to say I’m finished with new year’s reflections and resolutions forever. But this year, in the midst of diaper changes, bottle schedules, and pediatrician checkups, I’m just happy to be on the path I’m on. And that feels right.

Wishing you the very best in this new year. May it be a time of growth, joy, and fulfillment for each of us. Here’s to 2024!

Creative Year-In-Review

I’m going to try to make this my final year-end blog post, I promise. This time last year, I did a recap of my creative output for 2022 and found it quite motivating, so I’ve decided to bring it back. Welcome to my second annual—and yes, I’m allowed to call it that now—creative year-in-review.

Writing is still one of my absolute favorite things to do, and I’m constantly trying to make more time for it. My success or failure at that is reflected in my blog post output. I published 57 articles this year (58 if you include this one). That’s an average of more than one per week, way up from the one per month I wrote last year.

I’m really happy with that number. Back in what I consider my “golden era” of blogging, I was putting out a post every single week without fail. While my schedule this year wasn’t as routine, I still managed to write a lot more than I expected.

There was more variety in what I wrote on the blog this year, too. In addition to discussing apps and Apple stuff, I published some personal stories, linked to other writers, and complained about the Fast Saga movies. Talk about range!

This blog has been my home on the internet for twelve years now, and it means so much to me. I love that I get to keep coming back here to share what I’m thinking, doing, and using, and the fact that anyone cares enough to read it just means the world. Thank you to everyone who read, shared, and responded this year. It’s been a great year for the blog.

I also do a lot of personal writing in my journal, which has become more and more of a creative outlet for me this year. It’s a place to process the day and write about feelings, sure, but I’ve also been using it as a way to record and remember special moments in my life. The number of times this year I’ve said to my wife, “Guess what I found in my journal from a year ago,” has been astonishing, and it’s made me want to invest even more energy into journaling. It’s a practice that I just get so much out of.

Sigmund and I published 39 episodes of our Apple TV podcast Magic Rays of Light this year. I took parental leave from the show for a bit, so we didn’t quite hit that weekly mark every time, but we did get into a really good groove this year. It’s been a great experience making this show with my buddy, and I’m excited for what we have in store for next year.

Sticking with podcasts, I made an appearance on Tim Chaten’s show iPad Pros again this year. I have so much respect for the work Tim does, so it was an honor to get to chat with him and to even have him on an episode of MROL.

One of my random little projects this year was creating a new website for my family, which was a good bit of fun. I did some shuffling around of domain names behind the scenes and set up iCloud email for a bunch of domains. It’s not flashy, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of poking around the backend of these things.

Of course, my favorite thing I “made” this year is my son, Noah, who was born in August. He’s happy, healthy, secure, and growing, and any small role I get to play in that is my greatest accomplishment in life. Some of my creative endeavors had to take a back seat when he arrived, but I’d take being a dad over anything. Plus, I can always blog while he’s napping, right?

Doing a wrap-up like this feels like a highlight reel of my life over the past year. Of course, these are just the things I share publicly, so it’s only a partial view. But when it comes to what I’ve made this year, I can certainly say that I am pleased and proud.

I’ve enjoyed all the writing, podcasting, and tinkering I’ve been able to do this year. And beyond that, it’s been a downright pleasure connecting with everyone who’s come across my work and decided to say hello. Here’s to a great year that was, and to an even better one ahead in 2024!

My Favorite Movies and Shows of the Year

Let the end-of-the-year lists continue! Yesterday, I shared my favorite apps of 2023. Today, it’s TV shows and movies.

I’ve already discussed my top film list on the latest episode of Magic Rays of Light, but Sigmund and I aren’t getting into our top shows until the podcast returns in January. I guess you can consider this an exclusive preview. 😉

Without further ado, these are the best movies and shows of 2023 according to yours truly.

Movies

  1. Killers of the Flower Moon: I left the theater speechless after seeing this film. It’s a masterpiece—such an important story so well executed. By far the best movie I saw this year. Give Lily Gladstone all of the awards, because her performance was beyond compare.

  2. Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour: Hard as we tried, my wife and I couldn’t get tickets to see The Eras Tour live. But thanks to the magic of movies, we now feel like we were there. The show itself was a spectacle, and it was captured beautifully by the team at Taylor Swift Productions. This is Taylor at her best, doing the thing she loves most, and I had a wonderful time watching and singing along.

  3. Barbie: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling embody these characters perfectly. They are Barbie and Ken in my mind. Diving into Barbie’s world was a lot of fun, and I laughed the entire time. I appreciated the movie’s message as well, reclaiming Barbie as the true icon of female empowerment she was always meant to be.

  4. The Marvels: Two words: Iman Vellani. The superhero teamup was a good time, but Ms. Marvel stole show. She’s the future of the MCU franchise, and it’s a bright future indeed.

  5. The Super Mario Bros. Movie: What can I say? It’s my childhood brought to life. My biggest hope with this one was that Illumination wouldn’t screw it up too badly; they far surpassed my expectations. Chris Pratt actually did a good job as Mario, but Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach had to be my favorite.

Shows

  1. Lessons in Chemistry: I was expecting dry humor and the inspiring story of a woman overcoming societal expectations, but what we got was so much more than that. Lessons in Chemistry is about love, family, community, faith, and the way we’re changed by the people who come into our lives. And yes, there are a few chemistry jokes mixed in there, too. I was utterly surprised and delighted by this one, and I can’t wait to watch it again.

  2. The Last of Us: Come for the zombie action sequences and post-apocalyptic landscape, stay for one of the most beautiful portrayal of chosen family I’ve ever seen. I went in with no previous knowledge about the video game this show is based on, but having seen it, I understand why people loved the game so much. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey give grounded, award-worthy performances against a twisted and chaotic landscape.

  3. Loki: Everyone’s favorite antihero is back in what could well be Tom Hiddleston’s last outing as the god of mischief. Around him is situated a well-rounded ensemble cast including the addition of Key-Huy Quan this season. If you’ve been rooting for Loki all along or if you’re curious about the underpinnings of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga, this show is for you. (Note: Jonathan Majors does feature prominently in this season. After its release, Majors was convicted of domestic abuse and immediately fired by Disney from future projects. I applaud their decision and stand with all survivors of abuse.)

  4. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: I still can’t believe they got the entire cast of the original film back together for this anime adaptation. It was so cool revisiting the world of Scott Pilgrim, and I love the new story the show tells featuring characters I’ve loved for years. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil it, but if you enjoyed the 2010 film, I think you’ll like this show, too.

  5. The Changeling: This series debuted on Apple TV+ right after my wife and I came home from the hospital with our newborn son. The show features LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo as new parents trying to keep their son safe in a dangerous world riddled with dark magic. It’s an intense and difficult watch, but I resonated strongly with the main character, whose only motivation is trying to be a good dad. The Changeling a modern fairy tale worth watching to the end.

It’s always hard putting together lists like this. There are so many other titles I considered including, like The Crowded Room, Fargo, Silo, Flora and Son, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. But you have to draw the line somewhere, so we’ll just call those honorable mentions.

Do any of these picks stick out as something you enjoyed this year? What did I miss? I’d love to hear your favorite shows and films of 2023, so let me know in the comments section or on social media.

My Apps of the Year

Last December, I was inspired by Lachlan to share my favorite app of the year. Actually, I cheated and chose two: Structured and Up Ahead, which I dubbed my favorite new app of 2022.

Independent app developers have continued to amaze me with their work in 2023, so I couldn’t resist doing another retrospective. Instead of picking just one or two picks, though, I’d like to cheat again and share the handful of the apps that I’ve enjoyed most this year.

New-to-Me Apps

Mango Baby

The app that’s had the most impact on my life over the past year has to be Mango Baby, a newborn tracker by Yilei Yang. It’s not a new release, but since my son Noah was born, Mango Baby has been an indispensable tool for keeping track of his care.

The app is so well-designed and makes it simple for me to log feedings, diapers, and more. The information I need most is always right at hand, often not even requiring that I open the app thanks to Mango Baby’s extensive set of widgets. Shortcuts actions allow me to log diaper changes hands-free, and the iCloud-based collaboration is rock-solid, keeping everything in sync between my devices and my wife’s.

I’m a fan of anything that helps my kid and makes my life a bit easier. Mango Baby does both of those things every day.

Sequel

After nearly giving up on the category as a whole, I finally decided to try Romain Lefebvre’s media-tracking app Sequel, and I’m glad I did. It feels like it was made for just the way I like to track things.

I mostly use Sequel for keeping tabs on shows and films, but it can be used to track video games, books, and audiobooks, too. The design is intuitive and puts your content at the forefront, and the app as a whole does its job well: helping you enjoy your favorite media.

Sequel has become my source of truth for where I’m at in a particular show, as well as my go-to way of seeing when new episodes are coming out. At this point, I can’t imagine how I’d be able to keep up with everything I watch without it.

New Apps

Bridges

I’ve been intrigued by the concept of Jonathan Ruiz’s link-saving app Bridges since I first heard about it in beta. On the surface, it works a lot like any other app in the category: You share a link to the app and save it to use later. But Bridges takes that idea a few steps further.

Beyond just saving links, the app enables you to organize and share them in really helpful ways. Sorting links into folders and categories makes it easy to keep everything tidy. And once you’ve compiled your list of links into a folder, you can share them all in a variety of formats with a single button press.

I use Bridges to compile the show notes for my podcast Magic Rays of Light every week. The app has made this process simpler, speedier, and just plain fun. Bridges is now a central part of my creative workflow, and I really enjoy the time I spend using it.

Chronicling

First-time app developer Rebecca Owen came out with Chronicling this summer, and it is quite the app. Self-described as a way to “track anything,” Chronicling is a flexible and powerful tool that’s been a pleasure to explore.

The open-ended nature of the app is its strong suit. It can be whatever kind of tracker you want it to be. While I imagine a lot of people will use it for habit-tracking, I’ve gone a different route. Chronicling has become my trusty tool for staying on top of my chore schedule, something I needed some external assistance with after the birth of my son. It helped a lot!

I plan on doing a full write-up of Chronicling and how it works in the new year, but suffice it to say that it’s one of the most impressive new entries I’ve come across in 2023. I’m constantly looking for new ways to use Chronicling it because I just like it, and that’s one of the best compliments I can give to any app.

Updates

A few of my long-standing favorite apps received major updates this year:

A few things you’ll notice these apps have in common is that they’re made by independent developers, they’re continually updated, and they offer versions for Apple’s various platforms that sync between each other via iCloud. I consider them the best-designed offerings in their respective fields, and each one has a unique identity and use case that makes my life better in a real way.

For me, 2023 has been an incredible year for discovering new apps and continuing to benefit from the apps I already love. Maybe that’s why this list is so long. 😅 But it represents a group of apps that have defined the year for me, and I’m grateful for each one of them and the great developers who work so hard to make them.

What have been your favorite apps this year? I’m always looking for new ones to try (and to write about), so I’d love to hear your picks! I’m always down to talk about apps, so feel free to reach out anytime.